"Martial Soul: eyes."
"Innate Soul Power: rank one."
Inside Spirit Hall in Nuoding City, Su Yuntao glanced at the Soul Power crystal, sighed softly, and wrote the awakening results on the Martial Soul certificate.
"Here, take this."
"Thanks, Brother Tao."
Gao Shang accepted the certificate. There was disappointment on his face, but not much.
As a standard transmigrator who had been killed by Truck-kun, he was all too familiar with this setup.
An eye Martial Soul, rank-one Innate Soul Power.
Wasn't this exactly Huo Gua's starting setup ten thousand years later?
Of course, he didn't have the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm or Electrolux, so reaching Huo Yuhao's heights wasn't very realistic.
Still, with his knowledge of the plot, there was at least some hope of carving out a place for himself on the continent.
"Ah, Xiao Shang, don't lose heart."
Seeing that he wasn't saying anything, Su Yuntao patted his shoulder.
"An eye Martial Soul might not be well regarded, but you at least have Innate Soul Power. You may yet become a powerful Soul Master."
Even Su Yuntao himself didn't quite believe those words.
In his opinion, with an eye Martial Soul and rank-one Innate Soul Power, Gao Shang would have to burn incense in gratitude if he managed to break through to Soul Grandmaster in this lifetime.
Besides, even if he did become a Soul Grandmaster, how would he fight?
Surely he couldn't stare people to death?
Still, Gao Shang's father had once been a Spirit Hall deacon and had also been the one who guided Su Yuntao onto this path. He would help where he could.
"It's fine, Brother Tao. I'm already very happy just to have Innate Soul Power."
Gao Shang put away the certificate and answered earnestly, lest Su Yuntao think he had taken a blow.
"You still have work to do, so I won't keep bothering you."
"All right. Be careful on your way home."
It was Martial Soul Awakening season, and Su Yuntao really was busy. He didn't keep Gao Shang any longer, merely taking a booklet he had prepared beforehand out of his clothes.
"This is the basic meditation method for Soul Masters. Take it home and start learning. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me anytime."
Gao Shang paused, then hurriedly accepted it.
He had been so caught up in thinking about the future that he had nearly forgotten how he was supposed to cultivate right now.
"Thanks, Brother Tao. I'll get going, then. I'll treat you to a meal when you're free."
"All right, I know you've got money, kid. Let's talk once this busy spell is over."
Su Yuntao ruffled Gao Shang's hair. Only after seeing that he truly didn't seem dejected did he relax and turn back to his work.
Gao Shang put the booklet together with the certificate, planning to go home and try cultivating first.
But just as he stepped through the entrance, a notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Ding! Omnipotent Shop System activated. Your beginner gift pack has arrived. Please claim it promptly!]
Gao Shang stopped in his tracks.
A system?
After six whole years of waiting, had his cheat finally arrived?
Rather than stand dumbly outside Spirit Hall and draw attention, Gao Shang excitedly clutched his Martial Soul certificate and meditation method to his chest and ran straight home.
Before long, a shop with a long line outside appeared before him.
Several large, eye-catching words were written on its sign: Happy Milk Tea Shop.
"Boss, you're back! How did your Martial Soul Awakening go?"
The moment Gao Shang entered, a clear female voice came from behind the counter.
A girl of fourteen or fifteen leaned halfway out.
She was wearing the shop's uniform and was still mixing a cup of milk tea, her movements practiced.
"Not bad. I've got Soul Power."
Gao Shang didn't stop, heading straight for the back courtyard.
"Sister Xiao Meng, keep looking after the shop out front. I've got something to do. If the ingredients run out, just close up."
Before his words had even faded, he was already in the back courtyard.
Sun Meng stared at the still-swinging wooden door, momentarily taken aback.
This little boss usually spoke and acted more steadily than an adult. This was the first time she had seen him in such a hurry.
Curious though she was, customers were still lined up outside. She had no time to dwell on it and lowered her head to continue making milk tea.
She couldn't bear to make even the slightest mistake at this job.
Meanwhile, Gao Shang entered his bedroom and immediately reached back to lock the door.
He sat down, took a couple of sips of water, and made sure Sun Meng hadn't followed before asking in a low voice:
"System?"
As his words fell, a panel glowing pale blue appeared before his eyes. A large search box occupied its center.
At the same time, an electronic female voice rang out in his mind.
[I'm here, dear. How may I help you?]
"Huh?"
Gao Shang froze for a moment.
Why did that tone sound so much like customer service on the shopping apps from his previous life?
Had their business expanded into other worlds?
But he quickly put those stray thoughts aside and asked as he stared at the panel:
"System, tell me what functions you have first."
[Dear, this shop stocks every physical object that has ever existed in the Douluo Continent plane, from ancient times to the present.] [Products are based on the original objects and divided into different grades after being strengthened or weakened. The host may purchase them by paying the corresponding amount of Gold Soul Coins.] [The host may search for specific products or switch to the system shop to browse all products.]
Gao Shang nodded slightly. The system's functions weren't complicated. At its core, it came down to one word.
Shopping.
But he wasn't in the mood to browse the shop just yet.
He cared more about the beginner gift pack that had just arrived than the products in the shop.
"Claim the beginner gift pack first."
[Ding! Beginner gift pack successfully claimed!] [Congratulations! Received: random Martial Soul Evolution ×1 (Myriad Worlds edition)] [Congratulations! Received: 90%-off product card ×1 (maximum discount: one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins)] [Congratulations! Received: Titled Douluo Experience Card ×1 (rank ninety-one)]
Gao Shang's relaxed body instantly leaned forward as he stared at the three system notifications, his face full of delighted surprise.
Martial Soul Evolution, a 90%-off card, and a Titled Douluo Experience Card?
This gift pack seemed pretty generous!
Still, out of caution, he had to clarify things first.
"System, does the 'Myriad Worlds edition' after random Martial Soul Evolution mean what I think it means?"
[Dear, Myriad Worlds edition means that the direction of this Martial Soul Evolution is not limited to the Douluo Continent plane. But rest assured, host: whatever the result, it will automatically adapt to the Martial Soul framework.]
Even abilities from other worlds could become Martial Souls?
Now that was interesting.
Without further hesitation, Gao Shang chose to use it.
"Start the evolution right away. I'm curious to see what an eye Martial Soul can evolve into, too."
[Ding! Martial Soul Evolution commencing...]
The moment the notification ended, Gao Shang's vision went black, then was instantly flooded with blood red.
"Urgh-"
With a stifled growl, Gao Shang clapped his hands over his eyes. His whole body slid off the chair, and his knees slammed heavily against the floor.
The blood vessels on either side of his eye sockets bulged one after another, as though all the blood in his body were gathering there to force his eyes to burst.
He wanted to let go, but he couldn't control himself at all.
Blood streamed down through the gaps between his fingers.
Gao Shang clenched his teeth, holding his screams in his throat, but his body wouldn't stop trembling.
Perhaps because his eyes were a spiritual-type Martial Soul, even his consciousness was being torn to pieces at that moment.
In his daze, he saw himself in his previous life.
The bitter unwillingness when he failed the college entrance examination.
The terror when Truck-kun came hurtling toward him.
The wild joy when he discovered he had been given another life...
Memories surfaced one after another. Emotions he had long since forgotten were now recalled in every exact detail, finally becoming firewood that ignited the last step of his Martial Soul Evolution.
Within those blood-red pupils, still tightly covered by his hands, strands of black slowly emerged and gathered.
At last, they formed a single tadpole-shaped tomoe.