Soul Land: Origin of Humanity

The City of Everglow thrummed with the pulse of civilization—commerce, laughter, song—but far from its bustling heart, Ye Caiqian retreated into the silence of his sanctum. Years had passed since the Council of Elders named a nation, since humanity learned the name "Douluo" and set its sights on the stars. Outside, generations dreamed and toiled. Inside, Ye Caiqian sat cross-legged in a timeless hush, the only movement the steady rise and fall of his breath.

For three years he became legend and myth—a guiding star glimpsed but never grasped. As the world grew, so too did the tide within him: soul power as dense as the deepest sea, mind as vast as the night sky, destiny humming in his blood.

I have reached the edge, he thought, senses sharper than mortal flesh should bear. One more step, and the world will change forever.

At the peak of the 9th tier, he could feel it—a trembling membrane between worlds, a resonance like thunder at the end of all things. He saw the golden threads of fate winding through the Douluo planet, the destiny of an entire race tethered to his soul. He felt the call of the Divine Realm: a place of gods and titans, thrones of power and pillars of law.

But to enter… I must decide who I will be. And what I will become for those I leave behind.

Days blurred into nights, and Ye Caiqian's heart knew no rest. He wandered the winding avenues of Everglow, disguised in plain clothes, feeling the pulse of a thousand lives—joy, strife, hunger, hope. Children raced through the market squares, scholars debated under ancient trees, lovers dreamed of tomorrows no longer haunted by fear.

Yet for every joy, a shadow: What god should he become? Each path beckoned, each bristled with unseen peril.

Elemental God? He had mastered every known force—fire, water, earth, air—but such thrones were already watched over by ancient dragon kings. If he seized an elemental mantle, he would forever stand in their shadow, his future hemmed by old hierarchies. Could a human ever outshine a dragon at the source of their power?

God of Destiny or Luck? Since his breakthrough, he could sense and, to some degree, manipulate the tides of fortune on Douluo. To take up destiny's mantle, though, was to challenge the guardians of fate themselves. It would mean endless struggle for authority over the cosmos, a life of competition and cosmic intrigue.

God of Wisdom? His transcendent understanding surpassed any in living memory. Yet in this era—where beasts ruled by strength, not cunning—wisdom's influence was faint, a soft lamp in a world of storms. Would such a path wither, unacknowledged, in the age of force?

None of these would suffice. None were his alone.

He became a ghost in his own city, lost in thought, the choice a stone too heavy to bear.

It was his mother who found him, one early morning, beneath the flowering branches of the ancient spirit tree in their family's garden. She sat beside him, silent for a long while, simply watching the petals drift on the wind.

At last, she spoke—not as the mother of a legend, but as the woman who had nursed his first cries and held his hand through every fall.

"My son," she said, "I cannot pretend to understand the burdens you carry, nor the storms you will face. But I know this: whatever path you choose, you will always be the God of Humanity to us."

Her words, so simple and unwavering, cut through his confusion like sunlight through morning mist. The answer had always been there, in the love of his people, in the dreams they entrusted to him.

Not god of an element, or fate, or even wisdom. But a god who would live and die for humanity itself.

He took her hand, feeling the pulse of every life on Douluo within it. And as she left, her blessing echoed in his heart—a light guiding him to his true destiny.

That night, Ye Caiqian stood alone atop the highest tower of Everglow. He looked out over the city's golden lights, the swelling rivers of progress, the distant fields blooming with new life.

If I chose any other path… I would always be limited. As an Elemental God, I would be a mere echo of the dragon kings. As God of Destiny, I would be forced into rivalry with powers ancient and implacable. As God of Wisdom, I would see my gifts unused in an age that does not yet value them.

But as the God of Humanity… I can stand for every dream, every struggle, every hope my people will ever know. I will rise with them, fall with them, and grow with them for as long as this world endures.

He saw it then: not just a title, but a legacy. One that would begin small, perhaps humble, but grow as his people did—until the light of humanity blazed brighter than any star.

His decision made, Ye Caiqian returned to his retreat. He drew in all the power he had ever gathered: soul, mind, will, destiny, and the boundless faith of an entire world.

As dawn broke, a storm of spirit energy swirled across Douluo. The mountains trembled; the oceans rose in song. In his hidden sanctum, Ye Caiqian sat in perfect stillness, his consciousness rising far above flesh and bone.

He reached out, touching the boundary of the Divine Realm—a wall of light and law, guarded by ancient gods.With a thought, he declared his purpose:I am Ye Caiqian, and I choose to become the God of Humanity.

In that instant, the world itself shuddered. The life core of Douluo strained, but did not break—instead, it flared with new strength, pouring all it had into its chosen child. The sky erupted in nine-colored radiance—a sight no mortal or immortal had ever seen.

Soul energy, once mere mist, became a torrent. Spirit plants bloomed in impossible colors. Across every city and village, people felt a sudden rush of life—old wounds healed, crops flourished, a thousand children were born as the future itself leapt forward.

In the Divine Realm, the barrier parted for him. A new throne—one never before seen—blazed into being among the pantheon:The God of Humanity.

The planet changed. Spirit energy, once a rare current, became an endless tide. Douluo was no longer a slumbering backwater, but a world alive with divine promise—a world where humans could become gods, where hope and progress would never again be caged.

For the first time, the destiny of all humanity was written in stars of its own making.

From mountaintop to river valley, from the streets of Everglow to the furthest wilds, people knelt, wept, and rejoiced. Their hearts were filled with awe and certainty: they had been noticed by the heavens.

Standing atop Everglow's tallest spire, Ye Caiqian—now radiant, immortal, more spirit than flesh—looked down upon his world. His eyes were galaxies; his presence, the pulse of hope itself.

He spoke, and his voice reached every mind, every soul, in every corner of Douluo:

"I am Ye Caiqian—once your brother, your friend, your fellow. Today, I become the God of Humanity. Our future shines brighter than ever before. This is not an end, but the beginning. May hope, wisdom, and unity guide us through all ages yet to come!"

Across Douluo, people answered his call. Some sang, some cried, some simply held one another in the dawning light. The Age of Everglow had begun.

Far above, in the limitless halls of the Divine Realm, the gods—dragon kings, beast lords, spirits of old—paused in wonder. They saw not just a new god, but a phenomenon: the birth of a divine soul unlike anything in all recorded ages.

"A new star has risen," whispered the dragon elders. "Not beast, not spirit—humanity itself has climbed to our side."

For the first time, the world trembled not with fear, but with possibility.

And Ye Caiqian—God of Humanity—looked outward, his heart swelling with the hopes of billions.

This is only the beginning.

[End Of 1st Volume]