Rise in Douluo Continent with the help of bean buns

Qingshi Village is located on the northwestern border of the Star Luo Empire, backed by the foothills of the Luoxia Mountains. The nearest town, Heishi Town, is thirty miles ahead.

The village was small, with only about a hundred households at most. For generations, they made a living by farming, gathering herbs in the mountains, and hunting, and they were extremely poor.

In border areas, attacks by spirit beasts are common, and bandits also cross the border from time to time. The village has survived to this day entirely because of the low-level spirit master sent by the Spirit Hall of the town every year to guard it. Although it is called guarding, it is actually just a level ten or so great spirit master who receives a meager salary and does not usually care about anything. He will only take action when the spirit beasts are causing a big disturbance.

Lin Chen walked along the dirt road toward the back mountain outside the village, encountering many villagers on their way to the fields. Most people glanced at him and then looked away, paying little attention to this orphan.

Border villages are struggling to survive; no one has the extra compassion to give to others.

After walking for about half an hour, we arrived at the foot of the back mountain.

The mountains and forests here are not particularly steep; the outer areas are covered with ordinary vegetation. Only by venturing deeper can one find spirit beasts that are ten or even a hundred years old. Villagers usually only gather herbs and chop firewood on the outer edges and dare not venture further in.

"Doubao, mark the locations of the nearby calming herbs, purple leaves, and white perilla," Lin Chen said in his mind.

[Low-intensity plant identification activated, range 500 meters.]

The next second, faint specks of light appeared in Lin Chen's field of vision, with different colors corresponding to different herbs, distributed in the grass and bushes.

This is Doubao's low-intensity analytical aid, which directly projects the results into his perception. It consumes very little energy and is a basic function.

With precise positioning, the efficiency of herb gathering has more than doubled. Lin Chen followed the markings, bent down to harvest, his movements slow but steady.

He is currently too weak to do heavy work, so he will take it slowly and not try to produce a lot, but will first collect enough for the first batch of production.

The morning passed quickly, and the bamboo basket was half full of herbs, each type clearly categorized. Lin Chen found a clean rock to sit on and took out half a coarse grain cake from his pocket—it was given to him yesterday by his neighbor, an older woman, out of pity, and it was his only food for the day.

Just as he took two bites, a commotion suddenly erupted from the direction of the village at the foot of the mountain, mixed with the cries of women and the angry curses of men.

Lin Chen frowned slightly and stood up to look down the mountain. He saw a group of people gathered in the open space at the village entrance. Two men dressed in short-sleeved shirts with Soul Master badges on their waists were stuffing pork from a butcher stall into their sacks. The stall owner, a middle-aged man, stood in front of them, his face flushed red, but he didn't dare to actually do anything.

"Doubao, analyze the cultivation levels of those two people," Lin Chen said calmly.

[Due to the distance and lack of soul power contact, precise analysis is impossible. Based on the intensity of soul power fluctuations, a preliminary assessment is made: the man on the left is approximately a level 12, one-ring Soul Master, and the man on the right is approximately a level 10 Soul Warrior; both are low-level Soul Masters with martial souls leaning towards the strength type.]

Lin Chen nodded, said nothing more, and continued to sit down and eat his pancake.

This kind of scene is all too common at the bottom of the Douluo Continent. Soul Masters are above ordinary people. Even a Soul Master with only one ring and a level ten or so is like a local tyrant in an ordinary village. Taking a few things from you is considered giving you face. If you really cause trouble, even if they beat you, it's pointless. The Spirit Hall will never punish a Soul Master for the sake of ordinary people.

The commotion down the mountain didn't last long and quickly subsided. The two soul masters swaggered away, carrying a full sack of meat. The stall owner stood there, his face ashen, but he could only grit his teeth and pack up his stall. The surrounding villagers murmured a few words and then dispersed, no one daring to step forward.

Lin Chen swallowed the last bite of the pancake and patted the crumbs off his hands.

He had no cynical thoughts, nor did he intend to intervene in injustices.

He doesn't even have the ability to protect himself now; sticking his neck out is suicide. The rules of the underworld are that naked: the strong prey on the weak, and it has always been that way.

If you don't want to be bullied, you have to become strong yourself.

Lin Chen continued gathering herbs in the afternoon until sunset, when he finally returned to the village with a basket full of herbs on his back. As he passed the village entrance, he ran into the two Soul Masters coming out of the tavern. They were drunk and cursing, bumping into passersby and causing them to stumble and fall, but no one dared to say a word.

One of them glanced sideways at Lin Chen, saw the basket of herbs he was carrying, and scoffed, "A little orphan digging for herbs? How much can he make?"

  

Another laughed loudly: "Maybe he's saving up to awaken his martial soul? Haha, with his penniless appearance, awakening a hoe-shaped martial soul would be a good outcome!"

The two men laughed vehemently, but Lin Chen didn't stop walking. His expression remained calm, as if he hadn't heard them at all, and he walked straight past them.

"Hey? This kid's pretty arrogant!" The man frowned and was about to reach out to push Lin Chen.

"Forget it, forget it, why get angry with a child?" Another person pulled him back, waved his hand, and said, "Let's go, let's go back and have a drink."

The two men left, grumbling and cursing, without actually making a move. In their eyes, Lin Chen was just an insignificant orphan, not worth their time.

Lin Chen returned to his dilapidated house, unloaded the herbs, and spread them out on the stone slab in the yard to dry. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on his face, and the boy's eyes were so calm that no emotion could be discerned.

What happened today taught him his first lesson since he traveled through time.

In this world, there is no logic; only strength matters. He is too weak now, so weak that even a mere one-ring Soul Master could easily bully him. Enduring, biding his time, and accumulating power are his only options.

"Doubao, do another full-body analysis, focusing on martial spirit endowment and meridian defects." Lin Chen walked into the house and sat cross-legged on the straw mat.

[Command received. Moderate physique analysis initiated, consuming a small amount of mental energy. Please remain calm.]

A faint cool sensation emanated from his spiritual sea, flowing through his meridians throughout his body. Lin Chen closed his eyes and could clearly sense the delicate meridians within his body, as well as a faint, almost imperceptible seed of soul power floating in his dantian.

A moment later, the analysis results came out.

Detailed physical fitness report:

1. Meridians: Overall thin, with three minor blockages, caused by congenital malformation and long-term malnutrition. These can be gradually unblocked and widened through gentle medicinal baths.

2. Soul Power Seed: Life attribute, relatively weak activity, 98% probability of corresponding to a plant-type martial soul, estimated innate soul power level 2-3, below average.

3. Divine Soul: Enhanced by the transmigrator's soul, its stability far surpasses that of ordinary people, and its potential for mental strength growth is higher than that of ordinary soul masters.

4. Optimization suggestions: At this stage, focus on replenishing nutrition and gentle body tempering. Avoid forcibly cultivating Qi before Martial Soul awakening to prevent damage to the foundation.

Innate level 2 to 3 soul power.

Lin Chen was mentally prepared for this result. It would be strange if he had innate full soul power. Most ordinary Blue Silver Grass cultivators are at level 0 to 2 innately, so his level 3 is already considered quite high.

But so what?

The cultivation methods of plant-type Soul Masters have been fraught with pitfalls for millennia. The same Martial Soul, different cultivation paths, lead to vastly different achievements. Just because a path is impassable for one doesn't mean it's impossible for another. With Doubao's analysis and optimization, even a seemingly useless Martial Soul can be transformed into a top-tier one.

"Make a living first, then cultivate." Lin Chen opened his eyes, his tone resolute. "Before awakening, save up your first pot of gold and get your body in good condition."

[Survival planning updated in real time:]

Phase 1 (0-3 months): Making calming herbal packs, accumulating initial funds, improving diet, and restoring basic physical condition.

Phase Two (3-6 months): Expand production capacity, develop Blackrock Town distribution channels, and accumulate Awakening Fees and Tempering Resources.

The third stage (after Martial Soul Awakening): Based on the type of Martial Soul, a customized training plan is developed to steadily improve Soul Power.

The plan was clear, and every step was taken steadily, without any element of gambling. Lin Chen liked this pace very much; everything was under control, and it felt much more reassuring than his previous life as a corporate slave.

For the next few days, Lin Chen went up the mountain to collect herbs every day, leaving early and returning late. Upon returning, he would dry, grind, and package them. Lacking linen, he used old clothes, washed them clean, cut them into small pieces, and sewed them into small bags. After the first batch of herbs dried, he personally made twenty packets of calming medicine.

On the morning of the seventh day, he carried a cloth bag and went to Blackstone Town.

Blackstone Town was much more bustling than Greenstone Village, with shops lining both sides of the street and people coming and going. Every now and then, you could see people dressed as Soul Masters walking by. At the town gate, there were people from the Spirit Hall stationed to check people coming and going and maintain order.

Lin Chen found an empty spot on a street corner, spread out his cloth bag, placed the calming medicine packet on it, and sat quietly to the side without making a sound.

He was young and thin, and his stall on the street corner was inconspicuous. Most passersby glanced at him and walked away; no one was willing to buy herbs sold by a child.

A whole morning passed, and not a single pack had been sold.

Lin Chen remained calm and continued sitting there. He had anticipated this situation; it was normal for a new product to lack reputation and have no buyers. He hadn't come today to sell a lot, but rather to assess the market situation.

Around noon, an older woman dressed in a gray cloth shirt came over, looked at the medicine packet and hesitated for a moment: "Child, is this a sedative? Will it work? My child can't sleep well at night."

"Auntie, you can take a pack and try it first. If it doesn't work, you don't have to pay." Lin Chen said calmly. "It's five copper soul coins a pack. Put it by your pillow every night before bed to help you sleep and calm your nerves."

The woman hesitated for a moment, then took out five copper soul coins and put them in a bag: "I'll give it a try. If it works, I'll come back to you."

The first transaction: five copper soul coins.

Lin Chen carefully put away the copper coins and remained sitting quietly. By the time he closed his stall at dusk, he had sold three packs, totaling fifteen copper soul coins, which was almost not enough to buy even coarse grain cakes.

On the way back, Lin Chen asked himself, "Doubao, is there any way to improve the effectiveness of the medicine pack without increasing the cost?"

[Command received. Optimization simulation of the tranquilizer pack formula initiated.]

[Optimized Solution: Adjust the ratio to 3.5:1.5:1, increase the proportion of calming herbs, and add a small amount of dried mint leaves (which are readily available in the mountains). This will enhance the aroma and calming effect, while keeping the cost basically the same and increasing the efficacy by about 30%.]

Lin Chen's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.

This is the benefit of having intelligent assistance. While others rely on experience and trial and error, he can directly obtain the optimal solution through deduction.

Back in the village, he immediately went to the back mountain to pick some mint leaves and made a new batch according to the new recipe. The next day, he went to town to set up his stall in the same old spot.

The auntie who bought the medicine packets yesterday came early this morning, her face beaming: "Child! Your medicine really works! My child slept so soundly last night! Give me five more packets!"

Word of mouth is the best medicine. As soon as the auntie started talking, several elderly people with insomnia gathered around, buying two or three packs each, and soon more than a dozen packs were sold.

In one day, they sold more than forty packs, which yielded more than two hundred copper soul coins, equivalent to more than two silver soul coins.

When Lin Chen packed up his stall, the cloth bag was much lighter, but the copper coins in his pockets felt heavy.

He didn't rush to expand the scale, but continued to produce fixed quantities every day, taking a steady and pragmatic approach. He saved money little by little, first buying rice and noodles to improve his diet. He was able to eat his fill every day, and his health visibly improved.

As the days went by, the calming medicine packets gradually gained fame in Blackstone Town. Not only did ordinary people buy them, but some low-level Soul Masters would also buy a couple of packets to use after their Soul Power became restless during cultivation. Lin Chen's income stabilized, and after deducting food and drink expenses, he could save more than one gold Soul Coin each month.

One gold soul coin is equal to one hundred silver soul coins and ten thousand bronze soul coins, which is a considerable sum for ordinary villagers.

But Lin Chen knew that this was far from enough.

Awakening a Martial Soul costs three Gold Soul Coins, and the subsequent body tempering, cultivation, and Soul Hunting are all astronomical sums. This amount of money isn't even enough to get started.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

You have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to go step by step.

He stood in the courtyard, watching the herbs drying on the stone slabs. The evening breeze carried the scent of the mountains and fields. In the distance, wisps of smoke rose from the village chimneys, and the occasional bark of a dog broke the stillness, as calm as a stagnant pool.

But Lin Chen knew that beneath this calm lay the cruel rule of the survival of the fittest.

He is now hiding in this stagnant pool, silently accumulating strength. The day he breaks free, the entire continent will tremble at the growth of this wild grass.