The valley lay hushed under the pale light of dawn. Twin springs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well steamed in silent vigil, mist drifting gently between ancient rock formations and rare, vibrant flora. At the heart of Li Wei fledgling sanctuary, green shoots of the Jade Spirit Cleansing Flower quivered in the morning chill, protected by the faint hexagonal shimmer of a barrier.
Li Wei stood alone among this promise of new life, Diendriver in one hand and the Shinobi Ridewatch in the other. His breath turned to mist in the cold air as he stared down at the circular device—the emblem of Kamen Rider Shinobi etched in black and violet.
"I need this," he whispered.
He remembered the first time he absorbed the energy of a Ridewatch—the Build Ridewatch. It had been a torrent of raw, untamed power that had helped him push through a critical barrier. The energy within wasn't like normal spirit power; it was something entirely different. Purer. Wilder.
He seated himself cross-legged at the outer edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and held the Shinobi Ridewatch up in his palm, channeling his spirit power into it.
The energy inside was raw incarnate. No spirit beast or herb could compare. It was like tapping directly into the essence of a world.
Closing his eyes, Li Wei calmed his mind, suppressing all distractions. He had to be precise. Silent. Safe.
As he began the absorption process, a familiar phenomenon occurred. Four spirit rings—purple, purple, black, and black—appeared behind him, resonating and stabilizing his body as it tried to adapt to the influx of overwhelming energy.
A vortex of silver light and silent wind erupted around him. Mist swirled, coalescing into sharp, precise shadows. Pain exploded through his limbs as if the valley itself was stripping away every impurity in his soul.
He clenched his teeth, falling to one knee. The world twisted around him—colors dulled, sounds slowed, and time itself seemed to fracture.
'Focus,' he told himself. 'Control it.'
He gathered every ounce of willpower, bracing against the pain. This was his choice. He would bear the cost. As the saying went: no pain, no gain.
Unable to stop now, he gritted his teeth and endured, until the pain gradually gave way to stillness. It was the eerie calm of being at the eye of a storm.
Then, with a final surge, his dantian imploded—collapsing and reforming itself anew.
A shockwave burst from his body, rippling through the sanctuary, dispersing the morning mist in a wave of violet light.
He felt his spirit power rapidly rise, swelling from Rank 48 to 49—and then break through.
But it didn't stop there.
The energy from the Shinobi Ridewatch kept pouring in, descending into his body like a waterfall, even as his own spirit power ascended to meet it.
"Rank 50!" he gasped.
His vision cleared. Every breath felt deeper. His spirit core had grown exponentially. He could sense the life force of the valley—and his own—resonating in perfect harmony.
Then it happened again.
Just like with the Build Ridewatch, the Shinobi Ridewatch began to shimmer and fade, becoming translucent as motes of light rose from it. With a final flicker, it dissolved into a stream of violet energy that soared into the sky, vanishing beyond the clouds—its purpose fulfilled.
Li Wei stood slowly, his eyes reflecting exhaustion and triumph.
Just like Build Ridewatch… he thought. They return to the void once they're no longer needed.
He exhaled, his shoulders trembling slightly with release. But another change was beginning—one even greater than before.
Now that he had reached Rank 50, the threshold to becoming a Soul King, he felt a hollow space within his soul—an empty ring slot waiting to be filled.
He sat back down, closing his eyes once more. Using the excess energy still lingering from the Ridewatch, he began to forge his fifth spirit ring.
Energy gathered at his dantian, condensing into an unseen form.
Then it appeared in his soul sense—a single, pitch-black ring. Heavy. Ancient. Alive. Fifty thousand years old.
An age that defied logic. That shattered the optimal limit dictated by generations of spirit master cultivation theories.
'My fifth spirit ring,' he thought. 'Another black ring… fifty thousand years old. I've shattered convention again.'
When the formation was complete, a rush of power surged through his meridians. The fifth black ring rotated behind him, joining his previous four in seamless synchronization.
And with it came a new ability.
Access to the final form of Kamen Rider Diend.
With this ability, he would be able to summon and use the powers of all Kamen Riders—including their strongest forms.
This was his trump card. Even if he couldn't defeat enemies beyond his level, he could certainly escape. He could survive. And survival was strength.
Li Wei stood, spirit power stabilizing into a new equilibrium. He flexed his aura slightly and felt the dense weight of fifty millennia anchor his soul.
_______________
Behind him, the door to Dugu Yan stone house creaked open.
Dugu Yan stepped out first, her eyes wide with worry. Dugu Bo followed, expression stern but curious.
They moved closer, drawn by the overwhelming aura.
Their gazes shifted to the five rings orbiting behind Li Wei—purple, purple, black, black, and now, black again.
"This is…" Dugu Bo muttered, stunned.
Dugu Yan gasped audibly. Never in her life had she seen such a spirit ring configuration.
There was a reason why spirit masters started with yellow rings—the safest limit the human body could endure. Purple was already rare. Black? Almost mythical.
But Li Wei had started with a thousand-year ring. And now he had a fifth black ring at Rank 50.
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes, finally beginning to understand.
"This... this breaks all known laws," he said slowly. "Even as a Title Douluo, I've never seen anyone survive starting with a thousand-year ring, let alone having three black rings by Rank 50."
He let out a hoarse chuckle.
"You're more monster than monster. A little monster... no, a living calamity. Hahaha!"
If Li Wei ever stood at the helm of Spirit Hall, Dugu Bo thought, perhaps the land could be unified—not by tyranny, but by sheer, overwhelming force.
Still, the boy was calm. Reasonable. There was hope in that.
Dugu Yan's voice trembled. "Li Wei… are you okay?"
He turned and smiled gently, resting his hand against the sanctuary's barrier.
"Stronger than ever."
Dugu Bo let out a low whistle. "Rank 50… and you're what, thirteen? You even formed your own spirit ring. If I hadn't seen you arrive with two Title Douluo and heard Yue Guan say you were a Title Douluo's grandson, I'd have thought you were a spirit beast in disguise."
Li Wei chuckled. "It might be a mutation in my Martial Spirit. It's unusual, but the abilities I get seem to match perfectly with it."
Dugu Bo nodded, impressed. "A mutated martial spirit… That can go both ways—blessing or curse. Looks like you hit the jackpot."
"Anyway," Li Wei said, stretching his arms, "I should return. I've already been gone too long from Shrek Academy."
He let out a breath. Nearly dying had made him obsessed with increasing his strength. But even now, he knew—there were no shortcuts. No infinite source of power.
Still, he wondered what the others were doing.
He'd been gone for a full month.
And now, everything was about to change again.