Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff

The air in the study was so still it seemed to have congealed.

The phantom of a four-meter-long golden beast lay in the center of the study. Its brilliant golden fur shone like metal beneath the Soul Guidance Lamp, while its face, black as a demon's mask, flickered in and out of the shadows.

It made no sound, merely remaining there in silence, yet its overwhelming pressure made all the soul guidance runes in the study flicker faintly.

Jing Hongchen's throat bobbed.

He could clearly feel the Venomous Toad Martial Soul within him, which possessed the bloodline of a divine beast, curled up in a ball and trembling.

If he didn't have the cultivation of a Titled Douluo, he wouldn't have been able to muster the slightest thought of resisting this beast.

Just what... was this monster?

"Grandpa Jing, don't be nervous." Bao Liang patted the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's leg. "It doesn't bite.

"Uh... no, that's not right. It looks pretty fierce, but it still listens to me."

"...You're sure it listens to you?" Jing Hongchen repeated with difficulty.

"Guaranteed." Bao Liang nodded as though it went without saying. "It's my Martial Soul, after all."

Xiao Hongchen had turned completely to stone.

A moment ago, he had been thinking, So what if he has an Ultimate Martial Soul? I have a Martial Soul with a divine beast's bloodline too.

But now, looking at the beast before him, a single leg of which was taller than he was, that little bit of pride had been crushed to dust.

Meng Hongchen, on the other hand, didn't have so many thoughts.

She hid behind her grandfather, poking half her head out as she gazed at the big golden-haired beast with shining eyes. Carefully, she extended a finger. "Little Baozi... it... it looks so majestic! Can I pet it?"

"Not right now." Bao Liang shook his head. "I can't control it completely freely yet. Let me practice a bit more."

"Oh..." Meng Hongchen was a little disappointed, but she soon brightened again. "Then you have to let me pet it later!"

"All right, all right. You can pet it all you want."

Only after reassuring Meng Hongchen did Bao Liang turn to Jing Hongchen and speak seriously. "Grandpa Jing, my Second Martial Soul is called the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff.

"It's an extinct super Soul Beast with an extremely domineering bloodline. It comes with an innate domain, the Domination Domain, has the attribute Ultimate Strength, and also has two ultimate talents-Indomitable and Upward Assault."

"Domination Domain... the attribute Ultimate Strength... the ultimate talents Indomitable and Upward Assault..." Jing Hongchen repeated each word, his eyelid twitching with every term.

"Indomitable means the longer it fights, the stronger it gets. The more badly it's hurt, the fiercer its fighting power, and it would rather die than retreat," Bao Liang explained. "Upward Assault means it can ignore differences in level and all defenses, allowing the weak to fight the strong-even if it's facing a Titled Douluo, it dares to clash head-on."

"The weak fighting the strong... Upward Assault..." Jing Hongchen murmured. Suddenly, he jerked his head up and stared fixedly at Bao Liang. "Little Bao Liang, do you know what this Martial Soul of yours means?"

Bao Liang blinked. "It means I'm really strong?"

"Strong? That doesn't begin to describe it!" Jing Hongchen slapped the table, his beard trembling with excitement. "Twin Martial Souls! Ultimate Flame as your First Martial Soul! And on top of that, a Beast Martial Soul with Ultimate Strength that comes with a domain and can use Upward Assault against a Titled Douluo! In all the Sun Moon Continent... no, even in all the Douluo Continent and Sun Moon Continent, in the hundred-odd years I've lived, I've never heard of a talent like you!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became. Jing Hongchen paced back and forth across the study, striding with the wind of a tiger at his heels. "Heaven blesses our Sun Moon! With you in the Sun Moon Empire, why should we worry that Soul Tools won't flourish? Why should we worry about the Douluo Continent keeping us under its thumb?"

"Um... Grandpa Jing." Bao Liang raised his hand. "Don't get excited just yet. I have another question."

"Speak!"

"Where am I going to live?" Bao Liang asked with a perfectly serious expression. "You brought me here from the orphanage, so you can't expect me to sleep on the street, can you? And who's going to pay for my meals, clothes, and cultivation resources from now on?"

Jing Hongchen: "..."

He was the dignified master of Mingde Hall. Just a moment ago, he had been envisioning the great undertaking of the Sun Moon Empire reigning supreme over the continent, only for a six-year-old to ask him about meal money the next.

"You little money-grubber! You're already in my home. How could I possibly mistreat you?" Jing Hongchen was torn between laughter and exasperation. "Don't worry. From today onward, you're one of the Hongchen Clan! Food, clothing, daily expenses, cultivation resources-I, Jing Hongchen, will cover it all!"

Jing Hongchen was making his calculations: his grandson and granddaughter were already close to Little Baozi, so he might as well get ahead of everyone else and bring the boy straight into his own residence.

Whether he became his grandson-in-law or something else, there was no going wrong with taking him in first.

"Then what about my allowance?" Bao Liang pressed. "I have Innate Full Soul Power, Twin Martial Souls, and an Ultimate Martial Soul. Shouldn't I get preferential treatment?"

Jing Hongchen: "..."

Xiao Hongchen couldn't listen any longer. He spoke up sarcastically. "Hah, so what if you have Twin Martial Souls? You want an allowance from our Hongchen Clan too? Who do you think you are?"

Without even turning his head, Bao Liang said, "Then pay me back."

Xiao Hongchen: "..."

"Grandpa, I think the allowance isn't entirely out of the question."

"Ahem!" Jing Hongchen coughed and hurried to smooth things over. "The allowance is easy to arrange. Don't worry, you definitely won't be shortchanged.

"But Little Bao Liang, before that, there's something more important."

"What is it?"

Jing Hongchen's expression turned serious.

He slowly walked over to Bao Liang and crouched down, meeting the six-year-old's eyes. "From today onward, bury the matter of your Twin Martial Souls, Ultimate Flame, and Ultimate Strength in your belly. You mustn't tell anyone."

"A tall tree catches the wind?"

"That's right." Jing Hongchen's voice was soft, but it carried an unquestionable gravity. "Although I'm very strong and a Level 9 Soul Engineer, there have never been a shortage of people watching us.

"If word of your talent gets out, never mind the people within the Sun Moon Empire who might start scheming-even those factions over on the Douluo Continent won't be able to sit still."

"Especially Shrek Academy on the Douluo Continent." Jing Hongchen narrowed his eyes. "Those people will stop at nothing."

Bao Liang froze for a moment, then nodded. "I understand, Grandpa Jing. I won't tell anyone."

"Good boy." Jing Hongchen patted him on the head in satisfaction.

Bao Liang suddenly remembered something and spoke again. "Oh, right, Grandpa Jing, there's another thing I'd like to ask of you."

"We're family. No need to call it a favor. Just say it."

"I've left the orphanage, but Granny and a whole bunch of children are still there," Bao Liang said earnestly. "And there's my steamed bun shop on Food Street. It doesn't make much money, but it's still some income for the orphanage.

"Now that I've left, Grandpa Jing, could you... look after everyone at the orphanage a little?"

Hearing this, Jing Hongchen wasn't surprised in the least. Instead, he smiled.

"You little fellow, you really value your bonds." He spoke unhurriedly. "Don't worry. From the moment I learned you had Innate Full Soul Power this morning, I sent someone I trust to keep an eye on the orphanage."

Bao Liang stared. "You arranged it already?"

"Of course," Jing Hongchen said as though it were only natural. "You're one of the Hongchen Clan now. Naturally, I have to protect your roots for you.

"Every brick and tile of the orphanage, every basket and steamer tray in the bun shop-someone is watching over them all. Nothing will go wrong."

Warmth filled Bao Liang's heart. He bowed deeply and sincerely to Jing Hongchen. "Thank you, Grandpa Jing."

"All right, we're family. No need for formalities." Jing Hongchen waved a hand, then suddenly remembered something else. His expression grew solemn. "Right, there's another important matter I almost forgot to tell you about."

"What important matter?"

"Soul Rings." Jing Hongchen raised a finger. "You have Innate Full Soul Power, so you can hunt a Soul Beast and obtain your First Soul Ring at any time.

"But listen to me. Don't rush into it."

"Because of the Soul Ring's age?"

"Exactly. A Soul Ring's age directly determines your future fighting power against others at the same level," Jing Hongchen explained. "After awakening, ordinary children make do with hunting just any Hundred-Year Soul Beast.

"That's even more common here in Sun Moon.

"But you have an Ultimate Martial Soul, and Twin Martial Souls at that. If you settle for less with your First Soul Ring, you won't be able to make up for it later, even if you want to."

Jing Hongchen paused. "I've already sent people to collect high-quality Whale Rubber and some pills to strengthen your foundation and nurture your vitality.

"Once everything is ready and you've tempered your body for a while longer, you can go obtain your First Soul Ring and try to get one of a greater age."

"Whale Rubber?" Bao Liang's eyes lit up.

He knew all about that stuff-Whale Rubber could improve physical condition and the capacity to withstand Soul Rings. It was unquestionably good stuff!

"That's right, Whale Rubber." Jing Hongchen nodded. "So don't be in a hurry for now.

"The residence's library will be open to you. Look through the books yourself and see what kind of Soul Ring and what attributes in a Soul Beast you want, so you have an idea in mind first."

"Okay!" Bao Liang agreed, full of enthusiasm. "I'll go look through the books tomorrow!"

Jing Hongchen nodded in satisfaction. "Come on, let Meng show you around.

"The Hongchen residence is large. From now on, this will be your home too."

Meng Hongchen immediately came bouncing over and grabbed Bao Liang's hand. "Come on, Little Baozi! I'll show you around! Our home is really big, and there are lots of fun places!"

"Huh? Wait-"

"Xiao, you go too." Jing Hongchen gestured toward Xiao Hongchen with his chin. "Show Little Baozi the way around."

Xiao Hongchen snorted and turned his head away. "I'm not-"

"Two thousand~"

"...I'll lead the way."

Meng Hongchen pulled Bao Liang along as she jogged through the Hongchen residence.

She showed him her soul guidance laboratory-although it hadn't been built yet, she already had a huge stack of drawings;

Xiao Hongchen's training ground, with metal targets piled waist-high at its edge;

the pond in the back garden, where several chubby koi were kept;

and finally, they stopped in front of a small courtyard with bright windows and spotless surroundings.

"This is the room Grandpa prepared for you!" Meng Hongchen pushed open the courtyard gate, looking immensely pleased with herself. "I'm right next door! Just call me if you need anything!"

The courtyard was small but immaculately kept.

When they pushed open the door to the room, sunlight fell across the brand-new bed, and a pot of flowers in full bloom sat on the windowsill.

"Little Baozi, do you like it?" Meng Hongchen clung to the doorframe, her eyes sparkling.

"Mm, I like it." Bao Liang nodded, then added, "It's just a little far from the kitchen."

"The kitchen's over there!" Meng Hongchen immediately pointed in a direction. "I'll take you! The kitchen's making red-braised pork tonight!"

"...Then what are we waiting for?!"

Xiao Hongchen leaned against a pillar in the corridor, watching his sister excitedly pull Little Baozi toward the kitchen. After a long while, the corners of his mouth curved up without his noticing.

"Hmph, I'll give you this, kid. You've got some skills."

Xiao Hongchen muttered under his breath, then turned and followed them.

As the night deepened, the lights of the Hongchen residence came on one after another.

Bao Liang lay on an unfamiliar bed, gazing at the starry sky outside the window. It suddenly felt as though, six years after transmigrating to this world, he was finally about to start stirring things up in earnest.

He had food and a place to live, someone to back him up, and a little girl who followed him around every day.

A life like this... didn't seem so bad.