"I was born into this world eighteen years ago with the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul and Innate Soul Power of Level 8, yet I've only cultivated to Level 49. It still feels like I'm not quite good enough!"
In the Douluo Continent, in the courtyard behind the Seven Kill Sect.
Chen Fan was lying in the courtyard, basking in the moonlight with a blade of foxtail grass between his teeth. After staring at the night sky for a long while, he suddenly sighed. "I was born in the wrong era!"
"If I'd been born in the Douluo II era, I'd count as part of the nobility. My achievements wouldn't be limited to what I've got now!"
"Douluo I is just too poor!"
By normal standards, his talent was truly remarkable. After all, Dai Mubai had only reached Level 44 by the age of seventeen, while Seahorse Douluo of Sea God Island hadn't even reached Level 40 by the age of eighteen.
But the problem was that this was the era of Tang San, the cheat who became a god in his twenties!
His talent was like that of an ordinary undergraduate during the expansion of university admissions—not even remotely impressive.
Just then,
a mechanical voice rang out in his mind!
[Beep! The host has reached the age of eighteen. The More Children More Blessings System is now active!]
The sudden sound startled Chen Fan so badly that he nearly rolled off the reclining chair. "Holy crap!"
"Who? Who's talking?"
He abruptly sat up and warily scanned his surroundings. It took him a full two and a half seconds to realize, "Wait, was that just..."
"A system?"
In his previous life, Chen Fan had been a 007 programmer. After dying from overwork, he was born into the Douluo Continent as an in-law of the Seven Kill Sect.
He might have been an in-law, but his status was actually a little higher than that of Chen Xin, the sect's young master.
There was only one reason.
His mother, Chen Xiang, was a cousin of Chen Jianjun, the current sect master of the Seven Kill Sect.
His parents had both died in the war that helped Chen Jianjun reclaim power. That had made Chen Fan the sect's most well-connected relative!
As long as he didn't plan to betray the sect or stage a rebellion, he basically wouldn't have to worry about a thing.
"More Children More Blessings System?"
"No, wait... doesn't this mean I have to be a stud?"
Chen Fan muttered, and it seemed he had triggered some sort of keyword. The mechanical voice rang out in his mind again.
[More Children More Blessings System: After the host fathers a child with a woman, he will receive a corresponding reward based on the child's talent.]
[Rewards are divided into the 'Pregnancy' and 'Birth' stages. Each stage comes with a reward!]
[System binding complete. A beginner's gift pack has been awarded. Would the host like to open it?]
The string of announcements helped Chen Fan calm down a little. He took a deep breath and forced himself to settle down.
He carefully considered the system's description, and his eyes gradually lit up.
Wait...
If the rewards were based on the children's talent...
Then this might not be such a bad deal!
Although Chen Fan had Innate Soul Power of Level 8 and a genuine Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul, making him one of the more talented youngsters in the Seven Kill Sect,
as a transmigrator, he knew perfectly well that compared with the cheating Shrek Seven Devils, his talent wasn't worth a damn!
But now that he had this system...
"On my own, I can only develop in secret, and there's a limit to how far I can go!"
"Offering it to the sect and drawing on the strength of the whole sect is the way to go!"
Chen Fan made up his mind on the spot.
Over the past eighteen years, he had seen how Chen Jianjun, the sect master, treated him even better than his own son, Chen Xin.
Besides,
he wasn't the sort who liked to keep things to himself. All these years, it had been his maternal cousin Chen Jianjun who had raised him.
If this system could benefit the sect, then everyone could share in the rewards. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
With that thought, Chen Fan immediately got to his feet, dusted off his robes, and strode toward the sect master's hall.
[Opening the beginner's gift pack!]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the following items: Douluo Pill ×1, Red God-Bestowed Spirit Ring ×1!]
[Douluo Pill: For the exclusive use of Titled Douluo with a Soul Power Level between 89 and 97. After consumption, Soul Power will increase by one level. Each person may consume only one pill in their lifetime.]
[Red God-Bestowed Spirit Ring: Grants one Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring unconditionally!]
Meanwhile,
behind the Seven Kill Sect,
the stone door of a secret chamber swung open without warning. A figure stepped out.
He looked to be in his early forties, with a handsome face, sword-shaped eyebrows, bright eyes, and long silver-white hair falling loosely over his shoulders. His entire body radiated a sharp, swordlike aura.
He was none other than Chen Xin, the young master of the Seven Kill Sect.
At the age of seventy-two, after this period of seclusion, he had successfully broken through to Soul Power Level 92!
"Father should be about to come out of seclusion too, right?"
Chen Xin stretched luxuriously, and his bones crackled.
After loosening up a little, he looked toward the other secret chamber beside him.
These were the two chambers reserved for past sect masters and elders of the Seven Kill Sect.
The other one naturally belonged to his father, Chen Jianjun, the sect master of the Seven Kill Sect.
"I wonder if Father can break through to Level 97 this time."
Muttering to himself, Chen Xin's eyes filled with anticipation.
Chen Jianjun, sect master of the Seven Kill Sect, had already reached the peak of Level 96 ten years ago. After announcing that he was leaving the sect's affairs in Chen Xin's hands, he had gone straight into seclusion, declaring that he wouldn't come out until he broke through to Level 97!
Could his father finally come out of seclusion this year?
Just as Chen Xin was thinking this, a terrifying surge of Soul Power erupted without warning!
Even Chen Xin, with his Soul Power at Level 92, was shaken. He staggered backward several steps, his eyes wide with shock and excitement. "He did it!"
"Congratulations on breaking through to Level 97, Father!"
"Xin'er, you came out of seclusion before I did."
As his voice fell, Chen Jianjun emerged at an unhurried pace, dressed in white with his hands behind his back.
He didn't look much older than Chen Xin. His face was imposing, his eyes sharp as lightning, and his gray-white hair was tied behind his head. His aura was restrained to the utmost.
Yet to Chen Xin's senses, his father was like an unparalleled divine sword drawn from its scabbard, ready at any moment to unleash a thrust Chen Xin couldn't hope to withstand.
"Congratulations, Father!"
"It was only a natural step. Nothing worth mentioning."
Chen Jianjun waved a hand.
He spoke lightly, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed his excitement.
After Level 95, breaking through each level meant a qualitative leap in one's understanding of the Martial Soul.
His breakthrough from Level 96 to Level 97 meant that his understanding of the Seven Kill Sword had reached a new level.
"Still, Xin'er, you were already at Level 92 by the age of seventy-two. Your talent still falls a little short. You'll need to work twice as hard."
"Yes, Father. You're right."
"All right."
Chen Jianjun smiled and patted Chen Xin's shoulder. His tone suddenly turned solemn. "Over the past ten years, you've more or less handled the sect's affairs. It's time for me to retire."
"Gather all the elders for a meeting. I'm planning to make a trip to Wuhun City."
"Spirit City?"
Chen Xin was taken aback. "Father, what are you going to Spirit City for?"
"I feel that Level 97 is my limit. If I want to break through it, I'll need to find another way."
After a pause, Chen Jianjun continued, "The Spirit Hall's current Adjudicator Elder, Qian Daoliu, is said to have peerless swordsmanship. Perhaps I can learn something from him."
"This..."
Chen Xin hesitated. "You've only just broken through. Wouldn't it be a little..."
As he was speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside. "Sect Master, Young Master, Young Master Chen Fan requests an audience. He says he has something important to discuss."
"Fan'er?"
Chen Jianjun froze, looking puzzled. He turned to Chen Xin. "Was Fan'er bullied?"
Though Chen Fan was his nephew, he rarely came to the seclusion area to see him. Usually, Chen Jianjun went to visit Chen Fan in the courtyard.
And now he had suddenly come to see him. Could something have upset him?
"No."
Chen Xin shook his head. "I've been keeping an eye on Xiao Fan. No one in the sect has bullied him."
This made Chen Jianjun even more puzzled.
If no one had bullied him and everything was fine, why was he asking for an audience?
Could he be hoping to venture into the Soul Master World?
After thinking it over, Chen Jianjun found the idea reasonable. Chen Fan was eighteen now, after all—the right age to go out and make a name for himself.
Though that was what he thought, Chen Jianjun showed no emotion. "Let him in."
"Yes!"
A moment later,
Chen Fan strode in. Seeing that Chen Xin and Chen Jianjun were both there, he paused, then cupped his hands. "Uncle, Cousin."
Chen Fan's mother, Chen Xiang, was Chen Jianjun's youngest cousin.
There was quite an age gap between the cousins, which was why Chen Fan and Chen Xin, their sons, were so far apart in age too.
"Xiao Fan, what is it?"
After a pause, Chen Fan said, "Uncle, there's something very important I need to tell you."
"Oh?"
Seeing the rare seriousness on Chen Fan's face, Chen Jianjun was slightly taken aback. "What is it that makes you so solemn?"
"Uncle, I awakened a system."
"A system?"
The unfamiliar word left both father and son stunned. They looked at each other. "What's a system?"
Seeing their confusion,
Chen Fan realized that people in the Douluo Continent didn't understand the concept of a "system."
He slapped his forehead. He was about to explain that it was something like a deity, but then he remembered... the Seven Kill Sect didn't have anything like that either, did it?
"It's... something that can give me special rewards."
Chen Jianjun's brow furrowed even more deeply.
He had lived for one hundred and eight years and prided himself on being widely informed, yet he had never heard of such a thing.
Could someone have tampered with Chen Fan's mental power?
Thinking this, Chen Jianjun immediately stepped forward and placed a hand on Chen Fan's forehead, using both his mental power and Soul Power to examine him.
However,
everything was normal.
"Uncle, I'm fine."
Seeing this, Chen Fan understood what Chen Jianjun had been thinking. Warmth stirred in his heart, but he spoke with a serious expression. "I can assure you, it's real!"
As he spoke,
Chen Fan raised his hand and opened his palm. A golden pill appeared out of thin air, filling the air with a rich medicinal fragrance. "This is the Douluo Pill."
"The Douluo Pill?"
"This pill can only be taken by Titled Douluo with a Soul Power Level between 90 and 97. After taking it, their Soul Power will increase by one level."
"Uncle, take a look."
As he spoke, Chen Fan handed the pill to Chen Jianjun.
From the moment Chen Fan raised his hand, Chen Jianjun had kept his eyes fixed on him.
As the Seven Kill Sect's most well-connected relative, Chen Fan naturally had the standard Soul Guidance Storage Pouch.
But,
the Soul Guidance Storage Pouches of the Douluo I era required Soul Power to retrieve anything from them.
Yet when Chen Fan took out the pill just now, not a trace of Soul Power had fluctuated!
In other words, the pill had appeared out of thin air!
That sight left Chen Jianjun even more astonished.
"Can it really raise someone to Level 98?"
"Isn't that a little... too incredible?"
However,
Chen Xin hadn't noticed that detail.
He looked at the pill, and when he heard Chen Fan's words, his face filled with shock. "How is that possible!"
Above Level 90, every level was worlds apart. How could a pill raise someone by a whole level?
Even some of the more extreme methods in the Soul Master World couldn't easily raise the Soul Power Level of a Titled Douluo like that!
"The world is vast, full of wonders."
By comparison, Chen Jianjun seemed rather calm, though the hand holding the pill trembled slightly.
Clearly,
he was deeply shaken too.
As he spoke, Chen Jianjun brought the pill to his nose and sniffed it. His brow furrowed as he said, "Fan'er, Xin'er, step back a little. I'll try it."
"Yes!"
Chen Xin was startled, but still pulled Chen Fan along as they retreated ten meters.
Seeing this.
Only then did Chen Jianjun take a deep breath and swallow the pill in one gulp.
The instant the pill entered his stomach, a terrifying surge of energy exploded inside him!
"Hmm?!"
Chen Jianjun's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly sat cross-legged and circulated his Soul Power to guide the energy.
Golden light burst from his body, illuminating half the night sky. In an instant, the skies cleared!
The fluctuations of Soul Power around him were also rising at an astonishing rate!
In the blink of an eye, he reached the peak of Level 97!
And then!
Just two and a half seconds later, he shattered that bottleneck. His Soul Power surged even more fiercely, nearly sending Chen Xin and Chen Fan, ten meters away, flying!
"This... Level 98?!"
Chen Xin's eyes widened as he stared in stunned disbelief at the terrifying fluctuations of Soul Power.
He had only felt such powerful Soul Power once before—in his middle years, when facing his grandfather!
"Did he really break through?"
But then, Chen Xin was even more stunned.
One pill!
Just one so-called Douluo Pill had let a Titled Douluo who had only just reached Level 97 step into Level 98 in the blink of an eye?
Unheard of!
Simply unprecedented!
If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that something so unbelievable could exist in this world!
Could this be... a legendary divine blessing?
"Phew..."
A full two and a half minutes later,
Chen Jianjun finally let out a long breath of stale air. The turbulent fluctuations of Soul Power around him gradually settled.
"Level 98... It really is Level 98..."
Chen Xin's voice trembled.
He had reached Level 92 at the age of seventy-two, which was already considered an extraordinary talent.
But his father had advanced from Level 97 to Level 98 with just one pill...
The gap was simply despairing.
Chen Jianjun took a deep breath and turned to Chen Fan, his gaze more serious than ever. "Fan'er, this system of yours..."
"Uncle, I told you the truth, didn't I?"
Hearing this,
Chen Jianjun nodded firmly, his eyes brimming with excitement. "You did! You really did!"
He had lived for a hundred and eight years, yet this was the first time he had encountered something so far beyond the bounds of common sense.
One pill could raise a Titled Douluo's Soul Power by a level!
If word of this got out, the whole continent would go mad!
"Fan'er, what else can your system do?"
Chen Jianjun asked urgently.
"That was just the new gift package it gave me."
"But its rules say I need to have blood-related descendants before I can receive the next reward."
Just now,
while Chen Jianjun was breaking through, Chen Fan had tried a few things.
He'd discovered that the system was nothing more than a simple, self-service machine.
It couldn't answer his questions like an AI or an encyclopedia.
Having no choice, he could only repeat the system's earlier explanation to Chen Jianjun. "But..."
"The more talented my children are, the richer the rewards will be!"
Hearing this,
Chen Jianjun's eyes lit up. "Good! Wonderful!"
He clapped Chen Fan on the shoulder and laughed heartily. "Fan'er, this is a heaven-sent blessing!"
Chen Xin also came to his senses, his eyes filled with shock and envy.
If one Douluo Pill had taken his father from Level 97 to Level 98, then if he got a few more...
Wouldn't the Seven Kill Sect rise to greatness?
"Father, about this..."
Chen Xin hesitated.
Chen Jianjun understood what he meant. His smile faded, and he said solemnly, "What happened today is the sect's highest secret. It must not be spread!"
"Yes!"
Chen Xin nodded quickly.
Chen Jianjun turned to Chen Fan again, his gaze full of affection. "Fan'er, don't worry. Your uncle will support you with everything he has."
"Uncle, that's what I thought too. That's why I came to you first."
Chen Xin suddenly thought of something. "Father, you said earlier that you were going to Spirit Hall to spar with Qian Daoliu..."
Chen Jianjun waved a hand, cutting his son off. "The spar can wait. We'll take care of your affairs first."
Spar?
As if!
He'd wanted to seek out Qian Daoliu because he'd seen no path to further improvement and hoped to learn from him.
But now!
The path lay right before him. What reason did he have to go all the way to Spirit City for that?
One Douluo Pill had helped him break through by one level. If he got a few more...
Wouldn't he have a chance to reach Level 99 and become a Peerless Douluo?
Or even...
Become a god at Level 100, as the legends said?
At the thought, Chen Jianjun's heart burned with excitement.
His father had once been as renowned as Golden Crocodile Douluo of Spirit Hall, both of them Level 98 Titled Douluos.
However,
his father had spent his entire life striving, yet in the end had never managed to glimpse Level 99, much less reach the ethereal realm of godhood at Level 100.
And now,
the fabled Level 100 godhood, once so far out of reach, had suddenly become close enough to grasp.
How could he not be excited?
"Go to Spirit City?"
Chen Fan hadn't known about Chen Jianjun's plan. At Chen Xin's question, he was taken aback, then seemed to realize something.
If he recalled correctly... in the original story, Chen Jianjun had reached Level 97 at the age of a hundred and eight, then died while on his way to seek guidance from Qian Daoliu.
So... had he unintentionally saved his uncle?
"Come on. We're going to the main hall. Gather all the elders. I have something important to announce!"
"Yes!"