All rights reserved to the respective authors.
"Dialogue": Represented in double quotes for conversations between characters.
'Thoughts': Represented in single quotation marks, indicating the characters' internal reflections.
[Diary]: Represented in square brackets, used for messages intended for the heroines or entries written by Tenshin.
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The preparation period, though brief for Tenshin, was a time of remarkable achievement. Within this span, he not only met every goal he had set for himself but also surpassed his own expectations, demonstrating a dedication and prowess that underscored his growing prowess.
His mornings were dedicated to rigorous physical training, a routine intensified by the enhanced strength his body had gained following the awakening of his martial soul. Each day began with a run around the village, followed by a challenging climb up a nearby hill, not via the easiest path, but through a dense forest. There, he navigated through trees, leaped over bushes, scaled uneven terrain and rocks, and balanced on low-hanging branches. With focused determination, he faced each natural obstacle with agility, his movements a testament to his unwavering resolve. Once this part of his routine was complete, he took a brief rest before diving into calisthenics exercises, memories of which he carried from his past life. He concluded with a thorough stretching session, a practice aimed at reducing the risk of injury and enhancing flexibility.
In essence, Tenshin's daily routine was a blend of endurance training and functional movement—running to boost stamina, complemented by push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and obstacle runs. This combination not only improved his balance, agility, and environmental awareness but also sharpened his discipline and mental focus.
Post-training, he had breakfast, swiftly followed by research and experimentation. During the first part of the month, his primary focus was continuing his analysis of how each meridian influenced the soul power flowing through it. This particular stage took longer than expected, as some meridians weren't fully adapted to the high volume of soul power being tested.
Each person has a predefined path through which soul power typically circulates. Generally, these routes are quite similar from person to person, with only minor variations. These differences are usually shaped by the individual's martial soul, which subtly alters the predefined flow. Interestingly, the General Meditation Method promoted by the Spirit Hall accelerates the flow of energy of heaven and earth, allowing it to traverse the path more quickly and convert into soul power efficiently.
In this context, the meridians involved in this path are naturally more resilient. However, exceptions exist—particularly the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. When someone channels large amounts of soul power through meridians outside of this standard route, they risk rupturing them, causing soul power to deviate uncontrollably. The only reason Tenshin was able to circulate his soul power safely was due to the Foundation Breathing Technique, which had strengthened all his meridians. Even so, the high volume of soul power during his tests still placed significant strain on them.
To counter this, Tenshin chose to take breaks whenever he reached the limit, which ended up doubling the time needed for the meridian analysis stage to four days.
Once that phase was complete, he shifted focus to experimenting with hand seals, drawing inspiration from the twelve basic hand signs in Naruto—each modeled after a Chinese zodiac animal. In the culturally influenced world he now lived in, these animals included the monkey, dragon, rat, bird, snake, ox, dog, horse, tiger, boar, sheep, and rabbit. Initially, he used the seals while channeling soul power to observe any effects. Although the results were subtle, there were noticeable effects. Intrigued, he began modifying them, eventually creating a few hand signs that matched the results he was aiming for. This process took a full week.
In the second half of the month, the first portion of his afternoons was spent refining the General Meditation Method and the Foundation Breathing Technique. Here, the emphasis was on experimentation—success and failure cycles, meticulous note-taking, verification, and progress. He charted the meridians that showed the desired effects, then tested multiple flow routes, searching for one that could increase cultivation speed by at least 15%. The most crucial factor was interconnection: the path had to form a coherent system. Only then could it be considered a legitimate cultivation method, one that maximized meridian usage without sacrificing speed.
As for the Foundation Breathing Technique, Tenshin focused on enhancing its existing benefits.
In the latter part of the afternoon, he worked on improving his control over soul power. Thanks to his meridian research, high spiritual energy, and outstanding bodily control, his ability already far exceeded what was expected of someone who had only recently awakened their martial soul. Still, that wasn't enough for Tenshin.
To push beyond those limits, he began adapting and testing various energy control techniques from fictional works he had read in his previous life. After trying several approaches, he settled on a version of Naruto's chakra control exercises, applying them to soul power. These stood out for being relatively simple to implement with his current skill set and could be practiced discreetly.
He also considered methods from Hunter x Hunter, such as Nen training, which provided valuable insights into energy refinement and innovative ways to develop soul power. However, due to the higher risk of being noticed while practicing those, Tenshin decided it was wiser to first master the water-walking technique from Naruto. Only then would he move on to adapting anything related to Nen.
By the end of the month, he had already mastered the tree-walking exercise—meaning hours of vertical practice or at least two hours of shadowboxing in the forest using that skill.
That said, his afternoon sessions weren't limited to just that. Tenshin also devoted time to deepening his understanding and control over his twin martial souls—exploring innate abilities, pushing their limits, and striving to unlock even greater potential.
For instance, he focused on improving the "Enhanced Time Perception" granted by the Wise Eyes of the Dragon, testing the boundaries of his temporal awareness. At other times, he meditated while connected to one martial soul at a time, attempting to grasp the essence of each—an endeavor typically reserved for titled Douluo, as it's one of the fundamental steps in advancing to higher stages, especially after reaching Rank 95, alongside accumulating soul power.
Occasionally, he meditated with both martial souls active at once, gradually increasing his resistance to the internal pressure and familiarizing himself with the soul power drain required to sustain them simultaneously. He also sought to understand why he was able to activate both at once. Though he theorized that the Dragon Chain martial soul had awakened and transformed the dormant Spirit Eyes within his lineage—thus creating the Wise Eyes of the Dragon and connecting the two—he still harbored doubts about the validity of that theory.
At night, after dinner, Tenshin reflected on the knowledge and experiences gained throughout the day. He then spent several hours cultivating and writing daily summaries in the Daily System. However, he consciously avoided recording the finer details of his discoveries and abilities, keeping his notes general. Though unsure why, he had a strong intuition that writing detailed entries could end up working against him. Still, he wrote enough to make the entries informative and thorough, ensuring a good amount of LP gain.
Even so, this month wasn't solely about training, cultivation, study, and research...
Flashback On – Week 2, Sunday
That day, Tenshin took a break to stroll through the village, allowing himself a rare moment of peace. While his desire to grow stronger remained unwavering, he was determined not to let it become an obsession. He was well aware that he had already surpassed his peers by a wide margin. Whenever he needed grounding, he recalled the wise words of Master Roshi: "Work hard, study well, and don't forget to eat and sleep enough!"
As he passed through the village park, he sat on a nearby bench to admire the peaceful scenery—children playing, families chatting, birds chirping, and a gentle breeze carrying the scent of blooming flowers. For several minutes, he simply sat in silence, letting the moment wash over him. Then, he noticed someone taking a seat at the table beside him. Turning his head, he saw that it was Old Jack, who had also come to enjoy the calm atmosphere. Without needing words, the two silently agreed to share the serenity of the afternoon.
Eventually, Tenshin greeted him. "Good afternoon, Grandpa Jack. How are you today?"
The old man returned the greeting with warmth. "Good afternoon to you too, Tenshin. I'm doing well," he replied, then asked, "And you? Haven't seen much of you these past two weeks. How's your training going?"
"It's going well," Tenshin replied. "My training's been progressing smoothly."
After a brief pause, Old Jack smiled and said, "How about a match while we chat?"
He gestured to the table between them, where a chessboard was carved into the wood, with a few worn pieces lying to the side. Tenshin nodded lightly. Once the pieces were set, the game began.
A few moves in, Old Jack looked up and asked, "I heard some of the village kids say you were invited to join the Spirit Hall. Why didn't you accept?" Then, with a playful grin, he added, "And don't give me the same excuse you gave to Deacon Su Yuntao..."
Tenshin sighed, giving a wry smile. "You really do know me, Grandpa." He continued, "Well, part of what I told the Deacon was true. There's so much to learn and explore in the world. And honestly, even with my talent, I know I wouldn't be a priority. The Spirit Hall has countless geniuses... With an innate soul power at level seven, I'd just be another promising kid among many."
"Plus, joining them would come with obligations, restrictions, and debts I'd have to repay eventually. If I ever join an organization, I want it to be on my own terms."
He said this while moving his knight across the board, capturing Old Jack's bishop.
In response, the old man pushed a pawn forward, knocking out one of Tenshin's pieces. Chuckling, he shook his head. "Honestly, I expected that kind of answer from you. Since you were little—whether you realized it or not—you never liked following orders. I still remember the time I had to confiscate all your books and notebooks because you locked yourself in your room for an entire week! You only came out to eat because I practically dragged you out."
Tenshin blushed slightly, looking away, embarrassed. He remembered that time vividly—it had been the final stage in developing his Foundation Breathing Technique, and he'd become completely absorbed in the process. "That only happened once..." he muttered as he moved his bishop, placing Old Jack's king in check. The old man shifted his king to the right, neatly avoiding Tenshin's rook.
Grimacing at the missed opportunity, Tenshin pushed a pawn forward. Old Jack then moved his knight, forcing a tough choice—Tenshin would have to sacrifice either his bishop or his last knight. Without hesitation, he chose to move the knight.
The match continued with casual conversation flowing between them. Finally, Tenshin advanced his last pawn and declared, "Checkmate."
Old Jack leaned back and nodded in defeat. "Alright, alright, you win," he said, standing up. "That was a good match—and a good talk. I'm glad to see you're doing well… and that you haven't completely changed since awakening your martial soul."
Noticing Tenshin lost in thought, the old man waved goodbye and left quietly.
Tenshin reflected on his last words. It was common knowledge that children often changed after awakening their martial souls. Some developed quirks or behavioral shifts tied to the nature of their souls—like those with feline martial souls developing a fondness for fish. The degree of change usually depended on the martial soul's strength and characteristics. The reason Tenshin remained mostly unchanged was due to his massive reservoir of spiritual (mental) energy, combined with the memories from his previous life.
That said, he couldn't deny that subtle changes had taken root—a growing thirst for knowledge, a stronger urge to fight, and a steadily rising defiance toward authority. Classic dragon traits.
Snapping out of his reverie, he realized Old Jack had already left. Looking down at the chessboard, he noticed something and sighed. "He didn't even put the pieces away... Hmph. Guess it's up to me."
As he began rearranging the pieces, he picked up the king and stared at it for a long moment. Then, shaking his head quietly, he placed it back in the box. After putting everything back in order, he returned home.
[Preparation Month, Day 7 (Week 2) – Summary]
[I hadn't realized it before, but thanks to Grandpa Jack pointing it out, I've come to see that my martial souls have influenced me in subtle ways. Even if the effects are small, I've started to develop certain dragon-like traits—such as an increasing thirst for knowledge, a stronger will to fight, and growing resistance to authority. I'm grateful these are the only traits I've picked up.]
[Also, during my physical training regimen—which includes exercises, stretching, and obstacle runs—I remembered a theory proposed by several fans of the original novel. It suggests that superior physical conditioning and spiritual power (mental) might make it easier to absorb spirit rings beyond the so-called 'ideal' age range. I believe there might be some truth to this theory, though there are certainly other factors involved.]
Flashback Off
And so, his month unfolded steadily until the final week—on her Friday—when Tenshin decided to explore more of the system's functions. At that moment, he was in his room, seated at his desk, with several notebooks opened to blank pages.
Mentally summoning the system, Tenshin commanded, 'Menu.' Instantly, the system interface appeared before him, and without hesitation, he selected the "Heavenly Glimpse" option, prompting the panel to shift.
After briefly reviewing the updated screen, he input 5000 LP to check the time conversion:
[ Heavenly Glimpse ]
[LP: 5403 ]
[LP in Use: 00 → 5000 ]
[Duration (min): 0 → 10 ]
[Cooldown Time: 3 months | Active ]
"It's a rip-off! A blatant robbery!" Tenshin exclaimed upon seeing how many points equaled just a few minutes.
(System: Oh, look at this guy's nerve. Divine inspiration mode on turbo—no physical or mental toll afterward! Just points, buddy.)
Receiving no response, Tenshin could only sigh and accept the cost. He adjusted his posture in the chair, took a deep breath, and declared, "Heavenly Glimpse, activate!"