The city of Qingye never slept.
Glass towers reached for the skies like the ambitions of the people who lived beneath them. Neon lights painted the night in hues of electric blue and magenta. Hovercars drifted between skyscrapers in silent formation, and AI-controlled drones buzzed quietly through the night air.
But amid all the digital wonder and chrome surfaces, one truth remained unchanged from ancient times—power ruled the world.
Not political power. Not wealth.
Soul power.
In this futuristic era, where spirit technology had fused with ancient soul cultivation, children no longer relied solely on luck to awaken their martial souls. Artificial spirit-pods had been invented, giving everyone an equal chance to unlock their potential—though not everyone was equal.
At the very bottom of this society stood a boy.
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His name was Ye Wuchen.
He stood barefoot on the cracked rooftop of a low-income complex, staring at the glowing city skyline. His black school uniform hung loosely on his thin frame. His sharp eyes reflected the stars, but his heart carried only shadows.
Sixteen years old.
Zero soul rings.
No awakened martial soul.
A shameful record.
Today was the last day before he would be officially labeled "Soul-Inert", a category reserved for those with no hope of cultivating spirit energy.
"I don't believe it…" he whispered, clenching his fists. "I can't accept a life where I'm powerless."
Behind him, the old door creaked.
A hunched woman in a nurse's uniform stepped out. His mother—Ye Ruo.
She looked tired. Dark circles under her eyes, hair tied in a loose bun, and that same gentle gaze full of concern.
"Xiao Chen, you're still out here?" she asked softly. "Come inside. It's getting cold."
"I will... in a minute, Mom."
She hesitated, then placed a small, metallic cube beside him.
"Take this tomorrow to the academy. It's all I could afford—an old generation Spirit Awakening Pod. Maybe… maybe it will work."
Ye Wuchen stared at the cube. The outdated device couldn't match modern ones, but… it was his last hope.
"Thanks, Mom."
She nodded and returned inside. He sat alone again, gripping the cube tightly.
> "If this doesn't work…"
"I'll still find a way."
—
The Next Morning
Inside Qingye No.3 Spirit Academy, students from all backgrounds gathered in the Spirit Awakening Hall.
Children from noble clans stood tall, wearing tailored uniforms with the logos of their family businesses. In contrast, Wuchen stood alone, his uniform worn and unbranded.
He ignored the stares. His cube was already placed in the slot of the awakening terminal. A countdown began.
[Initializing Spirit Pod – Gen 3.2]
[Neural Sync in Progress…]
Wuchen's body tensed. His heartbeat grew loud. His vision dimmed.
Then—
[ERROR: Sync failed.]
[Fallback to Manual Awakening Mode – Activated]
Suddenly, something surged into his mind—a sharp pain like being stabbed through the soul. He screamed and fell to his knees.
All around him, the other students turned to look.
The instructor rushed over. "Ye Wuchen! Abort the sync!"
But it was too late.
BOOM!
A pulse of black and white light exploded from Wuchen's body. Students fell back. In the air above his head, two images appeared.
One was a black wolf wreathed in shadows, its crimson eyes glowing.
The other—an elegant golden lotus, burning with celestial fire.
The entire room fell silent.
"...Twin martial souls?" someone gasped.
"No way! That's impossible!"
Even the instructor froze, mouth slightly open. Her soul power flared to stabilize the room.
But Wuchen—he was unconscious, his body glowing, his veins pulsing with unknown energy.
> [Welcome, Host.]
[System Initialization Complete.]
[Binding Twin Martial Soul Template: Shadow Dragon Wolf & Celestial Flame Lotus]
> [You are the first and only user of the Soul Rebirth System.]
—
Elsewhere...
Inside the high tower of the Spirit Research Authority, an old man with glowing pupils looked up from his monitor.
"Finally… he appears."
He pressed a button.
"Send a team to observe Ye Wuchen."
---