Star Luo City, the outskirts of the White Tiger Duke's Estate.
Black rain fell in heavy, chilling sheets, the rhythmic drumming of droplets echoing across the muddy hills. On one slope, a frail figure knelt in the downpour—his name not yet changed to Huo Yuhao, this was the boy known as Dai Yueheng.
He dug at the earth with both bare hands, skin torn and raw, blood mixing with the rainwater to soak the soil beneath him. His small frame shook with each scoop, each movement as if tearing through the fabric of his own heart.
"Mom... rest well now," he murmured, voice hoarse beyond his years. "Once I reach Spirit Rank ten, I'll leave this place... go to the Star Dou Forest, hunt a spirit beast, and become a Spirit Master. I'll become strong enough to avenge you."
Years of malnutrition had left Dai Yueheng weak and pale. His deep blue eyes burned with hatred as he whispered the names of those who had wronged them.
"That woman who banished us to the firewood shed... the second son of the White Tiger Duke, Dai Huabin, who kicked you... the whole cursed clan that pushed us deeper into misery… and the Duke himself, who always turned a blind eye…"
He clenched his fists, blood and rain dripping down his wrists, hatred erupting in his chest like a storm.
"I will never forgive anyone who hurt you. I'll get stronger—strong enough to show them I can achieve everything they could! One day, I'll crush every last member of the White Tiger Duke's line beneath my feet!"
"Right now, I'm just an ant they could squash without care. But once I leave... I'll give everything I have—ten years, twenty, even thirty or fifty. One day, I'll return and erase the White Tiger Duke's bloodline from this world!"
As if echoing his fury, the downpour grew heavier. Dai Yueheng finished burying his mother and placed a crude wooden grave marker above the freshly turned soil. Then, he bowed low, ready to strike his forehead against the ground.
But just as he began to lower himself, an unseen force caught him—refusing to let him bow.
A deep, mocking voice suddenly cut through the storm.
"Well, well... a brat without even a single Spirit Ring, and he dares talk about wiping out the four-thousand-year-old White Tiger Duke's line. How amusing!"
Dai Yueheng jolted upright, instantly drawing the White Tiger Dagger his mother had left him, eyes scanning the rain-shrouded hills.
"Who's there?! Stop hiding and come out if you dare!"
A cold breeze swept past him, obscuring his vision—and when he could see again, a figure had appeared atop a nearby hill. Clad head to toe in a pitch-black robe, his mocking gaze shone from beneath his hood.
"Well? Cat got your tongue now, little brat?" the man sneered.
Dai Yueheng tensed, dropping into a defensive stance. "Who are you?! And why were you eavesdropping on my private moment with my mother?!"
The robed figure—an unregistered Evil Soul Master secretly receiving instructions via a soul communicator—smiled condescendingly and replied, "My identity isn't important. I just happened to pass by... and overheard your little vow to erase the White Tiger Duke's family. That caught my attention."
He chuckled darkly. "Judging by your looks, you must be the Duke's illegitimate child, huh? Your mother... a woman he probably bedded and forgot the next day? How pitiful."
"Shut up, you bastard!" Dai Yueheng's eyes flared red with fury. He charged forward, dagger raised high—an explosion of rage guiding his every step.
"Hmph." The Evil Soul Master waved his sleeve, and a ripple of Spirit Power blasted Dai Yueheng backward, slamming him into the muddy ground with a loud splash.
"I only showed interest in you because your Martial Soul is... unusual. But if you can't recognize a good opportunity, I'll happily crush you myself. No different than what the Duke would've done."
"Martial Soul? You mean... my Spirit Eyes?" Dai Yueheng asked through clenched teeth, crawling up from the muck, eyes locked on the overwhelming force before him.
He's so powerful... Is he a Spirit Saint? A Spirit Douluo? Maybe even a Title Douluo?
Could he be stronger than the White Tiger Duke?
"Correct."
The Evil Soul Master, who in reality was merely a Spirit Ancestor with his body riddled with parasitic seeds planted by Zhi Sen, nodded smugly. "Eye-type Martial Souls are exceedingly rare and valuable—especially as Body Martial Souls. If fate smiles on you, you might actually accomplish something one day. Maybe not wipe out the Duke's entire line, but kill a few? Possible."
Dai Yueheng, ever perceptive, caught the implication instantly. "Wait... are you offering me an opportunity?"
"Does it sound like I'm not?"
With a wave, two glowing pills appeared in his palm. Without warning, he yanked Dai Yueheng into the air with a sweep of his Spirit Power, grabbed him by the collar, and forced the pills down his throat.
"What... what did you make me swallow?!" Dai Yueheng sputtered in terror, clutching his throat.
"Just a little something to strengthen that frail little body of yours."
The man laughed cruelly. "I took them off some traveling merchants I... dealt with. Cost them their lives. You, brat, should consider it a blessing. Give thanks to the Holy Emperor for this divine gift!"
Then he recited a familiar chant used by members of the Holy Spirit Cult:
"May the Holy Emperor live ten thousand years! May the Holy Maiden's beauty endure forever! All shall bow before the Holy Spirit's will!"
Dai Yueheng, thoroughly confused, asked, "Holy Emperor? Holy Maiden? Who... are they?"
The Evil Soul Master smirked. "The Holy Emperor is our founder. Without him, the Holy Spirit Cult wouldn't exist. The Holy Maiden is the strongest of our successors—each generation chosen by fate."
"You took our Cult's sacred medicine. That makes you one of us now. Understand?"
"But I'm just one person," Dai Yueheng replied hesitantly. "How could I ever take down the White Tiger Duke's house?"
"With our backing, anything's possible," the man said, eyes gleaming. "With the Holy Spirit Cult as your wings, your revenge isn't a dream—it's destiny."
"You guys... really can defeat the White Tiger Duke?"
The man snorted. "Pfft! That measly Duke, Dai Hao? Not even a Title Douluo! If one of our Elders wanted him dead, it'd be done with a flick of the wrist."
"The entire continent trembles before our strength. When the Holy Spirit's light spreads across the land, all shall bow in awe."
"And you've already tasted our blessings. You know how to meditate, right? Digest that medicine and your worthless body will be several times stronger."
To himself, the Evil Soul Master muttered, This kid's talent is garbage—almost ten and still not at Rank 10? Barely has the qualifications. But hey, if I deliver him to the Cult, maybe I'll finally get my name on the official rolls...
Dai Yueheng felt warmth surge through his veins—two gentle streams of power flowing through his weak and narrow meridians, so soothing he nearly groaned aloud.
Was this really just a pill? It felt... divine.
Without hesitation, he dropped into a seated position and began meditating. Though clumsy, his efforts triggered subtle threads of Spirit Power to circulate through his body—and with each completed cycle, he felt a surge of strength that left him breathless.
The pill's effect was terrifying. At least ten times faster than his usual cultivation rate.
Two hours later…
The Evil Soul Master, half-dozing in the rain, finally noticed movement. The brat was awake.
"How does it feel?" he asked. "You've hit Rank 10 now, haven't you? So... do you understand what comes next?"
Dai Yueheng stood with a gleam in his eye and bowed deeply. "Please, Senior... I ask you to induct me into the Cult."
This moment—this miracle—had to be the legendary fortune that only destiny could grant. In his eyes, this eccentric stranger must be some reclusive master with a soft heart.
"Not so fast, brat." The man sneered. "You don't qualify to enter our ranks... yet."
"With your current strength, you must first swear on your Martial Soul—and only once you earn enough merit will the Holy Spirit's grace be yours. Understand?"
Dai Yueheng nodded rapidly. "Please instruct me. I will do whatever it takes."
"Simple."
The man tossed a glowing envelope into Dai Yueheng's hands. "That's a recommendation letter for Shrek Academy, the so-called 'greatest institution' on the continent. In truth, it's a cesspool."
"Your task is to bide your time—wait one year. When Shrek begins enrollment, leave the White Tiger Duke's estate, hunt a spirit beast in the Star Dou Forest, and enter Shrek as one of our deep-cover agents. This is your trial."
"Why a year?" Dai Yueheng blinked.
The man scoffed. "Your mother just died. Can't you mourn for a year? A man who disrespects his own mother is unworthy of the Holy Spirit's favor—unfit to help build our new world!"
With that, he stamped a faint mark onto Dai Yueheng's chest. "This seal lets me track you. If you run early—death."
Dai Yueheng bowed, full of gratitude. "Thank you, Senior! Thank you for your trust!"
Yes... he's just eccentric. But his heart is kind. Of course I should mourn my mother…
"Oh, and if you run into others from the Cult in the forest—especially if they ask you to join an ancient 'orthodox sect'—don't refuse. The Holy Emperor is the greatest being in all of Douluo's history. His incarnations are countless. Just obey."
"Swear upon your Martial Soul—join the Holy Spirit Cult today, and be one of us for eternity."
With those final words, the man vanished into the storm.
Dai Yueheng knelt in the direction he left, eyes filled with fervor.
"I swear upon my Martial Soul—from this day forward, I am of the Holy Spirit. For all eternity."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin