The night was quiet, and the moonlight was as clear as water.
Two figures stood silently before a wooden cabin. The man was dressed in white with black hair and dark eyes, handsome and elegant. The woman wore blue, her hair and eyes a matching deep sapphire, strikingly beautiful.
In her arms, she held an infant wrapped in luxurious brocade. Tucked within the folds of the fabric was an exquisite jade pendant.
"Brother Tian, are we really going to leave Xiao Ye here?" The woman asked, her brow furrowed with sorrow as she gazed at the baby.
"Zhixin, no one can say for sure what kind of place we are going to next," the man named Tian sighed. "If it is safe, then all is well. But if it is dangerous, my strength might not even be enough to protect you. Bringing Xiao Ye along would only be harming him."
"But... without us by his side, what if he gets bullied? And in such a poor village, his life will surely be difficult. Why not leave him with my family?" As she spoke, Zhixin's voice began to choke with emotion.
Seeing his wife weep, Tian took her into his arms and sighed.
"Zhixin, rest assured. The person we are entrusting him to is the head of this village; Xiao Ye certainly won't be bullied. Besides, with our combined lineage and the things I've left for him, he'll be the one doing the bullying, not the other way around."
He continued softly, "As for your family... we may never return from this journey. People's hearts are unpredictable. What if someone covets the things we left for him? It's better for him here. No one will know his true identity. By the time he grows up and leaves this village, he will have the strength to protect himself. Following the path I've laid out for him, he will surely find us in the future."
Listening to her husband, Zhixin remained silent for a moment before finally accepting reality. With red-rimmed eyes, she whispered, "I understand, Brother Tian. Let's leave him here."
Relieved that his wife had finally agreed, Tian offered a small smile.
Having made her decision, Zhixin gently caressed the infant with a tender gaze. She walked to the door of the cabin, carefully placed the baby on the ground, and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock...
The crisp sound of knocking echoed. Inside the cabin, an elderly voice called out, "Who is it?" This was followed by the sound of someone getting out of bed and approaching the door.
"Zhixin, it's time to go." Seeing his wife still lingering over the child, Tian stepped forward and pulled her to his side.
Suddenly, the air seemed to ripple. Though their eyes remained fixed on the baby, their figures began to blur and eventually vanished into thin air.
A second later, the cabin door creaked open. A hunched old man with silver hair stepped out, looking around in confusion.
"Huh? A baby? Who left this here?" Noticing the infant by the door, the old man stepped outside and picked him up.
Feeling the luxurious brocade—whose craftsmanship and texture were clearly extraordinary—and seeing the jade pendant tucked inside, the old man couldn't help but marvel.
"Such exquisite fabric and jade... could this child be from a noble family? But why leave him with me? Do they want me to adopt him?" He was baffled.
"How strange!"
"Well, if you want me to raise him, then I shall. A noble's child might have a better chance of awakening a Martial Soul and becoming a Soul Master!"
As if struck by a pleasant thought, a smile spread across the old man's face. He pulled the jade pendant from the cloth and read the characters inscribed on it. He looked warmly at the baby in his arms.
"Little one, is your name Lin Ye? I am Jack. From now on, I am your grandfather."
Six years later.
Holy Spirit Village, Nuoding Province, Heaven Dou Empire.
In the early morning, as the sky was just beginning to turn grey, the village was shrouded in a thick white mist. Wooden cabins of various sizes loomed like ghosts through the fog.
With a sharp creak, a cabin door opened, and a young boy stepped out.
The boy had black hair and black eyes. He looked to be about six or seven years old, with a well-proportioned build, fair skin, and handsome features, though his expression was somewhat cold and detached.
After stepping out, he closed the door behind him.
From inside the house, an old voice called out, "Xiao Ye, remember to come back early! The Lord Soul Master from the Nuoding City Spirit Sub-Hall is coming today for the Awakening Ceremony. Don't be late!"
"I know, Grandpa," the boy replied calmly. He turned and left the house.
Walking out of the village toward the back mountains, he passed the western side of the village just as another boy of the same age was emerging.
This boy was also around six or seven, dressed in simple hemp clothes. He had black hair, black eyes, wheat-colored skin, and an ordinary appearance.
Seeing Lin Ye, the boy greeted him with a smile. "Lin Ye, up early for training again?"
"Mhm. Aren't you the same, Tang San?" Lin Ye nodded slightly.
"It's not the same. I'm older than you!" Tang San laughed.
Indeed, Tang San was older than Lin Ye—not just in physical age, but in psychological age as well. Though he looked like a child, he possessed memories of a past life; mentally, he was nearly thirty.
Yet, the Lin Ye before him appeared to be a normal child. To have such self-discipline to wake up early every day for training was something many adults lacked, let alone a child. It never failed to impress him.
The two chatted as they walked until they reached the foot of the mountain, where they parted ways to head toward two different peaks.
Lin Ye followed a small path toward the left. After passing through a lush field of flowers, he arrived at a steep slope.
The incline was nearly seventy degrees. For an ordinary child—or even an adult—climbing it would be incredibly difficult. But Lin Ye looked at the slope with a calm face, showing no sign of fear.
Thump!
Kicking off the ground, Lin Ye's body shot upward. His foot landed firmly on the slope as if rooted, while his right hand quickly reached out to grab a protruding rock. With another powerful kick, he leaped upward, scaling the slope with startling speed.
It was hard to imagine a six-year-old possessing such physical prowess. Like a nimble monkey, he ascended the ten-meter cliff in just a few breaths and reached the summit.
Would you like me to translate the next chapter for you, or perhaps help you summarize the key plot points of this story?