The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Nan Fusheng got up and dressed. Today was the day he would officially enroll in Hongshan Academy, and not just any class—he was entering the Soul Master Class, beginning what would be at least a nine-year academic journey.
According to the regulations of the Sun-Moon Federation, both elementary and intermediate academies were part of the compulsory education system. Elementary school lasted three years, and intermediate school lasted six years—all free.
To get into an advanced academy, one either had to:
Pass the entrance exam with top grades,
Spend a large amount of money on admission,
Or enter a specialized institute to learn a profession or craft.
"Didn't expect to go through nine years of mandatory education again after transmigrating... but from today onward, it's time to start playing my role. Otherwise, it'll be hard to get close to the protagonist."
Next door, Tang Ziran had just taken his son Tang Wulin outside when he heard a furious shout from Nan Fusheng's house:
"Get the hell out! I should've never given birth to a bastard like you!"
This was followed by the sound of smashing objects. Then, a small, pale boy stepped out silently. His eyes were ringed with dark circles, his body thin and undernourished. Without a word, he shut the door behind him and headed off in the same direction as Tang Ziran and his son.
Tang Ziran frowned slightly. In truth, he didn't know much about the neighbors next door. But he had heard bits and pieces from others in the neighborhood.
The household consisted of just a single mother and her child. The father had abandoned them, and the mother frequently abused the boy. She never left the house and relied entirely on the child to bring her food.
At first, Tang Ziran had thought these were just rumors—but now, seeing it for himself, it seemed all too real.
Still, he said nothing. After all, it was someone else's family. He simply held his son's hand and followed silently behind Nan Fusheng.
Tang Wulin looked at the pale boy ahead of them. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he stayed quiet.
Meanwhile, walking ahead, Nan Fusheng revealed a knowing smile.
Yes… Everything is going according to plan.
Even though he possessed the divine foundation to become the Lord of Mysteries—Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun, he didn't have the corresponding godhood ritual. And rituals were crucial—they were part of the acting method.
The world of Lord of the Mysteries was full of chaos and madness. High-Sequenced Beyonders often suffered mental instability. The main purpose of a ritual was to:
Maintain one's self-awareness
Support ascension
Though Nan Fusheng had become a Thief and hadn't yet heard any "whispers," he'd never forgotten that first visit to the Origin Castle.
In the worst-case scenario, he might never become a high-sequence Beyonder. So he had to pursue both paths simultaneously: growing as a Beyonder and as a Soul Master.
Why was he so confident?
Because he was already a Thief. Even though he was still a low-Sequence Beyonder, he could access some powers from higher Sequences.
In Lord of the Mysteries, the protagonist Klein—while still a low-Sequence Fool—had access to the Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker ability: "Resurrection is a Miracle", thanks to his connection to the Origin Castle.
So for Nan Fusheng, who held the Origin Castle and three Uniquenesses, it wasn't unreasonable to assume he could use partial high-Sequence abilities early.
Uniqueness is the physical manifestation of a Sequence's authority. Only by completely fusing with one and combining three Beyonder Characteristics can someone fully ascend from human to god, claiming that Sequence's divine right.
That's the standard route to Sequence 0. But Nan Fusheng's path was different.
He didn't need three characteristics.
As long as he reached Sequence 1 and fused with a Uniqueness—possibly with the help of a ritual—he could ascend to godhood.
Back to the point: he could use Sequence 9 to Sequence 5 abilities from the Thief pathway, with high energy cost. Even Sequence 4 wasn't impossible, though very taxing.
Thief Pathway – Sequence 6 Ability: Steal
Steal a target's extraordinary ability for a short time.
Has a chance to steal one ability from a target within 50 meters.
The more familiar he is with the target, the more likely he is to choose the desired ability.
The less familiar, the more random the result—luck becomes a major factor.
If the target is above Sequence 6, the chance of failure increases significantly. Though he can steal from high-sequence targets, the odds drop sharply.
For 10 minutes, the stolen ability is removed from the target and temporarily becomes his own.
He can use it skillfully as if it were his.
After 10 minutes, the ability disappears, and the original owner must wait until the next day to recover it.
Translated to the Soul Master system, the stronger the soul master, the harder it is to successfully steal from them.
In recent years, he accidentally discovered a loophole: when he used Steal on a Soul Master, he could extract a portion of their soul power. Though the power would return afterward, his own body began to slowly absorb it.
Originally, both of his parents were ordinary people—there was no chance he'd naturally be born with soul power.
But now, through repeated use of Steal, the soul power he absorbed began to nurture his body, integrating little by little.
Soul Masters need soul power to use martial souls and spirit abilities. So when he used Steal to target a soul skill, some of that soul power came with it.
At first, he hadn't expected this at all. He thought the target just wouldn't be able to use the ability temporarily. But it turned out—depending on how strong the other person was and how close their strength was to his—he could steal most of their soul power.
Once he realized this, he only used it two or three times, enough to build up a small foundation of soul power. Then he stopped.
That's why, during his awakening, his innate soul power was only Level 1.
The Steal ability couldn't be overused. It was relatively safe to use on newly awakened soul users. But using it on real Soul Masters—where they lost access to their martial soul and soul abilities for 10 minutes—was risky. If they noticed something was off, it could expose him.
Though the chances were low, he didn't want to take that gamble.
Especially since using Steal took a heavy toll on him. It wasn't meant for someone at his current level. He could only use it once a day, and a second use would leave him dizzy and disoriented.
As for the angry voice Tang Ziran had heard earlier, that was his doing too. It was created using a Sequence 5 Seer Pathway ability: Marionettist.
Thanks to holding three different Uniquenesses, Nan Fusheng could cross pathways and use abilities from other Sequences, though the cost was even greater.
Marionettist – Ability Overview:
Grants vision of spiritual body threads, allowing the user to influence the spirit, astral body, mind, and aether body of the target.
By manipulating the aether body, one can take control of the target's physical actions.
In Douluo Dalu terms, this meant he could gradually erode someone's spirit and martial soul, eventually taking full control of their body.
Once he had a basic grasp of someone's spiritual threads, the target would start to:
Think slower,
Move clumsily,
And eventually become stiff.
If not interrupted, within five minutes, the target would become a Puppet—their consciousness permanently erased.
That's what happened to Lan Yuxi, Nan Fusheng's so-called mother. Right after he was reborn via the Origin Castle, he still had some residual power, just enough to make her into his first Marionette.
The woman didn't return home until the afternoon of the second day after his "revival." As a transmigrator, Nan Fusheng already had his mindset. He didn't care about strangers, especially not the parents of his new body. After all, they had, in a sense, let him die.
So, the moment Lan Yuxi came home, he turned her into a Marionette.
He was too small to care for himself. If she had left again for a few days, he might've died again. Afterward, he used her soul communicator to order baby formula and other supplies.
Luckily, Marionettes didn't need to eat. That's how he scraped through the novice phase of his new life.
As for this morning's loud performance, it was all orchestrated by Nan Fusheng. He played the part of a fatherless, abused child to win sympathy.
It was a deliberate move, meant to create an opening for deeper interaction with Tang Wulin's family—another step in his long-term plan.
But manipulating spiritual threads drained his mental energy terribly.
To perform that scene right in front of Tang Wulin and his father, he had to time it perfectly. On top of that, controlling a Marionette didn't cost spirituality—it cost mental stamina, which is why he now looked like someone who'd stayed up all night.
No matter…
Everything is going according to plan.