On the Douluo Continent, in the Heaven Dou Empire's Balak Kingdom, inside a branch Awakening hall of Spirit Hall in Yu Village beside the Balak River, the yearly Spirit Awakening ceremony was underway.
'Spirit: Green Fish; spirit power: none.'
As the verdict rang out, the little boy standing before the six Awakening stones crumpled, sorrow wrapping around him like a cloak.
Because Yu Village had produced Spirit Masters in recent years, its children understood far better than most the vast gulf between a Spirit Master and an ordinary person.
Leaving aside other income, the single gold coin a Spirit Master could collect from Spirit Hall each month was enough to fill countless hearts with envy.
Yu Yan, shielding the group of children in front of him, glanced at the glowing Awakening stones, anticipation shining in his eyes—his chance to change his fate was right before him.
Yu Yan, a transmigrator delivered to the Douluo Continent by a Transmigration Divine Artifact.
Once a die-hard Douluo fan—turned absolute hater after Douluo 2's whatever-valley nonsense—he had no idea what to say now that he had actually transmigrated to the famously low-tier Xuanhuan world of Douluo; such mystical events were beyond his control.
In this life his parents were ordinary villagers whose Spirits were the large green fish passed down in Yu Village; they had died a few years earlier while fishing on the turbulent Balak River.
As for whether he himself possessed spirit power and could become a Spirit Master, Yu Yan was quietly confident.
The confidence was not blind: the powerful Soul brought by Transmigration had let him clearly sense energy circulating inside him two-and-a-half years ago.
What else could energy flowing within an unawakened child be, if not spirit power?
Once he discovered that he had spirit power, Yu Yan began searching for ways to strengthen it.
During that time he tried the exercise regimes, special diets, and other tricks Douluo fan-fiction protagonists swore by, and of course they proved utterly useless.
Well, not quite useless.
Long-term training had left Yu Yan far sturdier than the other village children; that, at least, had worked.
Which made sense—whether you had spirit power depended on your parents and sheer luck. If any of those hacks had the slightest effect, would Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan scion Yu Xiaogang really be stuck at half a rank?
While Yu Yan's thoughts wandered, the children he was protecting finished their Awakenings.
As expected, every last one lacked spirit power and could not become a Spirit Master.
The Spirit Hall Spirit Master—who had never bothered to give his name—called out 'Next!' with a blank face, and Yu Yan stepped quickly into the ring of six black stones.
The Spirit Hall Spirit Master dutifully poured spirit power into the stones; they emitted a pale golden light that wrapped Yu Yan in its glow.
Warmth—that was the first sensation, like sinking back into a mother's arms, like slipping into a hot bath after a long day, like drifting to sleep to the patter of rain outside the window.
When the comfortable haze faded, Yu Yan felt spirit power surging toward his right hand, something struggling to break free.
Knowing what came next, he opened his right hand. Two fish, each the length of an arm, leapt from his palm and swam through the air around him.
One fish blazed red, flames flickering along its body.
The other shimmered blue, an icy chill rolling off its scales.
'T-twin spirits!!!'
The previously expressionless Spirit Hall Spirit Master shrieked the moment he saw the two fish circling Yu Yan.
Under Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong's reign, every Spirit Hall Spirit Master knew exactly what twin spirits meant.
Shock gave way to delight.
For an ordinary-branch Awakening executor, discovering and recruiting a prodigy brought generous rewards.
This child shared the Supreme Pontiff's twin spirits; the man was already imagining the bounty he would receive.
That was why he beamed so broadly.
Yu Yan focused on the two fish swimming around him, sensed for a moment, and realized he had not awakened twin spirits.
What he possessed was a Companion Spirit—something introduced in Douluo Continent III: Legend of the Dragon King.
A Companion Spirit meant one Spirit born in twin forms: stronger than a single Spirit, weaker than true twin spirits.
More importantly, because the two forms shared a single Spirit, their compatibility was perfect, letting the owner perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill alone.
And with every Spirit ring came another fusion skill—exactly like Xie Xie of the Shrek Seven Devils in Douluo 3.
"Uncle, does twin spirits mean having two Spirits?" After asking, Yu Yan continued before the Spirit Hall Spirit Master could reply, "But I can feel I only have one Spirit; these two Ice and fire fish are one entity."
"Eh?"
The ecstatic Spirit Hall Spirit Master froze, trying to make sense of the child's words.
"You mean these two fish are a single Spirit?"
"You're not twin spirits?"
Yu Yan nodded; he truly wasn't twin spirits.
"All right, retract your Spirit and let's test your spirit power."
Realizing Yu Yan wasn't twin spirits, the Spirit Master's delight dimmed. He held out the blue crystal for measuring spirit power.
Understanding the reason for the man's disappointment, Yu Yan willed the Ice and Fire Twin Fish back into his body.
He placed his hand on the crystal; a fierce pull erupted, and all his spirit power rushed uncontrollably into it.
As the power flowed, the crystal blazed with brilliant light.
"Innate spirit power level seven and a half!!!"
Seeing the radiance, the Spirit Master felt more emotions in a day than in an entire usual year.
Innate spirit power 7.5—undeniably Genius.
Of every Spirit Master this man had met, this child's Innate level was the highest.
Level seven and a half, plus the cutting-edge Companion Spirit Ice and Fire Twin Fish—his future would be anything but ordinary.
As expected of me!
Yu Yan silently gave himself a thumbs-up.
"I'm Gong Fenghua, Spirit Hall deacon, 23rd-rank Spirit Grandmaster. Little friend, what's your name?"
Having never introduced himself until now, the Spirit Master smiled and asked gently after confirming the boy's talent.
"Uncle, I'm Yu Yan."
Grateful for the help in Awakening his Spirit, Yu Yan answered willingly.
To Gong Fenghua this was just work, yet it had truly changed Yu Yan's fate.
In ten-thousand-years-later Douluo 2, no one would freely awaken a commoner's Spirit.
"Yu Yan—good name." After praising, Gong Fenghua immediately invited, "Child, would you like to join Spirit Hall?"
"Uncle, may I go home and discuss it with my elders first?"
Yu Yan brushed off the invitation with a laugh; it was only an excuse—his parents had died years ago.
Since transmigrating to Douluo Continent he had gathered information on the major powers and roughly fixed his place in time.
The year he was born, the previous Supreme Pontiff Qian Xunji was slain by Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao, and the new Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong ascended.
Therefore, Yu Yan was the same age as Tang San.
Ever since the wretched Questioning-Valley episode in Douluo 2, Yu Yan had detested the author and Tang San.
Yet as a former die-hard fan he had to admit Tang San was formidable—and the one biological father plus two unofficial god-level "uncles" behind him even more so.
Uncertain what the future held, Yu Yan wanted to grow stronger before choosing a side.
"I see. If you decide to join Spirit Hall, come to the Spirit Hall branch in Balak City and find me; I can secure you better benefits."
Gong Fenghua didn't press further, only urging that if Yu Yan joined, he must seek him out.
Yu Yan patted his chest and promised.
"Good boy. Here's your martial soul awakening certificate—keep it safe; you'll need it to enroll in school."
"Also, here's a Meditation Technique for cultivation and some personal notes of mine; I hope they help."
Gong Fenghua handed over the certificate and two small booklets from his backpack.
Whether or not the boy joined Spirit Hall, befriending a talented child was always wise.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Yu Yan, who truly needed them, accepted without false modesty.
Seeing him accept, Gong Fenghua ruffled his hair and led the children outside.