All rights reserved to the respective authors.
"Dialogue": Represented in double quotes for conversations between characters.
'Thoughts': Represented in single quotation marks, indicating the characters' internal reflections.
[Diary]: Represented in square brackets, used for messages intended for the heroines or entries written by Tenshin.
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Tenshin's House
Tenshin had just returned home and entered the kitchen. It was lunchtime, so he decided to prepare a simple meal consisting of chicken, vegetables, and rice. Ever since his memories from his past life flooded back, he had preferred cooking for himself—finding the local culinary techniques too rudimentary and prone to producing bland flavors that never quite satisfied his palate.
After carefully preparing enough food for two, he sat at the table and began to eat. In his previous life, his cooking skills had been merely average despite having watched numerous cooking shows and tutorials. But here, frustrated by the underwhelming local fare, Tenshin had consciously applied every bit of culinary knowledge he remembered. With time, the act of cooking evolved into a therapeutic ritual for him, and his skills improved dramatically as a result.
Once he finished his meal, he proceeded to the sink—yes, an actual sink. Thanks to his own initiative, knowledge and the help of the villagers, a rudimentary plumbing system had been installed in the village. After washing the dishes, he grabbed the booklet that Deacon Su Yuntao had given him and stepped outside, settling into a chair beside his front door. He opened the booklet and began to read.
Half an hour later, Tenshin closed the booklet and set it on a small stool nearby, reflecting on its contents. 'Honestly, this book is loaded with information and surprisingly comprehensive,' he mused. True to its index, the booklet encompassed foundational knowledge for soul masters as well as detailed descriptions of common soul beasts, cultivation advice from seasoned practitioners, essential information about soul rings, safety precautions, and more. Its primary focus, however, was a basic method of meditation—specifically the way in which a soul master absorbs the energy of heaven and earth through the Martial Soul.
To Tenshin, equipped with memories of his past life and a broader understanding of cultivation thanks to the various fictions he had read on the subject, the approach seemed primitive. But this did not surprise him. Many readers from his old world had noted that compared to the intricate methods of cultivation found in others novels, Douluo Dalu's system was refreshingly—and at times frustratingly—simple. For those on the continent, relying solely on Martial Souls for everything, from cultivation and combat to everyday utility, had harmed the development of other areas of study, disciplines, and techniques.
He recalled reading about an advanced civilization from the distant past of the Douluo Continent—a civilization now lost to history. Revisiting the booklet, even with its limitations, had value. It cleared up lingering uncertainties among everything he had readed from novels, online discussions, and various texts in his previous life as well as from current books. One of the most notable doubts, now partially resolved, was exactly how innate soul power interfered with soul power cultivation. In the original novel, a high level of innate soul power dramatically accelerated cultivation, yet the explanation remained vague—fueling numerous fan theories about its true mechanics. Understanding it required a basic grasp of this world's cultivating method: drawing energy from heaven and earth through the Martial Soul. Unlike others systems where energy flows through the meridians manually or by an advanced and elaborate cultivating technique, this approach was simpler, but at the same time more rigid and limiting. The quality of a Martial Soul directly determined a soul master's daily energy absorption capacity. While one could try to absorb energy beyond that limit, doing so was excruciatingly painful and universally discouraged. Consequently, higher quality Martial Souls, along with greater innate soul power, equated to higher potential.
'Of course,' Tenshin thought, 'other factors must be at play—absorption efficiency, energy compression, elemental affinity… perhaps even hidden variables that determine Martial Soul quality. But here on the Douluo Continent, quality is defined almost exclusively by strength and innate soul power.' He continued, 'And because Martial Souls are so practical and convenient, this continent never fully developed other disciplines that are considered basic in other worlds—or did so only much later.'
With this in mind, one can understand why the Tang Sect's techniques—which Tang San brought from his past life—have taken root and endured for hundreds of thousands of years with legendary status, as seen in the sequels to the work.
'Since Tang San came from a Murim World without Martial Souls, the people of his former world probably had to focus on cultivation methods, martial techniques, and other supplementary subjects like Alchemy, Formations, and so on. The ancestors of the Tang Sect must have spent countless generations honing their skills… But the hardest part?' Tenshin's expression twisted in forced respect as he pondered the challenge. 'They managed to create a universal technique—one that works regardless of gender, age, constitution… even for those with unusual physiques.' He shuddered at the thought. 'Special constitutions in cultivation worlds can be terribly varied. The unpredictability alone can render most techniques useless. So, although I despise Tang San and most things related to him, I must admit—the Mysterious Heaven Skill is a masterpiece.'
After a few moments of reflection, during which Tenshin enjoyed the serene scenery of the village, he stood up and returned to the house. He took out a sheet of paper to make a list of things to do in the next month.
"First on the list: Improve my control over my two Martial Souls and begin refining my control of my soul power." He began to write down his thoughts.
"Next, I need to update my breathing technique. Now that my soul power, spiritual strength, and physical condition have been improved by awakening, the old version may be ineffective. It's not that I'd change much—it was always a temporary method, meant to strengthen my foundation." He completed the list, stood up, and headed to the courtyard for training.
But then—a red window suddenly appeared before him, accompanied by a flat, robotic voice:
[Ding! Martial Soul awakening detected. The Diary System is now online. Would the host like to bind? Y/N]
Tenshin stopped abruptly, a twitch appearing at the corner of his mouth. "... Are you serious? I just wanted to live in peace..." he muttered, feeling discouraged about his situation, because the reason was simple: he didn't want to become a servant of the system, being forced to perform mandatory missions under penalty of punishment. In response, the window flickered erratically, like an overexcited LED panel.
Clenching his fists and growing increasingly tense, he asked seriously, "What do you want? And don't give me some clichéd excuse."
[Ding! This is a diary-writing system. As long as the host writes an entry every day, LP can be earned and used for various functions. The main function is:
Heavenly Glimpse – Grants divine-level inspiration and understanding, helping resolve doubts or problems related to the creation or improvement of techniques, skills, and more.]
[Other functions include:
Scan – Allows scanning of books and written materials. With sufficient LP, even memories can be scanned and stored in the diary for future reference.
Synthesis – A less powerful but more affordable version of Heavenly Glimpse, using the host's knowledge to analyze and refine techniques or information.]
[There is no word limit. The more detailed and insightful the entries, the more LP is earned.]
Tenshin stared at the screen, feeling ignored and tempted by the resources. A spark of greed flickered in his chest, but he shook his head to dispel it. In an impassive tone, he replied, "You just ignored me, and you know you're looking more and more unreliable, right?"
[Ding! Acknowledged.]
Tenshin blinked. "…What did I do to deserve this?" With a long sigh, he asked the final, most important question, "There's no hidden quest or mandatory task system, right?"
[Ding! Correct. No quests. This is strictly a diary system. So, will the host bind? Y/Y]
Seeing no alternative, and with only one option presented, Tenshin reluctantly pressed "Yes." After accepting, the interface vanished, and he chose to proceed with his original plan for the sake of his sanity.
Out there, a rack of wooden training weapons—spear, naginata, sword, and more—awaited him. In one corner lay a small herb and vegetable garden, while the rest of the space was open and clear, ideal for training. In the very center, Tenshin sat in a meditative position and summoned his first Martial Soul: Dragon Chains. Closing his eyes, he began to meditate by following the method outlined in the booklet. Gradually, he felt the energy of heaven and earth drawn into his Martial Soul and then into his body. Yet, he could not pinpoint where this energy was being stored; it was unlike his soul power, which he sensed distinctly within.
After fifteen minutes, he opened his eyes and sighed. The experience partially clarified why soul masters would tirelessly seek out soul rings immediately after reaching each ten-level bottleneck—despite knowing that cultivation could be possible without them. This was because the absorbed energy disappeared without a trace, only to be integrated into the soul power later if when the soul master absorb the soul ring. It's just frustrating to feel how the absorbed energy simply "disappears" after entering the body.
Then, a sudden idea struck him. He would try to use the meditation method at the same time as his own breathing technique—the Foundation Breath. The difference was immediate: this time, part of the energy did not "vanish". Instead, he sensed streams of energy following distinct pathways—the meridians. And for the first time, he was able to follow the trace of the energy's route as it entered his system with measurable volume, gradually diminishing as it nourished his meridians and reinforced his muscles—effects of the Foundation Breath.
Tenshin focused not only on the technique's effect but also on mapping the energy's path. The medical books Old Jack bought did not mention meridians or energy pathways, only vague references to "bloodless veins." Tenshin had compiled every available scrap of information and drafted a rough outline of the meridian network. Now, he was determined get more data to refine that outline into a more accurate and complete map.
An hour passed in intense practice. While practicing the two techniques together, Tenshin noticed that the Fundamental Breathing technique yielded decreasing results, which he had expected — the method was based on incomplete data and was only the first version. However, during his practice, the technique served its intended purpose, helping Tenshin build his foundations. And the breathing technique was robust and had significant potential for future development. Then a future goal emerged in his mind: merging the breathing technique with the General Meditation Method to create a true cultivation technique that would serve as a basis for new techniques. But before that, he needed to perfect both the breathing technique and the General Meditation Method.
With that train of thought complete, Tenshin turned his attention to the Dragon Chains—one of the Martial Souls he had yet to figure out how to wield and how best to use. He recalled several fictional characters from his past life who had fought with chains, until one in particular stood out to him. "Come to think of it… my chains have innate abilities reminiscent of Shun from Saint Seiya," he mused, recalling the iconic Andromeda Chains and their ability to sense danger and act autonomously—traits his Martial Soul seemed to share.
Almost as if in response, Dragon Chains stirred on its own, writhing gently in the air. Interpreting this as a sign, Tenshin began experimenting. By early evening, he had significantly improved his control over the chains. He practiced summoning and dismissing them, adjusting their weight and length with precision, and even attempted to mimic techniques like the Lightning Wave and Circular Defense—methods reminiscent of Shun's repertoire.
As the sun dipped low on the horizon, Tenshin stood, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, yet grinning in satisfaction. 'Even if these techniques are simply applications of Dragon Chains' innate abilities, they will prove extremely useful in combat,' he thought. The dragon-headed chain now circled protectively around him, while the arrow-headed end remained anchored in a nearby tree.
Suddenly, his Martial Soul vanished on its own, and Tenshin dropped to his knees—physically exhausted, his soul power nearly depleted. "Huff~ I guess I overdid it, haha…" he panted, then lay back on the grass with a wry laugh. He stared up at the sky, motionless, until his stomach growled loudly. "…Seriously?" he muttered, chuckling again with a blend of humor and nervous exhaustion.
Dragging himself up, he headed to the bathroom he had built in the house, took a long shower, and then prepared dinner. After eating, he returned to his room and remembered the system. "System, where am I supposed to write?" he called out. In response, a simple black-covered diary materialized in his hands.
"Okay… that was strange and thick." He picked up the diary and flipped it open to the first page, where a neatly written menu greeted him:
[ Menu ]
[- Write -]
[- Heavenly Glimpse -]
[- Scan -]
[- Synthesis -]
[LP: 0]
Just as Tenshin was about to select the "Write" option, a sudden thought struck him. "System," he inquired, pausing with his finger hovering over the selection, "if the diary appears out of nowhere every time I use it, wouldn't that attract unwanted attention?"
[Ding! Rest assured, Host. Others cannot see the diary unless you permit it, nor can they read anything you write within.]
Tenshin exhaled a quiet sigh of relief as a faint smile appeared on his lips. That was good to know. Bearing the burden of future knowledge—and the secret of his reincarnation—was dangerous enough without risk of exposure. Eventually, the weight of concealing it all would grow unbearable. Having this diary as a secret repository for his thoughts, emotions, and confidential insights was not only useful—it was essential.
Finally, he selected the "Write" option. Although he could choose to write with a pencil or directly using his mind, he typically preferred the physical act of writing to help him focus. Tonight, however, with nothing particularly complex to record, he opted for the mental method. Settling into bed, he relaxed as the first words materialized:
[Hello, my name is Satoru Tenshin, and I have been reincarnated into the world of the novel Douluo Dalu.]
[When I was three years old, the memories of my past life returned. But after recovering them, I realized that even before that, certain habits, ideas, and fragments of knowledge from my previous life had occasionally surfaced at random moments.]
What Tenshin did not know was that as he began to write, a ripple effect quietly spread across the Douluo Continent. In various regions, a mysterious phenomenon unfolded: copies of the same diary materialized before certain girls and women—each bearing a personalized inscription. These diaries recorded every word Tenshin wrote, exactly as it appeared.
Star Luo Empire – Zhu Family Estate
In one of the quieter wings of the estate, five-year-old Zhu Zhuqing was preparing to step outside for a walk. She had been trying to distract herself from the mounting pressure, particularly after her fiancé abandoned her, leaving her to face all the pressure alone. Her older sister, once her pillar of strength, had grown cold and distant ever since the engagement contract was made, leaving Zhu Zhuqing feeling increasingly isolated.
Just as she reached for her jacket, a sudden shimmer of light appeared on her desk. A small book materialized—a black diary emblazoned with the words "Zhu Zhuqing's Exclusive" in elegant purple lettering across its cover. Her breath caught as she stepped back cautiously, distrust etched into every line of her face.
Over recent months, she had endured repeated covert and brazen attacks from servants seeking her sister's favor. With danger always lurking at every corner, Zhu Zhuqing assumed this was yet another trap. She waited, one minute, then two; nothing happened. Finally, her curiosity overcame her fear. She crept toward the diary, eyes fixed and wary. When no immediate trap was triggered, she snatched it up and opened it quickly, prepared to discard it at the slightest sign of danger.
The words inside left her paralyzed.
'What does this mean?' she thought, her heart pounding. 'Who is this Satoru Tenshin? Another life? A romance novel? Is he implying that our world is fictional?'
Dozens of questions surged through her mind, mixing confusion with deep discomfort.
But she was not alone. In different regions of the continent, every girl or woman who received one of these diaries found herself struggling with a torrent of questions. And then, while they were still processing what they had read, the diary began to update again.