Province of Fasno, Craftsman Soul Village
At the rear mountain of the village, a handsome boy with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes swung a wooden sword again and again. Each strike carried a sharp determination far beyond his years.
"Xiaotian, why are you still practicing sword skills here? The soul master responsible for awakenings has already arrived. If you miss it, you'll have to pay a heavy price to find another one!" an anxious voice called from nearby.
"Grandpa Village Chief, is it already that time? Then let's go," Xiaotian replied calmly, sheathing the wooden sword before stepping forward to support the old man.
The chief sighed. "Boy, why do you look so uninterested? Today is the most important day of your life—awakening your martial soul!"
Xiaotian's eyes turned cold. "Grandpa Village Chief, there's no point in me being anxious. Awakening depends entirely on bloodline. I'm just an orphan that no one cares about. Whether my martial soul is good or bad doesn't matter. This sword in my hand is enough."
Then, with a faint smile, he added, "By the way, didn't you say you'd give me a longsword once my martial soul awakens? I don't want to keep using this wooden one—it always feels lacking."
The old chief chuckled helplessly. "Alright, alright, I've already prepared it. You'll get it after your awakening."
Since childhood, Xiaotian had shown a deep fondness for longswords. The chief could only hope that his martial soul would awaken into something decent.
Most villagers here in Craftsman Soul Village had martial souls related to forging. As for what Xiaotian might awaken—no one could say. But why was this boy so indifferent about such an important ceremony?
Because Xiaotian was no ordinary child.
He was a reincarnator. Memories from his past life had been with him since birth.
In that past life, he had been obsessed with swordsmanship—training, collecting, even studying the history of famous blades. Unfortunately, he lived during the "End of Dharma Era," a time when spiritual energy had nearly vanished, making cultivation almost impossible.
Now, reborn in the Douluo Continent, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The good news? Cultivation existed here.
The bad news? Everything depended on bloodline. Martial souls were inherited by blood. For ordinary people, the only way to gain strong innate soul power was through mutation—and the odds were painfully low.
Even so, Xiaotian remembered the few geniuses in Douluo Continent who had defied fate. The one who left the deepest impression on him was Ji Juechen—born with only third-level innate soul power, yet he relied on his sword comprehension alone to reach the rank of Titled Douluo.
If Ji Juechen could do it, why couldn't he?
That was why Xiaotian had been pestering the chief for a wooden sword since he could walk, practicing day and night, even in his sleep.
He didn't pin his hopes on his martial soul. After all, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Guided by the chief, Xiaotian soon arrived at a simple house built especially for awakenings.
"Mr. Soul Master, everyone's here. Thank you for coming," the chief said respectfully.
Xiaotian glanced at the young man waiting inside and froze. Wait… isn't that Su Yuntao? The same soul master from the original novel!
Su Yuntao adjusted his robes impatiently. "Alright, let's not waste time. After this, I still have to rush to the next village."
"Children, follow Mr. Soul Master inside. May you all awaken strong martial souls!" the chief encouraged.
Inside the room, Su Yuntao softened his expression and said, "Don't be afraid, children. My name is Su Yuntao, a level 26 Great Spirit Master, and I will guide your awakening."
He placed six black stones in a hexagon and set a crystal ball in the center. Then he gestured to the first child.
One by one, the martial spirits appeared.
"Sickle spirit—no soul power.""Hammer spirit—innate first-level soul power.""Nail spirit—no soul power."
…
Finally, it was Xiaotian's turn.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the array. Though he had acted indifferent earlier, he couldn't deny a flicker of nervousness. Who wouldn't wish for a strong martial soul?
Light flickered—and a rusty iron sword appeared in his right hand.
Xiaotian's eyes widened. "Sword Fifteen?" he muttered instinctively.
Su Yuntao frowned. "Sword Fifteen? Hm, strange name. Still, since it's a sword martial soul, it should have soul power. Let's test it."
A hint of excitement slipped into his voice. Among commoners, soul power was rare. For most villages, finding even one child with soul power was already exceptional. Compared to those, Craftsman Soul Village was considered lucky, often producing at least one soul power user each year.
Xiaotian, however, stared at the rusty blade with disbelief. Was this really Sword Fifteen?
Unlike ordinary martial souls, this one carried a clear consciousness—an intelligent spirit, similar to the concept of intelligent soul rings that would only appear ten thousand years later.
Even the Seven Killing Sword of Chen Xin lacked such presence.
The greatest difference? Sword Fifteen could move on its own without his intent.
Suppressing his excitement, Xiaotian placed his hand on the crystal ball.
A soft glow filled the room.
"Innate soul power, level five!" Su Yuntao announced, visibly surprised.
He hadn't expected a rusty iron sword to grant such a result. His own Lone Wolf martial soul had only given him level two!
Xiaotian's heart steadied. Level five was respectable. Combined with his sword martial soul, he might just walk the path of sword comprehension like Ji Juechen.
Just then—
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Martial soul successfully awakened. System binding in progress.]
[Ding! Warning! An 80,000-year-old Blue Silver King has been detected nearby. Please evacuate immediately to avoid life-threatening danger!]
Xiaotian: ???
His expression stiffened. Blue Silver King? Here?
Wasn't that supposed to guard the Blue Silver Grass ancestral land? Why would it appear in this small village?
"System, any solution?" he asked quickly.
[Ding! None. But don't worry, host. The Blue Silver King is usually gentle and won't attack unless provoked. If you're unlucky, though… I may have to switch hosts.]
Xiaotian's mouth twitched. Was this system serious? Reliable wasn't exactly the word he'd use.
Still, one thing was clear—the ordinary awakening he expected had just turned into something far more dangerous.
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