This is a world of Martial Souls, known as the Douluo Continent. Here, there is no magic, no war qi, and no martial arts—yet there exist wondrous Martial Souls. Every person awakens their Martial Soul at the age of six in the Martial Soul Hall. These souls can take the form of animals, plants, or objects, and they assist people in their daily lives. Some exceptionally powerful Martial Souls can be used for cultivation and combat. The most powerful and glorious profession on the Douluo Continent belongs to those who wield such strength—the Soul Masters.
Ever since the first Angel God quelled the chaos spread by the evil Soul Masters ten thousand years ago, the Douluo Continent has entered an era of relative peace and stability. The Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and the Spirit Hall—founded by the Angel God—form a three-way balance of power. The world of Soul Masters is also home to seven major sects, divided into the Upper Three Sects and the Lower Four Sects.
The Upper Three Sects are the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
The Lower Four Sects are the Elephant Armored Sect, the White Tiger Sect, the Wind Sword Sect, and the Fire Leopard Sect.
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Spirit Hall
Before a ten-meter-tall statue of a six-winged angel forged of pure gold, a man stood silently. He appeared to be in his thirties or forties—handsome, tall, and elegant, though not particularly muscular. He wore a simple white robe, and his long, neatly brushed golden hair draped down his back. His very presence inspired reverence, as though he possessed a power capable of rivaling the heavens and the earth. Yet at this moment, a faint mask of sorrow crossed his face.
Qian Daoliu asked wearily, "Has Jie'er still not awakened?"
The elderly man beside him, dressed in a blue robe embroidered with blooming begonias on the sleeves, replied, "Your Holiness, the Holy Son remains unconscious. We do not know when he will wake."
This old man was none other than the famed Nine-Hearted Begonia Soul Master of the continent. The Nine-Hearted Begonia was a support-type Martial Soul comparable to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Its strength lay in its healing ability—no matter how severe the injury, it could heal it. Yet the reason it was less renowned than the Glazed Tile Pagoda was its rarity. In any given era, only two Nine-Hearted Begonia Soul Masters could exist.
"The Holy Son encountered a Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger during the spirit beast hunt. The tiger used its Heaven-Shattering 'Domain of Life and Death' on him, and in forcing a spirit ring into his body, it damaged his very foundation. I fear… there may be no hope of recovery."
Qian Daoliu sighed. "Very well. Thank you for your efforts. You may go."
He turned and walked away, unaware of the fleeting black light that flickered across Qian Xunji's body.
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A young man lay on the bed, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. His features were handsome and refined, his long blond hair spread across the pillow. His sharp brows, thin lips, and well-defined features gave him the appearance of ideal masculine beauty, while his tall, lean frame added to that impression. But the sudden furrowing of his brows and the pallor of his face marred that perfection.
Moments later, his eyes snapped open, filled with confusion.
"Where am I? How did I get here? Wasn't I dead?"
A flood of memories surged into his mind. Gripping his head in pain, he lay still for a long while before gasping, "This… this is the Douluo Continent. I'm Qian Xunji?"
"Wasn't this a novel I read in my previous life? I remember being taken by a dark bead. Where is it?"
Qian Xunji searched frantically but found nothing.
"Well, what's done is done. I might as well figure out my next steps. From now on, I'm Qian Xunji. I'll live on—and share your fate with you. Douluo Continent, here I come!"
"Jie'er! Y-You're awake! This is wonderful, hahahaha!"
The voice came from the doorway—Qian Daoliu.
"Yes, Father. I'm awake. How long was I unconscious?"
"Three days and three nights!" Qian Daoliu said joyfully. "That old Ye Shengxin said you had no chance of recovering. It nearly scared me to death. I feared that if you closed your eyes forever, our Angel lineage would end. But now everything is fine—you've finally woken."
"Jie'er, the spirit ring you absorbed this time far exceeded the limit. Your seventh ring is from the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger—a 63,000-year-old spirit beast, far stronger than most. Normally, the limit for a rank-70 Soul Sage is a fifty-thousand-year ring, yet you exceeded that by a full ten thousand years. You must understand how dangerous that was."
"Yes, I was careless. I won't make that mistake again."