Douluo Continent, southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Saint Soul Village!
A small village of over three hundred households nestled and gathered in the wilderness.
It was named after a Soul Sage whose origins were unverifiable.
It was located in Fassnuo Province, south of Nuoding City.
Purple qi surged in the sky, and villagers walked in twos and threes towards the fields outside the village.
Working when the sun rises, resting when the sun sets.
On the path along the way, the only child stood out particularly.
He was a child of five or six.
He wore coarse linen clothes, had neat black short hair, bright, dark, lively eyes, and smiled with great innocence.
At this moment, he had a square wooden box hanging around his neck, filled with colorful candies.
Two gourds were tucked into his waist, and if you got close enough, you could smell a slight scent of alcohol and a faint herbal fragrance.
From a distance, people started greeting him.
"Little Qiu, what's up? Did you knock down another beehive?"
Ye Qiu turned his head back and smiled.
"Auntie~ How are you so smart?"
"Alright! Stop trying to be clever here. Those two bumps on your head are about to grow horns."
"Haha."
A scattered burst of laughter rang out around them.
"Little Qiu, come here quickly!"
"Get Auntie Zhang two of those... honey grapefruit candies. My sixth child at home loves this stuff!"
"Okay, Auntie Zhang!"
Ye Qiu didn't mind the villagers' teasing and happily ran towards the somewhat robust Auntie Zhang.
He pulled out two candies and put them in Auntie Zhang's basket.
"Take them. Remember to come over for dinner when you have time, your little mouth won't eat us out of house and home!"
Auntie Zhang smiled and took out two copper coins, placing them in Ye Qiu's palm.
"Okay, Auntie Zhang, take care!"
Ye Qiu waved at the departing Auntie Zhang with a face full of smiles.
Ever since he could support himself.
He rarely went to the villagers' homes for free meals anymore.
He greeted the villagers in the fields and by the paths as he slowly walked towards the village.
Suddenly.
Ye Qiu's eyes lit up slightly.
He waved towards the small hill on the side of the village.
He shouted loudly, "Yo! Little San, up so early again to exercise!"
On that small hill, there was a small, thin figure.
He looked about the same age as Ye Qiu.
Constant exposure to the sun and the furnace's heat made him appear darker, but his clothes were simple and clean, and his black short hair was also quite neat.
Despite his young age, his skills were so impressive that even adults would feel inferior.
He leapt down from that small hill.
As light as a swallow, constantly leaping and jumping, in the blink of an eye, he was about to land on the flat ground.
But at the last moment, he was disturbed by Ye Qiu's voice.
His feet stumbled, and he almost fell.
Tang San immediately frowned and looked around vigilantly.
Making sure no one noticed how unusual he was.
Only then did he look at Ye Qiu exasperatedly.
"Ye Qiu, you're clearly younger than me, stop calling me that!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Tang San also stopped showing off his movement technique and honestly, with his feet firmly on the ground, ran towards the blacksmith shop at home.
As for the other kids in the village, he, Tang San, had always preferred not to bother with them, often isolating them and playing by himself.
"Little San, run slower, don't fall. Uncle Mouse won't feel sorry for you!"
Ye Qiu wasn't annoyed and saw Tang San off with a smile, not forgetting to send greetings to his elder at home.
"Remember to say hello to Uncle Mouse for me, and don't forget to pay back the money for the wine you owe!"
...
Tang San furrowed his brow.
Ignoring Ye Qiu's shouting, he continued running towards home.
"Hmph, didn't the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record teach him manners?"
Ye Qiu pouted.
Many times when he went to collect debt, he wouldn't get a good look from Tang San and his father.
Sometimes Ye Qiu also wanted to call him "little scoundrel" a few times.
But his strength didn't allow it. His forehead would easily end up with a few more silent sleeve arrows.
"Little Qiu."
Just as he watched Tang San leave.
An old voice came from beside him.
Ye Qiu's young face wore a smile as he looked at the thin, tall old man in the distance.
He immediately jogged over.
"Grandpa Jack, are you here to buy candy or wine?"
"Haha. You little rascal."
Village Chief Old Jack stroked his meticulously groomed beard, looking full of energy.
He reached out and rubbed Ye Qiu's head.
"Forget the wine. Your wine is as bland as if you added water. Only that drunkard Tang Hao likes it. Just get grandpa a few candies."
"Okay, here you go!"
Ye Qiu smiled innocently.
He reached out, and five candies were stuck between his fingers, which he handed to Old Jack.
He carefully put the money away.
Only then did Ye Qiu look up again at Old Jack.
Asking with a smile:
"Grandpa Jack, did you come specifically to find me? Do you have something to tell me?"
"Yes, Grandpa came to inform you about the Spirit Awakening Ceremony three days from now."
Old Jack smiled and put a lollipop in Ye Qiu's mouth, his eyes holding deep expectation, or perhaps even extravagant hope.
The village hadn't produced a Soul Master in many years.
"Three days from now?"
Ye Qiu's expression changed slightly, and a hint of longing couldn't help but appear in his eyes.
"Yes, it's in the Spirit Hall in the center of the village. Remember to be there."
Old Jack nodded kindly.
"Alright, come over for dinner when you have time. Grandpa still needs to go inform the other children."
"Take care, Grandpa Jack!"
Ye Qiu stood on his tiptoes and waved his little hand.
When there were few people left on the road, only then did Ye Qiu, with a candy in his mouth, finish his morning business, holding the box and walking towards home.
A lonely, dead-silent single-room wooden hut.
This was Ye Qiu's home.
Alone in the world, with nothing but four bare walls, this was the setup he got upon arriving in this world.
He had grown up eating meals from different families since he was young.
*Exhale*~
Lying on the cold, hard wooden bed, Ye Qiu let out a long breath.
Douluo Continent, Spirit Awakening.
Ye Qiu, who was relatively familiar with this world, naturally understood the importance of spirits.
"I wonder what spirit I'll awaken. Will it be a frog, like my parents?"
Ye Qiu muttered to himself, then quickly shook his head, his face full of disgust.
"Maybe not."
Perhaps his bloodline would regress, and he'd awaken a more powerful spirit with high innate spirit power?
"Alas, I'm really tired of this ordinary and mediocre life."
A hint of melancholy couldn't help but appear on Ye Qiu's face.
"If my spirit is really no good... I'll see if I can find a rich woman to support me, haha."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Ye Qiu himself laughed out loud.
Wanting to give them a warm home, that's just a normal thought.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Under Old Jack's organization, many children of the right age gathered inside the Spirit Hall in the center of the village.
The so-called Spirit Hall in Saint Soul Village was just a slightly larger wooden house.
It could block wind and rain, no problem.
So many children, this was a great business opportunity for selling candy.
Ye Qiu had the box around his neck and was energetically shouting.
Tang San stood quietly in place.
Hearing Ye Qiu constantly repeat the sound 'San' and then stop, he always felt annoyed.
"Yo! Little San. How about I treat you to some candy?"
Ye Qiu smiled and leaned towards Tang San, offering a green lollipop.
"No need."
Tang San shook his head indifferently.
He was completely uninterested in this kind of small favor between children.
"Alright then."
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes.
Currently, he didn't have much ill will towards Tang San, it's just that sometimes he really made people unhappy.
Not long after.
Just after finishing a few small orders, Ye Qiu saw Old Jack welcoming a certain young man with a smile.
*Slurp*~ *Slurp*~
Tang San was standing right in front of Ye Qiu.
Listening to the sound of Ye Qiu sucking on candy behind him, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
The young man was wearing the uniform of the Spirit Hall, and he looked quite good, his eyes and brows showing arrogance and superiority.
With a raised hand, he waved Old Jack away.
He began today's main work - Spirit Awakening!