Chapter 4: Growth
In the blink of an eye, three years slipped by, and during that time, they scarcely glimpsed the outside world. Their only view was through the occasional cracks in the wooden hut.
The sky was beginning to brighten.
Among the few children left, most struggled to speak and stumbled over their words daily.
There was no education—nothing at all. They were simply kept alive like livestock.
The door was thrust open immediately, and a colossal wolf demon entered.
"Come out! Get them all out," commanded the wolf demon to the pig demon, who usually kicked the children around with impunity.
The pig demon let out an immediate scream. Upon hearing the scream, the children trembled uncontrollably. As they shuffled through the door, nearly all the children huddled and curled up together. For them, the outside world seemed even more terrifying.
Outside stood several large carts pulled by humans. Inside these carts were cages. The human slaves dragging the carts had vacant eyes, paying no heed to the presence of the children. It appeared they had long grown accustomed to this scene.
After throwing the children into the cages, the wolf demon herded the human-powered carts forward.
Evidently, they were relocating again, moving to another place for survival.
The path was evenly laid with pebbles that creaked under the rolling wheels.
For Tang San, this was the first glimpse of the outside world since arriving in this realm three years ago.
The sky stayed clear, and the air carried a slight chill. Today's weather seemed more favorable, not as bitterly cold. While most of the children shivered, Tang San appeared unaffected by the temperature.
Along both sides of the road lay remarkable forests. What made them astonishing was the towering vegetation that stretched as far as the eye could see. Compared to the plants from his previous life’s memories, these shared similarities but were significantly larger. Some of the robust trees reached almost a hundred meters in height, forcing him to crane his neck upward to behold them fully.
Now and then, a colossal creature soared through the air, resembling a bird, yet its form remained somewhat indiscernible.
The atmosphere teemed with spiritual energy and vitality. In three years, Tang San had become certain that this world was incredibly conducive to cultivation—a realm pulsating with high life energy.
No doubt, the formidable demons and nymphs flourished and evolved thanks to this environment.
Within three years, Tang San had effectively cultivated the first order of the Mysterious Heaven Technique.
In his previous world, the Douluo Continent, advancing beyond the first order of the Mysterious Heaven Technique demanded unique methods. Yet, here, it seemed unnecessary. As he guided the energy through his meridians, the internal energy of the Mysterious Heaven Technique naturally breached the first order’s barrier. What amazed him more was that he was merely three years old.
Back in his previous world, he had achieved this breakthrough at the age of six. Though the revelations differed, they were still intricately linked to the spiritual energy of this world.
Despite his progress, Tang San was still weak and needed to be wary of attracting attention from the powerful demons. He sensed that even the most ordinary wolf demon possessed cultivation akin to at least the second order of the Mysterious Heaven Technique, if not higher. Considering the gap in physical prowess, any attempt at resistance seemed like a sure path to self-destruction.
In this world, humans remained unaware and ignorant. Tang San believed that if he genuinely aimed to change this state of human slavery, eradicating this ignorance was perhaps the most critical aspect to address.
After what seemed like over an hour of traveling, at least in Tang San's perception of time, they reached a place that resembled a village.
Simple wooden huts were scattered around, housing ragged humans—primarily men, with few women in sight. The village appeared to harbor thousands of residents.
The cart came to a halt, and the doors swung open. A few human women approached, bowing deeply to the wolf demon.
"These little brats are now your responsibility. Take them away," the chief wolf demon coldly commanded.
Tang San was taken aback. Were they being sent back to live with the humans?
These children were held captive for three years and lacked any understanding of what was going on around them. Confronted with this unfamiliar world, they only harbored fear.
They were forcibly brought into the village. Tang San's heart sank when he realized that even the human slaves in this village showed little compassion toward these children. Their gazes were vacant, and they mechanically ushered the children into the village.
In the ensuing days, they were introduced to education.
Yes, these children were granted the opportunity to learn. What did they learn? Initially, they were taught to recognize objects, familiarize themselves with the tools used by the slaves, and acquire basic language skills.
The food they received was even poorer compared to what they had in captivity. It was apparent that food was in short supply in this place. Women and children received a meager portion, and only the stronger men could get a bit more to eat.
Within the village, their freedom of movement was unrestricted. Tang San noticed that men often went out for work—or rather, for slaving away. Death was an everyday reality in the village. He discovered he came from a different village through conversations among the villagers. In these human settlements, children born within a village weren't allowed to be raised there; they were exchanged and adopted elsewhere.
Tang San refrained from acting impulsively or saying anything remarkable. He silently lived in the village, dedicating himself to cultivation.
Another three years slipped by, and he reached the age of six.
Children were typically expected to assist in the village at six years old by weaving mats or carrying lighter objects.
These children had been living together since their arrival, and even at the age of six, the situation remained unchanged. One-third of the children had passed away in the last three years. There were many causes for that; mostly, however, they died of hunger or because they lacked medical care.
A figure slipped away soundlessly as night descended upon the unassuming human village.
Like many human children, Tang San had a slightly stooped posture, yet his movements were swift. As he ventured into the forest, his back suddenly straightened, and his usually dim eyes instantly brightened.
He took a deep breath.
The nights in Wind Wolf Town were bitterly cold, marked by a stark temperature drop from day to night. Nevertheless, the crisp air was infused with abundant spiritual energy, revitalizing his being.
Tang San's hands formed a hugging gesture before him, and a faint white light began circulating around his body. With a light tap of his toes on the ground, he started moving, this time in a more agile manner.
Drawing from his experiences in his past life, he was naturally adept at the Mysterious Heaven Technique. However, this new body required training and practice to synchronize with his thoughts.
Since the age of five, he often sneaked out at night. The wilderness offered denser spiritual energy, allowing him to practice more effectively.
His agile steps mirrored the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, one of his most potent abilities from his previous life. It was the first skill he prioritized practicing in this dangerous world, recognizing that nothing was more important than safeguarding his life.
A faint jade hue slowly surfaced on his hands, signifying another supreme skill: the Mysterious Jade Hands. This technique rendered his palms impervious to all poisons and immune to blades and spears.
After an hour of cultivation, his body emitted a faint heat, and the energy of the Mysterious Heaven Technique circulated smoothly within him.
However, he felt somewhat helpless as the martial soul he had awakened on the Douluo Continent in his previous life appeared to be absent in this world. Of course, this was to be expected. He was reborn, carrying only his memories and not his prior abilities.
He had finally reached the third order of the Mysterious Heaven Technique. At the age of six, he had cultivated up to the third order. He hadn’t even dared to dream of this in his previous life.
Unfortunately, his current strength was far from what he had attained at the same order in his previous life. On the Douluo Continent, he had awakened a martial soul that granted him tremendous power. Additionally, he had possessed the exceedingly rare twin martial souls.
While the Mysterious Heaven Technique provided internal power, the martial soul was the wellspring of his explosive strength. He distinctly recalled that upon breaking through to the third order in the Douluo Continent, he had merged with a powerful soul ring and acquired a formidable soul bone, laying the groundwork for his future accomplishments.
He could only rely on the Mysterious Heaven Technique and the techniques documented in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record he carried from his previous world. While solely dedicating himself to cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Technique would lead to continuous strength gains, he still felt it wasn’t enough.
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