Genesis Radiance, Ambition of Patrolling Stars and Expanding the Universe

"Alright, Lang Lei, it's time for you to rest now."

"Elysia, let me train a little longer. This body is far too frail..."

"No can do~?"

"Even if Lang Lei says that, you still need to balance work and rest~?"

"Fine."

Lang Lei helplessly set down the massive boulder in his hands. It crashed against the ground with a thunderous boom, making it hard to believe that a six-year-old child had just been lifting such a heavy stone for exercise.

"Honestly, Lang Lei, training like this—aren't you afraid you won't grow tall?"

"Of course not. Besides, Elysia, you know me. I don't place much importance on height." Lang Lei shrugged. "If someone mocks me for it, I'm confident that after their head is chopped off, they won't be taller than me anymore."

"Honestly, why does a kid have to say such gloomy things? Lang Lei isn't being good~?"

"Elysia, don't tell me you don't know my real age. Even if I'm not as old as you, I can't be called a child anymore." Lang Lei said with some exasperation.

"Discussing a beautiful girl's age is absolutely forbidden! Besides... Lang Lei's current appearance is really adorable~?"

"If we can't talk about age, should we talk about weight instead?" Lang Lei pretended to look thoughtful. "If I remember correctly, it's fifty-five kilograms, right?"

"It's fifty-four point eight kilograms. No rounding up!"

Hearing the somewhat flustered voice in his mind, the corners of Lang Lei's mouth lifted in amusement.

Teasing Elysia had become one of the few hobbies he'd held onto until now. Of course, both of them quite enjoyed the process.

"Oh well, Miss Fairy is magnanimous, so I won't bother with little Lang Lei~" Elysia's lively voice rang out in his mind again. "Speaking of which, isn't today the day little Lang Lei awakens his Martial Soul? Honestly, I'm really curious what little Lang Lei's Martial Soul will be~?"

"Elysia, please remove the word 'little' from before my name."

"Hmm~?"

Lang Lei shook his head helplessly and didn't dwell on it. Since Elysia liked calling him that, he'd let her. At worst, it was just this—as long as she was happy.

"It's about time I head back. Any later, and Sister Xue and Sister Bing will start worrying."

"And then they'll twist little Lang Lei's ears?"

"Elysia, can we not bring that up?"

"Alright, hurry up and go~?" Elysia's cheerful voice sounded again, as if rejoicing in her victory. "It's getting late, and little Lang Lei hasn't had breakfast yet, right?"

"..."

--

"Sister Xue, Sister Bing, I'm back!"

The titles slipped out of his mouth without any hesitation. Lang Lei felt no shame in it.

After all, whether it was the six years of nurturing or the fact that even counting his past life, he still couldn't match their age, calling them that seemed perfectly fine.

"Ah, Lang Lei's back! Perfect timing. Your Sister Xue and I were just deciding what clothes you should wear for the awakening. Come take a look yourself." Ice Empress, upon seeing Lang Lei enter the courtyard, immediately flicked her emerald hair aside and pulled him inside.

"Sister Xue, Sister Bing, is this... really necessary?"

Looking at all the clothes from his wardrobe dragged out, including several he'd never seen before, Lang Lei's mouth twitched.

"Very necessary!" ×3

Elysia's voice chimed in from his mind almost simultaneously with Snow Empress and Ice Empress.

Lang Lei felt that their unspoken understanding seemed wasted on something useless...

In the end, Lang Lei couldn't win against Snow Empress, Ice Empress, and Elysia. He obediently put on the clothes they wanted him to wear.

Of course, it wasn't women's clothing.

Women's clothing was a zero-or-infinity kind of thing. He'd die before wearing it.

After being dressed and fussed over with a look of utter resignation, the three of them finally left the courtyard and stepped onto the street.

Six years ago, considering Lang Lei was a human infant, Snow Empress and Ice Empress had decided to move out of the Extreme North's core zone and settle in a nearby human town, so Lang Lei could grow up more normally.

After all, the Extreme North was nothing but endless white snow and a handful of intelligent beings—hardly ideal for a child's development.

Even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form needed contact with human society to grow quickly, let alone Lang Lei, who was originally human.

That said, Lang Lei probably didn't need any of this, since he wasn't a real infant.

Along the way, the trio naturally drew plenty of stares. With Snow Empress and Ice Empress's looks, few could ignore them, though hardly anyone dared to approach.

The reason wasn't complicated. After Snow Empress and Ice Empress first arrived and taught a few petty troublemakers a lesson, harassment had become rare.

Now, everyone in town knew that Snow Empress and Ice Empress were esteemed Lord Soul Masters, and exceptionally powerful ones at that. Naturally, few dared to cross them. Still, plenty tried to get their children on good terms with Lang Lei to build a connection—something Snow Empress and Ice Empress might have intentionally allowed.

Soon, the three arrived at the town's Martial Soul Hall branch. It wasn't large, but it was more than enough to awaken the Martial Souls of six-year-old children.

Since the town wasn't particularly big and was near the Extreme North, few families settled here, so the number of six-year-olds each year wasn't high.

Even the children who often hung around Lang Lei weren't mostly his age or locals.

Before long, it was Lang Lei's turn. Snow Empress gently patted his shoulder in encouragement. Ice Empress pretended not to care, but her gaze couldn't help following him.

After six years of companionship, even a stone would have grown feelings...

To say he wasn't nervous would be impossible. Since he had come here, before possessing the power to shatter all rules, he too had to abide by the rules of this world.

Although he did have a few trump cards up his sleeve, none of them could be used as conventional means of defense.

Moreover, in his previous life, he had been a Pathstrider of The Hunt and The Trailblaze—or rather... an Emanator. Though, as Paimon put it, that was a bit too strange, the bottom line etched into his heart remained unchanged.

As the Martial Soul Hall soul master channeled soul power into the Martial Soul Awakening Stone, Lang Lei's martial soul quickly materialized.

A radiance of interwoven green and purple enveloped Lang Lei, and at the same time, a name surfaced in his heart—Genesis Radiance!

"Oh, Lang Lei, your weapon has returned, hasn't it~?"

A faint smile curled at the corner of Lang Lei's mouth. Of course he knew.

The Ambition of Patrolling Stars and Expanding the Universe—his old companion...