Chapter 1: New Life
Kyoto Base City, within one of the nine satellite cities, Changshan City's, main urban area, in the residential district of the Limit Dojo, the early morning light faintly shone through the window of a villa's second-floor bedroom, casting a dim glow across the room.
Before a computer desk, a handsome teenager was staring at the glaring computer screen, which displayed a biography.
"Zhao Chen, born January 4, 1996, died December 3, 2020, a native of Changshan, the first Spirit Master of China during the Great Nirvana period, an invincible Wargod, posthumously awarded the Four-Star Hero Medal by the state."
"He fought alone in the Hai River Basin, confronting the King rank monster, the East Sea Azure Dragon, covering the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of civilians, ultimately repelling the East Sea Azure Dragon, and dying from the exhaustion of his spirit."
Shen Mu gazed at the computer screen, reflecting on the life story of his past self, and let out a long sigh.
"Who would have thought..."
He never expected to be reborn, but Shen Mu kept the rest of his thoughts to himself. Having seen the plot unfold, he knew that any secret revealed on Earth would no longer be a secret.
Indeed, Shen Mu was a transmigrator.
At first, Shen Mu thought he had arrived in a parallel world that was similar yet different. It wasn't until the outbreak of the RR virus and the advent of the Great Nirvana period that Shen Mu, having read "Swallowed Star," realized he had transmigrated into the world of "Swallowed Star."
Perhaps due to the superior soul talents of transmigrators, Shen Mu's second life saw him become a powerful spirit master, reaching the Wargod limit in both physical fitness and spirit at the young age of 24.
Globally, aside from the two individuals who had broken through to the planetary level, no one dared to claim they could definitely defeat him.
In his previous life, Shen Mu believed his formidable strength would allow him to safely navigate the Great Nirvana period and then, according to his plan, take on Luo Feng as a disciple, hitching a ride to the immortal realm.
Shen Mu recalled the details of his final battle in his previous life, unable to find a reason for his second chance at life.
"Perhaps the reason I've been given another life is somehow related to my transmigration."
Shen Mu pondered silently, thinking that understanding the reason for his transmigration might also reveal the cause of his rebirth.
After a deep breath, Shen Mu's eyes slowly closed, appearing to rest, but in reality, his consciousness had traversed thousands of kilometers to the depths of the ocean.
***
The Pacific Ocean had become a forbidden zone for humanity since the Great Nirvana. To this day, humans remained unaware of the secrets hidden in the deep sea and the number of powerful King rank monsters lurking within.
Below the sea level, in the lightless abyss over five kilometers deep, a creature over 120 meters long, resembling the mythical dragons of China, slowly opened its eyes. A contemplative look emerged in its dark red pupils.
"Roar." A deep, resonant dragon's roar echoed through the deep sea, accompanied by a powerful wave of spirit that spread out, signaling the awakening of the ruler of these waters from its slumber.
This creature was none other than the East Sea Azure Dragon, a King rank monster of great renown and one of the rare few with spirit abilities. Moreover, this East Sea Azure Dragon was the very monster responsible for Shen Mu's death in his previous life.
Unexpectedly, with Shen Mu's rebirth, this formidable creature had inexplicably become his clone.
The fearsome dragon head lifted, its crimson eyes glowing faintly, gazing in a certain direction. At the same time, thousands of kilometers away, Shen Mu suddenly opened his eyes. The human and the dragon seemed to be staring at each other, their gazes crossing thousands of kilometers as if they were meeting face to face.
At that moment, Shen Mu felt a vibration deep within his soul. In the spiritual world of the East Sea Azure Dragon clone, two semi-transparent miniature planets suddenly lit up, beginning to orbit along a specific trajectory.
In an instant, Shen Mu felt an excruciating headache erupt, his jaw clenching as a powerful spirit burst forth from the depths of his mind. During this process, Shen Mu didn't notice a faint light flickering in the depths of his soul before finally fading away.
"Beep, beep, beep."
Suddenly, the multi-functional fighter's watch on Shen Mu's wrist started alarming frantically. The screen displayed that his heart rate had reached 250 beats per minute, exceeding the danger threshold even for fighters.
The functions of the fighter's watch included communication, assistance, and physiological monitoring, and it could be set to alert an emergency contact if the fighter's vital signs showed any problems.
Invisible spirit emanated from Shen Mu's body, causing the bed, table, and computer in the room to levitate.
"Mu."
An anxious shout echoed through the villa, followed by the violent breaking of Shen Mu's bedroom door. A forty-something, formidable woman in a black E5 grade combat suit burst into the room, looking sharp and efficient.
"Mom, I'm fine."
Shen Mu smiled apologetically at his mother, Chen Wen. As he spoke, the floating objects gently returned to their original positions.
"This... spirit power?" Chen Wen stared in shock at the scene in the room before her face lit up with joy.
"Mu, you've awakened your spirit."
As a primary Warlord fighter and an instructor at the Changshan City's Limit Dojo in Kyoto Base City, Chen Wen knew exactly what this meant.
"So... you suddenly fainted yesterday because your spirit awakened, no wonder all the tests showed you were healthy." Chen Wen immediately understood why her genius son had suddenly fainted the day before. It was due to the awakening of his spirit, which had given her quite a scare.
Seeing Chen Wen come up with the reason for his sudden fainting yesterday, Shen Mu decided not to bother explaining. After all, he couldn't exactly say he had regained memories of his past life.
"According to the knowledge of spirit masters, their spirit is usually two levels higher than their physical fitness. My son... is already an advanced warrior?"
Chen Wen suddenly remembered some common knowledge about spirit masters, her shock tinged with immense joy.
Originally, her son becoming a fighter at the tender age of 18 had already exceeded their expectations. Such talent was considered excellent among the new fighters in Changshan City each year. Now that he had become a spirit master, didn't it mean his strength was approaching hers?
Spirit masters could usually easily suppress fighters of the same level and even hold their own against those of a higher level.
"I must tell this good news to your father."
Chen Wen excitedly took out her phone, ready to call Shen Mu's father, Shen Gang, to inform him of their son's awakening of spirit.
In this life, Shen Mu's parents were both Warlord-level fighters, especially his father, Shen Gang, who was an advanced Warlord serving in the military, stationed at the Luanhe Defense Base in Kyoto Base City.
The Luan River, before the Great Nirvana, was the largest river in North China leading to the sea. Now, it was the primary route for sea monsters to attack Kyoto Base City, making the Luan Defense Base where Shen Gang served a crucial location.
Due to his duties, Shen Gang was often away from home. Even when Shen Mu had suddenly fainted yesterday, he needed to go through an emergency approval process to return home. However, by the time the approval came through, Shen Mu had already awakened, and all his health indicators were normal, so he didn't come back.
In terms of background, this life was not only much better than his previous one but also far superior to Luo Feng's, the son of destiny.