Aolai City, a small coastal city on the eastern shore of the Sun Moon Federation.
Six years had passed since the upheaval six years ago. Time seemed to have made people forget their pain, and the city had regained its former vitality.
Early that morning, the street outside Red Mountain Academy was already packed so tightly with parents and children that not a drop of water could have slipped through.
In the crowd, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue held two children by the hand, slowly shuffling forward with the flow of people.
The boy slightly farther ahead was Tang Qingye. His black hair was cropped short, and his ink-dark eyes looked exceptionally quiet.
Behind him, six-year-old Tang Wulin was looking around in excitement, his large, clear black-and-white eyes full of anticipation for what lay ahead.
To outsiders, Tang Qingye was the Tang family's eldest son.
But only he knew that his soul came from an age of highly advanced technology.
After dying an unnatural death in that world, he had been born into this family with his memories of his previous life.
Because he knew the course this world would take, Tang Qingye understood perfectly well what a terrifying Divine Realm maelstrom the little snot-nosed brat behind him who called him big brother would be swept into in the future, as well as his own birth parents' entanglement with the Holy Spirit Cult.
Tang Qingye had both hands in his pockets, his thoughts unknown.
After all these years, the kindness Tang Ziran and Lang Yue had shown in raising him could not be false. It was warmth he had never experienced in his previous life, which had begun with the sky falling down around him-and there was this adorably dim little brother, too.
And the confidence that allowed him to plot all this in his heart came from something unusual deep within his soul.
From his earliest memories, Tang Qingye had been able to vaguely sense a blurred Gourd Mark branded deep within his soul.
The mark was ancient and mysterious. Though it had yet to awaken, the faint traces of aura it gave off had been nourishing his body and soul all along. His physical abilities and spiritual power had already far surpassed those of his peers, and now they were even more... a big chicken in savory sauce!
It was also thanks to the nourishment of this mysterious gourd-very nourishing indeed-that he had been able to maintain composure and mental maturity far beyond ordinary people even before awakening.
"Tang Wulin, Tang Qingye, come to the school gate to verify your identities."
In front of Red Mountain Academy's main gate, the teacher handling reception called out while checking a form.
"Dad, Mom, we're going in."
Tang Qingye turned back and said this to his parents.
Tang Ziran patted both his sons on the shoulder, encouragement in his eyes. "Go on in and listen to your teachers. Qingye, take good care of your little brother."
Lang Yue also gave them a gentle smile.
The couple stopped outside the school gates with the other parents and watched the brothers enter the campus.
Red Mountain Academy's architecture leaned toward the classical style, with white roofs and red walls.
Since it was Awakening Day, the campus seemed rather empty and quiet apart from the children being led along by their teachers.
The brothers were brought to the dedicated Awakening Hall.
Closed Spiritual Awakening Rooms lined both sides of the corridor, and a faint metallic scent from operating Soul Tools hung in the air.
"Tang Wulin, enter Awakening Room Three."
The teacher leading them raised a hand.
Tang Wulin tugged at Tang Qingye's sleeve. "Big brother, I'll go first, then."
"Don't be nervous. Go on."
Tang Qingye pressed a hand on his head.
Tang Wulin nodded firmly and strode inside.
About ten minutes later, the door to Awakening Room Three opened again.
Tang Wulin walked out. Though he tried his hardest to restrain himself, a trace of gloom that was difficult to hide still flashed through his large eyes.
He walked over to Tang Qingye with his fists clenched and said quietly, "Big brother, my martial soul... is Blue Silver Grass. My innate soul power is rank three."
He bit his lip, but Tang Qingye knew this little crybaby was about to cry and was waiting for him to offer comfort.
Tang Qingye looked at him and said earnestly, "That dog back then... Tang San had Blue Silver Grass as his martial soul, too. And the Fart Immortal once said there were no useless martial souls, only useless Soul Masters.
"Big brother, does that mean I..."
"Yes, all of that's just hot air. Bullshit."
"Huh?"
Tang Wulin froze for a moment. The instant he looked up, he met his brother's calm gaze. "Wulin, listen carefully. No matter what your martial soul is, you're my little brother. Besides, what's wrong with Blue Silver Grass? I'll definitely make your martial soul the strongest Blue Silver Grass."
"Big brother, you might as well not have comforted me at all, but I do feel much better."
"Next, Tang Qingye."
The Spirit Transmitter's voice came from inside the Awakening Room.
"Big brother, it's your turn! You have to do your best!" Tang Wulin waved his little fists.
"Mm, don't worry." Tang Qingye stepped inside.
The Awakening Room's furnishings were thoroughly modern, with the patterns of Soul Guidance Arrays specially made by the Spirit Pagoda embedded in the floor and walls.
A young Spirit Transmitter stood in the center, dressed in a clean gray Spirit Pagoda uniform. Judging by his badge, he should have been a Soul Grandmaster above rank twenty.
"Young man, stand in the middle of the array. Close your eyes and relax."
The Spirit Transmitter guided him in a gentle tone.
Tang Qingye stood where instructed and slowly closed his eyes.
As the Spirit Transmitter poured in soul power, the surrounding soul guidance patterns began to glow softly. Wisps of warm energy flowed through the soles of Tang Qingye's feet into every limb and bone.
The moment this external energy entered his body, the Gourd Mark deep within Tang Qingye's soul, which had nurtured him for six years, seemed to be drawn by something and shook with a thunderous jolt.
An unprecedented, piercing sharpness instantly awoke in the deepest part of his soul.
Tang Qingye's eyes snapped open.
"Hum." A humming sound rang out.
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet.
Endless seven-colored radiance erupted wildly from every pore of Tang Qingye's body. This radiance held no vitality, only a keen, cutting edge that sought to sever heaven and earth themselves.
Under the Spirit Transmitter's almost stupefied gaze, the space above Tang Qingye's head actually began to ripple violently. The seven-colored radiance intertwined and converged, finally becoming a seven-colored sword light that seemed capable of cleaving the firmament. At the center of that sword light, which spanned heaven and earth, a vision of an ancient, mysterious Seven-Colored Gourd appeared, giving off an endlessly desolate aura.
As the light faded, an ancient gourd about the size of a palm, its entire surface flowing with seven-colored light, floated quietly above his palm.
[Seven-Colored Heaven-Slaying Gourd].
The moment his martial soul took shape, this name was branded into Tang Qingye's mind.
Even without having absorbed a soul spirit, the seven-colored edge faintly flickering in and out of the gourd's mouth still made the skin of the Spirit Transmitter beside him sting.
"This... is this a gourd? What a sharp aura!"
A trace of shock flashed through the Spirit Transmitter's eyes. Though he was stationed in a small, outlying city, he had never seen such a keen... no... such a terrifying gourd martial soul.
With a slight shift of thought, Tang Qingye withdrew the Seven-Colored Heaven-Slaying Gourd in his palm into his body.
That aura immediately vanished without a trace.
"Here, put your hand on this. Let's test your innate soul power."
The Spirit Transmitter took out the Soul Power Testing Crystal Ball with some impatience.
Tang Qingye raised his right hand and pressed his palm against the crystal ball's cold surface.
"Hum!"
The instant he touched it, the entire crystal ball erupted with an extremely dense white light, free of any impurities.
Holy light, flash-blast them!
"Innate full soul power!"
The young Spirit Transmitter could not help exclaiming under his breath, his face flushing slightly with excessive excitement.
In a place like Aolai City, the awakening of a top-tier tool martial soul with innate full soul power was absolutely tremendous news!
"Y-young man, your name is Tang Qingye, right?"
The Spirit Transmitter hurriedly crouched down, his tone more serious than ever. "Your talent is excellent. Would you be willing to join the Spirit Pagoda? We can provide you with..."
"Thank you, Uncle, but I need to go home and discuss it with my parents first."
Tang Qingye politely interrupted him.
The Spirit Transmitter froze for a moment. Where was the politeness? Oh, there it was, before the interruption.
Seeing that the child was unusually composed, he could hardly force the matter, so he nodded. "Yes, yes, yes, this is a major decision. You should discuss it with your family. But remember, the Spirit Pagoda's doors are always open to you. Here's my business card. If anything comes up, call me directly. As for benefits, I'll definitely make sure they hit the stom-spot."
Leaving the Awakening Room, Tang Qingye kept his expression unchanged and tucked his hands back into his pockets. In all of vast Aolai City, there was not a single worthy opponent.
He had never intended to conceal his talent. If he wanted to obtain resources quickly, acquire good soul spirits, ease his parents' burden, and gain protection as well, the Spirit Pagoda was absolutely the best choice.
But, well, only a long line could hook a big fish.
Seeing his brother emerge, Tang Wulin immediately hurried over. "Big brother, how did it go?"
"Let's go home first."
Tang Qingye gave him a reassuring look.
"Oh, oh, okay."
The brothers quickly walked out of Red Mountain Academy.
Outside the gates, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue were standing unobtrusively in a corner, looking around.
When they saw the children emerge, the couple immediately hurried over to meet them.
Many parents around them were asking their children about their results. Some were happy, others sorrowful.
Tang Ziran looked at his two sons as they approached. Rather than ask more on a crowded street full of prying eyes, he simply took the brothers' hands and said quietly, "Come on, let's go home. Your mom made something delicious today."
Feeling the warmth of his father's palm on his shoulder, Tang Qingye turned to glance toward the Awakening Rooms inside Red Mountain Academy.
He knew that the Spirit Transmitter must be using a Soul Communication Device to report today's results to his superiors right now.
Tang Qingye withdrew his gaze and followed his parents toward home.
Since he had come to this era with the Seven-Colored Heaven-Slaying Gourd, he would overturn the chessboard that Dog San had laid out on the Douluo Continent.
Before you continue