The air was thick with the scent of dew-soaked earth and bitter herbs. Birds called in the early morning light, their songs echoing through a thin mist that curled along the forest's edge. Somewhere beyond, a bell rang faintly—its sound carried by the wind from a distant village.
Shen Yuan woke up to pain.
A sharp throb echoed in his temples, followed by the sensation of damp cloth against his forehead. He blinked once, slowly, as sunlight spilled through the cracks in the wooden roof above.
> Where am I…?
He sat up with a groan, muscles stiff and unfamiliar. The body he now inhabited was lean, a little underfed, but it moved with surprising ease. A basin of water beside the bed caught his reflection.
It wasn't his face.
Pale skin. A sharp jawline. Raven-black hair hanging loosely. Eyes like calm obsidian.
It all hit him at once—the truck, the betrayal, the blood, the cold... and then the silence.
Death.
And now—this.
"…Is this Douluo Dalu?" he muttered. A tingling sensation sparked along his spine, and a blue screen flickered before his eyes.
---
[Origin Core System Initializing...]
[Host Reincarnation Successful]
[New Soulbound Body: Shen Yuan – Age 13]
[Spirit Awakening Pending...]
[Auto-Cultivation Protocol Activated.]
---
Shen Yuan stared at the translucent panel hovering mid-air, mouth slightly open.
> "You've gotta be kidding me. I did get isekai'd."
But there was no time to process it. The door creaked open, and a voice called out—deep and gravelly.
"Kid. You awake?"
A tall man stepped in, wrapped in a tattered cloak and carrying a sack of spirit beast meat. A wandering healer named Wei old-timer who had apparently found him unconscious in the forest outside Nuoding.
"You've been out for two days. You're lucky I found you. Fever nearly killed you."
"Thanks," Shen Yuan said simply.
Wei nodded, unimpressed. "Name?"
"…Shen Yuan."
A beat passed.
"Well, Shen Yuan, there's a Spirit Master test going on in the village square today. If you're awake enough to walk, maybe you'll figure out if you're worth feeding."
Harsh, but not untrue. Shen Yuan pushed the covers off, adrenaline and curiosity overriding the aches in his limbs.
> "This is it," he thought. The Spirit Awakening Ceremony. My starting point.
---
📍 Later that Day – Nuoding Village Square
Children lined up, whispering with excitement. An old Spirit Master stood in the center of a chalk-drawn circle, holding a glowing crystal orb and calling names. Shen Yuan stepped forward last, quiet, eyes focused.
The Spirit Master frowned. "You weren't on the list."
"I was late."
"...Fine. Touch the stone."
He placed his hand on the crystal, and immediately, light blazed from it—not just white or blue, but silver and black interwoven like a nebula.
Gasps erupted.
"A dual spirit?"
"No, wait… look!"
Above Shen Yuan's head, a silhouette formed—his first spirit.
A glowing, silver figure emerged: his own body, mirrored and radiant, arms folded across its chest like a living statue.
> [First Martial Spirit: Full Body (全形体)]
[Innate Spirit Power: Rank 9]
The Spirit Master staggered backward. "Full-body spirit type?! Rank 9 innate power?!"
Even Shen Yuan was taken aback, though the system whispered calmly in his mind:
---
[Auto-cultivation activated. Absorbing ambient spirit energy...]
[Body Spirit detected: Enhancing physical resilience and nerve control.]
---
The next moment, a second pulse echoed.
Everyone thought the test was done. But silver sparks gathered again—this time, they twisted into a black ring. Space itself warped briefly as a second spirit emerged behind him: a swirling vortex, shaped like a floating diamond with a singular glowing core.
> [Second Martial Spirit: Ultimate Space (极空界)]
The crowd went silent.
The Spirit Master dropped the orb.
"A second spirit… and a space-type spirit?!"
Even Shen Yuan's fingers trembled for a moment. He hadn't expected the system to awaken both spirits so early. Around him, fearful murmurs began:
"Monster…"
"Spirit Hall will hear of this."
---
🏫 Three Weeks Later – Shrek Academy Gates
"Name?" barked Flender, arms crossed as he looked over the applicants.
"Shen Yuan."
The older man blinked behind his round spectacles. "That's the one Grandmaster warned me about…"
Shen Yuan glanced up, and behind Flender, he saw them—Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar…
And two girls who immediately drew his attention.
One stood with arms folded, short black hair framing sharp amber eyes. Dressed in tight black leather, she was silent but dangerous. Her aura was familiar—agility, precision, control.
Zhu Zhuqing.
The other laughed lightly as she poked Oscar in the ribs, a gleam of pride and elegance in every move she made. Her hair shimmered gold-pink in the sunlight.
Ning Rongrong.
Shen Yuan stepped through the gates, quiet as a shadow.
> The story may belong to Tang San… but that doesn't mean I won't leave my mark.
As the gates of Shrek Academy closed behind him, the system whispered:
---
[New Objective Unlocked: Join Shrek's Elite]
[Emotional Resonance Paths Activated: Rongrong, Zhuqing]
[Warning: Multiple Fates Converging… Prepare for interference from Angel Bloodline.]
---
To Be Continued...