ALL NOVEL Chapter 7: Perseverance
The spring plowing is long finished, and the scorching summer is about to leave; it's not far from the autumn harvest.
For the past three months, at times when no farm work was needed, Ling Yi's father, Ling Xiaoshan, would take Zhang Xiaoyu to the outskirts of the northern forest. There, they would use long ropes made from the stems and leaves of "gray limestone grass" to set up hunting snares.
Over the full span of three months, their harvest amounted to one dead rabbit and two live pheasants.
Most of their gains were in the first month, while the following two months yielded nothing substantial. It was unclear if their luck had run dry or if the wildlife moving at the forest's edge had grown wiser.
Fortunately, the two pheasants were a male and a female!
The rabbit they caught, having been eaten by the six members of the Ling and Zhang families, wasn’t worth mentioning. More importantly, those two pheasants had laid two batches of eggs from spring to summer.
After setting aside a dozen or so wild eggs to nourish the growing Ling Yi and Zhang Lei, the rest hatched. Now, the corner of Ling's courtyard boasts a chicken coop with two adult and eighteen young pheasants—a total of twenty birds!
In a matter of days, once these chicks mature, the Ling family will proudly declare: "We are egg-sufficient!"
The golden sun cascades its light, bathing the unremarkable courtyard at the southwest corner of Shanhai Village.
What sets this humble yard apart from others in the village is the azure scene within.
At this moment, Ling Yi is lying on the grassy center of the courtyard, dressed only in a scanty pair of shorts.
He ignores the "Blue Silver Grass"'s sharp blades against his tender skin, instead breathing in the fragrant aroma of the flora and the earth beneath him.
Embraced by the unyielding force of the sun, his small body grows ever paler under its rays, his temperature gently rising.
His breathing is calm, his mind at peace, as he endeavors to harmonize himself with his surroundings, hoping to transcend the physical and reach the legendary realm of unity between man and nature.
As for the results, well...
Almost nothing!
There's no helping it. The understanding of a concept as profound as mindset is elusive. In the primitive worldview of Douluo, or even during the information explosion of his previous life, Ling Yi only grasped a few buzzwords and some supposedly credible 'theories' that appeared plausible.
As for the real effect of these 'theories' in practice, it was clear that things weren't as easily achieved as Ling Yi had hoped.
Fortunately, this world genuinely provided a path to cultivation. What Ling Yi lacked was merely an opportunity, a stepping stone to begin his journey.
Truth be told, even though Ling Yi was surrounded by Blue Silver Grass under the sun with no notable advancement in spiritual power or mindset, the sunlight certainly contributed positively to the development of his young body.
As for his initial hopes—to gain enlightening insights, touch the soul, and awaken his spiritual power—that could only be left to fate.
In his youth from a past life, Ling Yi watched a TV series that featured a peerless skill called Yijingjing. The prerequisite for practicing it was to see past the illusion of self, to harbor no intent to cultivate martial arts.
Back then, a big question mark hovered over Ling Yi's little head.
"Why the hell would I practice Yijingjing if I wasn't interested in martial arts?!" he wondered.
Later, as Ling Yi consumed more TV series, anime, and novels, he revisited the question and found himself naive.
Whether it was the Zen state of mind in Yang Shen or finding inner peace through hypnosis in Galaxy Emperor, the problem could be solved with ease.
Ling Yi mused, "Thanks to the plethora of online literature, with myriad theories of fantastical cultivation systems, I, Ling Yi, am willing to call you half of the greatest literary entity!"
As for the red-haired Dong, if he could keep up with updates, the other half would naturally be...
Stop!
Ling Yi reigned in his drifting thoughts, realizing that if he continued, he might catch a faint glimpse of the word 'danger' spelled out in big letters!
Returning to the main topic, overall, having seen so many movies, anime, and novels in his previous life, Ling Yi knew far too many 'theories.'
These 'theories,' in a world where one can cultivate, were an incredibly rich and valuable treasure trove.
It was merely up to Ling Yi to discover how to unearth them.
As time flowed gently, and the sunlight became scorching on his skin, Ling Yi decided to conclude this session of 'cultivation' when a serene expression crossed his face, and he felt a slight movement.
He heard the rustling sound of 'Blue Silver Grass' leaves brushing together, approaching from afar.
Soon, the noise stopped to Ling Yi's left and right.
In the next second, a damp and slightly rough touch appeared on Ling Yi's cheek.
Ling Yi opened his eyes to find a bright red tongue inches from his face, seemingly ready to lick him again. He quickly raised his arm, grabbed hold, and gently pulled the yellow dog head a bit further from himself.
Sitting up, he first glanced at his right hand, rubbing the furry, mottled little head—black, white, yellow, brown, and gray—before turning to the yellow dog head he held in his left hand. Locking eyes, he said irritably:
"Ah Huang, how many times have I told you? Don't disturb me while I'm sleeping here. Look how well-behaved Meow Meow is..."
Ignoring Ah Huang, who seemed to think they were playing and continued bouncing around, he reached out and scooped up the elegantly sitting Meow Meow into his arms, stroking it gently from head to tail.
Ah Huang, just an ordinary little mutt.
Meow Meow, similarly unremarkable, is a small tabby cat.
Both of them lack the bloodline of ancient divine beasts or the lineage of soul beasts; they were simply kittens and puppies that Ling Yi's uncle, Zhang Dahe, exchanged for a river fish from two different families in Shanhai Village.
These two little ones were birthday gifts Ling Yi asked for from his family last month, serving as his little companions now. Moreover, they might be of unknown help when Ling Yi's body develops further and he embarks on the path of body refinement.
In the myriad worlds, the paths of cultivation are countless. Yet, when summarized, they generally don't stray from the three components of 'essence,' 'energy,' and 'spirit.' Simply put, these are the body, energy, and soul.
Obviously, at merely one year and one month old on Douluo Continent, Ling Yi is not yet suited for body refinement or soul power cultivation. Only the soul, only the soul!
Looking at Meow Meow, comfortably squinting its eyes, and Ah Huang, who had its two front paws resting on his leg with a tongue-out smile, Ling Yi felt inexplicably cheerful, finding solace in what was previously gained or not. Although he kept reminding himself that he was still young, feeling his way across the river step by step, he was presently just setting foot near the shore, encountering water and needing to proceed cautiously, one step at a time, with a calm heart.
However!
The sense of urgency was inevitable.
After all, this was a world where extraordinary power resided within oneself!
Not to mention the most primal desire of life—the quest for immortality.
At the very least, Ling Yi didn't want to wake up one day in a dire situation, helpless and vulnerable.
In the world of Douluo Continent, stripping away the protagonist's halo from the original tale, and unraveling the so-called love and hatred on both sides, reveals a raw and bloody tableau of the wild.
Here, soul master families control cities and lands, civilians without soul power are as insignificant as weeds, and marauding bandits and malignant soul masters roam.
Although Ling Yi couldn't quite remember if malignant soul masters emerged from the first or second part of Douluo, couldn't those soul masters who plunder like bandits be designated as 'malignant'?
Think of how the fallen ones in the Slaughter City entered the first story—
surely they didn’t venture in there eagerly, right?
Was it just to taste a sip of that infamous "Bloody Mary"?
All these thoughts bore heavily on Ling Yi, who was just a one-year-old and one month, intensifying his already tense mind.
Layered with the complex thoughts of a previously adult soul, the only path available for cultivation at this moment became significantly more challenging.
(End of Chapter)
