Six years later.
Autumn in Nuoding City was still the same. The ginkgo trees lining the streets turned yellow, then green, then yellow again.
But people had changed.
Lin Chen stood before the dormitory mirror, looking at his reflection.
The twelve-year-old boy had shot up to 1.75 meters tall, nearly a head taller than his peers. Six years had passed, and the face that had once retained baby fat had fully matured.
His jawline was clean and sharp, his nose high and straight, his brow deep-set. His black eyes resembled ink-dark jade washed in water, calm yet bright.
His skin was not particularly fair, but it had the healthy complexion unique to youth, making him look exceptionally spirited.
His messy black hair fell across his forehead. He casually brushed it aside, revealing a full forehead. He turned his face slightly toward the mirror, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smile.
Handsome.
Even he had to admit that the past five years of growing up had not disappointed him.
In his previous life, he had envied those handsome protagonists. Now that he had become one himself, the feeling was pretty nice.
He raised his right hand, palm facing upward, and a gray mark emerged.
Five Nine-Colored Soul Rings slowly rose around him, revolving around his body.
Every Soul Ring gave off a faint glow, their colors ever-changing, as though a rainbow had been crushed and melded within them.
First Soul Ring, Five Elements Law Control. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth flowed freely between his fingertips, generating and restraining one another in an endless cycle. With a breath, he could refine a stone into fine steel, or make a flower bloom in the colors of all four seasons.
Second Soul Ring, Yin-Yang Law Control. The balance of yin and yang in all things was crystal clear in his eyes. He could sense the circulation of blood and qi within a human body, see whether someone was flourishing or depleted, and even precisely identify an opponent's weak point in battle and shatter it with a single strike.
Third Soul Ring, Destruction Law Control. Pure power of destruction. He had tested it once deep within the Soul Hunting Forest. With one palm strike, every trace of life within a ten-meter radius had been extinguished. The earth had blackened, and not a blade of grass grew. Since then, he had not dared to use it casually. Its destructive force was too great and too easy to lose control of.
Fourth Soul Ring, Life Law Control, a power opposed to destruction. He could stimulate plant growth, heal injuries, and even restore vitality to dying soul beasts. Xiao Wu had been injured once, and when he treated her with the Life Law, the results had been better than any healing medicine.
As for the fifth Soul Ring, the Reincarnation Law...
Lin Chen frowned slightly.
He had not yet fully mastered this Law. The Reincarnation Law involved power on the level of the soul. It was mysterious and profound. At present, he could only barely activate it, and he still had a long way to go before he could use it proficiently.
But overall, his progress over the past six years had far exceeded his expectations.
Level fifty-five Soul King.
If word of this cultivation level got out, the entire continent would likely be shaken.
A twelve-year-old Soul King had never appeared in history. Even those Titled Douluo had been nowhere near this level at his age.
Lin Chen withdrew his martial soul and straightened his collar in the mirror.
"Brother Chen! Are you done yet?!" Xiao Wu's voice came from outside, carrying a hint of impatience. "You're dawdling like some big girl!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming."
Lin Chen pulled open the door. Xiao Wu was leaning against a pillar in the corridor, her arms folded as she tilted her head at him.
Five years had passed, and the little girl with the scorpion braid had completely changed.
At twelve, Xiao Wu had grown to Lin Chen's chin, just over 1.6 meters tall.
She wore a light pink short shirt, its collar slightly open to reveal a delicate stretch of collarbone.
Below that were white trousers, with a red belt tied around her waist and cinching her slender figure. She wore low-cut cloth shoes on her feet.
Her figure had begun to develop, curving where it should and swelling where it should, already carrying the budding shape of a young girl.
Her jet-black hair was loosely tied behind her head with a red cord. A few loose strands fell beside her ears, making her palm-sized face seem even more exquisite.
Most striking were her eyes, large and dark like two clear springs. Their outer corners tilted up slightly, giving them a naturally charming allure.
Her eyelashes were long and curled, fluttering like two tiny fans whenever she blinked. Her skin was as white as a freshly peeled egg, glowing faintly in the morning sunlight without the slightest flaw.
After six years, this little rabbit had fully grown into a tender, juicy cabbage.
"What are you staring at?" Xiao Wu felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, her cheeks flushing faintly. "Never seen a beauty before?"
"I have," Lin Chen said with a smile. "But never one this beautiful."
"Smooth talker." Xiao Wu spat at him, but the corners of her lips could not stop themselves from lifting. She walked over and naturally looped her arm through his. "Let's go, let's go. Didn't you say we had something important to do today?"
"Mm, let's go."
The two walked out of the academy gates side by side.
Six years was enough to change many things.
With Lin Chen's help, Xiao Wu's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. Level fifty-one Soul King.
Although she could not compare to a monster like Lin Chen, she was already one of the rarest talents among her peers. Her use of her Soft Skill had become much more refined, and her combat strength had increased by an unknown number of times compared to five years ago.
Their relationship had also quietly changed over the years.
At some point, Xiao Wu had stopped calling him "Brother Chen" and started calling him "Lin Chen" directly.
At some point, she had begun naturally linking her arm through his, stuffing the half-eaten candied hawthorn skewer into his mouth, squeezing beneath the same umbrella with him on rainy days, and keeping watch by his bedside all night whenever he was sick.
Everyone at the academy said they were a couple.
Lin Chen did not deny it, and neither did Xiao Wu.
So they became a couple.
Though two twelve-year-olds dating sounded a little early, it was not too outrageous in a world like Douluo Continent, where everyone matured early.
Besides, Lin Chen's soul had never truly been that of a child. Mentally, he had long since become an adult. Only his body was still growing.
"Lin Chen, where exactly are we going today?" Xiao Wu asked as she walked beside him, looking up at him.
Morning light fell across her face, coating her thick eyelashes in gold. She blinked up at him, looking so obedient and soft that one could not help wanting to rub her head.
"The border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire."
"What are we going there for?"
"To save someone."
"Save who?"
"A girl."
Xiao Wu's steps paused as she narrowed her eyes at him. "A girl?"
Her bright black eyes narrowed slightly, like those of an alert little cat. Though her tone remained fairly calm, the hand clutching his arm unconsciously tightened.
Lin Chen could not help laughing at her wary expression. "Jealous?"
"Who's jealous?!" Xiao Wu snorted and turned her head away. "I'm just curious what kind of girl is worth you traveling so far to save her."
"Zhu Zhuqing, from the Zhu Clan of the Star Luo Empire," Lin Chen explained. "Her sister, Zhu Zhuyun, is hunting her down. If no one intervenes, she won't survive this month."
Xiao Wu frowned. "How do you know that?"
"I have my own sources of information."
Lin Chen did not say more. He could hardly tell her that he knew the plot from novels he had read in his previous life.
Xiao Wu stared at him for several seconds, seemingly judging whether he was lying. In the end, she pursed her lips. "Fine. Since we're saving someone, I'll go with you."
"Not jealous anymore?"
"I said I wasn't jealous!" Xiao Wu glared at him, then muttered softly, "Besides, you can't run away anyway."
Her mutter was quiet, but Lin Chen heard it clearly. He smiled and did not expose her.
The two left the city gates and followed the official road southeast. Vast fields lay on both sides of the road. The rice had already been harvested, leaving only bare stubble behind. Cooking smoke curled up in the distance, and the villages looked tranquil and peaceful beneath the morning light.
Lin Chen took Xiao Wu's hand.
Her hand was soft and warm, just as it had been when he first held it five years ago.
Only now, her hand was no longer chubby like it had been in childhood. Her fingers had grown longer, her joints more defined, carrying the slenderness unique to a young girl.
He tightened his grip. Xiao Wu did not pull away; instead, she tightened her hand around his as well.
She turned to glance at him, a trace of a smile hidden at the corner of her lips, though her mouth said, "Holding hands and pulling each other around in broad daylight—what does that look like?"
"What are you afraid of? No one knows us."
"What if someone sees?"
"So what if they do?" Lin Chen said matter-of-factly. "Is it illegal for me to hold my girlfriend's hand?"
Xiao Wu's face instantly turned red. She pinched the back of his hand hard. "Who's your girlfriend?!"
"You are."
"I'm not!"
"Then why are you letting me hold your hand?"
"That's because... because you insisted on holding it!"
"Then you could shake me off."
Xiao Wu opened her mouth but could not say anything. In the end, embarrassed and angry, she kicked him. "Shut up! Walk!"
Lin Chen took the kick with a smile and did not dodge.
Autumn sunlight fell over them, casting two long shadows across the ground. The shadows overlapped, indistinguishable from one another.
The official road stretched ahead, leading toward an unknown destination.
And several hundred miles away, a pursuit was underway.
A black figure raced through the dense forest, several relentless shadows chasing behind her.
That figure was small, looking no more than ten years old. She was covered in wounds, blood staining half her clothes red.
But she did not stop.
She could not stop.
Stopping meant death.
Before you continue