Another fresh morning arrived.
As usual, Zhu Ziyang got up at six o'clock.
As usual, he called his childhood friend to run laps around the village with him for morning exercise.
As usual, he returned home at seven for breakfast.
As usual, at eight, he began reading.
Zhu Ziyang sat at his desk, and the moment his hands touched its surface, the book that had vanished under the starlight last night materialized in his hands once more—like it had never disappeared. He didn't even flinch, as if it were perfectly normal.
The Dimensional Library.
According to the memories from his previous life, this was essentially his "golden finger"—a vast interdimensional library bound to his soul, containing no fewer than half a million books.
Because the library was soul-bound, he could summon any book it contained with just a thought. For someone who loved reading as much as Zhu Ziyang, this was nothing short of divine grace.
He didn't know where the library came from. It had manifested when he was just three years old—coinciding exactly with the day he began practicing the Minor Light Breathing Method.
At first, he assumed it was a remnant from his past life, just like his innate wisdom. But as he began reading the library's contents, that theory quickly crumbled.
This was no simple remnant. The library stored nearly all recorded knowledge from the Douluo Continent, from the earliest days of written history. Some were everyday pamphlets circulated among common folk, others were secret records from ancient noble families. There were even forbidden tomes long believed lost to the world.
It was no exaggeration to say that this library contained copies of every book that had ever existed on the continent—far more than any archive, sect library, or imperial collection could dream of owning.
Take the book he was reading now, On the Influence of Spirit Ring Quality on Soul Master Development. It was a forbidden text, written by a Star Luo Empire scholar five thousand years ago. Not long after completing it, the author was assassinated, and the book was destroyed. It never had the chance to circulate throughout the continent. And yet—here it was, safe and sound in the Dimensional Library. How could he not be shocked?
There were many such books. It became clear to Ziyang that this library wasn't man-made—it was more like what the old faiths called a "Gift of the World."
Coming from a modest family, he knew that without this library, gaining access to so much knowledge would've been nothing but a fantasy. That's why he treasured it so deeply. Since the age of three, he had already read over a thousand books.
Zhu Ziyang loved books—because through them, he could gain knowledge. And knowledge was the most precious thing of all.
Whether influenced by past life memories or the nurturing of his parents in this life, he understood one truth with certainty:
In this world, almost everything has pros and cons—except reading. Reading only brings benefit, never harm.
Even if he never became a Soul Master, he believed he could still carve out a good life on the continent thanks to the knowledge stored in his library.
Of course, not by selling books—any book from the Dimensional Library would vanish and return to it if left out of his hands for more than thirty seconds.
What he meant was using the knowledge inside the books. For example, advising people on their martial soul development paths, or helping Soul Masters choose the optimal spirit ring combinations.
Both were highly sought-after services in the Soul Master community.
Having read thousands of volumes, Zhu Ziyang was arguably one of the most knowledgeable people on the continent. He was confident that even if he had no soul power at all, he could still thrive.
Of course, that was only the worst-case scenario.
According to the bloodline theory, if both parents were Soul Masters, their child was bound to awaken as one too—unless the martial soul mutated negatively.
As usual, he planned to read until ten in the morning.
But today, someone interrupted him earlier—just before nine.
"Brother Ziyang! You're still reading? Uncle Changhe has the carriage ready! It's time to go!"
A sweet, melodic voice chimed in his ear, followed by the appearance of an adorable young girl at the door. Though dressed simply, her beauty was undeniable—two golden braids hung down her chest, framing a face like carved jade, and her big pink eyes sparkled with excitement. She was the picture of innocence and charm.
This was Jiang Nan Nan, Ziyang's childhood friend.
They had known each other since they were two. For the past four years, the cheerful little girl had followed him around like a younger sister. As the village's cutest girl, she was naturally welcomed in his company.
Of course, Zhu Ziyang had no intention of staying "just her big brother." No, he wanted to be something more… her lover—ahem. The side effect of past-life wisdom was that it sometimes implanted some very strange thoughts in his head.
Nan Nan was half a month younger than him, and today was the day she'd awaken her martial soul too. No wonder she was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Alright! Let's go," said Ziyang, standing up and gently closing the book. He walked over and patted her head softly.
"Heehee~ Brother, aren't you excited at all? We're finally going to awaken our martial souls!" she asked, looking up at him with shining eyes, her fair little face full of glee.
"Excited? Of course I am," Ziyang smiled, "but I'm just keeping it inside. That's called 'not showing joy or anger on the face.'"
He took her hand as they stepped outside.
"Oooh~" Nan Nan tilted her head as if she understood... maybe. Either way, she didn't care. Holding hands with Ziyang was something she was already used to—and if he hadn't done it first, she would've reached for his hand instead.
To her, Zhu Ziyang was already the person she trusted most in the world.
When she was four, her father had gone missing during a soul beast extermination mission with the city guard. He had tragically encountered an 800-year-old beast while separated from the group. By the time they found him, he was barely alive, and though the beast was slain, her father didn't survive.
Since then, Jiang Nan Nan had lived alone with her frail mother. Though the City Lord's estate provided a pension, the lack of a breadwinner made life extremely hard. In this remote town, a family with no working adult was practically doomed.
From that moment on, she clung to Ziyang even more. For a girl lacking a father's love, his gentle care was irresistible.