Chapter 2 – Awakening of the Chains
The Awakening Ceremony was a sacred tradition.
For children across Douluo Continent, age six marked the first true step into the world of soul masters. It was the moment when their martial soul would be awakened, the moment that decided whether they would rise as cultivators or remain ordinary mortals.
At Donhai University, the ceremony was no less solemn. A wide circular platform stood at the center of the martial hall, surrounded by dozens of glowing soul arrays. Teachers, instructors, and elders had gathered to witness the next generation's awakening.
For Yu Tianghen, this day was not excitement—it was calculation.
He stood quietly among the children, his small body upright, eyes calm. The others shifted nervously, whispering and trembling. Some prayed for strong martial souls; others feared embarrassment if they received something weak.
Yu Tianghen's gaze swept over them like a predator among sheep. He already knew the truth: martial souls were chance. But chance meant nothing to him. What mattered was how they were used.
"Next, Yu Tianghen."
His name echoed in the hall. The children quieted. All eyes turned to the Dean's grandson.
He stepped forward, steady and composed. His grandfather, Yu Jianhong, sat at the edge of the stage, expression unreadable. Though he remained silent, his presence pressed upon the room like a mountain.
Tianghen stopped at the center of the array. A Soul Master instructor placed a hand on his head, circulating soul power. The ritual began.
"Relax, child. Let your spirit flow."
Light surged, enveloping Tianghen in a warm glow. For a moment, he felt his body grow light, as though floating. Then—pain.
His chest tightened. A sharp chill raced through his veins. Behind him, a phantom shimmered into existence.
Chains. Silver chains, glimmering faintly in the air, with arrow tips at their ends.
The instructor frowned. "A chain martial soul? Rare, but not powerful."
Murmurs spread through the hall. Chains were known in the Yu family, but they were mediocre. Useful for binding at best, but not destructive.
But then—something shifted.
The chains twisted.
A dark pulse shuddered through the air, so faint only Yu Jianhong truly felt it. The silver chains turned darker, almost metallic black. Their arrow tips split, jagged and hungry, as though alive. And then—the air rippled. The chains did not just exist in space; they bit into it, like serpents gnawing at invisible barriers.
"Wh-what is this?" the instructor gasped, pulling his hand away as if burned.
The chains rattled violently. One lashed out, striking against the edge of the soul array. Instead of bouncing, it sank in, swallowing faint strands of soul power. The instructor staggered back, pale.
"Devouring…?"
Yu Jianhong rose to his feet, eyes narrowed. His gaze locked onto the chains, sharp and heavy. He could feel it—the martial soul was not ordinary. It carried two distinct, terrifying properties: space binding and devour.
The other teachers stepped back, whispering in shock.
"A mutation!"
"Space and devour? That's… monstrous!"
"But… it feels unstable, dangerous…"
Yu Tianghen ignored them all.
He stood silently, eyes reflecting the writhing chains behind him. He felt it clearly—the hunger. The chains were not passive. They demanded. They wanted to consume, to feast on energy, on life.
The pain ripped through his body, sharp and searing. Most children would scream. He did not. His small fists clenched, his teeth ground together, but no sound escaped. His gaze remained calm, even cold.
Inside, his thoughts were razor sharp.
So this is the price. Devour… but at a cost. Pain, instability. Dangerous to myself as well.
His lips curled into a thin smile.
Good. Power without pain is worthless. Chains that hurt me will hurt others a thousand times more.
The glow faded. The chains retracted, disappearing into his body. The hall fell silent, every gaze fixed on him.
The instructor stammered, "Y-your martial soul… a mutated Devouring Chain. Space-binding and devour properties. A double-attribute mutation…"
The children gaped. Some with awe, some with envy, some with fear.
Yu Tianghen merely nodded, expression steady.
"Good enough," he said softly.
---
Later, in the privacy of his quarters, Yu Jianhong sat across from him. The old man's gaze was sharp, heavy with unspoken questions.
"You," he began slowly, "are not like other children."
Yu Tianghen said nothing. He simply looked at his grandfather, eyes unwavering.
"Do you understand what you carry?" Jianhong pressed. "A martial soul that devours is not a blessing. It will eat away at you as much as your enemies. One misstep, and it will consume you whole."
Tianghen lowered his head, his small fingers curling slightly. He could still feel the echo of the chains, the hunger gnawing at his core. It hurt. But beneath the pain was exhilaration.
"I understand," he said simply.
Jianhong studied him carefully. Most children would be frightened, perhaps even cry. But his grandson sat there calm, composed, unshaken. The old man felt a chill.
"Tianghen," he said finally, his voice low, "promise me. Promise me you will not let this hunger control you."
The boy's lips curved slightly.
"Control?" he whispered. "No, Grandfather. I will not be controlled. Not by hunger. Not by fate. Not by anyone."
For the first time, Yu Jianhong felt an uneasy foreboding.
---
That night, Tianghen lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His body ached, every vein burning from the strain of the awakening. He could still taste the faint metallic tang of blood in his throat.
Most would rest. He did not.
He sat up, closing his eyes, summoning the chains once more.
Come out.
They obeyed. The silver-black chains slithered out, faint and ghostly, hovering in the air. He felt their hunger claw at his body, draining him. His soul power was faint, almost nonexistent. Yet still, they demanded.
He extended a hand to a candle flame nearby.
The chain struck. The flame wavered, its faint soul energy swallowed. The candle went dark. A rush of warmth filled his body—small, almost insignificant, but real.
And the pain doubled. His chest tightened, blood trickling from the corner of his lips.
He coughed, trembling. But his eyes never wavered.
So this is the cost. Pain. Blood. Life itself.
He licked the blood from his lips, smiling faintly.
"Then so be it."
His voice was calm, cold, but beneath it was fire.
"I will devour everything. Even if it tears me apart, I will endure. Survival is pain. Strength is paid in blood. I will sacrifice anything."
The chains rattled faintly, as though pleased.
He lay back down, exhaustion consuming him. The room fell silent once more. But in his heart, a vow burned like steel.
"I will not be weak. I will not be chained. One day… this world will kneel."
---
The next morning, whispers spread across Donhai University.
"The Dean's grandson awakened a mutated martial soul."
"Devour and space? That's terrifying!"
"He didn't even scream during the awakening. Just stood there, silent."
"What kind of child doesn't cry in pain?"
The children looked at him differently now. Some with admiration. Some with fear. None with kindness.
Yu Tianghen walked among them silently, accepting their stares. Deep inside, he felt nothing. No pride, no joy. Only clarity.
This is how it should be.
Already, the first chains of destiny had been placed before him. Already, he had begun to break them.
And he would never stop.