On a stormy, rainy night.
Inside a secluded little house in a luxurious mansion that sprawled across a vast estate.
"Wah! Wah! Wah!"
A baby's cries rang out. On the narrow wooden bed, a woman drenched in cold sweat and fresh from childbirth gently lifted the newborn.
A small hand stroked the baby's face. The woman's expression was full of tenderness.
"A boy! My child, welcome to this world."
Her voice was so gentle as she soothed the crying baby.
"Before you were born, your father and I decided on your name."
"Yuhao. 'Yu' as in rain, 'Hao' as in vast. Yuhao, Yuhao, Yuhao."
She called his name three times in a row, but in the end, she passed out from exhaustion. The baby in her arms seemed to cry even louder.
Six years later.
"Master Yuhao, since we've come to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt your First Soul Ring, you mustn't leave my sight."
"This Star Dou Great Forest is full of danger. If anything happens... I won't be able to answer to the Duke or your mother."
A middle-aged man who looked quite old and wore a black martial arts uniform gave these instructions to a little boy with heterochromatic eyes, round, rosy cheeks, and a still-childlike face.
"I understand, Uncle Mo. I won't leave your sight," Huo Yuhao replied obediently, looking utterly harmless.
The middle-aged man whom Huo Yuhao called Uncle Mo nodded. "Then, Master Yuhao, let's go find your First Soul Ring."
Uncle Mo took Huo Yuhao's hand, and the two of them—one big and one small—officially entered the Star Dou Great Forest before them.
As they walked, Huo Yuhao glanced at Uncle Mo.
Six years had passed since he came to this world. To explain how he'd ended up here and been reincarnated as Huo Yuhao, one had to start with a story about a second-floor flying disaster.
That day, he'd been eating hot pot, cuddling a girl, and humming a song when, all of a sudden, he'd been reincarnated.
So I'd been reincarnated. Fine! But he'd never imagined he'd become that Huo Gua from Douluo—the little lone wolf early on, and a dog later.
To avoid that tragic fate, he'd quickly accepted his second life and made a series of changes.
The first was the man beside him, Uncle Mo, a Six-Ring Soul Emperor.
Uncle Mo had been one of his cheap father's most trusted soldiers.
Four years ago, on the night before Dai Hao left on an expedition, Huo Yuhao had barged into the room while Dai Hao was spending the night with Huo Yun'er and demanded that Uncle Mo be assigned to him.
His reason had been perfectly sound: his mother was too soft-hearted, and he was afraid she'd be bullied.
As it happened, one of Dai Hao's personal soldiers, Mo Cheng—Uncle Mo—was getting on in years. Dai Hao didn't want him going back to the battlefield at his age.
So, on the night Dai Hao left for the expedition, Uncle Mo was given the responsibility of protecting and teaching the young master.
At first, Uncle Mo hadn't been too willing. As an old soldier, he'd rather give his all on the battlefield.
But when he saw the Duchess give Huo Yun'er a hard time, he calmed down and devoted himself to protecting Huo Yuhao and his mother.
Over the past six years, thanks to Uncle Mo's protection, Huo Yuhao had enjoyed just about everything he could in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
So when Huo Yuhao awakened his Martial Soul yesterday, it was still Spirit Eyes, but his Innate Soul Power was Innate Full Soul Power—level ten!
Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul was Spirit Eyes, an exceptionally rare Spirit System Martial Soul.
Early that morning, Uncle Mo had brought Huo Yuhao to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring.
Spirit System Soul Beasts were especially rare, and it often took a long time to find one—if they were lucky enough to come across one at all.
Upon entering the Star Dou Great Forest, Huo Yuhao surveyed the towering trees around him.
In the original timeline, this body had entered the Star Dou Great Forest at around eleven and a half years old.
Huo Yuhao was now nearly six years ahead of schedule. Would he still encounter Tian Meng?
The pair continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest. Uncle Mo held Huo Yuhao's hand while vigilantly watching their surroundings.
Hmm. The air seemed to be moving a little slower over there. Even when a lion hunted a rabbit, it gave its all.
As a seasoned veteran, Uncle Mo immediately released his Martial Soul and Soul Rings. His Martial Soul was the Purple Shadow Lion, capable of both offense and defense.
Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet.
As soon as Mo Cheng released his Martial Soul and Soul Rings, a dark figure lunged at them from ahead.
"You're asking for death!"
Uncle Mo shouted. The Second Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up: Purple Shadow Cannon.
A purple glow flickered in Uncle Mo's mouth. It shot out faster than the dark figure and hit its mark.
The dark figure struck by the purple orb crashed hard to the ground. It didn't even struggle before its life faded away.
When Mo Cheng and Huo Yuhao went closer to look, they saw a Soul Beast about a meter long, covered in yellowish-brown fur.
"What was that? Just a ten-year Wind Baboon. It gave me a fright."
Uncle Mo looked at the Wind Baboon, whose white Soul Ring was rising into the air. What gave a ten-year Soul Beast the nerve to attack a Soul Emperor like him?
Huo Yuhao looked at the Wind Baboon. If he remembered correctly, in the original timeline, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had been...
"It's been so long since I last met a human with the Mental Attribute. What a pity that I'm not who I used to be. I don't believe in tears anymore."
"You, little old man, don't need to be involved in what comes next. Take a nap first."
A voice suddenly appeared in Huo Yuhao's mind. When he looked toward Uncle Mo, he saw that the man had already passed out.
Huo Yuhao went over to Uncle Mo and tested his breathing with a finger. Once he confirmed that the man was merely unconscious, he let out a sigh of relief.
"You there, human, don't bother checking. I'm beautiful, kind, and magnanimous. I only knocked him out."
Accompanied by a voice like a little girl's, the ground in front of Huo Yuhao split open in an instant, forming a huge fissure.
Something radiating icy cold and a white-gold glow nearly blinded Huo Yuhao.
When his vision cleared, he saw a plump, round, white jade silkworm, seven meters long and a meter in diameter, wriggling out of the fissure.
"Who are you?" Huo Yuhao recognized the other party, but deliberately pretended not to.
The silkworm's tiny eyes glinted with pride. "Good question. Listen closely, and I'll tell you who I am."
"I am the one and only Million-Year King among Soul Beasts, combining beauty and wisdom, cultivation and kindness—the Sky~ Dream~ Ice~ Silkworm!"
"Well? Has my sweetness melted your heart?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm showed off its chubby, segmented body with shameless pride.
Huo Yuhao nearly spat blood. Damn it. I'd ended up in another world, and the Magical Girl warriors were still chasing me.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's dazed expression, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said smugly, "Looks like you're completely enchanted by my beauty. As a reward, I'll graciously enter your body!"
"It might hurt a little!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm didn't wait for Huo Yuhao to react. Its huge body plunged straight into him.
Sky Dream's enormous, round head rammed into Huo Yuhao. An intensely cold chill rose inside him, and he lost consciousness.
"Wow, this little guy's body is pretty good. Maybe I've struck gold this time!"
Before you continue