Heaven Dou Empire, Capital City, Martial Soul Temple.
Inside a spacious and luxurious room inlaid with gold and gems, an old man sat on a grand chair.
The old man had white hair, small eyes, slim shoulders, and a slender build, like a javelin. He wore a red robe with silver edgings.
On the table in front of him lay a pentagonal platinum hat, symbolizing his identity.
He was none other than Salas, the Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall.
But now, his appearance was nothing like that of someone with high status—he looked as if he'd been abandoned in the middle of a dangerous forest.
"Transmigration... into Douluo Dalu... Are you kidding me? And into the body of an eighty-year-old man?" Salas cried in his mind without shedding tears.
Originally, he had been a young man in his early twenties, with above-average looks and a relatively good life. Now, he had become an old man whose lifespan was nearly over...
Salas's thoughts churned like raging ocean waves as he desperately browsed the memories imprinted in the brain of the original Salas.
After a few minutes, his eyes cleared a little.
"More than eleven years since the death of the former Pope... There's hope..." Salas smiled bitterly. Although there was hope, it wasn't much.
"Calculating the time... It's around when students graduate and join new academies..." Salas thought, his mind working rapidly.
Even though he was emotionally and mentally unstable due to the sudden transmigration, he knew his priorities well.
He had already confirmed that this wasn't a dream. The enormous weight of a lifetime's memories wasn't something a mere dream could hold.
Since he had already transmigrated, leaving behind his home and family, no amount of denial or screaming would change the reality.
So, Salas forcefully suppressed his fear and insecurity, focusing instead on details that could help him determine the world's timeline.
"So, Tang San is twelve years old. He must be heading to Soto City to join Shrek Academy... or maybe he's already there..." Salas easily determined the timeline, letting out another small sigh of relief.
After all, nothing major had happened yet that would put him—a minor villain—in a difficult position.
"Next, about my current identity..." As Salas was about to think deeper about his situation and what strengths or advantages he could use, a sound came from beneath his seat.
"Mmmh~" A moan echoed.
Salas looked down to find the source of the sound.
It was a beautiful girl, with the mature body of a woman in her twenties. But according to Douluo standards, she seemed around sixteen or seventeen years old.
She was currently playing with a thick snake in her hand—its head inside her mouth.
Seeing this, Salas immediately recalled his current situation.
"Haa... How did I not notice this...?"
It had been no more than ten minutes since his transmigration. Although he had looked around to confirm his surroundings, coincidentally, he hadn't checked under the table.
More importantly… he didn't feel anything happening to his snake.
"There goes my first time... and I didn't even feel it." Salas sighed in wonder. But he wasn't entirely surprised. After all, from the memories in this body's brain, he knew how perverted this old man was.
Just as he wondered why his snake was standing up straight without him controlling it and reached out to push the girl away... his hands didn't move according to his wishes.
His hand indeed touched her head—but instead of pushing her away, it pulled her closer.
"Arghh..." The woman's muffled struggle sounded. The snake was now deep inside her throat.
Salas was dumbfounded.
Only then did he realize—he hadn't completely taken control of this body.
He immediately reacted, releasing his grip from the woman's head, feeling slightly flustered.
---
An hour later.
Salas sat alone in the chair, his wrinkled face twitching violently.
He had already sent the woman away. The situation had been slightly awkward, given that he couldn't even properly use his tongue to speak. But with his firm willpower, he had succeeded in the end.
As for enjoying the service without doing anything? That thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He only wanted to be left alone—nothing more. His current mood was beyond words...
Helplessness, fear, a sense of unreality, sadness, hope—all mixed together. He just wanted to find his way in this world. His mind refused to think about anything else.
Now, after nearly an hour, his soul had gained full control over the body. He could finally move as he wished, which brought him a bit of relief.
But then… when he inspected his body and tried to summon his Martial Soul, his hope shattered.
He couldn't summon his Martial Soul.
Or more specifically… he didn't have a Martial Soul.
"Hahaha... This is really... too funny." Salas laughed self-deprecatingly, his laughter echoing through the spacious room like a sonorous bell.
"So what can I do now? Hehe. Hahaha."
"Old body. No Martial Soul. Platinum Bishop. Spirit Hall... Haha. When put together, everything spells 'damned'." Salas really couldn't think of anything good about his current situation.
But soon, his rational mind calmed him.
"So what now...? It's the same as before. Now that everything has happened, there's no point in crying over spilled milk."
Forcing himself to suppress his fluctuating emotions, Salas analyzed his body again.
His thoughts moved, his spiritual power scanning his body. His meridians were filled with Soul Power, which he understood clearly. But when his mind reached the place where all the Soul Power converged, what greeted him was the same emptiness he had felt earlier. The place where his Martial Soul should be was... blank.
But Salas didn't stop. His spiritual power—strangely growing stronger for some unknown reason—reached deeper into that area, and then…
He felt a sudden suction force.
"This...?" Salas's eyes widened.
He instinctively realized what this suction force was—and how to solve his Martial Soul problem.
"Hehe, cool~." His lips curled into a joyful smile. But with his wrinkled skin and villainous face, the smile seemed downright evil.
"So all I have to do is devour someone's Martial Soul..." Salas thought happily. His former depression and fear were swept away as new thoughts and possibilities emerged in his mind.
"And this cool sensation in my soul..." Salas paused, carefully sensing his growing spiritual power. His mind could now completely picture the room with his spiritual perception, and it was still increasing.
"So that's how it is... My Soul Power is nourishing my soul."
"Since this body contains Soul Douluo-level Soul Power, it's elevating my Spiritual Power to the same level..." Salas confirmed after carefully feeling it and recalling his knowledge of the Douluo Dalu novel.
"It is said that Douluo World doesn't have any technique to improve Spiritual Power in this era. But as Soul Power increases, Spiritual Power improves accordingly for everyone... Now that I have occupied this body, it's only natural that the Soul Power inside strengthens my soul."
Salas came to a conclusion.
"So... where did the original Salas's soul go?" His small eyes narrowed into a slit.