Location: Border of the Douluo Divine Realm – The Forest of Life
(Hui Xuanyan's POV)
Taking a deep breath, I looked at the spear in my hand.
The weapon had a divine and regal appearance, exuding an aura of both holiness and authority. Its blade was long and double-edged, tapering into a sharp, deadly point. The core of the blade featured intricate golden filigree, forming a sacred lattice of symmetrical patterns. An inner channel ran down its center, glowing with an ominous red hue.
The base of the blade transitioned into a wide, angular guard adorned with additional golden detailing, reinforcing its divine quality. A Red gemstone was embedded along the structure, it's shifting colors symbolizing both power and sacrifice.
This gemstone shone with different hues:
—Purple for Destruction,
—Green for Life,
—Light gold for Holy,
—and honey-gold for the Light element.
The lower section of the spear was a sturdy golden shaft, reinforced with elegant markings and sigil-like engravings. The handle, while graceful, was built for devastating combat. The entire weapon radiated a sense of finality—a judgment given form, a relic to be wielded only by one chosen to bear divine will.
The moment the spear appeared, the world froze.
As if reality itself couldn't process what it was witnessing—like it was stuttering, trying to comprehend a divine glitch in its code.
Flowers bloomed beneath the spear… only to wither and die the moment they reached for it.
The light elemental energy in the air was madly drawn toward it.
The world around me glowed, bathed in the holy light the weapon naturally exuded.
I narrowed my eyes, carefully observing the changes.
This was not the True Longinus I had seen in dreams, nor the one remembered from the stories of past users.
"Ohh, that's simple," Ain's voice echoed in my mind. He materialized beside me, unseen by my parents, who were quietly watching me test the spear with a few slow swings.
"That would be due to the influence of your bloodline... and your desires."
"What do you mean?" I mentally asked.
As usual, he responded with that mysterious smile of his.
"Desire. Sacred Gears are driven by desire. That desire not only fuels them, but also shapes their evolution. In other words, they adapt and evolve based on their wielder's thoughts, needs, and emotions over time."
I froze.
My fingers tightened slightly around the spear's shaft as Ain's words sank in. Desire?Was that truly all it took? Something as intangible and raw as wanting—needing—to survive?
My earliest memory resurfaced—my mother's tear-streaked face as she desperately begged the heavens to let me survive my birth. The way her voice had cracked with each plea, how the divine realm's lights had flickered around us.
"You mean…"
"Exactly," Ain said gently. "Sacred Gears respond most strongly to desperation. Especially the Longinus-class, which possess their own egos. When you were born, your desperation to live—and your mother's overwhelming will to protect you—triggered an emergency evolution. The True Longinus absorbed the rampaging life and destruction energies threatening your body and transformed."
"Into… what?" I asked.
"ASub-Species Sacred Gear."
"Sub... what now?"
Ain chuckled, folding his arms.
"Sub-Species Sacred Gears are ones that have taken on a unique characteristic—either from the wielder's emotions, inherited bloodline, or external exposure to powerful energies. They're rarer and more powerful than their original forms. They may also unlock entirely new abilities or manifest a unique Balance Breaker."
I blinked slowly.
"You're telling me this happened just because of my birth?"
"Not just. It's the perfect storm—your dual bloodline of life and destruction, your mother's divine intervention, your own desperate will to live... All of it fused together, transforming the True Longinus. Normally, with Longinus-class Sacred Gears, only the Balance Breaker undergoes Sub-Species evolution. But You..."
He smirked.
"You'ree highly unusual."
My father, who had been silently observing me, finally spoke, his gaze never leaving the sacred spear.
"Xuanyan… may I hold your Martial Soul?"
I nodded silently and extended the spear toward him. It floated gently into his hands.
The moment his fingers touched it, a deeply terrifying aura erupted.
The red gemstone gleamed with a deep, malevolent purple, and in an instant, every living creature in the vicinity dropped dead—birds, insects, even the wind seemed to freeze.
My mother shot my father a piercing glare. He offered her a sheepish, awkward grin as he shifted under her gaze.
Helplessly, he handed her the spear.
The moment she touched it, the gemstone shimmered again—but this time with a deep green glow.
An overwhelming breath of life surged outward, reversing the destruction my father had caused. Trees healed. Flowers regrew. The land itself sighed in relief.
"How… fascinating," my father muttered, still in awe. "I knew your Martial Soul would be one of a kind—but to think it would be this strange."
"Ultimate Light, with Life and Destruction attributes… and that peculiar variation of the Holy element," my mother added thoughtfully. "While that form of Holy isn't exactly an Ultimate Element, its strength rivals one. Perhaps… even exceeds it."
"Isn't that a good thing?" I asked innocently, retrieving the spear with a small flick of my fingers.
It returned to my hand like a faithful companion, humming with recognition.
My parents exchanged a silent glance, before my mother finally spoke again.
"Xuanyan… tell me. What do you know about the elemental attributes and their relationship with Martial Souls in the Douluo Realm?"
I took a breath and recalled the knowledge I'd studied in my free time in the divine realm library.
"The elemental constitution of a Spirit Master is largely determined by their Martial Soul, or the type of spirit beasts they hunt for their spirit rings. In rare cases, Spirit Masters are born with elemental-attributed Martial Souls. But even physical-type Martial Souls can acquire elemental affinities later on—depending on the spirit rings they absorb. Of course, the compatibility must align with their Martial Soul's classification."
"Well said," my father nodded. "But your Martial Soul is different. It doesn't just possess the Ultimate Light element—it also contains Destruction, Life, and a unique form of the Holy attribute."
"…Unique ?" I repeated. "What does that even mean?"
"To answer that," my mother said, "you must first understand what an Ultimate Element truly is."
She raised her hand, and a soft golden light danced across her fingers as she spoke.
"An Ultimate Element is the purest, most refined form of its base attribute—elevated to its pinnacle. It does not just empower; it dominates. It can suppress all weaker forms of the same element, ignore typical weaknesses, and exert control over similar energies. Only another Ultimate Element can resist it."
She paused and glanced at the spear still in my hand.
"Now, the Holy or Sacred attribute is usually formed through the fusion of Light and Life. Just like how Thunder is often a fusion of some lesser form of Destruction and pure Yang energy."
"But in your case… it's different," she continued. "Your 'Holy' attribute doesn't contain any trace of the Life element. It would seem that the Life energy has evolved into a separate, fully formed attribute within your Martial Soul. That's highly unusual."
Ain, who had been silently listening to the explanation, grinned smugly and added,
"That's because of the Holy attribute you inherited—from me. From my original world
"...You're not going to explain anything, are you?"
Ain merely smirked and shook his head.
"It's more fun seeing you scramble for answers."
I stared at him, jaw clenched.
One part of me wanted to grab him by the collar and demand the truth. Another part just… sighed internally. This was Ain.
Maddening. Cryptic. But always two steps ahead.
"Fine," I thought with a flick of annoyance. "I'll figure it out myself."
But deep down…
I couldn't help but feel a ripple of excitement.
Because if what he said was true… then this was just the beginning.
My father finally spoke, his tone unusually solemn.
"This… is going to be difficult, you know."
He looked at me—not with pity, but with understanding.
"The higher the quality of a Martial Soul, the harder it is to cultivate. Just like Ultimate Martial Souls face a bottleneck between rank 30 and 70, yours will be even more troublesome. Your Martial Soul is very, very rare… and very powerful."
He paused for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully.
"The Life and Destruction attributes—those shouldn't even exist in the lower realms. In fact, aside from certain conditions, they should not exist in any world. They aren't part of the four base elements that define creation."
I listened quietly. This was not something I could afford to miss.
"There are exceptions, of course," he continued. "Time. Space. Light. Darkness. These are superior to the basic elemental forces of Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth—but even they are still part of the natural cosmic order.
But you… you are different."
His eyes grew sharper.
"Life and Destruction are not 'natural' attributes. They only appear when specific requirements are fulfilled—like inheriting a divine bloodline. The Dragon God, for instance, did not originally possess them. He only obtained Destruction after devouring the ancestor of all Sub-Dragons the Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon—a powerful Dragon that had once journeyed with him. As for, Life ? That came after he slew the Phoenix God."
He looked down at my spear, then back at me.
"But yours… is different. Yours is natural. You were born with both attributes—without consuming, stealing, or fusing with anything. That makes your path extraordinary… and unbelievably difficult."
My heart beat heavier with every word.
"In other words, cultivating your Martial Soul will be nearly impossible for now," he concluded. "Despite your innate Spirit power being at level 20, you shouldn't rush. Focus on cultivating techniques first."
He glanced at my mother, who nodded silently in agreement.
"We've decided," he said. "When the time is right, we will bestow upon you a god-given spirit ring. But until then, your task is clear : master your spear. Train in its techniques. Refine your control. Hone your form."
My mother stepped forward, her expression serious.
"Also, continue your studies of forging. Learn the basics of the world you'll eventually descend to. Once you've mastered the spear and foundational knowledge, I will personally teach you the first stages of the Eternal Life Technique."
"Complete all of this… in less than two years," my father said, voice firm. "And then—only then—we will allow you to descend to the mortal realm."
Then he smiled, and handed me something wrapped in old silk.
"This manual will help you. I obtained it from a rather interesting world—one outside the jurisdiction of our Divine Realm."
My eyes widened as I unwrapped it.
"That world had no spiritual energy, no divine blessings or demonic arts. But their techniques… they were refined through sheer effort, discipline, and will."
He crossed his arms, his grin widening.
"They called It the Black Lancer Technique."
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Location: Border of the Douluo Divine Realm – The Forest of Life- Palace of Life.
(Tang Wutong's POV)
She stood at the edge of the Forest of Life, the sacred ground bathed in golden twilight. A quiet hush settled over the Palace of life Island, as if the very world was holding its breath.
And there he was.
Hui Xuanyan.
Bathed in golden light, the air around him shimmered, the space warping as his aura slowly surged to an impossible crescendo. The very ground trembled, leaves rising as if in reverence. A radiant silhouette formed behind him—gentle yet absolute, terrifying yet divine.
A martial soul unlike any she had ever seen.
Her own twin martial souls reacted instantly.
The Clear Sky Hammer, passed down from her father, trembled. It wasn't excitement. It wasn't rage.
It was Afraid.
And her Light Goddess Butterfly, that radiant, delicate thing that fluttered with pride whenever she summoned it—shrank. Dimmed.
It was worship...
Tang Wutong took an involuntary step back, her breath catching in her throat.
"What… is this?"
This wasn't just another martial soul. Almost instinctively, she could tell this wasn't something anyone could imitate. It was sacred. Alive. A force that didn't belong in the mortal world. And he… he was wielding it.
Her fists clenched, nails digging into her palms.
She could hear the whispers already— "Incredible,""How can someone so young have something like this?""He's unlike anyone we've ever seen…" "As expected with the shield with two God King powerhouses." "Truly a one-of-a-kind genius."
All eyes watched him in awe.
Even her father's.
Tang San had always praised Hui. "Diligent," he said. "Focused, thoughtful, driven." And he said it with that strange smile—the same smile he used to give her before Xuanyan came along and started visiting her home more occasionally.
Now, whenever Xuanyan did anything, it was like he was the center of gravity, the sun around which everyone else revolved.
Even her mother, Xiao Wu, who used to spend afternoons brushing Wutong's hair and spoiling her with sweets… now looked at Hui like he was something precious. "He reminds me of your father in his younger years" she said.
And why wouldn't they?
He was always there—in the forge with blackened hands, sleeves rolled up, sweat dripping as he worked without complaint. Even when he hadn't awakened his martial soul, he was reading—absorbing knowledge like his life depended on it. While she…
She had played.
She had lounged in the sun by the Sea God palace, laughing and teasing, doing nothing of importance after awakening her twin martial souls. She told herself it was fine. She was the daughter of Tang San. She had twin martial souls. She didn't need to try that hard.
But Hui did. Always. When no one was watching.
He trained in the Forest of Life alone for hours, while she dozed under a tree. He hammered away at spirit alloy until his fingers bled, while she idly played with soul beasts near the lake. He never complained. Never gloated.
And that only made it worse.
She hated how that made her feel.
Because a part of her—a growing, burning part of her—wished that just once, he would falter. That he would be selfish. Lazy. Ordinary.
But he wasn't.
He shone.
And it made her feel like a spoiled child. A brat clinging to something she could never fully understand. Something even she knew she didn't deserve.
Even I admire him, she thought, her eyes blurring as the golden light of the awakened martial soul bloomed into full glory.
And I hate that I do.
But more than anything—more than the jealousy, the shame, the guilt—was a helpless flutter in her chest. A warmth that grew every time she saw him strive, and fall, and rise again.
She didn't know when it had started.
They were almost always together after all.
Maybe the moment she saw him walk alone into the woods, carrying books far too heavy for his frame. Maybe when she watched him, bloodied and tired, smile after finally smelting a perfect alloy for the first time. Or maybe now—as his soul awakened, as the world seemed to bow in silence—
She realized something terrifying:
She didn't just admire him.
She liked him.
The distance between them was growing more and more each day.
And that scared her more than anything.
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Border of the Douluo Divine Realm – Sea God Territory – Palace of the Sea – Tang Family Courtyard, Nightfall
(3rd Point of view)
The courtyard lay silent beneath the gentle glow of moonlight. The soft rustling of leaves, the distant roar of waves crashing against the divine cliffs, and the rhythmic ticking of a forge's inner clock were the only sounds echoing through the night.
Tang San sat cross-legged in the center of the courtyard, his figure enveloped in a serene aura of tranquil blue spirit energy. A strange stillness surrounded him—like the sea before a storm.
The doors creaked open.
He opened his eyes.
"Wutong?" he asked softly, spotting the silhouette standing at the threshold.
Her pink-blue eyes held an unfamiliar weight—serious, resolute.
She stepped into the courtyard, her footsteps quiet. Then, without hesitation, she lowered herself onto one knee, bowing deeply with her palms flat against the stone floor.
Tang San's brows furrowed. "What are you doing—"
"I want you to train me," she said, voice calm but quivering at the edges. "Not as your daughter. Not as someone spoiled and protected."
He watched her quietly.
"I've been playing for too long," she continued, not daring to look up. "Ever since I awakened my martial souls, I've taken everything for granted. I was lazy. Arrogant. I thought… being your daughter would be enough."
A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
"But now I know it isn't."
She finally looked up, meeting his gaze. For the first time, Tang San saw it—that fire. Not pride. Not entitlement.
Determination.
"I see how hard Hui works. How much he trains. I know every day I spend like this… he only gets stronger. He's leaving me behind. And I refuse… I refuse to stay in his shadow anymore."
Tang San remained still, his expression unreadable.
"I want to change," she whispered. "I want to earn my place. Not because of my bloodline. Not because I'm your daughter. But because I deserve it."
She rose to her feet, her hands trembling slightly. Still, she stood tall.
"Please, Father. Teach me the true Tang Sect techniques. The hidden skills. The assassination arts. Teach me the Clear Sky Clan techniques that Grandpa is so proud of."
Her voice cracked—just slightly.
"Train me like you trained your disciples. Like you trained when all you had was will and a Blue Silver Grass everyone called useless. Train me how you were trained."
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Then Tang San stood.
He didn't smile.
He didn't reach to pat her head, like he had so many times before.
He looked at her—not as a father—but as a teacher. A Sect Master. His gaze sharpened.
And his voice was steady.
"Then from this moment forward, Tang Wutong, daughter of Tang San—you are no longer my little girl."
He reached into his sleeve, pulling out a jade token. The symbol etched into its surface glowed softly—the ancient insignia of the Tang Sect's Founder.
He stepped forward and placed it in her hand.
"You are the Tang Sect's successor."
He turned his back and walked toward the training hall.
"Your training begins at dawn."