All rights reserved to the respective authors.
"Dialogue": Represented in double quotes for conversations between characters.
'Thoughts': Represented in single quotation marks, indicating the characters' internal reflections.
[Diary]: Represented in square brackets, used for messages intended for the heroines or entries written by Tenshin.
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Next Day – Dawn
A new day broke over Spirit Holy Village, with the first light of dawn creeping over the horizon. The gentle sunlight bathed the village in warm, golden hues, casting long shadows across the roofs of the cottages. Tenshin set off toward the park near the village's center, his footsteps light on the dirt path. Though the park had only been established the previous year, it had quickly become a hub for the locals. Its circular layout featured clusters of mature trees, vibrant flowering bushes, and neatly arranged benches alongside stone tables—some adorned with intricately carved chessboards. Tenshin had reintroduced the game of chess to the village, inspired by a memory from his previous life. To his surprise, it had taken root quickly. On the Douluo Continent, where entertainment options were scarce—especially for civilians who rarely witnessed the exclusive duels of the Soul Arenas—the game had become a beloved pastime.
Tenshin had come to the park at Old Jack's request, eager to meet with both him and Tang San. After exchanging brief greetings upon his arrival, Old Jack had headed toward Tang San's house. However, when Tenshin reached their rendezvous point, neither of his companions was immediately present. Choosing a quiet bench, he sat down and mused, 'Why did Grandpa Jack call me out so early? Normally, I'd still be in the kitchen preparing breakfast…'
Then, a realization struck him. 'Ah, it must be about the village's work-study quota.' The thought took him a moment to fully register, as he was still groggy from sleep. With some time to spare, Tenshin decided to satisfy a curiosity he had harbored but had forgotten about the day before due to his excitement over his martial souls. After confirming he was alone, he quietly activated his second martial soul, the Wise Eyes of the Dragon, and employed its "Analysis" skill on himself. Within moments, a detailed analytical readout flowed into his mind:
[Name: Satoru Tenshin
Martial Souls: Dragon Chains, Wise Eyes of the Dragon
Innate Soul Power: 10
Rank: 10 (Soul Energy: 14/100%)
Combat Power: Level 14]
[Skills
Dragon Chains: None
Wise Eyes of the Dragon: None]
[Techniques
Cultivation/Meditation:
– Foundation Breath (Basic–High Technique)
– General Meditation Method (Basic Technique)
Combat Proficiency:
– Unarmed Combat: Low–Mid
– Armed Combat: Low (+)
Soul Techniques:
– Dragon Chains: Lightning Wave, Circular Defense
– Wise Eyes of the Dragon: None]
[Proficiency/Quality Levels: Basic -> Low -> Mid -> High -> ??? -> ??? -> ???]
Tenshin reviewed the analysis with calm detachment; his steady expression revealed no hint of surprise. He already knew that his Foundation Breath surpassed the General Meditation Method, even though both were classified as Basic. The combat proficiency results were also within his expectations, as he had trained with a wide variety of weapons but had only reached a Basic–High level with most. Achieving the next level in any one weapon required prolonged, concentrated practice—an objective that did not align with his broader goal of mastering an array of basic techniques. He had not anticipated, however, that one of his martial souls would be Dragon Chains. Thus, his armed combat rating was Low precisely because he possessed proficiency across many weapons at the Basic–High level. In contrast, his deliberate focus on unarmed combat was part of his plan; Tenshin understood that at higher ranks, a soul master relies less on soul skills and more on refined martial prowess. Mastery of hand-to-hand combat was not only practical—it was essential for his current and future advantages.
Lost in thought, Tenshin suddenly heard footsteps approaching. He quickly closed the analysis panel, deactivated his martial soul, and turned to greet the source of the sound. Soon, Old Jack and Tang San appeared—Tang San's expression was a mix of curiosity and slight confusion. As they approached, Tenshin stood up and waved. "Good morning!" he said with a smile.
Old Jack returned the greeting with a warm smile, while Tang San gave a small, reserved nod.
Without delay, Old Jack got straight to the point. "I'm not sure if you two are aware, so I'll explain from the beginning. Nuoding Academy grants only one work-study quota to each village in its vicinity." Reaching into his sleeve, he retrieved several documents, handing one to Tang San and another to Tenshin while keeping a third for himself. "But as you both know, each of you has awakened a martial soul with soul power—a situation that presents a unique challenge."
Pausing briefly, Old Jack continued with a faint smile, "But following yesterday's awakening ceremony, Su Yuntao presented me with your soul master certificates, along with this." He unfolded a letter and handed it to Tang San. "It is a letter of recommendation," he explained.
"Su Yuntao anticipated this situation. Knowing your potential as soul masters, he wanted to ensure that neither of you wasted your talent. With this recommendation, Nuoding Academy will likely give you, Xiao San, an extra study and work position. At the very least, they will extend proper respect to a soul master of Su Yuntao's caliber, or indeed, to the Spirit Hall behind him."
Tang San accepted the letter with a barely audible "thank you." Tenshin was not surprised; he already knew that Tang San stood a strong chance of entering Nuoding Academy even without the village quota. Given the rarity of soul power awakenings in nearby villages, rejection was nearly impossible. Yet another concern nudged at Tenshin's mind—how Tang San would perceive this arrangement.
'He might even begin to resent either me or Grandpa Jack,' Tenshin thought. 'Tang San should be wondering: "My innate soul power is higher—so why am I receiving a recommendation rather than a guaranteed vacancy?"'
That thought clearly echoed in Tang San's mind. Despite understanding Old Jack's explanation—and being aware that the recommendation nearly guaranteed his entrance—a twinge of resentment lingered.
'My innate soul power is higher than Tenshin's,' Tang San mused silently. 'So why wasn't I chosen for the quota? Is this favoritism? Only because Tenshin is closer to him?'
He held these thoughts back, knowing that voicing them might come off as petty or ungrateful. Without the letter, he would have no access to the academy or an opportunity to deepen his knowledge of soul mastery.
Unbeknownst to him, however, even if he did not secure the work-study spot, Tang Hao would never allow his son's talent to go to waste. The irony was almost poetic—after Tang San revealed that he inherited not only Blue Silver Grass but also the Clear Sky Hammer, which had softened Tang Hao's typically indifferent demeanor into one marked by protection.
After the brief meeting, the trio parted ways. Old Jack hurried off to tend to the village's various affairs while Tang San raced toward the mountain where he trained—eager not to miss the fleeting moment of sunrise essential for absorbing the Purple Qi vital to his Purple Demon Eye technique. Tenshin made his way home, his thoughts drifting to breakfast; he was hungry, and for a moment, all else faded into the background.
Upon arriving home, Tenshin quickly headed to the kitchen. Half an hour later, after preparing and eating his breakfast, he sat down at the desk in his room—next to which was a tall bookshelf crammed with books that Old Jack had bought for him over the past two years, as well as documents, theories, plans, ideas, and insights written by Tenshin, both from his current life and his past life. To avoid the risk of "someone" stealing information, all of his notes were written only in English.
Rising from his chair, he made his way to the shelf and took down a notebook marked "Meridians." As he flipped through its contents, he eventually reached the final page, which contained his most detailed meridian map thus far. Seizing a pencil, he began to sketch a new diagram, integrating the pathways he had uncovered during his cultivation session the day before. The endeavor occupied him for around five minutes, as the newly recognized meridians kept his hand busy. Once he completed the sketch, he carefully reviewed the revised map before opening a drawer to take out an aged brown notebook. Over the last two years, Tenshin had jotted down spontaneous ideas in this notebook, many of which were untested or impractical. One such idea involved utilizing hand signs to enhance the precision and control of soul power manipulation. Consequently, he flipped to the page labeled "Hand Signs." This section contained an old concept—one that had lingered in his thoughts for some time but remained unexamined due to his incomplete meridian diagram. Inspired by the techniques from Battle Through the Heavens—where cultivators used specific gestures to channel or direct their energy in key moments, like condensing a cyclone of Dou Qi—he recognized a chance to explore this notion as a side project. Previously, he couldn't perceive the flow of soul power within his body or trace its path through the meridians. Now that those challenges were overcome, he felt prepared to start.
At this stage, he thought about utilizing the Synthesis feature of the system but ultimately chose to explore and collect as much information as he could over the coming month. He planned to reserve Synthesis for the last week to minimize the use of LP. Additionally, he was still missing crucial information regarding the reactions, functions, and impacts of each meridian. With his notebooks ready, Tenshin headed to the back garden to start his experiments.
Early Evening
After an afternoon of research and experiments, Tenshin successfully identified the characteristics and effects of two-fifths of his newly mapped meridians. As he had predicted, even the meridians beyond the renowned Eight Extraordinary Meridians exhibited some influence on soul power, although most were too delicate to produce significant results. However, thanks to his Foundation Breath technique, Tenshin's meridians had grown more robust than those of an ordinary person. Consequently, even the typically weaker meridians managed to manifest measurable effects—effects that, while not matching the formidable Eight Extraordinary Meridians, were still valuable.
Of all the meridians, the ones that captured Tenshin's attention most were those capable of compressing, even if only temporarily, the soul power that flowed through them. This interest was born from one of his goals: to develop a cultivation method that could compress, condense, and ultimately purify his soul power. Although he knew that such compression and condensation naturally occurred as a soul master advanced, Tenshin was unwilling to wait until reaching the Titled Douluo level—level 90—when the transition from a gaseous to a liquid state of soul power was typical. The true challenge for him was purifying his soul power, given that he knew of only one method—the Soul Core—which remained far beyond his current level. Moreover, he possessed only a vague explanation from the original novel, without a full understanding of the requirements and limitations that might be discovered by human soul masters in the millennia to come.
"Huff…" Tenshin let out a deep breath and stretched out his tight muscles. He picked up the final sandwich he had made for breakfast and took a bite to satisfy his hunger. Once he finished his snack, he put the two notebooks back in their designated spots. With just a few hours left before sleep, he opted for a quick shower to help relieve the stress of the day. After his shower, he cooked and enjoyed a more substantial dinner than usual, making up for a day that consisted solely of breakfast, water, and sandwiches.
Back in his room, Tenshin shut his eyes once again, contemplating his follow-up act. "I hope this goes well and I don't experience any adverse reactions," he whispered to himself. When he opened his eyes, he observed a serious gleam and a hint of worry within them. In the next instant, he activated both of his martial souls simultaneously—Dragon Chains and Wise Eyes of the Dragon. Time passed without any negative incidents. Feeling relieved, Tenshin focused on his body, noting only the increased pressure and soul power usage compared to when just one martial soul was in play. Satisfied that everything was fine, he deactivated his martial souls and wrote a brief diary entry summarizing his experiences, careful to avoid too much detail—his instincts advised him against writing his discoveries, prompting him to write only a general account without specifics. Afterwards, Tenshin sat on his bed and meditated for several hours before finally falling asleep.