Chapter 2: Putting Cultivation on Hold for Now

“Co~”

“Coo~”

A clear chirping sound came from outside the door.

It was the cooing of a Sky Element Soul Pet, the Cooing Bird.

This indicated it was already six in the morning.

The Cooing Bird belonged to Mother Wang and was an ordinary, easy-to-care-for Soul Pet.

They were mostly used in common households.

Having spent all night cultivating without any progress left Wang Che exhausted.

Dark circles under his eyes, he stepped out of his room.

Hearing the sound, basic information about this Soul Pet automatically surfaced in his mind.

Cooing Bird: A flying-type Soul Pet, covered in gray feathers, with a long tuft at both head and tail. The head tuft sensed time changes, while the tail tuft detected air currents and could predict weather.

The Cooing Bird, about twenty to thirty centimeters long, flew to Wang Che’s door.

Cooing repeatedly, it reminded him it was time to wake up and eat.

Only when Wang Che emerged did the Cooing Bird flap its wings and head toward the living room.

“How was last night’s thinking?”

Father Wang was surprised to see Wang Che come out so punctually.

During winter break, he had never seen his son rise this early.

Usually, the boy slept till the sun climbed high into the sky.

“The child is already eighteen; don’t pry.”

Mother Wang spoke while preparing breakfast. “Come eat now. By the way, Che, didn’t you say you’d be out with friends today?”

Wang Che nodded quietly, saying nothing.

His parents in this life were incredibly average.

So ordinary that even after signing a Life Soul Pact with a Soul Pet Egg, they failed to awaken their Martial Souls.

In other worlds, this wouldn’t just be average—it’d be downright pitiful.

But in this world, failing to fully awaken one’s Martial Soul wasn’t that unusual.

The power of Martial Souls remained a key research topic worldwide and remained poorly understood.

Experts could only rely on historical records and studies to pinpoint patterns.

Everyone possessed a Martial Soul, but not everyone awakened it.

The form of an awakened Martial Soul had some link to parents and ancestry.

But that link wasn’t absolute.

The reason was simple: the Life Soul Pact.

When a Soul Beast’s vitality merged with a human,

an unawakened Martial Soul might evolve due to enhanced innate talent.

There was a chance the Martial Soul could break free from bloodline restrictions and transform.

This applied especially before awakening. Once awakened, human talent could still grow, but changing the Martial Soul became nearly impossible.

Therefore, the first Soul Pet was particularly crucial.

Although the first Life Soul Pact could be dissolved,

freeing the Soul Pet required a cooldown of at least three years before attempting another pact.

Otherwise, the soul couldn’t endure the strain.

Dissolving a pact also had downsides.

The Soul Beast’s innate affinity for humans would drop sharply, making future bonds far harder.

Once formed, few dissolved their Life Soul Pacts. Even weak Soul Beasts enhanced humans significantly.

But Wang Che had no interest in such concerns.

“So what if he’s eighteen?” Father Wang argued stubbornly. “A thousand years ago, eighteen was adulthood. But now, the average human lives past a hundred and twenty. Eighteen is barely ten by older standards! Still a child!”

“Looking for trouble?” Mother Wang glared at him. “I’m talking present—why dredge up the past?”

Wang Che remained silent, seeming untouched by their conversation.

“Sii~oo…”

A green caterpillar drowsily crawled out from Wang Che’s room.

Reaching his feet, it raised its head, glanced at him, then shrank back carefully.

“Quick! Where’s the kid’s breakfast?” Father Wang coughed, pointing at the caterpillar to shift topics.

Mother Wang shot him a look, then brought a small bowl of pale white, milk-scented leaves from the kitchen.

“Here you go. White Birch Cream Fir leaves—your favorite!”

She put the bowl next to the Green Caterpillar and gently tapped its head. “So adorable. My Cooing Bird looked bald and ugly when hatched.”

“Coo! Coo!” Perched on a ledge, the Cooing Bird voiced protest.

Father Wang eyed the leaves, voice catching before he stayed silent.

Sniffing, the Green Caterpillar’s drooping eyes suddenly lit up.

“Sii~oo!”

It wiggled its head at Mother Wang, blinked, then burrowed into the leaves.

“Look how smart this little one is!” Mother Wang marveled. “Was that a thank-you? High Spiritual Intelligence for sure! Must be special! Father Wang, don’t you think so?”

“Maybe it was inviting you to eat together,” Father Wang teased.

Feeling itchy for a fight?” Mother Wang locked eyes with him.

Father Wang cleared his throat.

Then Wang Che spoke: “I’m full.”

He walked back to his room without another word.

“…This won’t do.” Father Wang shook his head. “A Green Caterpillar Soul Pet… even worse than your Cooing Bird. Comforting him won’t help much.”

“Yesterday he calmly told me it was fine…” he sighed. “I knew it wasn’t that simple…”

“This morning, he looked crushed. A teenager’s first Soul Pet matters too much. Anyone would crack under that pressure—feelings don’t stay hidden.”

“Look at us,” Father Wang fretted. “Neither awakened our Martial Souls; our gifts are poor. Now his starter Soul Pet’s weak too. He’ll end up like us.”

His voice turned grave. “Becoming a Soul Pact Master? Pure fantasy. And he excels in school…”

“Let nature take its course,” Mother Wang murmured softly, then smiled at the Green Caterpillar. “This little one’s actually quite sweet.”

—

Truthfully, Wang Che wasn’t crushed—just mentally drained after a useless night of cultivation.

His silence came from deep thought,

making him appear crestfallen…

As a former Ascension Realm powerhouse, a full night’s effort hadn’t even achieved basic energy absorption.

This made one fact clear:

in this world, Cultivation was impossible.

The reason? Rules.

Inescapable cosmic laws shackled everything.

Manifested plainly as Soul Power—unlike spiritual energy, it rejected all Cultivation techniques and systems.

Refusing to enter his body.

At first, Wang Che blamed his spiritual roots.

Even without roots, basic energy absorption shouldn’t be impossible.

He then tried brutally efficient demonic training—methods that forced energy into the body.

Still, Soul Power refused absorption.

Only one explanation remained: Heavenly Will had bound this world with unique principles.

Not simple at all.

Had Wang Che kept Ascension Realm power, it wouldn’t matter.

Alas, the Heavenly Tribulation vaporized everything. Merely surviving as a sliver of soul for rebirth felt like a miracle.

Thus, for now, Cultivation had to pause.

After a moment of silence, he closed his eyes, calming his heart and mind.

Beyond Cultivation? Fine.

Cultivation was merely one path to truth.

The cosmos pulsed with countless grand truths.

In the Cultivation World, any who reached the Ascension Realm were exceptional.

Wang Che swiftly recalibrated his mood and mindset.

Setbacks? He’d weathered too many—this was negligible.

“First, deeply understand this world. Since Cultivation techniques clash with Soul Power… I’ll forge systems aligned with its laws. Putting Cultivation aside? So be it.”

Wang Che opened his eyes.

With his millennia traversing civilizations across the universe,

cosmic shackles meant nothing to him.

Though fate brought him here, he’d adapt.

After resting, Wang Che freshened up, dressed, and examined himself in the mirror.

He saw a youth around six feet tall with white pants and a pale blue shirt.

He stood tall yet proportional, hair short and neat. Handsome, sun-kissed features accented by obsidian-depth eyes. Smooth skin carved flawlessly…

A face capable of conquering glances from every age.

Wang Che shook his head, frowning. “Underwhelming. Back then, I dominated Cultivation World looks. This face? Maybe a hundredth of my prime.”

“Barely passable,” he finally concluded.

Wang Che pushed his door open and stepped out again.

Memories reminded him: today, he’d hang out with classmates….