Soul Land: Surviving As A Spirit Beast In Douluo Dalu

Feng Jin's Spiritual Sea shimmered like an endless ocean of light, calm yet vast. Suddenly, the sea stirred as waves rippled outward, and a towering presence emerged from the golden horizon. A colossal Golden Tortoise, its shell gleaming like a polished mountain, slowly revealed itself. 

"Master?" Feng Jin whispered, his voice trembling. 

The Golden Tortoise Emperor regarded him with a warm, yet stern gaze. "You've endured much, Little Jin. But now, it is time for you to rise." 

Feng Jin stood frozen, his eyes wide with awe and disbelief. "M-Master? Is that really you?"

The last thing Feng Jin remembered was the moment his master, the Golden Tortoise Emperor, died in front of him and the others. But soon after his master died, the soul core of his master suddenly entered his body, and his world went black. Now, as he looked around, confusion clouded his mind.

Swosshh~~

A massive wave occurs suddenly as the Golden Tortoise Emperor transforms into his human form, a figure of an old man.

"Master?!" Feng Jin exclaimed, eyes wide. "You… you… are a ghost!?"

Bam~~

"Impudent!"

The old man stretched out his hand and gave Feng Jin in his tortoise form a 'light' blow on the head.

"Ahh! I'm sorry master..." Feng Jin said in pain as he recalled the same pain he had felt under his master's guidance.

"Sigh, your master is indeed dead." the old man said with a faint smile, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "But remnants of my soul still remains, and now residing within your Spiritual Sea."

Feng Jin stared in disbelief.

The old man simply nodded at Feng Jin and with a serious tone, he said. "You might be surprised to see yourself in this state... but there is no need to worry, I am your grandfather will help you become stronger from now on!" His words sounded so powerful that even the vast water became trembling.

Feng Jin stunned and struggled to comprehend the situation. "G-Grandfather?"

"Yes, since we are of the same kin, Little Jin " the old man said, his voice softening. "Look here, Little Jin, this old man has lived so long but has never been called father or grandfather, at least if you are willing, please grant this old man's request..."

Feng Jin hesitated as he started to remember the hurtful past he had from his clan. "I… I don't know what to say. I've been called many things before... A cursed existence, a mistake... But kin? That's not something I've been allowed to feel ever since."

The old man sighed, the glow in his eyes dimming slightly. "Those words from your clan… they were indeed cruel and misguided. The Golden Tortoise Clan turned its back on you because of fear and ignorance. For that, I apologize on their behalf."

Feng Jin's breath caught. He stared at the old man, stunned by the sincerity in its voice. "You… you're apologizing for them?"

The old man nodded slowly. "You were outcasted not because of any fault of your own, but because they couldn't see the blessing hidden within your bloodline. The Black Tortoise is not a symbol of misfortune, as they believed, it is a symbol of resilience, a force born to weather storms and endure the harshest trials. They failed to see that, and for that blindness, they wronged you deeply."

Feng Jin's chest tightened. Memories of his past flooded back—the ridicule, the isolation, the hollow loneliness that consumed him after being abandoned by his own people. Yet, as he stood there, hearing his master's words, the pain began to ebb away, replaced by a warmth he couldn't describe.

"I… I thought I hated them," Feng Jin admitted, his voice shaky. "But after I met Chenxin, Brother Qian and Linlin, I stopped caring about the past. I found a new family. A better one."

The old man's gaze softened further. "Hatred—even when buried—leaves scars. You have carried that weight in your heart, whether you realized it or not. I do not ask you to forgive them for their sake, but for yours."

Feng Jin swallowed hard, his hands trembling at his sides. The words struck deep, resonating with a truth he had long ignored. "I… I think I understand. I don't hate them anymore. Not truly. But… hearing you say this…" He paused, his voice catching in his throat. "It means more than I can put into words."

The old man's lips curled into a faint smile. "Good. Now, about that other matter…"

Feng Jin blinked, confused. "Other matter?"

The old man's eyes twinkled with a mix of wisdom and mischief. "You still haven't called me 'Grandfather.'"

Feng Jin froze, his face turning a deep shade of red. "I—what?!"

"Why so reluctant?" the old man teased, though his voice remained gentle. "I've already told you, you are my kin. You don't need to call me as master again. Call me what I am—your grandfather."

Feng Jin opened his mouth to protest but stopped. The sincerity in the old man's words made it hard to argue. Slowly, he lowered his gaze, his heart pounding in his chest.

"I… I'm not used to this," he admitted quietly. "But… Grandfather…" The word felt foreign on his tongue, yet as he said it, a strange sense of comfort washed over him.

The old man's laughter boomed across the Spiritual Sea, shaking the very waves. "There it is! Was that so difficult?"

Feng Jin managed a small smile, despite himself. "You're… persistent."

"Of course," the old man said with a grin. "How could I have lived for over a million years if I wasn't such a persistent being? Hahaha..."

Feng Jin chuckled softly, a sound he hadn't heard from himself in a long time. For the first time, the weight of his past felt lighter, the scars of his heart healing in ways he hadn't thought possible. He looked at the old man, a faint but genuine smile on his lips.

"Thank you… Grandfather."

The old man's eyes gleamed with pride. "Thank you Little Jin, for granting this old man's long-held wish."

Not long after, Feng Jin remembered something and looked at his grandfather. "Grandfather, how did we end up here?"

"It seems after my Soul Core was absorbed by you, due to the large cultivation gap and the incompatible bloodlines within your body and my Soul Core, your soul is forced to stay in this place." The old man explained briefly about the situation.

Feng Jin stood in silence, trying to process what his grandfather had just said. After some time had passed, he spoke. "How long have we been here?"

"Half a year." The old man said with a simple tone.

Feng Jin's breath caught. "Half a year? I was unconscious for half a year?" He said with a shocked expression.

The old man nodded and slowly withdrew something and showed it to Feng Jin. "Yes... If it weren't for this, it might have taken you longer to wake up."

Resting upon the old man's hand was a glowing Phoenix Feather, pulsing with faint golden and red hues. Feng Jin's eyes widened instantly. 

"This… this is the same feather I saw in my dream!" he exclaimed. 

The old man nodded. "Indeed. Before she left, little Chenxin placed this feather near you, and this feather is actually filled with the spiritual energy of the Mental Attribute. Without it, I might not have been able to reach you."

"Chenxin…" Feng Jin murmured, his heart sinking as he stared at the feather. "She left?" 

The old man's gaze turned somber. "Yes, little Chenxin left the mountain a few days ago... It seems she has awakened his memories."

Feng Jin's grip on his emotions faltered. Anguish and frustration swirled within him as he clenched his fists. "Chenxin awakened her memories? What do you mean by that, grandfather? Even if she decided to leave, brother Qian and the others should be able to stop her!"

The old man let out a heavy sigh. "Let me explain what I've observed from within your Spiritual Sea."

The old man recounted everything. From how Di Tian had brought them all back to the Heavenly Blessed Mountain after their accident at Sea God Island, how Di Tian sealed the mountain to protect them from the dangers of the Great Star Dou Forest, and how both Feng Chenxin and Feng Linlin had broken through to ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast cultivation.

He paused before continuing. "Little Chenxin however, after her breakthrough, couldn't control her immense power. Little Qian helped her stabilize it, but the effort left him severely weakened. While he was recovering, Little Chenxin chose to leave the mountain. But, she left behind one of her feather to you before leaving."

Feng Jin stood in stunned silence. "Why… why would she leave us? Is our bond meaningless in her eyes?"

The old man's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice laced with mystery. "The origin of Little Chenxin is far from ordinary."

Feng Jin's frustration turned into desperation. "I don't care, need to find her! I need to bring her back!" He closed his eyes, willing himself to leave his Spiritual Sea and return to the waking world. 

But no matter how hard he tried, his unconscious body wouldn't move. His consciousness remained in his Spiritual Sea. 

"Why can't I leave?" Feng Jin asked, panic creeping into his voice. 

The old man sighed. "Your soul and body are not yet aligned because of my Soul Core. Your Spiritual Sea is unstable, and your physique still remains weak to contain your consciousness. If you force yourself to awaken now, it could cause irreparable damage." 

"Then how long will it take?" Feng Jin demanded, his desperation apparent. 

The old man raised his hand, calming Feng Jin. "Patience, Little Jin. The process takes time, but you don't need to worry as I will help quicken the progress of your evolving body. First, you must calm yourself. Acting out of desperation will only hinder your progress." 

Feng Jin took a deep breath, trying to quell the storm within him. "How… how can I calm myself, Grandfather?" 

The old man's eyes twinkled. "Focus on the goal you need to acomplish. You wished to find Little Chenxin right? First, you need to be stronger... Anchor yourself in that resolve." 

Feng Jin hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I understand… I'll do my best." 

The old man smiled. "Good. Together, we'll work on stabilizing your Spiritual Sea and awakening the dormant power of your Divine Bloodline. You are stronger than you think, Little Jin. Trust in that." 

Feng Jin's heart steadied as he looked up at his grandfather. "Grandfather, can you tell me the origin of Chenxin?"

The old man watched Feng Jin with patient eyes. "Sometimes, burdened souls usually choose the most selfish option to make up for their doings. Sigh... Looks like little Chenxin is still burdened by what happened ten thousand years ago..."

Feng Jin was confused because it was difficult to understand what the events of ten thousand years ago had to do with Chenxin. 

However, before he could ask, his grandfather spoke. "Little Chenxin was once a Spirit Beast with over a hundred thousand years of cultivation and possesses the pure bloodline of the Phoenix Divine Beast, she was known as the Phoenix Empress of the Phoenix Clan... Unfortunately, her Clan was one of the Clans that was destroyed by a human who was an apostle of the Angel God ten thousand years ago."