Silver-Haired Girl, First Battle in This World!

At dusk, Aolai City looked like spilled orange jam, thick and faintly cool.

Tang Wulin carried his schoolbag, his cheeks flushed. He still had not recovered from the lingering impact of his brother's "death glare" in the classroom.

From time to time, he sneaked a glance at Tang Linyuan beside him, his eyes full of stars.

Tang Linyuan walked at an unhurried pace with one hand in his pocket.

He was waiting.

As a transmigrator, he knew that hidden along this seemingly ordinary road home was a calamity that would shape Tang Wulin's life—and a fated bond that would last just as long.

"Help... sob... don't come closer..."

A faint whimper, like that of an injured little beast, drifted out from the dark alley ahead.

Tang Wulin abruptly stopped, his big eyes instantly widening. "Brother! Someone's calling for help!"

Brimming with justice, the little fellow was about to charge into the alley before Tang Linyuan could reply.

"Don't rush."

Tang Linyuan grabbed his schoolbag strap, his expression terrifyingly calm. "Stay behind me."

Deep in the alley, the light was dim, and the air carried a moldy smell.

Several shady-looking thugs stood in a semicircle. Their leader was a burly man with a face full of flesh.

Within their filthy encirclement crouched a tiny figure.

That flash of silver was painfully bright in the dirty alley.

The girl looked no older than five or six. Her rare silver hair was cut short, and her dress was so dirty that its original pale purple color could no longer be seen. Her exposed arms were so pale they seemed almost transparent.

She hugged her knees tightly. Her amethyst-like eyes were hollow and lifeless, like a broken doll.

"Heh heh, this little girl is damn gorgeous."

The thug leader rubbed his greasy hands together, greed nearly spilling from his eyes.

"Don't be scared. Big brother will take you somewhere nice to eat, okay?"

As he spoke, his grimy hand reached for the girl's shoulder.

"Stop!"

Tang Wulin let out a roar and darted out from behind Tang Linyuan like an enraged calf.

"Oh?" The thug leader paused and turned around with a vicious grin. "Where did this little brat come from? You haven't even grown your hair in yet, and you want to play the hero saving a beauty?"

He waved a fist the size of a sandbag. "Get lost! Or I'll beat you up too!"

Tang Linyuan slowly stepped forward and reached out to block Tang Wulin behind him.

His gaze passed over the trash and landed on the silver-haired girl.

Even through the dim light, those violet eyes still made his heart skip a beat.

The Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena's other half—Na'er.

"Wulin, watch carefully."

Tang Linyuan's voice was so calm that it sounded as though he were teaching his younger brother how to solve a problem rather than facing a gang of thugs.

"When dealing with this kind of trash, there's no need to reason with them."

"Damn it, you're courting death!" The thug leader flew into a rage, swinging his fist at Tang Linyuan's face with a vicious gust of wind. "I'll teach you a lesson for your father!"

To ordinary people, this punch looked powerful and heavy. But to Tang Linyuan, who possessed Innate Full Soul Power, it was as slow as a slideshow.

Instead of retreating, he advanced.

Buzz!

His right hand clenched around empty air, and the air trembled.

A pitch-black spear suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Dark gold flowed across its shaft, carrying a suffocating sense of weight.

Bang!

There was no fancy move. The spear's butt shot out like a venomous snake, striking later but arriving first as it slammed into the thug leader's ribs.

"Argh—!"

The thug leader screamed, his body curling up like a shrimp as his face instantly turned the color of pig liver.

But it was not over yet.

With a flick of Tang Linyuan's wrist, the two-meter Tyrant Profound Divine Spear traced a perfect black arc through the narrow alley.

"Sweeping Strike."

Two simple words accompanied terrifying momentum.

The spear shaft whistled through the air and smashed hard into the legs of the other two thugs who had tried to rush forward.

Crack!

The crisp sound of bones breaking made teeth ache.

"Ah! My leg!"

"Help!"

In the blink of an eye, all three adult men had fallen to the ground, wailing in agony. Not one could stand.

Tang Linyuan held the spear in one hand, its tip angled toward the ground as he looked down at the thug leader rolling around in pain.

"Get lost."

Only one word.

The thug leader looked up in terror and met a pair of dark eyes as cold as the Abyss.

In that instant, he knew that if he did not disappear immediately, that spear would truly pierce his throat.

"L-Lord Soul Master! We're leaving! Hurry!"

The men scrambled away, wishing they had grown two more legs. They vanished without a trace in moments.

The alley fell silent again.

With a flip of his palm, Tang Linyuan turned the spear into specks of light that dispersed.

He turned around and looked at the girl curled up in the corner.

The girl was raising her head. In her once-hollow violet eyes was now reflected the figure of the young boy.

The dominance of that spear strike had been like a stone cast into the dead-still lake of her heart.

"Don't be afraid. The bad guys have been chased away."

Only then did Tang Wulin react. He hurried over, crouched in front of the girl, and gave her a broad smile.

"I'm Tang Wulin, and this is my brother, Tang Linyuan. Where is your home? Shall we take you back?"

The girl did not speak. She merely shook her head. Her gaze lingered briefly on Tang Wulin's warm face before shifting involuntarily toward the young boy standing in the shadows, leisurely straightening his cuffs.

Instinct told her that person was dangerous.

Yet it was also that person who had just blocked all the malice aimed at her.

"Can you stand?" Tang Linyuan walked over. Unlike Tang Wulin, he did not gently coax her. He simply held out a hand, his tone even.

The girl hesitated for a moment before placing her icy little hand in his palm.

At that moment, two utterly different auras met at their fingertips.

One was the supremely forceful and blazing Golden Dragon Tyrant Qi. The other was the profound and boundless Silver Dragon Aura.

A sharp glint flashed through Tang Linyuan's eyes. Then he firmly grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Since you don't know where to go, come home with us first. Come on, stay close."

At the Tang family's dinner table, the atmosphere was somewhat delicate.

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue looked at the little beggar the two boys had brought home. After their shock came nothing but heartache.

"This child... how did she end up like this?" Lang Yue's eyes reddened. Without another word, she led Na'er away to bathe and change clothes.

Taking advantage of the moment, Tang Linyuan sat at the table and looked at Tang Ziran.

"Dad, she was wandering the streets with nowhere to go. Tomorrow, take her to the Federation government office and ask around. If we really can't find her family, I want to keep her."

Tang Linyuan spoke softly.

"I'll figure out the household expenses then. I have hands and feet, and I'm a Soul Master. I can afford to raise a little sister."

Tang Ziran looked at his son's still somewhat childish yet serious face and smiled.

He reached out and ruffled Tang Linyuan's hair.

"Silly boy. You're only six. Supporting the family is your dad's job. If she truly has nowhere to go, then since you brought her back, she's one of our family. It's just another pair of chopsticks. Your dad can handle it."

Not long after, the bathroom door opened.

Na'er emerged wearing one of Tang Wulin's old shirts.

The clothes were a little too large, hanging loosely around her body, but her freshly washed little face was so beautiful that it took one's breath away.

Her silver hair flowed like a waterfall, her violet eyes shone like stars, and her features were as exquisite as those of a fragile porcelain doll.

"Na'er, tomorrow I'll take you to look for your home. For tonight, stay here first." Tang Ziran smiled gently. "That is Brother Wulin, and that is Brother Linyuan."

Na'er timidly walked to the table.

She looked at the enthusiastic Tang Wulin, then at Tang Linyuan, who was eating with his head lowered as if he did not care about any of this.

After hesitating, she walked to Tang Linyuan's side and softly said, "Thank you... Brother Linyuan."

Tang Linyuan paused.

He raised his head and looked at the Silver Dragon King's other half, who would one day stir the entire Douluo Continent into turmoil. The corner of his mouth lifted into the faintest curve.

He reached out with his chopsticks, picked up the largest piece of braised pork, and placed it in Na'er's bowl.

"Eat. In our family, once you're full, you're not allowed to cry."

Na'er froze.

Looking at the glistening piece of braised pork in her bowl, then at the aloof yet dependable young boy, the mist in her eyes finally dispersed somewhat.

"Mm." She nodded hard and began eating in big mouthfuls.

That night, Tang Linyuan lay in bed, listening to Tang Wulin's steady breathing next door as he played with the certificate of Martial Soul awakening in his hand.

The plot had already begun. The Silver Dragon King had entered the game.

"Tomorrow..." Tang Linyuan stared at the ceiling, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes. "Tomorrow, I'll find Mang Tian. Only by swinging a hammer can I earn the right to speak in this world."

Only by becoming strong enough could he protect the warmth in this house from being shattered by anyone.