Soutuo City, Balak Kingdom.
In the bustling Great Spirit Arena, a match was underway between two spirit masters.
On one side stood a middle-aged man, his mighty Earth Bull spirit manifesting as his body enlarged and his face gained a pair of bull horns while two spirit rings; white and yellow, circled him.
Opposite him was a masked figure of short stature, seemingly just a child. The young fighter gripped a simple iron sword, yet kept his spirit concealed. Even so, the opponent remained cautious, for the masked spirit master had already earned considerable recognition by winning several matches without ever revealing his Spirit.
"Begin!"
With the cue from the announcer, the middle-aged spirit master's first spirit ring glowed as he activated his [Stone Body] skill. An earthy aura enveloped his entire form, hardening his skin to the texture of stone. Without hesitation, his second spirit ring flared to life, and with a roar, he activated [Mad Charge].
The spirit master lowered his head, pointing his long bull horns at the masked person, and charged forward with unstoppable force. The arena trembled under his thundering footsteps, dust swirling in his wake.
But the masked spirit master remained calm, his iron sword held loosely at his side. As the Earth Bull spirit master barreled toward him, the child-like figure shifted his stance ever so slightly, his eyes focused and sharp behind the mask.
Just as the bull-like spirit master was about to collide with him, the masked fighter moved.
In a blur of motion, he sidestepped the charge with minimal effort, his sword slicing through the air with precision. The crowd barely caught the flash of steel as the blade connected with the spirit master's side, cutting through the stony skin as if it were paper.
The Earth Bull spirit master stumbled, his charge faltering as pain spread from his wound. He tried to turn, but the masked individual was already upon him, his movements swift. A series of quick and decisive slashes followed, targeting the spirit master's vulnerable points with surgical precision. Each strike was deliberate, aimed to disable rather than kill.
With a final sweep of his sword, the masked spirit master knocked the Earth Bull spirit master off his feet, sending him crashing to the ground, unable to continue the fight.
The arena fell silent, stunned by the speed and skill of the masked fighter, just as his previous matches that always ended like this, yet it didn't diminish the awe factor.
The announcer, finally regaining his composure, raised his voice, "Victory goes to Zoro!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, yet the masked spirit master simply sheathed his sword and walked away, the battle had been nothing more than a simple exercise for him.
...
The masked individual collected his winning pay and the money he had betted on himself from the organizer before leaving the spirit arena from the backdoor.
The pouch, heavy with gold coins, would sustain him comfortably for several weeks in Soutuo City. As he walked away, he tossed the pouch into the air and deftly caught it with a practiced motion, all the while whistling a cheerful tune.
He entered a certain inn and approached the receptionist, tossing a gold coin onto the counter. "I'll extend my stay for another day," he said before heading upstairs to his room.
Once inside, he removed his mask, revealing a strikingly youthful face with sharp features. His heterochromatic eyes—one blue, one red—each had a double pupil, and his shoulder-length blonde hair framed his distinctive appearance.
The youth's name is Dai Mubai, but not the Dai Mubai known from the Soul Land. Instead, he was a foreign soul from Earth who had reincarnated into this world. As he grew up, fragments of his past life's memories began to resurface, and he gradually realized that he had been reborn into a world he once knew well as a novel.
The Douluo Continent was cruel and unforgiving.
Even though he was born into royalty as the second prince of Star Luo Empire, the internal strife within the family was relentless. The battle for succession was a merciless game of power, whereas only the strongest and most ruthless survived. Poisoning, assassination attempt, and betrayal weren't uncommon, even among those who shared the same bloodline.
From a young age, Mubai was thrust into this deadly competition. His older brother, the first prince, Dai Weisi, viewed him as a threat and sought every opportunity to eliminate him.
Every day was a struggle for survival, with dangers lurking around every corner. Servants could not be trusted, and allies were scant few and could be counted with two hands, and even then, he was unsure whether their allegiance lied on him or not.
At the age of ten, Mubai, after escaping yet another assassination attempt, made a resolute decision. He longed for a life away from the blood-soaked throne that demanded so much, a freedom that he would never reach if he stayed in that palace that had became nothing more than a gilded cage filled with treachery.
Under the cover of night, he fled the palace, leaving behind the burdens of royalty and the shadow of death that loomed over him.
His only regret was not being able to bring Zhu Zhuqing with him. That girl, just four years younger, was like the little sister he never had in his previous life. She had always been by his side, a quiet yet comforting presence amid the chaos of the palace.
Leaving her behind weighed heavily on his heart, but he knew she was too young to endure the harsh life he was about to face.
Fortunately, the customs of the Zhu Family were not as ruthless as those of the Dai Family. While the Zhu's traditions were strict, they were not soaked in the same level of bloodshed. After all, they still needed someone with their bloodline to continue their hereditary spirit, the Hell Spirit Cat.
For now, Zhu Zhuqing was safe, sheltered away from the worst of the Dai Family's cruelty, and that gave him some peace of mind as he made his escape.
For a year, he wandered aimlessly, drifting from town to town, city to city, with no clear destination in mind. Each place he visited was a new experience, but none offered the stability he sought.
He slept in alleys and forests, under the stars or in the shadows of towering buildings. The gold coins he had taken with him from the palace quickly dwindled, forcing him to take on various odd jobs—guarding merchants, hunting spirit beasts, and even participating in underground fights and legal fights in a spirit arena.
In his journey, he encountered all manner of people, from ordinary villagers and cunning merchants to ruthless bandits.
Each encounter taught him something anew, sharpening both his minds and combat skills. He learned to navigate the complexities of survival, honing his abilities not only in the use of his spirit but also in the art of the sword, which began as a disguise to conceal his identity and eventually became his constant companion.
Eventually, his journey led him to Soutuo City. A month had passed since his arrival, making it the longest he had stayed in any city—longer even than his stop in Gengxin City, where he had forged the sword that now suited his taste perfectly.
He was drawn to Soutuo City by the presence of Shrek Academy, the very place where the protagonist's friends and Mubai himself had studied in the original source. Although he had no intention of joining, he felt a pull of curiosity, a sense that he should visit the academy at least once to relief the lingering connection to his past life.
However, after visiting the poor and dilapidated academy in a poor village, Mubai was disappointed. Or rather, it was as expected from that academy.
Mubai planned to set out the following day, having completed his fundraising at the Great Spirit Arena. With his finances secured he was ready to embark on another journey to one of the continent's famous region—the Star Dou Forest. His next goal was to obtain his third spirit ring.
After then, he wished to find a place to settle for indefinite amount of time where he could stably hone his spirit and combat skills.
...
The next day.
Mubai was jolted awake by a strange buzzing noise. As he opened his eyes, he saw a peculiar translucent screen hovering above him.
[DAILY SIGN-IN AND SITE CHECK-IN SYSTEM HAD BEEN ACTIVATED!]
His face remained indifference as he got out of bed, beginning his morning stretches routine. All the while, he mused to himself, "It's kinda late, but I'll take it, I suppose."
"System, sign in for today," Mubai spoke casually, continuing to do his back stretches without much deliberation.
[DAILY SIGN-IN USED — OBTAINED 10% INCREASE IN SPIRITUAL POWER!]
[THE HOST'S INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED!]
"Neat."
"Let's see what my stats looks like," he pulled up the system screen detailing his information.
———
NAME: DAI MUBAI
AGE: 11
SEX: MALE
SPIRIT POWER: 30 — QUASI-SPIRIT ELDER
SPIRITUAL POWER: 480 — SPIRIT CONNECTION REALM → 528 — SPIRIT SEA REALM
—
SPIRIT: EVIL-EYE WHITE TIGER
ATTRIBUTES: [SPIRITUAL] [LIGHT]
EFFECTS:
• GIVES THE CONSTITUTION OF THE EVIL-EYE WHITE TIGER.
• INCREASES ALL PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL ATTRIBUTES BY 100%.
◉ 1ST SPIRIT RING
SKILL: WHITE TIGER VAJRA SHIELD
EFFECTS:
• DEPLOYS A LAYER OF WHITE BARRIER THAT ACTS LIKE A SHIELD AND REFLECTS BACK ANY ATTACKS WHILE IT LASTS.
• INCREASES PHYSICAL STRENGTH, ATTACK, AND DEFENSE BY 50%.
SOURCE: VAJRA TIGER — 500 YEARS
◉ 2ND SPIRIT RING
SKILL: WHITE TIGER VAJRA TRANSFORMATION
EFFECTS:
• INCREASES PHYSICAL STRENGTH, ATTACK, AND DEFENSE BY 100%.
SOURCE: VAJRA TIGER — 999 YEARS
———
A small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips. This was the fruit of five years of diligent cultivation with his innate full spirit power. He was likely the fastest advancing spirit master to date, with the possible exception of Qian Renxue who started at rank twenty spirit power.
This rapid progress was also why Dai Weisi had become even more determined to eliminate him. Despite his efforts to remain low-key, there were too many eyes and ears within the palace walls to keep his cultivation speed a secret.
Additionally, his spirit had undergone a true mutation, gaining the prefix Evil-Eye which endowed it with a spiritual attribute alongside the light attribute that every White Tiger spirit naturally possessed.
Dismissing the status sceeen, and having completed his stretches, he started packing the essentials for hunting and camping before setting out for the Star Dou Forest.