Arriving in Douluo

Star Dou Great Forest, Mixed Zone.

Above, thunderclouds churned as lightning flashed in rapid succession, tearing through the dark night sky. Between heaven and earth, there remained only thunderous roars and the curtain of pouring rain.

Beneath a colossal tree hundreds of feet tall, a slight figure slowly pulled himself upright against the trunk.

Ning Yao's mind was still a little foggy.

He remembered being sent flying by a truck just moments ago.

At the time, he had been utterly despairing, yet his desire to survive had reached its peak. Then, in the next second, he lost consciousness.

After that, he had a dream. He dreamed of a blurry figure—indescribable, unspeakable. It cast Ning Yao a glance.

Then, under the influence of some strange power, Ning Yao became a tree branch covered in emerald-green leaves.

He dreamed of being attacked and crusaded against. He went through countless wars. Groups upon groups of his believers and armies that came to destroy him appeared around him. The word he heard most often was "Jianmu."

I became Jianmu?

That thought flashed through his mind, and the very next second it arose, darkness swallowed his vision once more.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already here.

Jianmu's memories still existed in his mind, naturally including his earliest memories from Blue Star.

As a seasoned veteran player from the game's launch, Ning Yao gradually sorted out his current situation after taking a moment to adjust.

The Abundance Aeon had cast its gaze upon him, and he had become a Jianmu. Yet when he realized this, it seemed that he had undergone another unknown change.

At the very least, he still had no idea where he was.

Looking at everything around him, Ning Yao felt nothing but unfamiliarity.

He was certain that he had not returned to Blue Star, but he was equally certain that this was not the planet where he had once lived as Jianmu.

Where was this place?

As he pondered, Ning Yao ruled out many possibilities, including the possibility that he had somehow lived a third life and reincarnated as a "human" again.

Because he could clearly feel that he was still a Jianmu. He had merely taken human form.

Everything he possessed as Jianmu was still there, including the vast power of Abundance within him.

Just as Ning Yao was still thinking, a massive energy fluctuation interrupted him.

"Someone?"

In Ning Yao's eyes, this power was extremely weak, yet it had caused quite a disturbance among the surrounding trees.

"Is it a human?"

Guessing to himself, he turned and began walking toward that faint energy.

Thunder and rain raged together. Standing in the forest, Qian Renxue panted as she stared at the giant beast before her.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her entire body was covered in wounds and blood.

Opposite her stood a colossal beast dozens of meters tall.

A bear-type giant beast.

Qian Renxue gripped her Angel Sacred Sword with trembling hands. At this moment, she was already completely despairing.

She had originally brought Elder Snake Spear with her to obtain her sixth soul ring. Unexpectedly, they encountered the forest's king, the Titan Giant Ape, along the way, forcing the two of them to split up.

Elder Snake Spear had gone to lure away the Titan Giant Ape, intending for her to flee. Yet during her escape, she had unbelievably run into a fifty-thousand-year Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear.

Against such a terrifying soul beast capable of fighting above its rank, she, who had yet to acquire her sixth soul ring, did not stand even the slightest chance.

At this moment, despite all her unwillingness, she had begun to accept her fate.

But just as she closed her eyes and prepared to accept this tragic destiny, she realized that she had not been slapped to death as she had imagined.

Opening her eyes in confusion, Qian Renxue looked toward the Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear.

The giant beast, which had just been ferocious and menacing, was now staring at her with a face full of terror.

Something was wrong...

A chill ran down Qian Renxue's back. This beast was not looking at her!

She abruptly turned around. The three pairs of wings behind her flapped as she retreated several meters, looking toward the space behind her.

At some point, a black-haired, green-eyed youth had appeared there.

"Senior!"

Qian Renxue's body trembled violently. In an instant, her heart, which had been as still as death, began pounding fiercely.

There was hope!

Looking at Ning Yao before her, although she did not know why he was here, judging from how he had silently appeared behind her and the Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear's reaction, Ning Yao was definitely not weak.

He might even be extremely powerful!

This was a fifty-thousand-year Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear, after all—a being that even ordinary Soul Douluos feared. Yet it was showing terror toward a young man?

Qian Renxue had already begun imagining which faction's Titled Douluo Ning Yao might be.

"I am the young mistress of Spirit Hall. So long as you are willing to help me drive back this Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear and save my life, Spirit Hall will reward you handsomely!!"

With no time to think further, Qian Renxue took out the Consecration Hall token bearing an angel from her robes. Without the slightest hesitation, she offered it up with both hands and shouted at Ning Yao.

She still had far too many things left undone. She still had her grandfather. She could not die yet!!

"Oh? Help you drive it back? Save you?"

Ning Yao's gaze was calm as he looked at Qian Renxue, who, though covered in wounds, still stood trembling in the rain and offered him the token with both hands.

The moment he had arrived and seen the Six-Winged Angel, he had recognized Qian Renxue's identity and understood where he was.

This should be my second transmigration, right?

Douluo Continent. It was a familiar yet unfamiliar name.

He did not know how many years he had lived in the Honkai: Star Rail universe as Jianmu. At the time, he had possessed no sense of time at all.

Fortunately, the passage of time had not washed away his memories from Blue Star. He still remembered everything from before.

Including this childhood novel, Douluo Continent.

Qian Renxue had once been one of his favorite characters in Douluo Continent.

Before becoming Jianmu, he might have been excited right now.

But now...

After being worn down by who knew how many years, his state of mind had become somewhat placid.

Though being transmigrated for a second time still surprised and delighted him, his emotions did not fluctuate nearly as much as he had imagined they would.

He raised his hand, and the token was wrapped in a force, flying from Qian Renxue's hands into Ning Yao's.

"I, Ning Yao, will help you with this."

He spoke slowly. He was Jianmu now, but he was still Ning Yao.

He would not stand by and watch someone die.

What was more, Qian Renxue had already made a request to him that represented "life." Even if it were only to practice his own Path, Ning Yao would not remain indifferent.

But such a trivial matter was not enough to warrant his personal intervention.

Ning Yao lifted his head and glanced at the Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear.

The beast, which had been utterly arrogant before Qian Renxue, immediately became like a deflated ball. Filled with terror, it turned and vanished into the rain-soaked forest at the fastest speed possible.

Qian Renxue: "???"

A single glance had frightened off a fifty-thousand-year Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear??

She was so shocked that she could barely speak.

She had originally thought that an arrogant top-tier soul beast like the Darkgolden Dreadclaw Bear would inevitably have to fight before she could be saved. Yet it had simply fled outright.

She could now be certain that Ning Yao was a Titled Douluo, and his rank was definitely not low!