On the hillside, Tang San stood a little disheveled. Though he bore no visible injuries, the weariness in his eyes betrayed the outcome. He'd been thoroughly defeated by Xiao Tianyang.
A shadow lingered faintly in his expression—this loss had cut deeper than he'd expected.
"Brother Tianyang, I lost," he said, his voice quiet. "You really are better than me."
In response, Xiao Tianyang stepped forward and gave his shoulder a firm pat, his face serious.
"So what if you lost? Who was the one who said they wanted to get stronger alongside me?"
He paused, then added: "Be more confident. Bring back that original fire."
Tang San looked up, slightly startled.
That's right—why should he be afraid of losing?
Back in the Tang Sect, he had clawed his way up from nothing. Why should a single defeat shake him?
Especially not one delivered by a friend.
He clenched his fists and drew a deep breath. There was no shame in this. If anything, it meant he just had to train harder.
Resolving his thoughts, Tang San looked at Xiao Tianyang with renewed gratitude.
"Brother Tianyang, I'll do my best to catch up to you. I won't let myself fall behind."
Xiao Tianyang arched a brow. "Careful with that goal—you might end up digging yourself a hole you can't climb out of."
Tang San scratched his head sheepishly. "Can't you at least pretend to be humble for once?"
"Haha, I'm just teasing." Xiao Tianyang laughed, then motioned for him to sit. "Come on, let me apply that ointment."
Tang San didn't argue. He took off his shirt and sat down obediently.
Although Xiao Tianyang had gone easy on him during the sparring, his martial arts—the Nine Yang Divine Art—weren't exactly delicate. Even a light tap packed considerable force.
After the medicine was applied, Tang San buttoned up his coat and asked hesitantly:
"Brother Tianyang… just now, you weren't going all out, were you?"
Xiao Tianyang answered casually, "Seventy percent."
In truth, he'd never fought a true expert before. He didn't even know what his full strength looked like.
But Tang San's interpretation was entirely different.
Only seventy percent… and he completely crushed me?
If he used everything—what would that even look like?
Rather than discouraging him, the thought only sparked Tang San's fighting spirit.
On the other side, Xiao Tianyang observed him quietly and nodded inwardly.
Xiao San's like Blue Silver Grass.
The harsher the conditions, the more he thrives. He's the type that grows stronger with every setback.
He'll be a real force one day.
Just as Xiao Tianyang was mentally plotting how to prepare Tang San for more "surprises," the latter tilted his head.
"Brother Tianyang, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Xiao Tianyang replied, then suddenly remembered. "Oh, right. In four days, the people from the Wuhun Temple will come to awaken our martial souls. Any plans?"
Tang San blinked, then looked down.
"I… don't know. I feel like my dad's a bit resistant to the idea."
"But you'll still go, right?"
Tang San nodded firmly. "I want to try."
Xiao Tianyang smiled. "Good. Whatever you decide—I've got your back."
The words were simple, but just as he finished speaking, a system notification echoed in his mind:
Main Mission Triggered: [Martial Soul Awakening]
Objective: Arrive at Holy Soul Village's Wuhun Temple branch and awaken a martial soul with full innate soul power.
Reward: Random Draw x1, Random Martial Spirit x1
As expected.
This lined up exactly with his theory: system side missions were triggered through contact with major characters, while main missions followed the grand plot trajectory of Soul Beast Continent.
Whether the plot would deviate because of his presence was still uncertain—but for now, things were falling into place.
Over the Next Few Days
Training continued as usual. Xiao Tianyang and Tang San still rose early to run, stretch, and spar.
Except now, their sessions always ended in a "friendly brawl"—Tang San's request, not Xiao Tianyang's.
Even though he got knocked down every time, Tang San didn't care. He was learning, adapting—and Xiao Tianyang made sure not to actually hurt him.
Under the heat of daily clashes, their bond grew stronger.
And then, the long-awaited day arrived.
That morning, the two didn't meet on the hillside. Instead, accompanied by Village Chief Old Jack and seven other children, they headed toward the Wuhun Temple branch of Holy Soul Village.
Though Holy Soul Village was small, the Wuhun Temple still towered above every other building.
It wasn't ornate—no carvings or gilded doors—but it was built from clean white stone, standing proud like a silent guardian of order and tradition.
"Tianyang," Old Jack said as they approached, "don't be discouraged if your martial spirit isn't anything special. A peaceful life with Grandpa is still a good life."
Xiao Tianyang winced inwardly.
Grandpa Jack… I might end up scaring you instead.
Over the past ten days, he had grown close with the old man, even eating at his home. He could tell Jack's concern was genuine. It was touching.
Still, the irony didn't escape him.
After a long wait, Jack finally gave the children a serious warning.
"When you go in, remember—don't be scared. The spirit master is a noble Battle Soul Master, but don't talk too much or you might annoy him, understand?"
The children nodded one after another, except for Xiao Tianyang, who stood quietly at the end of the group.
Old Jack glanced at him but didn't comment. After a sigh, he led them into the temple.
—
Inside the hall, a lone man stood with his back to them. Hearing footsteps, he turned.
With Old Jack's brief introductions, Xiao Tianyang quickly confirmed his identity.
Su Yuntao.
"I don't have much time. Let's begin."
Su Yuntao waved off Jack's customary speech and stepped forward, surprisingly gentle.
"Children, line up from left to right."
He reached into his robes and withdrew six black stones, which he arranged into a hexagon on the floor. Then he lifted a gleaming crystal ball.
"Walk in one at a time, left to right."
The first child stepped into the hexagon nervously.
Su Yuntao called out—
"Lone Wolf!"
Two glowing rings—one white, one yellow—rose from beneath him. The children gasped. Some were curious. Others trembled.
At the same time, Su Yuntao's body seemed to grow, muscles bulging as his figure became sharper, fiercer.
Xiao Tianyang's eyes lit up.
It was the first time he had seen someone else's martial spirit awaken in person.
This was the beginning of their journey.
And his too.