Chapter 1: Martial Soul Awakening, Heaven-Piercing Descends Upon the World
In Spirit City, within a luxurious orphanage.
"Yun Yuan, stop practicing with the spear. Today is the day for our Martial Soul awakening."
"You're practicing so diligently now, but what if you don't inherit your father's Martial Soul? What if what awakens isn't a spear?"
A boy with a pockmarked face shouted loudly towards the center of the courtyard, where another boy was continuously swinging a wooden spear.
Today was the day the Spirit Hall would awaken the Martial Souls for orphans like them from the Spirit Hall.
If they awakened a good Martial Soul and high Soul Power, their future would be exceptionally bright, just like their parents' generation.
The boys living in this orphanage all had parents who were, in their day, Soul Masters of Soul King rank or higher within the Spirit Hall.
However, without exception, they had all sacrificed their lives for the Spirit Hall, and the Spirit Hall took great care of their orphaned children.
From childhood, the boys in this orphanage lacked only the company of their parents; everything else was practically provided for.
The boy practicing with the spear in the courtyard was named Yun Yuan. His parents were both powerful Soul Saints, but they had sacrificed themselves for the Spirit Hall not long after Yun Yuan was born.
But Yun Yuan had another important identity: he was not from this World.
He was a transmigrator!
A transmigrator just like Tang San, except he was a transmigrator who had read the original work.
In the center of the courtyard.
The boy continuously swung the wooden spear in his hands. Though young, he held the long spear as steady as Mount Tai, the shaft hanging slightly without the slightest tremor.
When beginning his stance, his steps were light, neither hurried nor slow, each footfall precise.
Raising his hands, turning his wrists, thrusting the spear—his movements were clean and crisp, without a trace of a child's impatience.
The sound of the spear tip parting the air was clear and sharp—straight thrusts, horizontal blocks, returning flicks—each move and technique followed a pattern. Though the force was still shallow, the style and bearing had already taken shape.
When he finished, his posture settled, calm and composed. No sweat or panting showed on his young face, only a pair of eyes bright as stars.
Despite having the body of a young child, he naturally carried an air of steadiness—still as a pine, swift as the wind.
"I know. I'll go with you right now."
After putting away his spear, Yun Yuan looked toward the entrance of the courtyard, at his companions over the years, and responded.
Then, he leaned the wooden spear against a tree and followed the group of boys to the place for Martial Soul awakening.
Before the awakening platform.
A group of boys who had just turned six gathered here—some from the orphanage, some relatives of Spirit Hall members...
On the awakening platform stood a bishop dressed in red robes, looking kindly upon the children below.
Seeing that all the Spirit Hall youths awaiting awakening had arrived, the red-robed bishop was about to announce the start of the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.
But the next moment.
A man with brilliant golden hair, handsome features, wearing a gilded papal crown and dressed in gold-and-white papal robes, walked to the side of the awakening platform.
Beside him was a girl with eyes that seemed to emit a bright light, delicate and beautiful in appearance.
The moment he saw this man, the red-robed bishop immediately recognized him and said respectfully:
"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope."
The man was the current Pope of the Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji. And beside Qian Xunji was his recently accepted disciple, Bibi Dong.
A peerless genius possessing Twin Martial Souls and innate full Soul Power.
The group of youths about to awaken their Martial Souls below the platform looked at Qian Xunji beside it, their gazes tinged with reverence.
This was their Spirit Hall's supreme leader, Pope Qian Xunji, now standing before them. How could they not be excited?
After arriving, Qian Xunji looked at the red-robed bishop, his tone flat and unfluctuating.
"No need for that. Quickly help the future of our Spirit Hall awaken their Martial Souls."
"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope."
Hearing this, the red-robed bishop nodded slightly and then began calling names from the register one by one, helping them awaken their Martial Souls.
"Zhang San, Martial Soul: Blue Steel Sword, Innate Soul Power: Level 4. Eligible to enter Martial Soul Academy for study."
"Li Xi, Martial Soul: Flame Tiger, Innate Soul Power: Level 6. Eligible to enter Martial Soul Academy for study."
...
As time passed, almost all the youths present had awakened their Martial Souls, except for a few.
However, among this group of Martial Soul-awakened youths, the one with the strongest talent had only awakened a high-tier Martial Soul with innate Soul Power of Level 7.
The red-robed bishop on the platform was fairly satisfied. After all, a high-tier Martial Soul with Level 7 innate Soul Power meant a high probability of becoming a Soul Saint in the future, and there was even hope of reaching Soul Douluo.
But Qian Xunji beside the platform sighed. Compared to his exceptionally talented disciple beside him, he was clearly not very satisfied.
Recently, he had just accepted Bibi Dong, a peerless genius with innate full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls. Naturally, his standards had been raised.
Bibi Dong, standing beside Qian Xunji, also lost interest upon seeing the group of awakened youths.
She had thought there might be some genius who would pique her interest. Who would have thought the strongest was merely a possessor of a high-tier Martial Soul with Level 7 innate Soul Power?
Such an ordinary genius couldn't stir her competitive Martial Soul at all. Sometimes, being too talented was a mistake—there simply weren't any worthy opponents.
Just as Bibi Dong was feeling proud of herself,
on the awakening platform, a boy with the appearance of a young child but exuding a steady temperament walked up.
"Hmm, quite handsome."
Seeing Yun Yuan's appearance, Bibi Dong couldn't help but marvel at his youthful looks.
Among all the youths awakening their Martial Souls, Yun Yuan's features were exceptionally striking. Most notable were his eyes, clear and bright as stars, with a very resolute gaze.
A certain quality emanating from Yun Yuan also caught Qian Xunji's attention.
"Interesting. At such a young age, he already possesses Spear Momentum. I wonder what kind of Martial Soul he will awaken?"
On the awakening platform.
The red-robed bishop looked at Yun Yuan, a flicker of amazement in his eyes, and was momentarily stunned.
But he quickly regained his composure and began following the steps of the Martial Soul Awakening to help Yun Yuan awaken his Martial Soul.
The next moment.
A pillar of soaring white light appeared. In Yun Yuan's hand materialized a miniature, nearly transparent long spear, its entire body radiating a brilliant white light.
The spear's edge was sharp and exposed, its fierce aura fully displayed. Where the shaft met the blade, two ancient, powerful characters were engraved: "Heaven-Piercing".
The spectacular scene of Yun Yuan's Martial Soul awakening instantly captured the attention of Qian Xunji beside the platform.
"Quickly, test his Soul Power!"
Qian Xunji's urgent voice rang out, urging the red-robed bishop.
At the same time, a blazing light shone in Qian Xunji's eyes. The moment Yun Yuan's spear appeared, he recognized at a glance the exceptionally high quality of this long spear.
Even the Clear Sky Hammer, the inherited Martial Soul of their potential rival Sect, the Clear Sky Sect, could not match the imposing aura of this spear before him.
Qian Xunji estimated that this youth's innate Soul Power must be at least Level 9, with a high probability of even being innate full Soul Power.
After all, generally speaking, the more powerful the Martial Soul, the higher the innate Soul Power.