The Star Dou Great Forest breathed.
Ancient trees, taller than any mountain Jin Mori had ever climbed in his original world, stretched toward a sky painted in perpetual twilight by their own canopy. Vines thick as pythons coiled around trunks older than civilizations. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth, blooming night orchids, and the faint metallic tang of spirit beast blood spilled somewhere in the distance. Every leaf seemed to hum with soul power—raw, untamed, and hungry.
In the deepest part of this primordial wilderness, where even Titled Douluo feared to tread alone, a figure sat cross-legged atop a moss-covered boulder beside a thundering waterfall. Water roared down in silver sheets, mist rising like incense to the heavens. The young man's black hair, wild and untamed, clung to his forehead and neck. His simple traveler's robe—once white, now stained with dirt and beast ichor—billowed gently in the wind generated by the falls.
Jin Mori's avatar opened his eyes.
They were no longer the infinite golden orbs of the Supreme God Maitreya. Instead, they glowed a deep, tranquil jade—beautiful, but unmistakably mortal. Yet within those eyes lingered a depth that could make even the most ferocious spirit beast pause. He had been here for what felt like both an eternity and a single breath: months in this world's time, cultivating under laws alien to his original nature.
Nine soul rings orbited slowly around him—each one thicker, darker, and more ancient than the last.
Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red, red, red.
A 1,000-year ring, two 10,000-year rings, three 50,000-year rings, and three 100,000-year rings. The final three glowed with a blood-red luminescence that made the surrounding vegetation instinctively lean away. Rank 159. A realm that should not exist in Soul Land's known history.
Mori exhaled slowly. The waterfall's roar seemed to quiet for a fraction of a second in deference.
"This body… it's finally settled," he murmured, voice low and resonant, carrying the faint echo of someone who had once commanded galaxies. He raised his right hand. Golden light condensed, forming a staff three meters long—sleek, unadorned, yet radiating an aura of boundless potential. His martial soul: Ruyi Jingu Bang, the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. In this world, it had manifested not as borrowed power, but as an innate twin spirit alongside his secondary form—Limitless Monkey King, an agility-type beast spirit that amplified his physical prowess beyond reason.
He stood, staff resting lightly on his shoulder. The boulder beneath him cracked subtly from the shift in weight, though he had suppressed ninety-nine percent of his strength.
"I've absorbed everything this forest can safely offer without breaking its balance," he said to no one, yet the wind seemed to listen. "Time to see what lies beyond the trees."
A faint smile tugged at his lips—half mischief, half melancholy. In his original world, he had fought gods, demons, and fate itself. Here, he had chosen restraint. Not because he feared this world's power, but because he wished to understand it. To live within it. To feel the slow, mortal climb toward strength once more.
And perhaps… to heal the quiet ache that even Nirvana could not fully erase.
With a light tap of his staff against the ground, the earth rippled. Mori vanished, leaving only drifting mist and the soft chime of soul rings fading into silence.
Suotuo City, late afternoon.
The streets bustled with merchants hawking spirit tools, soul masters in colorful robes boasting of recent hunts, and common folk hurrying home before nightfall brought spirit beasts too close to the walls. The Rose Hotel—a modest but respectable establishment favored by traveling soul masters—stood near the city center, its pink signage glowing warmly in the setting sun.
Inside the lobby, a twelve-year-old boy with neatly braided black hair and calm, deep eyes stood before the front desk. Beside him, a girl of the same age with bright pinkish hair and an energetic bounce argued cheerfully with the innkeeper.
"But we've been walking all day!" Xiao Wu pouted, hands on hips. "You can't possibly be full already. Look at us—we're just two kids!"
The innkeeper, a stout man with a tired expression, shook his head. "I'm sorry, little miss. Every room is taken. There's a big enrollment rush for Shrek Academy tomorrow—hundreds of students and their families pouring in. You should have booked earlier."
Tang San placed a gentle hand on Xiao Wu's shoulder, his voice steady. "It's alright, Xiao Wu. We'll find another place."
But his eyes betrayed quiet fatigue. They had left Nuoding Academy early that morning, traveled on foot for hours, and now faced the prospect of sleeping on the streets. Tang San's fingers brushed unconsciously against the hidden weapons at his waist—a habit born from a lifetime of caution.
That was when the door opened, letting in a cool evening breeze.
A young man stepped inside. He appeared to be in his late teens—tall, lean, with an effortless grace that made the crowded lobby seem to quiet for a moment. His black hair was slightly disheveled, as if he'd just emerged from a long journey through wild places. His robe, though clean now (he had washed it in a forest stream), carried the faint scent of ancient woods and waterfall mist. His jade eyes swept the room once, lingering briefly on Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Mori felt it immediately—a resonance. These two carried secrets deeper than their young age suggested. The boy's spirit power was unusually refined for his level, layered with techniques not native to this continent. The girl… her aura flickered strangely, almost beast-like, yet warm and pure.
He approached the counter, voice calm and warm. "Excuse me. Do you have any rooms left?"
The innkeeper sighed. "Afraid not, young master. Completely booked."
Mori nodded, then glanced at the two children. Something stirred in him—memories of his own youth, of fighting alongside friends who had become family. He turned back to the innkeeper.
"I'll take whatever you have available on the upper floors—even a storage room if needed. And…" He placed a small pouch of gold soul coins on the counter, more than enough for three deluxe rooms. "Please prepare two of your best rooms for these young ones. They look like they've traveled far."
Xiao Wu's eyes widened. Tang San tensed slightly, hand shifting almost imperceptibly toward his sleeve.
"Why would you help us?" Tang San asked quietly, his gaze sharp but not hostile. "We're strangers."
Mori smiled—a small, genuine curve of lips that carried no arrogance, only quiet amusement. "Because I was once a kid with nowhere to sleep after a long journey. And because…" He paused, as if choosing words carefully. "You two remind me of people I used to know. Strong, but still finding their way."
Xiao Wu tilted her head, studying him. "Big brother, you're really nice! I'm Xiao Wu—this is my brother, Tang San. What's your name?"
"Jin Mori," he replied, bowing slightly in greeting. "Just a wanderer who recently left the forest. Heading toward Shrek Academy myself tomorrow."
Tang San's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The man's aura was… impossible to read. Deep as an abyss, yet completely restrained. Like staring at a calm lake that hid endless depths.
"You're enrolling too?" Xiao Wu asked excitedly.
Mori chuckled softly. "Not exactly. But I'm curious about the place. They say only monsters are accepted there."
The innkeeper, eyes gleaming at the gold, quickly changed his tune. "Actually, young master, we do have two premium rooms left! And a smaller one for yourself. My mistake earlier."
Soon, the three sat at a wooden table in the hotel's dining hall, sharing a simple meal of steamed spirit beast meat, vegetables, and rice wine (water for the children). Lanterns flickered overhead, casting warm shadows.
Tang San observed Mori carefully as they ate. "You said you came from the forest. The Star Dou Great Forest?"
Mori nodded, taking a sip of tea. "Deep within it. I trained there for some time."
Xiao Wu leaned forward. "Trained? By yourself? That place is super dangerous! Even high-level soul masters go in groups."
"I managed," Mori said lightly, but his eyes held a distant look. Memories surfaced unbidden—nights spent fighting thousand-year beasts bare-handed, absorbing rings while enduring pain that would break lesser souls, meditating under blood moons as ancient titans watched from the shadows. "The forest taught me patience. And restraint."
Tang San felt a strange pull toward this stranger. There was wisdom in his voice far beyond his apparent age. "Teacher once told me that true strength comes from understanding limits," he said quietly.
Mori's gaze met Tang San's, and for a moment, something unspoken passed between them—recognition of shared burdens carried too young.
"Limits can be illusions," Mori replied softly. "But choosing to respect them… that's where real growth begins."
Xiao Wu giggled. "You talk like an old master, big brother Mori! How old are you anyway?"
He laughed—a genuine, warm sound that made the dining hall feel brighter. "Older than I look. Young enough to still enjoy good food and good company."
As the night deepened, conversation flowed easily. Tang San spoke carefully of his life at Nuoding, his control-type spirit, his dreams of becoming stronger to protect what mattered. Xiao Wu chattered animatedly about dances and games, her laughter like bells. Mori listened more than he spoke, offering gentle insights that made both children feel seen in ways they rarely were.
When they finally retired to their rooms, Tang San paused at his door. "Jin Mori… thank you. For tonight."
Mori placed a hand lightly on the boy's shoulder. "Get some rest, Tang San. Tomorrow, monsters gather at Shrek. And I have a feeling…" His smile turned slightly mischievous. "Things are about to become very interesting."
Upstairs, in his own modest room, Mori stood by the window overlooking Suotuo's twinkling lights. His reflection stared back—young, mortal, yet carrying the weight of a god who had chosen vulnerability.
"Ning Rongrong… Tang San… all of them," he whispered to the night. "I wonder what paths you'll carve."
Far away, in his original realm, the true Jin Mori smiled faintly in meditation.
The avatar had found its first threads of connection.
And in Soul Land, a new legend had quietly begun to stir.