Year 2789 of the Douluo Calendar, Godwind Academy, awakening chamber.
Feng Lingtian stood in the center of the formation, his eyes tightly closed, feeling the unfamiliar power within him slowly awaken like a slumbering beast. At the same time, another figure kept appearing in his mind-Feng Xiaotian, an extraordinary genius who should have shone with boundless brilliance, yet had ultimately become a "cautionary example."
Feng Xiaotian possessed innate full Soul Power and the top-tier beast Martial Soul, the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf. This should have been a great road leading straight to the pinnacle of the power attack system, but reality had delivered the cruelest mockery.
Because of the academy's obsessive adherence to the "Extreme School," coupled with his teammates' mediocre talent, Feng Xiaotian, as their captain, had been forced to abandon overpowering opponents head-on. To accommodate his team, he had forced himself into becoming an agility attack system assassin.
But even that had not been enough.
To give this mediocre team the means to challenge opponents above their level, Feng Xiaotian had gone so far as to recklessly overdraw his own talent during the most precious golden years of a Soul Master's cultivation, pouring countless hours that should have gone toward meditation and improving his Soul Power into those flashy but insubstantial "self-created soul skills."
He had thought that as long as he worked hard enough, as long as he perfected the "Gale Demon Wolf Consecutive Slashes," he could lead his teammates to break through their shackles.
But what had been the result?
His strength fell short of a pure power attack system fighter's, his speed could not match a true agility attack system fighter's, and the consecutive slashes he took such pride in were as fragile as a joke before absolute strength. He had exhausted his heart's blood to help his team succeed, only to become someone else's stepping stone time and again in the torrent of fate.
Feng Lingtian had never been able to understand: why had someone so extraordinarily gifted lived such a stifled life?
Feng Xiaotian's lonely retreating figure after Tang San defeated him time and again, his servile attempts to please Huo Wu... Those images had been carved into Feng Lingtian's memory like knife marks. Feng Lingtian hated the rules and circumstances that had driven Feng Xiaotian into a corner, yet he also could not help aching for this man who always silently shouldered everything.
If I ever get the chance, I'll change all of this!
The instant that thought settled, the obsession in his chest suddenly grew hot, like a flame catching fire. Then his vision went black, and his consciousness was swept into a chaotic darkness.
In that darkness, something seemed to respond to Feng Lingtian's powerful obsession. A gentle yet irresistible force enveloped his entire body and drew him onward.
When Feng Lingtian opened his eyes again, he discovered that he had actually become Feng Xiaotian's younger brother.
Since I'm here, I might as well settle in.
In this life, he would do only one thing-never again let his brother swallow his grievances for the sake of so-called "teamwork" or "love." He would make his brother stand tall, seize that fleeting golden window for cultivation, and proudly become the invincible power attacker Feng Xiaotian once more, completely severing the labels of "simp" and "background character" and rewriting Feng Xiaotian's fate.
The instructor took out a transparent crystal ball the size of a fist and held it out before Feng Lingtian. This was the standard instrument for testing innate Soul Power.
The instant Feng Lingtian's hands touched the sphere, a hot current surged into his palms. The crystal ball suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light, illuminating the entire awakening chamber. Fine cracks even appeared across its surface!
"Innate... full Soul Power?!"
The instructor's startled cry rang out, and the writing board in his hand fell to the floor with a clatter.
Feng Lingtian opened his eyes and raised his right hand.
Above his palm, a pale golden ball of light churned violently before suddenly bursting apart. A magnificent bird of prey spread its wings and emerged, pale golden patterns edging its silver-gray feathers. As its wings unfurled, the currents they stirred made the instructor's robes snap and flutter. Its sharp golden eyes seemed capable of piercing anything. It gave a piercing cry, and the awakening chamber's windows shattered at the sound.
"A peregrine falcon!" the instructor cried involuntarily, his voice full of disbelief. "It's the Martial Soul passed down through the direct line of that speed-specialist clan! What an overwhelming presence!"
The way the instructor looked at Feng Lingtian changed completely. A peregrine falcon Martial Soul was nothing unusual, but in thirty years of teaching, he had never seen one cause such a commotion upon awakening. The instructor knew full well that the clan renowned for its speed had once suffered a devastating blow, leaving only two direct-line descendants in the entire clan. Witnessing the awakening of this nearly lost top-tier bloodline was nothing short of a miracle.
Outside the awakening chamber, a boy heard that piercing cry and the sound of shattering windows.
Had something gone wrong with the awakening ceremony? Had someone inside been hurt? The person in there was the most important person to him.
The instant those thoughts exploded through his mind, his body had already reacted ahead of his awareness. Martial Soul Possession. He rushed to the door in a few strides and slammed his palm against its frame. Under the shock of his Soul Power, the lock snapped apart. He pushed the door open and strode inside, his gaze urgently sweeping across the entire awakening chamber.
The instructor looked up. The boy was tall and straight, like a young green bamboo that had already shot upward. His black hair was slightly tousled without looking unkempt, a few loose strands resting against his forehead. His features were cleanly defined, with the cool sharpness unique to youth. He wore Godwind Academy's blue-green uniform, a junior academy badge pinned to his collar, his sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms. His exposed arms were long and well-proportioned, their contours smooth without being exaggerated. Standing there, he carried the lean frame and keen edge peculiar to a boy his age, even as his chest heaved violently, his eyes bloodshot and their rims red.
This boy was none other than Feng Xiaotian. The dean's eldest son, the genius with innate full Soul Power.
Feng Xiaotian was twelve this year and had already reached rank thirty Soul Power. He needed only his third Soul Ring to officially enter the Soul Elder realm. With his talent, he could have broken through earlier, but he had chosen to hold his rank back-he was waiting for his younger brother's awakening. He wanted to witness this moment himself, and he also wanted to be at his brother's side as he started out, adjusting the pace of their cultivation.
Feng Xiaotian's gaze settled on the center of the formation.
Feng Lingtian stood there. Although he was six, he looked noticeably taller than other children his age. His frame had yet to fill out, and he stood very straight. His black hair was cut short and neat, revealing a full forehead. His features bore a fifty- or sixty-percent resemblance to Feng Xiaotian's, with a straight nose and a jawline that was soft yet firm. His eyes were different from his brother's. Feng Xiaotian's gaze was cool and sharp, while Feng Lingtian's eyes were exceptionally clear and bright, carrying a clever gleam as they darted about, as though he were observing everything around him at every moment.
Feng Lingtian wore the same blue-green uniform as his brother, but his was clearly several sizes too large. The sleeves extended too far, so Feng Lingtian had neatly rolled them up twice, exposing a small stretch of wrist. The hem was long as well, almost covering his knees. Moreover, an exceedingly fine line of gold embroidery bordered the collar and cuffs of this uniform; it was the dress version worn only on formal occasions. Standing there, he showed a composure beyond his years beneath his quiet demeanor, yet when the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, he was plainly still a six-year-old child.
Feng Xiaotian strode forward and yanked Feng Lingtian into his arms, holding him in a crushing embrace.
Feng Lingtian rolled his eyes as the air was squeezed out of his chest. But he did not struggle, and the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily. In his previous life, Feng Lingtian had been an only child, alone in a quiet, lonely world. He had never known what it felt like to have his own older brother hug him nearly breathless.
"Brother, if you don't let go, Godwind Academy's second genius with innate full Soul Power is going to die right at the awakening chamber's door."
Feng Xiaotian hurriedly released him. His eyes were still red, but the wild joy in them had already overwhelmed his earlier panic. Holding Feng Lingtian, he looked him over carefully from head to toe.
Only then did it truly sink in for Feng Xiaotian. His younger brother also had innate full Soul Power!
Feng Xiaotian was about to speak when his gaze suddenly fell on Feng Lingtian's clothes, and he paused. That ring of gold thread around the collar-it was his other uniform, the one he wore only on formal occasions. This little fellow must have been in a hurry to leave that morning and grabbed one off the hanger to throw on.
Feng Xiaotian said nothing about it and merely reached out to ruffle his younger brother's hair. "Don't wear mine next time. The trouser legs are too long. You could trip when you walk."
Feng Lingtian's head tilted slightly under his hand, and the corners of his mouth lifted. "Got it. But Brother, your clothes are pretty comfortable. It's like being wrapped in a big blanket."
Feng Xiaotian did not know whether to laugh or cry and ruffled his younger brother's hair again. "All right, today's a day for celebration. Come on, let's tell Mother!"
The two said goodbye to the instructor, turned, and left the awakening chamber.
Not long after they left, Feng Lingtian suddenly stopped and looked up at Feng Xiaotian, his expression turning serious.
"Brother, there's something I want to tell you."
Feng Xiaotian paused and looked down at his younger brother. "What is it?"
Feng Lingtian drew a deep breath, his gaze blazing. "Brother, your Martial Soul is the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf. Two heads mean twice the biting force; a demon wolf represents the wildest physique. This kind of Martial Soul is born with the destructive power to tear through heavy armor. You don't need to dart around and dodge like an assassin at all. You should be a heavy tank cloaked in the wind attribute! An overlord of the power attack system who charges into enemy ranks with ultimate speed, then smashes head-on against every defense!"
Feng Xiaotian's pupils abruptly contracted at those words.
He was twelve this year and had already reached rank thirty Soul Power. All along, he had been taught to pursue speed, to be as elusive as the wind. Yet his younger brother's words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in his heart.
"An overlord... of the power attack system?" Feng Xiaotian murmured, a flame gradually kindling in his eyes.
Feng Lingtian nodded emphatically. "Yes! Before, because your role was defined incorrectly, you might have gone astray while pursuing speed. But things are different now. With me here, I'll never let you take that winding road. I'm going to make you a true ruler of the battlefield!"
Feng Xiaotian looked into his younger brother's determined eyes, and warmth surged through his heart.
"Good!" Feng Xiaotian clapped his younger brother firmly on the shoulder, his voice ringing with conviction. "I'll listen to you! From now on, I, Feng Xiaotian, will no longer be a shadow of the agility attack system, but an overlord of the power attack system! I'll use my twin-headed wolf to crush every enemy head-on!"
The brothers exchanged a smile, determination shining in both their eyes.