Time flew by.
Two and a half years passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside a private room, Xiao Wu and Qi Lin sat cross-legged on the floor, fully immersed in a fierce video game battle.
They'd applied to move out of the dorms over two years ago, and now, their shared space reflected a comfort and closeness that only came from living together for so long.
At this moment, Xiao Wu's fingers danced frantically across the controller. Her health bar was nearly empty, and her delicate face twisted with panic. After losing all day, she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Suddenly, her gaze drifted to the power button of the console. A sly grin crept across her lips.
Without hesitation, she reached out like lightning—click—and the screen went black.
"Ehehe, Brother Lin, looks like I didn't lose after all!" she said smugly, stretching with a satisfied groan.
They'd been playing for half a day, and even soul masters could get sore necks eventually.
Xiao Wu was just ten and a half, but soul master development was nothing short of astonishing. She already stood close to 1.6 meters tall, with the budding grace of a young woman. Her features had matured since her early days at the Academy—delicate and lovely, long lashes accentuating her bright, mischievous eyes.
Qi Lin set his controller down and stood up as well. He was just a bit taller than Xiao Wu, about 1.65 meters, and wore a simple white shirt that made him look fresh, clean, and effortlessly handsome. A faint smile lingered at the corners of his lips.
Even when Xiao Wu cheated, he didn't show the slightest sign of annoyance. Instead, he reached out and ruffled her hair casually.
"Games are meant to be fun, not stressful."
With a flick of his hand, Qi Lin cast his first soul skill, enveloping them both in a gentle glow.
Though he was only Rank 39, his first soul ring had already been cultivated to an astonishing 16,000 years. That meant the skill's enhancement had reached 20%, and the permanent stat increase had climbed incrementally as well.
It was precisely because of this subtle but consistent boost that Xiao Wu had advanced so quickly—already at Rank 29. In the original timeline, she wouldn't have reached that level for another year and a half.
Meanwhile, without Qi Lin's assistance, Tang San—though even more diligent than in the original history—was only at Rank 25.
"Huh?"
As his snowy-white soul ring flashed, Xiao Wu felt nothing out of the ordinary. But Qi Lin's body suddenly jolted as he let out a quiet "hmm?"
Xiao Wu blinked in surprise and leaned closer, her tone curious. "What is it, Brother Lin?"
Qi Lin gave her a relaxed smile. "Oh, nothing much. I just broke through to Rank 40."
"What?!"
"Forty?!"
Xiao Wu froze for a second, then clung to his arm like a kitten, her watery eyes shining with awe.
"Please tell me your secret! How are you cultivating so fast? I want to catch up!"
Qi Lin shrugged with a smug grin he couldn't quite hide.
"I have no idea. Maybe I was just born lucky."
"Face it, Xiao Wu. Life isn't fair."
Xiao Wu puffed her cheeks and let out a pouty huff in protest, but her frustration melted away quickly.
She perked up and asked eagerly, "So what now? Are you going to hunt a spirit beast, or are you waiting for a ring to form on its own?"
Qi Lin scratched his head. That was the question.
Theoretically, with his unique circumstances, a soul ring could spontaneously condense from ambient energy or Skydream's influence. But…
Where was the fun in that?
He hadn't crossed over into the Douluo Dalu world just to sit back and let fate hand him everything. He wanted to experience it.
With a resolute nod, he made up his mind.
"I'm going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a soul beast."
"The Star Dou Forest?!"
Xiao Wu's voice rose sharply in alarm.
Qi Lin raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. "Why do you always get so worked up when I mention that place?"
"Huh? Do I?" she asked, looking around innocently. "I didn't notice anything…"
In Qi Lin's spiritual sea, a lazy voice spoke with biting sarcasm.
"Typical dumb rabbit. All these years living in the human world, and she still can't act to save her life."
It was Skydream the Iceworm, his ever-unfiltered companion.
Qi Lin chuckled and tousled Xiao Wu's hair again, choosing not to call her out.
"Relax. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come along."
Her eyes lit up immediately.
"Really?!"
"Of course."
"Awesome!"
She hugged his arm tightly and gave him a peck on the cheek, practically bouncing with joy.
"Alright, alright, go pack your things. I'll arrange for a carriage. If we're quick, we could be there in two weeks."
"Mm-hmm!"
With a gleeful hum, Xiao Wu dashed off to her room to pack, while Qi Lin made his way to the Director's office to request leave and hire a ride.
---
In the God Realm.
Before a towering palace wreathed in a blood-red aura, a tall figure clad in dark crimson armor stood upon the sea of clouds.
His mere presence distorted the space around him.
His deep, all-seeing eyes locked onto the clouds below as his brows knitted in suspicion.
"Who is this boy…? Why can't I see through him?"
"Something's wrong. In this era, Tang San should be the Chosen of Heaven."
"Then why is this youth so far ahead, even though they started from nearly the same point?"
The Asura God murmured to himself.
He'd known better than anyone that Tang San was destined to rise. That's why he'd guided the soul of the otherworldly Tang San into this timeline's body.
So what went wrong?
Tang San had been handpicked—his most carefully chosen successor.
But now… now, there was a variable. One that could potentially derail everything. If this Qi Lin caused Tang San to fail to inherit the Asura God's mantle—or worse, led to his early death—then the Asura God would need to start the long search for a new candidate all over again.
Unacceptable.
A sharp glint flashed through the Asura God's eyes.
It was time to act.
At the very least, he needed to uncover the secrets hidden within this boy.
With that thought, he split a strand of divine sense and sent it descending toward the mortal plane.
Normally, deities of the God Realm were forbidden from interfering in the affairs of the Douluo Continent.
But he was the Asura God—the God of Judgment.
Even if he broke the rules… who would dare stop him?
Within moments, his divine sense homed in on Qi Lin.
Fwoosh.
Seconds later, the Asura God hovered invisibly above the youth.
"Let's see what secrets you're hiding."
With a flick of thought, his divine sense dove into Qi Lin's spiritual sea.
But just as he entered—
Boom!
A brilliant golden lotus, radiating divine light, bloomed in his path. The holy glow seared into his divine essence like sunlight against snow, beginning to melt his consciousness.
"What the hell is this?!"
Panicked, the Asura God tried to retreat—
—but before he could flee, a surge of crimson flame roared toward him.
His divine sense narrowed in horror.
This flame… it could incinerate anything.
"No!"
Too late.
The fire engulfed him in an instant.
With a scream, the Asura God's divine sense was obliterated, reduced to raw soul essence.
---
Back on the Douluo Continent.
Qi Lin scratched the back of his head, feeling oddly refreshed.
"Huh? Why do I feel… suddenly clear-headed?"
He pondered for a second, then shrugged it off.
"Meh. Probably nothing."
He turned and continued on his way to find Director Su and ask for leave.
There were more important things to deal with.