# Chapter 1: The End of One Life, The Beginning of Another
The ancient pagoda stood silent against the twilight sky, its weathered stones bearing witness to decades of solitary meditation. Within its highest chamber, an old man sat cross-legged on a simple mat, his weathered fingers turning the pages of a worn novel. Despite his ninety-eight years, Xiang Li's eyes remained sharp, focused intently on the words before him.
"Tang Hao... finally revealing his true strength," he murmured, a rare smile creasing his lined face. His pet tiger, now old and content, purred softly beside him, its striped coat silver with age.
The forest island around them was peaceful, untouched by the chaos of the outside world. For over seven decades, this had been his sanctuary—a place where wealth and influence held no meaning, where only the pursuit of martial perfection mattered. The city, with its sprawling family estate and business empire, felt like another lifetime. His children and grandchildren managed it all now, visiting occasionally but understanding his chosen path of solitude.
Xiang Li had dedicated his life to martial arts, studying every technique, every philosophy, every form of combat he could find. His body bore the scars of countless training sessions, his mind held the wisdom of a hundred different fighting styles. Yet lately, he found himself drawn to these simple stories of cultivation and power, tales that reminded him of dreams he'd once harbored in his youth.
As he reached the climactic scene where Tang Hao unleashed his Title Douluo power to save his son and Xiao Wu, a sudden, searing pain shot through his chest. The book slipped from his fingers as his ancient heart, pushed beyond its limits by nearly a century of intense training, finally began to fail.
*Not now...* he thought desperately, his vision blurring. *I need to see how this ends...*
But it wasn't the unfinished story that truly tormented him as darkness crept in. It was the sudden, overwhelming realization of what his death would mean. His vast fortune, his carefully built empire—it would tear his family apart. Sons would turn against daughters, grandchildren would scheme against each other, and loyal retainers would choose sides in the coming war for his inheritance.
*I was a fool,* he realized, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks. *I thought isolation would preserve peace, but I only delayed the inevitable conflict. I should have guided them... should have been there...*
His pet tiger nuzzled against him, sensing his distress, but Xiang Li's strength was fading fast. As his consciousness slipped away, his final thought was one of profound regret—not for his own life, but for the chaos his death would unleash upon those he had loved from afar.
---
**Holy Spirit Village - Three and a Half Years Later**
The morning sun cast long shadows across the small village as four-year-old Lin Feng sat quietly by the well, his dark eyes watching the other children play. To any observer, he appeared to be just another village child—perhaps quieter than most, with an oddly mature air about him, but nothing truly unusual.
Inside, however, was the complete consciousness and memories of Xiang Li, the martial hermit who had lived and died in another world entirely.
*Three and a half years,* he reflected, absently tracing patterns in the dirt with a stick. *Three and a half years since I found myself in this child's body, in this simple village.*
The irony wasn't lost on him. In his previous life, he had abandoned wealth and family for solitude and martial pursuits. Now, he had been reborn into poverty, raised by Old Jack, the kind-hearted village chief who had found him as an abandoned infant and taken him in as his own.
"Little Feng!" Old Jack's weathered voice called out. "Come help your old man with these grain sacks!"
"Coming, Grandfather!" Lin Feng replied, setting aside his stick. The word came naturally now—Old Jack had been more of a father to him in these few years than his biological father had been in his previous life's early decades.
As he approached the village chief, Lin Feng's attention was caught by another child his age practicing what appeared to be some form of exercise routine in a nearby courtyard. Tang San—he recognized the boy immediately from his memories of the novel. The protagonist of the story he had been reading when death claimed him.
*So it really is the same world,* Lin Feng mused, hefting a grain sack with surprising strength for his age. *The Soul Land from that novel. And if Tang San is here, that means...*
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sight—Tang San's father, Tang Hao, stumbling drunkenly through the village square, his massive frame swaying as he clutched a wine jug. The village blacksmith, though most didn't know his true identity as the legendary Clear Sky Hammer's former sect master.
*A Title Douluo, reduced to this,* Lin Feng observed with the analytical mind of his previous life. *All for love and the protection of his son. Admirable, in its own way.*
"That Tang Hao," Old Jack muttered, shaking his head sadly. "Such a waste of a good man. Still, he takes care of little Tang San well enough, I suppose."
Lin Feng nodded absently, his mind already working through the implications of his situation. He possessed decades of martial arts knowledge and combat experience, trapped in the body of a four-year-old in a world where spiritual power and Soul Rings determined one's fate. The potential was intoxicating.
*Two years,* he calculated. *Two years until Soul Master awakening ceremonies. Two years to prepare, to understand this world's power system fully. And then...*
As if responding to his thoughts about power and destiny, something stirred deep within his consciousness. A strange sensation, like a door slowly creaking open in the depths of his mind.
**[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION BEGINNING...]**
Lin Feng froze mid-step, the grain sack slipping slightly in his grip. Words appeared in his vision—not seen with his eyes, but somehow projected directly into his awareness.
**[SCANNING HOST...]**
**[COMPATIBLE SOUL DETECTED...]**
**[PREVIOUS LIFE EXPERIENCES: ACKNOWLEDGED...]**
**[MARTIAL ARTS MASTERY: CONFIRMED...]**
**[REINCARNATION STATUS: VERIFIED...]**
*What is this?* Lin Feng's heart raced, though he kept his expression carefully neutral. Old Jack continued working beside him, completely unaware of the momentous event occurring.
**[INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]**
**[WELCOME TO THE KING'S PLUNDER SYSTEM]**
**[HOST: LIN FENG]**
**[CURRENT STATUS: ACTIVE]**
A translucent interface materialized in his vision, filled with information and options that made his breath catch in his throat.
**[KING'S PLUNDER SYSTEM - STATUS INTERFACE]**
**Host:** Lin Feng (Xiang Li - Previous Life)
**Age:** 4 years old
**World:** Soul Land (Douluo Continent)
**Location:** Holy Spirit Village
**Current Status:**
- **Martial Soul:** [UNAWAKENED]
- **Soul Power:** 0 (Awakening Required)
- **Soul Rings:** None
- **Physical Condition:** Healthy Child Body
- **Mental State:** Adult Consciousness in Child Form
**Retained Abilities from Previous Life:**
- **Martial Arts Mastery (Theoretical):** Complete knowledge of numerous fighting styles, combat techniques, and training methods. *Note: Physical application limited by current child body.*
- **Strategic Mind:** Decades of experience in planning, analysis, and tactical thinking.
- **Pain Tolerance:** Mental fortitude developed through lifetime of intense training.
- **Killer Instinct:** Cold-blooded decision-making ability when necessary.
**System Functions:**
- **Status Interface:** [ACTIVE] - View detailed information about self and analyzed targets
- **Plunder Function:** [LOCKED] - *Unlocks upon first combat victory. Allows acquisition of defeated opponents' abilities, talents, or knowledge.*
**Special Notes:**
- *One-time plunder restriction applies per individual*
- *Plundered abilities integrate and evolve with existing capabilities*
- *All acquired abilities receive 2x enhancement upon integration*
Lin Feng stared at the interface in wonder, his mind racing with possibilities. This system—it was like something straight out of the cultivation novels he had enjoyed in his final years. But more than that, it offered him something he had spent his entire previous life seeking: a path to true martial supremacy.
"Little Feng? You've gone quiet," Old Jack observed with concern. "Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale."
"I'm fine, Grandfather," Lin Feng replied automatically, dismissing the interface with a thought. "Just... thinking about things."
Old Jack chuckled, patting his adopted grandson's head affectionately. "Always such a serious child. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of yours."
*If only you knew,* Lin Feng thought with dark amusement. *The memories of a ninety-eight-year-old martial artist, combined with a system that could grant me the power to surpass even the gods of this world.*
As they continued their morning chores, Lin Feng's mind buzzed with plans and possibilities. Two years until his martial soul awakening. Two years to understand this system fully and prepare for the journey ahead. And somewhere in this same village, Tang San—the protagonist of the original story—continued his own path toward destiny, completely unaware that his fate was no longer set in stone.
*This world thinks it knows how the story ends,* Lin Feng mused, watching Tang San practice his mysterious exercises in the distance. *But they've never encountered someone like me. Someone who remembers reading their entire tale, armed with a system that can steal the very foundations of power from those I defeat.*
The King's Plunder System pulsed gently in his consciousness, like a predator waiting to be unleashed. Soon, very soon, Lin Feng would begin his true journey in this world of Soul Masters and legendary powers.
*This time,* he vowed silently, *I won't make the same mistakes. I won't live in isolation. I'll forge my own path to the pinnacle of power, and I'll protect what matters along the way.*