All rights reserved to the respective authors.
"Dialogue": Represented in double quotes for conversations between characters.
'Thoughts': Represented in single quotation marks, indicating the characters' internal reflections.
[Diary]: Represented in square brackets, used for messages intended for the heroines or entries written by Tenshin.
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Community House Hall
"Satoru Tenshin."
At the sound of his name, Tenshin stepped purposefully toward the awakening formation. Although his face showed an air of calm, the tautness in his stance and the rapid beat of his heart betrayed his inner apprehension. Once he positioned himself within the formation, he closed his eyes as Su Yuntao began channeling soul power into the array. Before long, a soothing warmth started flowing through Tenshin's body.
He sensed the energy focus first in his right arm while a subtle current trailed upward toward his head. In that instant, he understood instinctively—he possessed Twin Martial Souls. Without hesitating, he directed his concentration to his right arm with his eyes still closed. Outside the formation, luminous strands of light began to spiral around him like coiling threads, gathering above his hand until they coalesced into a defined shape.
A chain materialized, its metallic surface interwoven with glints of black and crimson. The chain featured two distinct tips: one fashioned into a sharp arrowhead and the other sculpted like a dragon's head. Although the latter detail escaped the notice of most onlookers, Tenshin absorbed every nuance.
"A chain? So it is a tool-type martial soul," Su Yuntao murmured, both intrigued and slightly puzzled—not by the nature of the martial soul itself, but by the dramatic spectacle of its activation. He recalled encountering chain-type martial souls before, though rarely had any produced such an impressive flourish. In his experience, most were unremarkable, and those who had them lacked soul power.
As the chain spun in mesmerizing detail before his eyes, Tenshin peeled his lids open partially. For an instant, his pupils turned a striking golden hue, rimmed by a dark purple band. Moments later, they returned to normal, and he allowed himself an inward sigh of relief, thinking, 'I managed to control the flow of soul power toward my eyes… that is good.'
He then fully opened his eyes and awaited Su Yuntao's next instruction. After a brief pause, Su Yuntao cleared his throat and gestured toward the crystal orb. "You may now test your soul power. Please, place your hand upon the sphere."
Without delay, Tenshin extended his right hand. The moment his fingers brushed the sphere's surface, he felt a gentle tug on his soul power. Gradually, the orb brightened—growing in intensity until it reached a luminance slightly above average. At that critical moment, Tenshin deliberately severed the connection, halting the flow of power.
His choice was deliberate. He suspected that his innate soul power was possibly reaching level ten, but revealing such potential would draw unwanted attention. Even without exposing his second martial soul, his innate soul power alone would be enough to pique the interest of the major factions. After all, his martial soul was not the sort that could be dismissed as "trash" and be ignored even if he showed his real innate soul power.
As he calculated this silently, gasps began to ripple through the gathered children, and even Su Yuntao blinked in surprise before regaining his composure. Finally, with a voice tinged with restrained astonishment, Su Yuntao announced, "Level seven—innate soul power at level seven!"
A ripple of whispers spread across the hall. For a child without any soul master's lineage, awakening a martial soul at any significant level was a rare feat. Most children awoke at level one or two, if they did at all, while level five was already considered exceptional.
But level seven? That was the mark of a genius.
"Just based on your innate soul power," Su Yuntao continued, his eyes fixed on the chain that circled Tenshin, "unless something goes wrong, you are destined to reach at least the Soul Douluo level."
Then his tone grew formal. "Satoru Tenshin, I hereby invite you to join Spirit Hall and continue your training under our expert guidance."
The entire hall fell into an anticipatory silence. It was an extraordinary opportunity, and all eyes were fixed on Tenshin, waiting for his response. After a short pause, he bowed his head in respect and answered, "Deacon Su Yuntao, I am honored—and truly tempted by your offer—but I must decline. I am still young, and I desire to explore what this continent has to offer before making any binding commitments. Rest assured, however, that Spirit Hall will always be my first choice when the time is right."
Tang San, who had been silently observing the proceedings, diverted his gaze. In his mind, this business had little connection to him. Su Yuntao, briefly taken aback by Tenshin's gentle refusal, soon recognized the sincerity behind his words; the boy's decision was driven not by arrogance but by youthful curiosity and ambition. Still, a lingering concern remained—Su Yuntao worried for the perils Tenshin might encounter.
Understanding, Su Yuntao nodded and made a mental note to highlight Tenshin's information in his report. Offering a warm smile, he said, "That's fair. It is good to be adventurous while you are young. Just be cautious out there—and remember, Spirit Hall is always open to civilian soul masters, especially talented ones like you."
With that, Su Yuntao redirected his attention back to the group of children and called out the next name. Tenshin stepped aside and slowly walked toward one of the hall's tall windows. As he reached the pane, a crisp, cool breeze welcomed him, easing the pressure that had been building inside. He gazed out at the sun-drenched village, absorbing every detail as the moment settled within him.
His thoughts then drifted back to the revelations of the awakening—his two martial souls now known as "Dragon Chains," a tool-type soul, and "Wise Eyes of the Dragon," a body-spirit type. Both martial souls were of remarkably high level. He realized that Wise Eyes of the Dragon was a mutation of the standard Spirit Eyes martial soul—the same soul type that would eventually be borne by Huo Yuhao, the unlucky, "lucky child of destiny" from the saga's second volume.
For what look, the bloodline inherent in Dragon Chains was potent enough not only to activate the Spirit Eyes but also to trigger a mutation in them, turning them into the martial soul now known as Sage Eyes of the Dragon.
'Honestly, these martial souls are extraordinary,' Tenshin mused silently. 'One provides control and attack power with the Domination attribute and innate abilities, while the other retains the core of Spirit Eyes with two additional specialized skills.'
Despite maintaining a calm exterior, Tenshin's inner excitement was palpable. His martial soul, Dragon Chains, granted him several innate abilities, including:
1- Danger Detection / Living Chains: The chain has a keen sense of danger and the ability to summon itself when necessary.
2- High Durability and Regeneration: The chain can temporarily increase its durability and regenerate through channeling soul power.
3- Size and Weight Manipulation: The chain's size and weight can be adjusted by the user, provided it remains within the original limits.
His Wise Eyes of the Dragon carried the classic perks of Spirit Eyes:
1- Improved Time Perception.
2- Telescopic Sight.
3- Detailed Vision.
4- Strong spiritual power.
Additionally, it granted him the ability Analysis to analyze beings or objects—a function dependent on his soul and mental power. Furthermore, his martial soul possessed the ability named Dragon's Will. This technique was an intricate application of mental force designed to project the user's willpower to assault an opponent's spiritual sea; in the gravest instances, it might even render a target vegetative.
Before Tenshin could delve deeper into these revelations, a chorus of surprised exclamations drew his attention. He turned toward the awakening formation and saw the crystal sphere blazing brightly as Tang San placed his hand upon it. The sight did not shock Tenshin greatly; he already knew how events unfolded in the canon timeline.
Calmly, Tenshin activated his Wise Eyes of the Dragon to trigger his Analysis ability, which rapidly locked onto Tang San's presence. In mere moments, all accessible information was processed and stored in his mind. Then, in a manner both familiar and remarkable, a translucent system window materialized before him—merging newly extracted data with the knowledge he had retained from his past life:
[Name: Tang San
Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass (Blue Silver Grass Emperor Bloodline: Not Awakened), Clear Sky Hammer
Innate Soul Power: 10
Rank: 10
Combat Power: Unknown
Skills: None
Techniques:
Mysterious Heaven Skill: Level 1
Purple Demon Eye: Survey Realm
Mysterious Jade Hand
Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track
Hidden Weapon Techniques (Unknown)
Knowledge: Poisons, Herbs, Medicines, Medical Techniques]
Tenshin blinked, impressed by the clarity and volume of the data. 'This is… remarkably complete. But a few details appear to be omitted,' he thought as his mind raced.
He stood silently for a moment, absorbing every detail, until a realization struck him. 'Wait… the effectiveness of this skill must scale with my total soul power and spiritual strength—in other words, the gap between me and my target. Yet if that is so, how is such comprehensive data possible? Unless…' His eyes narrowed as the thought solidified, 'Unless the skill has supplemented the analysis with the meta-knowledge from my past life.'
With that insight, he calmly dismissed the analysis panel and shifted his focus back to the hall.
"Good heavens! Incredible! Full innate soul power!" Su Yuntao's voice rang out in astonishment throughout the room.
A low murmur spread among the spectators. Blue Silver Grass was widely considered a trash martial soul, but now it had been awakened by Tang San with an innate soul power level of rank 10—a fact that defied all logic.
Su Yuntao's initial enthusiasm gave way to muted disappointment. With a heavy sigh, he murmured, "What a pity… such rare talent wasted on a trash martial soul."
Despite these remarks, Tang San maintained a neutral expression, though his left hand curled slightly in a subconscious reflex. He reassured himself silently, 'Two is better than one…' even as he weighed his own prospects.
At that moment, curiosity sparked on Tang San's face. Unfamiliar with some aspects of this world's customs concerning soul masters, he inquired with innocence, "Uncle, what does it mean to have full innate soul power?"
Su Yuntao paused, deliberating on how much to reveal. Concluding that this knowledge would do no harm, he retracted his martial soul. A gentle green luminescence enveloped him as he explained, "It is like this, little one. When a person awakens their martial soul…"
Tenshin, however, tuned the explanation out almost instantly. He already knew these fundamentals from books Grandpa Jack had procured ,because it is common knowledge, and from his own meta-awareness. Instead, his attention returned to the chain still floating steadily beside him—his Dragon Chains, which had remained summoned since its awakening.
Suddenly, his body tensed and his eyes widened as a bead of sweat traced down his forehead. A nervous, trembling smile flickered on his face as he thought, 'Don't tell me… I just activated both of my martial souls simultaneously?'
He quickly recovered his martial soul and focused on himself, checking that his physical condition showed no signs of injury or spiritual reaction. Reassured, he exhaled softly, relieved.
Yet a nagging question persisted: 'How did I manage that? Twin Martial Souls are not supposed to be summoned at the same time. What allowed me to do it?' Time seemed to slow as his thoughts raced faster than real seconds—a curious advantage of possessing heightened spiritual power. At first, the answer eluded him, until a memory emerged. 'If the potent bloodline from Dragon Chains was strong enough to awaken the latent Spirit Eyes—and even to trigger a mutation into Wise Eyes of the Dragon—then it stands to reason that the two martial souls share a resonance. Coupled with my elevated spiritual force and my physical condition (remember, summoning a martial soul exerts considerable strain on the body, especially before acquiring the first soul ring), it might have enabled the simultaneous manifestation of both souls.'
Still lost in thought, he concluded with a note of caution in his inner monologue, 'I must test this phenomenon again to be absolutely sure before drawing any conclusions.'
Back in the hall, Su Yuntao wrapped up his explanation for Tang San. Noticing that both boys were apparently listening intently, he retrieved two small, booklets from his storage soul tool and motioned for Tenshin and Tang San to come closer. Handing one booklet to each, he spoke in a measured and serious tone, "These are the General Meditation Methods provided by Spirit Hall. They encompass foundational guidelines for soul master cultivation, detailed safety instructions, and invaluable insights from veteran soul masters."
As he observed the earnest expressions on the boys' faces, he continued, "Understand this—the period before you turn twenty is considered the golden age for soul master cultivation. Progress is swift early on, but afterward, advancement becomes significantly slower. So make the most of this next month before the academy begins."
After dispensing his final advice, Su Yuntao began methodically dismantling the awakening formation, carefully packing away the spirit stones and crystal sphere with practiced expertise.
Meanwhile, Tenshin opened his booklet and skimmed through the index. To his surprise, it held far more information than Su Yuntao had mentioned—topics ranged from "Precautions for Entering a Soul Beast Forest" to "Soul Ring Colors and Age Classifications," along with detailed sections on "Cultivation Ranks," "Types and Qualities of Martial Souls," and comprehensive overviews of major factions and organizations across the continent. In his mental list, he noted, 'Even though this booklet provides only basic, general knowledge and deliberately avoids advanced topics, it is a veritable goldmine for civilian soul masters.'
Tenshin could hardly wait to read it thoroughly when he got home. Despite having read plenty of books on related subjects, none had been directly about the profession of soul masters—and certainly none from reliable sources. On the Douluo Continent, the best place to buy and find that kind of books is in Spirit Hall libraries and their affiliated branches. Unfortunately, civilians weren't allowed to purchase such materials unless they had close relatives who were soul masters. Because of that, Grandpa Jack hadn't been able to obtain any for him.
So, on Tenshin's suggestion, they had bought books that seemed unrelated to soul masters at first glance—but when pieced together with Tenshin's own knowledge, provided key insights into the profession.
At last, Su Yuntao finished gathering his belongings and called the children back together. His calm expression, though composed, revealed an undercurrent of impatience—Tang San had been inundating him with questions, and the deacon now seemed weary of answering even the simplest of them.
Outside the community house, Old Jack waited amidst several curious parents and villagers. Approaching him, Su Yuntao delivered a concise report: "Out of the nine children who participated in the ceremony, two have manifested soul power."
Old Jack's face immediately brightened with joy. Su Yuntao continued, "They are Satoru Tenshin, who has awakened with Rank 7 innate soul power and wields a chain as his martial soul; and Tang San, who possesses full innate soul power, albeit unhappily with a martial soul of Blue Silver Grass."
Old Jack beamed, clasping his hands in delight. "Thank you, Deacon Su Yuntao! Two new soul masters from Holy Spirit Village—this is indeed a blessing from the heavens!"
Seeing the elder's elation, Su Yuntao handed Old Jack the official soul master certificates for both children, along with a letter of recommendation. Normally, each village was allocated only one study and work quota, but given that recent ceremonies in surrounding villages had not produced any viable soul master candidates, Su Yuntao resolved that it wouldn't be wrong to try to prevent a child with a chance of becoming a soul master from having his talent wasted.
Without lingering further, he quickly excused himself. Other villages awaited his attention that day—and truth be told, he was eager to avoid another round of Tang San's relentless questions.
As Su Yuntao departed, Tang San glowered after him, vexed that many of his own inquiries had gone unanswered. Noticing the expressions on the other children's faces, his gaze hardened. 'Jealousy?' he wondered bitterly. Then his eyes shifted to Tenshin, who was now surrounded by congratulatory smiles and hearty pats on the back. In contrast, Tang San had received only neutral, unenthusiastic looks—aside from Old Jack's kind words, which themselves seemed noticeably warmer when directed at Tenshin.
"Hmph," Tang San snorted quietly, a flash of resentment flickering in his eyes. 'Just because his martial soul appears stronger, they treat him like a genius. But what did I expect? They're just simple country folk—fawning over whoever seems more powerful.'
Conveniently, Tang San chose to ignore that the villagers' reactions were not solely due to Tenshin's martial soul; But because, unlike Tang San, who often came off as aloof or even disgusted, Tenshin had built goodwill through his helpfulness and respectful demeanor. Shaking his head, Tang San glanced at the booklet Su Yuntao had given him. 'It's merely a basic meditation method,' he thought dismissively. 'It can never compare to my Mysterious Heaven Skill.' Without much consideration, he resolved to set it aside once he returned home.
Turning to Old Jack, Tang San inquired, "Grandpa Jack, what exactly is a soul ring? And how does one obtain one?"
Old Jack scratched his head thoughtfully and replied honestly, "I don't truly know all the details, my child. All I know is that a soul master must hunt soul beasts to acquire them. You will learn much more when you attend the academy; your teachers will explain everything thoroughly."
Tang San nodded silently, absorbing the fragmentary information as he waited for the time to arrive to go to the academy. Meanwhile, Old Jack resumed his responsibilities as the village chief, ensuring that every child who had taken part in the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony returned home safely. As for Tenshin, he walked away alone. Old Jack trusted him implicitly—Tenshin's maturity and composure had long been evident.
As Tenshin made his solitary way home, his thoughts replayed the day's extraordinary events. Chief among his reflections was the fact that he had awakened not one but two Martial Souls—and he might even be capable of using them simultaneously. His mind then turned to the innate attributes of his martial souls: one defined by Spiritual (Mental) power and the other by Domination.
He already had a strong grasp of the spiritual element, thanks to the meta-knowledge he had carried from his past life. Yet, even with that advantage, he felt that this power had not been fully explored in the cannon. He recalled other stories—be they from Marvel, Mob Psycho 100, or various cultivation novels—where mental or psychic power was pivotal in forging alchemy, illusion, control, and perception.
However, the Domination attribute proved trickier—not because of a lack of power, but due to its scarce portrayal in literature. The only notable example that came to his mind was Ddraig Goch from High School DxD—a formidable Welsh Dragon whose power was not merely destructive but overwhelmingly dominant in every respect. Ddraig's "Boost" skill, which doubled his strength every ten seconds without regard for fatigue or injury, epitomized this relentless accumulation of power. There was also "Transfer," a technique that enabled him to distribute his gathered power to allies or weapons, thereby extending his influence across the battlefield. With "Penetrate," he shattered defenses and nullified healing, rendering superficial wounds perilously fatal. Finally, his ultimate move, Blazing Inferno of Scorching Flames, incinerated all in its path—even striking at the opponent's soul.
Ddraig did not simply fight; he rewrote the rules of engagement—dominating his enemies physically, strategically, and mentally. To Tenshin the word "Domination" itself evoked images of control, subjugation, mastery, and suppression.
Then a sudden, ironic thought tugged at him, causing a quiet chuckle to escape. Closing his eyes briefly, he reflected, "How fitting that in countless myths and legends, dragons symbolize power and wisdom—the epitome of existence." When he reopened his eyes, they shone with the appearance of his second martial soul—the Wise Eyes of the Dragon. A small smile curved his lips as he acknowledged, "Now, my Martial Souls and their intrinsic attributes literally embody those two ideals."
In that instant, a subtle yet potent aura radiated from him—a natural outpouring of bloodline power. Any soul master within ten meters bearing a draconic or serpent-based Martial Soul would have immediately sensed this profound pressure; even those without a matching lineage felt a faint, yet unmistakable, primal force.
After a few moments, Tenshin took a deep breath to calm himself and regain control of his aura. The flaming aura dimmed until it disappeared, and then he resumed his journey home as if nothing had happened.