"Ying, ying, ying."
Amid a landscape of ice and snow, a boy of about six cradled a pink-and-white, rabbit-like animal. A white soul ring hovered beside him.
Pink ear tassels, green eyes, a white body, and a leader's mark on its forehead.
Wasn't this the shiny Xue Ying I spent ten thousand balls catching?
This was his martial soul?!
Six years later...
The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Sunlight spilled through gaps in the leaves, spreading dappled light and shadow across the forest floor. The scents of soil and vegetation mingled in the air.
"Ying, ying, ying~"
The boy's name was Jiang Bai, and he held a pink-and-white ball of fluff in his arms.
Six years had passed. The bewildered six-year-old had grown into a twelve-year-old boy, his features now carrying a little more composure, along with a hint of untamed swagger.
"Xue Ying, have this for now."
He placed a piece of candy in the pink Xue Ying's mouth.
Yes, Xue Ying, not Big-Eared Hood. Mostly because that name was too much of a mouthful, and Jiang Bai wasn't much good at naming things either, so Xue Ying would have to do.
It would become Xue Ying eventually anyway.
"Ying, ying~"
Tasting the sweetness in its mouth, Xue Ying rubbed its chilly head against Jiang Bai's shoulder.
"Good thing I got lucky and have a recommendation letter. Otherwise, this would be a pain."
Jiang Bai felt the envelope tucked against his chest.
It had all started a few months ago. After condensing his second soul ring in the Far North, he had happened to save an elderly nobleman surrounded by soul beasts.
The old man had wept with gratitude and insisted on repaying him. Upon learning that he intended to attend Shrek Academy, he had arranged a recommendation letter without another word.
He really had no idea why Shrek Academy required a recommendation letter.
Wasn't that just making things miserable for people?
That was right. Jiang Bai had entered the world of The Unrivaled Tang Clan, set in Douluo Continent II.
His main mission was to liberate the Douluo Continent and prevent it from becoming the Tang Family Continent.
He was currently on his way to Shrek Academy.
"I wonder what point in the timeline this is. Has Huo Gua shown up yet?"
He had originally wanted to investigate the White Tiger Duke's Estate, but with only two rings and no one to rely on, he had no way to establish a connection.
He didn't know what point in the timeline he was at either. His only option was to wait at Shrek. According to the plot, Huo Gua would definitely arrive at Shrek Academy.
Jiang Bai's goal was now perfectly clear.
Saving the world was impossible with only his own strength.
That left him with no choice but to get close to this world's favored son of fortune.
Actually, Huo Gua wasn't the important part. What mattered was that Jiang Bai wanted to obtain that enormous cheat, Electrolux.
The path of soul spirits was particularly important in this world.
As for whether approaching Huo Yuhao would attract a certain god's gaze, Jiang Bai had his own solution.
Jiang Bai closed his eyes, and a panel appeared before him.
[Name: Jiang Bai] [Level: 22] [Martial soul: Big-Eared Hood] [Domain: Winter Solstice] [Attribute: ultimate ice] [Soul skills: 1. Frost Descent; 2. Slow Freeze] [Soul bone: none]
He had cobbled this panel together himself using his cheat.
Surviving in Douluo II without cheats was hard enough, never mind saving the world.
Within Jiang Bai's consciousness floated a golden orb of light. This was his cheat.
The Golden Orb was currently in perfectly healthy condition, but whenever a god looked toward the Douluo Continent, it would shrivel up.
With the Golden Orb's warnings, hiding became much easier for Jiang Bai. As long as he didn't confront God King Tang directly, there shouldn't be any problems.
After all, having read Douluo Continent, Jiang Bai knew that God King Tang couldn't blot out the sky with one hand up there. The Destruction faction was still around.
As long as Destruction remained, God King Tang couldn't casually interfere in mortal affairs.
Whoosh-
In an instant, heaven and earth changed color.
The Golden Orb within Jiang Bai's consciousness immediately shriveled, and a strand of golden light enveloped him.
An unparalleled wave of mental pressure swept out, and Jiang Bai promptly flattened himself against the ground.
No way. Did I arrive right when the plot started?
Lying on the ground, Jiang Bai couldn't help thinking that.
This was clearly the moment when the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sacrificed himself. He hadn't expected to stumble right into it.
The Golden Orb had shriveled, which meant a god was looking this way. He didn't know which one, but staying flat on the ground was still the wiser choice.
The upheaval ended, the mental power dissipated, and the Golden Orb began returning to its original shape.
"Is it over?"
Jiang Bai rose with the chilly Xue Ying in his arms and looked up at the cloudless sky. Aside from himself and Huo Gua, probably no one knew that a million-year soul beast had just sacrificed himself over there.
At the same time, the golden light within Jiang Bai's consciousness began pointing him in a direction.
"I know, you found treasure."
Seeing the Golden Orb's behavior, Jiang Bai's lips twitched. He was already thoroughly accustomed to this.
Whenever there was treasure nearby, it would chime and point the way, but...
It never cared whether there was danger nearby. That was a real trap. Last time, it had nearly led Jiang Bai into a ten-thousand-year soul beast's lair. If he hadn't had a backup plan, who knew how tall the blue silver grass on his grave would have grown by now?
"Then let's go take a look."
Jiang Bai straightened his clothes. With no god watching now, he might as well meet this supposed chosen one, Huo Yuhao.
"And try some of Little Huo's grilled fish while I'm at it."
Actually, Jiang Bai felt that, from a certain perspective, Little Huo's grilled fish was the only legacy Huo Yuhao had left behind.
As for the Spirit Pagoda's legacy, well...
That had been left behind by Dai Yuhao.
"Come on, let's get some grilled fish."
Following the golden light's guidance, Jiang Bai headed into the forest.
"Bei Bei, why hasn't he woken up yet?"
A boy lay on the ground, with a young man and a young woman standing beside him.
He was about fifteen or sixteen, his long black hair tied into a ponytail that hung quietly down his back.
The girl wore a light blue fitted outfit that outlined her slender figure. Her phoenix-shaped eyes were large and lively. Her beauty might not topple cities, but she possessed the refreshing grace of mountains and streams.
The young man was tall and slender, with neat short hair and warm, alert azure eyes. Though simply dressed, he carried an extraordinary bearing in every movement.
"Don't worry, Xiaoya. His breathing is steady, and the soul power inside him is quite vigorous. It looks like he's already obtained his first soul ring, but..."
The young man called Bei Bei glanced at the Wind Baboon nearby, the one that had almost slain a god.
"What a shame. It looks like it's only a ten-year soul ring."
Bei Bei inwardly lamented the waste. A ten-year soul ring was far too weak.
Tang Ya snorted at his words. "He came here alone. Getting a soul ring and making it out alive is already pretty impressive."
Indeed, with Huo Yuhao's physical condition, killing a ten-year soul beast was already quite an achievement, even with the White Tiger Dagger.
"Xiaoya, he's waking up."
Bei Bei noticed Huo Yuhao stir and spoke.
"You're... Sister Xiaoya?"
Huo Yuhao opened his eyes, seeing Tang Ya first. Then, as though sensing something, he looked to one side.
At the same time, Bei Bei and Tang Ya also noticed movement nearby.
Tap, tap, tap...
Both activated Martial Soul Possession. Blue scales appeared on Bei Bei's body, and azure lightning wreathed him.
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, and a figure appeared clearly within his Mental Detection.
"A person?"
"Ying, ying, ying?"
The three saw a boy push apart the bushes.
A Soul Grandmaster?
Bei Bei sensed the boy's cultivation. He was a Soul Grandmaster, around level twenty-two, probably below twenty-five.
"Hello."
"Ying, ying, ying."
Jiang Bai looked at the three people before him and recognized their identities from their distinctive features.
Xue Ying also raised its large ears and waved them at the three.
"Wow! So cute!"
Adorable creatures were the quickest way to capture a girl's heart.
Before you continue