Chapter 1: Emperor Village, Su Yuntao
Douluo Continent, southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province.
Emperor Village was true to its name. It was named to commemorate a Spirit Emperor level powerhouse who had once appeared here hundreds of years ago.
The name sounded grand, but in reality, it was just one of the countless ordinary villages around Nuoding City, so ordinary it could not be more ordinary.
The villagers made their living from the grain and vegetables grown on the farmland outside the village, supplying them to Nuoding City not far away.
At daybreak, when the morning mist had yet to fully disperse, a child around 6 years old was already running along the dirt road outside the village.
His pace was not fast, but each step was steady. He controlled his breathing on purpose, keeping it in a fixed rhythm.
Sweat soaked the stray hairs on his forehead and slid down his cheeks. His legs gradually felt as heavy as lead, and his lungs burned with every breath. In the end, fatigue surged over him like a tide, forcing him to slow to a stop and gasp for air. After walking a short distance, he found a spot to sit and rest.
His name was Lin Mo. He was 6 years old this year, and he was an orphan.
This kind of harsh training was something he had persisted in for a long time, whether it rained or shined.
The reason was simple, fear of death.
6 years ago, the village chief had picked him up while out buying supplies. From then on, he was adopted by the village chief and took the village chief's surname, Lin.
Because he was quieter than most children his age, his given name was kept simple: Mo.
Perhaps due to some strange arrangement of fate, it was exactly the same as the name he had in his previous life.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had already spent 6 years on the Douluo Continent.
When he was 3 years old, Lin Mo awakened his wisdom from his past life overnight.
His memories from before the age of 3 quickly blurred and faded, while the memories from his past life kept cycling through his mind, becoming clearer with time.
After regaining those memories, he finally pieced together the truth behind his transmigration to the Douluo Continent.
Just as Village Chief Grandpa had told him, he really had been found on the road to Nuoding City.
But the truth was not that simple. His child self had indeed appeared on the only path between Emperor Village and Nuoding City, yet he had not been abandoned by his parents.
At that time, he had transmigrated to the Douluo Continent like a fiery meteor, turning into a newborn child the instant he landed.
After confirming he had transmigrated again and begun his third life, Lin Mo quickly adjusted his mindset and calmly accepted reality.
However, unlike other transmigrators filled with ambition, the first thing that rose in his heart was a deep gratitude for simply being alive.
In his first life, he lived on Earth. But because of an innate heart defect, he had been frail since childhood. No matter how hard he tried, before he even reached 20, medicine failed and money could not save him. He died suddenly.
In that life, his greatest regret was never experiencing what it meant to live with a truly healthy body.
Even now, when he recalled the feeling of vitality draining away while he could only watch helplessly, his chest still tightened.
He had thought his consciousness would return to nothingness. Instead, he opened his eyes again and transmigrated to the Pokémon world, beginning his second life.
He was full of hope then, ready to set off on a journey with his starter partner Charmander. Yet he was unlucky enough to be caught in the aftershocks of a battle between Dialga and Palkia. In the violent turbulence of time and space, he and Charmander were torn apart in an instant.
2 short lives, one lost to illness and one lost to accident, left him with an almost obsessive desire for health and longevity.
Since the heavens had given him a third chance, he would not die easily again.
In this life, he wanted to live a healthy, long life.
And on the Douluo Continent, there was a path, the possibility of becoming a god and achieving eternal life.
But to become a god, the foundation was crucial.
The Spirit Awakening at age 6 was the most important step in laying that foundation. A person's Martial Soul and Innate Spirit Power almost determined the upper limit of what a Spirit Master could become.
Because of that, starting from age 3, Lin Mo had consciously begun training his body. He combined basic workout and simple physical training methods he had learned in his previous life, never missing a single day.
He understood better than anyone that a healthy body was the capital for survival. A healthy body was always beneficial when awakening a Martial Soul.
A certain Huo Yuhao 10,000 years later had awakened a good Martial Soul, yet his Innate Spirit Power was only a mere level 1 due to severe malnutrition.
Lin Mo would never allow himself to repeat that mistake.
No one looked forward to Spirit Awakening more than he did. It did not just mean power, it meant a chance at longevity, the hope of becoming a god and gaining eternal life.
Soon, a voice from outside pulled Lin Mo back to reality.
"Xiao Mo, didn't the village chief tell you?"
"Today is the day for you children to awaken your Martial Souls. A big shot from the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City is already in the village, and he's about to preside over the Spirit Awakening ceremony for you."
"The ceremony is about to start. Clean yourself up and hurry over!"
"Alright, thanks, Uncle Wang." Lin Mo smiled honestly. "Grandpa already reminded me yesterday. It's just that running has become a habit I don't dare break."
"I'm going now!"
After speaking, Lin Mo quickly stood up, carefully brushed the dust off his body, and made sure there were no obvious traces left behind before rushing away.
A short while later.
Inside the Spirit Hall of Emperor Village.
After cleaning himself up, Lin Mo followed the village chief and headed quickly to the Spirit Hall in the center of the village.
Calling it a Spirit Hall was generous. It was really just a larger wooden house. But because it served as the Spirit Hall, it was kept fairly clean.
This was where the children of Emperor Village awakened their Martial Souls.
After entering, Lin Mo lined up behind the other children and waited.
Their young faces were filled with excitement, but it was easy to see the tension and anticipation beneath it.
Before long, the other children who needed to awaken their Martial Souls arrived one after another.
"Old Man Lin, you're a bit late," a young man standing in the center of the Spirit Hall said indifferently.
He looked to be in his 20s, with sharp brows and bright eyes. He wore a white training suit with a black cloak draped behind him. In the center of his chest was a fist sized character that read "Spirit."
It was the standard attire of personnel directly under the Spirit Hall.
"Respected Spirit Master, I'll have to trouble you again this time. All the children of the right age in the village have arrived." Village Chief Lin stepped forward, his tone respectful and humble.
The young man gave a slight bow in return. "I don't have much time. Let's begin."
Village Chief Lin turned to the children, his eyes shining with hope.
"Children, this is the Battle Spirit Master from the Spirit Hall. Next, he will guide you to awaken your Martial Souls."
"You must cooperate with the master to complete the Spirit Awakening. Grandpa hopes that some of you can become Spirit Masters!"
"Honestly, you say the same few lines every year. There's no originality at all." Su Yuntao curled his lip in disdain. "How can becoming a Spirit Master be so easy? I've already visited 8 villages and only saw 1 child awaken Spirit Power, and it was a trash Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass, with Innate Full Spirit Power…"
When he reached that point, Su Yuntao's tone carried clear disappointment.
But Lin Mo, standing behind the children, remained calm.
Innate Full Spirit Power Blue Silver Grass?
Isn't that Tang San?
Before Lin Mo could think further, Su Yuntao spoke again. Facing children, his patience seemed noticeably better.
"Alright, children, let me introduce myself. My name is Su Yuntao, a 2 ring Spirit Master from the Spirit Hall."
"Next, I will activate my Martial Soul to preside over the Spirit Awakening ceremony for you. Remember, no matter what you see next, do not be afraid."
Hearing the name Su Yuntao, Lin Mo's eyes instantly lit up. In his heart, he felt that everything had fallen into place.
As Su Yuntao finished speaking, he opened the bundle on the nearby table and took out 6 black stones and a blue crystal ball.
He arranged the 6 stones into a hexagon on the ground, then shouted, "Lone Wolf Possession."
Immediately, 1 white Spirit Ring and 1 yellow Spirit Ring rose slowly from beneath his feet, and Spirit Possession completed in an instant.
His black hair turned gray, and the exposed skin of his body was covered in the same gray fur. His body expanded, becoming much larger than before.
His eyes became a faint green. Sharp claws flashed coldly as they extended from his index fingers.
The quality of the Spirit Hall uniform was excellent, with strong elasticity. Even after his body changed, it did not tear.