Chapter 2: The Spirit Physician's Oath
The rain had stopped by morning, but the streets of New Luyang still stank of rust and wet ash. Steam rose from shattered vents, and the neon signs flickered like dying stars. Zhao Feng pulled his hood low and moved through the alleys with a purpose stitched into his bones.
His ribs still ached from the Urban Wraith's strike. The healing pill dulled the pain, but not the memory.
He had survived the night.
Barely.
But a new fire burned in his chest. Not just vengeance anymore. Something bigger.
Quest Complete: Survive the Night+250 XPSystem Functions Unlocked: Stat Page, Inventory, Skill TreeNew Quest Received: Seek the Spirit Physician
He opened the System menu mentally, and it responded like a second mind merging with his own:
Name: Zhao FengAge: 19Rank: Mortal (Unawakened)Soul Core: [Primordial God System: Fragmented Sync (12%)]Stats:• Strength: 4• Agility: 6• Vitality: 5• Spirit: 8• Luck: ???
Skills:• Qi Pulse (F) – Emits a basic burst of spirit energy.Inventory:• Tattered Soul Map (1/4)• Minor Healing Pill (Used)• Hidden Quest TokenQuests:• Meet the Spirit Physician – The map pulses toward a target in the west slums. Time-limited event.
"Time-limited," he muttered. "So it begins."
The West Slums
The west slums weren't part of the official maps. They were what was left after the Spirit Purge 30 years ago—a failed Spirit Array detonated in the underworld beneath the district, leaving twisted ruins and mutated qi pockets behind. Now, gangs controlled the ruins, and the Spiritless scraped by scavenging soul fragments like rats.
Zhao kept his head down as he passed piles of scrap infused with dim spiritual glow—leftovers of a world that had moved on without people like him.
The soul map pulsed again. Stronger.
It drew him toward a crumbling tea house with shattered windows and a rusted sign that once read:
"THE HOLLOW BLOOM."
The air around it shimmered faintly—like heat mirage, but colder. Faint runes carved into the doorway flickered briefly as he stepped inside.
Enter: Old Healer Lin
It was dark. Dust hung in the air like spirits waiting for a body. But deeper in, a candle flickered.
"Step carefully," came a gravelly voice. "The shadows here are still hungry."
Zhao paused. "I'm looking for the Spirit Physician."
The voice chuckled. "Then perhaps you're not entirely useless."
From the shadows emerged a man hunched over a cane, with robes of faded indigo and eyes that gleamed silver when they caught the light. His beard was tangled, and a chipped jade pendant swayed around his neck.
"You're… the one from the map?"
"I am Lin Mo," the man said. "And you, child, are carrying a corpse's inheritance."
Zhao blinked. "You… know about the system?"
"I know of it," Lin Mo said, gesturing for him to sit on the floor. "Only fools believe systems are random gifts. What you've awakened… it's ancient. Older than this city. Older than any sect."
Zhao hesitated. "Can you help me unlock my Spirit Root?"
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed. "Can you withstand the pain of knowing the truth about what you are?"
That wasn't an answer.
Zhao sat anyway.
💉 The Spirit Root Test
Lin Mo pulled out a stone basin and poured a clear liquid into it. The air around it grew heavier.
"This is Spirit-Conducting Water. If you have even a sliver of a root, it will show itself."
Zhao placed his palm over the water. For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The water boiled.The basin cracked.Symbols he couldn't read spun into the air like fireflies.
System Alert: Core Compatibility Breach DetectedUnknown Soul Trait Detected: Genesis Bond
Lin Mo reeled back, eyes wide.
"This… this isn't possible. You're not just awakening… You're syncing with something dormant."
"What does that mean?"
"It means," Lin Mo whispered, "your Spirit Root doesn't belong to this generation… or this world."
⚔️ Trouble Comes Knocking
Before Zhao could speak, the door exploded inward.
Four men in red jackets stormed in—members of the Crimson Scarves, a mid-tier gang that harvested Spirit Dust and sold stolen relics. Their leader, a bald cultivator with glowing tattoos, sneered.
"Old man. You've been warned. Time to pay protection fees—or bleed."
Zhao stepped in front of Lin Mo.
"No need for violence," he said. "We were just leaving."
The bald man laughed. "You must be new. That's not how this works."
System Prompt: Combat Encounter InitiatedOptional Side Quest: Defend Lin Mo (Reward: Hidden Skill Unlock)Enemies: 4 (Lv. 3–6)
Zhao's hands clenched.
He was outnumbered.
Underleveled.
But not unarmed.
Qi Awakens
One of the thugs lunged. Zhao sidestepped, activated Qi Pulse, and slammed him into the far wall. Another came from behind—Zhao spun, ducked, elbowed the attacker in the ribs, then swept his legs. His movements weren't perfect—but the System filled in the gaps. He moved like a fighter who'd trained for years.
Lin Mo chanted behind him—runes flared across the floor.
The gang leader's tattoos burned brighter. He lunged—
Too fast.
Zhao couldn't dodge.
Then—clang.
A hidden formation lit up, shielding Zhao at the last second.
Lin Mo's voice echoed:
"Your roots are rare—but your soul is stubborn. If you truly wish to walk this path… earn it."
Zhao surged forward with everything he had left and landed a Qi-infused palm strike right into the gang leader's chest.
The man flew backward—unconscious before he hit the ground.
System Reward
Combat Complete: +300 XPOptional Quest Complete: Defend Lin MoReward: Skill Unlocked – "Soul Thread (Passive)"Allows detection of hidden soul connections. Enables rudimentary soul binding.
Stat Boost: Spirit +1
Aftermath
Lin Mo sealed the tea house doors with a blood rune.
"You're dangerous now," he said. "People will feel it. Sense it. And they will come for you."
Zhao nodded, rubbing his bruised knuckles.
"I want to grow stronger."
"Then take this."
Lin Mo handed him a slip of paper. Coordinates.
"Go to the outskirts tomorrow. There's a woman who lives by the ruins of Skycloud Temple. She has answers. And weapons."
Zhao looked at the paper, then back at the old man.
"Why help me?"
Lin Mo sighed. "Because once… I failed someone like you."