A Second Chance
Darkness. Silence. A weightless abyss.
'So, this is death…?'
Long Tian's thoughts drifted through the void, untethered. He remembered the moment his old life ended—the blinding glare of headlights, the scream of tires against asphalt, the sharp, unbearable impact. Then, nothing.
But if he had died… why could he still think?
A sudden force pulled at his soul.
Then—light exploded.
Long Tian gasped awake, his lungs burning as he sucked in a deep breath. He was alive.
But something was wrong.
Gone was the cold pavement beneath him. Instead, he lay on a soft, silken bed, the air thick with incense and the faint scent of aged wood. A distant rustling of leaves and the faint chirp of birds told him he was nowhere near the world he once knew.
A sharp pain lanced through his skull as foreign memories flooded his mind.
His name was now Long Tian, a fifteen-year-old of the Long Clan, a noble martial family in the Tianwu Continent. This was a world where warriors cultivated their souls to wield divine power, where clans and sects ruled, and where the strong soared like dragons while the weak were trampled beneath their feet.
And today… was the most important day of his life.
The Awakening Ceremony
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Tian'er, are you awake?"
A woman's voice—soft, but filled with concern. His mother.
Long Tian hesitated before answering, "…Yes, Mother."
The door opened, revealing a stunning woman in an embroidered silk robe, her gaze gentle yet searching. Behind her stood a tall, imposing man—his father, Long Ren, the Patriarch of the Long Clan.
"We were worried," his mother said softly. "You fainted yesterday, but the physician said you were fine."
Long Tian quickly schooled his expression. "I just feel… different."
Long Ren studied him, his gaze sharp and unreadable. "Good. The Awakening Ceremony begins soon. You must prepare."
A memory surfaced. At fifteen, all descendants of the Long Clan underwent the ritual to awaken their Martial Soul. A powerful Martial Soul meant prestige, resources, and a path to greatness. A weak one meant mediocrity—or worse, disgrace.
'This is it.'
In his past life, he had read enough cultivation novels to understand the weight of this moment. This was his second chance.
And deep within his soul, he could already feel something powerful slumbering.
Yet, a strange instinct whispered: Hide it.
The Ancestral Hall
The Ancestral Hall loomed before him, an ancient structure carved from jade and stone, inscribed with the names of past clan legends. A massive platform in the center pulsed with mystical energy—the Soul Awakening Stone.
Around it stood dozens of young disciples, their expressions tense.
Clan elders in flowing golden robes observed silently from a raised platform. The air was heavy with anticipation.
"The Awakening Ceremony begins!" the Grand Elder declared.
One by one, the young disciples stepped forward, placing their hands upon the stone.
A young boy placed his palm on it—a faint green glow appeared.
"Rank 3 Martial Soul—Spirit Wolf."
Another stepped up—a blue glow flashed.
"Rank 5 Martial Soul—Wind Serpent."
Gasps of approval.
Each result set the hierarchy for the clan's next generation.
Finally—Long Tian's turn.
Whispers spread.
"Him? Wasn't he always sickly?"
"I heard he's never even trained properly."
Long Tian ignored the murmurs and stepped forward calmly.
Placing his hand upon the Soul Awakening Stone, he felt it—the slumbering power within him stirring, roaring to be unleashed.
A choice stood before him.
If he released his full power now, it would shake the clan—perhaps the entire empire. He would become a target before he was ready.
Instead, he took a deep breath—and suppressed it.
The stone trembled. A faint golden glow emerged, flickering before settling into a muted silver light.
Silence.
The Grand Elder stroked his beard. "Hmm… a Rank 6 Martial Soul—Silver Serpent. Not bad."
Some of the crowd looked relieved. Others, disappointed.
"Rank 6? That's not bad, but it's nothing special."
"I thought he'd be weaker."
Long Tian hid his smirk.
They had no idea.
Deep within his soul, the truth lay hidden.
His real Martial Souls:
Azure Dragon Martial Soul (Rank 10 - Divine Tier) → A soul of pure destruction, capable of overwhelming power and monstrous cultivation speed.
Fate Eyes Martial Soul (Rank ??? - Unknown Tier) → An unfathomable force tied to destiny itself, sealed beneath layers of mystery.
But right now, to the world, he was nothing more than an average talent.
A Glimpse of the Future
As he pulled his hand away from the Awakening Stone, a strange vision flashed before his eyes.
—A vast battlefield, mountains reduced to dust. A lone figure stood against the heavens, his eyes burning with golden light.
A voice echoed in his mind.
"You are not ready yet… but soon, you will walk the path of fate."
Then, the vision vanished.
Long Tian's breath was steady, but his mind raced.
That was no ordinary Martial Soul. The Fate Eyes were something far greater.
He glanced at the clan elders—none of them had noticed anything unusual.
Good.
For now, he would walk the path of shadows, unnoticed and underestimated.
But one day, when the time was right…
The world would tremble before him.
---
That night, the Long Clan estate was bathed in silver moonlight, the wind carrying a faint chill.
Long Tian sat cross-legged in his courtyard, his breathing calm and steady. Tonight, he would confirm the true nature of his strength.
He closed his eyes, sinking into his soul realm.
Deep within, the Azure Dragon Martial Soul lay coiled, its enormous body stretching endlessly through the void. Even in its dormant state, its scales shimmered with power, radiating an aura of pure dominance.
As Long Tian approached, the dragon's massive eye slowly cracked open.
BOOM!
A silent pressure crashed over his soul, a force so terrifying that any normal cultivator would have collapsed.
Long Tian clenched his fists.
'So this is my true Martial Soul… A Rank 10 Azure Dragon.'
He took a deep breath and suppressed its presence, forcing the mighty dragon back into slumber. He wasn't ready to reveal it—not yet.
Next, he activated a fraction of his Fate Eyes Martial Soul.
His vision shifted. The world darkened, and suddenly, glowing golden threads appeared around him.
Some of them extended far beyond his sight, intertwining in complex patterns. Fate lines.
But among them, one thread was different—a deep, pulsating black line coiling in the distance, like a serpent waiting to strike.
A threat.
Long Tian narrowed his eyes. "So… danger is already approaching."
He deactivated the Fate Eyes, the world returning to normal.
A slow smirk formed on his lips.
For now, he would remain unseen, a dragon lurking beneath the surface.
But when the time was right… the world would tremble.
---
End of Chapter 1