Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

……

In the early morning, a thin layer of mist shrouded the top of the mountain behind Baiyun Village, lingering for a long time.

In a secluded grove of trees, Xiao Yan's feet were planted straight into the soil like tree stumps, his legs taut, his teeth clenched, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, and his bare upper body covered with red welts.

Behind Xiao Yan, Yao Lao, in his soul form, stood solemnly. After Xiao Yan's trembling completely stopped, Yao Lao gently waved his hand.

As Yao Lao waved his hand, the air rippled slightly, and a pale blue gust of wind suddenly shot out from Yao Lao's palm, finally slamming heavily onto Xiao Yan's shoulder like a whip, leaving another long red mark.

The fierce wind, mixed with soul power, struck his body, and the excruciating pain made Xiao Yan's face almost contort in agony.

The number of marks on the body kept increasing as the old doctor waved his hand.

During this year, Xiao Yan slowed down his cultivation of Dou Qi as Yao Lao requested, and devoted most of his time to physical training.

Because the environment was too remote, even with the alternative, the medicinal herbs found were not enough to refine a low-level body-tempering liquid. In the end, the only option was to melt individual herbs into a paste, apply it to the body, and use the whipping of soul power as a substitute for the conventional body-tempering method.

"Little Yanzi, are you there? Say something!"

Just as the old apothecary was about to wave his hand again, a lazy voice rang out from the dense forest.

"It's Uncle Zhang San."

"Ah."

The old apothecary nodded, twisted his body, and transformed into a beam of light, flashing into the black ring.

Xiao Yan pulled his feet out of the mud, quickly took his clothes off a rock, put them on, and then casually lifted the boulder that was taller than a person.

"Boom!"

After moving the stone to a different spot to cover up the two deeper footprints he had just left, Xiao Yan called out—

"Uncle Zhang, over here!"

After shouting, Xiao Yan walked towards the direction from which the sound had come.

After walking a few steps, he saw a middle-aged man walking towards him.

"Why do you always go into this grove?" After walking up to him, the middle-aged man pretended to catch his breath and said irritably, "If you weren't always alone, I would have thought you were hanging out with Erniu from the next village."

As she spoke, she vigorously rubbed Xiao Yan's hair with her right hand, turning the already sweat-soaked black hair into a tangled mess.

"Just practicing my strength." After Zhang San moved his right hand away, Xiao Yan jokingly tidied his hair. "If I ever run out of soul power, I can become a blacksmith."

Even today, Xiao Yan still can't guarantee that his Dou Qi won't be mistaken for 'soul power' by the detection devices of this world.

"You think you're strong enough to be a blacksmith?" Zhang San laughed. "If you really can't awaken your soul power, I'll have my friend write you a letter of recommendation so you can join the army. In less than ten years, you'll be the next great general of our Star Luo Empire!"

After witnessing Xiao Yan lift a boulder several tens of centimeters taller than himself with his bare hands, Zhang San became convinced that there really were people in this world with superhuman strength. He also seriously suspected that if Xiao Yan, a Great Soul Master, took a punch from him, Xiao Yan would have to kneel down and beg him not to die.

"By the way, Uncle Zhang, what's up? You're usually still in bed at this time, aren't you?"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Zhang San said, snapping out of his reverie, "Tomorrow is the village's awakening ceremony, and the village chief asked me to let you know."

Chapter 3 Martial Soul Awakening

"Tomorrow?" Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised. According to the timeline, there should still be more than half a month until this year's awakening ceremony.

"Yes, it's tomorrow. It's the village chief's grandson's birthday, so it's probably for good luck." Zhang San scratched his head. "The awakened Soul Master was also invited through the village chief's connections. I think he's a deacon from the Spirit Hall in Shanchui City?"

When the word "deacon" was mentioned, a hint of envy was clearly visible in Zhang San's eyes.

Although Xiao Yan had heard before that the awakening ceremonies held in each village were conducted by people from the Spirit Hall, this was the first time he had heard of a specific position from someone else. So Xiao Yan asked curiously, "A deacon of the Spirit Hall? Is he stronger than Uncle Zhang San?"

"They're definitely better than me."

Zhang San smiled helplessly and explained, "Although the deacon is the lowest-ranking member of the Spirit Hall, it's not something just anyone can do. I'm just an ordinary person who's over thirty and only at level twenty-one. I don't even meet the minimum requirements to become a deacon."

"So, what level is that deacon from Yamabuki Castle? Level 50?"

“How could that be?” Zhang San chuckled. “Even the Spirit Hall in Star Luo City wouldn’t be so extravagant as to use a Soul King as a steward! The stewards of the branch hall in a small, outlying city like Shan Chui City are usually only Great Soul Masters, or at most Soul Venerables.”

"Soul Lord..."

Xiao Yan's tone was full of regret. If it were a Soul Master of a higher level like a Soul King, he might have been able to understand the upper limit of strength in this world.

"Why do I get the feeling that you look down on Soul Masters?" Zhang San looked at Xiao Yan with suspicion. "Don't underestimate Soul Masters, I'm not even sure if I'll ever reach that level in my lifetime!"

"No, no, I was just wondering if I could become a Soul Master." Xiao Yan waved his hands repeatedly.

"That would be best," Zhang San grumbled twice.

"You've been here for quite a while, come downstairs with me. You can come to my house for dinner today."

"No, no, if I'm awakening my martial soul tomorrow, I'll practice more today. What if I awaken a powerful martial soul tomorrow?" Xiao Yan politely declined Zhang San's invitation.

"Alright, I might have something to do tomorrow. Don't forget to meet at the Spirit Hall in the center of the village at 10 o'clock."

He spoke with great seriousness, but everyone in the village knew that the so-called "Spirit Hall in the center of the village" was just an ordinary wooden house, and the words "Spirit Hall" on the wooden house were even recarved by Zhang San a few years ago.

"Okay, I definitely won't forget!"

Xiao Yan solemnly assured Zhang San as he turned and left.

"teacher……"

After Zhang San left, Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao, who had appeared from the ring, with some worry.

In less than a year, although he temporarily suspended his cultivation of Dou Qi and devoted most of his time to physical training and refining the heavy sword he named 'Xuanzhong Ruler', his progress was still somewhat insufficient. To this day, he can only lift the Xuanzhong Ruler, and he still needs more training before he can swing it normally. But at least he won't have any problems during the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.

However, there is still a bit of time before he can refine the Xuanzhong Ruler. If it were fifteen days later as normal, it would be more than enough.

"Let's begin now," Yao Lao said, as the Xuanzhong Ruler flew out of the ring and landed in Xiao Yan's hand. "If we also use the few first-tier herbs we collected earlier, it should be just in time."

"I hope so..." Xiao Yan grasped the handle of the Xuan Heavy Ruler, placed it flat on the ground, and then sat cross-legged on the ruler.

……

"Little Sanzi, I heard that you wrote those words on this sign a few years ago?"

In front of the Spirit Hall in the center of Baiyun Village, a middle-aged fat man in brocade robes had his right arm draped over Zhang San's shoulder and his left hand pointing to the sign hanging in front of the Spirit Hall.

"It's been ten years, and your handwriting has really improved, Zhang?" The fat man looked at Zhang San, who was slightly hunched over, with a half-smile. "When my third son turns one year old next year, write something for me, and I'll come and collect it."

"What are you saying..." Zhang San laughed awkwardly. "This is just a trick I use to make a living. If you like my handwriting, I'll write a few couplets for you and send them over during festivals."

Standing to the side, the village chief of Baiyun Village looked at Zhang San, who had left the village early in the morning, saying he had important business to attend to, but was later pulled back by this 'noble' in brocade robes, who had his arm around his shoulder.

"By the way, you're the village chief of Baiyun Village, right?" Zhang San's words made the fat man a little bored, so he turned to look at the village chief of Baiyun Village. "You're the one who pulled strings to get Xiao Jiang here today for his Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes, it's me."

The village chief, whose name was mentioned, gave a very humble, obsequious smile.

The village chief knew that he had pulled strings and spent money to invite a Soul Venerable surnamed Jiang. Someone who would address a Soul Venerable as "Little Jiang" was most likely a nobleman. A village chief from a poor, remote village like his wouldn't even catch his eye. In fact, if he said something that displeased someone, today's awakening ceremony would most likely be ruined.

"I don't know who you are, sir..."

"Me? I'm just a substitute," the fat man said, pursing his lips. "Look, is everyone here? The awakening ceremony was finished a long time ago, so I can go back early."

"Everyone's here, everyone's here..." The village chief said repeatedly, sensing the fat man's impatience.

"Not everyone has arrived yet. Xiao Yan hasn't arrived yet."

Then, Zhang San interrupted the village chief's last sentence with a muffled remark, and the fat man who was about to enter the Spirit Hall also paused and turned to look at Zhang San.

"Xiao Yan?" The village chief asked, somewhat puzzled. "Are there any children in the village with that name?"

"You're asking me about the kids from your village?" The fat man almost laughed in exasperation. "I'll count to ten, and you make sure everyone's here yet, ten..."

“Grandma Wang found a child a few years ago. After Grandma Wang left, he lived alone in the back mountain of the village and didn’t know anyone in the village…” Zhang San explained in a low voice, “Yesterday I told him that the awakening ceremony would start around ten o’clock, and he’s probably still on the mountain now.”

"So, Mr. Zhang, are you saying I arrived too early?" the fat man asked, his expression unchanged.

"No, I just wanted to say that I'm going to find him now..." Zhang San's eyes darted away.

"No need, no need, I'll go call him, I'll go," the atmosphere between Fatty and Zhang San was a bit tense, so the village chief volunteered to go find Xiao Yan.

"You don't even know how many children there are in your village, are you sure you can find someone?" The fat man scoffed, then looked at the distance with some surprise.

·

After nearly 24 hours of refining, Xiao Yan, who had finally transformed the Xuan Heavy Ruler into his own soul weapon, hurriedly ran down the mountain after opening his eyes.

"You're Xiao Yan?"

Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his peers from the village still standing outside the Spirit Hall. However, just as he quietly slipped to the back of the group, a fat man in brocade robes suddenly walked up to him.

"Uh...you are...?"

As the fat man looked him up and down, Xiao Yan also received glances from the village chief and Zhang San. After a moment of slight 'awkwardness', Xiao Yan asked.

"Now that everyone's here, come with me." The fat man didn't answer Xiao Yan's question, but instead turned around and beckoned all the children to enter the Spirit Hall.

"Good luck."

As Xiao Yan walked past Zhang San with the main group, Zhang San patted him on the shoulder.

A few minutes later, ten children from Baiyun Village who were six years old this year stood in a row in front of the fat man. Xiao Yan, who arrived last, stood on the far left. However, judging from his physique, Xiao Yan was much stronger than the other children of the same age.

"My name is Wang Cheng, a level 44 Soul Master. I will then perform Martial Soul Awakening for each of you."

"Level 44 is roughly equivalent to a seven-star Dou Shi..." As Xiao Yan was lost in thought, Yao Lao's voice suddenly rang in his mind.

Hearing the voice echoing in his mind, Xiao Yan blinked, no longer distracted, and looked carefully at Wang Cheng.

After identifying himself, a glint of light flashed on Wang Cheng's left index finger, and then six jet-black round stones and a gleaming blue crystal ball appeared in his hand.

After arranging the stones in the prescribed shape, Wang Cheng gestured for the first child to stand among them.

"Don't be afraid, close your eyes and feel carefully." As he spoke, Wang Cheng mobilized his soul power, and four soul rings—white, yellow, purple, and purple—emerged. At the same time, a cyan light shone in Wang Cheng's right hand, and a giant double-edged axe, more than two meters long, appeared in his grasp.

"My martial soul, the Mountain-Splitting Axe, is a pretty good weapon martial soul." When he noticed that all the children present were focused on his martial soul, Wang Cheng took the opportunity to introduce it.

"Alright, extend your right hand." After casually placing his own martial spirit aside, Wang Cheng directed the child in the center of the circular stone array.

After the boy subconsciously extended his right hand, Wang Cheng casually slapped out six beams of azure light, which were injected into six black round stones on the ground. Instantly, a layer of golden light was released from the six stones, forming a pale golden light shield that enveloped the child.

A short gun slowly materialized in the boy's hand.

"A gun? That's a pretty good weapon spirit. Come on, put the spirit away and test its spirit power."

"Sir, what should I do?" the boy asked timidly.

"Use your mind to retrieve your martial soul. In the future, you will need to summon it with your mind to use it. Now, let's test your innate soul power." With that, Wang Cheng handed the crystal ball to the boy.