Six years have passed in the mortal realm. In the southwest of the Heavenly Soul Empire, amidst the endless snow-capped peaks of the extreme north, lies a secluded valley.
As the snow melts, clear springs emerge, flowing into gentle streams that meander through dense coniferous forests and undulating grasslands at the foot of the mountains. Herds of cattle and sheep graze leisurely, while over a hundred exquisite wooden houses stand atop the hills, with smoke curling from chimneys and robust snow eagles soaring in the sky.
The eagles' heads swivel, as if on alert.
Below, in a circular stone-paved plaza surrounded by wooden houses, a crowd has gathered.
"Qingzhi, Martial Soul: Qingluan, innate soul power level 6." The crystal ball glows brightly as an elderly yet spirited voice proclaims.
The embers still hold warmth. It's a tradition for clan elders to assist the younger generation in awakening their martial souls during the annual New Year's gathering.
"Old Gong, congratulations!" Cheers arise from the crowd.
The young girl who has just awakened her martial soul beams with joy, her cheeks flushed, and she skips back to her parents.
"Next, Minghui!"
The onlookers turn in unison to the northern part of the plaza, where a six-year-old boy stands between a young man and woman.
With an oval face, slightly chubby cheeks, and fair skin—so pale it's almost ghostly—his white hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes give him a sickly appearance. Only his pair of cyan eyes add a touch of vitality to his otherwise pale face.
"Sigh, the clan leader finally has a child, but he inherited the hereditary illness from Elder Chen.
"It's even more severe than Elder Chen's."
"I hope Xiao Hui awakens the Qingluan martial soul. That way, we won't have to worry about him dying young."
Many elders gaze with concern.
"Go ahead, Hui don't be nervous." A beautiful woman in her thirties smiles down at the boy.
On the other side, a young man who appears to be only eighteen pats the child's shoulder in encouragement.
Minghui takes a deep breath, nods, and strides toward the stone circle at the center of the plaza.
Upon reaching the center, an elder beside him waves his hand, sending a cyan soul power thread toward the black stone formation beneath his feet.
Minghui immediately closes his eyes as per the procedure, feeling a refreshing breeze-like coolness enter his body. Understanding that the Qingluan martial soul is wind-attribute, he recognizes that the elder's soul power entering his body brings this sensation.
The next moment, his mind suddenly shakes, a buzzing sound fills his ears, and it feels as if something in his brain has shattered.
Then, his mind clears, and the sound of wind brushing past his ears becomes amplified.
However, this sensation lasts only an instant. The next moment, a piercing coldness suddenly strikes his chest, shooting down his right arm.
"Hiss, so cold!" Minghui feels as if his heart has frozen, his body uncontrollably shudders, and his face turns pale.
His right hand instinctively rises.
A flash of sky-blue light bursts forth, causing the onlookers to widen their eyes.
"Elder Chen's martial soul, the Lightwing Divine Bow? Wait, it seems a bit different."
In his vision, a peculiar large bow, taller than Minghui himself, materializes. Its entire body is sky-blue, mixed with cyan hues, resembling the open wings of a Qingluan. These wings are composed of sharp ice crystals.
"This is... a mutation?" The crowd watches with puzzled expressions.
At this moment, as Minghui stands in the stone circle, just about to open his eyes, he suddenly feels something rush into his mind.
Is this a phenomenon during martial soul awakening? He doesn't quite understand.
"Hmm?" Elder Chen notices a faint silver light flashing between Minghui's eyebrows and his gaze sharpens.
"Xiao Hui." The elder conducting the martial soul awakening ceremony calls softly, holding up the soul power testing crystal ball.
The next second, Minghui's large bow suddenly bursts into brilliant sky-blue light, accompanied by a loud Qingluan cry. "Whoosh!" A violent wind sweeps across the plaza, causing snowflakes to appear and swirl in the air, while the ground instantly freezes into ice.
The elder is instantly frozen into an ice sculpture.
"What's happening?!" The crowd watches in shock as a gigantic Qingluan soars into the sky, ascending rapidly.
No! Am I going to die again?
Unlike the elder, Minghui feels an intense coldness throughout his body, his heart suddenly experiencing a sharp pain, and then his vision fades to black.