The gentle morning sun cast long shadows across the Holy Spirit Village, a place as idyllic and unassuming as its name suggested. For the children of the village who had just turned six, however, the air was thick with a palpable tension, a mixture of unbridled excitement and gnawing fear. Today was the day of their Martial Spirit Awakening.
In a small, tidy wooden house at the edge of the village, a young boy named Zhang Tian finished his morning routine. He was only six, yet he moved with a discipline that belied his age. His house, inherited from his parents, was stark but clean. He had lived alone for two years now, a fact that had initially drawn pity from the villagers, but his subsequent self-sufficiency had turned that pity into a quiet respect.
'Two years already,' he thought, his mind a whirlwind of memories from a life lived long ago and a world away. 'Father coughed his last from that centipede's venom, and mother's fever took her a month later. Tragic, but that's the reality of this world. No modern medicine, no emergency services. Just the law of the jungle.'
He was an engineer in his past life. A successful one, but a man with deep flaws. The last thing he remembered was the screech of tires, the shattering of glass, and the bitter, coppery taste of blood, all thanks to a stupid, arrogant decision to drive after too many drinks. He'd woken up here, in the body of a baby, in the world of Douluo Dalu. A world he knew from a webnovel and its sequels he'd binged in his spare time.
'A second chance, I suppose. And a chance to avoid the mistakes of my past life. No more arrogance, no more recklessness. Only careful, meticulous planning.'
This philosophy had guided him for the last few years. While the other village children played, Zhang Tian worked.
Using his engineering knowledge, he'd redesigned the village's farming tools. He introduced the concept of a curved, properly weighted hoe that was easier to use and more effective, replacing the flat, heavy blades they had been using.
He taught them simple crop rotation and irrigation techniques he remembered from documentaries. The villagers, initially skeptical, were won over by the increased yields.
They paid him modestly for his designs and advice, allowing him to live comfortably without relying on charity.
He caught his reflection in a pail of water.
Even at six, he was strikingly handsome. He possessed delicate, well-defined features that were a stark contrast to the rugged, sun-beaten faces of the other village boys.
His skin was fair and smooth, a result of his deliberate efforts to stay out of the harshest sun.
His eyes, a shade of deep, polished obsidian, held a depth and intelligence that seemed far too mature for his small frame. His hair was jet-black and silky, falling neatly to his shoulders.
He was a beautiful child, and the village girls his age often followed him around, much to his private annoyance.
He stepped outside. The village elder, Old Jack, was already gathering the children.
"Tian'er, come, come! Don't be late! Today is the most important day of your lives!" Old Jack called, his face wrinkled with a grandfatherly smile.
Zhang Tian nodded politely and joined the small group. He saw Tang San standing a little apart from the others.
Tang San was, by all accounts, an ordinary-looking boy.
His clothes were neat but patched, and his face was plain, lacking the striking quality of Zhang Tian's.
Yet, Zhang Tian knew better.
Behind that common facade was a soul from another world, just like him. A man armed with the esoteric knowledge of the Tang Sect.
'Tang San,' Zhang Tian thought, his gaze lingering on the boy for a moment. 'The protagonist. The world's favored son at this moment. Overtaking him would be rather difficult.'
He had a deeply negative impression of the boy, colored by an incident that had occurred just last year.
(Flashback – One Year Ago)
At five years old, Zhang Tian had expanded his business ventures. Having exhausted the immediate engineering improvements he could offer the village, he turned to the nearby mountain.
Using his fragmented memories of the Douluo Dalu story and some basic botany books he'd managed to buy from a traveling merchant, he began identifying and harvesting common medicinal herbs.
He wasn't looking for spirit herbs, just things like ginseng roots, calming flowers, and wound-sealing leaves that he could sell in the village for a small profit.
It was tiring work. One afternoon, after gathering a small basket full of valuable nightshade berries and sunsettia leaves, he felt a wave of exhaustion.
He was still a small child, and the mountain paths were steep. He found a secluded thicket, hid his basket carefully under a large fern, and decided to take a short nap.
He was woken not by a sound, but by the subtle feeling of a presence nearby. He kept his eyes closed, slowing his breathing to mimic sleep. Through a tiny gap in his eyelids, he saw him.
It was Tang San.
Tang San moved with an unnatural silence, his steps light and his presence almost nonexistent.
It was the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Zhang Tian realized with a jolt.
The boy's eyes scanned the area with a sharpness that was unnerving. He quickly spotted the basket.
Instead of just taking it, Tang San paused.
He looked around and even stared at Zhang Tian, ensuring no one was watching.
Then, he muttered to himself in a low voice, a voice filled with a strange, self-righteous certainty.
"These herbs are potent. In the hands of ignorant villagers, they could be misused, or worse, improperly prepared, causing harm instead of healing," Tang San whispered, his small face serious. "Selling them for mere copper is a waste of their potential. In my hands, they can be refined into potent medicines... or poisons to punish the wicked who threaten the innocent. This isn't theft. This is ensuring these treasures are put to their greatest use. It is a necessary act for the greater good."
Zhang Tian felt a surge of cold fury.
'Hypocrite! You absolute, sanctimonious hypocrite! You just want them for your own experiments, for your Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record! Just admit you're stealing!'
He wanted to jump out, to scream, to confront him. But he crushed the impulse with cold, hard logic.
'What would that accomplish? He has Tang Sect techniques. I have… nothing. He could silence me permanently right here, and no one would ever know. He's stronger, faster, and more skilled. An open confrontation is suicide.'
He remained perfectly still, his heart pounding a furious rhythm against his ribs. He watched as Tang San carefully emptied the contents of his basket into a pouch of his own, leaving the basket behind.
Then, with the same spectral silence, he vanished back into the woods.
After waiting a full ten minutes to be safe, Zhang Tian finally sat up, his small fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white. The fury was still there, but it was now overlaid with a layer of icy resolve.
'So this is the hero of the story,' he thought, letting out a long, shaky breath.
'A thief who justifies his actions with a twisted sense of righteousness. Fine. Let him have the damned herbs. It's a cheap lesson to learn. Never underestimate him. And never, ever turn your back on him.'
He didn't bother with herb gathering after that. The risk wasn't worth the reward. Instead, he focused his efforts elsewhere.
He couldn't practice any cultivation techniques, but he could train his body.
Drawing on his memories of gym routines and fitness science from his previous life, he began a rigorous physical conditioning program.
He did push-ups to strengthen his chest and arms, squats and lunges for his legs, and planks for his core.
He was careful, always careful with his young body, ensuring he stretched properly and never pushed himself to the point of injury.
He knew that building a strong physical foundation was the first, most crucial step on any path to power.
(Present Day)
Now, standing in the village hall, the memory of that day felt fresh in his mind. The hall was a simple, large wooden building, now dominated by six black stones arranged in a circle on the floor. A man stood in the center, radiating an aura of power and arrogance. It was Su Yuntao, the Spirit Master from Spirit Hall, tasked with awakening the children of the surrounding villages.
"I am Su Yuntao, a 26th-ranked Spirit Grandmaster," he announced, his eyes sweeping over the children with a bored expression. "I will now awaken your Martial Spirits. Remember, no matter what happens, do not be afraid."
His gaze briefly lingered on Zhang Tian. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, noting the boy's exceptional appearance, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Beauty meant nothing if you didn't have the talent to back it up.
The ceremony was a quick and brutal affair. One by one, the children stepped into the circle of stones. A faint golden light would envelop them, and a tool or beast would manifest above their palm.
A boy awakened a sickle. "A tool spirit. Not bad," Su Yuntao said flatly. He brought out a blue crystal ball. "Test your spirit power."
The boy placed his hand on it. Nothing happened.
"No spirit power. You cannot become a Spirit Master," Su Yuntao declared, his voice devoid of sympathy. "Next!"
The scene repeated. A hoe, a blue silver grass, a stray dog. None of them had any spirit power. The children left the circle either in tears or with their heads hanging low. Old Jack's expression grew more and more worried.
"Next. Zhang Tian."
Zhang Tian stepped forward, his expression calm and composed. He met Su Yuntao's gaze without flinching. He took his place in the circle and closed his eyes as the golden light enveloped him.
He felt a strange warmth spread through his body, a gentle, nurturing energy. It felt comfortable, like lying in a field of soft grass on a summer day. Slowly, a single blade of grass, a deep and vibrant blue, materialized in the palm of his right hand. It looked utterly ordinary.
Blue Silver Grass. The trash Martial Spirit.
Su Yuntao sighed, his disappointment obvious. "Another Blue Silver Grass. It seems this village is truly hopeless. Come on, test your spirit power. Let's get this over with."
'I knew it,' Zhang Tian thought, a ripple of disappointment passing through him, but it wasn't the soul-crushing despair the other children had felt. 'The most common spirit in the world. But the potential of Blue Silver Grass isn't in what it is, but what it can become.'
He stepped forward and placed his hand on the blue crystal ball. He poured the entirety of his nascent energy into it.
A faint, almost imperceptible glimmer of light appeared within the crystal. It was a tiny speck, a single spark in a vast darkness.
Su Yuntao leaned in, squinting. "Spirit Power... 0.5. Barely anything. A shame. With a starting point this low, even reaching the rank of Spirit Master in your lifetime would be a miracle. You cannot be a Spirit Master. Next!"
The finality in his voice was like a hammer blow. The other villagers, who had held some hope for the handsome and intelligent boy, now looked at him with pity. Zhang Tian simply bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you, Grandmaster," he said, his voice steady. He then walked to the side of the room, his face an unreadable mask. He ignored the pitying stares, his mind already racing.
'Level 0.5. Not zero. That's the key. It's not a closed door, just a ridiculously heavy one. My plan is still viable. It just got a lot harder.'
Then, it was the last child's turn. "Tang San."
Tang San stepped into the circle. The same golden light enveloped him, and an identical blade of Blue Silver Grass appeared in his hand.
Old Jack's face fell completely. "Blue Silver Grass... again? How can this be?" he lamented. He had pinned all his hopes on Tang San being different.
Su Yuntao scoffed. "I told you it was a trash spirit. Alright, kid, test your power and let me get out of this backwater..."
His voice trailed off.
As Tang San placed his hand on the crystal ball, it didn't just glimmer. It exploded with a dazzling, brilliant blue light, illuminating the entire hall and casting sharp shadows on the walls. The light was so intense that everyone had to shield their eyes.
Su Yuntao's jaw dropped. His eyes were wide with utter disbelief. He snatched the ball away as if it were burning him.
"This... this is... Full Innate Spirit Power! Level 10! My god, it's actually Full Innate Spirit Power!"
The hall, which had been filled with disappointment, erupted.
"Full Spirit Power!"
"A genius! Our village has produced a genius!"
Old Jack was crying with joy, grabbing Tang San's shoulders. "A genius! Hahaha! I knew it! I knew it!"
Tang San himself looked a little stunned, but a quiet confidence quickly settled on his features. He glanced around at the adoring villagers, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
Amidst the chaos and celebration, no one noticed Zhang Tian slip out of the hall. He walked through the village, the sounds of cheering fading behind him. He didn't feel envy, only a grim sense of purpose.
'Let them celebrate the "genius." Let Tang San enjoy the spotlight. His path is his, and mine is mine. He has the favor of the world, a high starting point. I have nothing but a sliver of power and knowledge of the future. The race has begun, and while he may be starting at the finish line, it doesn't mean I can't run.'
He reached his small house and closed the door, shutting out the world. The quiet solitude was a comfort. He didn't waste a moment. He immediately dropped to the floor and began his physical exercises, the familiar burn in his muscles a grounding sensation.
After his workout, he sat cross-legged on his bed. He closed his eyes and focused inward, seeking that minuscule spark of spirit power. It was faint, like a distant star, but it was there. He tried to guide it, to make it circulate through his body. It was an agonizingly slow process, like trying to push a boulder with a single finger.
Later, he went outside to the patch of wild Blue Silver Grass that grew behind his house. He sat in the middle of it, activating his own Martial Spirit. A single blue blade appeared in his hand. He tried to feel a connection, to absorb the ambient energy from the surrounding grass. He felt a tiny, almost unnoticeable trickle of energy flow into him. It was less than a drop in an ocean, but it was something.
'Meditation and absorption. This will be my life for the foreseeable future,' he planned internally, his eyes gleaming with cold determination.
His gaze drifted towards the distant mountains.
'The long-term plan... that remains unchanged. This pathetic Blue Silver Grass is my canvas. But I will not paint a beautiful mural of life with it. I will corrupt it, twist it, and force it to mutate.'
He recalled the tidbits he remembered from the sequels of the story. A girl named Tang Ya, thousands of years in the future, possessed a mutated form: the Dark Blue Silver Grass. It had the terrifying ability to devour the life force and spirit power of others.
'That's the power I need. A devouring attribute. A power that allows me to take from the world, not just meekly receive what it gives me. With a power like that, my low innate talent won't matter. I can fuel my own growth.'
He knew the path was dangerous. Wielding such a power would likely brand him as an Evil Spirit Master, a target for the entire continent, especially the Spirit Hall.
'But what choice do I have? To live my life as a commoner, forgotten by the world, while a hypocrite like Tang San ascends to godhood? Never. I'd rather walk a path of thorns and risk damnation than accept a fate of mediocrity.'
The first step was the most critical: the first Spirit Ring.
'It has to be perfect. Not a gentle, life-affirming spirit beast. I need something dark. Something with the power of corruption, poison, or preferably, devouring. Something that will fundamentally taint the essence of my Blue Silver Grass and force its evolution. A venomous spider, a parasitic vine, a carrion-eating beast…'
But to find such a beast, and to even have a chance of hunting it, he needed knowledge and a proper education in the ways of Spirit Masters.
'There's only one place for that. The place where Tang San is headed. Nuoding City. The Nuoding Elementary Spirit Master Academy.'
He would have to get Old Jack to recommend him, just like Tang San. He had a small amount of savings, enough for the tuition. It would be his gateway to the wider world, to the libraries and teachers who held the knowledge he desperately needed.
'So, the plan is set,' Zhang Tian concluded, a fierce light in his obsidian eyes. 'Phase one: Endure, train my body, and slowly accumulate spirit power until I can leave for Nuoding. Phase two: Enter the academy, absorb all possible knowledge about spirit beasts and the world, and identify the perfect first spirit ring. Phase three: Obtain that ring and trigger the mutation.'
It was a daunting, near-impossible plan for a six-year-old with level 0.5 spirit power. But Zhang Tian was not just a six-year-old. He was a man with the knowledge of another world and a will of iron forged in the fires of regret. He would not fail. Not again.