Night fell swiftly over Holy Soul Village.
Deep within a dense forest ten kilometers away, moonlight barely pierced the towering canopy. The air here was heavy—ancient, oppressive—like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Lin Chen stood alone.
His small body looked fragile against the towering trees, yet his eyes were calm, sharp, and utterly fearless.
This is the place.
The system interface hovered faintly before him.
[Location Confirmed][Target Soul Beast: Abyssal Netherwyrm — 99,999 Years][Status: Severely Injured | Dormant Cycle: 300 Years][Warning: This Soul Beast Should Not Exist in the Outer Forest]
Lin Chen's lips curved slightly.
Of course it shouldn't. It escaped extinction.
The Abyssal Netherwyrm was a dragon-type soul beast born from spatial cracks in the far north—beings that devoured soul power itself. In the original timeline, this creature was never discovered.
But Lin Chen knew better.
He stepped forward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
The forest trembled.
From beneath a collapsed ravine, something moved.
A massive black head emerged, scales fractured and dull, one eye sealed shut by ancient scars. Its body alone was over thirty meters long, coiled in a crater as if the earth had rejected it.
The moment its remaining eye opened—
BOOM.
A pressure rivaling a Soul Douluo erupted outward.
The Abyssal Netherwyrm snarled, its voice echoing directly in Lin Chen's mind.
"You… are human."
Lin Chen did not retreat.
Behind him, the Void Dragon King Spirit slowly manifested.
Unlike before, its presence was no longer restrained.
Dragon pressure met dragon pressure.
The Netherwyrm froze.
"…Bloodline…? No. Higher."
Lin Chen raised his hand.
The Origin Severing Sword appeared soundlessly.
System. Activate Authority.
[Authority: Soul Suppression — Temporary Release][Condition: First Ring Acquisition]
The sword descended.
There was no flash, no dramatic clash—only absolute severance.
Space itself screamed.
The Netherwyrm roared in agony, black blood vaporizing before touching the ground. It lashed out, claws tearing through trees, tail smashing stone like paper.
Yet its movements slowed.
Its soul was being consumed.
The Void Dragon Spirit opened its jaws.
Devour.
Minute by minute, the 99,999-year beast weakened—its regeneration failing, its core exposed. At the final moment, the Netherwyrm looked at Lin Chen with something close to relief.
"So… this is how it ends."
The sword pierced its skull.
Silence.
A massive black soul ring, deeper than night itself, rose slowly into the air. Even the forest recoiled.
Lin Chen sat cross-legged without hesitation.
The moment the ring descended—
Pain exploded.
Not physical pain.
It was the weight of 99,999 years of will, hatred, hunger, and loneliness crashing into a six-year-old body.
Lin Chen's bones cracked.
Blood spilled from his lips.
But his eyes never closed.
Kneel.
The Void Dragon King roared.
The soul ring submitted.
Black light flooded Lin Chen's body, carving runes into his bones, forging his meridians wider, stronger—inhuman.
Minutes later, the forest returned to stillness.
Lin Chen stood up.
One black ring rotated slowly beneath his feet.
Perfect. Stable.
The system chimed softly.
[First Soul Ring Acquired][Martial Spirit: Void Dragon King][Soul Ring Age: 99,999 Years][First Soul Skill Unlocked: Abyss Devouring Domain (Sealed State)]
Lin Chen exhaled, smiling faintly.
Tang San… this time, I start where gods end.
And far away, in a thatched house in Holy Soul Village—
Tang Hao suddenly opened his eyes.
"…Dragon?"