"Can changing just one word in the plot make things happen differently?"
Ye Lin stood there, staring at the system prompt in surprise. She had been transported to the Holy Soul Village in Douluo Continent less than a second ago, and the system had already arrived. That was seriously fast.
And she'd even gotten the protagonist's starting setup: both parents dead, all alone.
"How do I make changes?"
The current plot appeared on the system panel:
[There was porridge simmering in the pot in front of Ye Lin. She was about to take the pot...]
She thought about it briefly, then changed the word "porridge" to "chicken."
A flash of white light passed through the iron pot. The plain congee inside had turned into a pot of fragrant, braised chicken.
She took a light sniff, then her eyes widened. "This smells amazing!"
She asked the system, "Can I change anything?"
"Show me a plot entry. Ye Lin is a person. I want to change 'person' to 'god.'"
[If you have enough points, it's not impossible.]
"What do you mean?"
[You can make three changes per day. Changes with minor effects, like this one, have no restrictions. But major changes are heavily restricted. Each change also earns you one point. Spending points on a change can lessen the restrictions. You can also redeem prizes with points in the Points Shop.]
"Interesting."
There were limits on what she could change, but the cheat was still powerful.
"But aren't three points a day a bit too few?"
[The system will issue tasks from time to time. Completing them will earn you task rewards, which may include points.]
[Ding! Task issued: Change Tang San's plot. The more the plot changes, the greater the reward.]
"Not bad, not bad."
"At this point in time, Tang San should be on the hillside practicing the Purple Demon Eye."
After wolfing down half the delicious braised chicken, Ye Lin hurried to the little hill where Tang San practiced.
A thin, small child sat cross-legged atop the hill, his eyes closed and his breathing steady. When he opened his eyes, a hint of purple flickered in them. This was Tang San.
Tang San slowly stood up. Suddenly, he shuddered and sneezed. For some reason, he was overcome by a sudden sense of unease. He looked around, but didn't see anything. He shook his head, deciding it must have been his imagination.
[Tang San was walking down the hill, preparing to head home...]
After considering it from every angle, Ye Lin decided there was only one thing she could do. She quietly changed one of the verbs.
Tang San had worked hard climbing the hill. She'd help him hurry down.
Tang San was walking along when his foot suddenly slipped. He pitched forward headfirst, instinctively curling into a ball as he tumbled downhill.
He frantically circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill within him, trying to stop, but it was completely useless. His body was entirely out of his control.
"Thud!"
Tang San slammed into a tree and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He should stop now.
Ye Lin watched from a distance, wondering what would happen next.
Would he stop?
Or would Tang San get up and then roll down again?
Tang San didn't stop when he hit the tree. Instead, with a bang, he bounced backward like a ball, then kept tumbling downhill.
Ye Lin was astonished. "This change affects the rules of reality!"
Tang San rolled at incredible speed. When he reached the bottom of the hill, his body came to a sudden stop, and he landed face-down right in front of Ye Lin.
[Ding! Plot change complete. Tang San rolled down the hillside. Reward: one change with reduced restrictions. For example, you can change Tang San's tenth level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill to zero, or change his Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, to the Clear Sky Nail.]
The image of Tang San holding a little black-and-blue nail suddenly appeared in Ye Lin's mind. She'd almost been fooled by the system.
Ye Lin thought, System, quit trying to fool me. I don't even know what my Martial Soul is yet. Even if Tang San's useless, he still has his father. I have absolutely nothing.
She stepped forward and helped Tang San up. "Tang San, how did you end up rolling down the hill?"
Tang San awkwardly brushed the dirt off his clothes. Bruises covered him, and they hurt like hell.
"My eyes got a little blurry on the way down, so I fell."
He didn't know why it had happened, either.
"It's so early, and you're already staring at the sun. If your eyes aren't blurry, whose would be?"
"Don't tell me you're practicing some kind of eye technique."
"No, no." Hearing Ye Lin say that, Tang San hurriedly shook his head. There was no way he could let anyone find out about the Purple Demon Eye.
Back home, Ye Lin wasn't sure how to use her remaining change.
She glanced at the system panel.
The task hadn't disappeared. It had just turned gray.
"System, wasn't my task already complete? Why is it still there?"
[This is a daily task, but only the first completion gives the best reward.]
"A daily task!"
"Interesting. I like it!"
"Xiao Lin, are you there? Grandpa's here to pick you up."
At the sound of Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village, outside, Ye Lin remembered that today was the day of the Martial Soul Awakening.
She stepped outside. Tang San was following behind Old Jack.
Their homes were close, so Old Jack had picked them both up.
As they walked, Old Jack kept telling them about Martial Souls. Tang San listened intently, though Ye Lin already knew all about it.
Under Old Jack's guidance, the two of them arrived at the village's Spirit Hall. It was really just a brown wooden hut.
The other seven children were already waiting there.
There was also a young man wearing a white, fitted outfit.
"He's pretty handsome,"
Ye Lin muttered, indulging in a little crush.
"This must be Su Yuntao, who was called the Blind Douluo in her previous life."
Su Yuntao was brisk and efficient. After exchanging a few words with the village chief, he quickly began the Martial Soul Awakening. He had a heavy workload and had to visit several villages every day.
Su Yuntao quickly arranged six black stones on the ground in a hexagon and motioned for one of the children to stand in the middle.
"Don't be afraid of what you're about to see. If you're lucky, you might end up like this too!"
"Lone Wolf, Martial Soul Possession!"
Su Yuntao shouted and completed his Martial Soul Possession. Though he'd warned them in advance, he still frightened the children badly.
He went through the awakenings very quickly.
"Blue Silver Grass, tool-type Martial Soul, no Soul Power. Next."
"Stone, tool-type Martial Soul, no Soul Power. Next."
Of the nine children, only Tang San and Ye Lin were left.
Ye Lin was eager to find out what her own Martial Soul would be. She wondered if the plot might give her a hint.
[Tang San awakened the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and had Innate Full Soul Power. Ye Lin awakened the Martial Soul...]
Before you continue