The universe did not begin with a bang.
For Tang Wulin, it began with a headache and a single, absurd realization: being six years old again was fantastic—except for the part where his head felt like it was being split open by a rusted crowbar.
He stood in line outside Red Mountain Academy, the morning sun warming the back of his neck. Dust hung in the air, mixed with the smell of cheap street food. In his previous life, the scent would've turned his stomach.
Now, it smelled like freedom.
I am Tang Wulin.
No.Wait.
The merger hadn't been gentle. It wasn't a handshake—it was a collision.
A seventeen-year-old struggling model and part-time actor from Earth had slammed into the still-forming neural pathways of a six-year-old boy. Casting calls, calorie charts, and rejection emails tangled with memories of forging hammers, cramped apartments, and the face of a loving, perpetually exhausted father.
The result was chaos.
Wulin stumbled, clutching his head.
"Wulin?" Tang Ziran crouched instantly, rough hands steadying his shoulders. "Say something."
Wulin looked up.
He didn't see an NPC or a background character. He saw a man whose spine had bent under years of labor, whose hands were calloused from work done for someone else's future.
And in the reflection of a nearby shop window, he saw himself.
Six years old. Too pretty. Thick lashes, clear eyes—features that would have made a makeup artist weep.
Well, the former model thought faintly, a grin threatening despite the pain. At least I kept the good looks. And this time, I can eat carbs without someone screaming about my waistline.
The humor faded almost immediately.
Because he knew where he was.
Soul Land.The Legend of the Dragon King.
The era of tragedy.
And deep in his chest, something cold and vast shifted.
A knot of violence. Ancient. Hungry.
The Golden Dragon King.
I'm a walking nuclear reactor, he realized grimly. And the coolant is already leaking.
"Next! Tang Wulin!"
The Spirit Master Yun Xia called out, his voice bored, practiced. He looked like a man who had already awakened three shovels, a rake, and a broken pot that morning.
Wulin stepped forward.
He forced his face into wide-eyed innocence—a skill refined through years of commercial auditions. "Here, Uncle Spirit Master!"
The hexagram flared.
The energy hit him like a hammer.
Soul power surged through his body, acting as a catalyst—reaching into his blood and tearing the dragon awake.
Golden fire roared through his veins.
Pain exploded.
It wasn't metaphorical. It was absolute. His heartbeat thundered, blood burning as if his bones were being reforged from the inside.
Then—
A second presence answered.
Gentle. Verdant. Like cool water poured over molten steel.
Green-blue light wrapped around the raging gold, not suppressing it, but guiding it.
The hunger dulled.
Breath returned.
Wulin gasped, knees trembling, but he stayed standing.
Focus, he told himself. You pass out, you miss the scene. You ruin the take.
He anchored himself in the only thing he controlled.
Breathing.
The discipline of holding impossible poses under stage lights. The calm learned while waiting for judgment behind casting doors.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The chaos didn't vanish—but it slowed. Became manageable. Like surfing a wave instead of drowning in it.
"Awaken!" Yun Xia chanted, his tone sharpening.
Wulin raised his hands.
From his right, blue vines erupted—but they weren't fragile. Thick, dark strands unfurled, threaded with shimmering golden veins that pulsed like a living heartbeat.
Mutated Bluesilver Grass.
From his left, emerald light bloomed.
A small gourd appeared, jade-green and radiant, exuding a scent so fresh it made the dusty hall feel like a rainforest after rain.
Spirit Gourd.
The hall fell silent.
Yun Xia's jaw slackened. "…Twin Martial Souls?"
Wulin blinked down at his hands.
Okay. Dragon-veined grass and a life bottle from the Goddess.I can work with this.
"Test your soul power," Yun Xia said hoarsely, thrusting the crystal ball forward.
Wulin placed his hand on it.
Azure light exploded outward.
The crystal hummed violently, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
"Innate…" Yun Xia whispered. "Full Soul Power. Rank Ten."
Wulin pulled back, and the blue interface finally stabilized in his mind.
[STATUS INTERFACE]Name: Tang Wulin Age: 6
◆ Core Attributes
Spirit Rank: 10 (Newly Awakened — Spirit Scholar)
Spiritual Level: 125 (Spirit Connection)
Body Level: 12 (Spirit Master)
◆ Martial Spirit Essences (Dual)
Spirit Name: Bluesilver Grass (Mutated) — Plant / Dragon Attribute
Spirit Name: Spirit Gourd (Mutated) — Tool / Life Attribute
Bloodline Spirit:
Spirit Name: Golden Dragon Body — Beast (Bloodline-Origin)
◆ Traits
Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline: (Awakened — Via Spirit)
Golden Dragon King Bloodline: (Sealed — 18 Layers)
Sea God Bloodline: (Unawakened / Dormant)
Asura God Bloodline: (Unawakened / Dormant)
Blessing of the Goddess of Life: (Active — Vitality Overflow)
Excess Energy Appetite: (Critical)
◆ Growth System
[GROWTH SLOT: EMPTY]
[ARCHIVE SLOTS: 0/1]
Sea God... Asura God... Wulin stared at the text, his heart skipping a beat. That had to be from his divine daddy, Tang San. It was dormant now. But the rest... he was a monster. A level 12 body at age six? That was the strength of an adult soul master. Blessing of Goddess of life affected Spirit Gourd.
Dormant Sea God blessing…So Dad really is my divine father.
Wulin swallowed.
A Body Level of twelve at age six. That was adult territory.
Yun Xia exhaled slowly, eyes burning. "This cannot stay local. Child… the Spirit Pagoda will want to see you."
Wulin bowed deeply, offering his most angelic smile. "Thank you, Uncle! But I have to ask my daddy first."
He fled the platform and buried his face in Tang Ziran's coat.
Tang Ziran was crying openly.
"Dad," Wulin murmured. "I'm really hungry. Can we buy meat? Like… a lot of meat?"
Three Days Later
The past three days had been less of a childhood and more of a controlled experiment.
Wulin stared at the blue interface floating in his vision.
It wasn't a stat screen. It was leverage.
When he squeezed a rubber stress ball and slotted [Body Conditioning] into the Growth Slot, warmth spread through his muscles—deep, structural.
[MULTIPLIER: 2.0x]
Not instant power. Accelerated adaptation.
If he kept it active long enough, the multiplier would increase. It wasn't exponential, but it was relentless. 2x. 4x. 6x. 8x. Every week, it added another two layers of efficiency. Additive gains stacking into a mountain of results.
Compounding effort.
Yesterday, he'd tested [Strength] instead. The result? A shattered porcelain bowl and a swollen wrist. Muscles without infrastructure are just liabilities.
He unslotted it and made the smarter choice permanent.
[ARCHIVE SLOT FILLED]
1. [Body Conditioning (+0.2x)]
It didn't make him talented. It made his effort harder to waste.
Mang Tian's workshop smelled like ozone and molten iron.
"You want to forge?" Mang Tian grunted, arms crossed. "You're barely taller than the anvil."
"I'm strong," Wulin said earnestly. "And I eat a lot. Dad says I need a job."
Mang Tian snorted. "Hit the iron. Make a dent."
Wulin lifted the hammer. The dragon blood hummed.
Clang.
A dent appeared.
"Terrible form," Mang Tian snapped. "Again. Use your waist."
Clang.
Clang.
By the hundredth strike, chaos had become rhythm.
Mang Tian caught the hammer mid-swing.
"Tomorrow," he said. "If you're late, don't come back."
"Yes, Teacher!" Wulin beamed.
The Alley
The cry was weak. Muffled.
Silver hair caught the dying light.
Na'er.
Three older boys. A knife.
Wulin sighed, slipping the hammer free.
"When did 'Wulin' meet her again?" he muttered. "This soon?"
Aloud, he shouted, "Hey! That's my bun she stole!"
The leader sneered. "Get lost."
"I don't like hurting people," Wulin said quietly, dragging the hammer along the wall. "But my teacher says I need practice."
The knife swung.
[GROWTH SLOT: COMBAT PERCEPTION]
[MULTIPLIER: 2.0x]
The world slowed.
He sidestepped. Swung low.
CRACK.
The boy screamed. The others ran.
Wulin exhaled slowly and turned.
Na'er stared at him.
He offered her a clean bun.
"That one's dirty," he said gently. "Trade?"
She took it.
"Home?" she asked softly.
"Yes." He held out his hand. "There's soup."
She hesitated—then took it.
"I'm Wulin," he said, leading her into the light. "Let's go home."
[STATUS INTERFACE]
Name: Tang Wulin Age: 6 (Current)
◆ Core Attributes
Spirit Rank: 10 (Spirit Scholar)
Spiritual Level: 125 (Spirit Connection)
Body Level: 13 (Spirit Master)
◆ Martial Spirit Essences (Dual)
Spirit Name: Bluesilver Grass (Mutated) — Plant / Dragon Attribute
Spirit Name: Spirit Gourd (Mutated) — Tool / Life Attribute
Bloodline Spirit:
Spirit Name: Golden Dragon Body — Beast (Bloodline-Origin)
◆ Traits
Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline: (Awakened — Via Spirit)
Golden Dragon King Bloodline: (Sealed — 18 Layers)
Sea God Bloodline: (Unawakened / Dormant)
Asura God Bloodline: (Unawakened / Dormant)
Blessing of the Goddess of Life: (Active — Vitality Overflow)
Excess Energy Appetite
◆ Skills
Blacksmithing - Rank 0 (Proficient)
Close Quarter Combat (Novice)
◆ Growth System
[GROWTH SLOT: EMPTY]
[ARCHIVE SLOTS: 1/1]
1. [Core Body Conditioning (+0.2x)]