Chapter 4 – Attempting to Activate the Martial Soul
"Aaaooo—ow ow ow ow ow!!"
After a scene of utter chaos, Lin Beiya sat on the floor, clutching his bruised and swollen face, teeth gritted in pain as he glared at the triumphant little angel standing before him—Qian Renxue.
His heart seethed with humiliation and fury. 'One day… I'm definitely taking this back.'
"Hmph! You still won't tell me? Why did Grandpa bring you to the Douluo Hall?"
Lin Beiya pointed helplessly at his battered face.
"Didn't I already tell you earlier? You didn't have to beat it out of me!"
Qian Renxue's smug look faltered slightly. Her small face flushed red as she realized she might have gone a little overboard. Though she had carefully controlled her strength, a two-ring Spirit Grandmaster's power was still nothing to scoff at—one careless hit and she nearly knocked his teeth loose.
"Normally, only Worship Grandfather's descendants are allowed inside the Douluo Hall. You must have something special about you."
"How would I know? I just awakened my martial soul this morning, and before I could even pack up at the orphanage to report to the Spirit Academy, the old man dragged me here."
"Just awakened…?"
The little golden-haired "lady" leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she sized him up, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"That means your martial soul must be really unusual! Come on, summon it—I want to see!"
Lin Beiya sighed inwardly. He could tell that if he didn't satisfy this little princess's curiosity, she'd never let him go. So, he mentally prepared himself to show her—
But just as he was about to summon his martial soul—
Guuu~uuu~rumble!
An awkward sound broke the moment.
Qian Renxue's attention shifted from his right hand… to his stomach.
"Uh… did you not eat?"
"What do you think? I woke up early for the awakening ceremony, then got hauled here by your grandpa, and then got beaten up by you!"
Lin Beiya gave her a look that said "You tell me," making the little angel's cheeks burn in embarrassment. She quickly averted her gaze, mumbling under her breath.
"Fine! Then I'll take you to eat first. After that, you can show me your martial soul."
"Now that's what I call a deal! Once I'm full, you can look all you want!"
"…"
Something about his tone felt… strange, but Qian Renxue decided not to dwell on it. With a wave of her hand, she led him to the garden's central pavilion and ordered the servants to bring a feast.
To be honest, this was the most lavish meal Lin Beiya had seen in all four years since arriving in the Douluo Continent.
It seemed the old saying was true—there's no such thing as a free lunch. Still, after the beating he took, this meal could be considered fair compensation.
As the dishes arrived one by one, Lin Beiya didn't even bother to restrain himself. His eyes lit up as he immediately began eating like a starving wolf.
Qian Renxue watched with visible disgust. To a girl raised in the Spirit Hall—trained in elegance, etiquette, and grace—his barbaric eating habits were practically blasphemy.
If Lin Beiya could read her thoughts, he'd probably sneer in disdain.
'Please. What image do I need to keep in front of a little flat-chested kid who hasn't even figured out where her waist ends?'
Fifteen minutes later, Lin Beiya was sprawled lazily on a garden recliner, rubbing his full stomach in satisfaction. The wild game he used to eat suddenly seemed utterly unappetizing.
"Hey! You've eaten enough. Hurry up and show me your martial soul already!"
Qian Renxue, still burning with curiosity, urged him on. Even her own grandfather had shown interest in this boy—how could she not want to see for herself?
This time, Lin Beiya didn't stall. He raised his right hand, golden light blooming softly in his palm.
In an instant, a delicate stone statue of Athena, the Goddess of War, appeared—its intricate armor shimmering faintly.
"Eh? Your martial soul is so strange… and tiny!"
Lin Beiya rolled his eyes. 'You're tiny. Your whole family's tiny.'
Ignoring his expression, Qian Renxue stepped forward, her small, tender hand reaching out. Curiosity gleamed in her eyes as she gently touched the Athena statue.
The little girl's hand stiffened slightly as she touched the statue. She didn't feel any particular energy or divine aura.
"So this is the martial soul even Grandpa thinks highly of? Are you sure you're not lying to me?"
"What would I gain from lying? If you don't believe me, you can just go ask that old man yourself."
"Uhh…"
That suggestion clearly hit a nerve. Qian Renxue scratched at her golden hair awkwardly — she definitely didn't want her grandfather finding out she'd beaten someone up again.
"Then… What can your martial soul even do? It kind of looks like the Angel God statue in the temple, but much smaller—and without wings!"
"I'm still figuring that out myself. I just awakened it this morning. I've got no idea how it works yet. I'll probably go check the library in a few days and look through some records to see what kind of soul rings might suit it."
"That's fine! Tomorrow I'll take you there myself. I can even give you some advice!"
The little angel seemed eager to spend more time with Lin Beiya. After all, he was the only person her age she had ever met.
More importantly, he didn't seem to fear her at all. The cautious way the Spirit Hall attendants treated her had always been suffocating—so Lin Beiya's calm, almost casual attitude felt refreshingly new.
Lin Beiya thought for a moment and didn't refuse. Having someone familiar with the Hall's library guide him would make things easier than wandering around blindly.
"Then I'll thank you in advance."
"Oh, right—you never told me your name!"
Even though he already knew who she was, Lin Beiya decided to play along naturally, letting her introduce herself.
The golden-haired girl blinked, then smiled.
"I'm Qian Renxue. The man who brought you back today is my grandfather."
"Oh? Then I'll be counting on your care from now on!"
Lin Beiya put on a convincingly surprised face, which only inflated Qian Renxue's pride. She puffed out her tiny, still-flat chest and declared:
"Don't worry! From now on, you're under this lady's protection inside the Spirit Hall!"
Just as the two new acquaintances were chatting amiably, a voice came from nearby.
"Young Miss, your swordsmanship lesson is about to begin."
Qian Renxue blinked, then pouted.
"That's my sword instructor. Grandpa says I have to practice every afternoon…"
"Go ahead, then. You know where I live—come find me if something comes up."
"No need! Let's meet here again tomorrow. I'll take you to the library."
She waved cheerfully and then entered her Martial Soul Possession state—her angel wings unfurled in a flash of divine light as she soared toward the voice.
Watching her leave, Lin Beiya returned to his quarters. After washing up, he sat cross-legged on the bed, lost in thought about how to develop his martial soul.
By right, as the vessel of Athena's God Cloth, it required Athena's blood to awaken.
But there was a slight issue—
"Where in this world am I supposed to find Athena's blood on the Douluo Continent?"
After thinking for a long while, Lin Beiya's gaze slowly shifted to his own right arm.
"Wait… could it be that I am Athena's counterpart in this world? Maybe this martial soul needs my blood to activate?"
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. His eyes lit up. After scanning the room briefly, he stood up and pulled an ornamental iron sword from the living room wall.
He swallowed hard. He wasn't afraid to gut wild beasts, but cutting into himself… that was another matter.
Still, this could be the key to unsealing his martial soul.
Clenching his teeth, Lin Beiya gripped the sword and dragged the blade across his palm. A sharp pain flared, followed by a few droplets of bright red blood falling onto the floor—
And then… the statue of Athena shimmered faintly in response.
—
End of Chapter