Memories of the Past

"Ice Emperor Scorpion, you... that's wonderful! You followed me even after dying."

"Get lost! Get lost! Who died and followed you? If you really died, I'd definitely be the first to run away."

"Then what's going on now?" Gu You looked around at the endless sea of flames.

"I can't explain it clearly either, but that woman isn't dead yet! The only thing I know is that your Destruction Beam may have dissolved the energy from the missile's impact on Yue Zi. That way, it could only explode outward while contracting inward. Its effect was even worse than a level-four Soul Cannon Shell. And since you were holding her, you weren't hurt at all," the Ice Emperor Scorpion explained.

It could be used like that? Gu You's heart tightened. He seemed to have discovered a whole new world.

"Where did she go?" Gu You's expression turned grave. If Yue Zi was alive, why hadn't she killed him while he was unconscious?

"I don't know. I only just regained vision through your eyes, then used ice elemental energy to stimulate you awake."

"I have to say, you scorpion may be a little slow in the head, but you're still pretty clever. I can't keep calling you Ice Emperor Scorpion forever, can I? I'll give you a catchier name. How about... Iron Blockhead?"

?

Before Iron Blockhead could protest, Gu You cut off the mental link. "Resistance is futile." Then he smiled calmly.

"You're awake?" Yue Zi sat atop a long spike formed from black matter. One hand rested over her legs, while the other held onto the black spike. Her gaze was fixed on the flaming sky above.

Gu You instantly became wary.

"Hehe! I'm not that scary, am I? Let me tell you a story. Want to hear it?" Yue Zi looked at Gu You.

"Go ahead." Gu You crouched halfway down. Yue Zi had obviously held back in every fight between them. After all, the strength of a Limit Douluo was truly terrifying; with a flick of a finger, an entire city could be reduced to ashes. Yue Zi did not want to kill him. As for why, perhaps the answer lay in this story.

"I was born into a very wealthy family. There were three sisters in my family, including me. When I awakened my Martial Soul at the age of six, both my elder sister and younger sister had excellent talent. Their Martial Souls were the rare Heavenly Moon Silk, the inherited Martial Soul of our family. But mine... became a laughingstock. A vine Martial Soul, with level-three Soul Power." At this point, Yue Zi clenched her fists, and terrifying Soul Power surged around her.

"That day!! Everyone in the clan learned that I was my father's illegitimate child! You could never understand that feeling—disbelief, utter incomprehension! I endured endless cold stares. Even some nameless steward could lecture me, a 'young lady.' Hahaha! Tell me, what could I do?" Yue Zi asked Gu You.

Gu You's body trembled. He did not know how to answer.

"I figured you wouldn't know either. After all, you had it so good. Your Martial Soul was outstanding. After awakening it, I imagine your life must have been wonderful..." Yue Zi lowered her head. Gu You did not refute her. After hearing this story, he had no right to mock anyone.

"I cultivated diligently. Then one day, I reached level ten and could fuse with my first Soul Ring. I went to find my father and asked him to give me my first Soul Ring. But do you know what he said? He said my talent was poor, that I couldn't compare to my two sisters, and that it would be better for me to learn more knowledge and household skills. Maybe I could enter politics someday. Of course I knew he meant well, but I just wanted to ask!! If that was the case, why did he have a child with my mother, whom he had never even known? Since he knew I was born this way, why did he raise me? Was it only out of guilt? I wanted to become a Soul Master, to gain power, to investigate everything about myself. Whether they opposed me or refused to support me..."

"I stole some of my father's money and went to the Spirit Pagoda to randomly draw a Soul Spirit. But heaven played a huge joke on me: a defective product! A defective Soul Spirit!! That day, weak and starving, I looked at the defective vine Soul Spirit in my hand and resolutely chose to absorb it. I don't know how much courage I had back then. I only knew that my resentment would never fade! My Martial Soul mutated and evolved into the Bloodthirsty Sky Vine. After that, I kept killing stray cats and dogs by the roadside. In just two years, my Soul Power broke through level twenty. At the time, I was still kind. I had no intention of killing people, but that day changed me..."

"They were a group of bad people. They wanted to kidnap me and drag me into the dark side that did not belong to this world. But I was lucky. They were only ordinary people. I killed them, and my Soul Power reached level twenty-three. After tasting the thrill of killing for the first time, I couldn't stop. I had no money then, so I planned to return home and show them what I had achieved over the years, to prove that I wasn't trash, that I could become a Soul Master!! Looking back on it, I was too naive." Yue Zi calmly looked at the back of her hand.

"My family... actually called me an Evil Soul Master! They wanted to report me to the Federation Court and have me tortured forever. They called me a little bitch. Even my father remained silent the entire time. How desperately I wanted a single word of approval from him, but! There was none!! During the days they kept me confined, I finally found an opportunity. I used my Martial Soul to spread vines through the gap in the door. My movements were slight and secretive, without making a sound. I killed the steward guarding the door, used the vines as arms to open it, and began an endless slaughter. The family's powerful members were away at the time. The strongest ones were merely Soul Ancestors and Soul Elders. With just one Soul Ring, I slaughtered them until not a single piece of armor remained. Even their corpses became my nourishment!!" Yue Zi's face gradually twisted. This memory clearly provoked her deeply.

"At that time, my Soul Power instantly reached the peak of Soul Ancestor. I took some of the family's assets and went to seek the truth about my mother. Even now, I have found nothing. Only after becoming a Titled Douluo did I begin to sense the power of gods. That power was wonderfully mysterious, even more addictive than killing." Yue Zi finished speaking and looked at Gu You.

"You and I are both people chosen by gods. I never had the slightest intention of harming anyone, yet this world turned me into this. There are many people like me. Those Evil Soul Masters outside are all the same. They may be evil, but do you dare say they were born evil? Join me. You and I can become gods and enjoy eternal life together. We can destroy all the injustice in this world and uncover the secrets behind the regrets between us."

To be honest, Gu You was somewhat shaken, but he still shook his head. "You're right, and I agree with you. But... what about those people you killed? I can understand killing bad people, but what about ordinary people? What wrong had they done? Even if they had, it wasn't for you to judge them. You and I may both be right, but our hearts and beliefs are different. Everything you experienced in childhood was evil, while what I experienced was brilliance. I've met too many kind people, and I've also seen those selfish villains. Since we've come this far, I want to ask you too: will you turn back? As long as I'm here, there will be a chance. I know the greatest healing Douluo in the world, Holy Spirit Ya Li. I believe her Angel Martial Soul can purify your Martial Soul. Then you won't be an Evil Soul Master anymore. As long as you do enough good deeds, people won't blame you. After all, good people who do evil are cursed for ten thousand years, while bad people who do good are praised for ten thousand years."

"Haha! Honestly, talking with you has been quite nice. But... this still needs to be settled with a battle!!"