POV: Lin Yuan
Lin Yuan was one of those people from Earth who had always secretly hoped he'd get isekai'd. Reborn in another world, gifted with power, and destined to rise like the protagonists of his favorite novels. He hadn't expected it to actually happen… but it did.
The first time he truly remembered his past life, he was standing beside a stream, staring at his reflection in the water.
His new body was that of a scrawny orphan boy, living in a remote village near Spirit City. His father, a hunter, had died after mistaking a ten-year soul beast for common prey. His mother followed within a year, taken by an illness they couldn't afford to treat.
He was alone at the age of five.
But rather than break down, Lin Yuan had smiled.
'Classic orphan background? Check.'
What made him truly excited, though, wasn't the tragic setup. It was what he saw hovering faintly in the corner of his vision—
[System Loading… 99%]
'It's real… I have a system!'
His heart pounded with anticipation. He waited as days passed and then weeks.
Nothing happened.
A whole year went by, and still the system didn't finish loading.
Life in the village was dull, painfully mundane. His dreams of becoming the strongest while holding beauties like Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong in his arms made him sleepless. So, when the village chief planned a trip to Spirit City for trade, Lin Yuan sneaked onto the carriage, hidden among sacks of rice and firewood.
He thought his arrival in Spirit City would be the turning point.
However, Reality hit him like a brick.
No one cared that he was just a child. No one gave him food or shelter. The villagers had been kind, but here, he was just another stray. A month of begging, sleepless nights, and dirty alleyways followed.
But he held onto hope.
The day of Martial Soul Awakening arrived, the very event that had defined countless protagonists as he had read in various fanfictions in his previous life.
He stood in line among dozens of other orphans, trembling with expectation.
When the deacon performed the ceremony to awaken his martial soul.
A dark, menacing light enveloped him. The shadows thickened and power surged.
A terrifying spider shadow enveloped him.
'Death Spider Emperor.'
The Soul Master conducting the awakening froze.
The moment his hand touched the crystal, it shined brightly.
He had full innate soul power and a top-tier martial spirit.
When the deacon who asked if he was willing to join the Spirit Hall, he said he will answer after thing about it.
All his attention was somewhere else, as he was escastic after seeing…
Ding!
[System Loading Complete.]
[Binding Complete: Goddess Contract System System Activated.]
He heard the voice in his head as if it had always been a part of him.
Ding!
[Host, would have awakened a useless Sickle Martial Spirit. System awakened the Death Spider empereor for him]
Just as Lin Yuan was basking in the euphoria of awakening the Death Spider Emperor, he understood that it was done by the system.
Ding!
[Welcome to the Goddess Contract System.]
[Every time you successfully form a soul contract with a "goddess-tier" beauty, you will receive a portion of their talent, affinity, or unique trait.]
[Note: 1) Goddess-tier status is determined by beauty, bloodline, and potential.
2) Goddess contracted by you cannot go against you and will have good feelings toward you]
His heart skipped a beat.
'Goddess-tier? Beauty ?Talent inheritance?'
The implications were massive. With every contract, not only would he become stronger, but if he played his cards right, he could win over some of the most powerful and beautiful women in the world.
It sounded exactly like the fantasy novels he'd devoured in his previous life, except this time, it was real.
And Lin Yuan, in true protagonist fashion, immediately began to fantasize.
'If I get enough contracts… enough talent boosts… I might even surpass Tang San! No, scratch that—I'll surpass everyone!'
Then came the crucial question.
'Who should I contract first?'
He didn't have to think long.
This was the Douluo Dalu world. And in this timeline, based on what he'd seen and heard, the Pope was still Qian Xunji.
That meant… Qian Renxue was still here.
The golden child of the Spirit Hall. The one blessed by the Angel God. The one whose innate soul power was level 20—an unprecedented, almost mythical number that no one in history, past or future, had ever matched.
Lin Yuan's heart beat faster.
'If I can make a contract with Qian Renxue… my own talent might skyrocket. My path to the top would be guaranteed.'
But that wasn't all.
He remembered her image from the wiki pages and fan arts, an ethereal beauty with golden hair and proud eyes, elegant and untouchable. A goddess in every sense.
His expression twisted slightly with desire and ambition.
'I'll win her over. Somehow. If I play the long game, if I pretend to be pitiful, maybe even offer to serve her... Yes, I'll start as a loyal follower and slowly make my move.'
Ding!
[Target Detected: Qian Renxue – Angelic Bloodline – Goddess-tier]
[Contract Opportunity Available]
For confirmation he asked the sytem.
'System, Qian Renxue lives in this place, the Elder's Hall?'
Ding!
[Confirmed: Target – Qian Renxue, current location – Elder's Hall, Spirit Hall Complex]
[Initiating Map Projection…]
Before Lin Yuan's eyes, a glowing translucent layout of Spirit City appeared in the upper-right corner of his vision. His heart pounded with excitement. The map zoomed in smoothly to the Spirit Hall Complex, revealing segmented regions labeled:
· Outer Hall – Public Worship Area
· Administrative Hall – Where deacons and soul masters handled paperwork and internal affairs
· Temple Grounds – A sacred area only senior members could enter
· Pope's Palace – Where the current Pope resides
· Elder's Hall – Reserved exclusively for the highest-ranking members of Spirit Hall
[Highlighted Route to Elder's Hall marked. Estimated Travel Time: 17 minutes on foot.]
Lin Yuan's lips curled upward.
'So she's really here…'
"Perfect," he muttered under his breath, rising to his feet. He dusted off his ragged shirt and smoothed back his messy hair. "Once I get close, the system can help initiate the contract."
Ding!
[Goddess Contract Opportunity: 1 – Pending Target Interaction]
[Warning: Area is restricted to high-level Spirit Hall personnel. Use of stealth, deception, or luck recommended. The Host needs to kiss the target for the contract to be successful]
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. "You're basically telling me to risk it and pray, that I won't be killed after doing that?"
But he had a plan in his mind. He knew it was risky—stupid, even.
'If he could use his martial soul Death Spider Emperor and fake it as if I was Bibi Dong's relative, then I can get close to her. After that..He..He.. the contract will protect me.'
Then he made his way to the Elder's Hall, the highest, most sacred region of Spirit City. The place only the true elites of Spirit Hall could even approach.
But he had no time to waste.
So, with his tattered clothes and dirt-covered face, Lin Yuan strode up to the gates, determined to bluff his way in. The guards stopped him immediately.
He immediately started to prepare his narrative "I am Bibi Dong's relative."