The Beginning of Everything (Please Vote!)

The night was quiet, and the moonlight flowed like water.

In front of a wooden house, a man and a woman stood silently.

The man was dressed in white, with black hair and dark eyes. He was handsome and dashing. The woman wore blue, with deep blue hair and pupils. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

In the woman's arms, she held a baby wrapped in gorgeous brocade. Inside the brocade lay an exquisite jade pendant.

"Brother Tian, are we really going to leave Little Ye here?"

Looking at the baby in her arms, the woman's brows were knitted with worry, and her eyes were filled with sorrow as she spoke.

"Zhixin, no one can say for sure what the place we're going to will be like. If it's safe, then fine, but if it's dangerous, I might not even be able to protect you properly, let alone Little Ye. If we take him with us, we'd only be harming him."

The man called Brother Tian sighed.

"But... what if someone bullies Little Ye when we're not by his side? Besides, in such a poor village, his life will definitely be difficult in the future. Why don't we leave Little Ye with my family?"

As she spoke, Zhixin couldn't help choking up.

Seeing his wife cry, Brother Tian sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"Zhixin, don't worry. The person we're entrusting him to is the village chief. Little Ye definitely won't be bullied. Besides, with the excellent bloodlines he inherited from both of us, along with what I've left him, he'll certainly be the one bullying others. Who could possibly bully him?"

"As for leaving him with your family, we might never return from this journey. You can't know what people are really thinking. What if someone covets what we've left Little Ye?"

"So it's better for Little Ye to stay here. That way, no one will know his true identity. By the time he grows up and leaves this village, he should have enough strength to protect himself. Following the path I've arranged for him, he'll definitely be able to find us in the future."

Listening to her husband's words, Zhixin remained silent for a moment before accepting reality. With reddened eyes, she said, "Brother Tian, I understand. Then let's leave Little Ye here."

Seeing that his wife, Zhixin, had finally accepted his arrangement, Brother Tian revealed a relieved smile.

Having made up her mind, Zhixin gently stroked the baby in her arms and walked to the wooden house's door. She carefully placed the baby on the ground, then knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

A series of crisp knocks rang out.

Suddenly, an aged voice came from inside the wooden house. "Who is it?"

Then, after the sound of someone getting out of bed, footsteps came from within the house.

"Zhixin, it's time to go."

Seeing that Zhixin was still gazing at the baby on the ground with deep reluctance, Brother Tian sighed. He stepped forward, took his wife's hand, and pulled her to his side.

Then, the air seemed to ripple. Although their gazes remained fixed on the baby on the ground, their figures began to blur, eventually vanishing from the spot.

The next second, the wooden house's door was pushed open with a creak, and a stooped old man with a head of silver hair emerged in bewilderment.

"Huh? Why is there a baby here? Who left him here?"

Seeing the baby beside the door, the old man walked out of the wooden house in confusion and picked him up.

He touched the gorgeous brocade wrapped around the baby. Its workmanship and material were clearly extraordinary. Together with the jade pendant placed inside, it left the old man astonished.

"What exquisite brocade and jade pendant. Could this child have been left here by some noble? But why leave him with me? Could they want me to adopt him?"

The old man couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"How strange!"

"But since you want me to adopt you, then I'll agree. A noble's child might have a better chance of awakening a martial soul and becoming a soul master in the future!"

As if he had thought of something, a smile appeared on the old man's face.

Taking the jade pendant from the brocade, the old man looked at the characters engraved on it and gazed kindly at the baby in his arms. "Child, your name is Lin Ye, isn't it? My name is Jack. From now on, I'll be your grandfather."

Six years later.

Heaven Dou Empire, Fanus Province, Holy Soul Village.

At dawn, when the sky was only beginning to brighten, the entire Holy Soul Village was still shrouded in a vast expanse of white mist. Wooden houses of various sizes appeared and disappeared within the fog.

With a creak, the door of a wooden house opened, and a little boy walked out.

He had black hair and dark eyes, and looked about six or seven years old. His build was well-proportioned, his skin fair, and his features handsome, though his expression was slightly cold.

After opening the door, the little boy closed it behind him.

An aged voice came from inside the house. "Little Ye, remember to come back early. The Lord Soul Master from the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch is coming to our village today to hold the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony. Don't be late."

"I know, Grandpa."

The little boy nodded calmly, answered, then turned and left the wooden house.

After walking out of the village, the little boy headed toward the rear mountain. When he passed the village's western side, another boy his age also walked out of the village.

This boy also looked about six or seven years old. He wore a hemp shirt, had black hair and dark eyes, wheat-colored skin, and ordinary features.

Seeing Lin Ye, the boy smiled and greeted him. "Lin Ye, you get up this early to train every day?"

"Mm. Aren't you the same, Tang San?"

Lin Ye nodded lightly in reply.

"That isn't the same. I'm older than you!"

Tang San smiled.

It was true that he was older than Lin Ye—not only in physical age, but also in mental age.

Although he appeared to be a six- or seven-year-old child, he actually possessed memories of his past life. Counting his mental age, he was already approaching thirty.

But Lin Ye before him was merely a normal child. He got up this early every day to train, displaying a level of self-discipline that even adults might not possess, let alone a child. How could Tang San not be amazed?

The two chatted as they walked. Finally, after reaching the foot of the rear mountain, they parted ways and headed toward two different peaks.

After separating, Lin Ye followed a narrow path toward the left side of the rear mountain. After crossing a flourishing sea of flowers, he finally arrived before a steep slope.

The slope had an incline of nearly seventy degrees.

Forget children—even adults would find it extremely difficult to climb. Yet, looking at the slope before him, Lin Ye remained calm, without the slightest hint of fear.

"Bang!"

Lin Ye stamped his right foot hard against the ground, and his body suddenly shot into the air. One foot landed firmly on the slope as if it had taken root, while his right hand swiftly reached out and grabbed a protruding rock above. Then he kicked off again, leaping upward and rapidly scaling the slope.

It was hard to imagine that a little boy of only six or seven could possess such skill! He climbed as swiftly as a nimble monkey. In just a few breaths, Lin Ye had ascended the sheer slope, more than ten meters high, and reached the mountaintop.

This rookie author is getting started—please vote!()'ω(ヾ