Mysterious Ring, Vanished Soul Power

Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou Empire, Fasno Province.

On a small hill near Holy Spirit Village, a five- or six-year-old boy wore a deeply troubled expression as he muttered to himself, "Still no good? Why can't my Mysterious Heaven Skill ever break through the first bottleneck? Am I not the chosen one?"

That was right. This little boy was Tang San, an uncle who was actually already thirty years old.

Tang San held his head in both hands and fell into deep self-doubt.

But as a Master of Chicken Soup, he would never compromise with failure. "No, I'm a genius. It's just that Heaven envies the gifted! One day, I'll ride the winds and break the waves; though a thousand gold is spent, it will return again! Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—never look down on the poor young man!"

Tang San raised his childish yet slightly handsome face. He gazed at the sliver of rising sun in the distance, which looked like a dazzling painting and also like a shy young maiden.

And just as Tang San was giving himself a pep talk, a pair of evil eyes blinked from the bushes a hundred meters away.

—Li Chen, who was desperately holding back his laughter, was furiously tapping the "Soul Guide Tablet" in his hands!

That was right. This was Li Chen's system. Six years ago, after failing his postgraduate entrance exams N times, Li Chen had felt that his life was utterly bleak. He had thought that it would be nice if he could transmigrate—then he would not have to look for work every day like a grandson.

Then, as Li Chen was walking down the street, he saw a massive truck crash straight through the road barrier, coming to send him on his way.

Before transmigrating, Li Chen thought of a saying: The most painful thing in the world is when a person dies but their money remains unspent!

"God, can you let me spend the money in my bank card before I go? I saved it up for years!"

God said nothing. The only answer was a burst of dazzling light.

Who knew how long passed before the groggy Li Chen slowly opened his eyes.

Before he even had the chance to look at this world, a wrinkled old face in his line of sight drew closer and closer, as if it wanted to kiss him.

"No way, don't come any closer!"

"Smack! From now on, you're my Old Jack's grandson. Come on, let's go home."

In Old Jack's eyes, a chubby, rosy-cheeked, incomparably adorable baby was happily waving his arms and legs upon seeing him.

"I'm done for! I'm no longer pure! Waaah!"

"System, system, are you there? How am I supposed to live without you? Didn't they say systems might be late, but they'd never be absent?"

"Ding dong! System Sprite Tangyuan No. 7236 of the Douluo Continent plane is at your service!"

A plump little thing like a tiny snowball floated before him, but only he could see it.

"Host, please don't worry. Little Tangyuan has already handled everything you left behind in your original spacetime."

Li Chen gave an awkward laugh. "Tangyuan, you're really a good person! Thank you so much."

"Host, you're welcome!"

And so, he was adopted by Old Jack as his grandson. Old Jack raised him as if he were his own.

Over the past few years, because he had this biological grandson, Old Jack had helped Tang San's family far less than in the original work. Before the main storyline began, Li Chen had not wandered around Tang San either, until the main plot finally started.

—Li Chen's fingers flew across the screen as he tailored a Golden Finger specifically for Tang San!

The Soul Guide Tablet in his hands was his system. As for why it looked like a tablet, Li Chen, a veteran shut-in, said that he simply could not live without a phone!

One day, he had vehemently demanded that Tangyuan turn into a phone for him. As long as he could play with a phone, he would do anything. Then, under Li Chen's shocked gaze, the originally adorable Little Tangyuan directly transformed into a Spirit Guide Tablet!

His system could independently create subsystems, bind people whose fate had been tampered with by certain Asura Gods, and issue them mandatory missions.

Through this method, it could seize back their fate and return it to Douluo Continent, while he himself could randomly receive any reward.

And as long as he had Gold Soul Coins, he could buy anything!

"Hehehe, hehehe."

Subsystem Name: Portable Old Granny

Subsystem Appearance: Ring

Note: Behind every successful man stands a successful old person.

"Alright, off you go!"

Tang San, who was preparing to head home, suddenly noticed something reflecting light in the bushes. When he approached, he found an ancient-looking ring engraved with dragon patterns. Its faint golden glow seemed to proclaim its extraordinary nature.

"Did someone deliberately leave this ring here? Is someone trying to harm me?" Tang San lowered his head to examine it, but did not pick it up right away.

His habitually cautious nature made him unable to help thinking the worst.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, Tang San felt in the depths of his heart that this was a tremendous opportunity meant for him. If he missed it, he would only regret it.

It was like when he had jumped off the cliff in his previous life. He had felt that he probably would not die from the fall, as though his life was not yet meant to end and someone would help him, which was why he had resolutely jumped.

Even something like reincarnation had happened to him. Clearly, he possessed immense fortune.

Having thought it through, Tang San activated his Mysterious Jade Hand. His right hand became like a piece of lustrous jade as he slowly picked up the ring.

When nothing happened, Tang San finally relaxed.

He slowly put the ring on his finger. Everything was calm, but Tang San did not notice that the inner force from the Mysterious Heaven Skill he had painstakingly cultivated over the past few years was gradually diminishing.

Tang San jogged all the way home. He still had to cook for his father, and he had already delayed for a while today.

The pair of evil eyes in the distant bushes slowly lifted.

The corners of Li Chen's mouth gradually curled upward. Only after watching Tang San run far away did he begin to laugh. "Hahaha, hahaha."

" Tang San, I hope you enjoy the Golden Finger I prepared for you. In ten days, your Portable Old Granny will make her entrance."

"Don't blame me. I'm only taking back what never belonged to you."

After returning home, Tang San sensed that something was wrong. His body was like a ball with a hole punched in it; no matter what he did, he could no longer cultivate even the slightest bit of inner force.

Tang San discovered the problem. It was precisely after he had picked up this dragon-patterned ring that his body had become abnormal, but no matter what he tried, he could not remove the ring.

Ten days later, it was still that hill, still those bushes, and still that pair of evil eyes in the bushes.

Sitting on the hill, Tang San stared expressionlessly at the village shrouded in mist nearby.

"Hehe, why? Why can't I take this ring off? The inner force from the Mysterious Heaven Skill that I cultivated day and night was actually swallowed by this ring!"

"Do I really have to give up this finger before I can cultivate again?"

The boy's shoulders could not help trembling. A shaky voice came from his mouth. "Today, I must settle this once and for all. The Mysterious Heaven Skill is my greatest reliance in this world. I can lose a finger, but I cannot lose the Mysterious Heaven Skill."

His ten fingers clenched tightly, his nails digging into his flesh. Tang San bit his lip hard, and a faint taste of blood spread through his mouth, instead igniting a ruthless streak within him.

"Whoever you are, don't let me find you. I have neither grievance nor enmity with you, yet you harmed me like this. Your heart is so vicious that you have already embarked on the path to death!"

"I, Tang San, will remember today's grudge." Lowering his head to look at his bloodied hands, Tang San viciously punched the ground.

"Pure and Untainted, chaste as jade; when the time comes, repay all grudges." Tang San took a deep breath and slowly spoke his principles for living.

Lowering his head, Tang San took a kitchen knife from his waist. The determination in his eyes grew even stronger.

Just as Tang San raised his hand to bring down the knife, an Old Woman's mocking voice suddenly entered his ears. "Hehehe, little friend, it seems your will is still not tough enough. You can't even endure this tiny setback? How will you inherit this old woman's legacy in the future?"