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In the Fasinuo Province of the Tian Dou Empire, within the city of Nuoding, a quiet residence on the western side of the town housed a young boy, about five or six years old, who was diligently carrying out his daily morning exercises.
"One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight, two-two-three-four stretch… one-two-three-four chest expansion…"
Muttering rhythmic chants under his breath, the boy performed a set of calisthenics with disciplined precision.
Just as he finished another round and prepared to start over, a voice called out from the house.
"Young master, come have breakfast!"
Turning his head, the boy saw the maid waving at him.
"Coming!"
Hearing that it was time for breakfast, Chu Chengzhou immediately abandoned any thoughts of repeating his routine.
"The body is strong, but food is the foundation; missing a meal makes one weak."
As a dedicated eater, nothing could deter him when it was mealtime. After freshening up, Chu Chengzhou made his way to the dining room.
Inside, a burly middle-aged man in his fifties and a kind-looking woman slightly younger were already waiting patiently.
"Grandpa, Grandma!"
Seeing them seated at the table, Chu Chengzhou greeted them politely.
"Little Chengzhou, eat up!"
Patting his grandson's head affectionately, Li Wan smiled warmly.
"After celebrating your sixth birthday yesterday, you're now ready to awaken your martial soul. I'll help you with the awakening ritual after breakfast," Su Nan said, placing a piece of steamed rabbit meat into the boy's bowl.
"Mm-hmm!"
Savoring the delicious dish, Chu Chengzhou nodded earnestly.
On the continent of Douluo, children became eligible to awaken their martial souls upon turning six. Too early would hinder physical development, while delaying too long might impede cultivation progress.
Why hadn't Su Nan conducted the awakening ceremony the day before during Chu Chengzhou's birthday?
For commoners, innate talent often wasn't remarkable. If the child turned out to have poor potential, it could ruin the joyous occasion. Delaying by a day didn't make much difference.
As for why Grandpa was surnamed Su while the grandson was named Chu—technically, they weren't blood relatives.
Chu Chengzhou was no stranger to hardship. Like many others who carried the ill-fated label of "transmigrators," he had lost both parents at an early age. Whether he'd gain boundless spiritual energy depended entirely on today's martial soul awakening ceremony.
Nuoding City was small, and most soul masters in the area attended the local Primary Soul Academy. Over twenty years ago, Chu Chengzhou's orphaned parents awakened with innate soul power levels of three and four—a decent aptitude for such a modest town. Though not extraordinary by broader standards, these rankings were considered exceptional here, perhaps even once-in-a-decade talents.
Even without backing from influential factions, reaching the fourth rank of Soul Elder was practically assured. With luck, advancing to the fifth rank of Soul King wasn't impossible either.
Across the continent, Title Douluos stood at the pinnacle, commanding respect akin to royalty. Eighth-rank Soul Douluos were regional powerhouses, seventh-rank Soul Saints formidable experts, and sixth-rank Soul Emperors noteworthy achievers. But in Nuoding, merely attaining the fourth rank of Soul Ancestor earned one the title of "big shot." Only the branch director of the Spirit Hall and the principal of the academy held such status. Even the city lord, inheriting his position through nobility, was only a third-rank Soul Elder.
Chu Chengzhou's parents, diligent orphans raised under Principal Su Nan's mentorship, reached the second rank of Soul Grandmaster in their youth. Just as Su Nan prepared to groom them as successors, tragedy struck during a hunting expedition in the Soul Forest—they vanished without a trace, leaving behind their infant son.
Unable to abandon the orphaned child, Su Nan took him in as his own grandson, raising him alongside his biological family.
After a harmonious breakfast, Chu Chengzhou followed his grandparents to the living room. There, Su Nan retrieved a blue crystal orb for testing soul power and six obsidian stones used for martial soul awakening from a storage soul-guidance device attached to his waist.
The setup for the martial soul awakening array was simple. Arranging the six stones into a hexagon, Su Nan completed the formation swiftly.
"Little Chengzhou, stand in the center," he instructed.
"Okay!" Nodding, Chu Chengzhou complied.
Su Nan then rapidly tapped his hands together, sending six faint streaks of dark light into the stones. Instantly, a shimmering golden glow emanated from the stones, enveloping Chu Chengzhou in a pale golden dome.
In that moment, countless golden motes emerged from the stones, flowing into Chu Chengzhou's body. His first sensation was warmth—an overwhelming, comforting heat that wrapped around him like a gentle embrace.
As the warmth seeped deeper, Chu Chengzhou felt something stirring within—a faint trickle of energy? Before he could fully grasp it, the warmth seemed to shatter something inside him. All the energy rushed toward his right palm.
"A single martial soul?"
Feeling sensations only in his right hand, Chu Chengzhou felt a pang of disappointment.
Clearly, there was no chance of possessing twin martial souls. Still, the fleeting frustration soon passed. Twin martial souls were exceedingly rare, and even a single martial soul could lead to becoming a Title Douluo—or perhaps even ascending to godhood at level 100.
Opening his right hand, Chu Chengzhou stared at a small, drab gray flag resting in his palm.
"Huh... What is this?"
Recognizing its resemblance to his mother's flaming red banner, Flame Banner, he couldn't help but furrow his brow. It seemed his martial soul was derived from hers—but likely mutated, possibly even malignantly so. The dull gray hue certainly lacked the grandeur and prestige of his mother's vibrant Flame Banner.
Upon seeing the gray flag appear, Su Nan and Li Wan exchanged surprised glances, their eyebrows arching slightly.
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