Five Years of Soul Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests

[Beep! The first check-in has triggered the critical hit mechanism!]

[Congratulations, host! You have received a cultivation technique: "Nine Yin Manual" (Soul Power adaptation)!]

[Reward description: This technique has been fully adapted to the Soul Power system of Douluo Continent. It includes the complete text: the general principles, the Muscle Changing and Bone Forging Chapter, the healing chapter, the acupoint-sealing chapter, the lightness skill chapter, the internal cultivation chapter, and more. The Muscle Changing and Bone Forging Chapter can develop the body's potential to its fullest, while the healing chapter allows rapid recovery from injuries.]

[Technique characteristics: Balanced and harmonious, compatible with any Martial Soul system. It can be used to temper one's foundation before Martial Soul Awakening and to assist Soul Power cultivation afterward, with no side effects.]

As the system notification faded, a vast torrent of profound information surged into Yan Zu's mind. His vision went black, and he nearly fainted again. But the information was soon etched into the depths of his memory as if branded there, as clear as though he had studied it for decades.

The general principles of the Nine Yin Manual echoed in his mind:

"The way of heaven is to diminish what is excessive and supplement what is lacking..."

Yan Zu closed his eyes and carefully contemplated this wondrous martial arts manual, vast enough to span heaven and earth. He could sense that, just as the system had described, it had perfectly converted the entire manual into a version suited to Douluo Continent's Soul Power system.

The meridian routes that had originally required internal force to circulate had now been ingeniously replaced with pathways for Soul Power; the demands on internal force had likewise become demands on his control of Soul Power.

Although he had yet to awaken his Martial Soul, much less possess Soul Power, the Muscle Changing and Bone Forging Chapter was precisely what a "mortal" like him needed!

"This is great..."

Yan Zu murmured to himself, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

According to the original story's setting, the years before a Soul Master turned six were a crucial time for building a foundation. Though one could not cultivate Soul Power during this period, the stronger one's physique, the higher one's Innate Soul Power level might be upon awakening a Martial Soul. Wasn't Tang San able to possess Innate Full Soul Power precisely because he had cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record from childhood?

And now, the Nine Yin Manual in Yan Zu's hands surpassed even the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record in its intricacy!

What was more, the system had given him the complete text, including highly practical combat material such as the healing, acupoint-sealing, and lightness skill chapters. That meant that even if he kept his Martial Soul hidden for the time being, he could still possess considerable fighting strength.

"Tang San has the Tang Sect Secret Arts, and I have the Nine Yin Manual..."

A smile curved Yan Zu's lips. Without further hesitation, he sat cross-legged and immediately began attempting to cultivate according to the methods of the Muscle Changing and Bone Forging Chapter.

Getting started with the Muscle Changing and Bone Forging Chapter was not particularly difficult. At its core, it used special breathing techniques and bodily movements to draw on the primal Qi of heaven and earth to temper the muscles and bones. In a world like Douluo Continent, where Soul Power was abundant, the concentration of primal Qi far exceeded that on Blue Star, allowing one to achieve twice the results with half the effort.

Yan Zu first assumed a peculiar posture: sitting cross-legged, he formed a hand seal before his chest, thumbs hooked together and the other four fingers interlaced. His whole body resembled a steadfast mountain. Then he adjusted the rhythm of his breathing as described in the manual.

In... out... in... out...

With each breath, time seemed to slow.

At first, Yan Zu only found the posture somewhat awkward, but gradually, he sensed something unusual. As his breathing deepened, he seemed able to "see" faint motes of light drifting through the air. They were Soul Power in its most primitive form, the essence of energy between heaven and earth.

With each breath, the motes slowly seeped into his skin and traveled along specific meridian routes. Wherever they passed, waves of tingling and prickling sensations intertwined, like countless fine needles piercing him and warm water washing over him at the same time.

Yan Zu gritted his teeth and endured the discomfort.

He knew this was a necessary step on the path of changing muscles and cleansing marrow.

Time trickled by. Outside the window, moonlight shone slantwise through the lattice and fell upon the small figure. Beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down Yan Zu's forehead, soaking his clothes, yet he remained perfectly still, as if he had become a statue.

Two hours later.

Yan Zu slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath of turbid Qi. His breath condensed into a white thread in the air, lingering for a long time.

Although there was little outward change, he knew that the foundation of this body had been thoroughly strengthened by one level.

"As expected of the Nine Yin Manual..."

Yan Zu clenched his fists, his eyes full of delighted surprise.

Just two hours of cultivation had produced such remarkable results. If he continued every day without fail for three years, how terrifying would his physique become?

What pleased him even more was that cultivating the Muscle Changing and Bone Forging Chapter was extremely discreet. He didn't need to fiddle with a smithing hammer or carry buckets of water like Tang San. He only had to meditate quietly at night to complete the tempering.

Even his parents would only think their child was sleeping soundly; they would never associate it with cultivation.

System, display the panel, Yan Zu said silently.

A translucent screen of light, simple to the extreme, unfolded before his eyes:

[Check-in System]

Host: Yan Zu

Age: 3 years and 7 days

Check-ins: 0/1 (completed today)

Consecutive check-ins: 1 day

Other functions: Locked

Sure enough, it was simple.

Over the next few days, Yan Zu's life became orderly and fulfilling.

During the day, he helped his mother with small chores within his ability, like an ordinary child: gathering firewood, feeding the chickens, and playing in the yard. But he subtly incorporated the movement principles of the Nine Yin Manual into every action.

He practiced lightness skill footwork while gathering firewood, finger dexterity while feeding the chickens, and bodily coordination while playing.

At night, after his parents had gone to sleep, he began cultivating Soul Power in earnest. Nine Yin Soul Power flowed through his meridians more and more smoothly, gradually changing from the thickness of a silk thread to flowing like a fine thread.

Although it was still weak, its purity and refinement were beyond the reach of any low-level Soul Master.

That night, he had just completed another full cycle of cultivation and was preparing to sleep when the system screen suddenly appeared on its own:

[Host has checked in for a full week. Weekly reward triggered.]

[Congratulations, host! You have received: Low-level Storage Soul Tool (capacity: one cubic meter).]

Yan Zu's eyes lit up. A Storage Soul Tool! Such things were extremely precious on Douluo Continent. Although this was only a low-level item with a capacity of one cubic meter, to him as he was now, it was like receiving charcoal in the snow.

With a thought, a slender silver bracelet appeared on his right wrist, set with a transparent gemstone the size of a grain of rice. This was the Storage Soul Tool itself.

Yan Zu tried putting the ceramic bowl beside his bed inside. The moment he thought of it, the bowl vanished into thin air. Another thought, and it appeared in his hand again.

"Good stuff!" He was thrilled.

With this Storage Soul Tool, he could stockpile some supplies in advance to prepare for eventually leaving Five Souls Village. Although he was still young, Yan Zu knew full well that if he wanted to grow stronger, he would have to leave sooner or later.

The first light of dawn appeared, and Five Souls Village was still shrouded in a thin mist.

Yan Zu opened his eyes on time. The first thing he did was not stretch, but deftly poke at the virtual screen in his consciousness that only he could see.

"Check in."

[Beep! Check-in successful!]

[Reward received: One piece of malt candy.]

Yan Zu: "..."

He stared at the malt candy that had appeared out of thin air in his hand, simply wrapped in wax paper and giving off a cheap, sweet scent. He fell silent for a moment.

"All right, at least it'll sweeten my mouth." Resigned to it, he peeled off the wrapper and popped the candy into his mouth, where the sweetness melted across his tongue. It was better than nothing.

This was his daily life after activating the system.

Every day without fail, he checked in as soon as he opened his eyes. The rewards came in all shapes and sizes, and the vast majority left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.

[Received: One sheet of waste paper covered in illegible scribbles.] After studying it for ages, he confirmed that it was indeed waste paper and suspected the system was mocking him.

[Received: "Five Years of Soul Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests."] Yan Zu studied it for ages and discovered that the book contained a great deal of specialized knowledge about Soul Power cultivation. It just seemed to launch mental attacks: after reading it for a short while, he would immediately grow drowsy...

[Received: One packet of spicy strips.] Yan Zu stared in shock at the familiar packaging in his hand and finished eating them with mixed feelings.

[Received: One pair of black stockings (with lace trim).] Yan Zu's face darkened at once. He hurriedly stuffed the hot potato into the deepest part of his storage bracelet, deciding it would never see the light of day.

Did I somehow bind myself to a "Scrap Recycling System" or a "Bizarre Otherworldly Item Distribution System"? Yan Zu complained inwardly more than once.