"Martial Spirit: Scythe, Tool Spirit, Innate Soul Power: Level 0..."
"Martial Spirit: Cleaning Cloth, Tool Spirit, Innate Soul Power: Level 0..."
"Martial Spirit: Blue Silver Grass, Useless Spirit, no need to test innate soul power..."
"Martial Spirit: Needle Grass, Tool Spirit, Innate Soul Power: Level 0..."
"..."
Inside the Spirit Hall's local office, a group of six-year-old children was taking turns awakening their martial spirits in an old chapel.
As one child after another was deemed unqualified to become a Spirit Master, the remaining children grew increasingly nervous. Among them was a black-haired, black-eyed boy named Gu Ziyi.
Of course, Gu Ziyi was the name from his previous life. In this world, he was just an orphan from Meilin Village, known only by the nickname "Little Stone."
Gu Ziyi had only transmigrated into this body yesterday. The previous owner of the body had died from a venomous spider bite, and Gu Ziyi thought he had been reincarnated through possession.
However, Gu Ziyi was mistaken. It was not possession but true reincarnation. The spider bite had caused a state of apparent death, which triggered the revival of his past life's memories.
Unbeknownst to him, the awakening of these memories also caused his supposedly powerless martial spirit to mutate!
Through his regained memories, Gu Ziyi learned about martial spirits, Spirit Masters, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Spirit Hall. He quickly deduced that he had transmigrated into the world of Douluo Continent.
The exact timeline was unclear, but since the Spirit Hall still existed, it must have been before the Seven Devils became gods.
Realizing he was in Douluo Continent, Gu Ziyi couldn't help but feel excited.
After all, this was a world with extraordinary powers. Naturally, he longed to wield the power of a martial spirit himself.
But upon learning his identity as a common orphan from a small village, Gu Ziyi felt a pang of anxiety. Douluo Continent was a world that placed significant importance on bloodlines.
As a village orphan, the likelihood of him possessing innate soul power was slim.
Compared to the quality of the martial spirit, innate soul power was the real determining factor of whether someone had the potential to become a Spirit Master.
This innate soul power, or "Spirit Power," was of utmost importance.
Gu Ziyi wasn't too concerned about what kind of martial spirit he might awaken; his only hope was to possess innate soul power.
Before long, it was Gu Ziyi's turn.
Following the instructions of the Spirit Hall official, Gu Ziyi entered the awakening formation, closed his eyes, and focused on sensing his body.
A low hum echoed.
With his eyes closed, Gu Ziyi shouldn't have been able to see anything.
Yet, amidst the infinite darkness, a faint glimmer of light appeared before him. As the light grew brighter, he saw what looked like a piece of yellow paper—or rather, a talisman—materializing.
Suddenly, flames erupted around the talisman, followed by crackling thunderbolts cascading down from above. The scene of intertwining flames and lightning was breathtaking.
"A talisman? This is great—not some scythe or whatever!"
"Plus, it looks extraordinary..."
Watching the spectacle before him, Gu Ziyi felt elated.
This martial spirit appeared incredibly powerful, with a quality far beyond the ordinary.
At the same time, Gu Ziyi sensed a mysterious force awakening within him, rushing toward his right hand.
When he opened his eyes, the wondrous vision disappeared, leaving only a plain yellow talisman floating in his right palm.
Compared to the awe-inspiring image he had seen earlier, the talisman in his hand seemed utterly ordinary.
"Could this be a mutated Paper Spirit?"
The Spirit Hall official presiding over the ceremony observed the talisman with a glimmer of interest.
Ordinary Paper Spirits rarely contained soul power, but this boy might possess the potential to become a Spirit Master.
"Place your hand on the crystal and test your innate soul power," the official instructed, handing Gu Ziyi the testing crystal.
Eagerly, Gu Ziyi complied. He was anxious to know his soul power level.
Based on the vision he had seen earlier, his martial spirit was anything but ordinary. Martial spirit quality and innate soul power were usually proportional, so his soul power shouldn't be too low.
As he focused on the crystal, Gu Ziyi felt a surge of energy flowing into it.
A soft hum emanated as the crystal began to glow.
"It's glowing!"
"Great! If it glows, it means he has soul power!"
"Little Stone can become a Spirit Master!"
The other children cheered for Gu Ziyi, sharing his excitement.
"Martial Spirit: Mutated Paper Spirit, Innate Soul Power: Level 1!"
"Congratulations, young one. You have the potential to become a Spirit Master!"
The Spirit Hall official offered polite congratulations but couldn't hide his disappointment.
A mutated martial spirit with only Level 1 innate soul power was underwhelming. Even within Level 1, the brightness of the crystal was at the very bottom.
Still, possessing any soul power at all was a rare blessing.
"Only Level 1?" Gu Ziyi was momentarily stunned, struggling to process the result.
Based on the earlier vision, his martial spirit seemed extraordinary. How could his innate soul power be so low?
Initially, Gu Ziyi had hoped for nothing more than to possess soul power. But after seeing the earlier phenomenon, he couldn't help but raise his expectations. Hearing his innate soul power was only Level 1 felt like a blow.
"You're already luckier than most to have soul power at all," the Spirit Hall official chuckled, trying to console him. "What's the name of your martial spirit?"
Gu Ziyi collected himself. That's true. Having soul power is already a blessing.
"My martial spirit is called the Talisman Spirit," he replied.
The official jotted down the details. "Gu Ziyi, Martial Spirit: Talisman (mutated Paper Spirit), Innate Soul Power: Level 1."
Handing Gu Ziyi a certificate, he said, "This proves your eligibility to enroll in a school to learn the ways of a Spirit Master. Classes begin in three months."
"Thank you, sir!" Gu Ziyi accepted the certificate gratefully.
Though not invited to join the Spirit Hall, Gu Ziyi didn't mind. It was safer to stay independent until he figured out the timeline of this world.
With this, Gu Ziyi's journey as a Spirit Master began.