MTLNOVEL Chapter 1: MORAX AND PAIMON
Douluo Continent, a place where you don't need a brain.
Star Dou Great Forest, an ancient primeval forest, one of the largest, strongest, and most dangerous on the Douluo Continent, and even across the entire Douluo Star.
Surrounded by dense foliage, towering trees stretch endlessly, their branches filtering sunlight that trickles through the leaves, casting faint beams of light onto the forest floor.
Butterflies with fluorescent wings dance gracefully, while three-colored and even five-colored deer leap through the woods, creating an atmosphere of serene tranquility.
"Big bug, soul of another world, this is the end of your journey!"
"Why is it me and Morax..."
"Hmm... Why should I add another one?"
A familiar female voice echoed in his mind, and the young man suddenly opened his eyes.
His amber eyes glowed with a golden hue, and his striking handsomeness set him apart, giving him an air of distinction.
The young man hesitated for a moment, groaned softly, and then began to survey his surroundings.
"Where am I?"
Originally a young man from Earth, he had once Transmigrated over to the continent of Teyvat, where he was reincarnated as the Geo Archon, Morax.
With foresight and immense power, he had resolved many regrets.
Guizhong was not dead, and the Yakshas were no longer reduced to a single survivor...
As time flowed and years passed, he eventually became a guest of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, wandering the world as the "mortal" Zhongli.
Zhongli looked around with a puzzled expression, trying to glean answers from his environment.
A ragged teenager, a baboon-like creature long dead, a towering tree, and a pie... Paimon?
Wait, Paimon?!
"Zhongli, where are we?"
Paimon rubbed her eyes and floated beside Zhongli, sounding slightly dazed.
She had been drinking tea in the tavern with the Traveler and Zhongli when she suddenly felt dizzy.
The next thing she knew, she woke up here.
Hearing this, Zhongli stroked his chin and glanced at Paimon again.
He had always felt there was something unusual about this little creature, though she appeared harmless.
"Hmm~"
With a deep hum, Zhongli spoke, "I don't know where this place is."
There were too few clues at the moment, and vaguely, Zhongli seemed to recall something, though he couldn't be certain.
It shouldn't be this outrageous, right?
A teenager, a baboon, a forest, a dagger lying on the ground...
It wasn't just similar, it was exactly the same.
It was a memory from thousands of years ago, so distant that he had nearly forgotten it.
Only after the young man awoke could he confirm the answer in his heart.
After about a quarter of an hour, the young man's fingers trembled slightly, and he suddenly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he thought he was dead!
That talking silkworm, with its enormous body, must have been at least a hundred-year-old soul beast!
Now that he thought about it, he felt a wave of fear.
"Zhongli, Zhongli, this little brother is awake!"
Paimon floated beside Zhongli and exclaimed.
Her voice startled the already frightened teenager even more, causing his pupils to shrink.
Someone was here!
Zhongli nodded slightly. With his strength, he could naturally sense the young man's condition.
The energy within the boy's body was sparse, almost negligible.
His physical condition was extremely poor, his meridians were blocked, and he appeared malnourished.
Though his shabby clothes were dusty, the stains seemed recent, indicating he came from a poor family.
"Hello, young friend. My name is Zhongli, and this is Paimon. We're here traveling," Zhongli said calmly.
His voice carried a soothing tone, exuding a sense of safety and stability.
His every movement was refined, giving him the air of a noble scholar.
Hearing this and observing Zhongli's demeanor, Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned.
As the illegitimate son of the White Tiger Duke, he had encountered many nobles. Yet, someone like Zhongli, who carried himself with such natural grace, even surpassed the Duchess of the White Tiger in elegance.
Although Huo Yuhao harbored resentment toward the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he held no hatred for other nobles.
Therefore, he didn't dislike Zhongli for his noble bearing.
Instead, he felt a sense of goodwill toward him.
The other party not only refrained from looking down on him but even addressed him as "young friend" and took the initiative to introduce himself and his purpose.
"Hello, Brother Zhongli," the young man said hesitantly.
"My name is Huo Yuhao."
At this point, Huo Yuhao paused, glanced at Paimon, and then continued, "Brother Zhongli, is this human-like creature your martial soul?"
"What do you mean, 'human-like creature'?!" Paimon crossed her arms and retorted angrily. "Paimon is Paimon, not a human-like creature!"
Zhongli was momentarily stunned, not because of Paimon's outburst, but because of Huo Yuhao's words.
He had suspected it earlier, but now it was confirmed.
He had indeed arrived in this world.
Martial Spirit, Huo Yuhao, the baboon, the forest...
This was the Douluo Continent!
It is still the Douluo Continent, 10,000 years after the "gods" ascended.
Hearing Paimon's words, Huo Yuhao scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
He rarely interacted with people and wasn't sure how to apologize to Paimon for his earlier remark.
Come to think of it, he hadn't said anything wrong.
Paimon looked human, but where could you find someone like her?
She was so small and could "fly" in the air.
On the Douluo Continent, martial souls were strange, and any kind of existence was possible.
It wasn't surprising for a martial soul to speak while manifested.
Zhongli stroked his chin, his amber eyes shifting between Paimon and Huo Yuhao, deep in thought.
It was quite strange. After he and Paimon crossed over to the Douluo Continent, there seemed to be a faint connection between them that hadn't existed before.
There was also an ice attribute and an "unknown" power within his body.
Combined with the voice he heard upon waking up...
A flash of insight crossed Zhongli's eyes, and he said to Huo Yuhao, "Paimon is indeed my martial soul."
Paimon: "Huh?"
Martial Soul? What was a Martial Soul?
Since when had she become Zhongli's martial soul?
She was Paimon, not a martial soul, right?
Zhongli didn't explain further. With a wave of his hand, Paimon turned into a stream of light and returned to his body.
"So that's how it is," Zhongli murmured, suddenly understanding.
After crossing over, for some unknown reason, Paimon had become his "martial soul."
An unknown "pact" had formed between them, allowing this effect to occur.
"Where is this? Zhongli, Zhongli, are you there?"
"Let Paimon out!"
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao's eyes filled with envy.
Since childhood, he had only relied on his mother, with no one else to talk to.
If his martial soul were a creature like this, having a talking companion wouldn't be so bad, even if it were weak.
Zhongli experimented quietly and released Paimon once more.
Paimon reappeared, and a white-gold circle slowly formed beneath her feet.
"Huh~"
"Brother Zhongli, why is the soul ring on Paimon white-gold?"
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened in confusion.
White, yellow, purple, black, red, these were the normal colors of soul rings.
What on earth was white-gold?
Paimon was equally puzzled.
She was utterly confused now, struggling to accept the sudden changes in such a short time.
Zhongli waved his hand calmly and said, "The soul ring has mutated."