NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: 1 - 1
Chapter 1: Warning! 80,000-Year-Old Blue Silver King Detected! Evacuate Immediately!
Douluo Continent.
Southwest of Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province, Artisan Soul Village.
In the back mountain of the village, a young boy with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes was practicing with a wooden sword. His movements were steady, and his eyes shone with determination.
"Xiao Tian! Why are you still out here practicing sword skills? The soul master responsible for awakening martial souls has already arrived. If you miss this, you'll have to pay to get it done later!"
The urgent voice startled him.
"Grandpa Song, he's already here? Let's go!"
Xiao Tian sheathed his wooden sword, walked over to the old man—Grandpa Song, the village chief of Artisan Soul Village—and helped him along the path.
"Why don't you seem excited about awakening your martial soul, boy?" the old man asked with a look of concern.
Xiao Tian shrugged indifferently. "Grandpa Song, what's the point of being excited? Martial soul awakening depends on bloodline. I'm just an orphan with no roots. A martial soul doesn't mean much to me—the sword in my hand is enough!"
A sharp gleam flickered in Xiao Tian's eyes as he continued, "By the way, didn't you promise to give me a real sword after my martial soul awakened? I'm tired of using this wooden one—it feels too limiting."
The village chief chuckled helplessly. "Alright, alright. I've already prepared one for you. You'll get it after the ceremony."
The old man didn't understand why Xiao Tian had been fascinated by swords from such a young age. He could only hope the boy would awaken a decent martial soul.
Most villagers in Artisan Soul Village awakened martial souls related to crafting. No one could predict what Xiao Tian's would be.
---
Why didn't Xiao Tian seem to care about the awakening ceremony?
Because he wasn't just a villager—he was a reincarnated soul. His memories had returned to him as far back as he could remember.
In his past life, Xiao Tian had been an avid reader of online novels and a sword enthusiast, practicing swordsmanship and collecting rare swords. It was his passion.
But his previous world was in the "End of Dharma Era," a time devoid of spiritual energy. When he realized he had been reborn in the world of Douluo Continent, his emotions were mixed.
On the one hand, he was thrilled—this was a world where cultivation was possible. On the other, he was disheartened—this world placed enormous importance on bloodlines.
Martial souls were inherited by bloodline. For ordinary people to possess high innate soul power, the only hope lay in mutation.
Xiao Tian had almost resigned himself to mediocrity. But then, he remembered the extraordinary figures from the original Douluo Continent storyline—those who defied the odds. Ji Juechen, in particular, stood out.
Ji Juechen had started with only level-three innate soul power but became a Titled Douluo through sheer mastery of the sword. If he could do it, why couldn't Xiao Tian?
From the moment he could walk, Xiao Tian had begged the village chief for a wooden sword and trained relentlessly, even practicing swordsmanship in his dreams.
So, whether his martial soul was good or bad didn't matter to him. After all, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
---
The village chief led Xiao Tian to a small house built specifically for martial soul awakening. Inside, a soul master greeted them with an impatient expression.
"Village chief, is everyone here? Let's get started. I still have another village to visit after this," the man said.
Xiao Tian immediately recognized him—Su Yuntao, the same soul master from the original novel.
"Alright, kids," the village chief called out. "Go in one by one and awaken your martial souls. May you all receive a good one."
Inside, Su Yuntao arranged six black stones into a hexagon and called the children forward in turn.
One by one, the children awakened:
"Anvil martial soul, half a level of innate soul power."
"Hammer martial soul, level one soul power."
"Chisel martial soul, level one innate soul power."
"Twig martial soul, no soul power."
Finally, it was Xiao Tian's turn.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the hexagonal array. Despite his nonchalant attitude earlier, his heart raced. Who wouldn't want a good martial soul and high innate soul power to make cultivation easier?
Under Su Yuntao's guidance, a rusty sword materialized in Xiao Tian's hand. As he held it, a sense of familiarity struck him, and he murmured, "Sword Fifteen?"
Xiao Tian looked at the rusty sword in his hand. Was it really the Sword Fifteen that he remembered? If that was the case, even if his innate soul power was a little low, there was still a chance to change his fate.
Moreover, he could clearly feel that Sword Fifteen had some hint of spirituality. Indeed, it was truly worthy of being the sword spirit of Xuan-Yuan Sword.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Tian awakened such a special sword martial soul. It could be called an intelligence martial soul, just like Luo San Pao, and could take action on its own.
Of course, all of these were only his speculation. Regarding this, he would need to confirm it after the awakening ceremony.
Su Yuntao raised an eyebrow. "Sword Fifteen? That's an odd name for a martial soul. Well, let's test your soul power—it's likely you have some."
Excitement flickered in Su Yuntao's tone. He had spent weeks awakening martial souls for villagers, yet none had soul power. Xiao Tian might finally break the streak.
When Xiao Tian placed his hand on the crystal ball, it glowed brightly.
"Innate soul power level five!"
Su Yuntao was stunned. A rusty sword martial soul and level-five innate soul power? That was quite impressive, especially compared to his own level-two soul power when he awakened his Lone Wolf.
Xiao Tian, however, wasn't disappointed. Level five was a decent talent, and since his martial soul was a sword, he could attempt to cultivate sword intent like Ji Juechen.
At that moment, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! Your martial soul has been awakened. System binding in progress.]
[Ding! Warning: An 80,000-year-old Blue Silver King has been detected nearby. Evacuate immediately to avoid danger!]
Xiao Tian froze. 'What? The Blue Silver King? Why would it be here in this tiny village? System, what should I do?'
[Ding! No solution available. However, don't worry—Blue Silver Kings are usually gentle. Of course, if you're unlucky, I'll just find a new host.]
Xiao Tian felt a twitch of irritation. This system seemed utterly unreliable.
And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something strange was happening. Why would an ancient Blue Silver King appear in a small Artisan Soul Village of all places?
---
After the awakening ceremony, Su Yuntao gathered the children outside. He turned to the village chief with a smile.
"Village chief, congratulations. Three of your children have awakened soul power this year, including one with innate level-five soul power. Although his martial soul is just a rusty sword, it still holds promise."
Su Yuntao then looked at Xiao Tian and asked, "Young man, are you interested in joining the Spirit Hall? You could study at the Spirit Hall Academy and receive the best training."
Hearing this, the village chief's gaze shifted to Xiao Tian. From Su Yuntao's tone, it was clear he saw potential in the boy. Though it was just a rusty sword now, martial souls often improved with the addition of soul rings.
"Xiao Tian, what do you think?" the village chief asked.
Xiao Tian hesitated briefly before smiling innocently at Su Yuntao. "Thank you, Master Su, but I'd like to explore the world first. If I decide to join the Spirit Hall later, I'll come find you!"
Su Yuntao frowned slightly but didn't push further. He assumed the boy's curiosity about the outside world would soon be replaced by the harsh realities of life. In time, Xiao Tian might seek out the Spirit Hall on his own.