The Heaven Dou Empire, the Fasino Province, and Qingshi Village-separated from Holy Soul Village by merely a single mountain.
This village was built against the mountain, and the mountain was rich in a kind of bluestone that could be used for carving handicrafts, hence its name.
It was currently high noon in the middle of summer, with the blazing sun shining brightly.
In the center of the small village, right outside the wooden house of the village spirit hall, a group of children were scattering in twos and threes away from the doorway toward all directions.
The children were all somewhat dejected because this year, once again, no one in their village had awakened a spirit capable of cultivation.
They were all trash spirits, such as Blue Silver Grass, hoes, kitchen knives, dead wooden sticks...
This caused Su Yuntao, who had come to awaken the children's spirits, to also leave in disappointment.
"Ding! Suitable host detected, system binding... Binding complete. Congratulations to the host for binding the Everything Simplification System."
"What? A system?"
Liu Hao was walking home with complex emotions when he suddenly heard that mechanical voice in his head, feeling first a start, and then wild joy.
Hehehe, having transmigrated to Douluo for over 6 years, he had even awakened his spirit just a moment ago.
It was a dead wooden stick spirit with an Innate Soul Power of 0.1 rank, which was practically nonexistent-completely a trash spirit.
Originally, he was still agonizing over whether to go to the Spirit Hall or try his luck with other major factions.
Using his familiarity with the plot of the Douluo World, or utilizing Immortal Herb redemption codes, he wanted to see if he could defy the heavens and change his fate, or at least manage to live a life free of food and clothing worries.
After all, with the aptitude of a trash spirit and no knowledge of martial arts manuals, he probably wouldn't even be qualified to meet top continent powerhouses like Dugu Bo to use the Immortal Herb redemption codes.
For him to rely on his own trash spirit aptitude to cultivate into a powerful soul master was completely impossible.
Now it was great; the golden finger had arrived at the crucial moment. This overwhelming fortune and cheated life had finally fallen to him!
"System? What functions do you have?"
Liu Hao hurriedly suppressed his excitement and asked silently in his heart.
"As the Everything Simplification System, every year on this day, the system will grant the host 10 simplification opportunities.
When the host encounters any difficult matter, he can activate the system, consume 1 simplification opportunity to perform a simplification, turning the complex into the simple and allowing the host to easily complete it."
Hiss, the function sounded pretty good, but having only ten opportunities a year seemed a bit lame?
Never mind, I'll try it first. Having a cheat is always better than not having one.
"System, my aptitude of 0.1 rank Innate Soul Power-surely the matter of wanting to cultivate into a soul master is difficult enough? What can it be simplified into?"
"Ding, the system has received the host's request. Cultivating soul power is arduous; simplifying..."
"Consumed 1 simplification opportunity. Remaining opportunities: 9. Simplification complete. The method of cultivating soul power has been simplified from difficult steps such as meditation, sitting in cross-legged posture, and specific soul power circulation routes into: lying flat.
Whenever the host is in a lying-flat state, soul power will automatically increase by 0.0001% of the current rank per second."
???
"What is this? Four decimal places, and a percentage too? Damn system, what kind of simplification is this? With this turtle speed, you're way too trashy, right?"
"Ding, damn host, please watch your language. This speed can ignore any rank whatsoever."
"In other words, the higher other people's ranks are, the slower their cultivation speed. But regardless of your rank-even after becoming a god-your cultivation speed remains this exact same rate.
Furthermore, damn host, do you really know how fast this cultivation speed is?
At 0.0001% per second, assuming the host only lies down for 12 hours a day, which is 43,200 seconds, you can increase your soul power by 0.0432 ranks.
In a month you can rise by 1.296 ranks, in a year about 15.552 ranks, and in less than 6 years the host can become a Titled Douluo~"
Hiss-
Liu Hao drew a sharp intake of breath. You wouldn't know without calculating, but calculating was truly startling.
In other words, he only needed to steadily turtle up for 6 years, and by the age of 12, he would be able to become one of the top powerhouses on this continent.
He had once learned through indirect inquiries from Old Gordon that over in the neighboring Holy Soul Village, there was currently a blacksmith named Tang Hao, and his son Tang San was around the same age as him.
That being the case, 6 years from now, when Tang San became a 29th-rank Soul Grandmaster and took Xiao Wu to enroll at Shrek Academy...
He would be able to rely on his Titled Douluo strength to go over and put on a massive act of superiority.
Hehehe~
"I wronged you, system baby, love you mwah~"
"Please do not disgust this system."
Ahem.
Liu Hao cleared his throat, pretending not to hear those words from the system.
With the pie painted by the system, he couldn't wait to go straight home, lie in bed, without eating or drinking, lying down 24 hours a day.
That way he could become a Titled Douluo in just 3 years, and by then in some small place he could completely "eat beef" without a care.
Hehehe...
Having suffered for an entire lifetime in his past life, coming to the Douluo Continent, and even getting a cheat, how could he not enjoy himself?
Just as Liu Hao was immersed in his fantasies, an aged voice sounded.
"Little Hao, being unable to become a soul master is nothing. Doesn't everyone in the village live quite well too?"
Hearing the sound, Liu Hao turned his head to look. It was village chief Old Gordon.
"Understood, Grandpa Gordon."
Liu Hao did not say much. After all, excessive words lead to loss, and as the saying goes, great achievements are accomplished through secrecy, while speech brings ruin.
Before he had used the damn system to invincible-take-off, more talk was useless.
The village chief was a neighbor of Liu Hao's family. Because his family was very poor-a lame father, a blind mother, a sick younger brother, and he himself being their only hope-the village chief frequently relief-aided his household.
Of course, although born into such a family, Liu Hao never thought of abandoning his family.
After all, even though he was an orphan in his past life, he had also earnestly received nine years of compulsory education, and his moral character was still fine.
In fact, his original intention of wanting to go to a major faction to take a gamble also took into consideration letting his family live better.
Now that he had the system, he could rise by over 10 ranks a year, and even if he pushed harder, 20 ranks a year wouldn't be a problem.
Once he became a soul master, their life should improve a lot.
Only...
Liu Hao frowned slightly because he thought that although the Spirit Hall had not issued him a soul master certificate due to his low aptitude, they had still recorded the information that he possessed weak soul power, except that this record would only be kept in a small city like Nuoding City.
Even in a couple of years, this record would be destroyed.
Yet despite this, if he reached a point where he caught the attention of the Spirit Hall while lacking sufficient strength, he would definitely be investigated, which would become rather troublesome.
For instance, he was 6 years old now. 1 year later, he would be a 7-year-old soul master of over 10 ranks. 2 years later, an 8-year-old Soul Grandmaster of over 20 ranks or even a 30th-rank Soul Elder. The older he got, the more terrifying the aptitude he displayed would be.
Although becoming a soul master and going to the Spirit Hall for soul master certification didn't necessarily mean his awakening dossier would be investigated, you don't fear ten thousand, you fear the worst.
If he could avoid going to the Spirit Hall to get soul master certification and claim allowances, it was best not to be exposed.
He would rather treat people as demons first and not angels first.
After all, before making contact, no one knew whether the other party was truly a demon or an angel.
What's more, some people even wore the face of an angel on the surface while secretly being ruthless murderers.
In the original Douluo text, there were simply too many characters that weren't mentioned...
Originally, he had no choice and wanted to take a gamble.
Now with a cheat on his body, naturally staying steady was the primary goal.
"Eh? Right, why not test if the system can help my parents recover their health?"
After all, the system's introduction was that it could simplify any difficulty he encountered.
That being the case, didn't he want to cure his parents' lameness and eye ailments, as well as his younger brother's strange illness?
Weren't these matters difficult enough?
Thinking of this, Liu Hao grew eager to try, his pace involuntarily quickened a bit, and he turned around with a smile to greet, "Grandpa Gordon, I'm heading home first."
"Mm, good! Watch your step, don't fall."
Watching Liu Hao's thin, receding figure, Old Gordon stroked his grayish-white beard, feeling quite a bit more relieved in his heart.
Originally he was still worried that Liu Hao hadn't awakened as a soul master, and with such a difficult family situation, he would fall into despair.
Unexpectedly, he looked quite optimistic.
That was good. After all, while there is life, there is hope.
When Little Hao grew up, took a wife, perhaps he could give birth to a child with soul power who could become a soul master.
By then, everything would get better.
Thinking of this, a gratified smile inevitably appeared on Old Gordon's face.
The pity was, he didn't know whether he would be able to see that day.
After all, he was already over 70 years old, and not a soul master. Living to this age, he was nearing that step as well.
Liu Hao's home consisted of only three rooms built side by side.
Entering the front door was the living room; the left-hand side was the kitchen plus a utility room, and the right-hand side was the bedroom for the family of four.
As soon as Liu Hao reached the doorway, a thick herbal smell hit him head-on.
Before you continue