When he opened his eyes, Li Linchen found himself in a state of chaos. Darkness surrounded him, and the pain of being struck by a speeding truck still seemed to echo in his mind.
"Did I... die?" Li Linchen murmured, looking around. "Well, at least I saved someone before I died. This damn world—I was sick of it anyway." His gaze seemed to catch sight of something. His pupils widened, excitement glimmering in his eyes.
A speck of light shone in the distance, exerting an inexplicable pull that drew Li Linchen toward it. He began walking in that direction.
As he passed through the light, the world spun around him. When he opened his eyes again, he heard a man's voice say, "From now on, he will be called Yun Linchen. He'll take my surname. If his talent is good, I'll raise him to become the next Sea God Pavilion Master."
Lin Chen was a little dumbfounded. "Wait, the Sea God Pavilion Master?" He quickly recalled the novels he'd read in his previous life and was shocked to realize he'd been reincarnated—and into the era of Legend of the Dragon King, at that.
"But why would I take Yun Ming's surname?"
Yali looked toward Yun Ming. Joy shone in her eyes, but was quickly swallowed by an indescribable sorrow. Only after a long while did she speak. "Sigh... This child is so young, and yet his parents..."
Yun Ming gripped Yali's hand. "It's all right. Since they entrusted their child to us, we mustn't let them down." Even so, the sorrow in his voice was no less than hers.
He took a deep breath, tamping down his grief and regaining his usual composure. "Notify everyone. We'll hold a Sea God Pavilion Meeting." After a pause, he added, "Let the elders know that Linyuan, one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, and his wife have sacrificed themselves."
The elders soon arrived at the Sea God Pavilion meeting room.
Yun Ming and Yali sat at the head of the conference table, with Long Yeyue and the others seated below them.
The meeting's purpose was so simple it felt almost unbearably heavy. Once word of Linyuan and his wife's sacrifice spread, only a suffocating silence remained in the room.
Yali held the still-young Yun Linchen in her arms. His gaze shifted from Long Yeyue to a white-haired old man whose long, crimson hair and beard spilled over his chest. A hint of anger showed on the old man's face.
The old man was one of the Sea God Pavilion Elders, Red Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi.
Zhuo Shi felt Lin Chen's gaze and forced down his grief. Then he put on a fierce expression, hoping to tease the fearless little boy.
Lin Chen wasn't scared. He wriggled free of Yali's arms and, wobbling on his little feet, toddled toward Zhuo Shi.
Seeing how soft and chubby Lin Chen looked, with his babyish air, Zhuo Shi's fierce expression turned tender. He reached out, intending to scoop him up.
A comical scene unfolded in the Sea God Pavilion. Lin Chen didn't let Zhuo Shi pick him up. Instead, he stared at Zhuo Shi's long red beard.
Just as Zhuo Shi's hand was about to reach him, Lin Chen stopped. His large, jade-green eyes fixed on the beard hanging down his chest. The corners of his mouth curled up in a sly little smile. "Hehe, that's for scaring me."
Zhuo Shi sensed trouble, but before he could react, Lin Chen's small hand had grabbed a lock of his beard and yanked hard!
"Hiss!" Zhuo Shi sucked in a sharp breath. His kindly expression crumbled along with the lock of beard, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. He looked pained and helpless all at once.
The oppressive atmosphere in the Sea God Pavilion burst into a roar of laughter. Yali covered her mouth, giggling at the sight. Even usually composed Yun Ming couldn't stop the corners of his eyes from crinkling. A flicker of nostalgia crossed his gaze. "He really is just like his father was as a child."
Feng Wuyu teased, "Well, well. The great Red Dragon Douluo, and a little kid just plucked out his beard!"
Zhuo Shi bristled and immediately shot back, "What do you know? I let him pull it on purpose!"
Yali held Lin Chen in her arms. His curious eyes roamed over everything around him.
"Come on, little Lin Chen, look over here!" Zhuo Shi was the first to lean forward. He pulled a small bell from his robes and gave it a gentle shake, producing a clear chime.
Lin Chen completely ignored him, studying everything in the meeting room. He still clutched the lock of beard he'd recently plucked from Zhuo Shi's face.
"Old Zhuo, that's so old-fashioned," Feng Wuyu scoffed. With a wave of his hand, he gathered a wisp of gentle white light and shaped it into a fluttering butterfly.
Lin Chen grew impatient. He wanted to tell them to go away, but since he couldn't talk yet, all he could manage was a string of "goo-goos."
Zhuo Shi grinned. Stroking the remaining half of his beard, he said, "You're the one with all the tricks. Look how worked up you've made little Lin Chen." As he spoke, he deliberately held the bell closer to Lin Chen. Lin Chen pushed it away, but Zhuo Shi brought it right back.
That was the last straw. Lin Chen's brows knitted tight, his little mouth pressed into a line as he glared with round eyes. I'm not a baby. Go away! But all that came out was an indignant "Ah!"
Watching the two of them tease Lin Chen, Yali shook her head helplessly. "All right, how old are you? Picking on a child who can't even talk."
Yun Ming leaned back in his chair, watching the scene. His brows had been tightly furrowed as he recalled the battle not long ago, but they soon relaxed, and his expression returned to its usual calm.
Lin Chen stopped paying attention to Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu. He lay in Yali's arms, fuming, and turned his head away. But his eyes darted about as he seemed to plot how to "get back at" the two elders who'd been teasing him.
Days and nights drifted by in the Sea God Pavilion, and in the blink of an eye, five years passed.
The little Lin Chen who once could only cry "Ah" and hide in Yali's arms was now a six-year-old boy, nearly old enough for his Martial Soul Awakening.
Whenever Zhuo Shi took out the bell to tease him, however, Lin Chen still frowned and wore the same indignant expression he'd had as a toddler.
And ever since he'd learned to walk, Lin Chen had given Zhuo Shi, Feng Wuyu, and the other elders plenty of trouble. Everyone in the Sea God Pavilion had long since made the mischievous boy the apple of their eye.
Only Cai Yue'er remained distant and cool toward him, seeming not to care for Lin Chen.
Lin Chen rarely went out of his way to see her, either, preferring not to invite a cold shoulder.
Yun Ming and Yali had raised him well. Lin Chen stood a head taller than other children his age. He was slender but straight-backed, and his porcelain-white skin made his features look all the more refined. His eyes were most distinctive of all: a clear, translucent jade color.
A golden glow bathed one of the awakening chambers on Sea God Island.
The patterns etched into the floor slowly lit up, lending the entire room a solemn, sacred air.
Yun Ming personally presided over Lin Chen's Martial Soul Awakening. Yali, Zhuo Shi, Feng Wuyu, and the other elders stood quietly outside the formation. When Cai Yue'er and Long Yeyue looked at Lin Chen, there was a faint trace of scrutiny in their eyes.
Lin Chen stood at the center of the formation, not the slightest bit afraid. His anticipation for the Martial Soul Awakening was impossible to hide. He clenched his fists. Everything was ready.
"Lin Chen, are you ready?" Yun Ming's deep, gentle voice rang through the silent room.
The boy nodded. His voice was quiet, but tinged with excitement. "I'm ready!"
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