The Boy Who Speaks to Nature
As he did every day, Tang Yan finished his chores with lightning speed and slipped away into the woods. While the villagers warned their children to stay away from the "Dark Kanon" forest, fearing the savage wolves and venomous serpents, for Yan, the forest was his second home—a paradise where he was never alone.
The moment Yan crossed the village boundary, the oppressive silence of the deep woods broke into a symphony of life:
* Squirrels leaped from the high canopy to perch on his shoulders.
* A massive **Silver-back Bear**, a creature the villagers viewed as a demon of death, bowed its head submissively so Yan could pat its fur.
* Great hawks spiraled down from the clouds to bring him news of the distant ridges.
The Conversation of the Beasts
Today, however, the air felt heavy. As Yan sat by the riverbank under the shade of ancient trees, a group of high-level Spirit Beasts gathered nearby. They spoke in a language no human should understand, but to Yan, every word was clear.
The Star-Gazing Fox: "How can a human child be this close to us? Can we truly trust him?"
The Emerald Spirit Deer: "He is but a child. What threat could he possibly pose?"
The Star-Gazing Fox: "He is still a human. You know their nature. They are born with greed in their marrow."
The Emerald Spirit Deer: "A hundred thousand years have passed since the Spirit Pagoda was restored. In all that time, I have never seen this boy hunt. Perhaps humans have forgotten how to kill, or perhaps they are no longer our equals in strength."
The Star-Gazing Fox (narrowing its eyes): "He does not look like a human to me. He feels like a creature in a 'cocoon' state—a beast soul in human skin. If I get the chance, I will test him myself."
Yan heard everything. Confusion swirled in his mind—why did they think he wasn't human? As the sun began to set, he hurried back, unaware that the **Star-Gazing Fox** was trailing him through the shadows, its blue eyes glowing with curiosity.
The Heavy Silence at Home
Yan reached the hut breathless. Inside, **Tang Tehan** sat at the table. He looked calmer than usual, but his eyes held a piercing intensity Yan had never seen before.
"You're back early today?" Yan asked, trying to steady his breathing.
Tehan's gaze drifted to Yan's clothes. He saw a few shimmering **Emerald hairs** clinging to the fabric—remnants from the boy sitting beside the Spirit Deer. Tehan stood up and placed a heavy hand on Yan's shoulder.
"The forest is not at peace today, Yan," Tehan said in a low, gravelly voice. "You must stop going so deep into the woods. Stay away."
Yan remained silent. He didn't know how to tell his father that he understood the animals, or that a Fox was currently watching them from the bushes outside. Dinner was a theater of clinking bowls and unspoken words. Both felt the weight of a secret too big for their small house.
The Midnight Revelation
As the village fell into a deep slumber, the **Star-Gazing Fox** crouched in the damp grass outside Yan's window. Suddenly, it saw something impossible.
A faint, pulsating **blue light** began to seep from Yan's room. It wasn't the flicker of a lamp; it was energy radiating from the boy's very body. The fox pricked its ears. From within the room came a hum—not a human sound, but a vibration similar to what Ancient Spirit Beasts produce during deep meditation.
In the next room, Tehan was awake, leaning against the wall in the dark. He glanced toward the window, sensing the fox's presence outside.
"The time is drawing near," Tehan whispered to himself. "If the beasts discover his true identity, the forest will be stained with blood once again."
As Yan sank deeper into sleep, the blue light intensified, blurring the boundaries of time and space. Behind his closed eyelids, a world came to life—not his present life, but a **shattered, ancient past.**
The Vision of the Mortal Realm**
As the blue light faded in Yan's dream, it was replaced by a world of dust and grit—the **Mortal Realm**. There was no Spirit Pagoda here, no magical beasts. Strength was measured by the density of one's bones and the speed of a clenched fist.
Yan saw his past self: a blind boy sitting on the steps of the **Moon-Crest Dojo**. While the wealthy disciples shattered mountains with spiritual energy, "Blind Yan" was the outcast. His training was hidden in plain sight—his sweeping was actually 'Bo Staff' practice, and the way he balanced while mopping was a secret 'Kata' of karate.
His mentor was a forgotten drunkard, a disgraced martial arts master who taught Yan the impossible: To see without eyes.
The Blind Blacksmith's Sixth Sense
At nineteen, Yan left the dojo, choosing a heavy hammer over a sword. In the sweltering heat of a blacksmith shop, he discovered his true miracle. He used temperature and sound to "see" the iron. The ring of the hammer told him where the metal was weak and where it was forged true.
Through years of labor, he developed the **Beast-Soul Style**, based on five forms:
1. **Tiger's Strike:** Crushing power born from the blacksmith's hammer.
2. **Serpent's Fluidity:** Dodging strikes like a swaying broom.
3. **Eagle's Perception:** Using the sixth sense to predict a foe's next move.
4. **Monkey's Agility:** Perfect balance honed on the uneven rooftops of the dojo.
5. **Lion's Intent:** Sheer mental will that strikes terror into an enemy's heart.
The Awakening and the Waterfall
Yan bolted upright in his bed, sweat-soaked and gasping. The "Wild Spark" in his eyes was now unmistakable. He looked at his floor—cracks had appeared in the wood where he had unknowingly practiced his beast forms in his sleep.
Driven by a new purpose, Yan bypassed his usual animal friends and headed to the **Great Waterfall**. Behind the roaring curtain of ice-cold water, he found a hidden cave.
The Practice in the Dark:
Serpent Style: He moved like a wave, dodging falling water droplets as if they were arrows.
Tiger Style: He lunged, his fingers shaped like claws. Without a sound, he left five deep gouges in the solid rock. It wasn't magic; it was focused kinetic energy.
As he practiced, the memory of his death returned—the **Black-Serpent poison**
given to him by his "brothers" out of jealousy. He realized then: *Trust is a strength, but blind trust is a fatal weakness.*
The Emperor of the Forest
Yan climbed to the highest peak, overlooking the **Great Star Forest**. He sat in a meditative lotus pose and opened his mind.
A miraculous event occurred. The **Life Force** of the forest—the energy flowing through every tree, flower, and beast—began to shift. Streams of colorful energy from thousands of spirit beasts were pulled toward a single center: **Yan.**
The Emerald Spirit Deer and the Star-Gazing Fox watched in awe. They realized he wasn't stealing energy; the forest was *offering* it to him. He was the **Emperor of the Wild**, a bridge between worlds.
His blue hair shimmered as his body fully integrated with the Douluo world's soul power. His sixth sense evolved; he could feel the insects crawling underground and the dew falling miles away. He no longer needed light to see; Nature itself was showing him the way.
The Fear of Tang Tehan
When Yan returned home, his gait was different—it had the regal dignity of a king. **Tang Tehan** stood by the door, his eyes filled with a mixture of pride and profound dread. He felt the "presence" surrounding Yan, a power that could no longer be hidden.
Tehan (heavy-voiced):** "You are late, Yan. The forest's mood changes after dark... you shouldn't go that far."
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As Yan walked past him, Tehan's shoulders slumped. He had spent years raising Yan as an ordinary child to hide him from the **Angel Sect** and the **Sun Moon Empire**. But looking at his son now, Tehan knew the "Safety Zone" was gone. The world would soon come looking for the boy who held the soul of a beast and the eyes of a God.