Hell-Level Start

In a modern-style room filled with sofas, coffee tables, and Simmons beds, Tuoba Yan hazily thought he had stumbled into some carefully staged "scripted death" scene.

If not for the utterly out-of-place ancient clothes on his body, he would have almost suspected this was merely a realistic cosplay game.

After his Martial Soul awakened, even more memories surged through his mind like a tide.

He summoned a maidservant and, after several rounds of probing and conversation, was finally forced to accept the cruel reality.

He really had transmigrated, possessing the body of the six-year-old Tuoba Yan.

"Yan'er..."

A call came from outside the door.

Tuoba Yan turned and saw Tuoba Xi pushing the door open as he entered.

The boy ignored him, remaining by the window as he gazed out into the courtyard.

The Tuoba Clan truly deserved its status as a great clan. In Spirit City, where every inch of land was precious, it actually possessed an exquisite garden spanning several thousand square meters. Pavilions, towers, and winding paths filled the grounds, displaying the grandeur of a wealthy household everywhere.

Tuoba Xi slowly walked to his side and asked gently, "Are you thinking about something?"

A six-year-old child standing blankly by a window was enough to pique anyone's curiosity.

Ordinary six-year-olds were at the carefree, playful age. Few children spent their time thinking.

The boy nodded.

Tuoba Xi smiled kindly and pressed on, "Tell Grandpa, what are you pondering?"

"Living!"

"Living?"

"I'm thinking about how I can live safely in this life."

Hearing the boy's words, Tuoba Xi stroked his beard and smiled. "You are my grandson, the young master of the Tuoba Clan. No one would dare touch you. Not only will you live safely, you will enjoy glory and wealth."

The boy tilted his head slightly, casting Tuoba Xi a sidelong glance before continuing to look out at the scenery beyond the window.

He was a transmigrator. He knew what would happen in the future.

In the near future, Spirit Hall would be defeated, and the Tuoba Clan would be slaughtered by the Tang Clan, vanishing from the stage of history.

Tuoba Yan deliberately asked, "What do you think of Pontiff Bibi Dong?"

Tuoba Xi answered honestly, "She was able to inherit the position of Pontiff because the previous Pontiff named her as his successor and several elders supported her. But her ability to firmly establish herself in that position rests entirely on her ruthless methods and strength."

"I'm asking how much you know about her."

"Her Holiness the Pontiff's talent is beyond doubt. Under her leadership, Spirit Hall will certainly rise to a new level. I am also very willing to serve her loyally."

"What if her goal is not simply to lead Spirit Hall toward glory, but something else?"

"What goal?"

"I mean, what if? It's only a hypothetical. What if she had intentions harmful to the Tuoba Clan?"

"Impossible."

Tuoba Xi flatly rejected Tuoba Yan's words and earnestly advised him, "Yan'er, our Tuoba Clan owes everything it has today to Spirit Hall's protection. The Qian Clan and Spirit Hall have shown us immense kindness. The Pontiff is the Qian Clan's daughter-in-law, and they have all treated our Tuoba Clan well!"

"Your father and I risked our lives in the Soul Hunting Squad and earned great merits. Because of this, Grand Elder Qian Dao Liu gave his own niece in marriage to your father."

"Without that marriage, without the Qian Clan's Angel bloodline, how could you have awakened such a powerful Martial Soul?"

After "recovering" his memories, the boy knew that everything Tuoba Xi said was true.

The Black Tiger Clan, Wind Sword Clan, Fire Leopard Clan... the other eight great clans, like our Tuoba Clan, that were affiliated with the Qian Clan, all had their eyes on the prized Angel bloodline.

A child's Martial Soul was inherited from their parents.

The parents' talents largely determined the child's talent.

Among Soul Master clans, some people would stop at nothing in matters of producing offspring to satisfy their own selfish desires.

For example, the renowned Qian Xin Ji.

In order to make his descendants more talented, Qian Xin Ji violated Bibi Dong, a heaven-blessed daughter who possessed Twin Martial Souls, in a secret chamber.

For example, Ning Feng Zhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

In order for one of his descendants to have hope of breaking through the limits of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Feng Zhi had married more than once. It was said that several years ago, he married a cousin who shared blood ties with him within three generations, and they had a daughter.

These so-called great families would resort to any means to achieve their goals.

Tuoba Yan's father was Tuoba Xi's biological son, while the boy's mother was Qian Dao Liu's biological niece. Both his father and mother had died in a soul-hunting operation a year ago.

That same year, Qian Xin Ji, the Pontiff of Spirit Hall, died.

That same year, under Qian Dao Liu's patronage, Saintess Bibi Dong became Spirit Hall's new Pontiff.

By ties of kinship, the Tuoba Clan was part of Spirit Hall's "imperial relatives."

Half of Tuoba Yan's blood came from the Angel Clan—the Qian Clan. Yet, knowing Spirit Hall's future fate, he still deliberately asked Tuoba Xi, "If—again, this is only hypothetical—one day you were forced to choose between me and Spirit Hall, would you choose me or Spirit Hall?"

Tuoba Xi smiled. "Yan'er, today is the good day of your Martial Soul awakening. There's no need to make jokes like this!" Tuoba Yan turned around to face Tuoba Xi, his tone stern like that of an old scholar as he asked again, "I'm not joking. If that day came and you had to choose between me and Bibi Dong, the Qian Clan, or even Spirit Hall, who would you choose?"

Some said Spirit Hall had three fools.

Tuoba Yan wanted to say that Spirit Hall had four fools.

During the Gengxin City Incident, Tuoba Xi had worked tirelessly for Bibi Dong. Over the course of his life, he had even taken attacks for Bibi Dong twice.

The first time occurred when Da Ming and Er Ming launched a desperate counterattack before their deaths, joining forces to kill Spirit Eagle Douluo.

When the Titan Great Ape's powerful energy wave swept toward Bibi Dong, Tuoba Xi instantly moved in front of her and unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, forming a protective barrier to block the attack for her.

Yet Bibi Dong remained utterly calm, accepting it with composure. She clearly had expected it long ago.

The second time was after Tang San used Poseidon's Trident, severely injuring Bibi Dong. Just as Bibi Dong's shattered body recovered, Tang San had Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing unleash their Martial Soul Fusion Skill—the Netherworld Murder God's Stinger—to attack Bibi Dong.

At the crucial moment, it was Tuoba Xi again. Dragging his injured body, he blocked the entire attack for Bibi Dong. This time, it was clear from Bibi Dong's eyes that she had not expected anyone to take an attack for her at such a moment.

And Tuoba Xi did not forget to glance back at Her Majesty the Empress to see whether she had been injured again.

That was obviously the behavior of someone doing it willingly.

In the end, to compete with Tang San in spiritual power, Bibi Dong actually squeezed Tuoba Xi dry again.

Bibi Dong not only absorbed Tuoba Xi's spiritual power, but even drained away his life force.

If Tuoba Xi had not been willing, how could a Title Douluo like him have been so easily drained of his power by Bibi Dong?

Tuoba Yan believed that besides Bibi Dong, Qian Ren Xue, and Hu Liena, Spirit Hall had a fourth fool—Tuoba Xi.

He had transmigrated into the Tuoba Clan.

The clan would find it difficult to sever its ties with Spirit Hall.

Spirit Hall had four fools. This truly was a hell-level start.

Tuoba Xi's face turned serious, every word ringing with conviction. "If the ruler demands his subject's death, the subject has no choice but to die. We receive Spirit Hall's salary, so we ought to serve Spirit Hall loyally. So long as it does not endanger your... Forget it. Why am I saying such things to a child?"