"Luochuan."
"This spirit ring of yours…"
Tang Ziran's gaze lingered on his son, Tang Luochuan. Even though he was a well-known secondary profession master, he couldn't hide his confusion.
He understood the unique strength of his son's martial soul mutation—it was something rare and extraordinary. But the spirit ring it produced… the dazzling golden color—this was truly shocking.
White, yellow, purple, black, red… those were the standard categories of spirit rings. He had heard of them all, seen them countless times. But gold? Gold was something he had never even imagined, let alone witnessed!
"I… don't know either…"
Tang Luochuan furrowed his brows and wore a look of befuddlement. In truth, his mind was already at work. He tried channeling soul power, attempting to see if he could alter the color, dim it, disguise it somehow.
But no matter what he tried, the ring's color remained fixed—an unshakable golden brilliance. Far too eye-catching. Far too dangerous. Such a conspicuous spirit ring would undoubtedly bring trouble in the future.
[The host's spirit ring color is too extraordinary. To avoid detection, the Battle Spirit System has been activated. From now on, the spirit ring can freely change its color at will.]
[Available colors: white, yellow, purple, black, red, orange, gold, green…]
"…Huh?"
It was like reaching for a pillow the exact moment you felt sleepy. The voice in his head came just in time, and Tang Luochuan's eyes lit up with joy.
An ability to freely alter the soul ring's color?
With just a thought, the golden brilliance dimmed and reshaped into a modest yellow glow. His golden ring was now nothing more than an ordinary yellow hundred-year spirit ring.
"This… it can change?"
Tang Wulin's eyes widened in astonishment. Tang Ziran and Lang Yue exchanged looks, equally stunned. As seasoned adults, they had seen all sorts of things throughout their lives, but never something this magical.
"I don't know why either," Luochuan said, keeping up his look of confusion while carefully pitching his tone serious. "But yes, I can change it freely."
"…Luochuan, what is your first soul skill?"
Tang Ziran leaned forward, curiosity brimming.
"The name of my first soul skill is Golden Dragon Tyrant Body. It increases all attribute damage by two hundred percent."
He spoke slowly, a faint smile curving his lips.
As his words fell, the first blood-and-energy spirit ring flared brilliantly. At once, golden light burst from his palm, which hardened and elongated into a sharp, powerful golden dragon claw.
The first soul skill—Golden Dragon Tyrant Body. And with that came the signature Golden Dragon Claw, radiating a lethal aura that needed no words to describe.
"What a terrifying aura…"
Tang Luochuan studied the claw in silence, secretly impressed.
In the original story of Wu Lin, the boy's sealed Golden Dragon Claw had once shattered the martial soul fusion skills of two great soul masters in one strike. But his own wasn't sealed at all—it was pure, unrestrained power. With this… even the most formidable martial soul fusion techniques might crumble before a single blow!
"Brother, you're so cool!"
Tang Wulin's eyes sparkled, utterly entranced. He stared at the glowing golden talons, his voice trembling with envy and awe. If only he too could unleash such a move!
"Luochuan, your first ring and skill… they're incredible."
Tang Ziran exhaled deeply and quickly regained his fatherly tone. "Both of you will report to Hongshan Academy tomorrow. Once you're at school, be careful. Don't use your ring recklessly, and definitely don't hurt other students."
Though his son was merely at the rank of Soul Master, that single claw carried power so fearsome, it made even him doubt if higher-ranked masters could withstand it. Was it just an illusion… or worse, the truth?
"I'll be careful, Dad." Luochuan nodded. He wasn't about to disagree—honestly, he was more afraid of accidentally killing someone if things got out of hand.
That night, after Luochuan had obtained his spirit ring, Tang Wulin experienced a strange dream.
Tang Wulin's Dream
In the dream, he stumbled into a dark and mysterious realm. The air was thick and heavy, reeking of purgatory. He rubbed his drowsy eyes in confusion.
"This… where am I?"
He knew he was asleep—and yet everything felt painfully real, as though his soul had been transported elsewhere.
Then, before him appeared a golden dragon. Its massive body was bound tightly in place, restrained by eighteen enormous chains driven deep into the desolate ground.
The dragon lay unconscious, as if robbed of vitality, sealed in despair, waiting eternally for its chosen savior.
"…It looks just like my brother's martial spirit."
Wulin's voice was a hushed murmur. Step by step, he approached the dragon that resembled Luochuan's martial soul magnified countless times.
Just as he reached forward to touch its scales, the supposedly lifeless dragon twitched suddenly.
Its eyes—like blazing suns—snapped open, and for a terrifying instant, its gaze locked straight onto him. Wulin jolted awake.
"What a strange dream…"
The morning sun beamed through the window, warming his cheeks. Wulin exhaled slowly, still shaken by the vividness of it all.
Hongshan Academy
Early the next morning, both brothers made their way to Hongshan Academy.
The school wasn't far from their neighborhood. Aolai City, being a small city, had few children blessed with soul power. With Luochuan and Wulin included, the entire Soul Master class barely reached twenty or thirty students—meager, considering it was the full class size.
Most of the city's children weren't particularly exceptional. Aside from Luochuan, the most promising talent they had was merely a sixth-level innate.
Luochuan didn't care much about them. His thoughts were elsewhere.
"Today… I should be meeting Na'er."
His heart stirred.
In the original story, Na'er had been an incarnation of the Silver Dragon King, entering the human world and gravitating toward Tang Wulin's aura of the Golden Dragon King.
But in this timeline, he—Tang Luochuan—carried the real Golden Dragon King himself. Wouldn't that mean Na'er would come to him instead?
The thought left his expression strained, as he and Wulin walked home after classes. He scanned around constantly, as though expecting her to appear at any turn. But she was nowhere to be found.
That is, until they turned into the narrow alley near their home.
Voices—ugly, leering, and predatory—echoed ahead.
"Hey little miss, come with your brothers."
"Such pretty eyes… must be worth a fortune on the black market."
"Kehehe…"
In an instant, Luochuan stiffened. His sleepiness vanished like smoke.
"Brother, where are you going?" Wulin asked in confusion as his brother suddenly darted off.
Luochuan ignored him, dashing toward the voices.
Ahead, three thug-like men were cornering a young girl.
She looked about their age, maybe younger. Her silver hair gleamed with its own light, shining despite the dirt smudging her cheeks. Her eyes—large, clear, and purple like faceted amethysts—held a shimmer that made her beauty undeniable. Even in her shabby state, it was obvious she would grow into an extraordinary woman.
But right now, her body trembled. Her gaze brimmed with fear.
"Let go of that girl!"
Luochuan's voice rang sharply as he stepped between her and the thugs.
"Eh? And where did this brat crawl out from?"
One of the men sneered, twirling a knife lazily in his hand. The other two laughed. "What is this, a child playing hero? You think you're some knight from TV dramas?"
Luochuan's lips pressed thin. He didn't waste more words.
A glowing yellow spirit ring rose beneath his feet.
The moment it appeared, all three men froze—faces paling.
A… soul ring? A Soul Master?!
A hundred-year ring at that! The sort of thing worth millions by itself!
"…Shit. Of all people to mess with, it had to be a genius soul master."
The thugs weren't suicidal. Though they spat curses and muttered under their breath, they didn't stay another second. They turned and fled, scampering out of the alley like rats.
The oppressive atmosphere lifted. The girl blinked in shock, then turned toward her savior.
Those transparent purple eyes locked onto Luochuan as if something deep within her soul was drawn to him.
"It's okay now," Luochuan said softly, his expression easing. "The bad men are gone. You're safe. What's your name?"
The girl hesitated shyly before whispering, "My name is Na'er. Thank you, big brother. I'm fine."
"Where's your family, Na'er?"
Her face dimmed, and she shook her head slowly. "I… I don't have any family. Not anymore."
Family—that word felt foreign to her, something long out of reach.
"…I see." Luochuan looked at her gently. He extended his hand, smiling warmly. "Then come home with me. From now on, you'll be family."
Na'er froze, eyes wide with disbelief. She stared at the hand stretched out before her, trembling ever so slightly. After a long pause, she lifted her small hand onto his, her voice delicate but resolute.
"I… I do."