The timeline of this book is a hundred years before the Douluo I storyline. It is not simply a fanfic; the characters and plot are all original. Strictly speaking, it is not a fanfic.
In terms of writing style, it combines the Martial Soul setting of Douluo with xuanhuan fiction, and is written in the style of xuanhuan.
Warning! Warning!
This is a family ensemble novel set in Douluo, a slow-paced story about building up a family in depth. It won't be fast, so don't bring the fast-paced, individual monster-fighting-and-leveling-up mindset into it. That'll make it hard to enjoy.
So it will hit your preconceived notions about Douluo fanfiction hard and kick off a storm of ideas in your head.
Don't blame me for warning you in advance. Be careful! Be careful! Be careful!
Now, let's begin: Volume One, "Kill the Wolf"! The battle that wiped out the Chen Clan!
A hazy space.
A fate wheel with 36 slots.
A six-year-old boy.
"Congratulations, Host. You drew-Companion."
"Companion, one of the 36 characters, is one of the Four Essentials of Cultivation: Dao, Companions, Wealth, and Land."
(PS: The Golden Finger appears in Chapter 31. Here's an early peek.)
Time rewound to half a month earlier.
Douluo Calendar, June 13, 2531.
Fasinuo Province, Wushan Prefecture, Lin City, Godin Town, Chenlin Village.
That afternoon, by the lake, there was a gentle slope called Jieshi Slope. A five- or six-year-old child sat on a large rock on the slope.
His skin was a healthy wheat-brown, his short black hair looked neat, and he wore a well-fitting blue outfit. He looked very clean all over.
At that moment, he quietly gazed at the sunset in the distance, spread across Shaolin Lake before his eyes.
The lotus flowers not far away swayed in the breeze. Immersed in the scene, he slowly began to ponder.
In another week, I'll awaken my Martial Soul. Dad should be back in a few days. I wonder if I'll awaken the Seven Kill Sword, a Top Tier Tool Martial Soul.
Starting when I was three, Grandpa and Father had me soak in Medicinal Baths. At first, there was a month between baths, then gradually it became every half month, then once a week. The intervals kept getting shorter, and I also ate medicinal food every few days.
I have to exercise every day, practice basic sword techniques, footwork, and boxing, study language and writing, poetry, calligraphy, arithmetic, the continent's geography and history... Fortunately, there are no foreign languages.
Children in this world seem to develop faster, both mentally and physically. Maybe that has something to do with the difference in spiritual energy between the two worlds.
Grandpa and Father refused to teach me how to meditate and cultivate Soul Power. They said I wasn't allowed to cultivate Soul Power before I turned six and awakened my Martial Soul-or, rather, that I wasn't allowed to practice any skills related to Soul Power. Seems there must be a reason I don't know about.
I've always been the kind of person who listens to good advice and eats my fill.
I was hoping I might get to see what the protagonist's group was like, but...
My big brother, Chen Jianjun, died at 108. Chen Xin was 72. He was 36 years older than Chen Xin.
When Chen Xin's sword was finally shattered, he was 101, while Tang San was 25. They were 76 years apart, meaning my big brother was 112 years older than Tang San.
Wait, I'm so dumb. It's 2531 this year, and Tang San was born in 2631. I could've just checked the calendar.
This is pretty frustrating. I don't even know if I'll live long enough to meet Tang San.
Whatever, never mind. Even if I can't get involved in the main story, I can still see the legendary Soul Masters from a hundred years ago. That won't be a loss.
Heh, the Holy Son of Spirit Hall is 25 now. Three years ago, he led Spirit Hall to win the Advanced Elite Soul Master Tournament with the Cultivation Level of a Soul Emperor, making a name for himself across the world. Other than the protagonist's cheating group, Qian Daoliu is already incredibly powerful.
Too bad Tang Chen hasn't made a name for himself yet. I can't hear any stories about him.
As for Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi... Heh, she's too far away, and she might not even have been born yet.
But in the future, Dad, Chen Xun, will reach Level 98, and my big brother, Chen Jianjun, will also reach Level 98. One will challenge Tang Chen and disappear, while the other will challenge Qian Daoliu and die from his injuries. Living with them is seriously stressful.
Chen Xiaojun had originally been named Chen Jianxin by his father. When he was five, a year ago, he had refused to accept it no matter what, so he had it changed to Xiaojun.
Obviously, when he saw that everyone had a Martial Soul, while his father was named Chen Xun, his big brother was named Chen Jianjun, and they had the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul, he knew he had been transported to Douluo Continent.
The Chen Family should really be the Chen Clan: a Swordsmanship family, with the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul passed down through the generations. It was known as the continent's most powerful offensive Martial Soul. He didn't know why his family had hidden their surname and claimed to be named Chen.
Chen Xin was one of his favorite characters. He reckoned that if he had been called Chen Jianxin, the name Chen Xin probably wouldn't have appeared.
Most importantly, he didn't want a name with the sound "jian" in it. Otherwise, people might call him "Jianren" one day, the way Gu Rong called Chen Xin.
"Young Master, the Matriarch says to come back for dinner." A little fat boy came running over from a distance. He was the son of their family's steward.
His name was Zhu Wuneng. Yeah, when he first heard that name, it had struck him like a bolt of lightning. But the little fatty was chubby and quite adorable.
The Zhu Family had followed this branch of their Direct Lineage for over a hundred years. In every generation, they had grown up alongside the family. The Martial Soul passed down in their family was the Advanced Martial Soul, Stone Armor Boar.
This Martial Soul had powerful defense, decent offense, and excellent stamina. It was a good partner for generations of Chen Clan heirs.
The little fatty ranked third in his family. He had an elder brother, Zhu Wukui, and a second elder sister, Zhu Wuxin. Zhu Wukui cultivated and played with Chen Xiaojun's big brother, Chen Jianjun, so this fatty would probably be his partner in the future.
"All right, all right, I'm coming. Let's go. By the way, Little Wuneng, you're going to awaken your Martial Soul soon too, right?" Chen Xiaojun slapped his butt and stood up, heading home.
"Yeah, in another two months. After I awaken it, I'll still be with you, Young Master." Zhu Wuneng grinned honestly.
"Your dad's Martial Soul is a Stone Armor Boar, and your mom's is a Nine-Toothed Rake. Maybe when you awaken your Martial Soul, it'll undergo a Martial Soul Mutation and turn into a boar holding a rake. Mighty and strong, sweeping across the battlefield. Then I'll be counting on you, Young Master."
"Heh, that'd be great. I'll take your word for it, Young Master." The little fatty smiled.
"I've already thought of a name for you. If your Martial Soul mutates, it'll be called Marshal Tianpeng-the marshal of Pig-Type Martial Souls!"
"..." The little fatty didn't catch on. He asked, "Then, Young Master, what does Tianpeng mean?"
"The name Tianpeng suggests far-reaching thoughts, a child of heaven, a broad heart, positivity, a cheerful personality, and promise."
"Then I'm not worthy of it. It suits you better, Young Master." The little fatty wasn't stupid. He tossed the name right back to him.
"How dull. Never mind. Anyway, if you're going to follow me in the future, you need to do something about all that flesh. They say pretty faces are a dime a dozen, while an amusing belly bounces up and down. Your belly's got a nice spring to it. But you exercise every day just like I do-why haven't you lost any belly?"
"Young Master, I can't help it. My dad and my older brother are like this too. There's nothing I can do. I guess we were born this way. We can't lose weight."
Chenlin Village was a fairly large village by area, but it had fewer than fifty households.
Chen Xiaojun's home stood toward the village's northwest. It was only a few li away. The family had a fairly large compound with several courtyards. It was a village, after all: few people, plenty of land.
After they passed through the compound's main gate, the little fatty headed to the courtyard's side entrance and went home.
They lived in one large compound, with each courtyard forming an alley. Chen Xiaojun's family occupied the main courtyard, farther inside, while the little fatty's family lived not far from the alley entrance.
Walking farther in, they came to the main courtyard. It was very large, with more than a dozen rooms alone, arranged in a neat, staggered layout.
As soon as he entered the main courtyard, he saw a beautiful woman with a gentle, refined face. She was tall and slender, dressed in a pale-yellow silk shirt, with her hair coiled up and a simple-colored begonia hairpin tucked into it. She was his mother, Ye Xiuxin.
She was carrying two plates of food out of the kitchen in the side room. When she saw him, she complained, "You child, if you go out to play, don't wander too far. Just play around the village. Who knows where you ran off to? Only Little Sanzi could find you."
She called the little fatty Little Sanzi because he ranked third.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Chen Xiaojun replied perfunctorily.
"Wash your face and hands, then go to the inner room. Your grandpa and brother are waiting for you," Ye Xiuxin said gently.
"Okay, Mom." He ran quickly to the washstand in the courtyard.
"Who are you calling old? You little rascal, are you looking for a beating?"
Before you continue