Origins

The Spirit Hall official in charge of Martial Soul Awakening finished his question and noticed that Tianshuang had not answered him, but was looking down at the ground instead. Realizing he had gotten too worked up, he released Tianshuang's shoulders.

"Child, do you know what Innate Full Soul Power means? As long as you keep cultivating, becoming a Soul Douluo will be no problem, and even becoming one of the continent's precious few Titled Douluo won't be beyond your reach. If you join Spirit Hall, I can report this to the Pope's Palace, and then you can enroll in Spirit Hall Academy in Spirit City. It has the finest teachers and cultivation resources on the continent. With your talent, if His Holiness the Pope takes you as a disciple, you'll surely become a Titled Douluo someday."

"Tch, what's so great about a Titled Douluo? It's not like our Shui Family doesn't have one. But Auntie, this little boy's Martial Soul is a top-tier ice-type Beast Martial Soul, just like Big Sister's. One's a dragon and the other's a phoenix. What do you say we recruit him into the academy? Then he and Big Sister can be a dragon and phoenix bringing good fortune, and protect me together. Hehe~" Shui Yue'er, who had been bouncing along and pulling Shui Xinrou toward the door, saw Tianshuang's awakening and Spirit Hall trying to recruit him, and couldn't help muttering under her breath.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Skywater Academy's rules have always forbidden the admission of male students. Surely you know that? Besides, even if we were willing to make an exception, he might not agree to come. Compared with Spirit Hall Academy, we don't have any advantages to speak of. Stop watching; let's go. We still have to help your sister hunt for her Second Soul Ring, then return to Heaven Dou Imperial City. Otherwise, after we've been gone so long, who knows how wild those little girls have gotten?"

With that, Shui Xinrou glanced at Tianshuang, who was looking down and "staring blankly" beside Spirit Hall's Soul Power testing crystal. She took the still-muttering Shui Yue'er by the hand and walked out of Spirit Hall.

Why didn't he mention my other Martial Soul? Did he not know, or am I a special case? Am I the first person to have two Martial Souls? Since he didn't notice, I'll pretend I don't know either.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Deacon, but I still need to go home and discuss joining a faction with my grandpa. I can't give you an answer for now. Please understand."

Tianshuang raised his head and spoke to the Spirit Hall deacon with a hint of "hesitation" and reluctance.

"Of course, of course. You're so young; you should go home and let your family know. But I think your grandpa will probably agree to let you join Spirit Hall. Once you've asked him, if you want to join, come find me here anytime. I'm Su Taoyun, a deacon of the Spirit Hall Branch in Hagedasi City."

The deacon personally escorted Tianshuang out of Spirit Hall. Before leaving, Tianshuang waved to him, his face wreathed in smiles.

"I need to report this right away. A genius like this has appeared in Hagen-Dazs City, so there's bound to be a reward. Maybe my request to have someone sent specifically to help me hunt for my fourth Soul Ring will finally be settled. And once this child joins Spirit Hall, I'll truly rise straight to the clouds. Haha!"

Su Taoyun chuckled to himself as he walked back into Spirit Hall, as though Tianshuang was certain to join.

Walking home, Tianshuang recalled the long sword that had descended from beyond the heavens and buried itself at the Frost Dragon's feet during his Martial Soul Awakening, cold Qi radiating from its entire length. It always felt familiar, as though he had seen it when he was little.

When Tianshuang returned to the general store, he found his grandpa, who should have been lying in his rocking chair as he did every day, waiting for him at the door. He couldn't help scratching his head.

What's gotten into Grandpa? He actually got out of his rocking chair today. Usually, he can't even be bothered to get up when customers pay; they put the money in the drawer themselves. This is a first.

As soon as Tianshuang entered the general store, Grandpa hurriedly shut the door, took his little hand, and led him into the back room.

Grandpa composed himself and asked, "What level is your innate Soul Power?"

"Grandpa, I have Innate Full Soul Power."

Hearing Tianshuang's calm answer, Grandpa sucked in a breath. Then he said, "Really?"

"Of course it's true, Grandpa. The Spirit Hall official told me so, and he even tried to recruit me into Spirit Hall."

"Recruit you? Recruit you into Spirit Hall? Is the man in charge of awakening some kind of country bumpkin? He doesn't even recognize the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon of the Upper Three Sects, and he tried to recruit you? Shuang'er, don't you think his brain's gone haywire?" Grandpa said mockingly after hearing Tianshuang's words.

"Wait, Grandpa, what's the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? And what are the Upper Three Sects?" Grandpa's words left Tianshuang completely bewildered.

"Ahem. If your innate Soul Power had been below level five, I would never have told you any of this, and you would have been my grandson forever. But since you have Innate Full Soul Power, there are things I must tell you. Tianshuang, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

Grandpa's eyes grew somewhat vacant, as though he were recalling something. Then he looked at Tianshuang and slowly said, "The so-called Upper Three Sects are the Tang Family of the Clear Sky Sect, which possesses the Clear Sky Hammer, hailed as the world's number one Tool Martial Soul; the Yu Family of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which possesses the world's number one Beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon; and the Ning Family of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which possesses the world's number one support-type Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. You are a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which possesses the world's number one Beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. I'm not your real grandpa, and your surname isn't Wang. Your real name is Yu Tianshuang. How laughable that the blind country bumpkin from Spirit Hall didn't even recognize the world's number one Beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Truly laughable. Spirit Hall really has been recruiting every stray cat and dog these past few years."

Having said that, Grandpa mocked Spirit Hall's Deacon Su Taoyun again.

After listening to Grandpa, Yu Tianshuang pondered in silence. I'm a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which possesses the world's number one Beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. But why have I been living here in Hagen-Dazs City with Grandpa since I was little? Where are my parents in this life? Why don't I remember them at all? And my Martial Soul isn't even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

At that thought, Yu Tianshuang interrupted Grandpa, who was about to say something else. "Grandpa, my Martial Soul isn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. It's the Frost Dragon."

"Your father is the current-what? Your Martial Soul isn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? Frost Dragon, Frost Dragon... Your Martial Soul is the Frost Dragon?"

"Yes, Grandpa. My Martial Soul is the Frost Dragon."

With that, Yu Tianshuang immediately summoned his Martial Soul and activated Martial Soul Possession.

"Sit upon the frosty heavens."

Yu Tianshuang raised his left hand toward the sky and loosely grasped at the air. The phantom of an ice-blue dragon appeared overhead, then descended behind him and roared.

Looking at the Frost Dragon behind Yu Tianshuang, Grandpa fell silent for a moment before saying, "Martial Soul Mutation. Yes, it's a Martial Soul Mutation. That's right, a Martial Soul Mutation, just like the eldest young master. But yours is a beneficial mutation. Still, why would it mutate from lightning to ice?"

As Grandpa muttered to himself, Yu Tianshuang summoned the ice-blue sword in his right hand, cold Qi radiating from its entire length.

"One sword chills fourteen provinces, sword, come!"

Looking at the ice-blue sword in his right hand, Yu Tianshuang paid no heed to his dumbstruck grandpa and said, "Grandpa, I have another Martial Soul. It's this Heavenly Frost Cold Qi."

"The Seven Kill Sword! It's a mutation of the Seven Kill Sword. Second young madam, Shuang'er inherited your Martial Soul too, and it's a beneficial mutation. I can sense that this sword is even more powerful than the Seven Kill Sword."

With that, he muttered to himself, old tears streaming down his face.

"Uh, Grandpa, am I the only person on Douluo Continent with Twin Martial Souls? When my Martial Souls awakened, Frost Cold Qi was right at the Frost Dragon's feet, but nobody noticed. Or does nobody know that people can have Twin Martial Souls?"

Grandpa wiped away his tears and looked at Yu Tianshuang's two Martial Souls. "It's a good thing I was once a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, or I wouldn't know about these things either. Twin Martial Souls are indeed rare, but there are records of several people who had them on Douluo Continent. According to those records, however, every one of those Twin Martial Soul owners died while adding Soul Rings to their Second Martial Soul. So, Tianshuang, Grandpa suggests that you cultivate only one of your Martial Souls for now. When you've grown strong and found a solution to the problem of Twin Martial Souls, you can cultivate the other one. All right, put your Martial Souls away. You must remember what Grandpa is about to tell you."

After a pause, as though reminiscing about something, Grandpa slowly began, "Your father is the son of Yu Luomian, the second clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the current Upper Three Sects, and you are his only legitimate son. Your mother was the heir to the Slaughter Sect, formerly one of the Lower Three Sects. The Slaughter Sect's inheritance passes to a single heir in each generation. Your maternal grandfather is an elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sword Douluo, Sword Chen Xin, known as Sword Dao Chen Xin. Your two Martial Souls came from your parents: the dragon from your father, and the sword from your mother."

"Five years ago, your parents came to me and entrusted you to my care. Then they left. Although I don't know exactly what happened, I've made inquiries in many places over the years, and it seems to have something to do with matters between Spirit Hall and the Lower Three Sects. As for the details, you'll have to grow stronger and find them out for yourself. Grandpa is old too, and can't take care of you much longer. You'll have to choose your own path from now on."

After revealing the secret he had buried in his heart for five years, the old man dragged his hunched body out of the back room, leaving Yu Tianshuang alone to digest the information.