Rainbow Bridge

Time passed second by second, and night soon arrived. The moon slowly rose as well. Just as the system had said, tonight's moon was indeed perfectly round. Yet the Rainbow Bridge had yet to appear.

"Haoran, let's search a little longer," Jiang Jiayao said. With the full moon already risen, the soul beasts would be even more active tonight.

"Let's wait a little longer. I remember an ancient text saying that Jade Mist Lake would display an unexpected spectacle on the night of a full moon, and behind that spectacle lay a little-known secret," Hu Haoran said firmly.

"A spectacle at Jade Mist Lake on the night of a full moon? How come I've never heard of it? I've read quite a few ancient texts too. Shrek Academy's inheritance of tens of thousands of years has no record of it. That ancient text of yours must have fooled you!" Jiang Jiayao clearly did not trust this claim. After all, he was also a well-read man.

"Let's wait a little longer," Hu Haoran said helplessly. The Rainbow Bridge that was supposed to appear still had not shown up. What else could he do?

Jiang Jiayao did not argue further. He closed his eyes and continued cultivating his Soul Power.

Before they knew it, midnight had arrived. The full moon reached directly overhead, and a miracle slowly began to unfold.

A beam of light slowly extended from the center of Jade Mist Lake, majestic and spectacular, shimmering with brilliant colors. The soul beasts were greatly afraid of this ray of light and scattered away.

Jiang Jiayao rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it was real. A seven-colored radiance slowly appeared before him, so dreamlike yet so tangible.

Hu Haoran, meanwhile, was incredibly excited. It felt like an explorer following a treasure map and finally finding the true treasure, making all their waiting worthwhile.

"Ding~ Hello. You currently have a level 60 instance quest, Mystery of the Rainbow Bridge. The rewards are the External Soul Bone—Lightning Angel Wings, and the level-eight defensive Soul Tool Worldly Affection. Would you like to accept?" Just as Hu Haoran was about to step onto the rainbow, the Douluo System's voice rang out in his mind.

This information told Hu Haoran two things clearly. First, the Rainbow Bridge would not be easy to cross, and danger awaited. Second, only those at level sixty would be relatively safe here. Hu Haoran pondered for a moment, then stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge and accepted the instance quest directly in his mind. Since I've come to this world, I'll either live brilliantly or die—

"Ding~ Quest accepted successfully!" Upon receiving the command, the Douluo System immediately activated quest mode.

"Brother Jiang, hurry up and come over. This Rainbow Bridge won't be easy to cross, but if we make it through, we might gain something beyond our expectations," Hu Haoran urged the dazed Jiang Jiayao.

"Holy crap, you really are incredibly knowledgeable. I don't know what lies beyond this road, but I do know that I'm risking my life to accompany you now. A man should live a brilliant life; how can someone timid and cowardly be called a hero? Let's go!" Jiang Jiayao suddenly became spirited as well.

Hu Haoran and Jiang Jiayao stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge without hesitation.

Not long after they entered the Rainbow Bridge, Leng Xuewu followed them in.

"Does danger or a fortuitous encounter lie behind this spectacle? Even I am greatly shocked by the power emanating from this seven-colored path of light. This is no longer a power that the human world can possess. There's no harm in being careful. Come forth, my companion!" Leng Xuewu stroked her martial soul, a sharp sword radiating cold air. "It's been a long time, my Ice Lotus Snow Dance Sword."

It was a sharp sword that constantly emitted a chill. Its blade was three feet and two inches long, and one inch and five fen wide. At the hilt was an exquisite ice lotus, as though the source of the entire sword's power lay there. The sword was deep blue throughout and appeared profoundly mysterious, while its silver patterns made it seem even more enigmatic. This was Leng Xuewu's martial soul, a sharp sword—the Ice Lotus Snow Dance Sword.

The Rainbow Bridge glimmered with seven-colored crystal radiance. Those who entered it felt as though they had been transported into a dream.

"After a hundred thousand years, someone has finally stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge. I wonder whether they can pass the trials. My power is fading by the day." Deep within Jade Mist Lake, a pleasant yet lonely voice murmured to itself.

"Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge. You are the first group to step onto this bridge. You will now enter the first trial—the Rainbow Road. Those who succeed will enter the second trial. Those who fail will die." A voice came from all directions.

"Damn?! Can we quit?" Jiang Jiayao was instantly dumbfounded.

"Those who withdraw will die!" the voice replied.

"I never said anything." Jiang Jiayao immediately fell silent.

"The trial officially begins." After the voice spoke those words, the entire bridge changed.

A sudden change unfolded before Hu Haoran's eyes.

"Haoran! Today is your Martial Soul Awakening day. Are you nervous?" Leng Xuewu asked Hu Haoran warmly and kindly.

"Not nervous." A childish voice came from Hu Haoran's mouth.

Time suddenly returned to the year Hu Haoran was six. This day was the day he awakened his martial soul, and it was also the darkest day of his life.

Hu Haoran and Leng Xuewu entered a carriage together and set off for the Martial Soul Awakening Hall. Every nation and every region had a Martial Soul Awakening Hall dedicated to awakening martial souls. These halls had been jointly established by all the major powers across the continent, their purpose being to help people awaken their martial souls and to discover geniuses with enormous potential for their own factions. Nearly everyone awakened their martial souls at the Martial Soul Awakening Hall in their own region, and every awakened martial soul was recorded separately. After countless tens of thousands of years of development, this system had become exceedingly mature. Naturally, Hu Haoran could only go there to awaken his martial soul.

In less than three quarters of an hour, Hu Haoran and Leng Xuewu finally arrived at the Martial Soul Awakening Hall.

Many people stood in line outside the hall. It was bustling almost every day, with six-year-old children from all over arriving each day under their parents' care to awaken their martial souls. Those with good luck would soar to greatness that day; those with bad luck could only become stepping stones for others in the end. This was a place that determined a person's life.

"I'll go in with you." Leng Xuewu brushed back the hair hanging beside her ear and smiled faintly.

"Okay, Mother." Hu Haoran smiled brightly as well. Back then, he had been very dependent on and attached to his mother.

Deep within Hu Haoran's heart, a pair of eyes quietly watched everything. He did not want to disturb this moment. He wanted to understand the past of this body's former owner. The owner of those eyes was the current Hu Haoran. Even now, his soul from another world had not truly and completely fused with the soul of this world. He felt that this was an opportunity, an opportunity to merge with it completely and naturally.