《Douluo Dalu - Hammer God Douluo》 Prologue - Death of a God Tang Jun gazed over the warm plains, the grass swaying in the gentle breeze, smelling flowers blooming, and the sun shining brightly upon them all. It was indeed a most beautiful day, though he knew that it would not be for long. The war against the Sun-Moon continent raged across the land, and this field was where he would engage a small group of their Spirit Masters sneaking across. He was one of the Soul Land''s oldest and strongest masters, a level 97 Titled Douluo! In any normal situation, he would never be sent out in active combat, but they had to because their losses were already too high. Tens of thousands died in every clash on both sides, their corpses coming back only to broken mothers and weeping brothers. Morale and manpower rapidly drained, and true despair had already taken root within everyone''s hearts. These Spirit Masters sneaking across were of the lowest profile; the only reason that the banded Douluo Empires gained information on this was a coincidental sweep through a city, finding and capturing a spy and forcing all information from her. There were to be four of them, all high-level Spirit Douluos, traveling from some Sun-Moon city to the heart of the Douluo Empires - Shrek Academy! In a normal confrontation, any Title Douluo could crush them, but these were wielding Spirit Guidance Weapons; extremely strong weapons that used Spirit Power to utilize. And against four of them, even Tang Jun had to be cautious of their power! He waited for hours, sitting there - sensing anything and everything in the field, waiting for the Spirit Masters to pass through. He again saw the grass swaying, smelt the flowers blooming, and saw the sun shine brightly as ever. But at this moment Tang Jun felt a peculiar movement - some far away grass slightly rustling - and he knew the time had come. He summoned his spirit, a Clear Sky Hammer, gray and glowing crimson, and unleashed his Spirit Power. Boom! It felt as if the world was shaking, the earth was being torn apart, or the heavens were quaking in fear. Nine Spirit Rings floated behind Tang Jun, each one more domineering than the next. There were two yellow rings, two purple rings, three black rings and most terrifying of all, two red rings, symbolizing the power of two Hundred Thousand-Year old Beasts, the terrifying peak of Spirit Beasts. He truly is a tempered monster - worthy of being called the Hammer God Douluo! He flew at them, his hammer raised domineeringly to crush anything thrown at him. Tang Jun heard the blast of some Spirit Guidance Weapon - and seconds later some projectile flew at him. He roared, and unleashed his first Spirit Skill, while one of his yellow rings glowed. "First Spirit Skill: Forest Bear''s Might!" A silhouette of a tall, brown bear enveloped him, and Tang Jun felt his muscles tense and grow even stronger. He swung his hammer - smashing the projectile, its shrapnel flying everywhere. Tang Jun flew and advanced further, now finally seeing his targets. There were four, hooded figures, each with 8 rings of their own - Spirit Douluos. He smirked, and rushed to them, swinging away at the rapid projectiles flying to him. Two hooded figures wielded some sort of cannon, the other two were wielding some crossbow - all Spirit Guidance Weapons. As Tang Jun flew closer, they started to rapidly back off, using some movement skill to maximum effect. He continuously pressed on, smashing the arrows and cannon balls sent at him. Boom! Crash! A heaven-shaking blast resounded throughout the plains, scorching the earth and burning the grass. A Cannon-wielding hooded figure had unleashed some Spirit Skill - not at him, but at the ground. TangJun frowned. ''What are they doing?'' He thought, ''They''re firing at me, but clearly to no effect. They''re running away - understandable, but why are they firing at the ground? Have they gone mad? I need them to reveal their intentions.'' Tang Du breathes, and then in a burst of Spirit Power, unleashes his 7th Spirit Skill. "7th Spirit Skill: Holy Hammer Barrage!" Hundreds, thousands, perhaps even ten thousands of hammers appeared; their numbers were uncountable. They glowed luminously golden: each identical and giving off immense pressure. Tang Jun lept towards the hooded figures and swung at them. Woosh! Bang! All of the hammers darted towards the figures, crashing either into the shields they had manifested or shot down by large scale shots by the cannon ball Spirit Guide Weapons. Boom! Crash! They retreated even further, and anyone could tell that they were at a massive disadvantage. One of the crossbow hooded figures gestured to the others, and they nodded back. Tang Jun narrowed his eyes. He did not like what they were doing. A plan? A Trap? The four hooded figures took off, dashing at him with while shooting projectiles at him. ''Are they crazy?'' TangJun thought again. ''Now they''re running to me? What kind of plan is this?'' He ran towards them as well, but just as he got close they split apart, darting at each corner around Tang Jun. He did not like the current situation at all, and he needed to act fast. Tang Jun looked at the signaling hooded figure, who he had absolute certainty was the leader, and decided that they needed to get rid of. He charges at him, his pressure and bloodlust released to the maximum, to force out any tricks they might have up their sleeve. The ''leader'' figure waits, then throws a small, gray object at Tang Jun. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ''Not good!'' He panickily thinks. ''Is it an explosive!? Some sort of trap!? I need to defend!'' "6th Spirit Skill: Heavenly Jade Turtle Defense!" A colossal jade shell appears in front of him - Its aura dominating and unsurmountable. The object flies at him but falls short of about 10 meters. It is quiet for one second, then a brilliant golden hemisphere bursts out of it, covering the field in which they were fighting on. Whatever it is, he does not feel good about it. He turns and tries to fly out of the area, but the figures block him and barrage him with Spirit Skills and Projectiles, clearly not wanting him to leave. No noticeable effects have occurred, he notices, and the fastest way out is through the hooded figures, so he rushes against them, and unleashes his 7th skill again. "7th Spirit Skill: Holy Hammer Barrage! Again the hammers come out and are sent barraging against the figures. They stall and defend, stopping his attempts to escape while using damned movement skills and Spirit Guidance Weapons to dodge the hammers. Tang Jun fought and fought but he just couldn''t get out of the light! Then the unthinkable happens, they disperse again, but his time doesn''t try to block Tang Jun''s attempt to escape the sphere. The figures also back out, but as soon as Tang Jun leaves the sphere, he feels some things very off. Boom!Boom!Boom! Huge explosions were detonated on his shield, shattering it and lightly wounding him. ''How is this possible! They don''t nearly have the firepower to...'' Then he notices them, four more Sun-Moon Spirit Masters had shown up! And he had completely missed them as well, not feeling even a bit of their presence inside the light. Tang Jun then suddenly realizes the purpose of the light; not to kill him, but to mask the others arrival! He finds himself in a very dangerous situation - he could not possibly take down all eight of these Spirit Masters! Could the whole thing be a trap? To kill him? The Spirit Masters then starts to fire, and he desperately tries to defend himself while retreating (strong and proud he may be, he knows when he is outnumbered and outclassed).Tang Jun unleashes his Heavenly Jade Turtle Defense again but is inevitably crushed only after a few barrages. Then he feels something pierce him; something silver and sharp. He grunts in pain, still attempting to retreat; but their movement skill coupled with their Spirit Guidance Weapons made it impossible. More projectiles piece and batter him; hearing the rapid thuds of connecting arrows. His Spirit Power is nearly depleted; coupled with his old age and disadvantages he knew he would not make this out alive. Tang Jun roared, his voice hoarse from the battle cries shrieked some brutal hours ago. "Will I die here? In the midst of burning plains by mere Spirit Douluos!?" He then hears the mechanical clicks of those damned Spirit Guidance Weapons, as the group of 8 Sun-Moon Spirit Masters prepare the inevitable barrage. He steadies himself, grasping his Clear Sky Hammer even tighter than before. Tang Jun channels all his remaining Spirit Power into it, the energy roaring through the long burnt plains. And with a deafening bang, cannonballs, arrows, and projectiles fly at him. He swings his hammer, once, twice, thrice! With every swing, Tang Jun crushed something aimed for him, but that was not enough. The old man feels arrows pierce through his armor and into his flesh, bleeding heavier in all its crimson glory. Pain racks his body, and he collapses on his knees. "Is this my end?" He cries."I am not afraid of death, but to be humiliated like this? I will not stand for!" "It is the end." Some cruel, mocking voice calls out. "For you at least." "If It''s so, then I will take you with me!" He could barely register the brutal thud of the arrow penetrating his chest. Tang Jun violently coughs out blood and falls face first into the earth. Blood pours everywhere, staining his robe and the dirt in which he lay upon. Then both of his red rings glow, as the pressure increases and his power fluctuating, fueled by his very life force, and unleashed his strongest skill. "8th and 9th Spirit Skill combination: Hammer God''s Fury!" Tang Jun floats up, blood still pouring out of his wounds, but his eyes now shine in the color of his blood. Then, a domineering golden ring bursts out of him, sending massive shockwaves to the Hooded Figures. They tried to defend, but they were still only Spirit Douluos; their attacks simply did not have the effect of the shock waves. As the shockwaves burst through them, they crumpled to the ground, dying by the last Spirit Skill Tang Jun would ever unleash. Now powerless, he also crumples to the ground, his hammer still faithfully by his side. "So..." He weakly murmurs, "How humiliating... to die by mere Spirit Douluos, how pitiful. Perhaps in my next life...I will do better." Then he says no more. - Chapter 1 - In Regeneratione Imperatoris It had been nearly a millennium since he last felt an embrace, the feeling both distant and vague - like oak trees through thick fog or of remote figures in dark nights. Yet now he could feel; the warm, soft touch of something, smothering him; comforting some flickers of uneasy fire that he thought had long been extinguished. How was this possible? He knew that he wasn''t nearly the biggest human in the continent, but he was easily considered both very tall by anyone. What kind of monstrosity could do this? A Spirit Beast? But it would have to be large and not-aggressive, both hugely unlikely and slightly laughable. Then he notices the pitch black in which he viewed the world, and then the pounding headache that beat painfully. He tried to open his eyes, but nothing happens. He tries again, this time managing to twitch some previously unknown muscle, but still to no avail. He then tries to move his limbs, but they were limp and useless; no movement there. The headache got worse, twisting his mind - squeezing it, crushing it with pain. He then tries any means to move, shuffling, squirming, trying to get some sort of grasp on his environment or be rid of this headache. Whatever he does, he barely moves but feels the impressions of soft limbs under him. Then he hears the soft voice. It whispered gently to him, the words unintelligible, but gentle nonetheless. The crushing headache makes it impossible to concentrate for long - everything hazy and unforgivingly hard to grasp. He squirms again, and it again the voice comforts him, but even in its gentleness, he could hear some quietly suppressed panic. It continues to murmur, the sounds softly echoing in his ears, its honey-like, delicately sweet song comforting him. Though he could not make out the words, he could tell that it was distinctly female with its high(er) pitch and tone. Was it human? Impossible, yet the other options of Spirit Beasts seemed just as impossible. Then he hears again. Not the warm, honey-like murmurs, but a sharp, piercing shriek. He flinches, his ears burning in pain, his head in splitting agony and squirms violently. The voice comes back again, hushing him in that delicate whisper but the screams continued on. Then all is quiet, for a few seconds, then more screams pierced his ears. The foul noise dragged on, scraping like chalk across a blackboard, or the screechings of markers upon whiteboards. He feels something tighten around him, holding him closer and tighter - tighter, and tighter still! Then he hears steps. Quiet steps, but steps nonetheless. He feels his body rise, and fall, while the steps rapidly sounded. He hears something above him, breathing, faster and faster - quickening with the steps and got deeper and heavier and louder and stronger! Pitter Patter, More shrieks, more screams, but distinctly quieter than the ones before. And they got quieter still, and the steps quickened and breathing fastened until they were a mere echo in the distance. The constant up and downs with the rapid movements did not do well for his headaches, climbing again to impossible levels of pain; ravaging his mind and twisting it in pure anguish. Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter. He still hears the same rapid steps, but now he hears another set of them; a different rhythm, distant and vague, but still there. Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter. Both speed up, faster, the rhythm ascending in both speed and volume. The headache rages on, a firestorm fueled by the very noises of the world. The other steps draw closer, now distinctly louder, bolder and clearer than before. He hears the close terror-stricken voice - the sound of a cornered mouse''s last gamble, last resistance. Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter,Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter. Though blind, half deaf, and gripped with pain, he could feel the enormous tension in the air, a wound string ready to be snapped, a compressed spring ready to be fired. More steps, more breathing, faster yet faster! The headache goes wilder - the tension burning it more painfully than ever. He feels the sweat dripping from his face, his back, damping whatever he was wearing. Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter,Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter. The steps closed in, rapidly drawing closer and closer while the voice goes hoarse with horror. He couldn''t take it anymore. The metronomic steps painfully irritating, the voice cruelly terrorizing and movements mixing it all into a storm of anguish and gripping horror. The storm twists faster, burning his head, ascending into a crescendo of pain and suffering and crushing misery... Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Then there was white. Then there was black. - The next time he woke there was no sweet voice, no warming embrace, but the cold, bare touch of cloth. It was indeed the same clothes he had felt when he was with the voice, but it felt devoid of the warm, familial feeling. The headache had finally passed ("Thank the heavens!"), and he finally had the ability to organize his mind - to evaluate what had happened. The fight, the steps, the voice - truly, what had happened? '' ''Did I, Tang Jun, die?'' He wondered to himself. ''I should have, but that can''t be. I can still think, move, even... hear?'' He moved his hand, and when it fell he heard the relieving thump, Tang Jun smiled to himself. Tian Jun had no qualms about dying in particular, and when you get to as old and experienced as he had been, you would tangle and scrape with death with every attack or moment. But this situation was so bizarre that Tang Jun had a hard time realizing and putting it together. ''Who was the voice? What was the voice? The steps and screams, why did they happen?'' Questions, questions, questions, but no answers. He could barely think while the headache raged, and the tiny amount information he gathered was useless without a bigger picture. Tang Jun again tried to open his eyes, without luck and wriggled what he could of his body. There was no longer the soft impressions of limbs, but a spongy, bed-like surface which cushioned his body. Tian Jun also felt the movement of something hard, stone like swinging from his neck. It was cold to the touch, but it contained the familiar feeling of the voice. He was even more confused, his mind feeling heavy and tired. ''Now I''m on a... bed? Do Spirit Beasts have beds? Or was it now a human? And is that a stone on my neck? What is going on?'' Thinking and more thinking made Tang Jun''s felt even more tired, his body losing energy to the soft, cushiony surface sucking him in. ''What''s going to happen? A kidnapping, some miraculous savior or...'' Tang Jun''s mind lost all focus for a second, as heavy sleep threatened to seep in. ''... or some benevolent God?'' He finished tiredly. He let his mind rest ''for a second'', he told himself, but the drowsiness relentlessly gripped him and did not let go. He tried to keep his mind occupied, trying to recall as much as possible of the voice, cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill (to his surprise did nothing) or anything that he thought would stall its arrival. ''nnn... don''t go... to... sleep... so... comfortable... no...'' His pleas were in vain. In a span of a few minutes, he was in deep, dreamless sleep. - His mind floated here and there over the next couple sessions of consciousness. Every time he woke up he would think intensely about everything, scrambling about his mind to arrange things, remembering things, see if any mental damage has occurred, and every time in minutes, he would fall dead asleep by overexertion. Tang Jun continued to try to open his eyes, move his body, until one, exhilarating day, he strenuously managed open his eyes and let the light into his world. He saw a sharp light, a flood of gray, intense darkness contrasting the sheer brightness of the room. Colors flooding in, brilliantly lighting up the world, stinging his eyes from the sudden difference and piercing his pupils in pain and light and - Tang closed his eyes. That was too much in too little time; he needed time to adjust to his new found light. He opened his eyes again, slowly this time, and carefully took in the light. He saw a gray room, a marble carved window hanging to the right, the sun shining brilliantly illuminating the room, the blue skies, and white clouds as calm and still as ever, and a... crib and two tiny hands...? He jerked upwards, startled, then moved his hands up and down, left and right. The two tiny hand also moved up and down, left and right, copying his exact movements. ''...Huh?'' Tang Jun thought. ''What are these...?'' He moved his hands again, clenching his hand, then releasing it. The tiny hands seemingly maliciously copied, shocking him and making him even more confused (if that was at all possible at this point). ''Uhh... okay....'' Tang Jun turned his hands, wiggled his fingers, twisting them - whatever he could think of, the hands followed suit. ''No, no, no, no, no...'' The hands did not agree, copying everything and everything he did. ''Why am I so small? What devilish art is this!? Or am I hallucinating, or am I dead?'' Tang Jun was very logical and inquisitive by nature, and he explored all possible options before deciding on the most plausible one, but in a case like this where every possible option is shrouded by uncertainty and as impossible as the rest, Tang Jun had only speculation to ponder or give. He pinched himself (the tiny hands did as they were commanded), and Tang Jun felt the sharp pain that served its duty of reminding him of reality. ''So I''m not hallucinating...'' He didn''t know whether to be delighted or to be frightened by this, but then he realized another possibility. ''Perhaps it''s a really deep illusion...'' Tang Jun knew a few powerful illusionist Spirit Master''s in the Douluo Empires, who would use illusions to trap enemies into attacking their allies, tormenting them with traumatic memories, or just generally breaking their spirit and mentality. They were few and far in between, but would easily and effectively serve as a support master, offensive master, or control master and could fit in with basically any formation. The likelihood of one doing this, however, is just as low and impossible as the other options. Why would a high-level Spirit Master who specializes in illusions, find him/save his life, then trap him into an illusion of being a baby? It was indeed quite a ridiculous idea, but when it came down to it all, they all were just as, if not even more ridiculous. This was not fun. Not at all. Chapter 2 - Imperatoris inventorum It has been well over 6 ''sessions'' of consciousness since his discovery of hands, and with intensive thinking, Tang Jun can now say... that either the Illusion is overwhelmingly strong against him... or that he just really has been turned into a baby. And the first option is getting near impossible because the supposed ''illusion'' is just as seemingly real as the first time we woke up! To understand this, you need to understand the resources behind an illusion; Spirit Power! To first use an illusion, you need a great amount of Spirit Power to just to initially fool their mind, then you have the need to constantly send Spirit Power to keep the illusion up, which inevitably results in an enormous drain! Don''t say days or weeks, even keeping an illusion against a same-level Spirit Master for half an hour would deplete everything! (Though half an hour is plenty of time to kill them or have him turn on his allies) And because Spirit Power is everything for an illusion, the way to counter an illusion is also through Spirit Power - to sever the connection! Very few people are trained to fight against an illusion because of how rare illusionists are, so naturally very few people know how to counter one. There are two ways of doing so: The first, and the slow method is to force your Spirit Power into the connection and to essentially ''plug up'' the ''pipe'' in which their Spirit Energy goes through, and without an energy source, the illusion will dissipate! Then there''s the second way, the quick method, and it is to mentally slash the connection and sever it forcefully! The difference between them is that the slow method, while being slow, uses only a moderate amount of Spirit Power and is relatively easy, while the fast method, while fast, requires a lot of Spirit Power and Mental ability to mentally materialize a blade and slash it, and the sudden crash of Spirit Power could easily destroy one''s mind! Here''s the problem; someone who has a higher level than you will always have higher Spirit Power reserves, and so you will have a harder time casting it, while they will have an easier time countering it! It may not be that obvious against someone just 1 or 2 levels above you, but when it gets to 9 or 10 levels someone who''s been trained is going to shred through the illusion like cheese! Tian Jun was a level 97 titled Douluo! Think about it! To make an illusion for so long and so realistic against someone so high leveled would require an ungodly amount of Spirit Power! Even if supposedly grievously injured, his total Spirit Power recovered should be at the minimum of a Spirit Sage, and to keep a Spirit Sage under a ''perfect'' illusion for days, even weeks straight? Even a Limit Douluo (Level 99) would not dare to make such a claim! But it falls apart even further. Tang Jun has tried to sever the illusion, but... there is what is essentially no Spirit Power to use! There just wasn''t any Spirit Power in him! Even in an illusion, someone would still feel their Spirit Power in their bodies, but right now he could feel basically nothing! From this Tang Jun is essentially certain that he is actually a baby now, rather than being in an extensive illusion, and that whatever tiny amount of Spirit Power in him was a baby''s natural reserve. Of course, there is always the change of some godlike technique or tool trapping him endlessly and perfectly, but even he wouldn''t entertain that idea. So here he was. Stuck. Though stuck may be a little harsh for his situation, depending on how you look at it. You could see it as a second chance; to rebuild from scratch, to perfect his cultivation, to once again ignite the flames and soar phoenix-like to the top! Or you could see it as a downfall; to be stripped of his work, abilities, to stand at the peak and then topple down, down, down to the bottom. Tang Jun normally wouldn''t say himself to be optimistic or pessimistic, but right now he would much prefer to see it as the first option, because of Tang Jun''s defining feature; his inquisitiveness! He prized knowledge incredibly high, for he was both a warrior and an intellectual! This supposed ''rebirth'' gave him a chance to seek out more knowledge, to test out previously impossible ideas - to him, this was invaluable! Though he was most famous for his ability in battle, few know that he was also equally skilled and knowledgeable in research! He loved to explore the depths of knowledge, especially in Spirit Rings, in which he specialized. It is here that we tell you what mattered to Tang Jun, and there are 3 things he values above all: Firstly, Tang Sect! Tang Sect was both his home and mother; he was raised there, cried there, made brothers there, loved there, and learned there! He was an orphan, so he never knew the true feeling of parental love, so Tang Jun saw Tang Sect as a parent!If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Secondly, Brothers, Sisters, and loved ones! They loved him, and he loved them back! He valued them for obvious reasons. And Thirdly, knowledge! Tang Jun has always been inquisitive and had a thirst for knowledge, for behind every Spirit Ring, every Spirit Beast, every Spirit Skill comes a myriad of intricate synchronizations, perfect balances, and complex structures! And he loved to unravel them, discover mysteries, and exploits. Yes, exploits! There were potential exploits within Spirits, incredibly hard to pull off, but which still fascinated him to no end. Knowledge is the ultimate resource in the continent; cultivation without knowledge trains merely pawns - cultivation with knowledge trains true warriors! What you need to take away from this is that Tang Jun loved knowledge, he craved knowledge! Though his understanding of illusions may be totally irrelevant to most battles he fought, nevertheless he took his time to fully understand them! There is no such thing as useless knowledge to him - Something ''irrelevant'' today could be life-saving tomorrow. Though saying all of that, Tang Jun still needed one thing; Power! Power was crushingly absolute in this world, and without it, he could neither protect his loved ones, honor Tang Sect, or seek his craved knowledge! Nothing was possible without power, so he valued power as the only means of getting his goals! - So now he got the whole: ''Baby or not'' situation out of the way, Tang Jun decided to check out more of his environment. Over the course of some time, his eyesight and hearing got better and better, and he is now at the point where most things could be heard and seen. And oh boy did he hear. Every so often he heard the wailing of some child, crying for attention, while some people hurriedly attended to their needs. There was more than just his crib in the room, exactly 15 when he counted, each one of them caging a horrible monster that was an infant within. How he hated to be with them! They screamed and cried; the terrorizing noise seemed to be just right at disrupting is analyzing and thinking. Tang Jun also hated his experience as an infant; he has never been so humiliated in his life! He would rather not say what utterly traumatizing things he has been through, but you just need to know about one thing. Fuck bottles. Though humiliating this might be, as an infant, he has one resource in buckets; time! Tang Jun has basically all the time in the world to plan and think and train! He will use this time to ready himself for his future plans, in which they all require him to be extremely strong. Using this time to train would give him a head start over his peers, who don''t have nearly the intelligence or willpower to train even 3 years from now! But what is he going to train? He can''t train any martial arts, because, well, the whole ''baby'' thing. He can''t train any special skills because he doesn''t have any Spirit Power in him. But he can train his internal Qi, by using the Mysterious Heaven Technique! Yes, The Mysterious Heaven Technique! It was the technique used by the founder of Tang Sect, Tang San, to train his Internal Qi and who acended to Godhood 4000 years before Tang Jun''s death! It was a highly reveared and powerful technique, and was sought after by all of Tang Sect''s members. To start cultivating it, he first needs to enter a state of meditation, and so he closed his eyes and focused. Tang Jun breathed slower but longer and deeper. His senses began to be shut off, utterly concentrating on his Dantian to draw out his Spirit Energy. Tang Jun got deeper and deeper into his trance; he could hear his heart pumping, his breath inhaling and exhaling, then... "Ahh!" A terrorizing scream flooded his ears, instantly shattering his concentration and breaking his attempt at meditation. It was the wailings of some infant, crying for attention of adults. Tang Jun seethed, quite pissed off at the interference with his meditation. He heard the steps of someone arriving, presumably someone attending to the infant''s needs. A minute or two later, whatever was needed to be done was done, and he heard the footsteps of someone leaving the room. Tang Jun readied himself for another attempt at meditation; slowing down his breath, focusing on his Dantian, and blocking out the world. He was in a trance, going deeper, into the dark alleys of his mind and body. He focused on his Dantian, feeling the tiny amount of Spirit Energy contained within. However small the amount be, it was enough to start the first cycle of the Mysterious Heaven Technique. Tang Jun drew it out, slowly, gently, and he felt the tiny strand float out of dantian and into one of his Meridians. This was the second step! Then, he with utmost care and gentleness, he guided it through his Meridians, and every time, he felt the sharp pain from the Strand of Spirit Energy squeezing through, widening his tiny infant Meridians. It was most definitely not a pleasant experience, but certainly a necessary one for his plans. Tang Jun continued to cycle through them, but lost in his meditation and having no sense of time whatsoever, he spent a whole day and night just getting through 1 full cycle of all his Meridians! This was the third and final part! The reason he took a full day and night to do this was because the amount of Meridians used in The Mysterious Heaven Technique were ten times of that used in normal cultivation, and so the time used would naturally be enormous! Furthermore, it was incredibly exhausting to train in, but the benefits were numerous! It allows him to resist pressure and poisons, improves physique and recovering, while also widening and removing impurities from his Meridians! Tang Jun had used what little Spirit Energy he had in order to do this, and as soon as he finished the first cycle it dissipated, leaving him weak and exhausted. He felt empty, tired, and about to collapse into sleep any second now; the signs of Spirit Power exhaustion. Tang Jun didn''t fight the sleep, enveloping it''s misty, opaque embrace, and soon enough the world was blank. He again slept dreamlessly. - Chapter 3 - Primis Annis Tang Jun. These two words were engraved upon the jade necklace he wore, meticulously carved with care with perfect attention to detail. This was the same, cold stone he had felt when he had first woken up, clearly something valuable and significant, but how? Tang Jun had been extremely surprised when he first realized it, (why was his name there damn it!) but he didn''t know what to make of it. Was it there on some amused god''s whim? Or was it a remanent of the voice, a last parting gift? Who knows? He had nothing to base any answers upon! It was been a year since Tang Jun started training in The Mysterious Heaven Technique, and the effects of it have already shown. His Spirit Energy reserves have massively increased in size, and the energy drawn from his Dantian felt like tree trunks compared to his first attempt! He overall felt considerably stronger and healthier (though it may just be attributed to growing up). Tang Jun was very satisfied with his current progress, and though he was still far from reaching first stage completion of The Mysterious Heaven Technique, he would certainly attain it within 3-4 years! As of now, he reached the grand age of one year old, and now free from the hell that was the crib and the humiliation he suffered there. But as he moved out of there and into small beds in dormitories, Tang Jun realized something else. The cribs in the room, the adults moving around, the clustered infants there - It all made sense now, and he should have seen this coming. He was in an orphanage. Tang Jun inwardly sighed, knowing that some deep part of him lamented to experience the true feeling of having parents. He was rather disappointed with this, not to the point of tears, but not where it was ignorable. But perhaps it is actually a blessing in disguise; fewer people to pay attention to him and anonymity, especially at this vulnerable stage, was key. Another revelation at this point was something he would have never, ever seen as a problem; walking. Walking was a lot harder than he had originally thought. A lot, god damn harder. He had thought it came naturally to toddlers, or maybe they just could do it by some strange witchcraft. Nope. It felt like trying to stand on sticks of butter, both being obnoxiously hard and brutally painful when hitting the ground. Even with The Mysterious Heaven Techniques strengthening of his muscles, the process was still incredibly hard, and even standing up is a challenge. Tan Jun''s most effective mode of transport was, most unfortunately, crawling, however humiliating it may be, but hopefully replaced as soon as he perfected walking! Thank the heavens the beds were so very low and easy to climb onto; he had enough of these damned adults! Adults aside, the orphanage was not a pleasant place to be. Though the environment outside was indeed very pretty, inside it was unfurnished, dark and empty. Things were collapsing, breaking down, while he realized the rooms were very cramped (15 infants and cribs in one room!) and badly maintained. Clearly, it was not very well sustained, while its budget and sustenance got lower and lower. The dormitories were also subject to the cramping within the facility. It was 10 children to a room, each given the bare minimum; a single, creaking bed, miscellaneous utilities, and some clothes. The place was indeed heavily depressing. Tang Jun was already grateful that his necklace was not taken from him, and he made a great effort to hide it. Whatever it may be, he would rather have it than not. The food here... he would rather not comment about it (*vomit sounds*). There was nothing he could, right now deal with his situation. Tang Jun was locked here until he was fully mobile and reached a high enough level of power. He had already started planning his escape from here, but it heavily relied on him being able to awaken his Spirit at age 6 and get to Level 10 as fast as possible.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. He could only wait. - Tang Jun weaved his Spirit Energy through his Meridians, rapidly cycling through then - hopping through each and every single one. Pop! Pop! He heard the sounds of his Meridians expanding, widening - the sound of achievement! Although it seemed hectic, it was only on the inside. On the outside, you could only see a calm, young child mediating on his bed - His eyes intensely shut and his luscious sapphire hair soaked with sweat. This was Tang Jun, now two years old! Pop! Pop! He passed through more Meridians, as he began the last series of Meridians he had yet to pass through. After half an hour of strenuous training, he had finished and collapsed onto his back, huffing and puffing. "Ahh!" He moaned in relief as he fell back. "Hours of training really gets you, huh?" Tang Jun relaxed in his bed, giving himself around a minute of rest, then sprung up. He opened his eyes, revealing two mesmerizing, brilliant eyes, golden like Yellow Sapphires! Anyone who looks at them could be trapped within; they were simply just amazing! When he had first seen his current reflection, he too was stunned. Compared to his previous younger self, who had dark blue hair and coal black eyes, this body was very different. In terms of physical attractiveness and potential strength, his body was far superior in both! This fundamental difference in body worried him, however, because he didn''t know what Spirit he would have during his awakening. If he had the same features as his previous younger self, then he would likely also be the same body, and so have the same Spirit - the Clear Sky Hammer! Tang Jun was worried that he might get a useless Spirit, and so severely mess up his future plans! But one''s Spirit mostly came down to luck, and there was nothing he could do to change it. His prospects could only be changed by hard work and dedication. Tang Jun looked around the room. There was no one there, all the beds empty, no one seeing him practice - the children were playing outside in the afternoon heat. He (and the other children), after countless arduous practicing, had finally nailed walking! Tang Jun felt so incredibly thirsty after the session, and so went for some desperate water. He went to the door, and while barely reaching the handle, twisted it and opened it. He carefully closed the door behind him and went down the narrow corridor that split the girls from the boys. Tang Jun walked steadily upon the creaky wooden floor and turned left in the middle, which leads to the kitchen and outside field. He walked down into the kitchen and saw a middle-aged woman, sporting a brown apron, cleaning. Tang Jun gave a small, slightly forced smile, a smile that a child would have, and asked. "Miss? Can I have some water?" The woman turned around, seeing him and broadly smiled. The lady was a kind and loving one and so was also loved by many in the orphanage. "Of course dear!" She sweetly replied. The lady dropped whatever she was doing, then grabbed a glass and filled it with water. She gave it Tang Jun, then smiled again at him.Tang Jun greedily drank it all, quickly satisfying his thirst. "After you''re finished darling, you can go play outside." She said affectionately to him, then went back to work. Tang Jun greedily drank it all, quickly satisfying his thirst and let out a delighted groan. Tang Jun then walked out of the kitchen, leading outside into the field. The field was an exceptionally beautiful view - the grass swaying in the gentle breeze, the sun giving off its warm light, and flowers blooming in all its graceful beauty in total contrast to the gloomy interior. The older children were playing something - a couple of them running around, a few picking flowers, and the younger ones just sitting there, watching. He watched on, too. It was a genuinely pleasing sight, the children laughing, the gentle breeze lofting, and Tang Jun gave a real smile in response. "Peaceful times, huh..." The old Tang Jun had spent his last days embroiled in warfare against the Sun-Moon continent, and this change of tone was greatly comforting to his previously tense mind. He continued to watch and they continued to play until the sun finally set, the world shrouded in darkness once more. Chapter 4 - Noctu Ingressus Tap! Tap! Tap! You could hear the rapid tappings of footsteps on the ground, as a figure quickly raced around a tree, drawing in and out periodically. Though the night covered his actions, you could still make out the hazy movements. The figure was indeed fast - his shadow could be barely seen to a keen observer, and the only solid remnants of his passings were his footprints, yet even they were soft upon the ground. Woosh! Woosh! The air flowed around him, trying to drag him down as he darted across the dirt, and then closing in on the tree. He rapidly hit the bark - then slamming his fist into it, turning and arching his back so that his right leg could plow down upon the poor tree. Bang! A single Spirit powered kick cracked the tree distinctly in half, though it may not have split, it certainly wasn''t far from it. This figure was Tang Jun, now four years old! He was currently practicing both his combat skills and Tang Sect''s treasured movement skill - Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track! It was a skill that required dedicated training and practice, but its full potential could not be underestimated. When Tang San fought against the Spirit Hall in that heaven shaking war, this skill saved his life and carried battles an uncountable number of times! When executed, one would move like a ghost, flying with such extreme speed that after images would appear whenever he hit the ground. The after images were the ''shadow'' of the technique - the blurred, hazy figures in such mass formation had a truly daunting effect that one could absolutely say they were perplexing to the extreme, and hence the name ''Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track''! Mass confusion, great speed, and utility - how could one not say that this was a treasured technique? Training this skill was very taxing to one''s body, as to train with maximum effect, one would have to put all their Spirit Power into their legs, and then use them in bursts in coordination with the steps. Exhausting all your Spirit Power in your legs was key in training this technique efficiently, as the more Spirit Power going through the Meridians in your legs, the faster it will adapt to the technique. As you get more adept with the technique, the Spirit Power needed to use it (at the same speed) shrinks as a result of the adaption - the more it adapts, the more efficient it gets! Tang Jun was also currently training it in combination with his martial arts because it was much more efficient than doing them separately! Training in martial arts did not use any Spirit Power, so all of it could be sent to his legs while he relied on pure strength and endurance on his upper body. The martial arts he trained in were very simple and straightforward - complicated stances and movements required a firm foundation to execute upon, and these, though simple, still requires massive amounts of training to perfect. They say it takes an expert to learns the basics well, but a master to perfect them! No matter what you are doing, the basics cannot be neglected! He stopped, panting for some desperate air, his hands on his knees and half bending to support himself. Though he knew that fully exhausting himself was the best way to train, he could not afford to, because this was in the middle of the night! He needed to spare some Spirit Power to use the ''Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track'' to sneak back into the dormitories. The reason he needed to train in the middle of the night was that he didn''t want anyone noticing! Training in the daylight was too visible with his special techniques, and attention to him was right now was bad. Seriously bad. Dangerously bad. After a minute of rest, he got up and sneaked from the far part of the field and into the kitchen. At the door, he slowly opened it, and then activated another ability he was training in, the Purple Demon Eye! It was another Tang Sect technique, but instead of use in direct combat, this was more of a support technique, but its effects were easily on par with the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track! It was divided into four stages: The first stage, Survey! By activating specific Meridians near his eyes, one would gain substantially more vision and clearly grasp information! The second stage, Detail! Further advancements within the Meridians allows them to withstand more Spirit Power to activate, and so more abilities are gained and improved! Vision is drastically improved, while one can enter a mental state where everything appears to be slowed down, allowing impossibly fast reaction time! You can also see other Spirit Master''s Spirit Power, granted that they are of a lower level than you. The third stage, Mustard Seed! At this point, when one activates the Purple Demon Eye, their eyes would appear to glow yellow, and hence ''Mustard Seed''! You can notice every minute detail, from the wings of a fly to a single grain of rice, and the ability to survey your surroundings! This stage also allows users to directly attack someones mental state, confusing them or shocking them!This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The fourth stage, Boundless! In all honesty, Tang Jun did not know very much about this stage at all! In the Tang Sect records, only the founder, Tang San, has ever achieved this stage, so one could only dream how strong the abilities were! Tang San gave only 4 words in guidance of this stage, The Eye of Gods! Right now, Tang Jun has fully grasped the first stage, and even though its abilities paled in comparison to the other stages, it would give him enough sight to accomplish his sneaking duties. His eyes glowed with a slight hue, not of the typical purple it should have been, but a radiant gold. Tang Jun didn''t know why it glowed in such a different color, but its effects were the same, so he didn''t think too much of it. He peeked into the kitchen - no movement, sound, just the tables and the chairs. Tang Jun then quickly used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, darting across the wooden floor without a single footprint and into the 3-way corridor that connected the kitchen, Boy''s Dormitories, and Girl''s Dormitories. He had his back to the wall, careful not to make a creak, and listened, listened for any signs of movement. There was none, but the odd hooting of some owl. Tang Jun peered his head out, looking left and right with the Purple Demon Eyes. You could call him paranoid, but it was better to be safe than sorry, especially when there was no excuse for himself! The hallway was dark, empty, bare, but clear to his eyes. Tang Jun gave a small smile, ready to rush back into his Dormitory, but then his honed senses picked up something. "...huu...huu..." It was soft, quiet, so very quiet, but he could still hear it. It sounded like a child''s sobbing, but at the middle of the night? Tang Jun paused. Should he go check? He knew it would be much safer to go back into bed, but still, the curiosity... "...huu...huu...huu..." He heard it again, and he could distinctly hear it from the left side of the corridor, the direction of the Girl''s Dormitories ''What is it?'' Tang Jun thought. He knew he wasn''t crazy, it was definitely there, but he needed to make a decision on what to do. Tang Jun wasn''t an evil or a bad person, he would help someone if needed, but he didn''t know whether the risk was worth it. He paused again, thinking intensely to himself. "...huu...huu..." ''Screw it. I''m going to see what the sound is.'' Tang Jun''s curiosity got the best of him and so used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dash left of the corridor, and in the direction of the Girl''s Dormitories. The sounds got louder, and louder, until he could hear in addition to the sound, was a banging sound, like on a metal door. Tang Jun flew closer and closer until he arrived in front of the bathroom door, where the sounds were the loudest and clearly came from. It was still quite a bit from the actual Girl''s Dormitories, around 10 meters or so. ''"...huu...huu...huu..." ''What''s making the sobbing sound? A child? But it''s in the middle of the night!'' Tang Jun needed to know more, he had gone too far to back off. He stretched for the door handle and turned it right. It wouldn''t budge. ''Huh?'' He turned it left this time, but it still wouldn''t budge. It clearly was locked somehow, but Tang Jun had his ways of opening things. ''Locked, huh? Looks like a job for another Tang Sect skill..." Tang Jun backed off, crouching with one leg bent and the other extended in a basic Martial Art''s stance, then focused a small amount of Spirit Energy into his arm. He exhaled, then rushed forward (quietly of course) and hit his hand on the handle, then violently twisting it right. His hands had become as tough as steel and extraordinarily strong - the handle could not have possibly withstood the immense force driven onto it. Crack! The crack was quiet but broke off the handle from the door, and along with it some wood that it was anchored to. It left a hole around the size of an adults hand, and it was most definitely visible. Tang Jun just used a combination of two Tang Sect techniques, the Mysterious Jade Hand, and the Controlling Crane Catching Dragon! The Mysterious Jade Hand hardened his palm into steel, while the Controlling Crane Catching Dragon allowed him to grapple the handle and twist it with enormous force. He carefully placed the handle down, making sure that it would produce no sound, and then opened the door. "...huu...huu...huu..." Tang Jun heard the sobs distinctly now, and he looked into the dark bathroom. He saw a small girl kneeling there, her hands covering her face, but looking clearly into the door. She peered up, and Tang Jun saw her eyes. Her deep, vivid violet eyes, stained with red from all the crying. He stood there for a moment, taking the scene in, then quietly asked. "Why are you here?" The girl sniffled, hesitating to answer, then said: "I w-was l-looking for..." She stopped talking. Her voice was soft, hushed and stammered from her crying. He looked on, eyes begging for an answer, and then she continued. "I-I was l-looking f-f-for my hair c-clip that I l-lost... then s-someone locked t-the door and I c-couldn''t get out..." Tang Jun sighed, not a disappointed one, but a slightly irate one. He gently grabbed her arm, then gestured her upwards. "Can you stand?" She nodded, then got herself up (he noted that she was slightly shorter than him), holding onto him as she did. Her grip was unusually firm for a seemingly helpless girl, showing some previously covered determination. He walked out of the bathroom, and with a hushing gesture to her, started to move to the Girl''s Dormitories. When they arrived at the first Dormatairy, he quickly asked, "Which one is your''s?" "T-That one, the third one to the right." She pointed, and they moved towards it. The door was closed, but when he tried to open it, the handle gave way immediately as turned it to the right. Tang Jun gestured in. "Go now to sleep, it''s late now and you need it." She reluctantly let go of his arm and walked into the Dormitory. She looked back, but seeing his golden eyes urge her to go, quickly went to her bed. The door was shut without a sound. - Chapter 5 - Finis Ejus Tang Jun had learned many things in his fifth year, but his most fascinating discovery was that the violet-eyed girl was an anomaly. Unnatural, strange, whatever you may call her could not fully describe her. Anomaly was the perfect word. After the escapade with the girl, he had paid more attention to her presence in the orphanage. She was a lonely person, talking to virtually no one (like him) and minding her own business. Tang Jun had before never interacted with her before (though he barely interacted with anyone for the matter) as he spent most of his time training. He saw no particular interest in her other than their similarities, but as fate would have it they would meet again the very next midnight. He had been practicing his martial arts and the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, in the night, around the same tree as always, when he heard a creak of wood, a rustle of grass, then silence. Tang Jun knew someone was there (to his trained ears it was obvious that it was a bad attempt at sneaking) and immediately paused, and turned his head towards the sound. The rustling had stopped, but after using the Purple Demon Eye could still see the peeking head of someone, behind a dark bush near the kitchen. Tang Jun narrowed his eyes, then unleashed the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, darting from the tree and next to the bush in a second. He heard a surprised shriek, as Tang Jun pushed the bush away, leaving behind a certain violet-eyed girl. "What" He snapped, "Are you doing here?" Tang Jun''s voice was full of tension, for he was nervous, nervous from her presence. Had he been found out? Or had he left something that exposed his training? Tang Jun did not want anyone to find about his training, not yet anyway. The violet-eyed girl sat up, paused, pursed her lips, then said: "I wondered what you had been doing then at midnight, and I saw that that tree," She pointed, "Got split down halfway this morning. It wasn''t there yesterday, so I concluded that the only person I knew who was out at night was you." Her voice was neither nervous or stuttering, in absolute shocking contrast to the trapped, weeping girl yesterday. It was high pitched but bizarrely mature for such a young girl. Tang Jun''s eyes narrowed further, as suspicion and distrust filled him. "That doesn''t explain why you''re here. In the middle of the night." The girl cocked her head to the side, her intelligent eyes trained on him as he interrogated her. Strange as the situation might be, he senses no malice from her, just insatiable curiosity and determination. Tang Jun felt his suspicions start to drop. "I just wanted to know what are you doing here. That''s all." "That''s all, huh?" "Mhmm." Tang Jun saw the moon, draping from the sky, shine brighter, as everything became clearer to his eyes. He could now see the plain, worn garments she wore, but in contrast, her hair, vermillion red, seemed to glow unearthly. Everything about her seemed strange, from her manner, voice, and eyes. "Well, I''m not telling." He knew it sounded childish, quite so to be frank, but he really didn''t want to tell anything. "Not telling? Well, humor me with your training then." Tang Jun''s head snapped towards her, mind whirling from her words. "Training?" "What else could you be doing?" "If you knew, then why were you asking then?" Tang Jun was surprised over and over through this conversation, from her voice all the way to her questioning - clearly, she was not a normal girl, and he was missing something, something big. "I didn''t know at the time." "I could have been here to stargaze for all you know." He countered. The girl looked decisively unimpressed, snorted, then pressed on. "Likely story mister hero." ''Hero?'' Tang Jun thought. He had never seen himself as anything close to one, a decent person perhaps, but not a hero by any stretch. But since she had started name-calling, then he would participate too. "Ehh, miss damsel in distress?" The violet-eyed girl grew suddenly flustered at the tease, breaking her composure and scowling at him. "T-that was j-just a mistake! I was too concentrated on finding my hair clip, and it was late as well, so I didn''t realize they had locked the bathroom until..." Her voice trailed off in embarrassment, before composing herself. He smirked, then tried to end the conversation. "You''ve found out what you''ve wanted now, eh? Then I think its time for you to go back to bed." "Not so fast. Just what are you training in?" "None of your business, little girl." "Then I wonder how the caretakers would be interested in your business then?" Tang Jun slightly recoiled from the statement, before gathering back a response. "Getting to blackmail now?" The violet-eyed girl raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "I wouldn''t necessarily call it that. Forceful persuasion would be better." "You could call anything violent that." "Perhaps. But you still haven''t told me what your training in."Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Well, I don''t want to." "Isn''t that too bad." He absolutely could not tell her what he was practicing - they were the Tang Sect''s treasured techniques! How could he just give them to her? But yet he didn''t want her snitching on him, telling the caretakers, and exposing what he was doing. Both consequences were undesirable to the extreme. They both then stared at each other, a silent battle of determination and willpower, neither really willing to back off or compromise. 10 seconds, 20 seconds, time passed slowly yet they kept staring. Tang Jun''s golden eyes against her violet ones. After seemingly an eternity, she sighed and offered him a deal. "Fine then. You don''t have to tell me what you''re practicing. But you have to do one thing." "...What?" Tang Jun reluctantly answered. "You have to talk to me." "Huh?" Tang Jun responded confusingly. "Everyday, just talk to me." "...Why?" "Because I find you interesting. You''re nothing like the others, boring and barely conscious." Tang Jun got very uncomfortable with her analysis of him, her notice of him being different hitting a bit too close to home. "I''m interesting?" "Of course you are." She answered a bit too cool and easily, "And I know you know that too." She finished that off with a smile, innocent but entirely forced. He considered his options. Telling her the techniques were out of the question, and her telling the caregivers was too. There was also the unspoken option, killing her. Tang Jun had briefly considered it, but taking in the cleaning up and hiding the body would be too hard. Talking to her it is. "Fine." "We have a deal then." This time she smiled again, a small one, but he could tell that it was genuine. Did she find this fun? Talking in circles to him? "Then hurry up and get to bed. Every minute out here is a minute we could get caught." She got up, dusting off the dirt from her garments. She had never taken her eyes off him throughout the whole conversation, her violet eyes taking in everything. "I don''t suppose you would like my name?" "I suppose I do." "Xian. Xian Yue" "Moon Fairy?" "Yes." "Aren''t you a strange one, little girl?" Yue Xian combed her hair to the side, looking at the sky, the moon, then at him. Her eyes sparkled with brilliance, but yet inside, he could catch a glimpse of profound wisdom, wisdom she should not have. "So are you. So are you." - The rest of the year was spent training, as he hit a crucial point of The Mysterious Heaven Technique. He could feel the bottleneck to the first level of it. There were nine levels in total to the technique, each stage drastically improving his cultivation and bodily strength. Tang Jun didn''t know exactly when he would be able to break through, but he knew it would be around the time of his Spirit Awakening. He had already planned a concise strategy of his cultivation after it, which required him to leave the orphanage after the Spirit Awakening as soon as possible! Tang Jun''s plan, if it worked, would skyrocket both his Spirit Cultivation and future potential. The only variable is his Spirit; what he would do would greatly vary according to it. The only variable is his Spirit; what he would do would greatly vary according to it. He was, in all honesty, quite anxious about it. If he got a Trash Spirit, it may not completely block his cultivation, but it would certainly crush any aspiration of following his current plan. His main other activity, other than training, was talking to Xian Yue. Though he would not admit it out loud, talking to Xian Yue was refreshing to him. He had very little social interaction in this life, and this gave time for him to readjust to actually being a child again. Tang Jun realized he acted too mature, too lofty and cold, so her presence released the tension in his mind, relaxing himself and turning more of his mentality to be child-like. He learnt more and more about her too - she told him that she was found by herself on the outskirts of the city, not remembering much, and was brought here when no one came for her. It sounded odd - very odd, and was convenient because it could not be traced back anywhere. If it was anyone else he would have just chalked it down to coincidence and circumstances, but this was Xian Yue! Everything about her was off, especially, now he noted, her usage of vocabulary. Tang Jun had used rather extensive and complicated language because that was how he talked in his previous life! He had no idea how to talk like a child, so he had no other way of doing so. But she, supposedly a young child, could answer just as fluently and with such confidence - this obviously was unnatural! He had asked her why she spoke like this, but she answered with only: "I don''t know. I just have always talked like this." He heard genuine curiosity and confusion, unlike the sarcastic remarks before. Even she didn''t really know why, but it allowed them to communicate extremely effectively. He talked to her like talking to someone quadruple her age, and so did she. Anyone who heard them talk like this would think that they were geniuses! Tang Jun this year had also gained crucial information towards when he was and the general situation he was in. He deemed himself old enough to go to the library, and so with the permission of the caretakers, grabbed Xian Yue to find out more information. He arrived at the other side of the city, the shiny gates of the library greeting them. Xian Yue loved information just as much as Tang Jun, and promptly sprinted in to find books. They both devoured chapters after chapter, both totally engrossed within the book, intrest and curiosity gripping them. It was not until he arrived at a particular history book did he stop in shock. ''Chapter 4: Continental Collison 4000 years ago, during the shifting of the continental plates, the Sun-Moon continent collided with the Doulou continent, bringing new discoveries and technological advancements, but it also had massive tensions between the two continents. War was inevitable, and it broke out during a time where the Douluo Continent was still divided, but Shrek Academy managed to unite the continent and eventually defeat the Sun-Moon continent and uniting the two continents...'' Tang Jun breathed a sigh of relief at this new information. So it had been 4000 years since his death, and the Douluo continent had managed to win. He had very little sympathy for the Sun-Moon continent and their Spirit Guidance weapons, and was delighted at his sides victory. He continued to read on, but again at another chapter, he was in shock at the information gained. ''Chapter 14: Fall of Tang Sect'' Tang Jun stared blankly at the title. How could Tang Sect have fallen? It was a mighty and enoumous force when he commanded it, so how could it deteriorate so devastatingly? ''It is of undisputed fact for between 10,000 and 4000 years ago, Tang Sect was the absolute power in thecontinent, in which no force could even begin to stand up against it. However, beginning with the Continental war, in which their famed Hidden Weapons shattered against the Sun-Moon continents Spirit Guidance Weapons, their status started to collapse. With the death of many of their finest warriors in the war, their dominant position fell and would never rise up again. Internal conflicts plagued TangSect, in which they refused to adopt the Spirit Guidance Weapons, deteriorating their influence, arriving at their inevitable collapse. The mighty dragon had truly fallen...'' Tang Jun''s mind was swirling with intenseemotions, fury at its collapse, disappointment at his successors, and ultimately sadness. He had been raised there as an orphan, and so he had loved it like a mother. How could he not be angry at its fall? Tang Jun''s arm was shaking in anger. Xian Yue was sitting beside him, and very clearly saw his anger. Her violet eyes looked worryingly at him, silently asking about it. "Don''t worry. It''s nothing big." Though he may have said that, both his eyes and manner told the complete opposite tale. In his mind, clouded with anger, he made himself calm down, and then, he saw an idea. Tang Jun saw his goal, his purpose, and it was so clear in his mind. It was what he wanted to do, what he needed to do, in order to be able to feel accomplished in this life. ''Revive Tang Sect!''