Heaven Dou Empire, Southwestern Border, Holy Spirit Village.
The sky was just beginning to brighten as the eastern horizon glowed with the first light of dawn.
On a small hill next to Holy Spirit Village, there was already a small, weak figure—a three-year-old child.
His skin was slightly tanned from exposure to the heat of the furnace, and his short black hair was neatly trimmed.
Though his clothes were worn, they were clean.
Despite being only three years old, he climbed the hill effortlessly, without showing any signs of fatigue, his expression calm and composed.
Reaching the top, he sat down, fixing his gaze on the eastern sky, slowly inhaling and exhaling in a controlled rhythm, practicing his unique breathing technique.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
A burst of purple energy shot up from the brightening horizon. The appearance of the purple energy heightened his concentration.
After a short while, when the purple energy dissipated, the boy closed his eyes slowly.
A stream of white mist shot from his mouth like a ribbon before dispersing gradually.
When he opened his eyes again, a faint purple glow flickered within them.
"It's time to go back," Tang San murmured as he glanced at the sky.
He leaped up and ran back down the hill. It had been three years since he arrived in this world.
He had been training in the Mysterious Heaven Skill technique since he was just over a year old, and he was still laying the foundation.
On the west side of Holy Spirit Village, at the edge of the village, stood three of the simplest, most rundown mud-brick houses.
This was Tang San's home.
The middle house had a wooden sign about a meter in diameter mounted on the roof, with a crude hammer drawn on it—this was his family's blacksmith shop.
As the village's only blacksmith, his family shouldn't have been this poor.
However, most of their meager income was spent on alcohol.
When Tang San entered the house, the aroma of food greeted him—it was breakfast that he had prepared.
Recently, even though he wasn't tall enough to reach the stove, he had taken on the responsibility of cooking so that he could have enough to eat.
He took out a worn bowl, stood on a stool, and lifted the pot's lid, letting the fragrant aroma of rice porridge fill the room.
The porridge had been cooked to perfection.
Carefully, he filled two bowls with the sparse porridge, set them on the table, and called out, "Dad, breakfast is ready."
After a while, the curtain to the inner room lifted, and Tang Hao stumbled out.
He glanced at Tang San with dull, yellowish eyes, his face looking tired and worn.
He scratched his messy hair, causing some dirt to fall onto the table.
Tang San wrinkled his brow but said nothing, not wanting to provoking his father anger—he knew Tang Hao rarely washed.
Since he opened his eyes, Tang San hadn't known what fatherly love was.
Tang Hao always ignored him, leaving him to fend for himself.
The family's poverty and the lack of proper furniture or even enough food were largely due to Tang Hao spending most of the blacksmithing income on alcohol.
But Tang San wasn't angry.
He had no desire to understand why his father was like this, nor did he wish for him to change.
This way, he could train every day without fear of being discovered.
Tang Hao gulped down the hot porridge, seemingly immune to its heat, but his eyes remained fixed on Tang San.
After finishing his meal, he returned to his room.
...
The bright sun shone over Spirit City, where a handsome young man, dressed in white, sat meditating in a secluded forest clearing surrounded by trees.
Next to him was a longsword forged from fine iron.
The boy's handsome, youthful face was wet with sweat.
Leaves floated down, resting gently on his shoulder.
After practicing his swordsmanship for a long time, Qian Renjue sat down to meditate beneath a tree.
The cool breeze brought him comfort, but a strange fluctuation of soul power kept the wind at bay.
Suddenly, the leaves on his shoulder lifted.
Soul power surged from within Qian Renjue's body, flowing out in a powerful torrent.
"Ahh..." He let out a long breath, opening his eyes with a smile.
"This time, Mom will definitely agree," he murmured to himself.
"Congratulations, Your Highness, on breaking through to level 50. You've set a new record," came a gentle, elegant voice from nearby.
"The Soul King record was set by my sister; I'm still far behind," Qian Renjue shook his head, though the thought of seeing Qian Renxue again brightened his smile.
Looking toward the source of the voice, he immediately blushed and lowered his head, rubbing his forehead in embarrassment.
"Sister Ling Yuan, you're wearing a dress. You shouldn't be hanging so high," he mumbled.
A soft giggle came from the tree.
Ling Yuan Douluo, dressed in a black dress that fluttered in the wind, leaned against the tree trunk, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
Her face was slightly glowed, and she gazed down at Qian Renjue, a smile playing on her lips.
"With all due respect, Your Highness," she teased as she gracefully descended from the tree, kneeling on one knee to hand him his sword. "Your sword, Your Highness."
"..."
Qian Renjue rolled his eyes.
"Sister Ling Yuan, I've told you many times—you don't have to kneel like that," he sighed.
"I'm afraid I must, Your Highness. The Pope wouldn't be pleased if she knew."
Ling Yuan smiled gently, her eyes warm as her body swayed ever so slightly.
Despite Qian Renjue's kindness toward her, she remained firm in her duties.
"It's a bit much, don't you think?" Qian Renjue muttered, swiftly standing up and taking the sword.
"I think it's just right," Ling Yuan chuckled softly, standing up and retrieving Qian Renjue's coat from where it hung on the tree.
"Are we heading to the Pope's Hall next?"
"Yeah, I need to discuss hunting for a soul ring with my mom now that I've broken through level 50."
Qian Renjue nodded with a smile, the breeze lifting his long golden hair.
Ling Yuan's gaze lingered on him briefly before she smiled and followed behind him.
For over two years, Ling Yuan had played the role of his guardian, training partner, and confidant.
Since the day Qian Renjue had found her guardimg under his bed, her presence had been a constant in his life.
Soon after, they made their way to the Pope's Hall.
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