Transmigrating to Another World

The moment Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes, the blinding sunlight made him instinctively raise his hand to shield himself. As his vision gradually cleared, he froze—this wasn't his college dorm room, but an ancient-style chamber. The wooden furniture was carved with intricate patterns, and a faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the air.

"Where is this?" He sat up abruptly, a wave of dizziness washing over him.

"Young Master, you're finally awake!" A young man in a blue cloth robe pushed open the door, holding a bowl of steaming medicinal soup. "You've been unconscious for three days; the family head is almost driven mad."

Ning Xiaochuan's eyes widened as a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind—he, Ning Xiaochuan, was the third young master of the Ning family in Qingyun City, Open Source Continent. He was sixteen years old and considered a waste by his family for being unable to awaken his Source Soul. Yesterday, he was knocked unconscious by his second brother, Ning Yuan, with a palm strike in the training grounds...

"Wait, Open Source Continent? Source Soul?" Ning Xiaochuan's heart churned like a stormy sea. "Did I transmigrate?"

He looked down at his hands. This was indeed not his original body; they were more slender and fair, with distinct knuckles, but there were calluses on the base of his thumb from years of sword practice.

"Young Master, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" the servant asked worriedly.

"N-nothing..." Ning Xiaochuan forced himself to calm down. "You can leave now. I want to be alone for a while."

After the servant left, Ning Xiaochuan walked barefoot to the bronze mirror. In the reflection was an unfamiliar yet handsome face, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high-bridged nose, though his complexion was a bit pale. He pinched his cheek; the pain was undeniably real.

"I really transmigrated..." Ning Xiaochuan murmured, a mixture of shock and inexplicable excitement. As a seasoned fan of fantasy novels, he quickly accepted the reality.

According to the original body's memories, the Open Source Continent was a world that revered Source Souls. Everyone awakened their Source Soul at sixteen, which determined their cultivation talent and future achievements. The original body was already sixteen years and three months old but had yet to awaken his Source Soul, becoming the laughingstock of the family.

"Source Soul..." Ning Xiaochuan clenched his fist. "Since I'm here, I will never be a waste again!"

As he was contemplating, the door was roughly pushed open. A tall, burly young man strode in. His face bore some resemblance to the original body, but his eyes were filled with disdain.

"Yo, the waste is awake?" The newcomer was Ning Yuan, the second young master of the Ning family, owner of the Yellow-tier high-grade "Iron Arm Ape" Source Soul. "I thought my palm strike killed you. That would have been a real loss to the family—losing one more mouth to feed."

Ning Xiaochuan suppressed his anger. According to his memories, this second brother had always enjoyed bullying him.

"Second Brother is joking," Ning Xiaochuan forced a smile. "I'm quite resilient."

Ning Yuan snorted. "Don't think Father's favoritism will let you freeload in the family forever. The Source Soul Awakening Ceremony in three days is your last chance. If you still can't awaken your Source Soul, according to family rules, you'll be expelled and sent to manage a business in a remote town."

Ning Xiaochuan's heart tightened. In his original world, he was an ordinary university student, but here, he had nowhere to retreat.

"I will attend the Awakening Ceremony," he met Ning Yuan's gaze, his voice firm.

Ning Yuan was taken aback, clearly not expecting his usually timid third brother to react this way. He sneered, "Fine, I'll wait to see the show." With that, he turned and left, slamming the door shut.

Ning Xiaochuan let out a long breath and sat back on the bed. He had three days to prepare. According to his memories, Source Soul awakening required strong spiritual power and physical fitness. The original body, due to constant bullying, had a depressed will and a weak body.

"First, I need to recover my condition." Ning Xiaochuan made up his mind and began to regulate his breathing according to the methods in his memory.

For the next three days, Ning Xiaochuan stayed in his room, focusing on cultivating the family's basic technique, the Qingyun Art. To his surprise, although this body's Source Soul was not yet awakened, its sensitivity to Source Energy was exceptionally keen. Each time he cultivated, he could feel a warm current flowing through his meridians.

On the morning of the third day, Ning Xiaochuan stood in the courtyard, breathing in the morning sun. Three days of non-stop cultivation had subtly changed his demeanor; his gaze was sharper, and his body had grown considerably stronger.

"Young Master, it's time to go," the servant said respectfully from the courtyard entrance. "The Awakening Ceremony is about to begin."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded and adjusted his brand-new blue robe. Today was a day that would decide his fate; he was both nervous and expectant.

Before the Ning family's ancestral hall, over a hundred people had already gathered. Besides the Ning family disciples, there were also representatives from other families in Qingyun City. Source Soul awakening was a major event, and families would send people to observe, to understand the strength of the younger generation.

Ning Xiaochuan's arrival caused a stir of whispers.

"Isn't that the Ning family's useless third young master? I heard he's sixteen and still hasn't awakened his Source Soul."

"Today is his last chance; if he doesn't awaken, he'll be kicked out of the family."

"Shh, keep your voice down, he's still a Ning family young master..."

Ning Xiaochuan ignored them and walked directly towards the plaza in front of the ancestral hall. The family head, Ning Zhantian, sat on a high platform, his face stern. Seeing Ning Xiaochuan, he nodded slightly, a flicker of concern in his eyes.

"The Source Soul Awakening Ceremony begins!" As the Grand Elder gave the order, the sixteen-year-old Ning family disciples stepped forward one by one.

Ning Yuan was the first to step out. He glanced contemptuously at Ning Xiaochuan and placed his hand on the Awakening Stone in front of the ancestral hall. Instantly, a towering phantom of an Iron Arm Ape appeared behind him, letting out a deafening roar.

"Ning Yuan, Yellow-tier high-grade Iron Arm Ape Source Soul, cultivation has reached Source Warrior stage seven!" the Grand Elder announced loudly, drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd.

The next few Ning family disciples also awakened their Source Souls, most of them being Yellow-tier mid-to-low grade. When it was Ning Xiaochuan's turn, the discussion in the venue grew louder.

"Look, the waste is going up."

"I bet ten gold coins he won't awaken it."

"Don't say that, what if there's a miracle?"

Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath and walked towards the Awakening Stone. He could feel countless gazes, some mocking, some sympathetic. As his hand touched the cold Awakening Stone, something unexpected happened!

The Awakening Stone remained unresponsive at first. Just as everyone was about to mock him, it suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light! The entire plaza was illuminated as if it were daytime, forcing everyone to close their eyes.

Ning Xiaochuan felt an unprecedented power surge from within him, as if something was taking shape behind his back. He heard gasps of astonishment from the surroundings.

"What... what kind of Source Soul is that?"

"Never seen it before!"

"My god, is that... a dragon?"

Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes and saw a small, dragon-like phantom floating behind him. Unlike the majestic and fierce dragons of legend, this dragon was only the size of a puppy, entirely white, with a plump body, large, watery eyes, two small horns on its head, and a pair of miniature wings on its back. It looked... incredibly cute?

"Is this... a dragon?" Ning Xiaochuan was stunned himself.

Even more surprisingly, when the little dragon saw him, it let out a cheerful cry: "Goo-joo~" It then flew to his shoulder and affectionately nuzzled his cheek.

The entire venue fell silent.

The Grand Elder announced with a trembling voice, "Ning Xiaochuan, awakened... uh... an unknown-grade dragon-type Source Soul, tentatively named... Milk Dragon?"

"Milk Dragon?" Ning Xiaochuan almost bit his tongue. The dragon Source Soul he imagined should have been majestic and overwhelmingly powerful. How did it turn into such a cute creature when it was his?

The little dragon seemed to sense his thoughts and let out a wronged "Guchu," spitting out a small puff of... milky white Source Energy?

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly felt a warm current surge through his meridians. His cultivation had actually increased by a sliver!

"This..." He looked at the little creature on his shoulder in shock. "Can you assist with cultivation?"

The little dragon proudly lifted its small head and spat out another puff of milky mist. This time, Ning Xiaochuan clearly felt his Source Power increase by a segment.

The discussions from below the stage erupted.

"What is that ability?"

"Never heard of a Source Soul that can directly increase cultivation!"

"It looks like a dragon, but its rank can't be determined..."

On the high platform, the Patriarch Ning Zhantian suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with sharp light. "Ning Xiaochuan's Source Soul is tentatively classified as Earth-grade low-tier. Its final rank will be determined after further observation!"

This assessment caused an uproar. Earth-grade Source Souls were rare even in the entire Qingyun City. The Ning family currently only had the Patriarch himself possessing an Earth-grade mid-tier Source Soul.

Ning Yuan's face turned ashen. He couldn't accept that his younger brother, whom he had always regarded as trash, was suddenly surpassing him.

After the ceremony, Ning Xiaochuan was summoned to the Patriarch's study alone. Ning Zhantian looked at him with a complex expression. "Xiaochuan, your Source Soul is very special. I have never seen anything like it. It appears weak, but its potential is astonishing."

"Father, I don't know what's going on either..." Ning Xiaochuan told the truth.

"Regardless, this is your fortune," Ning Zhantian said sternly. "But remember, a treasure brings disaster. Until you are strong enough, do not easily reveal your Source Soul's special abilities."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded solemnly. After leaving the study, he eagerly returned to his courtyard to begin studying the Milk Dragon Source Soul.

The little dragon seemed to understand his words, performing various actions according to his instructions. Even more miraculously, the milky mist it spat out not only increased cultivation but could also heal minor injuries. Ning Xiaochuan tried circulating the Qingyun Art and found that his cultivation speed was more than three times faster than before!

"Little guy, what exactly is your origin?" Ning Xiaochuan gently stroked the little dragon's head. The latter closed its eyes comfortably.

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Ning Yuan, accompanied by two cronies, barged in.

"Third Brother, congratulations," Ning Yuan said with a fake smile. "However, having a Source Soul alone isn't enough. Practical combat is key. How about we spar?"

Ning Xiaochuan knew this was a provocation, but he also wanted to test the Milk Dragon Source Soul's combat capabilities, so he agreed.

The two stood in the courtyard. Without a word, Ning Yuan directly summoned his Iron Arm Ape Source Soul and punched out. Ning Xiaochuan reacted hastily, was pushed back several steps, and felt a dull ache in his chest.

"Is that all you've got?" Ning Yuan sneered. "It seems your Earth-grade Source Soul is nothing special either!"

Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth and tried to communicate with the Milk Dragon. The little dragon let out a "Guchu" and spat out a dense puff of milky mist that enveloped him. Ning Xiaochuan immediately felt his strength surge, and his reaction speed greatly improved.

When Ning Yuan attacked again, Ning Xiaochuan easily dodged and counter-attacked with a palm strike to the opponent's shoulder. Ning Yuan staggered back, his face full of disbelief.

"This is impossible!" he roared, activating his Source Skill Ape King's Wrath, his power increasing again.

At the critical moment, the Milk Dragon suddenly flew in front of Ning Xiaochuan and spat a milky white beam from its small mouth, colliding with Ning Yuan's fist. Amidst a deafening roar, Ning Yuan was blasted away, falling heavily to the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan himself was stunned, not expecting the little guy to have an offensive skill.

Ning Yuan scrambled to his feet, his eyes filled with venom. "You just wait!" he snarled before leaving hastily with his cronies.

Ning Xiaochuan let out a long sigh and held the Milk Dragon in his arms. "Thank you, little guy."

The little dragon affectionately nuzzled him, then transformed into a white light and merged into his body. Ning Xiaochuan felt a ball of warm energy in his Source Soul space, knowing this was the Source Soul returning.

That night, as Ning Xiaochuan was cultivating, he suddenly heard movement outside his window. He opened his eyes alertly and saw an arrow fly through the window, embedding itself in the bedpost. A note was tied to the arrow.

"Tomorrow at noon, meet me in the Green Pine Forest outside the city. It concerns the secret of your Source Soul. --Su"

Ning Xiaochuan frowned and pondered. Su? He didn't remember knowing anyone with the surname Su. But the mention of his Source Soul's secret made him take it seriously.

The next day, Ning Xiaochuan arrived at the Green Pine Forest as promised. The forest was empty. Just as he was wondering, a white figure descended gracefully from a tree.

It was a girl about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in snow-white robes, with hair as black as a waterfall and a face like a painting. A green longsword hung at her waist. Most striking was the faint chill surrounding her, clearly indicating her Source Soul was related to ice.

"You are Ning Xiaochuan?" the girl's voice was clear and cold. "I am Su Linger, a disciple of the Tianyuan Sect."

Ning Xiaochuan's heart trembled. The Tianyuan Sect was one of the top sects on the Open Source Continent, far superior to a small place like Qingyun City.

"Miss Su, what business do you have with me?" he asked warily.

Su Linger looked directly into his eyes. "Your Source Soul is not an ordinary dragon, but the legendary 'Sacred Spirit Young Dragon,' possessing infinite growth potential."

Ning Xiaochuan was shocked. "How do you know?"

"I have my ways," Su Linger replied without directly answering. "The Sacred Spirit Young Dragon is a rare sight, encountered once in a millennium. Once it grows, it will be enough to change the continent's landscape. But it is too weak now. If it falls into the wrong hands, you will surely die."

Cold sweat broke out on Ning Xiaochuan's back. "Why are you telling me this?"

A hint of complexity flashed in Su Linger's eyes. "Because... I need your help. My Source Soul, the 'Mysterious Ice Phoenix,' has been acting abnormally recently. Only the aura of the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon can stabilize it. In exchange, I can guide your cultivation and bring you into the Tianyuan Sect."

Ning Xiaochuan fell into thought. There must be hidden reasons behind this sudden opportunity, but he genuinely needed guidance and resources.

"Why should I trust you?" he asked.

Su Linger sighed softly and extended her right hand. A crystal-clear ice phoenix appeared in her palm, but its form was unstable, flickering between clarity and blurriness.

"Do you see? This is the problem with my Source Soul," she said, retracting it. "I could have abducted you directly, but I chose to be honest. The decision is yours."

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the girl with an ethereal aura before him. His intuition told him he could trust her. Moreover, entering the Tianyuan Sect would greatly benefit his growth.

"Alright, I agree," he finally nodded. "But I have one condition—I want to know all information about the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon."

Su Linger revealed a slight smile. "Deal. From today on, we are partners."

Thus, the threads of fate between Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger began to intertwine. What he didn't know was that a storm was brewing across the entire Open Source Continent, and he and his Sacred Spirit Young Dragon Source Soul would become the center of that storm