Seven days later, on the final night at 11 p.m., a handsome, refined young boy collapsed to the ground, exhausted—so tired he couldn't even lift a finger.
"Whew... I'm dead tired," Suifeng muttered.
[Ding! Task complete. Reward: Marrow Cleansing Pill. It has been delivered to your system inventory.]
"Huh? Marrow Cleansing Pill? What does it do? No explanation?"
[Try eating it and find out. What, you thought this system came with item descriptions? Seriously?]
"You knock-off system... giving me some shady Tier-3, Grade-5 product to eat? What if I get poisoned?"
[…]
"Hmph, nothing to say, huh? Let me be clear: I, Suifeng, would rather starve to death outside than eat something without a label or instructions!"
[The Marrow Cleansing Pill will be reclaimed in 3 seconds: 3... 2...]
Before the countdown ended, Suifeng snatched the pill out of the system inventory and stuffed it into his mouth faster than lightning.
Gulp— it took quite the effort to swallow it.
[See? Should've done that from the start. So dramatic.]
"….."
Suifeng was left speechless. The system's sarcasm hit hard, but he had no comeback.
"Oh, my stomach hurts!"
Suifeng suddenly clutched his abdomen in pain, cursing, "Damn it! I knew it was a counterfeit product—probably expired. Great, now I'm poisoned!"
[Idiot. Haven't you read novels before? This is the process of expelling bodily impurities.]
"Oh, I see... cough, cough... First time crossing worlds. I'm inexperienced. Next time I'll be more prepared."
Half an hour later...
Suifeng stumbled out of the toilet, legs weak, hand on his waist.
"System, any changes after taking the pill?"
[Yes. If you went on the market, your value would've jumped from 300 a session to 500.]
"…..."
Suifeng's face darkened. "I feel like you're being inappropriate."
"I meant combat ability!!"
[Oh, right. You should've clarified. Your physical stats have significantly improved. Based on your current strength, you can now withstand a soul ring for up to 352 years.]
"Oh? That's a big increase. But still not enough."
Even after taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill, I'm only about as strong as Tang San. And Tang San's first soul ring came from a nearly 400-year-old Mandala Snake.
That won't do. I have to get stronger. Now that I have this opportunity, I need to try and become the strongest in this world.
Suifeng understood clearly—having a similar physique to Tang San didn't mean he had the same power.
Tang San's deadliest strength was his hidden weapons. Even opponents twice as strong wouldn't dare say they could survive against him. Suifeng might joke around with him day to day, but he never let that cloud his understanding of who the main character was.
I'll keep training for now. A week from now will be the end-of-month random draw. Let's see what kind of loot I get then.
"Suifeng, still awake?"
Hmm? That was Grandpa Jack's voice. Suifeng figured his recent ruckus must've disturbed the old man. He quickly stood up and replied, "Yes, Grandpa Jack. Did I wake you?"
Old Jack opened the door and came in. Seeing Suifeng looking weak and holding his back, he frowned a little.
But to spare the boy's pride, he said nothing.
If Suifeng knew what Old Jack was thinking, he'd probably cough up blood. Come on, he's only six! Even if he wanted to, he physically couldn't...
"Ahem... Suifeng, to think you're innately full of soul power... If you keep working hard, you'll no doubt become a great Soul Master. Our village is finally producing not just one, but two Soul Masters—most villages don't even have one."
Old Jack hesitated, then continued, "You probably know a little about your background... but there's something I've been keeping from you."
He pulled out a jade pendant from inside his shirt. It was crystal clear, glowing faintly in the moonlight—clearly extraordinary.
"This pendant was found in the basket with you. I figured it wasn't ordinary, so I didn't give it to you earlier, afraid you might lose it."
Old Jack sighed.
"But now that you've grown a bit... keep this with you. And if you ever find your birth parents, please don't blame them. I'm sure they had no choice. No parent would abandon their child willingly."
Seeing the sentimental expression on Old Jack's face, Suifeng suddenly smiled—a bright, genuine smile.
"Grandpa Jack, it's okay. I don't care. I might not know what my parents look like, but I know I have a grandpa. That's enough for me. Everything else... let fate decide."
Old Jack's heart was deeply moved. Stroking his beard, he smiled warmly and patted Suifeng's head.
"You've grown up. By the way, I've sorted out the school spot. In three months, you and Tang San will be able to attend Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy. Surprised? Excited??"
"Hehe~ So happy~" Suifeng replied with a smile and took the jade pendant.
At such a young age, he had already learned how to hide sorrow with a smile.
Three months, huh? My guess was right. I'll give it my all.
Looking down, he saw a large "Wind" (风) character carved into the pendant.
So that's why my name is Suifeng.
"Alright, Grandpa. I'll go rest now. You should too."
"Mm-hmm. Goodnight, Suifeng."
Old Jack left and gently closed the door.
Suifeng played with the jade pendant for a bit, then stored it in his system inventory.
One calm week passed.
Each day, Suifeng trained regularly. His Drifting Steps had improved slightly, though still about halfway to a breakthrough. His training in Radiant Divine Eye was also going well. He could now control it at will and maintain activation for nearly an hour before feeling eye fatigue.
As for his martial soul Wind, which he intended to attach the first soul ring to—it had become more refined. He even developed a minor skill:
⚠️ Warning: Dangerous action. Do not imitate.
Step 1: Gather wind elements from the surrounding air.
Step 2: Concentrate them on a wind blade.
Step 3: Launch it at the opponent.
The only issue: the power was lacking—could barely slice through six sheets of paper. If the enemy wore anything thicker than that, it wouldn't even scratch the skin.
Still, Suifeng believed that even though the power was weak now, once his strength increased, the skill's power would grow too. This was his first self-developed move, so it needed a strong name.
After some thought, Suifeng pointed at a nearby tree with full heroic flair and shouted:
"It's decided! Go, Wind Blade!!"
The air surged, forming a ten-centimeter-long green blade of wind that shot toward the tree—hitting it dead-on.
The tree rustled. A bunch of leaves fell.
And... that was it. Nothing else happened.
A moment passed. Suifeng nodded with satisfaction.
The strongest techniques often have the simplest names.
He returned home to bathe, change, cleanse his hands, and light incense—ready for his lottery draw.