Simultaneous Transmigration: From Douluo Continent to the Pinnacle

Chapter 15 Sweep, Recognition

"Lin Yao, your martial soul is the Star Sword, and you're a level 17 offensive-type battle soul master. Make your move. Let's see if your Soul Master strength can put some pressure on me."

Holding the Star Sword, Lin Yao stood still. Although there was no pale purple soul ring around him, his upright and pine-like demeanor was more imposing than that of the three-ring soul master opposite him, whose pupils suddenly contracted, whose mind trembled, and who was staring intently at his thousand-year soul ring.

The silvery Star Sword shimmered with tiny sparkles in the sunlight, its tassel swaying gently, stirring up a breeze that brushed against the stray hairs on Lin Yao's forehead.

"A level 17 Soul Master—how do you possess a thousand-year Soul Ring?"

Yan Jun's voice was filled with an undisguised blankness, and he swallowed twice before asking the question.

When he broke through to the Soul Master level, he exerted all his efforts to absorb that thousand-year-old soul ring, and almost failed.

Of course, they won the bet in the end.

If it weren't for his deep-seated obsession with becoming stronger, he would have already chosen a nine-hundred-year soul ring for the sake of stability, just like other peers with decent talent.

The risks of absorbing this spirit ring are enough to deter most people.

At the same time, in the end, going from a hundred years to a thousand years is a significant leap, and almost half of the soul masters on the continent never have the opportunity to absorb it in their entire lives.

But this young man actually absorbed a thousand-year soul ring in the very first round; this was a monstrous act that defied all reason.

"Talent, hard work, and a little bit of luck are enough."

Lin Yao's tone was calm and even, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.

Upon hearing this, everyone present twitched at the corners of their mouths, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside them.

They all knew that Lin Yao, a prominent figure in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, had set off some time ago to obtain a soul ring.

Originally, everyone speculated that he could at most absorb a four-hundred-year-old best-matched soul ring, and his soul power might be able to reach level thirteen.

Who would have thought that in just a few days, he not only brought back a thousand-year soul ring, but his soul power also soared to level seventeen, just one step away from becoming a two-ring Great Soul Master.

Such talent cannot be described as merely "outstanding"; it is downright terrifying.

Yan Jun believed he had considerable talent and was confident that he could break through to the Soul Master level before the age of twenty.

He will continue to improve in the future, and may even have the opportunity to reach the threshold of Soul Saint in his middle age. In a major sect like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he can be considered a top genius.

But compared to Lin Yao, who was about the same age as Ning Rongrong, she seemed so ordinary.

For the first time, he even felt the suffocating feeling of being left far behind.

"Your talent is indeed terrifyingly strong, but that is by no means the reason why you, with the strength of a one-ring Soul Master, can challenge a Soul Venerable who is of a higher level."

Yan Jun was caught in a dilemma, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He had indeed underestimated this genius, but now there was no way out.

If we back down, we will not only offend Lin Yao, but also possibly anger Miss Ning Rongrong who is standing next to us.

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Let's get to work and finish the task first."

"Ironclad Bear, Martial Soul Possession! First Soul Skill, Iron Mountain Lean!"

Having made up his mind, Yan Jun suddenly shouted in a low voice.

His body suddenly grew half a foot larger, his skin was covered with dark yellow down, and his arms were covered with a thick layer of keratin, as if he were wearing a layer of iron armor.

The moment his first soul skill was activated, a layer of earth-yellow protective shield condensed from his martial soul, completely enveloping his body, with even fine shimmering light emanating from its surface.

Using the protective shield as cover, he stomped his feet hard on the ground, cracking the earth in several places. He then hurtled towards Lin Yao like a cannonball, accompanied by a whistling wind. Clearly, he intended to use the shockwave of this move to injure his opponent while remaining unharmed thanks to the shield.

This first soul skill, which combines rapid approach, defense, and special attack, is already among the best in its class.

"It's really good."

Lin Yao smiled slightly, his wrist twisting lightly, and the Star Sword drew a silver arc.

The angle was so precise that it seemed to have anticipated all of Yan Jun's movements, hitting the exact spot where Yan Jun's old strength had just dissipated and new strength had not yet been generated, at the junction of his left shoulder and neck.

With a crisp "ding", Yan Jun felt a surge of force that made his blood and qi surge, and his originally sure-fire collision suddenly stalled.

This was the instinct that Lin Yao had developed during his time diligently practicing basic sword techniques under the guidance of Sword Douluo.

With each daily swing, he gradually became more and more familiar with his Star Sword, and his grasp of timing far surpassed that of other Soul Masters of the same age.

This level of skill might be insufficient to deal with stronger opponents, but it is more than enough to deal with a Soul Master like Yan Jun, who has limited combat experience, a single type of Soul Ring development, and is used to overwhelming others with brute force.

Taking advantage of the moment when Yan Jun's rhythm was interrupted, Lin Yao did not hesitate at all. He slashed forward with the Star Sword, his movements swift and clean. The sword wind was wrapped with fragments of starlight and went straight for Yan Jun's face.

"This guy—he's actually gaining the upper hand against a Soul Master? Even with a thousand-year soul ring, that's a difference of two realms!"

Ning Rongrong stared in disbelief, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

She had never seen anyone her age possess such strength and spirit, and a thought flashed through her mind: "With such talent and strength, if he were gentler and more willing to make me happy, it wouldn't hurt to have him as my older brother."

But she quickly suppressed the thought, her brows furrowing. "No, no, this wicked Xiao Yao is full of bad intentions. I can't be fooled by his superficial charm. I have to stay true to myself!"

"Indeed impressive. Looks like I'll have to go all out! Third Soul Skill, Savage Bear Transformation!"

Yan Jun's expression darkened when he saw that his probing first soul skill had been easily neutralized and even suppressed.

He didn't want to lose to a one-ring Soul Master in front of everyone; that would be an utter disgrace.

He no longer held back; the thousand-year-old soul ring behind him, radiating a profound light, suddenly lit up, its pale purple halo spreading out like ripples on water.

This is his trump card, a powerful enhancement soul skill. As a thousand-year soul ring skill absorbed at the Soul Master stage, its effect is terrifying.

Yan Jun's muscles bulged at a visible speed, his height increased by another foot, his dark yellow downy hair became as hard as steel needles, his eyes turned blood red, and his aura suddenly surged.

His strength increased by 40%, and his speed and defense each increased by 25%, which is the capital that allows him to dominate among his peers.

Lin Yao had no intention of delaying. With a flick of his wrist, the thousand-year soul ring on the Star Sword suddenly lit up.

The purplish-red light intertwined with the starlight on the sword, forming a hazy mist.

"Ink Star Sword Shadow"

He uttered the name of his soul skill softly, and the sword left three afterimages in the light mist, piercing through Yan Jun's iron armor shield with a sharp whistling sound.

"puff!"

Yan Jun felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow. He exhaled a breath of foul air and staggered back several steps, his protective shield shattering inch by inch.

The spirit possession state also dissipated instantly, his face filled with disbelief.

Taking advantage of the lingering power of the soul rings, Lin Yao swayed and unleashed several attacks with his Star Sword. The sword light was like a bolt of lightning, sweeping away the two-ring soul masters who had been stopped by Yan Jun and were now about to step forward.

Ning Rongrong only felt a flash of light before her eyes, and then she saw those soul masters clutching their chests and falling to the ground, having instantly defeated all the helpers she had brought.

"How is this possible? How could you defeat those guys with far greater soul power than you so easily? Even Yan Jun, who possesses the strength of a Soul Master, couldn't withstand more than a few of your moves?!"

Ning Rongrong's face was filled with disbelief.

Even now, she is still reeling from the shock of that sudden change in the situation.

In a short time, their once advantageous position turned into a complete defeat.

Even if Lin Yao possessed that thousand-year soul ring, he was clearly just a soul master; this was absolutely impossible.

A Soul Master, even standing still, is not someone a Soul Master can easily defeat. This—

"you----"

Just then, Ning Rongrong noticed that Lin Yao's "kind" gaze was falling on her. She felt a chill and subconsciously took a small step back.

But then she thought that this appearance was really not in line with her proud young lady status, so she immediately took a few steps forward, raised her small face, glared at Lin Yao who was walking towards her, and scolded him in a sweet voice: "Lin Yao, you big bad guy, what do you want to do? Don't think that just because you defeated Yan Jun, a Soul Venerable, I'm afraid of you. In the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, I've never been afraid of anyone."

Looking at Ning Rongrong in front of him, who was indeed adorable, Lin Yao chuckled inwardly, but remained expressionless on the surface. Without stopping, he walked straight up to her.

"You, you————"

Facing Lin Yao, who was so close yet looked like a big bad wolf, Ning Rongrong could no longer maintain her composure, and her eyes reddened slightly.

That appearance was so endearing.

Lin Yao had just defeated everyone present with a single blow, and given that his talent surpassed hers and he was outstanding in every aspect, Ning Rongrong suddenly felt immense pressure.

Those words I said earlier were just to bolster my courage; only someone who is afraid would say they are not afraid.

In this situation, she could no longer maintain her previous arrogant demeanor. For the first time, a sense of unease, beyond her control, welled up deep within her.

Although Ning Rongrong is sometimes mischievous and willful, she is, after all, just a six-year-old child.

When her identity as the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School could no longer bring her a sense of security, her psychological defenses ultimately proved fragile.

In her panic, she didn't even think of the stratagem of running away first, and stood still in place.

"How could I possibly hurt you, you silly girl?"

Seeing Ning Rongrong's stunned expression, Lin Yao raised his hand and gently rubbed her head. In the light of her slightly reddened eyes, which were filled with confusion and surprise, he smiled gently.

"This time, I won. It's time for me to call you 'brother'."

That gentle smile was like a refreshing breeze, warming Ning Rongrong's heart.

The muscles on her tender and adorable face, which had been tense due to nervousness, gradually relaxed, and a hint of absentmindedness flashed unconsciously in her eyes.

"What? I thought you were going to—"

Feeling Lin Yao's hand gently stroking her hair, Ning Rongrong's cheeks instantly flushed red as she listened to him. Despite being the same age as her, he exuded a calm and mature aura, like an older brother. She began to stammer.

"You silly girl, why are you thinking so much? You're always wondering what I'll do to you."

Lin Yao understood the implication in her words; she clearly thought he was going to bully her, so he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Have you forgotten? I promised to be your older brother. Caring for you and looking after you is my duty, so how could I possibly bully you?"

He paused, then added, "Of course, if you misbehave again, it's only right for your older brother to discipline you a little."

If it were any other person of the same age, they might actually do something to bully others in this situation.

But Lin Yao, who was a worldly adult in his previous life and was once a "braggart" who could rant at anyone online, would never bully a little girl.

"That's all because of your expressionless, fierce look just now!"

Hearing this, and confirming that Lin Yao wouldn't bully her, Ning Rongrong instantly perked up and immediately retorted.

However, she did not resist Lin Yao's gentle stroking of her hair, because she truly felt his care and the brotherly warmth he exuded.

Since her mother passed away, she had only ever felt this way with her father.

Even Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone were somewhat lacking in expressing their emotions in this regard, after all, the age difference between them and themselves was too great.

For oneself, it's more of a feeling of pampering.

"Rongrong, I've known your personality for a long time."

As Lin Yao spoke, his hand, which had been gently stroking her hair, moved down slightly and lightly pinched Ning Rongrong's cute, delicate, and fair face.

Wherever your fingertips touch, you feel a smooth, bouncy texture with a slightly cool touch, making you want to keep touching it.

Lin Yao couldn't help but pinch it lightly again.

At this moment, Ning Rongrong's face, which was already fair and jade-like, blushed slightly after he gently pinched her.

I don't know if it's because children's skin is too delicate, or if she was really shy.

"If I don't do that, how will you listen to me properly? In the end, you'll probably just ignore what I say, like you did with Uncle Ning."

"you----"

Upon hearing this, whether from Lin Yao's words or from his intimate gesture, Ning Rongrong blushed instantly, her face turning bright red as if it were about to bleed.

Seeing Ning Rongrong looking like she was about to turn into a steampunk princess from an anime, Lin Yao couldn't tease her anymore and reluctantly withdrew his hand.

Ning Rongrong felt Lin Yao's hand leave her face, and while she breathed a sigh of relief, her heart was still pounding.

She secretly regretted how stupid she had been, neither refusing him nor swatting his hand away.

Why? It's such a strange feeling. My heart is pounding, as if some inexplicable emotion is brewing inside me.

Ning Rongrong looked at Lin Yao in front of her, then looked up at the bright moon in the sky. Her eyes seemed to be covered with a thin layer of water vapor, and gradually became hazy.

Under the bright moonlight, my mother's slightly blurred smiling face seemed to be reflected on the moon itself, gently smiling at me.

It was as if it were whispering: My little Rongrong now has a great older brother who cares for and protects her.