Qibao Third Orphanage.
On the roof of a remote courtyard, a handsome little boy with short black hair was lying there leisurely, basking in the sun.
If a soul master were to observe from above, they would notice that the boy was unusually quiet, completely motionless. Though it looked like he was just sunbathing, he was actually meditating.
Although meditation doesn't increase soul power for someone who hasn't yet awakened their martial soul, Xu Yang—who had transmigrated—understood that meditation could enhance both soul power and spiritual power. And spiritual power is extremely important for soul masters; it's the fundamental factor that determines a soul master's potential.
Just look at the eras of Douluo 3 and Douluo 4, where spiritual power was given its own ranking system and cultivation methods were well established.
Xu Yang hadn't actually read Douluo 3 or 4, though. He had only heard his classmates mention them back in the day when they discussed novels. He had only read Douluo 1 and 2. It had been a while, and he'd forgotten most of the plot, but he still remembered key elements—enough for his purposes.
Immortal herbs, extreme attributes, whale rubber, soul cores…
Each of these was a priceless treasure during the Douluo 1 timeline, and Xu Yang knew them all. That's what it means to have foreknowledge.
To condense the all-important soul core, powerful spiritual power is essential. That was the main reason Xu Yang was meditating on the roof—hoping to strengthen his spirit even a little before his martial soul awakened.
That tiny boost might be the edge he needs to condense a soul core as early as the Soul Ancestor or even Soul Saint stage.
Of course, it would be even better if he awakened a spiritual-type martial soul!
Even if he didn't, Xu Yang planned to absorb spirit-type soul rings later on to boost his spiritual power as much as possible.
Why was he meditating under the sun on the rooftop instead of inside?
Because Xu Yang had discovered that meditating in sunlight worked better for him—it made it easier to enter a meditative state and slightly accelerated the growth of his spiritual power. That effect didn't occur at night.
This habit had turned him into a night owl in this life—he often cultivated during the day instead.
He guessed that his martial soul might be fire- or light-element based. He was sure he'd have innate soul power—normal martial souls didn't bring benefits like these. He just didn't know what level it would be.
"Too bad I don't know what my martial soul is…"
Xu Yang sighed softly. In this life, he was an orphan. Unlike the other children at the orphanage, he didn't know who his parents were. The other kids were from nearby villages around Qibao City—sent to the orphanage after their parents died for various reasons. Xu Yang, however, had been found and taken in by the orphanage director.
Not knowing his parents meant he had no idea what kind of martial soul he might inherit.
Fortunately, Qibao Third Orphanage was run by the wealthiest sect on the continent—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Life here was quite comfortable. Meals weren't lavish, but they were nutritious and balanced. The kids were well-fed and never malnourished—far better off than certain poor nobodies.
There were even teachers at the orphanage who taught reading, writing, and basic knowledge—including information about soul beasts and soul masters.
The orphanage also had a decent library. The meditation method Xu Yang was using now came from there. This basic technique was probably widespread on the continent—obtaining it was easy.
Of course, this was all thanks to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's investment. If these orphans grew up to become soul masters, they'd serve the sect. If they didn't, they'd still work in the sect's many industries.
After all, the sect had businesses all over the Douluo Continent and needed manpower.
In this chaotic land, only talents raised from childhood could be truly loyal.
...
An hour passed like this.
Xu Yang opened his eyes and ended his meditation. He climbed down the ladder into the courtyard and walked toward the main building of the orphanage.
Today was the day of martial soul awakening—he didn't want to miss it by being late.
Though people called Douluo a "fantasy brick," he didn't care. Gaining supernatural powers was every boy's dream.
Less than three minutes later, he arrived at the main building. This year, only seven kids at Qibao Third Orphanage met the age requirement for martial soul awakening.
When Director Ning Que saw Xu Yang arrive, he nodded in approval. He remembered every child in the orphanage, but he had the deepest impression of this one—not just because he was the one who found Xu Yang, but because this child was mature, patient, and eager to learn, unlike the others who were more unruly.
Because of that, he placed high hopes on Xu Yang, believing he could become a great soul master.
Xu Yang smiled back and stood at the end of the line, waiting for his turn to awaken his martial soul.
"Tan Hao—Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Innate soul power: zero. Unable to become a soul master!"
"Miles—Martial Soul: Green Vine. Innate soul power: level 3. Not bad!"
"Wang Xin—Martial Soul: Battle Wolf. Innate soul power: level 4. Very good!"
"Li Qian—Martial Soul: Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Innate soul power: level 6... I didn't expect that! I'll notify the sect right away to come and pick you up!"
...
The martial soul awakening ended quickly for the six children ahead. Three had no soul power, while the others did. The most exceptional was a girl named Li Qian, who awakened the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. She was likely a member of the sect's main family.
Why didn't she have the surname Ning despite awakening the sect's signature martial soul? Xu Yang had lived here for years, so he knew the reason.
The sect was divided into main and branch families. According to sect rules, members of the main family had to marry battle-type soul masters. As a result, their descendants didn't always inherit the Pagoda martial soul—some inherited other family traits. Those who awakened other martial souls were considered part of the branch family.
Li Qian was likely a branch family member with a rare recessive inheritance. While rare, such cases happened every few years.
After seeing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Director Ning Que couldn't stop smiling. As the orphanage head, he would receive a hefty reward for nurturing a gifted disciple—especially one from the main family.
"Xiao Yang, your turn!"
"Yes, Director!"
Xu Yang quickly walked into a six-pointed star formation made of black stones.
"Stretch out your dominant hand and try to release your martial soul."
Xu Yang closed his eyes and extended his right hand.
Ning Que channeled his soul power into the formation to help awaken Xu Yang's martial soul.
In that moment, Xu Yang felt warmth surge through his body, as though something inside him was trying to break free.
A few seconds later, a golden orb appeared in his hand.
The orb burned with a faint golden flame, dazzling like the sun in the sky.
"Fire attribute… a top-tier martial soul!"
"But I've never seen this one before?!"