The intense dizziness had yet to fully fade when Lin Yuan arrived in a dense forest a hundred li outside Star Luo City. The moment his feet touched the ground, he braced himself against an ancient tree beside him and gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently. The tearing sensation from the spatial teleportation still lingered in every limb and bone, and every breath carried a faint taste of blood. Clearly, that long-distance spatial teleportation had taken quite a toll on someone who had only just awakened his Martial Soul.
Without lingering, Lin Yuan quickly identified his direction and headed toward the nearest city he remembered. He needed to find somewhere to settle down as soon as possible and recover from the physical strain caused by the spatial teleportation.
As soon as he emerged from the edge of the forest, the outline of a city appeared in the distance. It was a small city, far less grand than Star Luo City. Its walls were built from blue-gray bricks and stones, gleaming coldly under the moonlight. Above the city gate were three bold black iron characters—Falling Cloud City.
Two guards carrying long spears stood on each side of the city gate. Their armor gleamed coldly under the moonlight as they vigilantly watched the passing travelers, occasionally giving those entering the city a brief interrogation. The atmosphere was not overly severe, but it carried a sense of order.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath and lightly waved his hand. The air before him was instantly sliced apart, and a Space Rift half a person's height appeared out of nowhere. He then bent down and stepped into it. The instant his figure completely vanished, the rift closed like receding tides, leaving behind not even the faintest spatial fluctuation.
After entering Falling Cloud City, Lin Yuan headed straight for the most upscale Cloud Cauldron Hotel in the city. Though he was an orphan, that did not mean his pockets were empty. If two words were needed to describe his financial situation, they would be: very rich.
The warmth that greeted him upon entering Cloud Cauldron Hotel immediately made him feel welcome, while the elegant surroundings added to the comfort. Lin Yuan walked to the lobby counter and said softly, "Please get me a room."
The moment the words left his mouth, even Lin Yuan froze. What should have been a clear young boy's voice was now wrapped in a soft, squishy tone, like a child who had only recently learned to speak. The ends of his words even drifted slightly upward, carrying an unmistakable childish lilt.
The female attendant behind the counter had been lowering her head to organize the guest registry. Hearing him, she looked up, and the pen in her hand paused the instant her gaze landed on Lin Yuan. She appeared to be in her early twenties and wore the hotel's standard dark black uniform, with a red bow tied at her collar.
Seeing Lin Yuan's delicate, slightly pale face beneath his silver-white hair, then hearing that soft, childish voice, surprise flashed through the attendant's eyes before a gentle smile spread across her face. "Is the little one staying alone? Our Cloud Cauldron Hotel has refined single rooms, scenic suites, and luxurious Celestial Rooms on the top floor. Which would you like?"
As she spoke, she pointed to the price list behind the counter, then tapped the luxurious Celestial Room option. "This room has the best view. You can see Moonlight Mountain outside the city, though it costs a little more. But if you prefer somewhere quiet, the refined single room is also suitable. It has good soundproofing and a small balcony..."
Lin Yuan had just wanted to say that he was not a child, but then he remembered that strange childish voice from moments ago. The words at his lips were swallowed back down, and he could only nod. "I'll take this luxurious Celestial Room, please, big sister."
Seeing him nod, the attendant smiled and efficiently entered his information. She handed him a silver room key engraved with cloud patterns. "Celestial Room No. 3. Turn left over there for the elevator. Would you like big sister to take you upstairs?"
Lin Yuan took the key and steadied himself. Remembering his soft voice again, he could only answer quietly, "Please, big sister."
The attendant smiled, put away the registry, and stepped out from behind the counter. Turning slightly, she made a guiding gesture. "Come with me. The Celestial Rooms are on the top floor, and the elevator is very fast."
As they walked side by side toward the elevator, she could not help glancing at Lin Yuan a few more times. The child had a cold, ethereal air about him, but his complexion was far too pale, as though he had just exhausted himself. She casually asked, "Did you come to Falling Cloud City with your family? Why are you staying at a hotel by yourself?"
Lin Yuan's steps paused slightly. The image of his parents leaving him flashed through his mind, and his voice softened. "My family is gone. I'm the only one left. But don't worry, big sister. I have money."
The smile on the attendant's face instantly faded a little, and a trace of pity rose in her eyes. Her pace slowed by half a beat as well. She gently patted Lin Yuan's shoulder. "I shouldn't have asked. Being alone at such a young age... it must not have been easy."
Lin Yuan shook his head, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing the cloud pattern on the room key. The awkwardness had vanished from his soft voice, replaced by a measure of calm. "It's all right, big sister. It's already been three years. I'm used to it. And now that I've awakened my Martial Soul, I'll be able to protect myself from now on."
Looking at Lin Yuan's deliberately mature yet still childlike appearance, the attendant's heart softened further. She gently reached out and tidied the hair the night wind had tousled. "Then you must take good care of yourself from now on. The bedding in the Celestial Rooms was just aired out. If you're cold at night, press the call bell by the bed, and big sister will bring you a blanket."
The elevator arrived at the floor with a ding. Lin Yuan nodded seriously and said in his childish voice, "Thank you, big sister. I will."
Watching Lin Yuan turn and enter the room, gently closing the door behind him, the attendant could not help sighing. Such a small child, yet he had to shoulder so much alone. She only hoped the road ahead would go smoothly for him.
The instant Lin Yuan closed the door, his taut body abruptly relaxed. With his back against the door panel, he slowly slid down to sit on the floor. The bloody taste rising in his throat grew stronger. He raised a hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, and the pale red stain on his fingertips made him frown slightly. The spatial teleportation had harmed his body more severely than he had expected.
Supporting himself against the floor, he rose to his feet and swept his gaze across the room. The furnishings were luxurious without lacking elegance. A broad, soft bed stood in the center, while a round table sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, with a plate of fresh fruit placed atop it. He casually set the room key on the low cabinet by the door and walked straight to the window, looking at the mountain silhouettes hidden in the night. That must have been the Moonlight Mountain the attendant had mentioned, lying silently beyond the city like a sleeping beast.
Lin Yuan rubbed his heavy temples. The bloody taste in his throat, mixed with the exhaustion after spatial teleportation, made him want nothing more than to wash away the sluggishness weighing on him. He turned and walked toward the bathroom inside the room. The warm water washed 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 purple eyes appeared even more crystalline through the mist. His face, however, remained somewhat pale.
Not long after washing up, Lin Yuan was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open. The energy spent awakening his Martial Soul, the depletion of Soul Power caused by traveling through space, and the fact that a child's body tired easily to begin with—layer upon layer of exhaustion left him unable to sit upright.
He forced himself to the bedside, then collapsed headfirst onto the soft bedding. The faint fragrance lingering in the sheets intertwined with the Dragon Might Aura remaining within him, completely relaxing his taut nerves. Before long, steady breathing filled the room. His purple eyes, always so clear and bright, were now tightly shut, his long eyelashes casting small shadows beneath his lids.
That night, Lin Yuan slept soundly.
In his dream, dragon roars rose and fell. The Nine-Colored Giant Dragon circled through the dreamscape, and a Color-Gold Halo could faintly be seen surrounding his body. In reality, faint multicolored light also began to radiate from him. No energy leaked out; only the halo flickered without end. Lin Yuan slept deeply, and the Color-Gold Halo gradually began to draw back, as though nothing had happened.
Yet when the Color-Gold light completely vanished, three White Halos silently emerged beneath Lin Yuan's feet and slowly rose. At that moment, a faint Color-Gold radiance suddenly spread around his body, making those three White Halos appear exceptionally clear.
The changes did not stop. The three White Halos seemed to be infused with vibrant life, their colors transforming at a visible rate. First, their pure white faded and was dyed with a warm goose-yellow hue—the signature color of a Century Soul Ring. Then the goose-yellow rapidly deepened and settled, shifting from pale yellow to bright yellow, then to rich earthy yellow. Finally, the light abruptly condensed, transforming into a deep purple that symbolized a thousand years of cultivation!
The aura emitted by these three deep purple Millennium Soul Rings was utterly out of place with Lin Yuan's still-childish body, yet nourished by the Dragon God Bloodline, they fused with him perfectly, without the slightest rejection. Color-Gold glimmers quietly flowed along the edges of the Soul Rings, as if coating the Millennium Soul Rings in a sacred golden rim and making them appear all the more extraordinary.
All of this happened in silence. There was no earth-shaking dragon roar, nor any vast surge of energy. It was as though it were merely a natural transformation that had come about in its own course. Only after the light of the three purple rings had completely stabilized did they slowly sink, eventually merging into Lin Yuan's body.
The next morning, the first ray of sunlight streamed through a gap in the floor-to-ceiling window and fell across Lin Yuan's youthful face. His eyelashes trembled as he slowly opened his eyes. His purple pupils still held the haziness of someone who had just awakened, but in the next second, the full sensation of power flowing through his body jolted him entirely awake.
Lin Yuan suddenly sat up and instinctively circulated his Soul Power. Three deep purple Soul Rings immediately rose beneath his feet. He could clearly feel the surging energy within them moving through his meridians. The exhaustion and injuries left behind by yesterday's spatial teleportation had long since vanished without a trace.
"Self-generated Soul Rings, and they even come with an Upgrade Effect. This is probably a one-of-a-kind exception in the entire history of Douluo Continent." Lin Yuan clenched his fists, sensing the power circulating through the Soul Rings perfectly merge with his Dragon God Bloodline. Excitement flashed in his purple eyes.
A moment later, he withdrew the three purple Millennium Soul Rings, casually picked up the room key he had placed on the low cabinet the night before, and headed straight to the hotel lobby to settle the room fee.
After leaving Cloud Cauldron Hotel, Lin Yuan entered a secluded alley and once again summoned Space Authority. He lightly tapped the empty air, and silver-white spatial ripples spread out again, more stable than they had been at Lin Manor the previous night. Before the ripples could fully spread into a doorway, he stepped into them, his figure instantly swallowed by the surging spatial turbulence.
Before you continue