Travelers and Reincarnators

Douluo Continent, White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

The entire estate was built against the mountain. The mountain behind it was covered in lush vegetation, and some towering trees even stretched their branches over the Duke's Mansion's high walls.

It was already autumn. The mountains were dyed red, and the layered forests were awash in color.

In a small courtyard near the Duke's Mansion's rear gate, the ground was carpeted with blood-red fallen leaves. A child lay against the wall beneath the shade of a tree, using the leaves as a bed. The fragmented morning sunlight filtered through the sparse branches and fell across his delicate face.

The child's bright eyes stared blankly upward, reflecting a blood-red fallen leaf as it danced through the air and gradually grew larger in his vision.

Yet his attention was clearly not on that butterfly-like leaf. Only when it landed over his little face did the boy seem to snap awake, forcefully blowing it away with a puff of breath.

"Autumn may be when all things begin to wither, when the weather turns cold, rainy, and damp, but it is still a wonderful season!"

Having come back to himself, the child sighed emotionally, his voice brimming with unconcealed delight.

The child's name was Lin Ran—Lin Ran, as in mountains dyed red and forests awash in color. Perhaps because of his name, he felt that autumn had a special affinity with him.

He was a traveler who had arrived on Douluo Continent six years ago.

In his Previous Life, he had been born on the Beginning of Autumn and had also died on the Beginning of Autumn. It could be said that he had come full circle, with cause and effect completing their cycle.

Just moments ago, his cheat had finally shown some activity.

[Cause and Effect Reversal System at your service]

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Host: Lin Ran

Age: Six years old (twenty-four years old)

Martial Soul: None

Available pre-paid attempts: 2 (1 same-realm pre-payment, 1 Pre-paid Trade)

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After some simple research, Lin Ran had more or less figured out the system's functions.

It could let him pre-pay for items, Cultivation Methods, Soul Rings and Soul Bones, heavenly treasures, bloodlines, and Martial Souls. The system would then generate missions based on the things he had pre-paid for, and completing those missions would refresh his available pre-paid attempts.

The generated missions were generally related to what he had obtained. For instance, if he pre-paid for a Soul Ring, the mission he needed to complete would be to hunt a corresponding Soul Beast.

There were two methods of pre-payment. One allowed him to pre-pay only for things he could use at his current realm. For example, if his Level 10 Soul Power could withstand a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, then he could pre-pay for one.

The other, Pre-paid Trade, was more like a platform that allowed him to trade with unknown entities.

"Isn't this just a loan system and a buy-now-pay-later system? Has the market for system novels gotten so bad that they're using buy-now-pay-later to stimulate consumer spending?"

Lin Ran mocked.

Who would have thought that someone who had never even borrowed money in his Previous Life would have to live on loans in this life? What was this, enjoy it early if you used it early?

"System, what mission do I need to complete to pre-pay for a Martial Soul?"

The System Panel in his mind changed accordingly.

[Dragon God Martial Soul. Generated missions: 1. Fuse the Dragon God Heart and Gold Silver Dragon King Bloodline, then inherit the Dragon God Seat. (Same-realm pre-payment; risk of possession.) 2. Revive the Dragon God. (Pre-paid Trade.) Time limit: 10 years. (Note: If the time limit is exceeded, the Pre-paid Item will be reclaimed. At the same time, the host's credit rating will decrease, and the pre-payment function will be sealed for a period and cannot be used until the host's credit rating recovers.)]

[Silver Dragon King Martial Soul. Generated missions: 1. Fuse the Silver Dragon King Bloodline and Creation Godhead. (Same-realm pre-payment.) 2. Overthrow the God Realm and revive the Dragon Clan. (Pre-paid Trade.) Time limit: 10 years.]

[Golden Dragon King Martial Soul...]

[Destruction Condensation Fluid...]

[Ancient Life Tree...]

The Martial Souls available for pre-payment left Lin Ran dazzled. The more powerful the Martial Soul, the more difficult the mission required after pre-payment. In particular, the missions involving Pre-paid Trade—could the trading parties possibly be the Dragon God and the Silver Dragon King?

Although all the Martial Souls listed above were God-level Martial Souls, none of those missions could possibly be completed within their deadlines. Failing a mission would not only result in the Pre-paid Item being reclaimed, but also cause the system's functions to be sealed for a period. The loss outweighed the gain.

Therefore, he had to be extremely cautious when choosing what to pre-pay for.

He could first pre-pay for a Martial Soul that was not quite so top-tier. Once he had grown stronger, he could then pre-pay for something like the Dragon God Martial Soul or Ancient Life Tree Martial Soul as his second Martial Soul. Even a third Martial Soul was not out of the question.

Just as Lin Ran was considering which Martial Soul to pre-pay for, a burst of commotion suddenly came from outside the courtyard, drawing his attention.

"Hmph, Huo Yun'er, you and your son should give up! That little bastard only has Level One Innate Soul Power. Can he compare to the eldest young master and second young master? A bastard is a bastard! He can't inherit the Dai Clan's White Tiger Martial Soul!"

Several guards coldly watched the mother and son standing by the wall.

The older of the two was a young woman. Her haggard appearance could not conceal her lovely features. Though her temperament was gentle and frail, she still firmly protected the little boy behind her, lowering her head and pressing her lips together without saying a word.

The little boy looked rather thin and weak. His bright eyes held bewilderment and confusion as he stared blankly at the scene before him.

Seeing Huo Yun'er remain silent, the lead guard sneered. A whip suddenly appeared in his hand, and he viciously lashed it toward her.

Today was the day Dai Yuhao awakened his Martial Soul. By the Duchess's orders, they had specifically come to teach the mother and son a lesson today, lest they develop any unnecessary hopes.

If Dai Yuhao had awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul, he would not have dared humiliate them so easily. But Dai Yuhao's Martial Soul had now mutated, and he possessed merely Level One Innate Soul Power. Naturally, the guard had no more reservations.

The fierce shadow of the whip came hurtling toward Huo Yun'er. She only had time to hastily turn around and shield Dai Yuhao tightly.

At that moment, the bewilderment in the child's eyes abruptly vanished, leaving only a depth and chill utterly unsuited to his age. His small hand reached past Huo Yun'er and precisely caught the long whip.

"You dare bully my mother too?"

Dai Yuhao's childish voice carried bone-chilling coldness. He broke free from Huo Yun'er's embrace, gripped the whip, and gave it a violent tug. The guard staggered and fell toward them.

"Winter Thought Fist, Thoughts Flowing Like a Spring!"

Dai Yuhao lightly threw a punch. His eyes suddenly softened, revealing love and longing that did not belong to a child his age, creating an indescribably strange feeling.

A phantom with long pink-blue hair flashed past beside him, merging with the shadow of his fist.

With a single blow, the guard was sent flying. He violently spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.

When Lin Ran climbed onto the wall, he saw this iconic scene. The corner of his mouth twitched, and then his brows furrowed tightly.

Winter Thought Fist?

How could six-year-old Huo Yuhao know the Winter Thought Fist? He had clearly been normal before awakening his Martial Soul.

Had Huo Yuhao reincarnated? Or was he, like Lin Ran, a traveler with a system who had transmigrated into Huo Yuhao's body? Then where had the original little Huo Yuhao gone?

Lin Ran stared deeply at Huo Yuhao below, who had cleanly dealt with several guards. His emotions churned uncertainly.

Six years ago, he had been reborn as an infant. For some unknown reason, Huo Yun'er had adopted him, and so he had grown up alongside Huo Yuhao.

But now, the childhood companion he had grown up with had silently become someone else. Did that mean the Huo Yuhao he knew was already dead? And was the killer this possible reincarnator or traveler?

Although he had deliberately kept his distance out of wariness toward Tang San and had not been especially close to Huo Yuhao, their relationship had at least been friendly. Yet now, the other person had become someone of unknown origin—