Cheat

Looking at the well-behaved Chi Yuan, Ji Lin smiled. When he had transmigrated to this Douluo Continent, he had not arrived empty-handed. He carried a Treasure Chest System, which counted as his cheat. However, this Treasure Chest System was not one of those heaven-defying Long Aotian systems that spoon-fed everything to the protagonist.

Of course, he liked the kind of Long Aotian system that could make even a pig fly. His Treasure Chest System was very simple and had only two functions.

The first was condensing one treasure chest every year. Opening it would randomly produce a treasure that conformed to the rules of the Douluo Continent. That treasure could be an item, a living being, or knowledge.

The second was a panel interface that recorded all of Ji Lin's data, as well as the data of his followers.

Ji Lin opened his data panel.

Name: Ji Lin

Gender: Male

Age: 6

Martial Soul: Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment

Soul Power: Level 10 Spirit Scholar

Soul Rings: None

Soul Bones: None

Soul Skills: None

Cultivation Method: Void Sword Qi (Incomplete, Soul Power Version)

Innate Skill: Key of Destruction

Domain: Heavenly Fire Domain

The panel was very simple. As for the cultivation method, he had obtained it from a treasure chest in his second year after arriving in this world.

Its original version was Void Sword Qi from the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, a martial art from the mobile game "Honkai Impact 3rd" and its derivative works. It was created by the Crimson Kite Immortal, Fu Hua, and consisted of the five essences of Heart, Form, Intent, Soul, and Divine. It was a highly refined technique specialized for true qi. The martial art's original name had been convoluted and strange. With the help of an old friend, the Crimson Kite Immortal had organized and rewritten it using Shenzhou's traditional culture, making it more suited to the local setting.

Of these, Heart Essence and Intent Essence were internal arts, while Form Essence and Soul Essence were sword techniques. Heart Essence was a technology from the Previous Era used to modify the human body, called "Divine Sound." Form Essence and Intent Essence both required specific weapons, Soul Essence placed excessively high demands on comprehension, and the essence of Divine Essence was shaping and extending MANTIS Energy. Heart Essence and Form Essence existed to allow the human body to control greater amounts of MANTIS Energy, ultimately meeting the basic requirements for wielding a "god."

However, the Void Sword Qi in Ji Lin's possession was a Soul Power version, and it only contained Heart Essence and Intent Essence.

Within Void Sword Qi, Heart Essence was the entry-level essence and also the most difficult one besides Sword God. It had four realms: Still Water, Dustless, Bright Mirror, and Void. The "Sword Heart Incantation" was a string of bizarre and incomprehensible syllables, totaling four hundred and sixty-two sounds, with no written record. It held no meaning in itself. Its mystery lay in the fact that reciting, silently chanting, and listening to it could temper the heart. When the heart realm merged with a lake, it became Still Water; when the heart lake froze, it became Dustless; when the ice of the heart became clear and transparent, it became Bright Mirror; when the heart's qi became formless, it became Void.

Youth was the best time to temper a sword heart—the earlier, the purer. For adults, cultivating a sword heart was like trying to grasp the wind with one's palm, nothing but futile effort. Even after a sword heart was fully formed, it had to be tempered for life. The slightest wavering would shatter it.

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Put simply, the so-called sword heart was a method of bringing the body into a competitive state. Before a match, one emptied one's thoughts and relaxed one's body, sensing every minute change within it. In the end, apart from the power flowing through the body, one knew nothing and sensed nothing.

Those who cultivated a sword heart could view heaven and earth as their dantian and turn their flesh into meridians. Qi, regarded as the origin of martial arts, no longer needed to be stored within the body. The limit men could reach in cultivation was Dustless.

The Soul Power version of Heart Essence in Ji Lin's hands likewise had the four levels of Still Water, Dustless, Bright Mirror, and Void. The Sword Heart Incantation was used to cultivate one's state of mind and Mental Power. After four years of cultivation, he had barely reached the realm where his heart realm merged with a lake. In the terms of Douluo 3, his Mental Power had reached the Spirit Connection Realm.

Furthermore, the Soul Power version of Heart Essence did not have the original version's flaw that men could only stop at Dustless. As long as Ji Lin continued cultivating, he would one day break through to Void, fully master the Sword Heart Incantation, and potentially have his Mental Power break through to the Divine Origin Realm and condense divine sense.

As for Intent Essence, it was an internal art for cultivating Soul Power, improving physical fitness, and increasing cultivation speed.

The Soul Power version of Void Sword Qi and the original Void Sword Qi could only be said to be different cultivation methods sharing the same name.

As for the innate Key of Destruction, it was Ji Lin's ultimate talent. Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment possessed the effect of absorbing life force. After killing any living creature, its life force would instantly become nourishment for Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment, with a portion purified and returned to its user.

It looked very much like an Evil Soul Master ability, so Ji Lin generally would not use it.

As for the innate domain, it was the innate domain that came with the Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment Martial Soul. Within the range covered by the Heavenly Fire Domain, enemies would be scorched by Ultimate Fire. Their Soul Power circulation speed, movement speed, recovery speed, and Mental Power would all be suppressed.

Within the domain, however, every aspect of Ji Lin would be enhanced. His attack power, speed, Mental Power, and fire-element damage would all increase.

Below Ji Lin's panel was also a follower panel.

Follower: Chi Yuan

Gender: Female

Age: ?

Martial Soul: Crimson Kite Bird

Soul Power: Level 99 Limit Douluo

Soul Rings: Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Red, Red, Red

Soul Bones: Omitted

Soul Skills: Omitted

Cultivation Method: Void Sword Qi (Incomplete, Soul Power Version)

Talent: Phoenix Bloodline

Domain: Phoenix Domain

It was likewise a very simple panel. Chi Yuan was the follower Ji Lin had drawn from a treasure chest in his sixth year. The treasure chest had used that Crimson Kite Immortal as a template to create an entirely new lifeform for her, one of flesh and blood, with her own thoughts and emotions. Though she looked the same, she was not that Crimson Kite Immortal.

Ji Lin would not treat her as a mindless puppet just because she had come from a treasure chest. Otherwise, he would not have publicly acknowledged Chi Yuan as his master.

Everything that had happened today was within Ji Lin's control. The might of his Martial Soul awakening attracting Xu Jiawei and the people from the Worship Hall had indeed been beyond his expectations.

However, Chi Yuan's arrival and their acceptance of master and disciple were indeed part of Ji Lin's plan. He needed someone powerful to back him publicly. Although Xu Jiawei valued him highly, his age was ultimately a serious obstacle, and there were some matters in which he could not conveniently appear. He therefore needed a spokesperson to act on his behalf.

The moment Chi Yuan came into being, the treasure chest had arranged a reasonable identity for her: a lone Titled Douluo, rare on the continent, with no family, no relatives, and no sect or faction.

That was why Xu Jiawei and the others had been able to recognize Chi Yuan.

"Next comes obtaining my first soul ring. Tool Martial Souls do not have strict requirements for the type of soul ring. It just needs to be fire-attributed. Of course, a soul ring from a top-tier soul beast would be even better."

Ji Lin closed the interface and lay on the bed, thinking.

"Take me to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow to hunt for my first soul ring. The requirements aren't high. An eight-hundred-year fire-attributed soul beast will do."

Ji Lin turned over and lazily leaned against the bed as he spoke to Chi Yuan.

"Alright, A'Lin. I'll return to my room, then. I'll come find you tomorrow."

Chi Yuan nodded, turned, and left Ji Lin's room, returning to her own.

Meanwhile, Xu Jiujiu arrived at Xu Jiawei's palace. The other worshippers had already left, and only Xu Jiawei remained, waiting for Xu Jiujiu.

"Brother, I've already arranged accommodations for Your Excellency Chi Yuan and Little Lin. Brother, can that Chi Yuan Douluo really be trusted? Are we really handing Little Lin over to her just like that?"

Xu Jiujiu no longer wore the cheerful expression she had shown before Chi Yuan. She looked worried as she questioned Xu Jiawei.

"Don't worry, Jiujiu. I've heard of Chi Yuan Douluo's reputation. She is not an evil person. I could tell that she bore no hostility toward little Ji Lin and genuinely wished to take him as her disciple. Besides, Chi Yuan Douluo is a fire-attributed Soul Master, while little Ji Lin possesses Ultimate Fire. She is very suited to teaching him."

Xu Jiawei comforted her.

"Moreover, Chi Yuan Douluo is extremely powerful. Judging from our earlier encounter, she is at least a level 98 Super Douluo. No one in our Star Luo Empire can contend with her. If she truly harbored ill intent, she could have acted directly. Why would she need to put on an act with us?"

Xu Jiawei explained.

"That's good, then. With a Super Douluo teaching and protecting Little Lin, I won't need to worry about him encountering danger in the future."

Xu Jiujiu said, relieved.

"By the way, Brother, Little Lin has Innate Full Soul Power. We should take him to obtain a soul ring as soon as possible."

Xu Jiujiu suddenly said.

Xu Jiawei smiled and shook his head.

"Silly girl, we no longer need to concern ourselves with little Ji Lin obtaining his soul ring."

"Oh—right. Little Lin has a teacher now."

Having received a satisfying answer, Xu Jiujiu happily returned to her residence.

Xu Jiawei watched Xu Jiujiu's retreating figure. He raised his head to gaze at the sky and muttered, "Grow up quickly. There isn't much time left for you. There isn't much time left for us either."