After returning from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Huo Qiqiang invited Qian Renxue to visit the Body Sect.
Upon receiving the invitation, Qian Renxue dared not delay. She ended her closed-door cultivation and promptly arrived at the Body Sect.
"May I ask why you've invited me here?" Qian Renxue inquired.
Huo Qiqiang said, "We both come from the future. Just by casually taking out a small piece of knowledge from our time, we could trigger a technological upheaval in this era. I've been in this world tens of thousands of years longer than you. If I wanted to, I could have already brought this era to the same or even a higher level than the Douluo Continent of our time. Do you want to know why I haven't made any changes in these tens of thousands of years?"
Qian Renxue thought for a moment and said, "Is it because of Tang San?"
Huo Qiqiang replied, "That's one of the reasons. I want this world to experience what it feels like to be left behind by the times before Tang San arrives."
"What else?"
"I once inherited the bloodline of the Golden Dragon King. If I wished, I could've sought the position of Dragon God.
But forty thousand years ago, I accidentally fused the divine powers of Life and Destruction with a portion of the Dragon God's abilities.
This led me to accidentally comprehend the Law of Eternity. Because of that, I gave up on the Dragon God position that was within my grasp. After all, I prefer creating something of my own. From the perspective of the Law of Eternity, it is no weaker than the Dragon God's position. But even now, I have yet to perfect it," Huo Qiqiang explained.
"At that time, I carried a portion of the Golden Dragon King's bloodline and also received the sacrifice of the Ice and Fire Dragon King from the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well. That allowed me to forge a powerful body capable of unifying the divine laws of both the Creation God System and the Dragon God System.
But because of that, I owed the soul beast clan a great debt. I promised the Ice Dragon King I would help them create a new generation of Dragon God. If I had let humanity master soul tools, battle armor, or even an undeveloped spirit system forty thousand years ago, the soul beasts would have long been wiped out before the new Dragon God could emerge."
Qian Renxue recalled how, twenty thousand years later, the vast Star Dou Forest had been reduced to just the Lake of Life. She could understand Huo Yuhao's decision.
"That's the second reason, but it's still not the main one," Huo Qiqiang said. "The real reason is—I want to create a miracle."
"A miracle?" Qian Renxue asked in confusion.
Huo Qiqiang took out a hidden weapon and asked, "Do you recognize this?"
The hidden weapon looked like a golden lotus, with a ruby-like core glowing brilliantly. It wasn't large, but it radiated deadly intent.
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed. "Yes, this is Tang San's most prized creation—Buddha Fury Tang Lotus. It once killed seventy-six Soul Sages from the Spirit Hall in the Battle of Jialing Pass. But what makes it a miracle?"
Huo Qiqiang closed his eyes and carefully dismantled the lotus, which was as exquisite as a piece of artwork. He then opened his eyes and took out the core component from among the parts.
"The true source of the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus's power—comes from this."
"This is…" Qian Renxue stared at the small object in his hand.
"Gunpowder."
"This…" Qian Renxue was at a loss. Perhaps in this era, this object could be considered a miracle. But she had seen soul tools from ten thousand years later, battle armor from twenty thousand years later. From that future perspective, the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus was long obsolete—certainly no miracle.
"You may not understand. Its value isn't judged by its power," Huo Qiqiang said. "It is a symbol. It represents that another system is viable in this world."
"Another system?"
"A system no weaker than soul tools. But soul tool usage is limited to soul masters. This other system, however, has far greater universality," Huo Qiqiang explained.
Though Qian Renxue had lived for over twenty thousand years, she was still a native of this world. Her worldview was shaped by this world. Huo Qiqiang, on the other hand, came from another.
The Buddha Fury Tang Lotus itself wasn't important. What truly mattered was the technology used to create it.
The presence of gunpowder meant that this technology could be developed on the Douluo Continent. And it wasn't just about making the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus.
In our time, gunpowder formulas matured during the Tang Dynasty. Just a thousand years later, it had evolved to terrifying heights.
But on the Douluo Continent, Buddha Fury Tang Lotus appeared in Tang San's era—and ten thousand years later, they were still a feudal society, eventually forced open by another continent's soul tool civilization and then led down that path.
Of course, Huo Yuhao didn't mean to belittle soul tools or overrate gunpowder technology.
The Sun Moon Continent had its strengths. But as for Douluo Continent—it clearly had discovered gunpowder, yet after four thousand years of development, it was still a feudal society. Laughable.
Then again, the Tang Sect was selfishly protective of its secrets. The hidden weapon system passed down by Tang San was always a castrated version.
One thousand years ago, the Tang Sect adhered to the tradition of honoring the Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Ten thousand years later, it was still clinging to the same dogma. How could such a sect be expected to innovate?
Huo Qiqiang remembered his original goal after transmigrating to this world. Escaping Tang San's control was only part of it. What he truly wanted was to dismantle the caste-based structure of this continent.
In the third-generation story focusing on Tang Wulin, the narrative emphasized how noble his bloodline was—the descendant of a God King. The fourth-generation protagonist even uttered a classic line: "A clan of five God Kings." Clan—as in noble houses. Wasn't the Tang family the greatest noble house of all?
But breaking the shackles of an era is no easy task. Though Huo Yuhao had plans and ambitions, everything was disrupted by Tang San.
Left with no choice, he could only endure and wait, right under Tang San's nose.
However, over these tens of thousands of years, Huo Yuhao hadn't done nothing. He'd worked on promoting soul tools, battle armor, the spirit system, and a whole series of technologies derived from gunpowder—including combining soul technology with explosive tech.
But these were just the first steps.
Though gunpowder gave ordinary people the ability to threaten soul masters, soul masters could use it too. Look at India—did adopting gunpowder change its caste system that has lasted thousands of years?
The foundation of the caste system in India is land and the monopoly on fixed assets and social resources. On the Douluo Continent, the foundation is the monopoly on powerful martial souls.
The Clear Sky Hammer belonged to the Tang family ten thousand years ago. Ten thousand years later, it still does. You've heard of the Clear Sky Tang family—but have you ever heard of a Clear Sky Li family? Or Wang family? Never.
To dismantle the foundation of the caste system in the Douluo Continent, the monopoly on martial spirits must be broken.
Neither soul tools , battle armor , the soul spirit system, nor gunpowder technology can achieve this.
After demonstrating the Furious Buddha Tang Lotus, Huo Qiqiang brought Qian Renxue to a secret laboratory within the Body Sect.
The Body Sect was established atop a towering peak. Huo Qiqiang had ordered the center of the mountain to be hollowed out to construct the laboratory.
Qian Renxue followed Huo Qiqiang into the sect's secret chamber, where a soul-powered elevator was located. Huo Qiqiang activated it and stepped inside, with Qian Renxue right behind him.
The elevator descended and eventually arrived at the innermost secret chamber.
Following Huo Yuheng, Qian Renxue entered the lab. As they stepped in, sensor lights illuminated the room, revealing a futuristic lab scene that made Qian Renxue feel like she was witnessing the future.
The interior walls were forged with deep-sea silvery metal, isolating the mountain's core. The lab was filled with soul-powered display screens and various soul tools she couldn't identify.
Some of the tools contained visible blood samples, while data flowed across the screens.
Huo Qiqiang walked to the central test platform, where two soul-powered syringes rested carefully on a device rack.
He casually picked up one of the syringes and said, "This is the miracle I want you to witness."
"What does it do?" Qian Renxue asked.
"You'll find out soon. For now, just know that the world will change because of it." Huo Qiqiang walked past the test bench to the elevator door and said to Qian Renxue, "Let's step aside. The main characters of today are about to arrive."
They entered another elevator and ascended to the central control hub. Surrounding them were monitors displaying every corner of the lab. One of the screens showed the view of the lab they had just left.
Elsewhere, Xue Di (Snow Empress) led Mu Yuanfang and Luo Xingqi to the foot of the same great mountain.
Mu Yuanfang was the survivor of the massacre carried out by Tang Hao.
"Sister Xue, why are we here?" Luo Xingqi asked curiously.
Xue Di located a spot, entered a password, and two massive boulders shifted aside to reveal a hidden passage.
"Follow me," Xue Di said.
The two young children followed her into the mountain.
Inside was like a secret maze. At regular intervals, thick metal doors blocked their path, but each opened automatically once Xue Di authenticated herself.
Mu Yuanfang and Luo Xingqi clung nervously to Xue Di's robes as they moved deeper.
Eventually, they entered a technology-filled inner chamber that resembled a hidden paradise.
"What is this place, Sister Xue?" Mu Yuanfang asked.
"This is where your fate can be changed." Xue Di activated two machines and said, "Stand on the platforms."
The children obediently stepped onto the platforms.
Two beams of light rose from below, enveloping them.
Mu Yuanfang's vision shifted dramatically.
He saw lineage charts of sects and families, standing like towering trees in a dark forest—dominant, unshakable forces in this world.
Clear Sky Sect: Martial Spirit—Clear Sky Hammer. Inherited by the Tang family for 42,156 years.
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect: Martial Spirit—Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Inherited by the Yu family for 35,698 years.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect: Martial Spirit—Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Inherited by the Ning family for 35,845 years.
And so on.
In Douluo Continent, powerful martial spirits are monopolized by powerful families. These families create and enforce an unchanging order. Millennia of heritage make them arrogant and untouchable. Laws restrain only the commoners, not them. Their deep-rooted power places them above the law, making them a disaster for the world.
Scenes unfolded showing sect disciples acting arrogantly, nobles hunting slaves, and privileged children assaulting commoners.
Then the scene shifted to Tang Hao—Mu Yuanfang's hated enemy.
It replayed Tang Hao's proud life. Unlike the oppressed commoners and common soul masters, Tang Hao was born into the Noble Clear Sky Sect. He didn't need to worry about his martial spirit; he was guaranteed the Clear Sky Hammer. Combined with excellent inherited bloodlines, he awakened a top-tier version of the Clear Sky Hammer, launching a legendary life.
Finally, the scene froze on the moment Tang Hao slaughtered Mu Yuanfang's family—just to vent his anger at the Spirit Hall.
The memory made Mu Yuanfang clench his fists in hatred. "So... my family's death was just your outlet for rage, Tang Hao…"
Question: Do you want revenge?
Mu Yuanfang answered, "I do!"
Question: Your enemy is Tang Hao, a man from a sect with 10,000 years of heritage. If you achieve ultimate revenge, which path would you choose?
1: Kill Tang Hao, take his place, and build your own family legacy.
2: Overturn the Douluo Continent's order, end the age of sects and noble bloodlines. Follow your true heart. Deception is useless.
Mu Yuanfang fell silent.
Take his place and build a new noble family? A dragon slayer eventually becomes the dragon. Is that really what he wanted?
He remembered the towering trees of martial power monopolized by sects and families. For thousands of years, they set the rules. Could commoners ever rise?
If he had a choice, he would rather destroy all these old powers, overturn their traditions, and let the oppressed finally breathe.
"I choose 2."
A voice responded, "Congratulations. You have passed the test. Remember your choice."
"I will."
The light faded. Mu Yuanfang stood on the platform and looked at the girl beside him. Clearly, she had undergone the same trial and passed.
Before them, a platform rose, revealing two soul-powered syringes.
"Congratulations on passing the test of self-reflection here," Snow Empress congratulated them.
"Sister Xue, is there anything we need to do next?" Luo Xingqi asked.
Snow Empress first inquired, "What are your martial souls? Show me."
Mu Yuanfang was the first to summon his martial soul—a hoe—with no innate soul power.
Luo Xingqi then activated her martial soul, a lucky cat, with a level one innate soul power, qualifying her to be a soul master.
Snow Empress walked to the platform and took down two syringes, handing them to the two children.
"Martial souls determine a person's fate. Yours seemed destined, but this can change your destiny. Just insert the needle into your arm and inject the liquid," Snow Empress said.
"However, no one has used this substance before. You will be the first. After injection, you will experience excruciating pain. Only if you endure it will you discover what you have gained."
"Whether to use it or not is up to you."
Mu Yuanfang and Luo Xingqi looked at the syringes and exchanged glances. Mu Yuanfang recalled his family brutally killed by Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer. A flicker of determination crossed his heart, and he immediately inserted the needle into his arm, injecting the fluid.
Luo Xingqi hesitated no longer and used hers as well.
Moments later, the two empty syringes clattered to the ground.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Agony coursed through Luo Xingqi and Mu Yuanfang from inside out—every muscle, every tissue seemed to be torn apart and restructured.
It was pain without the release of unconsciousness.
They writhed on the ground in agony, bodily fluids—tears, mucus, saliva, sweat, even urine—flowing without restraint.
Luo Xingqi looked pleadingly at Snow Empress. Snow Empress looked back and said, "This stage is unavoidable. You must endure it to have a future."
Waves of pain battered their nerves, but eventually, the peak passed, and their bodies began to settle.
The two finally relaxed, feeling an odd lightness and comfort following the intense torment.
"Go wash up first," Snow Empress led them into a room in the laboratory to freshen up.
Afterward, Snow Empress asked, "Do you feel any changes in your bodies?"
"Changes?" Luo Xingqi scanned herself and replied, "I feel a lot lighter."
"Yes, I feel the same," Mu Yuanfang said. Then he noticed something strange—Luo Xingqi's cat ears and tail were gone.
"Xingqi, where are your cat ears and tail?" he asked.
Xingqi quickly touched where her ears and tail used to be and realized something was off. She tried to summon her martial soul—only to find it gone.
Mu Yuanfang also tried summoning his hoe—nothing appeared.
As they stood bewildered, Snow Empress casually performed a martial soul awakening. "Step into the formation. I'll awaken your martial souls."
Still filled with doubt, the two stepped into the awakening formation, and Snow Empress activated it.
They felt something emerging from deep inside them. Instinctively, they raised their palms. On Mu Yuanfang's hand appeared a soul mark of a golden hammer; on Luo Xingqi's hand, a mark of a nine-tiered pagoda.
They turned their palms upward and summoned their martial souls: a golden phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer appeared in Mu Yuanfang's hand, while Luo Xingqi held a floating nine-tiered glazed pagoda.
"This is... the Clear Sky Hammer?"
"This is the Seven-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
Snow Empress shook her head with a smile. "Yuanfang, your martial soul should be called the Golden Clear Sky Hammer—an evolved, superior version of the Clear Sky Hammer, with the attribute of Ultimate power. Xingqi, didn't you notice your pagoda has two extra layers? It's the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."
Because both martial souls were extremely powerful, the awakening couldn't be sustained for long.
Snow Empress placed a crystal orb in front of them. "Let's test your innate soul power."
Luo Xingqi tested first, followed by Mu Yuanfang. Both had awakened with full innate soul power.
"What happened to our original martial souls?" Mu Yuanfang asked.
"Why would you care about your old martial soul when you've now got a powerful one?" Snow Empress joked.
"The Clear Sky Hammer is strong, but it was my parents' legacy," Mu Yuanfang replied.
"They haven't disappeared," Snow Empress explained. "In fact, all humans essentially have twin martial souls. The reason most people only have one is because the stronger soul dominates, suppressing the weaker ones."
She picked up the syringes from the ground and said, "What you injected was called the Clear Sky Gene Serum. It integrates into your body's DNA, giving you the martial soul gene for the Golden Clear Sky Hammer. That means you now have three martial soul genes, but only the strongest one manifests. Whether it's your father's hoe or your mother's bellflower, they weren't on the same level, so only the Golden Clear Sky Hammer emerged."
Then she turned to Luo Xingqi, "And yours was the Glazed Gene Serum. The principle is the same." She casually tossed both syringes into the trash.
There were many technical terms the two could not fully understand, but they grasped the overall idea.
Mu Yuanfang and Luo Xingqi bowed respectfully to Snow Empress and the creator of the lab. Snow Empress then led them out of the lab.
Once they had left, the lab's soul-powered elevator descended, and Qian Renxue stepped out, visibly shocked.
"This is the miracle you spoke of?"
Huo Qiqiang replied, "As you can see."
"If Ning Fengzhi finds out that the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda he spent his life pursuing can now be created with just a syringe... I think he might lose his mind," Qian Renxue remarked, then asked, "There were only those two syringes, right?"
Huo Qiqiang activated a storage cabinet. A section of the wall opened, revealing a rack filled with 100 syringes labeled: Glazed Gene Serum.
Qian Renxue was stunned. She swallowed hard. "These... are all Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul genes?"
"Yes," Huo Qiqiang said. "These are the results of my years of work. We've achieved mass production."
Qian Renxue: "..."