You Chen, with his initial martial spirit being the Wind Hatchling Dragon and an innate soul power of level 2, is now 35 years old and a level 48 Spirit Ancestor. He works as a theoretical researcher at the Spirit Hall and also serves as a lecturer at the Spirit Hall Academy, making him a renowned master in martial spirit theory on the Douluo Continent.
With such talent and achieving this level at his age, he is considered a miracle in the Spirit Master community—a testament to the triumph of an average person. Although he declined to join the ranks of the current Pope, Bibi Dong, he has become a peripheral figure in the Spirit Hall, detached from power but free of many troubles. He holds a nominal "professor" position, earning a monthly salary of a thousand gold soul coins, leading a relatively carefree life.
Given the purchasing power of gold soul coins in this world, You Chen's quality of life is far superior to the mundane work-life he had in his previous existence, living as a well-off individual. Yet, despite living the life he once dreamed of, You Chen contemplates leaving the Spirit Hall.
The reason is obvious: he is a transmigrator. As time passes, he anticipates the awakening of Tang San's martial spirit and the onset of a war that will overturn the world's power balance in a couple of decades.
Having been reborn and raised in an orphanage by the Spirit Hall, You Chen holds affection for it. However, his attempts to alter the course of fate and steer it away from its original path have repeatedly failed. He has since abandoned the idea of intervening in the original trajectory to prevent the Spirit Hall's destruction by Tang San.
This isn't because he believes fate is unchangeable but rather because he recognizes his own lack of power to influence such a massive tidal wave. As an ordinary Spirit Ancestor with exhausted potential, he has affection for the Spirit Hall but not enough to die on a doomed battlefield for its sake.
However, leaving the Spirit Hall is not something commonly done. Unlike Yu Xiaogang, who was expelled by a former Pope, voluntary departure is unheard of. Yu Xiaogang's disgraceful expulsion, if not for involving the esteemed Holy Maiden, would have made him an even bigger laughingstock.
In theory, there is no way to voluntarily leave, but it doesn't mean there is no way at all. The simplest example is a low-level spirit master with no further potential, resigning after years of service for better prospects. His name might remain on a sub-hall's roster, but the Spirit Hall won't forcibly recruit him.
In essence, one can become a peripheral figure as long as they don't join another force, and the Spirit Hall won't intervene. However, as a Spirit Ancestor nearing the level of a Spirit King, You Chen's strength places him among the backbone of the Spirit Hall, making it harder for them to let him go easily.
Ironically, his lack of favor with the current Pope is well-known among the higher-ups, sparing him many hassles. After all, who would want a professor and teacher from the main hall of Spirit Hall to suddenly become a deacon in a countryside sub-hall?
You Chen's self-depreciating behavior is an opportunity for some to gain merit. Besides distancing himself from the Spirit Hall's center, he has a hidden agenda. He specifically chose an assignment near Notting City.
His target is the Blue Silver Emperor's 100,000-year soul bone. The soul bone's utility goes beyond providing a couple of soul skills, boosting soul power, and enhancing physical attributes. Its greatest benefit is improving a spirit master's innate talent and enhancing their potential.
For spirit masters with initially poor potential and resources, each soul bone holds the potential to change one's destiny and reshape their foundational abilities—much like the legendary treasures in martial arts novels that cleanse the body and transform one's innate talent.
You Chen understands the brutal, power-centric nature of this world, where even the desire to avoid conflict can lead to trouble if one's strength is lacking. Thus, missing out on the easiest 100,000-year soul bone in the original story is inexcusable.
The time when Tang San heads to Shrek Academy, with Tang Hao secretly following, presents a golden opportunity to acquire the soul bone. A spirit master with an innate soul power of level 2 typically can reach at most the level of a Spirit Elder in their lifetime. If he can absorb this soul bone, achieving the rank of a Spirit King is almost certain, provided he's not too old.
You Chen, confident of his ability as a spirit master with an innate soul power of level 2, believes that if he can absorb the Blue Silver Emperor's 100,000-year soul bone, he could aspire to become a Spirit Douluo, or even further, a Titled Douluo, truly standing at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent!
A Titled Douluo, even in the future God War, could retreat into the deep mountains and emerge unscathed once the storm has passed. Thinking of such a promising future, You Chen suddenly feels a restless excitement, planning to visit the office to check on the progress of his application.
"Ding~"
[Detected host information, Counterattack System activated.]
[Name: You Chen]
[Age: 35]
[Martial Spirit: Stardust Hatchling Dragon (Intermediate Martial Spirit)]
[Level: 48 Spirit Ancestor]
A neutral mechanical voice sounded in You Chen's ear.
He instinctively halted, eyes wide in surprise. Initially suspecting a mental or auditory soul skill attack, he quickly realized the system's content, feeling both excited and helpless, he thought, 'Isn't this system a bit late?'
Despite his complaints, he couldn't resist opening the system. However, before doing so, a foreboding sense crossed his mind: this development seems familiar.
[This system is the Counterattack System, aiding the host in overcoming all who look down on them.]
[Please complete the novice task to receive the novice gift pack.]
[Note: The novice task is a prerequisite for unlocking subsequent tasks and cannot be abandoned.]
[Novice Task: Ye Han (Level 7 Spirit Scholar), relying on his status as the grandson of a purple-clad bishop in the Spirit Hall, plans to secretly ambush you with several classmates. Defeat Ye Han, teach him a lesson, and ensure he never dares to harbor ill thoughts against you again.]
Reading the task content, You Chen couldn't help but feel nostalgic. Ye Han, this guy's innate soul power was similar to his own back in the day. However, with his past life's memories and adult discipline, You Chen engaged in rigorous training, reaching level 10 at the age of nine with a ranking near the top of his class.
Ye Han, instead of working harder, grew envious, planning to ambush him with other similarly underachieving classmates, only to be beaten soundly by You Chen instead.
"Wait, isn't this something that happened over twenty years ago!?"
You Chen almost blurted out his disbelief. Indeed, over twenty years ago, Ye Han was always resentful. But after so many years, Ye Han had long been subdued, becoming one of his most loyal followers after witnessing his miraculous rise.
This application process was something he had asked Ye Han to assist with!
'Well, I was planning to make this trip anyway.'
Despite his grumbling, You Chen was still eagerly anticipating the system's gift pack. After all, this task posed no difficulty, whether for his past or present self. True to the nature of a novice task, it was something he could accomplish effortlessly.