Lin Ze'an

Douluo Continent.

Heaven Dou Empire.

Inside a small village.

It was currently midday, and the scorching sun beat down directly upon the earth.

A young boy sat by the river, his back against a large tree.

The tree's shade sheltered him, preventing the sweltering sunlight from reaching him.

In the boy's hand was a homemade fishing rod.

The fishing line was wrapped around the tip of the rod, submerged in the water.

The stream was crystal clear, with countless fish swimming to and fro.

Yet, not a single fish was willing to patronize his line.

The boy was in no hurry; with a foxtail grass blade in his mouth, he simply waited quietly.

The reflection on the water's surface mirrored his youthful face.

"Xiao An, fishing here again?"

A white-haired old woman passed by, greeting the boy kindly.

The boy's name was Lin Ze'an, and he was a member of this village.

He turned his head and, seeing the old woman carrying a vegetable basket, simply dropped his fishing rod and walked over. "Granny Li, let me help you."

Lin Ze'an took the basket from the old woman's hands.

"Oh my, thank you so much, Xiao An."

In his daily life, Lin Ze'an often helped the elderly in the village.

It could be said that he was the dream grandson of every senior in the village.

On the way back, Lin Ze'an held the basket high with both hands, his gait slightly unsteady.

After all, the basket was still a bit heavy for him at his current age.

"Xiao An, how old are you this year again?"

Granny Li's memory wasn't very good, and she often forgot many things.

However, Lin Ze'an was still focused on managing the basket and didn't think at all about the significant implications of that number, so he answered casually, "Granny, I'm six years old this year."

But for once, Granny Li was uncharacteristically sharp. "Six years old? Then, Xiao An, have you awakened your Martial Soul yet?"

Hearing the words "Martial Soul," Lin Ze'an froze for a moment before snapping back to reality.

That's right! How could he have forgotten about that?

He was six years old this year; according to the traditions of this continent, he should be awakening his Martial Soul.

Thinking of this, Lin Ze'an quickened his pace. After seeing Granny Li home, he hurried off in a specific direction without a moment's delay.

That direction led to the village's general store.

This year marked the sixth year since Lin Ze'an had transmigrated to the Douluo Continent.

That's right, he was a transmigrator.

And that general store was his home in this life.

His father, Lin Gang, was a merchant in the village and also a level 48 Soul Ancestor.

Furthermore, he was responsible for the village's defense in his daily life.

Because he had once fought to the death to kill an Evil Soul Master who had broken into the village, the villagers held him in great awe.

Lin Ze'an arrived at the entrance of the general store and could hear the sound of things being rummaged through from far away.

He didn't even need to guess; it was definitely Lin Gang failing to find something again.

Lin Ze'an lifted the curtain and walked inside.

In the storage room, Lin Gang was rummaging around, covered in sweat.

As the village merchant, the items Lin Gang sold daily were basically daily necessities.

Just then, a bag of fine salt was unearthed from a crate and placed on the counter.

Noticing someone had entered, Lin Gang stopped what he was doing.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his relatively clean hand.

Seeing that the person who entered was Lin Ze'an, a smile appeared on his face. "My son is back. Didn't catch any fish today either?"

Lin Ze'an nodded helplessly.

"You don't even put bait on the hook; it would be a miracle if you didn't come back empty-handed." Lin Gang teased him while resuming his work.

"What do you know? This is called 'Jiang Taigong fishing—the willing jump onto the hook.'"

Lin Gang didn't speak, simply continuing to rummage through his things.

"Oh, right, Dad."

Lin Ze'an suddenly remembered there was something important to discuss and hurriedly asked, "I'm six years old this year, when will I awaken my martial soul?"

Upon hearing the words "martial soul," Lin Gang's movements visibly faltered.

He stopped what he was doing and stared blankly at the ceiling, as if lost in memory.

After a long while, he lowered his head again.

However, there were traces of tears in the corners of his eyes.

Under Lin Ze'an's puzzled gaze, Lin Gang turned his attention toward him, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious: "Son, I want to ask you a question."

"If one day you become a powerful soul master, what will you use that strength for?"

Hearing this, Lin Ze'an answered without hesitation: "To protect others, of course!"

If one were to use power to cause harm, wouldn't that be utterly meaningless?

Looking at his son's determined eyes, Lin Gang nodded with gratification: "Not bad... just like your mother back then."

Hearing his father bring up his mother on his own initiative, Lin Ze'an felt a bit strange.

Since he had gained consciousness in this life, he had never seen his mother.

Usually, Lin Gang would refuse to speak about this topic at all.

Lin Ze'an wasn't truly a child, so he hadn't pressed the issue.

Now that Lin Gang had brought it up himself, could there be a story behind it?

Sensing his son's confusion, Lin Gang sighed, picked up the water gourd on the table, and took a few heavy gulps.

Then, his gaze drifted toward Lin Ze'an: "Xiao An, I know you've always been curious about your mother, so today, I will tell you."

Lin Gang sat in his chair and began to recount the past to Lin Ze'an.

As it turned out, Lin Ze'an's mother, Jin Ling, was the daughter of a prominent figure in Spirit Hall.

During an excursion, she had accidentally saved Lin Gang from a soul beast attack.

As fate would have it, they ran into each other a few more times afterward and simply decided to travel together.

After spending time together, the two gradually developed feelings for one another.

Lin Gang was now over thirty, yet his soul power was only at level 48.

It was clear that his talent was not particularly impressive.

As expected, Lin Ze'an's grandfather vehemently opposed their union.

The rest of the story was somewhat cliché.

Lin Gang and Jin Ling hid away in the Star Dou Forest.

Later, they wandered through many places before arriving at their current village.

They had thought they would live out their days in peace, but during a hunting trip, she died at the hands of an evil soul master.

This was why Lin Gang hated evil soul masters so much.

However, Lin Gang clearly remembered that his beloved had left this world with a smile.

She was happy that she had protected the village and the person she loved.

As for the evil soul master who killed her, he did not survive either; due to Jin Ling's desperate final counterattack, he was severely wounded and subsequently slain by the arriving Lin Gang.

A dignified soul king had died at the hands of a low-level soul ancestor.

As he finished speaking, Lin Gang continued to look at Lin Ze'an with a serious expression.

He was waiting for his son's reaction.

Lin Ze'an's gaze became even more resolute as he looked straight into Lin Gang's eyes: "Father, I have made my decision."

He said firmly: "I want to become a soul master and protect the people who are important to me, just like Mother did!"

Hearing this, Lin Gang's expression softened once more.

He ruffled Lin Ze'an's hair: "You really are just like your mother."

Afterward, he walked into the inner room and brought out a dusty bundle.

Opening the cloth, six crystal-clear stones lay quietly inside.

"There is still some time before the people from Spirit Hall arrive, so I will awaken your martial soul for you myself."

The village where Lin Ze'an lived was much like any other village on the continent.

Every year, personnel from Spirit Hall would come to awaken the martial souls of children who had reached the appropriate age.

However, this year's awakening had just concluded a short while ago, and at that time, Lin Ze'an had not yet turned six.

If he had to wait for the next time, it would delay his cultivation.

Fortunately, Lin Gang was also a soul master, and he was capable of handling a small matter like awakening a martial soul.

Under Lin Ze'an's expectant gaze, Lin Gang arranged the stones into a formation.

Then, he gestured for Lin Ze'an to step inside.