Chapter 2: Twin Souls, Twin Fates
Inside the awakening formation, Li Changan lowered his gaze to examine the weapon in his hand.
The sword gleamed under the array's light—its craftsmanship exquisite, clearly surpassing even the martial soul his father had wielded in life. It resembled a traditional eight-edged Han sword, but the blade shimmered with a translucent jade-like hue, its cyan surface polished to a crystalline finish. It looked more like a divine relic than a weapon of war.
But what truly caught his attention was the hilt.
Intricately wrapped around it was the image of a green-scaled serpent, its body coiled tightly from guard to pommel. The snake's head sat at the very end, mouth shut, but its lifelike detail made it feel almost… alive. As if at any moment, it might spring open and strike.
That pressure...
This is no ordinary martial soul.
This isn't just high-quality—it's elite-tier.
Could he be a descendant of some ancient bloodline?
The elder presiding over the awakening ceremony was visibly shaken. Though he maintained a composed expression, he discreetly flipped through the registry scroll in his hand, scanning Li Changan's background.
His father's martial soul was a sword, and his mother's was a green snake... A soul mutation, then?
And it's a rare, beneficial one. Not only did it not degrade, it evolved to a higher tier. This child is incredibly fortunate.
Clearing his throat, the elder gestured. "Now, let's test your innate soul power."
In the world of soul masters, one's innate soul power determined their starting point. The higher it was, the greater their potential, and the more efficient their cultivation. While the martial soul's type influenced combat strength, innate soul power influenced how quickly and how far one could progress.
This was common knowledge among nobles and soul master clans. The common folk, however, often misunderstood the relationship between soul quality and soul power.
In the original story, for example, Su Yuntao had dismissed Tang San's awakened Blue Silver Grass—even though it possessed full innate soul power—because the martial soul itself was considered weak. Blue Silver Grass was infamous across the continent as a "trash martial soul." Its soul skills were often feeble and inflexible.
Even with top-tier soul power, a low-tier martial soul could be a major handicap.
It was like comparing a pound of iron to a pound of gold. Same weight—wildly different value.
Without knowing that Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was actually the Blue Silver Emperor, you really couldn't fault Su Yuntao for scoffing.
But this sword in Li Changan's hand? This was no trash soul.
Silently, Li Changan stepped forward and placed his palm on the soul power crystal.
A moment later, the crystal orb lit up like a beacon.
"Buzz!"
The hall was flooded with light.
The elder's eyes widened. "Full… full innate soul power!"
Gasps rippled through the room.
Even the noble children—who had maintained a façade of calm—couldn't hide their envy. Jealousy flickered in their eyes, accompanied by the bitter realization of what this meant.
A martial soul of elite quality. Full innate soul power.
As long as he didn't die young, Li Changan had a near-guaranteed path to becoming a Title Douluo.
A once-in-a-generation talent had just appeared before their eyes.
The elder, still awestruck, quickly scribbled the results down before announcing the ceremony's conclusion.
The news traveled fast.
By nightfall, the report had already made its way through the imperial chain of command, landing directly on the desk of Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The emperor leaned back in his throne, stroking his beard with a satisfied grin. "Excellent."
A genius had emerged from the ranks of the nobility—a rare prodigy with full innate soul power and a unique soul mutation. The kind of talent the empire could not afford to ignore.
He immediately issued a summons, intending to reward the boy and bind him to the empire's service before any rival factions could interfere.
Back at the Li family estate...
Li Changan returned home with the steward but went straight to his room and locked the door behind him. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, letting his consciousness shift—drifting back to the strange vision he'd experienced during the awakening.
A desolate forest. Primal and untouched.
In the shadows of a stone cavern, nestled in cracked eggshells, a young snake slowly stirred. Its body was entirely green, its eyes a bright amber. Slowly, the snake raised its head and looked around, alert and curious.
From within, Li Changan felt his awareness flow into this creature.
It was him.
My soul didn't just reincarnate into one body... It split.
One half became human. The other... was reborn as a soul beast.
And not just any soul beast.
An Emerald Serpent Emperor.
One of the apex species among poison-type soul beasts—its lineage as noble as it was lethal.
To others, it looks like I inherited my father's Sword Soul and my mother's Green Snake Soul and that the fusion mutated into something powerful. But that's only part of the truth.
The reason the mutation was so successful... is because part of my soul really became an Emerald Serpent Emperor. That essence bled into the martial soul during awakening.
It's like I'm walking the same path as Serpent Spear Douluo...
Li Changan recalled a figure from the original timeline—a unique soul master whose martial soul had traits of both weapon and beast. When he used his seventh soul skill, he could take on either form: Weapon Soul Avatar or Beast Soul Avatar.
His own martial soul, it seemed, had the same potential.
When I reach the seventh rank and unlock Soul Avatar, I might be able to choose between a Sword Form and a Serpent Emperor Form.
Better yet, as a weapon-type soul master, his martial soul wouldn't be possessed like beast-type martial souls. That meant even if the Emerald Serpent Emperor was highly toxic, it wouldn't harm him.
Instead, he could absorb and refine external poisons, turning them into fuel.
Du Gu Bo, the Poison Douluo, would be green with envy.
To him, poison is a deadly weapon. To me, it's a power boost.
If I play my cards right, I could approach him. Win him over. Maybe even use that connection to reach the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well…
That thought lit a spark in his mind.
The immortal herbs that grow there... they're the key to shattering limits. If I can use my soul beast body as leverage, I might even earn Du Gu Bo's trust. Apprentice? Adopted son? Hell, even a grandson-in-law if it comes to that. I'll do what I must.
But for now, there was a more immediate question.
What should he do with this soul beast clone?
Remaining a soul beast is risky. No matter how powerful, soul beasts are hunted. At 100,000 years, the heavenly tribulation strikes. And even then, there's no path to godhood.
Should I train this clone until it reaches 100,000 years and then let it sacrifice itself for my human self?
He frowned.
That seems like a waste...
In other worlds, cultivating both human and beast forms might be viable. But here on Douluo Continent, the system was cruel and narrow. Only one path could lead to godhood—and it wasn't for soul beasts.
Unless...
The Silver Dragon King? No, too dangerous. Even her most loyal followers—Di Tian and the others—never became gods. That path's a dead end.
What I need... is a god position.
He sat up suddenly, eyes wide with realization.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! Beneath it lie the remains of the ancient Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King. If their divine thrones still linger, maybe I could claim one for this soul beast body!
But he tempered his excitement.
That's far off. There are hurdles—Du Gu Bo for one. And I'm not even sure the god positions are still intact... or if there are soul bones down there worth harvesting.
He let out a long sigh.
"Too far ahead. Focus on the present."
Within the cave, the snake yawned—just as his human mind did in his room.
Back in the clone's body, he looked at the eggshell fragments scattered around.
Following the instincts embedded in the creature's bloodline, he began to eat.
Crunch. Crunch.
The eggshell dissolved upon contact with his tongue, becoming a warm, nutrient-rich liquid.
Instinct told him this was the best nourishment for a newborn soul beast.
After consuming the last piece, a deep drowsiness overtook him.
The Emerald Serpent Emperor coiled into a tight circle, eyes fluttering closed.
Soon, both mind and beast fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.