Spiritual Power: An external energy born from nature. Through cultivation, humans can absorb the energy of the natural world and convert it into power to strengthen themselves.
Beast Soul: The soul and residual spiritual energy that remain after an exotic beast's death, forming a tangible entity. Spiritual Masters can merge with beast souls, gaining strength and sometimes inheriting the abilities of the corresponding beast.
Spiritual Master: 100 points of spiritual power equals a first-tier Spiritual Master, 1,000 points equals a second-tier Spiritual Master, 10,000 points equals a third-tier Spiritual Master, and so on.
Chu Yi stood in the village square, his mind still echoing with the announcement made by the Awakening Master just moments ago: "Chu Yi, spiritual power: 2 points." These words hit him like a heavy hammer, reverberating in his heart again and again. In this world, where spiritual power was everything, reaching 100 points meant becoming a first-tier Spiritual Master. With only 2 points, it was a certain sign of a lack of future prospects. He knew all too well how distant he was from those gifted with powerful spiritual energy. Children who awakened with more than 50 points not only gained entry to the best schools but also received special guidance from mentors, with resources being tilted in their favor. And he? He was merely a mediocre person with almost negligible spiritual power, and even the word "mediocre" felt like an overestimation. In this world, awakening less than 50 points meant future breakthroughs to a fifth-tier Spiritual Master would be incredibly difficult. Not to mention someone with only 2 points like Chu Yi.
Around the square, other villagers were busy with their tasks. Occasionally, a few people would glance toward Chu Yi, whispering to one another with looks of sympathy and disdain. "It seems that spiritual power truly has nothing to do with me..." Chu Yi silently mocked himself. He looked up at the sky, where large bird-like beasts were circling overhead, their raspy calls filling the air. The sight only deepened his feelings of insignificance and helplessness. Despite his disappointment, Chu Yi did not give up hope. As a former engineer, logic and reason told him that there were ways to stand firm in this world without relying solely on spiritual power. He began to recall everything he had seen in this world, searching for a breakthrough. Although his spiritual awakening had failed, it didn't mean he had no opportunities left.
Suddenly, Chu Yi remembered the village's elderly had once spoken of an old, dilapidated library. The elder mentioned that the books there were mostly remnants from hundreds of years ago, containing records of spiritual power and ancient knowledge. Although the villagers had long lost interest, thinking of the books as outdated and useless, Chu Yi thought that perhaps the answers he needed might be hidden in that library. "If I can't rely on spiritual power, then I'll find a way through knowledge," Chu Yi silently resolved, and quickly walked in the direction of the library.
The library was situated on the outskirts of the village, almost isolated from the outside world. After walking for about half an hour, Chu Yi finally saw the rundown building amidst overgrown weeds. The door frame was loosely constructed with wooden stakes, and the roof was covered with dried straw, showing clear signs of the erosion of time. Chu Yi reached the door and gently pushed open the decaying wooden door, which creaked loudly as if it had not been used in years. "Is this really the library?" he muttered in doubt. As he stepped inside, the stale air hit him, making him frown. The room was filled with dust and a musty smell, with cobwebs on the ceiling. The few bookshelves around the room had only a handful of books and scrolls, most of the shelves were empty.
Chu Yi began walking between the shelves, casually flipping through some books. He found that most were about the village's history, farming techniques, and basic spiritual cultivation, clearly unrelated to what he was looking for. With each book he opened, his mood became heavier. While the library wasn't completely barren, the majority of the books had long since decayed or become too outdated to be of any value.
Just when he was about to give up, his eyes fell on a bookshelf in the corner, covered in a thick layer of dust. On it lay an ancient book, its cover worn and tattered from time. Chu Yi cautiously walked over and gently took the book. It was light, its cover coated in dust, but he could faintly make out some words. Wiping away the dust, he revealed a line of text that shocked him—entirely in English! To be precise, it was the written form of the English language he knew from his previous world.
"This... English?" Chu Yi gasped in disbelief. He had expected all the books in this world to be written in Chinese, the script used on the Misty Palace Continent, but this book was completely written in English, which astonished him. "Child, are you interested in ancient scripts?" an old voice suddenly asked behind him. Startled by the question, Chu Yi turned to see an elderly man standing there, his movement unsteady. For a moment, he couldn't even think of a response. The old man, however, paid no mind to his surprise and simply began explaining the ancient script and inscriptions. After hearing the explanation, Chu Yi felt amazed. In his homeland, English was a universal language, but here, it seemed to be one of the ancient languages, almost forgotten and unknown. Even the inscription masters in this world struggled to comprehend it, despite their daily efforts to understand the script.
Chu Yi couldn't help but excitedly open the book, and the content inside made his eyes widen. This book didn't contain ordinary language rules or records; it was full of knowledge related to "inscriptions." The pages were covered in complex symbols and arrangements, resembling a kind of mysterious programming language. The book also mentioned a concept: through specific symbol arrangements, and by adding English words, one could direct the flow of spiritual power, enhancing its effects. It even suggested that weak spiritual practitioners could control powerful forces using these techniques. "This is almost identical to programming language..." Chu Yi thought in disbelief. He had once been a programmer, and the arrangement of inscriptions in this ancient text was strikingly similar to the coding skills he had mastered in his previous world! He was quickly immersed in the book's study, realizing that he might have found the key to breaking free from his fate.
Chu Yi continued flipping through the ancient book and discovered that creating inscriptions required many expensive materials, such as rare scrolls, minerals, exotic beast blood, and special spiritual potions. These items were nearly impossible to find in the remote village and were extremely costly. Chu Yi's excitement gradually cooled as he faced the reality. He lacked funds, tools, and resources to create inscriptions. Even though the theory was brilliant, without actual practice, it was meaningless. He started thinking about how to raise money. Perhaps doing some regular labor in the village could earn him some funds, but it wouldn't be enough in the short term. Helping the villagers with daily problems might earn a few small tips, but it would take too long.
Although the financial issue troubled Chu Yi, he did not give up. He knew he had to keep a low profile and not reveal his interest in inscriptions too soon. From the old man's words, he learned that due to the focus on spiritual power, inscription masters had become rare, and the Inscription Master Guild was in decline. Inscriptions had long been neglected in this world, but Chu Yi saw their potential. If he exposed his abilities too early, it might attract unwanted trouble and attention. So, Chu Yi decided to remain a regular villager for now. During the day, he would do simple jobs to make ends meet, and at night, he would secretly visit the library to carefully study every page of the book. He compared the symbols in the book with the programming languages he had learned, trying to find patterns and deduce the logic behind the inscriptions.
Time passed quietly as Chu Yi continued his research. Though progress was slow, he firmly believed that inscriptions could help him compensate for his lack of spiritual power. Perhaps one day, using this ancient knowledge that blended English and programming, he could break the world's bias toward spiritual power and find his own strength. He knew every step he took from now on was crucial. The knowledge from his previous world was his only advantage, and time was his greatest enemy.