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Douluo Continent, southwest of Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province, behind Ting Quan Village.
After the rain, the mountain air was filled with the fresh scent of earth, and damp bamboo leaves rustled softly in the gentle breeze.
A slender figure moved through the bamboo forest, wearing a bamboo hat and holding a small hoe, intently digging for something.
It was a child, his tender face showing a hint of displeasure, muttering, "That damn old man, just one fortune-telling session landed me in this godforsaken place, and I even have to go up the mountain myself to find breakfast."
Though his movements were clumsy, his eyes were exceptionally focused; each swing of the hoe determined whether he would fill his stomach today.
Soon after, a tender bamboo shoot was carefully dug out and casually tossed into the bamboo basket on his back.
The child wiped the sweat from his forehead, sat down on a clean stone, and began peeling the bamboo shoot's outer skin.
Suddenly, his movements paused, and a sorrow unbefitting his age appeared on his tender face.
He looked up at the distant sky, his eyes filled with a trace of confusion and contemplation.
"Zither music breaks calamity, Bagua suppresses fortune… What exactly did that old man mean?" he murmured softly, as if talking to himself.
His name was Feng Xiao, originally a music teacher skilled in playing the Seven Stringed Zither.
That day, on his way home from work, he was stopped by an old man on a skybridge who offered to tell his fortune for free.
Feng Xiao didn't believe in such things, but out of politeness, he patiently listened to the old man's words.
The old man's words were cryptic, but the eight characters "Zither music breaks calamity, Bagua suppresses fortune" were deeply imprinted in his mind.
However, when he went home and slept, upon opening his eyes again, he found himself an infant.
At first, he thought it was a dream, as illusory as Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly.
But this dream lasted for six years and had yet to end.
Gradually, he had to accept the reality—he had transmigrated.
From a young age, he was raised by the villagers of Ting Quan Village.
When he saw villagers summon objects out of thin air to use as tools, he realized he had come to an extraordinary World.
A few years later, when he could speak fluently, he finally confirmed the World he was in—Douluo Continent.
It was a novel he had read in his early years, and the magical cultivation World described in the book had deeply fascinated him.
Now, he found himself personally in it, a twist of fate that left him both helpless and vaguely expectant.
After peeling the bamboo shoot, Feng Xiao slowly assumed a stance in an open space in the mountain, beginning to practice the Eight Section Brocade.
Though his movements were still clumsy, they exuded a sense of steadiness and focus, his breathing and actions perfectly coordinated, as if he had merged with the surrounding nature.
Having been in this World for six years, Feng Xiao spent that time meticulously observing every detail of this World.
Over these six years, he personally witnessed nearly seventy children undergo Spirit awakening, yet, regrettably, not a single person in Ting Quan Village was able to become a Spirit Master.
This outcome left Feng Xiao feeling helpless, but it also sparked deeper reflection.
He set aside the major influencing factor of Spirit and began to seek answers from other perspectives.
His gaze not only lingered on the children about to awaken their Spirit but also extended to adults who had awakened their Spirit but had no spirit power, and even to the village elders.
Gradually, he discovered some unusual phenomena.
Most of the village elders lived long lives; despite their not-so-superior living conditions and medical standards far inferior to his previous life, their bodies were quite robust.
And those adults, when using Spirit for labor, did not expend much physical strength, yet their power far exceeded Feng Xiao's in his previous life.
These phenomena reminded him of Tang San's cultivation of Mysterious Heaven Skill before awakening his Spirit in the original work, seemingly implying that abundant energy was freely flowing in this World.
Feng Xiao always believed that, no matter in which World, energy is conserved.
Therefore, he would come to the back mountain every day; on one hand, to search for mountain goods to ensure he consumed enough nutrients; on the other hand, the process of climbing itself was a form of exercise.
More importantly, he firmly believed that, without awakening spirit power and being unable to cultivate directly, the free-floating energy in the World might be absorbed into the body through breathing.
And the Eight Section Brocade was precisely the breakthrough he found.
In university, this was also an elective course for Feng Xiao.
This ancient health-preserving exercise, which emphasizes the coordinated movement of limbs and breathing, perfectly suited his needs.
To possess spirit power during Spirit awakening, Feng Xiao placed his hope in these daily practices.
Although the path ahead was unknown, this was all he could do for now.
Feng Xiao breathed slowly and steadily, his movements graceful and fluid, as if he had merged with the surrounding nature.
Just as he was about to move to the next posture, a dry, hoarse, yet slightly anxious voice came from a distance: "Feng boy, stop playing, the Spirit Master adult is almost here!"
Feng Xiao turned his head and saw a hunched figure waving at him in the distance.
It was Shi Yi, the village chief of Ting Quan Village, an elderly but kind old man.
As the village chief, Shi Yi had always taken good care of Feng Xiao, and Feng Xiao was also grateful to him.
"Grandpa Shi, coming!" Feng Xiao responded loudly, his tender voice carrying a hint of excitement and anticipation.
He quickly put on his bamboo basket and ran towards the old man.
It was currently the time for Spirit Hall to conduct Spirit awakening for age-appropriate children in villages near Nuoding City.
Although the Spirit Masters from Spirit Hall did not have a fixed arrival time, Feng Xiao knew that every spring, they would arrive as scheduled, bringing hope to villages like Ting Quan Village.
The small figure quickly ran up to the old man, and Feng Xiao reached out and took Shi Yi's slightly withered hand, softly saying, "Grandpa Shi, let's go."
Feeling the warmth of Feng Xiao's palm, the old man's cloudy eyes fell upon him, and a loving smile involuntarily appeared on his wrinkled face.
He gently tapped Feng Xiao's forehead, his tone doting: "Greedy boy, you came to the back mountain again for mountain goods?
The Spirit Master adult is almost here, if you miss it, you'll have to wait until next year."
"Grandpa, eating more might help awaken spirit power," Feng Xiao replied with a smile, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Oh… haha… good, good, good…" The old man was amused by Feng Xiao's words, shaking his head with a laugh, taking it as a child's innocent wish.
He held Feng Xiao's small hand and slowly walked towards the village.
Feng Xiao said nothing more, just silently followed beside the old man, his heart already churning with emotions.
He knew that today might be the crucial moment for him to change his fate.
Regardless of the outcome, he was already prepared.
Shi Yi led Feng Xiao, slowly walking along the winding mountain path.
Gradually, the outline of the village came into view, with smoke curling upwards, carrying a hint of warmth.
The two greeted villagers along the way, slowly walking towards the wooden house in the center of the village.
This wooden house was the village's "Spirit Hall"; although not built by Spirit Hall itself, residents of each village would spontaneously and collectively build it.
Because for the villagers, this wooden house might be where the goddess of luck descends, the starting point for them to change their destiny.
The exterior walls of the wooden house were stained a faint brown by time, and the roof was covered with thick moss, making it appear ancient and weathered.
As soon as he approached the wooden house, Feng Xiao heard the chirping discussions of children inside, filled with anticipation and nervousness.
Shi Yi stopped, standing outside the wooden house with Feng Xiao, quietly waiting for the Spirit Master adult to arrive.
Not long after, a young man carrying a package walked into the village.
He looked to be in his twenties, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a handsome appearance, dressed in white martial attire, with a black cloak draped over his back, and a fist-sized "Spirit" character embroidered in the center of his chest.
This was the standard attire for Spirit Hall direct personnel, signifying his identity and status.
"Hello, esteemed Battle Spirit Master, we've troubled you again this time." Shi Yi bowed slightly, respectfully saluting the young man.
Feng Xiao also supported Shi Yi, following with a bow.
The young man's expression was arrogant; he merely nodded faintly as a return greeting.
His tone carried a hint of impatience: "I don't have much time, let's start quickly."
"Spirit Master adult, please." Shi Yi quickly responded, leading Feng Xiao and inviting the young man into the wooden house.
Feng Xiao looked at the young man's slowly entering back, a hint of doubt appearing on his face.
This young man had been coming to the village for four consecutive years, seemingly the Spirit Master responsible for this area, but he had never revealed his name, nor had he ever communicated much with the villagers, exuding a sense of mystery about him.
When Shi Yi led the young man into the wooden house, the originally noisy children immediately quieted down, consciously lining up, their eyes filled with anticipation and apprehension.
Shi Yi glanced at Feng Xiao, slowly walked to the edge of the line, and then, hunched over, exited the wooden house, seemingly afraid of disturbing this important ceremony.
The young man frowned, a hint of disdain flashing across his face.
He quickly opened the package in his hand and began to arrange a hexagonal black stone array on the ground.
The wooden house was usually unused, only on the days of Spirit awakening would the villagers spontaneously clean it, so the air was filled with a faint smell of damp wood.
Feng Xiao's gaze fell on the black stones, and his tender small hands involuntarily clenched, feeling both nervous and expectant.
He knew that in this World where Spirit determined everything, he would soon glimpse his own destiny.
"When I call your name, stand in the center of this point," the young man said coldly, his voice devoid of any warmth.
The light inside the wooden house was dim, with only a few rays of sunlight slanting in from the windows.
The young man stood in the shadows, his expression arrogant, making the children feel a sense of oppression.
Hearing the young man's words, the children timidly nodded, some of the more timid ones even too scared to respond.
Seeing this, the young man didn't care, merely continuing to set up the awakening array, while Feng Xiao watched the young man curiously.
The young man glanced at Feng Xiao, saying nothing more.
Then, with a wave of one hand, he let out a low cry, and a pitch-black iron sword appeared out of thin air in his hand.
The sword gleamed with a cold metallic luster, and with the appearance of the iron sword, two spirit rings, one white and one yellow, also shimmered around him, making the atmosphere of the entire wooden house even more solemn.
At this moment, Feng Xiao looked at the young man's Spirit and understood; no wonder the young man seemed so cold; in the continuous process of cultivating Spirit, Spirit would also have a significant impact on a person's character.
"Let's begin," the young man said indifferently.
As the first child slowly walked into the awakening array, the wooden house occasionally lit up with dazzling light, and then fell into darkness again.
Children one by one stepped forward, accepting the judgment of fate.
"Hoe… let's test spirit power… no spirit power… you cannot become a Spirit Master…"
"Blue Silver Grass? You don't need to be tested, a waste Spirit has no spirit power."
"Wooden hammer… sunflower… fan… broom…"
One by one, children returned to the line with disheartened expressions, their faces filled with disappointment and helplessness.
Feng Xiao watched this scene, his heart filled with emotions.
No matter in which World, changing one's destiny was an extremely difficult thing.
"Next," the young man seemed tired from continuously activating the awakening array, a hint of impatience in his voice.
Feng Xiao slowly walked into the awakening array, his eyes tightly closed, as if embracing the arrival of his destiny.
The familiar green light lit up, his body surrounded by a faint glow, and a warm sensation rose from within him.
As time passed, the light grew brighter, and Feng Xiao could clearly feel something wanting to break out of his hands.
Along with the accelerating heartbeat, this feeling became even stronger.
Seeing that familiar shape, Feng Xiao's heart couldn't help but tremble, as if a warm current surged from the bottom of his heart, instantly filling his chest.
Soon, an ancient Seven Stringed Zither slowly appeared before Feng Xiao.
The zither body had smooth lines, the wooden grain was clearly visible, and the strings gleamed faintly in the dim light, as if recounting the accumulation of years and stories.
Feng Xiao's gaze fell on the Seven Stringed Zither in his hand, and for a moment, he was lost in thought.
His fingertips gently caressed the strings, and he silently whispered in his heart: "Old friend, I didn't expect you to come along too…"
Just then, a cold touch came from his other hand, pulling Feng Xiao back to reality from his daze.
He calmly moved that hand slowly under the zither, as if concealing the fluctuations in his heart.
The young man looked at Feng Xiao, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes; although this zither was very different from what he usually saw, the neatly arranged strings on it indicated its identity; musical instruments were not common Spirits that ordinary people could awaken on Douluo Continent.
This was the first Spirit he had seen today that seemed to have hope of awakening spirit power after visiting so many villages.
His gaze lingered on the Seven Stringed Zither for a moment, then he said indifferently: "Come."
Feng Xiao nodded, his heart turbulent, but his face remained calm.
He slowly placed his hand on the blue crystal ball in front of the young man, and the moment his fingertips touched the crystal ball, a slightly cool sensation spread from his fingertips.
He looked down at his Seven Stringed Zither, his heart filled with relief.
He had never hoped to awaken some earth-shattering Spirit, because he knew that powerful Spirits were often formed through generations of Spirit Master inheritance and accumulation.
And the Seven Stringed Zither before him, to him, was already the best gift.
The crystal ball lay quietly in the young man's hand, waiting for Feng Xiao's spirit power to be injected.
Feng Xiao took a deep breath, his gaze firm, as if he was already prepared to face his destiny.
…