After getting his awakening certificate, Lin Changgeng went to the grassy patch behind the orphanage.
Almost every night, he came here to watch the stars.
Let me see my second martial soul.
With that thought, Lin Changgeng released his Behemoth.
The phantom of a towering beast rose behind Lin Changgeng, majestic as a mountain.
It stood over twenty meters tall, its massive body like a mountain, covered in long, dark-gold fur. Every strand was as hard as a bristle of tempered steel.
Thick plates of horny bone armor grew along its back and shoulders, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen.
Its head was hideous, somewhere between a bear's and a human's. Two pairs of enormous, curved, pallid tusks protruded from its broad mouth, and its scarlet, slit-pupiled eyes radiated savage pressure. Its arms were as thick as pillars holding up the heavens, its five-fingered claws sharp and pitch-black, their tips glimmering with a faint, rending chill; its thick tail, covered in bone spurs, hung to the ground. Even the trembling of its phantom caused fine, spiderweb cracks to spread across the earth.
Its roar shook the soul, and an ancient, ferocious might that specifically subdued dragons spread outward.
"So this is the Behemoth. It really is powerful. Now I have everything I need."
Clenching his fists and feeling his strength, Lin Changgeng thought, As expected of a Behemoth that feeds on dragons, though the dragons in this world are lizards.
After getting a feel for his power, Lin Changgeng prepared to return to his quarters.
Just then, a pillar of golden light descended from the sky and landed in front of him.
The light dispersed, revealing a woman before him.
She had long golden hair, golden eyes, and a tall figure clad in a fitted golden outfit. A faint golden marking adorned her forehead.
After landing, the woman said nothing. First, she looked Lin Changgeng up and down, then turned her gaze to the Behemoth phantom behind him, which had yet to fully dissipate.
"A Behemoth?" The woman raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
Looking at her, Lin Changgeng already knew the answer.
Wang Qiu'er.
The level ninety-seven Dragon King Douluo.
The system hadn't said how long she would take to arrive, but this was a little too fast.
"Hello, little brother. I'm Wang Qiu'er." The woman reached out and ruffled Lin Changgeng's hair.
Little brother? Lin Changgeng raised an eyebrow. Is this Wang Qiu'er reliable? Why does she seem a little frivolous?
"What? Are you angry?" When Lin Changgeng said nothing, Wang Qiu'er stepped forward.
The distance between them shrank in an instant.
Lin Changgeng could see the fine down on Wang Qiu'er's face and smell the faint lavender fragrance on her. He could even see his own reflection in her golden eyes.
Moreover, Wang Qiu'er's warm breath brushed gently over his ear.
In that instant, it was as though a faint electric current raced from behind his ear down his spine, raising a fine layer of goosebumps.
Lin Changgeng went rigid, even holding his breath without realizing it.
Her warm breath swept past his ear, tickling and tingling. That melting sensation instantly spread through his body, and his heart skipped half a beat.
Despite having lived two lives, when had Lin Changgeng ever experienced anything like this, especially with a stunning beauty like Wang Qiu'er?
He instinctively wanted to retreat, but his heels seemed nailed to the ground. He couldn't move.
"Little brother, your ears are red."
Wang Qiu'er's voice was very low, carrying a hint of laughter, and her breath slipped a little farther into his ear.
Lin Changgeng could feel her lips almost touching his ear. That warm, soft sensation hovered at the edge of perception, as though she had brushed against him-and as though she hadn't.
All the blood in his body seemed to rush to his face. His burnished-gold eyes trembled slightly, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.
"They aren't."
Lin Changgeng forced himself to sound composed.
"Oh? They aren't?" Wang Qiu'er chuckled, extending a finger to lightly tap the burning tip of his ear. "Then what's this?"
Her fingertip was slightly cool. When it touched his scorching ear, Lin Changgeng jerked his head aside as though shocked.
But as he turned, his lips happened to brush Wang Qiu'er's cheek.
It was soft.
And carried a faint fragrance.
Both of them froze for a moment.
Wang Qiu'er recovered first. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, and her smile deepened.
"Oh, little brother, you've even learned to launch sneak attacks?"
She reached out, caught Lin Changgeng by the chin, and turned his face back toward her, their eyes meeting.
This woman doesn't seem like a good person, Lin Changgeng thought.
"I didn't mean to." Lin Changgeng gave two dry coughs.
"You didn't mean to?" Wang Qiu'er leaned closer, the tip of her nose almost touching his. "Then you did it deliberately?"
Lin Changgeng could smell the lavender on her breath, see every distinct eyelash, and feel the warmth of her body reaching him through the air.
You little temptress. If I weren't only six, I'd show you what a wicked hand can do. For the first time, Lin Changgeng felt the helplessness of his age. He was actually being teased.
"Wang Qiu'er." He took a deep breath, forcing his voice to steady. "If you keep this up, I'll-"
"You'll what?" Wang Qiu'er tilted her head, her golden eyes brimming with amusement. "Hit me? Could you beat me?"
Lin Changgeng: "..."
He couldn't.
The system had said that Wang Qiu'er was simply Wang Qiu'er, without Tang Wutong's soul mixed in.
Now, that certainly seemed true. She was straightforward, with a touch of proud coyness, but none of that awkward, conflicted feeling.
She just liked teasing people a little.
"Then that settles it." Wang Qiu'er released his chin and casually ruffled his hair, leaving his golden locks a complete mess. "Be good, and your big sister will dote on you."
With that, she turned and walked away, her long golden hair sweeping an arc behind her as she left him with a carefree view of her back.
Lin Changgeng stood where he was, touching his still-burning ear, then the lips that had just brushed her cheek.
His heart was still racing.
"I'm not grown yet. Once I am, things will change." Watching Wang Qiu'er's retreating figure, Lin Changgeng tucked away this grievance. What could he do when he was so young?
Still, this little dragon maiden was rather enticing.
"By the way, little brother," Wang Qiu'er suddenly began, only for Lin Changgeng to interrupt her.
"Don't call me little brother!" Lin Changgeng protested.
"Not little brother?" Wang Qiu'er raised an eyebrow slightly. "Then what should I call you? My lord? Or... master?"
"What a curse!" Lin Changgeng closed his eyes helplessly. "Young lord or young master. Either is fine."
"Understood." Wang Qiu'er nodded. "What are you planning to do next? Want me to arrange an academy for you? Nuoding Academy is nearby. It's pretty lousy, but it'll do for now."
Lin Changgeng didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lowered his head and considered whether he should attend an academy.
Right now, Wang Qiu'er was all he had.
At level ninety-seven, she was indeed among the strongest fighters of this era.
But a Super Douluo wasn't invincible.
That madwoman Bibi Dong would definitely try to recruit a genius like him if she saw him. After all, her head was currently filled with thoughts of destroying the world. If she couldn't win him over, she would kill him. That was how all the major factions operated.
If necessary, Bibi Dong could swallow her pride and ask the Worship Hall for help.
Lin Changgeng glanced at Wang Qiu'er.
Level ninety-seven, most likely with yin-yang complementary dual soul cores, and a Golden Dragon martial soul to boot.
With a setup like that in this era, Wang Qiu'er could exchange a few blows even with Qian Daoliu.
But of the seven old monsters in the Worship Hall, even the weakest was level ninety-six. If Qian Daoliu joined them, it would be too early to declare who would win.
Besides, he had only just awakened his martial soul. He was nothing but dead weight.
If a fight really broke out, Wang Qiu'er would have to divide her attention to protect him. She would be doing well to unleash even seventy percent of her strength.
So he needed a relatively safe environment where he could develop first, until he had some ability to protect himself.
As for an academy? What academy could offer better instruction than a Titled Douluo?
Before you continue