1 - The dawn of a new world

The sun rises, always the same sun, but illuminating a different world.

In the early morning, the sky is slightly clear.

Outside the Village of the Holy Soul on the Douluo Continent, Ye Zhen was lying on a rock, appearing relaxed and content.

But in his intelligent eyes, there is a sadness he shouldn't have at his age.

All this is because this small six-year-old body contains the soul of an adult from the 21st century.

Yes, Ye Zhen transmigrated.

-- POV - Ye Zhen

At first, it was hard to accept, almost refusing to come to terms with the situation.

In his previous life, although Ye Zhen's parents were divorced, his small life was quite comfortable.

Except for a few days each month, when the rent was due and the hard-earned money went away, other than that, Ye Zhen was still very satisfied with his life.

However, God or some R.O.B seemed to have played a cruel joke on me. When I sat down to watch the anime Naruto and Douluo Dalu for six days and nights at home and suddenly died, maybe I should have exercised more in my past life.

It's just six days and six nights, such trivial matters are common to me, but apparently, it wasn't so trivial for my body, but death is such a sudden thing that leaves people unprepared.

In this world, in this continent so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, it has been six years since I transmigrated to this village.

I was used to a comfortable life, with always clean clothes and good food, so arriving in this village, where it's difficult to get good food and where clothes are almost a luxury, was a tough period. Nowadays, I have somewhat gotten used to it, but considering it normal, I don't think I will ever get accustomed to this situation.

After six years of immersion, I have seen many things, but one thing is eternal pain. On the Douluo Continent, only the strong have the right to speak. Unfortunately, my luck in this life apparently hasn't been so good.

My parents in this life, my mother's martial spirit is a scythe for cutting silver-blue grass, and my father's martial spirit is a farming hoe. You need to know that martial spirits are likely inherited from parents to children.

I don't think I would be an exception; it was very likely that I would inherit my father's martial spirit. Therefore, I can't stay calm, and this confusing feeling and worry about my future come to my mind every day.

But I refuse to accept this! After all, now that I've come to such a wonderful world, I naturally want to live a good life. I'm not willing to live a farming life every day. Working from sunrise to sunset sounds wonderful, but it's not what I yearn for.

I want to leave my will and story in this world. And the premise of all this is that I will be able to awaken a martial soul and possess soul power. On the Douluo Continent, only those with awakened spirits and spiritual power can cultivate and become spirit masters.

Otherwise, even if you have awakened a powerful martial soul, if you were born with zero soul power, you are not qualified for cultivation. In the past six years, I tried to befriend Tang San, who is in the same village, and wanted him to teach me Xuan Tian Gong.

But that boy Tang San is truly two-faced. He keeps his mouth shut, saying that he is just an ordinary person and that he can jump a few meters due to his daily exercise.

Damn Tang San, with his constant refusal, I found myself unable to start, and my plan to learn Xuantian Gong was directly aborted. "The village chief Jack said that the martial soul awakening will start the day after tomorrow. What should I do..."

Looking at his tangled, long black hair, looking like a mini Uchiha Madara, only with straight hair,

-- POV - END

While Ye Zhen was burying his head in his thighs in despair, a small figure suddenly leaped onto the hill in the distance.

He had short black hair that was simple and natural, and his face was youthful and calm. His clothing was ordinary, with occasional patches visible, but they were very clean.

After looking around for a while, his toes tapped on the ground, and his young body leaped several meters into the air. As he was about to fall back down, his feet gently pushed off the other protruding rocks, propelling him upward once more.

Among the rocks, the figure moved with agility, and his legs could leap several meters with all their effort. This small figure reached Ye Zhen's side in no time and stood there in silence.

"Ye Zhen, are you here again today?"

Tang San, who had just returned from practicing Xuantian Gong, saw the familiar figure of Ye Zhen at the village entrance as usual. He greeted him, but his neighbor was always indifferent when he saw him.

Ye Zhen was startled by Tang San's sudden voice. The head he was pulling back was now raised as well. Seeing that it was Tang San, Ye Zhen sighed helplessly, "Little San, you've grown again with that magical skill..."

Tang San smiled awkwardly.

"Why are you here? Do I need to worry about something today? Normally, you're so carefree."

Ye Zhen rolled his eyes. He was usually calm, but now, as this was a turning point in his life, he was panicking.

"Little San, the Martial Spirit will awaken the day after tomorrow. If I don't have the spiritual power to cultivate, you must take me to fly, and I will acknowledge you as my brother."

Ye Zhen looked at Tang San, his eyes full of sincerity, or almost. He wasn't joking; he truly felt this way.

If you can't practice, cling to the protagonist's legs.

After hearing what Ye Zhen said, Tang San was stunned. Ye Zhen used to say things that were hard to understand, and he didn't know where he learned them from.

But looking at Ye Zhen's sincere expression, Tang San felt ashamed to refuse him.

"Although I don't know what you're talking about, I agree to such a trivial matter."

Tang San responded readily. The two were neighbors, living next to each other, growing up together, and knowing the roots and background of the village. In the village, Ye Zhen was Tang San's only friend.

Other children were too naive and foolish. Not only did Tang San not want to deal with them, but Ye Zhen also had no interest in them.

When two people are equally mature and share Ye Zhen's deliberate approach, they naturally get along well, and their relationship is good.

If it weren't for Xuan Tiangong, which was the secret of the Tang Sect, Tang San would have already passed the Xuan Tiangong to Ye Zhen years ago.

Ye Zhen put a cute smile back on his slightly childish face after hearing Tang San's response and said, "Then it's a deal!"

With that, the two parted ways and went to their respective homes.

"Father, mother. I'm back!"

Before entering the house, the familiar loud voice of Ye Zhen reached his parents' ears. It was noon, and Ye Zhen returned hungry. He was supposed to arrive home on time for his meals. If he didn't, the situation would not be "comfortable" for him.

What awaited him was a meal of vegetables with bamboo shoots. He had the honor of tasting it once before, and it was truly "exciting."

"The little chick is back; sit down and eat."

A middle-aged woman with bronze-tanned skin and shoulder-length brown hair carried a plate of greasy green vegetables. When she saw Ye Zhen entering through the door, she smiled and greeted him.

This is Ye Zhen's mother, Liu Qingqing.

A common name for an ordinary person. After all, Liu Qingqing worked in the fields and had become tanned from prolonged sun exposure.

"Mom, can you stop calling me little chick... I'm all grown up now."

Ye Zhen climbed up onto the stool with embarrassment, protesting unhappily. His childish face was full of shame. "Little chick" was Ye Zhen's nickname, and he had always been very resistant to it.

Liu Qingqing seemed happy after placing the dishes on the table. She reached out and quickly ruffled Ye Zhen's head, leaning close to his ear and smiling as she teased, "Look at Mommy's little chick, all red."

Ye Zhen lowered his already reddened face and shook his head in dissatisfaction, but his little arms couldn't twist his thigh. Seeing that he could never escape his mother's grasp, Ye Zhen resigned himself to his fate and grabbed his chopsticks, fighting with the food on the table with a fierce expression.

On the other side of the table, a man took a sip from his small wine cup and watched the scene with a satisfied expression. There was a delicate look between his brows. His very tanned skin, dark hair, and sturdy build marked him as Ye Zhen's father, Ye Nan.

Ye Nan generally didn't engage in teasing his son. He enjoyed watching the mother and son bicker softly. A father's love is always more subtle.

There were two simple homemade dishes on the dinner table. There was no meat, but the two side dishes were stir-fried and glistening. The colors were distinct, making them very appetizing.

Although the Ye family wasn't wealthy, they could still afford the basics for a minimal living. After all, Ye Zhen's parents were very hardworking.

"Zhen, the Martial Soul awakening is the day after tomorrow. Do you have any thoughts on it?"

After taking a bite of his food, Ye Nan looked at Ye Zhen and asked. Liu Qingqing also stopped reaching for vegetables and looked on in silence. Ye Zhen took a mouthful of rice and replied vaguely, "If you have soul power, you become a spirit master. If you don't have soul power, follow your father when he works..."

Ye Zhen said this as if he didn't care much.

But how could Ye Zhen's desires and worries be hidden from the two elders who gave him life? Ye Nan and Liu Qingqing exchanged glances and fell silent. They knew their son's character. Although he was mischievous, his mind was far superior to his peers.

This had always been their pride, but at the same time, it was what worried them. Even if other children lacked spiritual power, they might feel sad on the day of the assessment but likely forget it the next day.

But Ye Zhen would definitely remember this moment for his whole life. It would be a scar that could never be erased from his heart. Ye Nan and Liu Qingqing feared that their precious son would lack soul power to become a spirit master.

"Zhen, in fact, being a spirit master isn't all that great. It's dangerous. If you don't have soul power, don't worry too much about it. It's a blessing to be simple."

Liu Qingqing gently stroked Ye Zhen's head, comforting him softly.

Liu Qingqing was still very kind when she wasn't wielding bamboo strips.

"Okay, Mom, you and Dad don't need to worry about me. If I really don't have spiritual power, then I'll go into business..."

After speaking, Ye Zhen scooped up the rice in his bowl in a few swallows and chewed vigorously. Then he smiled brightly at his parents and said, "Mom and Dad, I've finished eating, I'm going out to have some fun."

As soon as the words were out, Ye Zhen dropped a steamed bun and dashed out with a shout. Only Ye Nan and Liu Qingqing looked at each other.

At this moment, Ye Zhen didn't know what his parents were thinking. He quickly made his way to the large broken house next door.

This was Tang San's house. The house occupied a large area, but the house itself was small.

At that moment, smoke was just rising from Tang San's chimney.

Ye Zhen familiarized himself with the broken wooden door of Tang San's house, ran to the stove in a few steps, and began to help add firewood.

Tang San was not surprised by this; it wasn't the first day that Ye Zhen came to help him add firewood. The two worked together, and a pot of porridge was soon cooked.

Tang San lifted the lid, and there was only a handful of rice grains in the porridge, mostly a light white soup. This was Tang San's and his father Tang Hao's lunch. Dinner was usually the same, just porridge, with no extras.

Ye Zhen knew the plot of Douluo but still couldn't accept Tang Hao's approach. Looking at Tang San's struggle, he couldn't get enough to eat at every meal and was already malnourished at a young age. Is this what a qualified father should do?

Ye Zhen was a bit upset for Tang San, but he knew it wasn't something a stranger should interfere with.

Ye Zhen took the steamed white bun he had just grabbed from the dinner table and lightly tossed it to Tang San to remind him. Tang San was holding a wooden spoon and serving the porridge into the bowl, but he had no extra hands to catch the large steamed bun.

However, Tang San's mastery of the Tang Sect's martial arts over the years was not in vain. Ye Zhen saw his left hand twitch slightly, the wooden bowl in his hand flew up more than two meters and nearly hit the ceiling. The large steamed bun tossed by Ye Zhen was casually caught by Tang San, who then stuffed it into his mouth.

At this moment, the force of the wooden bowl was exhausted, and it came back down. Tang San didn't even look at it, extended his left hand with the palm up. The wooden bowl fell vertically, right in the middle of his palm, without a drop of porridge or soup.

Everything seemed fluent, and Tang San appeared to have calculated carefully, but in reality, it was easy for him and he did it casually.

The control over Tang Sect's techniques was not diminished.

"Thanks..."

Tang San thanked vaguely and rolled his eyes. This guy always uses this small trick to show off his techniques. Ye Zhen felt a bit sad seeing this. In fact, he was very curious about Tang San's techniques and longed for them.

After placing the two bowls of porridge, Tang San shouted toward the back room, "Dad, dinner is ready!" After a moment, the old curtain was lifted.

A tall figure emerged. His beard might not have been groomed for several years, covering the lower half of his face. His skin was pale, and his eyes were a bit dull. There were patches on his worn linen shirt, which was dirty and looked a bit sloppy.

Being close, Ye Zhen also caught a strong smell of alcohol. This was Tang Hao, the titled Douluo Haotian, Clear Sky Douluo.

Ye Zhen looked at him expressionlessly; such a person was actually a man who shocked the entire Douluo Continent. Even though he had encountered him several times before, Ye Zhen still found it a bit strange to think that such a person could be a Title Douluo.

If he were not familiar with the plot and happened to meet Tang Hao on the street, Ye Zhen felt he would be more likely to treat him as a beggar. Without saying a word, Tang Hao came to the table in two steps, grabbed the wooden bowl with one hand, tilted his head back, and poured the porridge into his mouth. When he lowered it, there was nothing left.

Then, Tang Hao ignored Ye Zhen and Tang San and went straight back to the inner room. Throughout the process, Tang Hao did not say a word, did not see Ye Zhen or Tang San. Tang San sat silently, drinking the porridge and soup with his bread.

Tang San was accustomed to Tang Hao's style and didn't think much of it. He vaguely remembered some things from the past, knowing that his father was affected by his mother's death, and he became this way. Therefore, Tang San did not complain.

In a past life, Tang San was an orphan and was adopted by the Tang Clan. In this life, Tang San seemed to value family affection very much. Even though Tang Hao had all sorts of bad habits, he was still his biological father. Tang San felt he had the responsibility to care for his father.

Soon after lunch, the two gathered by the forging table and began to choose from various iron blocks. They planned to build two Silent Manga Arrows, which they had discussed in the morning.

The day after tomorrow is the Martial Soul awakening, and Tang San would definitely awaken the Blue Silver Grass and Clear Sky Hammer spirit. Because Tang San practiced the Xuantian Gong, he would surely have his full innate soul power.

According to the plot, Tang San would enter Notting Junior College and could only return home once a year. And Ye Zhen's chance of lacking soul power was even greater. He needed means to protect himself again, so he had bothered Tang San to make weapons for him in the morning.

Originally, he wanted a short sword, but Tang San said there was something more suitable for him. Ye Zhen naturally understood when he thought about it. Tang San's various skills came from the Tang Sect, which was famous for its hidden weapons.

At this stage, Tang San was limited in materials, and the only hidden weapon he could make was the Silent Manga Arrow, or the Xiujian.

The two picked two medium-sized pieces from a pile of iron blocks and were ready to forge.

The first step in making the Xiujian: forging iron.

The sound of hammers beating quickly came from this dilapidated house, and the "clang" echoed through half of the Holy Soul Village. The iron block, red from the hot flame, was constantly deformed under Tang San's vigorous hammering, and small pieces of black impurities flaked off the surface of the iron block.

Ye Zhen and Tang San were working vigorously and were in a good mood. Their slightly childish faces were covered in sweat, but the excitement in their eyes was beyond words.

Tang Hao didn't know when he opened the curtain again, leaning on the door frame and observing silently. His black pupils seemed to have regained color at this moment, and his eyes were not as out of focus as before.

"Yin, did you see? Our son was born with power..."

Tang Hao whispered softly, with a trace of gratification in his eyes.

"Clang!"

"Clang!!"

"Clang!!!"

The hammering continued from noon until night before stopping.

"Grunt"

The broken wooden door of Tang San's house opened, and the small figure of Zhen, covered in soot, staggered out.

By the afternoon, the various parts of the Silent Xiujian were basically completed. But it would take a while to assemble. Ye Zhen suppressed his excitement and staggered towards his home.

Although he was very tired today, he would have the first hidden weapon, and just thinking about it, Ye Zhen was in a good mood, even humming a little tune on his way home...

After a while, Ye Zhen reached his door, his nose twitched a few times. Huh? It seems there is meat tonight? Did Dad catch a hare again? Thinking about this, Ye Zhen's stomach "growled."

He wiped the saliva that was about to drip from the corner of his mouth, and Ye Zhen's eyes sparkled: "Dad, Mom. I'm back..."

Pushing the door open and entering, both his father and mother were sitting at the table. There were two dishes on the table, one of which was roasted rabbit.

Ye Nan and Liu Qingqing were surprised when they looked at the little black figure at the door. After carefully identifying him, they realized it was indeed their own son.

Liu Qingqing got up and quickly walked towards the kitchen.

Ye Zhen didn't think much about it, thinking his mother was going to serve food. At this moment, only the golden rabbit legs from that test were left in his eyes. Not the meat from several weeks ago, so excited, Ye Zhen hurriedly climbed onto a stool.

At this moment, Liu Qingqing returned. Holding two bamboo strips in her hand, she handed one to Ye Zhen's father, Ye Nan. The eyes of the two elders were a bit stern. Ye Zhen, with his hands outstretched towards the vegetable bowl, looked at this scene and suddenly felt his back go cold.

"Mom and Dad, let me explain..."

"Dad..."

"Can you hit me after I eat the rabbit?"

"Dad, Dad..."

...

Tang San heard the tragic wails from the next door and lamented for Ye Zhen for three seconds.