Ye Family Village, one of the three most renowned villages within Baiyun Town.
As the sun rises in the east, a lingering chill from the morning air still hangs about, yet the industrious residents of Ye Family Village have risen early to commence their labors. Even the children, as young as six or seven, begin their day's training under the urging of their parents.
In the open space to the east of the village, a group of children of varying sizes forms ten orderly lines under the watchful eyes of three burly men clad in animal skins, numbering over a hundred in total.
The warm morning sunlight bathes the children's faces, illuminating their youthful features and vibrant energy.
"To become a formidable warrior, one must train diligently from a young age. Those who are idle can never become warriors; even if they miraculously attain that status, they will achieve little."
A middle-aged man strides past the three burly men, approaching the children. With his hands clasped behind his back, his sharp gaze sweeps over the group as he coldly states,
This man is Ye Feng, the captain of the village's beast-hunting team and the children's mentor.
"You are all ordinary country folk, lacking the countless precious elixirs and herbs that wealthy children in the city enjoy from a young age. If you wish to become powerful warriors and stand out, rigorous training and physical conditioning are your only options. Do you understand?"
Ye Feng's icy gaze pierces through the children, causing them to tremble and respond in unison, "We understand!"
"Excellent, begin your training!" Ye Feng nods with satisfaction and entrusts the remaining tasks to the three burly men. As the captain, he must lead the village hunters into the mountains daily to hunt ferocious beasts and gather provisions for the winter.
"Make sure these little rascals train hard; don't let them slack off!" Ye Feng commands the three men.
"Rest assured, Captain, we understand!" they reply in unison.
Ye Feng nods and is about to depart when he suddenly furrows his brow. The three burly men, puzzled, follow his gaze.
Not far from the village, a boy clad in a tiger-skin skirt approaches slowly, radiating vitality under the warm sunlight. Yet, his eyes appear hollow and devoid of spirit, reflecting a profound despair.
"It's Ye Tian!" The three men exchange complex glances, filled with a mix of sighs and resignation.
"Alright, back to training!" Ye Feng sighs and strides away.
"Look! It's Brother Ye Tian! I heard he is the greatest genius in our village, having reached the pinnacle of martial apprentice level ten by the age of fifteen."
"A genius? You may not know, but this genius was at the village chief's yesterday for his martial soul awakening, only to be declared a waste with no martial soul."
"No martial soul? Does that mean Brother Ye Tian can never become a warrior?"
The children notice the despondent boy approaching and begin whispering and gossiping.
"What are you all doing? Hurry up and train! Are you just lazing about? Listen up, all of you, run ten laps around the village!" the three burly men shout.
The children stick out their tongues at him and then take off, running in joyful abandon around the village.
"We are good children of Ye Family Village!"
"We train diligently, we strive hard, and we shall become powerful warriors…"
As they run, the children sing, adding an unexpected cheer to the quaint village.
The despondent boy lifts his head, glances toward them, and quickly looks away, his eyes still vacant.
"Warrior? Ha! What does it matter how hard I try? Without a martial soul, I shall never become one!" he murmurs to himself, dragging his weary body away from the village.
"Little Tian, there are many fierce beasts in the mountains; don't stray too far from the village!" A kind aunt washing clothes in the river calls out to Ye Tian as he departs.
Ye Tian does not respond and continues onward.
"That child…" The aunt sighs and shakes her head, murmuring, "What a good boy! If only he had a martial soul, he would undoubtedly become the strongest warrior in the village and perhaps lead us out of this impoverished backwater."
Indeed, the martial soul is essential on the Shenzhou continent; only those who possess one can become powerful warriors, survive in this brutal world, and earn respect and status.
...
Not far from Ye Family Village lies a waterfall, a place where Ye Tian often retreats for contemplation. Once the foremost genius of the village, he has always been taciturn, rarely mingling with other children his age, devoting himself instead to rigorous training.
This waterfall is his sole confidant.
"Martial soul!"
"Why do I lack a martial soul?"
"Heaven, you brought me to this world; why must you make me a waste?"
...
Voices of questioning resonate as Ye Tian lies on the ground, listening to the sound of the waterfall, reflecting on the fleeting moments of his fifteen years.
No one knows that within the body of this fifteen-year-old boy resides the soul of a man over thirty.
In truth, Ye Tian is not of this world; his previous life was that of a citizen of Earth in the twenty-first century, a distinguished soldier in the special forces of Huaxia.
In his former life, during a mission to cover his teammates' retreat, he lost both legs and became a cripple.
As a special forces soldier, Ye Tian possesses unwavering willpower, yet as a strong man, he could not bear the reality of becoming a waste, leading him to choose death.
However, fate played a cruel joke on him; upon awakening, he found himself transported to the Shenzhou continent, embodying a boy who shared his name.
As the years passed, Ye Tian gradually gleaned a vague understanding of this world from his parents and neighbors.
The Shenzhou continent is vast and boundless, at least from the perspective of Ye Family Village.
In this wondrous land, there is no impressive technology akin to Earth, no magical powers or martial arts from Hollywood blockbusters, nor the ancient cultivators of Eastern mythology.
Here, there are only warriors—powerful warriors!
Warriors are the mainstream of this continent; here, only by becoming a warrior can one possess everything—wealth, fame, status, and beauty—all within your grasp.
However, to become a warrior, one must possess a martial soul.
The martial soul is fundamental to a warrior. In the annals of Shenzhou's history, only seven types of martial souls have ever manifested, and all warriors on the continent possess one of these seven.
These seven martial souls are represented by the colors red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple; thus, they are referred to as the red martial soul, orange martial soul, yellow martial soul, and so on.
Among these seven, the red martial soul is the weakest, while the purple martial soul is the strongest.
For a warrior, the martial soul encompasses everything; it is their innate talent. The higher the level of the martial soul, the stronger the talent, the faster the cultivation, and the greater the likelihood of becoming a powerful being.
Among the countless inhabitants of Shenzhou, the vast majority possess a martial soul and can thus become warriors. However, a small minority lack a martial soul and are deemed "wastes," unable to attain warrior status.
Ye Tian is one such individual.
In Ye Family Village, children are required to train rigorously from a young age, for only a robust physique can endure a powerful martial soul, and only by possessing a strong martial soul can one become a formidable warrior.
Before becoming warriors, all cultivators are referred to as martial apprentices, who exist within ten levels. They train their bodies and hone their physical forms in preparation for awakening their martial souls.
Upon reaching the pinnacle of martial apprentice level ten, a cultivator may freely choose to awaken their martial soul, guided by a level ten warrior, thus invoking the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, and becoming a true warrior.
Of course, without a martial soul, it is impossible to channel the energy of the heavens and earth, let alone become a warrior.
With the soul of his former life, Ye Tian, despite his frail body, possesses the strong will of a special forces soldier and various methods for physical training, coupled with intelligence that surpasses his peers. This allows him to display extraordinary talent, achieving the pinnacle of martial apprentice level ten at just fifteen years old, earning the title of Ye Family Village's foremost genius.
It is important to note that the people of Shenzhou generally possess strong physiques; perhaps due to the abundant spiritual energy of this land, humans living here typically live to around one hundred and fifty years.
Yet, at merely fifteen, Ye Tian is still a child, while others in Ye Family Village generally reach martial soul awakening by the age of at least twenty-five.
This highlights the remarkable nature of Ye Tian's talent, as he is regarded with great expectations by the village elders.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, once Ye Tian awakens his martial soul, with his exceptional wisdom and resolute will, he may not become a world-shattering powerhouse, but he can certainly surpass the village chief and lead the villagers out of this impoverished wilderness.
However, all of this hinges on possessing a martial soul; without one, everything is but an illusion.
Just yesterday, filled with excitement after finally reaching the pinnacle of martial apprentice level ten, Ye Tian went to the village chief for his martial soul awakening, only to find that there was no fluctuation of spiritual energy. The chief sighed and regretfully announced that Ye Tian lacked a martial soul.
In that moment, Ye Tian felt as if the sky had fallen; he nearly crumbled under the weight of despair. Had it not been for his steadfast will, he might have chosen death, just as he did in his former life.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
...
Overwhelmed by anguish, Ye Tian stood atop a boulder, roaring at the waterfall before him, as if to unleash his pent-up anger and unwillingness.
Suddenly, he heard a faint rustling sound. Instinctively alert, he dove down and swiftly concealed himself behind the boulder.
After all, he was once a special forces soldier, retaining that peak level of vigilance. Coupled with his years of training, his abilities now rival those of his past life, perhaps even surpassing them.
It should be noted that the physiques of people in this world are generally superior to those of humans from his former Earth. Although Ye Tian lacks a martial soul and cannot become a warrior, his physical strength has greatly surpassed that of his previous existence.
Thus, Ye Tian cannot be considered a weakling.
However, ever since he witnessed the village chief obliterate a powerful beast with a single punch during the annual festival, he has been resolute in his desire to become a warrior.
In Shenzhou, tales abound of powerful warriors capable of plucking stars from the sky, parting rivers, and even walking upon air, akin to the deities of mythology.
How could Ye Tian not be captivated by such allure?
Yet, alas, he possesses no martial soul!