Self-Generated Soul Ring, With Upgrade Effect!

The intense dizziness hadn't fully faded when Lin Yuan arrived in the dense forest a hundred li outside Star Luo City. The moment his feet touched the ground, he leaned against an ancient tree, gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently. The tearing sensation from the spatial teleportation still lingered in his limbs and bones, and every breath carried a faint taste of blood. Clearly, that ultra-long-distance spatial teleportation had been quite a drain on him, who had just awakened his martial soul.

Without lingering too long, after briefly identifying the direction, Lin Yuan quickly walked toward the nearest city he remembered. He had to find a place to rest as soon as possible to alleviate the physical strain caused by the spatial teleportation.

As soon as he stepped out of the edge of the dense forest, the outline of a distant city came into view. It was a small city, far smaller than Star Luo City, its walls built from bluish-gray bricks that gleamed with a cold, hard luster under the moonlight. At the city gate, three bold black iron characters were engraved—Falling Cloud City.

Two guards holding long spears stood on each side of the city gate, their armor glinting coldly in the moonlight as they vigilantly scanned the passing crowd, occasionally conducting simple interrogations of those entering. The atmosphere wasn't particularly strict, but it carried a sense of order.

Lin Yuan took a deep breath, raised his hand, and gently waved it. The air in front of him instantly split open, and a waist-high space rift appeared out of nowhere. Then, bending down, he stepped into the rift. The moment his figure completely disappeared, the rift closed like flowing water, leaving not even a trace of spatial fluctuation behind.

After entering Falling Cloud City, Lin Yuan headed straight for the highest-standard hotel in the city, the Cloud Cauldron Hotel. Although he was an orphan, that didn't mean he was short on money. To describe his financial situation in two words: wealthy.

Stepping into the Cloud Cauldron Hotel, the warmth that hit him immediately put him at ease, and the elegant environment added to the comfort. Lin Yuan walked up to the front desk and said softly, "I'd like to book a room, please."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Yuan himself was startled. What should have been a clear, youthful voice now carried a soft, mushy tone, like a child who had just learned to speak, with a slight upward lilt at the end that gave it a milky quality.

The female receptionist behind the counter was looking down, organizing the check-in register. Hearing his voice, she looked up, and the moment her eyes landed on Lin Yuan, the pen in her hand paused. She was about twenty years old, wearing the hotel's standard dark black uniform with a red bow tied at her collar.

Seeing Lin Yuan's slightly pale but delicate face beneath his silver-white hair, and hearing that soft, milky voice, a flicker of surprise passed through her eyes, followed by a warm smile. "Is the little one staying alone? Our Cloud Cauldron Hotel has elegant single rooms, scenic suites, and the top-floor luxury Celestial rooms. Which one would you like?"

As she spoke, she pointed to the price list behind the counter and tapped the luxury Celestial room. "This room has the best view—you can see Moonlight Mountain outside the city. The price is a bit higher, though. But if the little one prefers quiet, the elegant single room is also a good choice. It has good soundproofing and comes with a small balcony..."

Lin Yuan was about to say he wasn't a child, but remembering that unfamiliar, milky voice from earlier, he swallowed the words and simply nodded. "I'll take the luxury Celestial room. Thank you, big sister."

Seeing him nod, the receptionist smiled and quickly processed the registration, handing him a silver room card engraved with cloud patterns. "Celestial Room No. 3. The elevator is over there, turn left. Would you like me to take you up, little one?"

Lin Yuan took the room card, steadied himself, and remembering his soft voice again, could only reply quietly, "Thank you, big sister."

The receptionist smiled, put away the register, came out from behind the counter, and gestured with a side step. "Follow me. The Celestial rooms are on the top floor. The elevator is quick."

As they walked side by side toward the elevator, she couldn't help but take another look at Lin Yuan. This child had a cool, otherworldly aura, but his complexion was too pale, as if he had just been through some strain. She casually asked, "Did the little one come to Falling Cloud City with family? Why are you staying at the hotel alone?"

Lin Yuan's steps faltered slightly. Images of his parents leaving him flashed through his mind, and his tone softened. "My family is gone. It's just me now. But don't worry, big sister, I have money."

The smile on the receptionist's face faded slightly, a hint of sympathy rising in her eyes, and her steps slowed. She gently patted Lin Yuan on the shoulder. "I was too nosy. It's really not easy for you, being so young and all alone."

Lin Yuan shook his head, his fingers unconsciously tracing the cloud patterns on the room card. His soft, milky voice no longer carried the earlier awkwardness, now tinged with calm. "It's okay, big sister. It's been three years. I'm used to it. And now that I've awakened my martial soul, I can protect myself from now on."

The receptionist looked at Lin Yuan's deliberately mature yet still childish appearance, and her heart softened even more. She reached out and gently smoothed a strand of his hair that the night wind had tousled. "Then you have to take good care of yourself from now on. The bedding in the Celestial room has just been aired. If you get cold at night, just press the call button by the bed, and I'll bring you a blanket."

The elevator chimed as it reached the floor. Lin Yuan nodded seriously and said in his milky voice, "Thank you, big sister. I will."

Watching Lin Yuan turn and walk into the room, gently closing the door behind him, the receptionist couldn't help but sigh. Such a young child, having to bear so much alone. She hoped his path ahead would be smooth.

The moment Lin Yuan closed the door, his tense body suddenly relaxed. He slid down, his back against the door panel, slowly sitting on the floor. The taste of blood in his throat grew stronger. He wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand, and the faint red stain on his fingertips made him frown slightly. That spatial teleportation had taken a heavier toll on his body than he had anticipated.

Pushing himself up from the floor, he scanned the room. The furnishings were luxurious yet tasteful: a large, soft bed in the center, a round table by the floor-to-ceiling window with a plate of fresh fruit on it. He casually placed the room card on the low cabinet by the door and walked straight to the window, gazing at the distant mountain outlines hidden in the night. That must be Moonlight Mountain the receptionist had mentioned, lying quietly outside the city like a sleeping beast.

Lin Yuan raised a hand to rub his throbbing temples. The taste of blood in his throat, mixed with the fatigue from the spatial teleportation, made him want nothing more than to wash away the heaviness clinging to him. He turned and walked to the bathroom at the back of the room. The warm water cascaded over his body, gradually easing the soreness in his muscles and bones. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, his silver-white hair clung wetly to his cheeks, and his violet eyes seemed even more translucent in the steam, though his face was still somewhat pale.

Not long after washing up, Lin Yuan's eyelids grew too heavy to keep open. The energy expenditure from awakening his martial soul, the soul power depletion from spatial travel, and the natural fatigue of a child's body—all these layers of exhaustion combined made it hard for him to even sit steadily.

He forced himself to walk to the bed and collapsed face-first into the soft bedding. The faint scent of incense from the blankets mingled with the lingering dragon might aura within him, completely relaxing his tense nerves. Within moments, the sound of steady breathing filled the room. His usually bright, clear violet eyes were now tightly shut, his long lashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyelids.

That night, Lin Yuan slept soundly.

In his dreams, dragon roars rose and fell in succession. The figure of a nine-colored giant dragon circled in his dreams, and faintly, a Color-Gold Halo could be seen enveloping his body. In reality, a faint, multicolored light began to emanate from him—no energy leaked out, only the halo flickering continuously. Lin Yuan slept deeply, and the Color-Gold Halo gradually began to recede, as if nothing had happened.

But just as the Color-Gold light completely disappeared, three white halos silently rose from beneath Lin Yuan's feet, slowly ascending. At that moment, a faint Color-Gold light radiated from his body, making the three white halos stand out clearly.

The change didn't stop. The three white halos seemed to be infused with vibrant life, their color transforming at a visible rate. First, the pure white faded, replaced by a warm, light yellow—the signature color of a century soul ring. Then, the light yellow deepened and settled, shifting from pale yellow to bright yellow, and then to a rich, earthy yellow. Finally, the light condensed sharply, transforming into a deep purple—the color of a thousand-year soul ring!

These three deep purple thousand-year soul rings emitted an aura that clashed with Lin Yuan's still-young body, yet, nourished by the Dragon God Bloodline, they fused perfectly without any rejection. A faint Color-Gold light quietly flowed along the edges of the soul rings, as if gilding them with a sacred golden border, making them even more extraordinary.

All of this happened in silence. There were no earth-shaking dragon roars, no overwhelming energy fluctuations—it was as if it were a natural, effortless transformation. Only when the light of the three purple rings had fully stabilized did they slowly sink back down, eventually merging into Lin Yuan's body.

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the gaps in the floor-to-ceiling window, falling on Lin Yuan's youthful face. His lashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. His violet eyes still held the haziness of just waking up, but the next second, the surge of power within him snapped him fully awake.

Lin Yuan sat up abruptly, instinctively circulating his soul power. Three deep purple soul rings rose from beneath his feet. He could clearly feel the surging energy within the soul rings flowing through his meridians. The fatigue and pain left by yesterday's spatial teleportation had vanished without a trace.

"Self-generated soul rings, with an upgrade effect to boot—this is probably an unprecedented case in the history of the Douluo Continent." Lin Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the power flowing within the soul rings perfectly merging with his Dragon God Bloodline. A flicker of excitement passed through his violet eyes.

A moment later, he retracted the three purple thousand-year soul rings, picked up the room card he had left on the low cabinet the night before, and headed straight to the hotel lobby to settle the bill.

Leaving the Cloud Cauldron Hotel, Lin Yuan made his way to a secluded alley. Once again, he activated his Space Authority, reaching out to lightly tap the void. Silver-white spatial ripples spread out, even more stable than the night before at Lin Manor. Before the ripples could fully form into a door, he stepped into them, and his figure was instantly enveloped by the surging spatial currents.