"A chill wind blows through the valley of desolation, the spring and autumn cicadas chirp, and the young man returns..."
"Tang Buddha... I, Zhao Tao, am back!"
Douluo Continent, Sun Moon Federation, Aolai City, Qidian Orphanage.
A slightly childish little boy suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of joy in his eyes.
Unlike the other children in the orphanage,
Zhao Tao was not a native, but a time traveler from Blue Star.
After an unexpected encounter with a great fortune, he traveled to Douluo Continent during the era of the Dragon King legend.
However, this was not his biggest secret!
Because...
at this moment, Zhao Tao was not just a time traveler, but a time traveler who had returned from the long river of time!
This was no coincidence.
It stemmed from his martial spirit—the spring and autumn cicada!
A transcendent being capable of traveling through the river of time, reversing time and allowing people to travel back in time.
The present Zhao Tao,
through the Spring and Autumn Cicada, has been reborn with the memories and heritage of the future!
Before his rebirth,
despite relying on the Spring and Autumn Cicada's power and his understanding of the historical trends as a time traveler,
Zhao Tao had successfully broken through to the Quasi-God realm and been crowned Great Love Douluo years before the final invasion of the Abyss. He
also possessed spiritual power of the Divine Origin Realm and surpassed Yun Ming in strength.
Leveraging his sheer power, he orchestrated a plan to conquer the world and established the Douluo Family Great Love Alliance, making thorough preparations.
However, Zhao Tao was only a time traveler, not an omniscient and omnipotent god.
Faced with formidable True God-level foes like the Abyss Saint, Tang Hao, and Tang San's Divine Mind,
he ultimately fell short, failing to disrupt Tang San's grand plan and ultimately making a dismal exit!
Fortunately, Zhao Tao had anticipated the worst-case scenario
and had numerous back-up plans and trump cards prepared.
Facing the mighty hand of the Tang God King's reckoning,
Zhao Tao resolutely activated the Spring and Autumn Cicada, reversing time!
Although the Spring and Autumn Cicada's reversal wasn't 100% successful,
Zhao Tao's luck was quite good.
Not only was he successfully reborn,
but he was also incredibly lucky to be reborn at the age of six!
This was the exact age at which Zhao Tao, during his first time traveling through time, solved the mystery of his womb and awakened his pre-time memories!
"Unfortunately, the Spring and Autumn Cicada's rebirth isn't without a price..."
With a deep sigh, Zhao Tao, with a thought, summoned his Spring and Autumn Cicada martial spirit once again.
Before his rebirth, Zhao Tao's Spring and Autumn Cicada martial spirit was like a delicate work of art crafted from precious materials, radiating vibrant vitality.
However, the Spring and Autumn Cicada before Zhao Tao now exuded a strong aura of death. Its trunk appeared dull and withered, its wings withered and broken, like a fallen leaf, seemingly poised to wither at any moment.
This was the very sacrifice the Spring and Autumn Cicada had made in carrying Zhao Tao through the river of time for rebirth: a severe blow and loss to its very essence!
Originally, the Spring and Autumn Cicada was a top-tier martial spirit.
When Zhao Tao awakened his martial spirit in his first life, his innate soul power was at full strength.
But now,
Zhao Tao could sense that due to the damage to the Spring and Autumn Cicada's martial spirit's essence, his own innate soul power had temporarily decreased.
"Although my innate soul power has been temporarily damaged..."
"But I have memories from before my rebirth, and a specially prepared martial arts inheritance. I have the advantage!"
"Besides, the damage to the Spring and Autumn Cicada's essence isn't irreversible. It just takes time to recover."
Looking at the lifeless and utterly exhausted Spring and Autumn Cicada, Zhao Tao's eyes flashed with heartache as he once again drew it back into his body.
Although the Spring and Autumn Cicada's original energy had been nearly depleted by its rebirth,
it could continuously draw upon the energy of time from the River of Time, restoring its vitality.
However, this recovery process wouldn't be complete overnight.
If the Spring and Autumn Cicada relied solely on its own recovery, it would take a cumulative nine years to return to its peak state!
During these nine years, Zhao Tao's innate soul power would also rise by one level each year until it reached its peak, full soul power.
Furthermore, finding a celestial treasure imbued with the power of time, such as the Sand of Time, could also accelerate the Spring and Autumn Cicada's recovery.
It could even directly enhance Zhao Tao's soul power and cultivation through its refinement.
However, such celestial treasures imbued with the power of time were extremely rare and expensive.
Even Titled Douluo masters find it difficult to obtain.
Of course, Zhao Tao's previous backup plan would come in handy! After all
, although he couldn't carry any cultivation or items with him upon rebirth
, Zhao Tao had already, using the Spring and Autumn Cicada's sensing, discovered the locations of numerous untapped Time Sand deposits before his rebirth.
Once his cultivation reached a certain level, he could travel to these locations, collect Time Sand, and accelerate the Spring and Autumn Cicada's recovery!
"The Spring and Autumn Cicada's recovery can only be done gradually."
"Right now, the most important thing is to intercept the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena, or rather—Na'er—who has just entered the human world!"
"In this life, I will personally take back everything I've lost!"
"Tang Buddha, just wait... I will definitely turn the tide!"
Gathering his thoughts, Zhao Tao quickly grasped the current "main mission."
Just like in his first life, he'd save Na'er before Tang Wulin could, and "abduct" her back home.
And now, everything was ready, waiting for Na'er to officially enter the human world!
...
"Children, it's time to wake up."
"Today is the day you change your destiny."
"You will go to Hongshan Academy to awaken your martial spirits."
"If you possess innate spirit power, you have the potential to become spirit masters—"
"Then the Sun-Moon Federation will arrange for spirit masters to adopt you, and you won't need to stay in the orphanage anymore!"
Just then, a resounding female voice echoed from the orphanage room.
It was Zhang Mei, the director of Qidian Orphanage.
Hearing Zhang Mei's voice, the children at Qidian Orphanage all rose, changed their clothes, and washed up.
After a mere bowl of porridge for breakfast, Zhao Tao and several other children, just over six years old, led by Zhang Mei, headed for Hongshan Academy.
"Children, when we get there, a Spirit Master will help you awaken your spirits."
"When the time comes, you must be obedient and follow the Master's instructions. Follow all instructions."
Following Zhang Mei's instructions, Zhao Tao and his group entered Hongshan Academy and patiently waited in front of a circular awakening room.
"Before my rebirth, when I awakened my martial soul, my Spring and Autumn Cicada martial soul was at its peak, and my innate soul power reached level ten, which means full innate soul power."
"Now, with the Spring and Autumn Cicada's essence damaged, my innate soul power has plummeted. The resulting butterfly effect will likely be far greater than I imagined."
"Besides, innate soul power also represents talent!"
"Although my innate soul power will recover with the recovery of the Spring and Autumn Cicada's essence, the impact I suffered in the past few years is real."
"However, the backup plan I prepared in advance is enough to offset most of the gap!"
While awaiting the soul power test, Zhao Tao fell into deep thought again, pondering his future development plans.
"Zhao Tao!"
Just then, a teacher from Hongshan College stepped out of the awakening room and shouted Zhao Tao's name.