Yelin City, Spirit Hall Branch.
A bone-chilling cold burrowed from his fingertips into his marrow. Mu Rongchen stood at the center of the awakening formation, his vision consumed by a piercing streak of icy blue.
Beside him, a massive serpent about five meters long—thick as an adult man's thigh—coiled upward.
Its scales resembled crystalline shards of ice, layered upon one another, radiating a heart-palpitating chill.
"Ice Spirit Snake, innate soul power level six."
The deacon overseeing the awakening raised his voice slightly.
In a remote city like this, a control-type martial spirit of this level was already considered top-tier.
"Not just control-type. With a body this size, this snake-type martial spirit has tremendous mutation potential."
A clear female voice came from the rear of the hall.
Purple hair cascaded like a waterfall, pride not yet faded from her face. Wearing a pale violet dress that trailed along the floor, the youthful Bibi Dong stepped forward, her features still slightly immature.
Beside her followed a black-haired young man, his eyes burning as he stared at the Ice Snake behind Mu Rongchen, as if he wished he could dissect it on the spot.
"My name is Bibi Dong."
The girl stopped before Mu Rongchen and slightly raised her chin.
"You're quite good. Come with me to Spirit City. The Spirit Hall will give you the best resources."
Mu Rongchen felt the faint gnawing hunger in his abdomen. His gaze swept over the luxurious ornaments at her waist.
As a transmigrator with normal awareness, he knew well what kind of bloody storms would be stirred up beneath that seemingly innocent exterior in the future.
Moreover, the Spirit Hall maintained strict hierarchy. Once he went there, he would lose his freedom, becoming a pawn to be directed at will. If he had been born with full innate soul power, perhaps the so-called rules would not apply to him—but he wasn't.
"Not interested."
Mu Rongchen withdrew his martial spirit and turned to leave.
Bibi Dong froze, her outstretched hand stiff in midair.
In her understanding, no one had ever refused an invitation from the Spirit Hall—let alone a ragged orphan.
"Wait!"
The black-haired youth stepped forward urgently, blocking his path.
"Your martial spirit's form is highly unusual. Snake-type spirits are typically slender, but this size approaches that of a sub-dragon lineage. It involves martial spirit mimicry evolution theory. Let me study it—I can plan the most perfect soul ring path for you…"
Mu Rongchen stopped and glanced sideways at Yu Xiaogang, a mocking smile curling at his lips.
"Study? Study how to make a martial spirit fart?"
The air instantly froze.
Yu Xiaogang's sunny, handsome face flushed a liver-red color. It was the deepest taboo in his heart—Luo Sanpao.
"You… you insolent brat!" Yu Xiaogang's fingers trembled.
"My martial spirit isn't for someone who only knows how to fart to lecture about."
Mu Rongchen stared directly at him, each word like an icicle.
"Figure out your own martial spirit first."
"Bastard!"
A Spirit Hall deacon stepped forward, eager to curry favor with Bibi Dong.
Smack!
A heavy slap landed across Mu Rongchen's face. Immediately after, a powerful kick struck his chest.
Mu Rongchen flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into a stone pillar of the branch hall.
A metallic sweetness rose in his throat as blood surged into his mouth.
A trace of reluctance had flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes, but upon seeing the child insult Xiaogang so brazenly, that hint of pity was swiftly replaced by anger.
She frowned in disgust and said coldly:
"Ungrateful. Since you refuse to pledge loyalty, then let this wake you up. The Yelin City branch has no need for such a rebel."
The deacon sneered as he walked toward the fallen Mu Rongchen. The surrounding air seemed ready to shatter under the pressure of soul power.
Mu Rongchen clutched the ground tightly, his fingernails splitting as blood seeped into the cracks between the stone bricks.
He did not beg for mercy. He only stared at the man and woman standing side by side, carving their ugly expressions deep into his soul.
It felt as though a fire burned in his chest. Every breath made his broken ribs grind violently.
"Hmph. Without proper resources and theoretical guidance for your martial spirit, you're destined to mediocrity in this lifetime."
Yu Xiaogang folded his arms, disdain written all over his face.
"You little beggar—do you think you can cultivate a snake into a dragon?"
Laughter echoed throughout the hall.
Using the faint cold aura emitted by the Ice Spirit Snake, Mu Rongchen forcibly numbed the pain and crawled toward the exit of the Spirit Hall branch.
"Get out of Yelin City! Step in again and we'll break your legs!"
The deacon's roar echoed behind him.
Puddles on the street reflected his current appearance—
Hair disheveled, half his face swollen high, his tattered coarse linen clothes stained with mud and blood.
Not far away, Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang boarded a luxurious carriage side by side.
They seemed to be softly consoling one another. The anger on the girl's face faded, replaced by a radiant smile—as if what she had just crushed was nothing more than an insignificant ant.
"Dog couple… I'll remember this beating."
Mu Rongchen spat out a mouthful of blood, his gaze terrifyingly cold.
Since transmigrating, he had no system, no ancient mentor guiding him.
His only advantages were arriving more than twenty years earlier than Tang San—and possessing innate level-six soul power along with a decent martial spirit.
Staggering, he headed toward the outskirts of the city.
Outside Yelin City stretched the edge of the vast Star Dou Great Forest. Dusk fell, and mist carrying the scent of rotting leaves drifted from within.
Leaning against a withered tree, Mu Rongchen tremblingly released his martial spirit.
The Ice Spirit Snake appeared silently. Its thigh-thick body slowly coiled around him, bringing waves of refreshing coolness.
"That damn so-called Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang said you're just a snake."
Mu Rongchen stroked the cold scales on the snake's head, his fingertips brushing against their crystal-like texture.
"Said you'll never become a dragon in this lifetime."
The Ice Spirit Snake flicked its tongue, its icy blue vertical pupils glimmering in the darkness, as if responding to its master's unwillingness.
Yu Xiaogang's words—"a little beggar turning a snake into a dragon"—were not merely mockery, but a reflection of this world's rigid class divide.
But Mu Rongchen refused to believe it.
For a snake to become a dragon meant rebirth—nine deaths for one chance at survival.
Just because Yu Xiaogang couldn't do it didn't mean no one could.
Your Luo Sanpao, with its Golden Holy Dragon bloodline, reduced to nothing but farting—that's because you're incompetent!
Suppressing the intense pain in his chest, Mu Rongchen calculated rapidly.
He couldn't stay in the Hargen-Daz Kingdom any longer.
If he encountered Bibi Dong and the others again, with his current strength, they could crush him effortlessly. He couldn't afford another loss like this.
"Go to Notting City."
Mu Rongchen closed his eyes as memories of Holy Soul Village surfaced.
Old Jack was kind-hearted; in the original story, he had tried his best to help even the Tang father and son, who were outsiders.
If he could settle in Holy Soul Village and secure a work-study student quota, he could enter Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.
After all, it was widely known that Notting City accepted work-study students. As for other cities, who could say? The original work hadn't specified—he didn't dare gamble.
Though remote, it was the best place to avoid Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang's sight.
A night passed.
Mu Rongchen pushed himself up with the help of a tree trunk and took one last look toward Yelin City.
That was where his humiliation began—and where he would one day return to conquer.
Dragging his battered body, he moved slowly toward the direction of Notting City.