Holy Soul Village was a small frontier village in Fasinuo Province of the Heaven Dou Empire on the Douluo Continent. Its name came from a Soul Saint who had emerged from the village, which also showed that Soul Masters were at the center of everything in this world.
A rather frail-looking boy staggered out of the village. Wounds of all sizes covered his body, but his eyes held a resolve beyond his years as he walked alone toward Nuoding City...
"Little Yan... don't take your father's behavior to heart. He's been like this for years. You still have a bright future ahead of you..."
"Grandpa Jack, you don't need to worry about me. I, Tang Yan, will surely repay you for every bowl of porridge and every meal you've given me. I asked Master Su Yuntao for an advance on the Spirit Hall's stipend. Half is for Father, and the other half is for you. Please accept it as Little Yanzi's repayment for your kindness." With that, Tang Yan bowed deeply, then strode away.
"Sigh... he's a good child, but he'd rather break than bend... what a shame to lose such a promising seedling." Old Jack sighed and slowly turned around. Cooking smoke was rising from Tang Hao's smithy. He was clearly celebrating Tang San's Innate Full Soul Power, while his other son with Innate Full Soul Power had now left alone, covered in wounds. There was no knowing whether he would survive...
Tang Yan was only six years old. Six years ago, Tang Hao had come to Holy Soul Village with Tang San. On that very same day, a sudden explosion had rung out in the forest outside the village, burning every tree within a hundred li to ashes. At the center of the explosion, a baby lay quietly, neither crying nor fussing. Old Jack and the villagers took pity on the child and adopted him. Since Tang Hao also had a child of the same age, the baby was left with him. Who would have thought that Tang Hao, diligent enough at first, would soon sink into alcoholism and despair? He did not even look after his own son, much less Tang Yan, whom he had taken in. In truth, Old Jack and the villagers had fed and cared for Tang Yan until he turned four, when he and his older brother began looking after their useless father's daily needs. He also did his best to help the villagers in return for their kindness, and they all liked him very much. Who would have thought that everything would change on the great day of the Martial Soul Awakening...
Back when the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony had just ended, Old Jack watched the Tang brothers walking home hand in hand, his heart filled with indescribable joy. Holy Soul Village had produced two Soul Scholars at once, both with Innate Full Soul Power! Tang Yan in particular had an exceptionally powerful elemental Martial Soul, according to Master Su Yuntao. Its tremendous might had already been made evident during the awakening: the little building used for the ceremony had been burned to ashes by the Martial Soul, and if Su Yuntao had not intervened, the children would likely have been in danger. Old Jack walked along, congratulating himself over the two geniuses, but before long, the two boys came to blows outside Tang Hao's home-or, to be precise, Little Yanzi was taking a one-sided beating.
"Little Yan, Father must have a reason for not letting you join the Spirit Hall. Just admit you were wrong, and we'll still be brothers." After sending Tang Yan flying once again, Tang San seemed unable to bear it and tried to persuade him.
Tang Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled. "Third Brother, I, Tang Yan, am not one to leave kindness unrepaid. But when a man stands between heaven and earth, if he has the ability yet does not pursue the path of the strong, wouldn't his life have been lived in vain? I don't know whether there are any grudges between the Spirit Hall and Father, but that is no reason for Father to stop me from choosing my own path..." He fell to his knees and knocked his head heavily against the ground toward Tang Hao's room. "Today, I, Tang Yan, will not raise a hand against anyone, so as not to forget Father's kindness in taking me in or the brotherly bond I share with you, Third Brother. I will repay that bond one day as well. But after today, if I am lucky enough to escape with my life, I will surely repay everything when I stand atop the continent one day: kindness for kindness, vengeance for vengeance!" With that, Tang Yan tried to rise, but a tremendous force suddenly pinned him in place, leaving him unable to move from his bowed position. He did not need to look up; he could tell from the presence of the person who had arrived that Tang Hao had made his move.
"Boy, there's no need to spout such grand declarations in front of me." Tang Hao sneered. "There's never been any real bond of father and son between us, and I've never treated you as my son. Get lost. As for this so-called repayment of kindness, heh... if you insist on joining the Spirit Hall, you'll be my enemy. Little San, see him out!" With that, the powerful pressure vanished, and Tang Hao slammed the door shut. Tang San tried to come over and help him up, but Tang Yan stopped him with an outstretched hand. "There's no need, Third Brother. I'm not so badly hurt that I can't walk." Tang Yan coughed up a couple of mouthfuls of blood and staggered around. "Third Brother, until we meet again. Though Tang Hao never raised me, he did at least give me a place to stay. Today, the bond between father and son is severed, but I still owe him my life. Whether to him or to you, I will surely repay that debt!" With that, he left.
Tang Yan looked back at the Holy Soul Village sign one last time. "A Soul Saint... that level is nowhere near enough. I will never let today's humiliation happen again. Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years it flows west. Don't bully a poor youth!" He gave a bitter laugh, as though he meant to sever himself from his past life.
"The wind blows bleak, the Yi River runs cold; the hero departs, never to return. From now on, my name is Xiao Yan."
The genius Xiao Yan was reborn in another world.
(This is my first attempt at writing a webnovel, so please bear with me. This chapter sets up the story; the explanation for the rebirth will begin afterward.)