In a forest
A young man sat under a roaring waterfall, his body small for his age but covered in well-defined muscles. A thick beard obscured much of his face.
"Looks like this beard followed me to this life," Sai muttered, running a hand through it. In my past life, I grew a beard at 12. It's annoying but manageable.
Rocks from the waterfall crashed around him as he continued meditating under its weight.
"I finally reached level 29." He smiled to himself as something materialized before him.
It was a broken sword, fractured into three pieces: one resembling a knife and the other two parts the shattered remains of the blade.
Thankfully, my spirit is evolving. I wonder what it'll become when I reach Douluo level. His eyes glimmered with anticipation for what lay ahead.
As Sai meditated peacefully, he heard faint footsteps approach.
"Sai… hah… Finally hit level 29, huh? Took you long enough," Lena's voice cut through the sound of the waterfall, tinged with playful teasing.
Sai opened his eyes slowly, his gaze calm and detached. He exuded an otherworldly serenity, like a monk on the verge of enlightenment.
"Why should I rush?" Sai replied softly, his tone profound. "Life is meant to be savored, not hurried."
An ethereal glow seemed to surround him as he spoke, enhancing his tranquil aura.
Lena froze, her smirk fading as disbelief spread across her face.
This is bad. I've pushed him too hard—he's starting to sound like a monk! How do I snap him out of this?
She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Sai… I hate to break it to you, but you've hit a wall. If you stay here any longer, it's going to be nearly impossible for you to advance."
Sai's expression remained placid, so she pressed on.
"You were climbing levels faster than even the most gifted cultivators, thanks to your unique body spirit. But now, you need something more."
Her words finally seemed to reach him. The mystical aura faded, and a glimmer of curiosity returned to his eyes.
"When do I leave?" he asked, trying to mask the spark of excitement in his voice.
Lena raised a brow. "Why do I feel like you're more eager about this than you're letting on?"
Sai simply smiled faintly but said nothing. Phew… almost got caught…
Lena turned away, missing his relief, and continued, "You'll leave tomorrow morning. Make sure you're ready."
As she walked off, Sai muttered to himself, "I finally get to escape. This demoness almost killed me three times."
Flashback: Sai's First Spirit Ring
"You've reached level 10. It's time to get your first spirit ring," Lena announced one day, her tone brimming with anticipation.
Sai's eyes lit up. I'm finally becoming a Spirit Master—the most prestigious title in this world.
"When do we go?" he asked hesitantly, his body exhausted from the grueling training sessions.
"Strike while the iron's hot. We'll go now," Lena said, grabbing him and dashing toward the forest.
She stopped abruptly in front of a massive centipede, its metallic legs glinting in the light.
"That's an Iron Leg Centipede. Go and kill it," Lena commanded, tossing Sai toward the beast without hesitation.
Mom… Oh, mom… please be more gentle, Sai thought as he summoned his knife, bracing himself for the fight.
The centipede hissed, its body towering over him.
Don't let this scare you. Remember your training.
The centipede lunged, slashing Sai's arm. Blood dripped from the wound, but he didn't panic.
Sai leaped forward, wrapping his arms around the beast. With his knife in hand, he stabbed it repeatedly until it fell lifeless.
Looking at the beast's corpse, Sai noticed a faint white glow materializing above it.
"This is a spirit ring?" he asked, amazed.
"Yes," Lena replied, her voice calm. "But this one's too weak for you."
Before Sai could respond, exhaustion overtook him, and he collapsed.
.....
Sai woke abruptly to Lena's voice. "Wake up! Oyyy, wake up!"
"Five more minutes…" he muttered groggily.
In response, Lena kicked him hard enough to send him flying.
"What's going on?!" Sai exclaimed, startled.
"Come here and kill this one before it dies," Lena said, pointing at a centipede three times larger than the last.
Sai reluctantly summoned his knife and approached the beast. After a brief but intense struggle, he emerged victorious.
This time, a yellow spirit ring appeared.
"A 500-year-old ring," Lena said, her tone serious. "Be careful while absorbing it."
Sai sat near the ring and began channeling its energy. Hours passed, but the process completed smoothly.
He stood, summoning his spirit to test his newfound strength. A yellow ring glowed behind him, proof of his success.
"So? What did you gain?" Lena asked, her tone nonchalant.
Sai grinned. "First, my spirit evolved—it's longer now." He showed her the knife, which had an additional jagged segment attached to it.
"Second, I gained a skill. It increases my attack speed by 30% for one hour. I can use it four times daily with my current spirit power."
"Lastly, I'm now level 13!" Sai finished proudly.
"Good for you," Lena said with a nod, though inwardly she felt a sense of satisfaction. I chose this spirit specifically for you after researching for a year. If you hadn't gained this much, I'd have been disappointed.