Heaven Soul Empire, Anyang City.
A quiet and peaceful village lay under the dim night sky. Despite the absence of moonlight, the warm yellow glow of scattered lamps filled the homes, giving the village a cozy and serene atmosphere. The cold wind blowing in from the northern icefields seemed to have no effect on the villagers.
At the village entrance, a single house still had its lights on. Unlike the other humble homes, this one was made of blue bricks and red tiles, clearly indicating a more prosperous life. The compound had three rooms and a courtyard, where two trees stood, lending a lived-in charm to the place.
Inside the central room, the light was dim but relatively brighter than the others. Next to the wall sat a wooden desk, and in front of it, a delicate-looking boy sat engrossed in reading a book. His dark eyes sparkled with thought, showing just how seriously he was studying.
Beside him stood a strange-looking lamp. Though it resembled an oil lamp, there was no visible flame, yet the light it gave off was even brighter and softer than that of a normal lamp. That gentle glow illuminated the book in his hands.
Looking closer, one could see that it was a fresh, ink-scented, thread-bound volume. The title at the top of the page read:
"On the Influence of Spirit Ring Quality on a Soul Master's Development"
"When a Soul Master absorbs a spirit ring, their martial soul is simultaneously enhanced... Under equal years, the stronger the soul beast, the higher the quality of the spirit ring it produces, and the greater the enhancement to the martial soul... If the soul beast's attributes match the martial soul closely, or if their bloodlines are compatible, the spirit ring's quality will be higher, and the Soul Master will receive a more significant boost... For example, if a feline martial soul continually absorbs tiger-type spirit rings, it will gradually evolve and possibly undergo a second awakening, transforming into a tiger-type martial soul... In conclusion, Soul Masters must consider quality above all when selecting spirit rings…"
The boy was so absorbed in the book that he didn't even notice when someone entered the room.
A beautiful woman, with features resembling his by about seventy percent, walked in quietly. She was clearly his mother.
"Yangyang, it's getting late. Time to sleep. Tomorrow is the day you awaken your martial soul. Go to bed early and rest well, alright?" Her voice was gentle and full of love as she walked to his side.
Without waiting for a response, she reached out and picked up the strange lamp. With a slight shake, the light went out.
"Mom!" the boy called out helplessly. His delicate face showed a touch of reluctance, but he didn't disobey. Obediently, he made his way to bed.
Once he was tucked in, the woman smiled in satisfaction, leaned down, kissed his forehead, and whispered, "Good boy. Sweet dreams."
She left the room, taking the light with her. Only the starlight shining through the window remained, faintly illuminating the book on the desk. Slowly, the book seemed to fade into the darkness, as though it had never been there.
At that moment, the boy—who had just closed his eyes—suddenly opened them again. Sitting cross-legged on the bed with his palms facing the sky, his bright eyes gradually closed, and his entire body entered a tranquil, indescribable state, like a meditating monk.
After about fifteen minutes, he lay back down again.
His name was Zhu Ziyang, six years old, a native of Anyang City in the Northern Province of the Heaven Soul Empire.
Though lying down, Ziyang's mind was incredibly clear. Forgotten memories—dusty, distant, and faint—resurfaced. They merged with his knowledge, shaping the wondrous image of the world in his mind.
The Heaven Soul Empire was one of the Four Great Empires, and formerly one of the Three Great Empires of the original Douluo Continent. After the fall of the Heaven Dou Empire, it split into two: the Heaven Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire. Though the Heaven Soul Empire only retained half the territory of the old Heaven Dou, it was significantly stronger than its sibling nation.
On the continent, every person possessed something called a martial soul. According to widely accepted theory among Soul Masters, martial souls stem from bloodlines—they are the manifestation of one's lineage. The more ancient and pure the bloodline, the greater the quality and potential of the martial soul. Because of this, stories of "raising the wrong child" were virtually nonexistent.
Around martial souls revolved a rich system of knowledge: Soul Masters, spirit rings, soul beasts, soul skills, soul bones, and soul devices—all flashed rapidly through Ziyang's thoughts.
He had gotten a little carried away. Turning on his side, eyes wide open, he found himself unable to sleep.
Since his martial soul had yet to awaken, his practice before bed could not be called cultivation of soul power.
In truth, what he was practicing was a special breathing technique called the Minor Light Breathing Method.
Perhaps as karmic reward for good deeds in a past life, Ziyang had been born with innate wisdom. His intelligence far exceeded that of ordinary children. He could speak at three months old and walk at six. By a very young age, he had already read thousands of books and was well-known as a prodigy.
Along with his innate wisdom, fragments of memories from his previous life still lingered in his mind. The Minor Light Breathing Method came from those memories. Though incomplete, they seemed to insist that this breathing technique was very important.
Out of curiosity, he began practicing it at the age of three. After just one session, he was stunned to discover that his Shanzhong acupoint—also known as the "Palace of Scarlet Gold"—had opened. What's more, a mysterious energy had emerged from it.
Though only three at the time, he had read enough to understand the significance of the Shanzhong point. It was normally only activated during the awakening of one's martial soul.
In fact, his Niwan Palace and Yellow Court acupoints had also opened, though he had yet to realize it.
He knew his Shanzhong acupoint had awakened early—and that a strange, non-soul power energy had formed. It excited his ever-curious nature, and he eagerly practiced the breathing method again.
To his amazement, the energy stirred as he did, flowing from the Shanzhong along his meridians, traveling through his limbs and organs—from the Baihui at the top of his head, to the Guanyuan below his navel, from the Shaofu in his hands to the Yongquan in his feet. Every meridian, every point, the energy flowed through.
Wherever it went, he felt a soft warmth, like basking in sunlight on a winter day—pleasant and comforting. When the breathing method ended, the energy quietly returned to the Shanzhong, settling down as if nothing had happened.
Though Ziyang didn't know where the method or the energy came from, he was sure it didn't harm him. His innate wisdom affirmed this.
And so, driven by the desire to finish what he started, Ziyang continued to practice the Minor Light Breathing Method every day, never giving up.