Setting Off

Upon arriving home, Lin Gang led Lin Ze'an to a loose brick in the inner room.

He pried the brick loose and dug down a short distance.

Then, he pulled out an iron box.

Opening it, he revealed a yellowed book and a jade pendant.

The pendant was carved with a majestic golden crocodile.

Lin Gang handed the two items to Lin Ze'an. "Xiao An, these were left to you by your mother."

He pointed to the book. "This is the meditation technique your mother once practiced. Try to see if you can cultivate with it; if not, we will find another way."

The meditation technique he used himself was too low-grade and certainly couldn't be given to his son, or it would waste such exceptional talent.

Lin Ze'an nodded and opened the slightly worn book.

As time had passed, the title on the cover had long since blurred into illegibility.

Fortunately, the contents inside remained intact.

"According to your mother, the quality of spirit power cultivated using this technique is far superior to that of ordinary ones."

Lin Gang then pointed to the jade pendant.

"This was your mother's personal possession. If you ever encounter her family in the future, perhaps you can fulfill her final wish."

Thinking of this, Lin Gang felt a pang of pain; Jin Ling had died without ever seeing her father again.

There was no grudge between father and daughter that couldn't be mended, and Jin Ling had originally planned to take the child home after giving birth to Lin Ze'an.

Unfortunately...

He knew he had no face to confront them, so he hoped Lin Ze'an could go back in his stead.

Watching his son prepare to put the items away, Lin Gang seemed to remember something else.

He handed over a ring. "Xiao An, this is your mother's storage spirit tool ring. Take it and use it."

Lin Ze'an took the ring and scanned it with his spirit power.

At just one glance, he was stunned.

The space inside the ring was as large as a football field; it was surely a treasure of immense value, even in the later eras of the Douluo Continent.

Lin Ze'an slipped the ring onto his finger and placed his personal belongings inside.

He looked at the book in his hand, thinking that since his father had promised to take him to obtain his spirit ring tomorrow, he might as well return to his room to study the meditation technique now.

Back in his room, Lin Ze'an took the meditation manual out of the storage ring.

He then began to circulate his spirit power according to the instructions.

Although he had yet to obtain a spirit ring, if this technique was truly as miraculous as his father claimed, he should be able to use it to refine his spirit power.

It would also serve as a head start to get accustomed to it; after all, he had been an ordinary person before transmigrating.

As he meditated, his spirit power began to flow in wisps through his limbs and bones.

The sensation was as if he were being enveloped by a rich, vibrant life force.

Lin Ze'an felt as though he had discovered a new world, repeating the cycle over and over.

It was only after several hours had passed, deep into the night, that Lin Ze'an ended his meditation.

He opened his eyes and exhaled a faint breath of stale air.

He extended his right hand, and with a thought, a bright green leaf brimming with life energy appeared in his palm.

He gently tossed the leaf onto the floor.

The moment it touched the ground, a tender green vine sprouted from the soil, radiating a pure and vigorous life force.

"This is..." A flash of surprise crossed Lin Ze'an's eyes. Thinking of something, he quickly walked out into the courtyard.

The night was heavy, and the stars were scattered across the sky.

Lin Ze'an stood in the yard, took a deep breath, and summoned his martial soul, Mo Ruier.

In an instant, a warm and powerful wave of life energy spread out from him, the pale green light rippling like water.

He looked at the ground beneath his feet in astonishment.

The withered grass turned emerald green once more, and the cracked soil became moist and fertile.

Even more astonishingly, the withered leaves and branches of the old locust tree in the yard began to regain their vitality at a speed visible to the naked eye, sprouting tender buds and blooming with new green.

Lin Ze'an was immersed in these wondrous changes, unconsciously spreading his arms.

The life energy surged like a tide, bringing everything it touched back to life.

However, he did not notice that behind him, thick vines were silently wrapping around the beams and pillars of the house, winding their way up the walls...

"Is this the power of the Grass Spirit King?" He felt the warm spirit power flowing through his body, his heart filled with immense excitement.

Just then, his father's stunned voice came from inside the house: "Ze'an, what is going on with these vines?"

Lin Ze'an turned around in confusion, only to discover that their house had been wrapped layer upon layer in lush vines.

He hurriedly retracted his martial soul and said with some panic, "Father, I was just testing the abilities of my martial soul."

"Once I withdraw my martial soul, these vines should return to normal."

With a thought, he retracted all of his soul power.

However, as the seconds ticked by, the vines in the yard showed no signs of receding; they remained wrapped around the house, lush and verdant.

A look of bewilderment appeared on Lin Ze'an's face. He tried a few more times, but the vines seemed as firmly rooted as if they had been growing for decades.

Under the moonlight, the emerald leaves looked even more vibrant, and one could vaguely see tiny flower buds slowly blooming.

Seeing this, Lin Ze'an cursed silently.

He had forgotten that the manifestation of Mo Ruier's ability was not limited to vitality, but also included the control of life itself.

So... he really couldn't go back into his own house...

Watching his son's flustered expression, Lin Gang immediately understood the situation.

After all, he was his own son; how could he not understand him? The boy was likely still unable to fully control the power of his martial soul.

However, a second thought crossed his mind: his son possessing such a powerful martial soul also filled his heart with a surge of gratification.

He stepped forward, patted Lin Ze'an on the shoulder, and said gently, "It's alright, it'll be dawn soon anyway."

"The house is in such a state that I'm afraid we can't cook breakfast. I'll go to the street and buy some; you've been cultivating all night, so get some rest first."

Lin Ze'an looked at his vine-covered home and nodded with a sense of guilt.

With his talent, earning money wouldn't be difficult. He would just have to wait until he earned enough to get his father a new house.

He landed on the roof of his house, lay down on the vines, and began to admire the moon in the sky.

After the incident just now, Lin Ze'an didn't have a shred of sleepiness left.

He simply lay on the roof, watching the stars in the sky flicker. His thoughts gradually drifted into the distance.

My mother's father, my grandfather—who exactly was he?

The next morning.

As the first rays of dawn spilled across the earth.

Lin Ze'an's small, thin figure had already appeared in the village.

He was pushing a cart filled with items ordered by the villagers, delivering them from house to house.

Since he was about to leave the village to obtain his soul ring, he had to deliver the things the villagers wanted first.

"Uncle Wang, here is the kitchen knife you ordered."

"Thank you, little An. Stay and have some breakfast; Uncle Wang has made some porridge."

Facing the villager's warm invitation, Lin Ze'an hurriedly shook his head.

"Thank you, Uncle Wang, but I've already eaten. I need to go deliver to the other houses."

"Alright then, be careful on the road. Don't get cut by the knife or anything."

After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic Uncle Wang, Lin Ze'an continued his deliveries to the next house.

Almost every villager in the entire village knew Lin Ze'an.

Whenever he arrived at their door, they greeted him with smiles.

They either asked if he had eaten breakfast or wanted to give him some vegetables they had grown themselves.

It wasn't until halfway through the morning that he returned home.

Lin Gang hadn't cleared away the vines; instead, he was sitting there waiting for Lin Ze'an.

Seeing his son return, he pointed to the flatbread on the table.

"Eat quickly. Once you're done, we'll set off to take you to obtain your first soul ring."

Hearing that he could finally obtain his soul ring, Lin Ze'an ate with the fastest speed of his life.

He wolfed it down, swallowing a piece of bread in a few quick bites, and then signaled that he was finished.

Lin Gang looked at Lin Ze'an's impatient appearance and shook his head helplessly.

It was understandable; after all, it was the first soul ring of his life, so it was inevitable that he would be a bit excited. He had been the same way back then.

After packing their things, the father and son set off on the road to the Soul Hunting Forest.