Douluo Dalu 1: The Tang Family Rebel

When Yun Chuan reopened his eyes, his entire body had returned to peak condition.

"Swish..."

Yun Chuan slowly stood up from the bathtub, bringing forth the sound of water cascading. The medicinal effects had been fully absorbed, turning the water crystal clear once again. Droplets slid down his fair and delicate skin, now showing faint muscle outlines—a result of his training over the past two days.

He instinctively clenched his fists, feeling the progress made after the destruction from training and the repair from the medicinal bath. A faint smile tugged at his lips. If he continued to improve like this every day, it wouldn't take long before his physical condition could support the addition of another spirit ring.

"To have been taken by Spirit Hall in this lifetime is truly a stroke of luck," Yun Chuan thought to himself. If he hadn't been seized by Spirit Hall, he might still be playing with mud in Holy Spirit Village. He wouldn't have experienced familial love and would have been stuck with a drunken father, barely getting enough to eat or wear, likely doing chores like washing clothes and cooking. That would have been a miserable existence. Only someone as emotionally deprived as Tang San from his previous life could endure such circumstances.

For any normal child, having a negligent drunkard for a father would be unbearable.

All in all, if he hadn't been taken, his start would have been the worst possible scenario in Tang San's setting.

As for the common trope in fanfiction where one grows up learning Mysterious Heaven Skill and other Tang Sect techniques from Tang San—

That's absolutely impossible!

Tang San was deeply traditional, strictly adhering to the rules of the Tang Sect. He would never pass on Tang Sect secrets, not even to a sibling.

Moreover, these skills were his foundation. Tang Sect teachings played a pivotal role in his success in the original story. Without Mysterious Skill to balance the conflict between his two spirits and concentrate scattered soul power, he wouldn't have had innate full spirit power. Without his knowledge of herbs and poisons, he couldn't have identified the immortal grasses that enhanced his talent. Without the various Tang Sect hidden weapons, he wouldn't have achieved critical victories, let alone surpassed opponents of higher levels. He would have been eliminated early on.

Thus, the Tang Sect's legacy was crucial to Tang San. He didn't teach anyone during the early stages of the original story until he reached a point where the Tang Sect's techniques became less critical to him. Only then did he establish the Tang Sect and pass on its teachings.

Given such circumstances, why would he teach his core skills to you? Let's not kid ourselves.

In conclusion, being born in Holy Spirit Village is the worst start in Douluo Continent. It signifies being a commoner with a low chance of inheriting strong spirits or innate full soul power. Without a cheat or exceptional talent, you'd be doomed to a life of farming. And don't count on befriending Tang San to learn Mysterious Heaven Skill—it's simply impossible.

"Birds of a feather flock together," as they say. Can a failure and a genius have anything in common? No one notices a failure.

...

Yun Chuan stepped out of the bathtub, water dripping from his body. He walked to the table nearby, where towels and fresh clothes had been neatly arranged.

After drying himself off with a towel, he dressed quickly.

Soon, a delicate-looking boy dressed in white appeared, fresh and clean. Yun Chuan pushed open the door to reveal a courtyard adorned with flowers, plants, and trees arranged meticulously, reflecting the owner's refined tastes. He recognized this place as one of the courtyards within Spirit City, owned by Chrysanthemum Douluo.

He walked steadily toward his new residence—next to Bibi Dong's private quarters.

From now on, Yun Chuan would live here. Last night, he managed to gain sympathy and spent another night in the Pope's bedroom. However, he knew this couldn't continue. According to the standards of this world, once a spirit awakens, independence is expected. Staying too long would invite ridicule and give the impression of being overly dependent, which would be shameful.

The new room was spacious and well-furnished, with all the furniture made of precious wood and arranged thoughtfully.

Yun Chuan entered, glanced around briefly, and walked toward a low platform with a meditation cushion—a designated spot for soul power cultivation. Conveniently close to the bed, he could rest immediately after exhausting his energy.

With some free time now, he decided to cultivate his soul power.

Yun Chuan sat cross-legged on the cushion and closed his eyes, beginning to meditate using the advanced techniques personally taught by the Pope.

In this world, a soul master's meditation method is akin to internal martial arts techniques in wuxia stories. However, most people practice it in basic ways, without specific routes or patterns, resulting in inefficient cultivation of soul power.

The advanced meditation techniques held by major powers are perfected through generations of experimentation and are closely guarded secrets, unavailable in academies or to outsiders.

In the original story, Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill could be considered an advanced meditation method, which is why his cultivation speed surpassed most soul masters.

Spirit Hall, as the most ancient force in this world, naturally possessed its own set of advanced meditation techniques. Although they might not match Mysterious Heaven Skill's mystical qualities due to its otherworldly origin, Spirit Hall's methods were on par in terms of efficiency for cultivating soul power.

As Yun Chuan delved into meditation, his soul power cultivation progressed smoothly.

With innate rank fifty soul power, his cultivation was as effortless as eating or drinking. Though he remained at rank fifty outwardly due to the lack of additional spirit rings, the soul power accumulated through cultivation would unleash its full potential once the rings were added.

Today's session was different, though.

As Yun Chuan fell deeper into meditation, he suddenly felt a peculiar energy radiating from the rune on his forehead.

His heart leapt with joy

Could this rune also accelerate soul power cultivation?