The damp scent of earth mingled with a faint trace of blood and crept into his nostrils. Huo Yuhao's eyes snapped open. The pounding in his head ebbed like a receding tide, replaced by a clarity that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.
"I... transmigrated? I became Huo Yuhao?"
He instinctively touched his head as the memories of his two lives fused in an instant.
The moment before, he'd been staying up late reading Peerless Tang Sect, furiously ranting in the comments as he read, cursing Tang San for being a heartless bastard;
The next moment, he'd become the most wretched male protagonist in the entire book.
Sitting on the ground, Huo Yuhao let out a self-mocking laugh.
"Heh... Huo Yuhao... What kind of child of destiny is he? He's obviously just a dog raised by the Tang family!"
Looking back at the original story, Huo Yuhao's life was practically a record of being manipulated and emotionally abused.
From the moment he joined Tang Sect, that lofty Sea God Tang San had arranged every detail of his life.
The so-called test of true love at Qiankun Asking Love Valley? It was just a way to grind a person's dignity underfoot.
The so-called memory seal "for your own good"? Nothing but the twisted behavior of someone with a raging need for control.
Worst of all, just so his daughter could have a perfect ending, Tang San had forced Wang Qiu'er to sacrifice herself, crushed Wang Dong'er, then stitched them together into some so-called "Tang Wutong"!
Wang Qiu'er, who had dared to love and hate and carried herself with heroic grace, was gone.
Wang Dong'er, who had been proud and adorable and stood by him through life and death, was gone too.
All that remained was a little princess of the Divine Realm who bossed him around and suffered from a serious princess complex. And what about the Huo Yuhao in the original story?
His mother's murder went unresolved after Tang San "magnanimously" talked him into letting it go.
He'd even nearly lost his own surname, and in the end had to thank Tang San profusely, kneel on the ground and call him father-in-law, and willingly become Tang Sect's dog.
"Damn your tests! Damn the Sea God!"
Huo Yuhao slammed a fist into the tree beside him. Blood seeped from his knuckles, but a fury unlike any he'd felt before burned in his eyes.
"Since you've brought me here, I'll never repeat the same mistakes!"
"In this life, I, Huo Yuhao, will live only for myself! Tang San, you think you can tame me? Dream on! I'll pay you back a thousand times, ten thousand times over for everything you've done to me!"
Just as Huo Yuhao's fury surged and he swore his oath, a cold, mechanical voice exploded in his mind.
[ Ding! The host's intense rebellious will has been detected. God King Trigger System binding... ] [ Binding successful! ] [ This system is designed to help the host break free of his shackles. Whenever Tang San experiences negative emotions such as anger, shock, or fear, the host will receive Anger Points. Spend Anger Points to obtain anything you desire! ]
Huo Yuhao froze, then surged with delight.
The system—the transmigrator's standard issue—had arrived, late but right on time!
And what the system could do... it was practically tailor-made for him!
He could grow stronger just by making Tang San furious. He'd do that job even without pay!
[ Ding! The novice gift pack has been issued. Open it? ]
"Open it!" Huo Yuhao answered without hesitation. [Congratulations, host. You have obtained one Martial Soul Evolution Card (God Tier) and one Marrow Cleansing Pill.]
[The host is currently fusing with the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm Soul Ring. Use the Martial Soul Evolution Card now?]
"Use it!"
Boom—!
A warm current surged from his dantian, shooting straight toward his eyes.
His Sea of Consciousness, which had been swollen and painfully throbbing from fusing with a Million-Year Soul Ring, underwent a world-shaking transformation.
The pale golden light in his eyes turned into a majestic, ancient gold.
Martial Soul Evolution: Spirit Eye—Golden Eyes!
At the same time, the Marrow Cleansing Pill began to work on his frail body. His meridians widened inch by inch, and impurities were expelled in an instant.
His Innate Soul Power, which had been a mere first level—barely enough to cultivate with—shot up like a rocket!
Innate Full Soul Power!
Within his Sea of Consciousness.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had been lamenting that he had to seal away most of his power, suddenly opened his tiny, bean-like eyes wide.
"What the hell? What's going on?!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's round body trembled violently.
By his estimation, Huo Yuhao's body was far too weak. He'd be lucky to withstand even a tiny fraction of Sky Dream's sealed power, and his Soul Power would top out at level eleven.
He'd even prepared to disguise the Soul Ring as a white, ten-year Soul Ring, just to keep the boy from exploding.
But just now, he'd felt Huo Yuhao's body turn into a massive black hole!
His previously fragile meridians had suddenly become incredibly tough and wide as rivers.
His barren Sea of Consciousness had expanded more than tenfold in an instant, radiating a holy aura that even surprised Sky Dream.
"Did this kid's Martial Soul... mutate? Or did it undergo a Second Awakening?"
"Am I really this lucky? I picked up some random human, and he turns out to be a peerless genius?!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was so excited that his voice went shrill. "If you can take it, then I won't hold back! I'm going to stuff you full!"
The Million-Year Soul Ring's spiritual power, sealed away layer after layer, poured madly into Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness through a tiny crack in one of the seals.
Outside, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, currents of air surging around him.
At his feet, his First Soul Ring, which should have been a glimmering white, now shone a deep purple!
Purple... the color of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
What was more, his Soul Power had reached level nineteen, just one step away from Soul Grandmaster! In a single moment, he'd been remade from the ground up!
Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. His Golden Eyes flashed, and the air around him seemed to freeze.
The world looked clearer to him than ever before. He could make out the flight paths of insects beating their wings a hundred meters away.
"Wahahahaha! I've struck it rich! I've struck it rich!"
In his Sea of Consciousness, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rolled around in excitement!
"I thought I'd have to drag a burden along while chasing that far-off dream of godhood. Who knew I'd picked up a treasure instead? Yuhao, you're incredible! You just took thousands of years of my cultivation in one go, and now your First Soul Ring is already at the thousand-year level. That's unprecedented in the history of Douluo Continent!"
Huo Yuhao felt the surging power within him and clenched his fist.
This feeling of strength was utterly different from the timid, struggling Huo Yuhao in the original story.
"Thank you, Brother Sky Dream!" Huo Yuhao said sincerely.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's smug voice rang out in his Sea of Consciousness. "I prepared four powerful Soul Skills for you! That's the kind of treatment you get from a Million-Year Soul Ring!"
Huo Yuhao focused, and information on the four Soul Skills flooded into his mind.
First Soul Skill: Spiritual Detection Sharing. It had a wider range and greater resolution, and could even predict the direction in which an enemy's muscles would tense.
Second Soul Skill: Spiritual Shock. A straightforward, brutal strike of spiritual power, perfect for dealing with anyone who wouldn't obey.
Third Soul Skill: Soul Shock, also known as Silence. This skill didn't exist in the original story. It could plunge opponents into brief fear and paralysis, and even interrupt their casting.
Fourth Soul Skill: Spiritual Replication. It could instantly analyze and imitate an opponent's Soul Skill.
"Not bad. Even stronger than I expected," Huo Yuhao said with satisfaction.
These four Soul Skills were much more powerful than in the original story. And although he was only at level nineteen, his spiritual power was already at the Soul Ancestor level, giving him considerable fighting strength.
He would never suffer the same unfair treatment he'd faced in the original story after entering Shrek Academy.
Just then, a rustling sound came from the trees in the distance.
"Someone's coming!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm warned. "The arrival of that gray bead must've caused quite a commotion!"
Before you continue