After returning to Holy Soul Village, Old Jack did something unprecedented to celebrate Xiao Yan's talent: he showed off his cooking skills and brought out a fine wine he had treasured in the cellar for years.
Of course, Xiao Yan was still a child and naturally couldn't drink.
From Old Jack, Xiao Yan felt a trace of warmth in this world.
Seeing that Old Jack's excitement had left him a little bleary-eyed from drink, Xiao Yan helped him to his room, then cleared away the dishes.
Xiao Yan returned to the room that had been prepared for him and sat cross-legged on the bed. The two illusory Martial Souls from that day appeared in the room once more.
"Bone Spirit Cold Flame..."
Xiao Yan looked at the cold white flame in his right hand. Although it was a flame, it gave off wisps of icy chill, and it also seemed to possess some kind of sacred quality. It was weak for now, however, so this power was limited...
He turned his gaze to the Soul Division Martial Soul beside him. The humanoid illusion before him was just like his own shadow. It was also thanks to this Soul Division Martial Soul that he had sensed the hidden killing intent during the day.
Xiao Yan still hadn't figured out what kind of power this strange Martial Soul possessed, though.
After only a brief examination of his Martial Souls, Xiao Yan felt a wave of weakness. Knowing that now was not the time to study them, he stopped.
As for the killing intent that had flashed past today, Xiao Yan lacked the strength and naturally had no chance to investigate it.
His only guess was that someone must have a grudge against Spirit Hall and had developed killing intent upon seeing that he intended to join it.
So, to protect himself, Xiao Yan could only abandon his plan to join Spirit Hall for the time being.
Just as Xiao Yan was about to rest, waves of dizziness rose from the depths of his mind. It was as if a vortex inside his head were constantly pulling at his consciousness, drawing it in to be swallowed up.
The sensation was both strange and familiar, and Xiao Yan's heart tightened.
It's here!
It seemed he was about to enter that mysterious, bizarre space again!
His vision went dark. When Xiao Yan opened his eyes again, he had returned to the familiar, strange space.
It was as if he were in the starry cosmos. The white points of light flickering around him were like twinkling stars, and the Milky Way rolled backward overhead, a dazzling sight.
A familiar figure also appeared before Xiao Yan.
The two looked exactly alike. After a year apart, the Xiao Yans who had transmigrated to two different worlds met again.
"Hey, brother, I've already broken through to the Fifth Stage Dou Qi!"
Those were the first words Battle Through the Heavens Xiao Yan spoke when they met, bursting out excitedly. Breaking through to the Fifth Stage Dou Qi at the age of six had made him Wutan City's number one genius.
"How about you? You're six now. Have you awakened your Martial Soul?"
Battle Through the Heavens Xiao Yan had long since heard Douluo Xiao Yan explain the cultivation system of Douluo Continent. Now that they had met, he couldn't help asking about that marvelous world of Martial Souls.
"Of course!"
A broad smile spread across Douluo Xiao Yan's face. Here, he didn't have to be on guard or worry about being attacked from the shadows.
"Come out!"
Douluo Xiao Yan flipped his palm, and the white Bone Spirit Cold Flame Martial Soul appeared in his hand. The chill it gave off brought a trace of curiosity to Battle Through the Heavens Xiao Yan's face.
At the same time, another illusion appeared beside him, drawing Battle Through the Heavens Xiao Yan's gaze.
"What do you think? I have Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power! Even on Douluo Continent, I'm a genius without equal!"
Douluo Xiao Yan showed off his talent, but then he couldn't help thinking of the hidden killing intent and told him about it.
"Killing intent!"
Hearing what Douluo Xiao Yan said, Battle Through the Heavens Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened as well.
He had the Xiao Clan's protection in Wutan City, so he could develop without worry. The other Xiao Yan, however, had merely been adopted by an old man and had no one to back him up.
"Do you think Old Jack, the one who adopted you, might be some peerless expert living in seclusion?"
Douluo Xiao Yan listened and spread his hands helplessly.
"I thought so too, but I've been testing him since I was little, and I still haven't found anything special about Grandpa Jack. He's even hurt himself falling several times."
"In that case, it looks like you might have to lay low and develop for a while."
Battle Through the Heavens Xiao Yan pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly. He had transmigrated into the Xiao Clan, had a family and talent, and had even heard from his father that he had a fiancée who was just as talented. Life was treating him very well.
"I wonder if this space has any other special effects besides letting us meet;
"I tried the Yellow Tier Dou Technique you taught me before, but I couldn't cultivate it at all. It might have been because I hadn't undergone my Martial Soul Awakening yet, though. I'll try again after I leave this time."
Douluo Xiao Yan sighed and looked around the strange space again.
The two told each other about the changes over the past year. Neither had left the newbie village yet, so there was only so much information they could exchange.
As the stars around them flickered, the two exchanged a glance at the same moment. Both knew their time together was up.
The space shattered, and the consciousnesses of the Xiao Yans in the two worlds returned to their bodies.
In Holy Soul Village.
After the talents of several children had been tested, Old Jack began to get busy.
Tang San had been found to have a talent for cultivation, so Old Jack naturally wanted to recommend him for enrollment. But Tang Hao was Tang San's father, after all, so Old Jack still had to discuss it with him.
"Bastard! That drunkard makes my blood boil!"
Xiao Yan was in the courtyard studying the Yellow Tier Dou Technique Battle Through the Heavens Xiao Yan had taught him when a loud burst of angry cursing suddenly came from the distance. Xiao Yan stared in astonishment at the furious Old Jack and asked in confusion:
"Grandpa Jack, what's wrong?"
Xiao Yan had been here for almost two months, but he had never seen Old Jack so angry.
"Hmph! What else could it be?"
Old Jack sat down in the rocking chair in a huff, accepted the tea Xiao Yan handed him, and cursed angrily:
"That damned drunkard Tang Hao! He's holding Little San back for nothing! Who knows how many good deeds he did in his last life to have a child like Little San in this one, and he still doesn't cherish him!"
Old Jack kept cursing, and Xiao Yan came to understand what he meant.
Old Jack had seen that Tang San had a talent for cultivation and wanted to recommend him to attend the Junior Soul Master Academy in Nuoding City.
If Tang San graduated and became a Soul Master, life would undoubtedly be much easier for him.
But for some unknown reason, Tang Hao had refused Old Jack.
"Could it be that he wants Little San to spend his whole life taking care of a drunkard like him?"
Old Jack was angry to himself, but with Xiao Yan comforting him, he felt much better.
"No!"
"I can't just stand by and watch Little San be ruined by his drunkard father."
Old Jack sighed. Over the next few days, he went to Tang San's house several times, all to persuade Tang Hao to let Tang San attend the junior academy.
Persistence paid off. After Old Jack had tried to persuade him time and again, he came home one day and said to Xiao Yan, beaming:
"It's settled!"
"That drunkard Tang Hao really has made life hard for Little San all these years."
Old Jack took a jug of wine from the cellar and handed it to Xiao Yan with a pained expression, instructing him:
"Tomorrow morning, take this jug of wine over to Little San's house."