Douluo Continent, Spirit City.
Early morning, just after dawn.
In the clearing behind the orphanage, a black-haired boy was running.
His breathing was steady, his pace unhurried, but he never stopped.
One lap.
Three laps.
Ten laps.
Only when his legs grew heavy did he stop beside the wall, bracing his hands on his knees to steady his breathing.
The boy's name was Lin Yuan.
He was six years old.
He was also a transmigrator.
Six years ago, he had come to this world from Earth and become a baby in Spirit Hall's orphanage.
For the first few years, he had still clung to a sliver of hope.
Perhaps this was merely an ordinary otherworld.
Until he saw Spirit Hall's emblem and heard the words Soul Master, Soul Ring, and Soul Beast.
That sliver of hope vanished completely.
This was Douluo Continent.
A world where the strong could decide whether the weak lived or died.
Without strength, he could not even protect his own life.
And what was more, he was in Spirit City.
The heart of Spirit Hall.
The future eye of the storm that would engulf the entire continent.
Lin Yuan was unsure what point in time he had arrived at, nor did he know how long remained before the war that would sweep across the continent.
He knew only one thing.
He had to grow stronger.
From the age of three, he had begun exercising.
Running, squats, push-ups.
He had no cultivation method and knew nothing about cultivating Soul Power.
All he could do was build a solid physical foundation first.
At first, the children in the orphanage would run with him.
A few days later, he was the only one left.
Children had little patience.
But Lin Yuan did.
He knew how dangerous this world was.
That sense of impending danger was enough to overpower laziness.
"Lin Yuan!"
A shout came from the courtyard.
A middle-aged man in gray robes stood in the doorway, holding a list.
"The Martial Soul Awakening is today. Don't be late."
"Coming."
Lin Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned toward the well.
Today was the day he had waited six years for.
The Martial Soul Awakening.
Whether he would be a dragon or a worm would be decided today.
Inside the orphanage hall, a dozen or so children who had turned six stood in a row.
The person conducting the awakening was a Spirit Hall deacon.
A Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster.
He was hardly anyone of note in Spirit City, but in the children's eyes, he was already powerful enough.
Six black stones were arranged in a hexagon.
The deacon stood in the center and took out a blue crystal ball.
"The awakening process won't be dangerous."
"Once you step inside, close your eyes and feel carefully."
"First, Lin Mo."
A thin, small boy stepped into the formation.
A faint golden light rose.
A moment later, a hoe appeared in his hand.
The deacon's expression remained calm.
"Tool Martial Soul, hoe."
"Test your Soul Power."
The boy placed his hand on the crystal ball.
There was no reaction.
"No Soul Power. Next."
The boy left with his head lowered.
Most of the awakenings that followed were much the same.
Wooden sticks, sickles, Blue Silver Grass.
Of the dozen or so children, only one awakened the Beast Martial Soul Gray Wolf and possessed level-one Soul Power.
At last, a trace of a smile appeared on the deacon's face.
"Last, Lin Yuan."
Lin Yuan stepped into the hexagonal formation.
The six Awakening Stones lit up at once.
Golden motes poured from the stones and entered his body.
Warmth.
That was Lin Yuan's first sensation.
The next instant, that warmth suddenly turned searing.
As though something that had slumbered for ages had been awakened.
His consciousness plunged in an instant.
Every sound around him vanished.
Lin Yuan opened his eyes.
Before him was not the orphanage hall.
Instead, it was an endless expanse of stars.
The river of stars lay shattered, the stars dim.
A figure stood in the depths of the universe.
Its face could not be made out.
Only an enormous bow was visible.
The bowstring was drawn taut.
Where the arrow pointed, the sea of stars fell silent.
It was not a warning.
It was a verdict.
Lin Yuan's heart clenched violently.
A name surfaced naturally in his mind.
The Aeon of the Hunt.
Lan.
The figure seemed to notice his presence.
It did not turn.
It did not speak.
It merely released the bowstring.
Thrum-
The twang of a bowstring passed through the sea of stars.
Everything before Lin Yuan's eyes shattered with a crash.
In reality.
The deacon conducting the awakening abruptly paled.
All six Awakening Stones exploded at once.
A terrifying presence erupted from Lin Yuan's body.
The hall's roof was blown off in an instant.
A pillar of blue-white light shot straight into the heavens.
The sky abruptly darkened.
Day turned into a starry night.
A shooting star streaked across the horizon, traversing the entire continent.
The shooting star did not fall.
Like an arrow loosed from its string, it tore through the sky, leaving a silver trail that lingered for a long time.
Lin Yuan slowly raised his right hand.
Countless points of starlight gathered in his palm.
A longbow gradually took shape.
The bow was slender, deep blue throughout.
There were no intricate patterns on its surface, only a silver star trail running through its limbs.
Its string was nearly transparent.
The instant it appeared, the surrounding space trembled slightly.
Lin Yuan grasped the longbow.
An icy, razor-sharp will surged into his mind.
Lock on.
Pursue.
Annihilate.
Until the enemy dies, the Hunt never ends.
The deacon stood rooted to the spot, forgetting even to breathe.
He had never seen a Martial Soul like this.
He did not even dare look directly at that bow.
As though death was already assured the moment it pointed at him.
Just then, the space behind Lin Yuan twisted.
The figure that had stood deep within the sea of stars appeared once more.
It was only a blurred projection.
Yet it obscured half the sky.
The deity held an enormous bow, standing upon the river of stars.
Its icy gaze crossed an endless distance and fell upon Douluo Continent.
At that moment, all of Spirit City fell utterly silent.
Inside Spirit Hall.
Countless Soul Masters' Martial Souls released themselves.
Sabers and swords hummed low.
Beast Martial Souls prostrated themselves.
Birds folded their wings, not daring to raise their heads.
Inside the Worship Hall.
The enormous Six-Winged Angel God Statue suddenly lit up.
Golden holy light surged.
The holy sword in the statue's hand trembled slightly, as though it had encountered something capable of threatening its existence.
The blond-haired old man sitting cross-legged before the statue abruptly opened his eyes.
He was tall and imposing, his face majestic.
He was none other than Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu.
A level-ninety-nine Peerless Douluo.
Qian Daoliu raised his head to look at the Angel God Statue.
Since becoming the Great Enshrined, he had never seen the statue react like this.
It was not the delivery of a divine oracle.
Nor was it the bestowal of divine grace.
It was more like wariness.
Qian Daoliu rose and looked toward the orphanage.
There, a shaft of starlight pierced heaven and earth.
"A god-level presence."
For the first time, his voice wavered.
The next moment, his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul unfurled behind him.
"Great Enshrined!"
Several figures arrived at once.
Golden Crocodile Douluo, Azure Luan Douluo, Mighty Lion Douluo, Light Feather Douluo...
Every enshrined of the Worship Hall had gathered.
Their gazes all fell on that pillar of light.
"That is not the Angel God's power."
Golden Crocodile Douluo spoke gravely.
"Nor is it Rakshasa's."
Qian Daoliu offered no explanation.
Golden Soul Power enveloped his entire body.
"Let's go take a look."
As his words fell, he had already rushed out of the Worship Hall.
The other enshrined followed close behind.
Sea God Island.
The waves suddenly stopped.
All seven Sacred Pillars trembled at once.
Inside the Sea God Hall, Bo Saixi opened her eyes.
The scepter in her hand glowed blue.
The Sea God Phantom appeared behind her of his own accord, his gaze passing across the seas toward the continent.
Bo Saixi slowly rose.
"It is not the Sea God."
"What has appeared on the continent?"
She had not felt such pressure in many years.
It was not suppression through Soul Power.
It was the gaze of a higher existence.
As though a god stood beyond the starry sky and cast a glance at this world.
Deep within Slaughter City.
The blood pool churned.
The man being corroded by blood-colored power suddenly raised his head.
His eyes alternated between lucidity and madness.
The Clear Sky Hammer appeared uncontrollably in his hand.
The hammer shook violently.
Tang Chen tightened his grip on its handle and stared fixedly upward.
"A god..."
A hoarse voice escaped his mouth.
The blood-red Nine-Headed Bat King shrieked, trying to regain control of his consciousness.
Yet in that instant, clarity returned to Tang Chen's eyes.
"It is not Asura."
"Nor is it Rakshasa."
"Which god is this?"
No one answered.
Only the silver trail left by that shooting star stretched across the sky.
The orphanage in Spirit City.
Lin Yuan still stood within the awakening array.
He did not know that his Martial Soul Awakening had already shaken the entire continent.
At that moment, he was looking at the Imperial Bow in his hand.
The instant his Martial Soul awakened, he had already learned its name.
Imperial Bow.
A projection of the weapon of Lan, the Aeon of the Hunt.
Although it was nowhere near comparable to a true Aeon's weapon, its essence already surpassed ordinary Martial Souls.
More importantly, he had formed some sort of connection with that Aeon.
It was faint.
Yet it truly existed.
Before Lin Yuan could think further, an intense sense of weakness washed over him.
The Aeon's projection behind him gradually dispersed.
The sky grew bright again.
Only that silver star trail had yet to disappear.
Lin Yuan put away the Imperial Bow.
The longbow turned into starlight and merged into his right hand.
The hall was a complete wreck.
The other children had already huddled in a corner in fright.
The steward in charge of the awakening was pale, kneeling on one knee.
Lin Yuan looked at him.
"Do we still need to test my Soul Power?"
The steward's lips moved.
He wanted to speak, only to discover that he could not make a sound.
Just then, a terrifying pressure of Soul Power descended from the sky.
Several figures landed outside the orphanage at once.
At the forefront, Qian Daoliu glanced at the damaged hall, then at Lin Yuan, who stood in the center of the awakening array.
His gaze finally settled on Lin Yuan's right hand.
"That Martial Soul just now-was it yours?"
Lin Yuan nodded.
"Yes."
Qian Daoliu did not speak immediately.
He could tell that Lin Yuan was only an ordinary child.
He had not even acquired a Soul Ring yet.
Yet that projection just now had caused the Angel God Statue to react.
Qian Daoliu understood better than anyone what that meant.
A god stood behind this child.
And certainly no ordinary deity.
"Great Enshrined, let me take a look."
A voice came from behind him.
Light Feather Douluo, who looked like a white-haired young man, walked into the hall.
He had a slender build and a youthful face, with ice-blue patterns covering one eye.
Although he ranked fifth, he was a rank ninety-six Super Douluo.
More importantly, his Martial Soul was also a bow.
Light Feather Douluo walked up to Lin Yuan and crouched down.
"Release your Martial Soul."
Lin Yuan glanced at Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly.
Starlight gathered in his right hand again.
The Imperial Bow appeared.
This time, there was no projection of the Aeon, nor any extraordinary phenomena in heaven and earth.
Yet Light Feather Douluo's expression still changed.
His Light Feather Divine Bow actually released itself.
An ice-blue longbow appeared in his hand, its string trembling slightly.
It was not a provocation.
It was more like facing a higher-level member of its own kind.
Light Feather Douluo circled Lin Yuan once.
The more he looked, the brighter his eyes grew.
A bow Martial Soul.
God-level quality.
And this child neither cried nor lost his composure when facing enshrined like them.
That temperament alone far surpassed his peers.
"What's your name?"
"Lin Yuan."
"Your parents?"
"I don't know."
"An orphan?"
"Yes."
Light Feather Douluo smiled.
He turned to look at Qian Daoliu.
"Great Enshrined, this child is mine."
Qian Daoliu frowned.
"Test his Soul Power first."
"He'll still be mine after the test."
Light Feather Douluo picked up the blue crystal ball and held it out before Lin Yuan.
"Here, put your hand on it."
Lin Yuan extended his left hand.
The moment his palm touched the crystal ball, brilliant light instantly filled the entire sphere.
The blue light kept intensifying.
A tiny crack appeared on the crystal ball's surface.
Silence fell over everyone.
The steward in charge of the awakening widened his eyes.
"In... Innate Full Soul Power."
The smile on Light Feather Douluo's face deepened.
"A bow Martial Soul, Innate Full Soul Power, and a divine miracle accompanying his awakening."
"I'm taking this disciple, no matter what."
Golden Crocodile Douluo said gravely, "This matter is of great importance. The Worship Hall should decide on it together."
"Decide what together?"
Light Feather Douluo pulled Lin Yuan behind him.
"Which of you uses a bow?"
No one answered.
Light Feather Douluo raised his chin.
"Since none of you do, what is there to argue over?"
Mighty Lion Douluo snorted coldly.
"Having the same kind of Martial Soul doesn't mean you're the best suited to teach him."
"Still better than a lion like you teaching someone archery."
"What did you say?"
"Can't hear me? Getting old?"
Two surges of Soul Power rose at once.
Azure Luan Douluo silently took a step back.
Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression darkened.
Qian Daoliu looked at the two men on the verge of arguing and said, "Enough."
His voice was quiet.
Yet both surges of Soul Power dissipated at once.
Qian Daoliu turned back to Lin Yuan.
"Are you willing to take Guang Ling as your master?"
Everyone's gaze fell on Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan did not hesitate.
In Spirit Hall, an orphan with no backing had suddenly awakened a god-level Martial Soul.
This was an opportunity, but also a danger.
The greater his talent, the more he needed someone to back him.
Light Feather Douluo was the Fifth Worshipper of the Worship Hall.
A rank ninety-six Super Douluo.
His Martial Soul was also a bow.
There was no teacher better suited to him.
Lin Yuan stepped forward and knelt on both knees.
"Your disciple, Lin Yuan, pays his respects, Master."
Light Feather Douluo froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Good!"
"From this day forward, you are my one and only disciple."
He reached out and pulled Lin Yuan to his feet.
"From now on, if anyone bullies you in Spirit City, just give them my name."
"If my name doesn't work, loose an arrow."
Qian Daoliu glanced at him.
Light Feather Douluo immediately amended his words.
"Of course, you can't just shoot arrows at will."
"At least tell your master first."
The corner of Lin Yuan's mouth twitched slightly.
This master seemed rather different from the worshipper he had imagined.
Qian Daoliu looked up at the sky.
That silver star trail was still there.
There was no hiding today's phenomenon.
Sea God Island, the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the hidden powerhouses across the continent would all send people to investigate.
A god-level bow Martial Soul.
A child under the gaze of an unknown deity.
From this day onward, Spirit Hall would become the focus of the entire continent's attention.
Qian Daoliu fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Suppress the news."
"To outsiders, Lin Yuan's Martial Soul will be described as an ordinary mutated bow Martial Soul."
"No one present today is to breathe a single word of this."
Everyone answered in unison.
"Yes."
Standing beside Light Feather Douluo, Lin Yuan gazed at the silver trail in the sky.
He knew his life had changed.
The awakening of the Imperial Bow.
The projection of an Aeon.
Innate Full Soul Power.
These had given him the qualifications to reach the pinnacle.
But they had also thrust him into the sights of countless people.
From today onward, he could no longer hide peacefully in the orphanage as he had before.
Yet Lin Yuan was not afraid.
He had waited for this day for all six years since coming to this world.
He raised his right hand.
A speck of starlight quietly lit up in his palm.
Faintly, a bowstring seemed to hum.
The Hunt had already begun.
And his first arrow had yet to fly.
At the same time.
In another universe, far from the Douluo Continent.
A blue arrow of light tore through the sea of stars.
Wherever it passed, the stars trembled, and countless Abominations of Abundance turned to dust in its light.
An immense figure stood amid the river of stars.
He held a longbow, his gaze fixed ahead all the while.
The Aeon of the Hunt-Lan.
Suddenly, the hand with which Lan drew his bowstring paused for an instant.
Just now, someone had stirred a sliver of his authority.
Not in this star domain.
Not even in this universe.
That power was exceedingly faint, almost negligible to him, yet it carried the unmistakable presence of The Hunt.
Someone had summoned his bow.
And someone had borrowed a sliver of his starlight.
Lan did not turn.
He merely looked beyond the sea of stars, his gaze crossing endless distances to fall upon that world not yet encompassed by the Paths.
The next moment, laughter suddenly rang out.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
The laughter sounded distant one moment and close the next, as though coming from every corner of the universe.
An enormous mask emerged from the void and circled Lan once.
"Interesting, far too interesting!"
The mask of Aha, the Aeon of Elation, shook incessantly with laughter.
"A child who hasn't even ventured out into the stars actually managed to borrow the power of The Hunt."
"Lan, someone took your arrow."
"And it's a little fellow you can't even find!"
Aha laughed even louder.
"This is far more interesting than chasing after Yaoshi!"
Lan did not respond.
Nor did he look toward that distant world again.
Ahead, the presence of Abundance appeared once more.
He raised his longbow.
Starlight gathered.
The bowstring thrummed.
An arrow of light swept across the river of stars, pursuing the departing Abominations of Abundance.
The Hunt would stop for nothing.
As for the child who had borrowed his authority...
As long as he was still pursuing his goal.
One day, they would meet again.