Knowing that her turn had finally come, Yang Xiaolong stepped into the center of the formation with a bright, expectant smile. Like the other children, she extended her right hand. However, before she could even concentrate, she felt her consciousness being forcefully pulled into her spiritual sea.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a vast, starry ocean. The sky above was filled with countless stars, and the water below reflected the celestial scene. In front of her stood a massive marble monument, which left her confused.
"Is my martial soul... a building?" Xiaolong murmured to herself.
But before she could process the thought, a deep and mysterious voice echoed through her spiritual sea:
"No, child. My temple is not your martial soul."
Each word sounded like thunder, brimming with immense power.
"Huh? Who's there?!" Xiaolong asked, startled, unaware that no one else was supposed to be there.
"Do you wish to know me? Then enter my temple," the voice responded, again accompanied by a chorus of thunder.
Swallowing nervously, Xiaolong climbed the stairs with hesitant steps, her tiny legs barely reaching each step. Upon entering the temple, she was greeted by majestic statues of a woman and grand murals along the walls. She walked forward until she stood before an imposing door.
"Open the door, and you shall know me, child."
This time, the voice was softer, feminine, no longer rumbling like thunder.
Nervously, Xiaolong reached out her small hand and, to her surprise, pushed the massive door open with ease. What she saw beyond it left her speechless.
Seated on a throne of gold and marble was a woman of surreal beauty, with white hair and golden eyes. She wore a peplos-style robe that looked expensive and elegant, perfectly fitted to her divine figure. In her hands rested a large, ornate sword adorned with golden details.
Scattered around her were countless priceless treasures, but what stood out most were the golden chains anchoring the woman to the walls, binding her to the throne.
The scene was both breathtaking and strange. That woman... was she being held captive?
"Is she... a masochist?" Xiaolong wondered without thinking.
The woman smirked.
"Fufufu, bold for a child, aren't you? I'm not a masochist, and I'm certainly not bound like this by choice," she said, amused.
"And no, I can't read your mind. But your face was an open book."
"W-Who are you? Are you my martial soul?" Xiaolong asked, still nervous.
"Well, well, aren't you a clever little girl? That's right, I am your martial soul," the woman replied with a light chuckle.
"Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Zeus, ruler of the realm of gods. Goddess of the sky, thunder, and lightning."
As she spoke, Zeus radiated intense light and power, her voice booming like thunder.
"So my martial soul is a deity... how cool!" Xiaolong exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Haha, I'm glad you're happy. But unfortunately, you can't use me as your martial soul just yet," Zeus said, feeling a strange sense of pride but knowing she had to be honest.
"At your current level, you wouldn't be able to handle me. And as you can see, I'm sealed by these chains."
With each word, Xiaolong's expression grew more downcast.
"So... I do have a martial soul, but I can't use it?" she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"Not quite, child. Look at your hands," Zeus said gently, sensing her sorrow.
Xiaolong looked down at her hands, and her eyes widened. A golden light extended from her palms to her elbows, and in the center of each palm was a red cross.
"I have twin martial souls...?" she muttered, shocked.
"You really are sharp for your age. Yes, this is your first martial soul. Originally, it would have been a high-level spear, but due to my presence, it mutated into a divine spear. Then, surprisingly, it mutated again into a body-type martial soul."
"Body-type? What does that mean?"
"Just as the name suggests, a body-type martial soul is one that integrates directly with your body. Unlike tool or beast-type souls that can be summoned or possessed separately, this one manifests physically in your body," Zeus explained.
"Because they're so rare, people often assume they're useless. But when properly cultivated, they're incredibly powerful. Especially yours, infused with divine and sacred energy."
Zeus had already thoroughly analyzed Xiaolong's martial soul and her immense innate spirit power. She was certain that, with guidance, the girl would reach divinity quickly.
"Goddess... why are you sealed in my spiritual sea?" Xiaolong asked curiously.
"You're not strong enough to know that yet. When the time comes, I'll explain everything," Zeus replied, forcing a smile to hide her discomfort.
Xiaolong nodded quietly.
Suddenly, her spiritual world began to tremble. Zeus realized their time was up. She wouldn't be able to accelerate Xiaolong's thoughts any longer.
"Looks like our time is up. But don't worry, I'll reach out again in your dreams or when the moment is right. One last thing, Xiaolong: never reveal to anyone that you have twin martial souls, under any circumstances. And don't be surprised when you open your eyes—this entire conversation only took a few seconds in the real world."
As the spiritual realm cracked around her, Zeus offered a final smile. Before Xiaolong could say anything, she felt herself being pulled back.
With a slight headache, Yang Xiaolong opened her red eyes with a small grimace. But when she saw the divine golden glow on her hands, a smile bloomed on her face.
'With this martial soul, I swear I'll achieve great things.'
What she didn't know was that this innocent promise would further seal her fate in the chaos that was the Douluo Continent.
While Xiaolong basked in her newly awakened power, two others stood in shock—for very different reasons.
One was Su Yuntao, stunned by the bad luck of this village. For years, every child born here had awakened what he considered worthless martial souls.
And while he wasn't exactly wrong, he also wasn't right. Body-type souls were exceedingly rare, and due to lack of understanding, had been labeled as trash. Few knew how to cultivate them properly.
The second was Tang Wutong. With her Purple Demon Eyes, even at level one, she could sense how terrifying that soul was—though she couldn't make out the details. Still, it was enough to shake her.
She made a mental note to observe Yang Xiaolong more closely later.
"Sigh Place your hand on the crystal," Su Yuntao muttered, clearly disinterested.
But once again, he was caught off guard. The crystal in his hand glowed so brightly that he had to shield his eyes. In fact, Xiaolong's light outshone even Tang Wutong's.
"Another child with full innate spirit power... and a useless martial soul? This village must be cursed," he grumbled out loud, not caring if the children heard. Tang Wutong didn't even flinch.
As Xiaolong cheerfully followed the other children, a pair of blue eyes stayed locked on her. Wutong didn't believe what the Deacon said. Her Purple Demon Eyes told her otherwise: that soul was anything but normal.
And between trusting some unknown Deacon and her own Tang Sect technique, she didn't hesitate—she trusted her eyes, even at level one.