Transmigrating into Xiao Hongchen

"Another unfamiliar ceiling." Xiao Hongchen, having just opened his eyes, muttered in a daze.

"You're awake, brother." A girl's voice filled with joy rang out from beside him. "You've been unconscious for a week. Grandfather and I were both so worried."

Xiao Hongchen sat up abruptly from the bed and scanned his surroundings.

It was a European-style room with a pale white color scheme. The table was piled high with blueprints he couldn't understand, along with some damaged metal components.

"Do you still remember your name? You haven't lost your memory, have you? Brother?" Seeing Xiao Hongchen looking around with a bewildered expression, the young girl by the bed asked anxiously.

The girl had long, silver-white hair with tips that shimmered in a gradient of silver-white and icy blue. A sky-blue hair accessory dotted with white specks was pinned to the left side of her hair, adding a touch of cuteness. Her azure eyes were filled with worry, set against skin as fair and delicate as porcelain. This beautiful girl was actually my sister?!

He had been a miserable graduate student who had just left his workstation and was riding his e-bike back to the dormitory to start a wonderful night of leisure when he was struck by a heavy truck. Afterward, he only felt himself being enveloped by a mass of silver-white sludge, unable to move. The moment he opened his eyes, he had become this person.

Before he could fully sort out his thoughts, the past thirteen years of Xiao Hongchen's life rushed into his mind like a tidal wave.

At five, the trembling of his fingertips when he first touched a carving knife. At six, awakening the Three-Legged Golden Toad, a divine beast Martial Soul with innate full soul power; when his grandfather patted his head and said, "You truly are my grandson," he acted indifferent on the surface, but smiled at the mirror for a long time after returning to his room. At seven, the excitement of completing his first soul tool, which kept him awake all night.

He was so proud, so proud that he refused to yield to anyone. He was so stubborn that once he set his sights on an opponent, he would fight to the bitter end. He could have lived as the most dazzling existence of this era.

But he had pushed himself too hard.

After being defeated by Huo Yuhao, that once arrogant genius twisted all his unwillingness into a single obsession: I must win it back. It wasn't that he couldn't afford to lose, but that he absolutely could not lose. His pride did not allow him to bow his head, did not allow him to wait, and did not allow him to admit that he had become a stepping stone for Huo Yuhao.

The most ironic part was that even though he had gambled his future just to seek a fair duel with Huo Yuhao, fate was unwilling to grant him even the chance to cross blades. Under the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Wang Qiuer and the cheater—Dragon's Roar of Fate—he had been thoroughly defeated. To protect his sister, he suffered comminuted fractures in all four limbs and damage to his internal organs.

Xiao Hongchen felt a dull ache in the area of his heart.

Was he feeling sad for that boy whose pride was so heartbreaking?

"...Old Xiao."

He called out in his heart. It wasn't an evaluation of a character from a book, but like calling out to a friend he had known for a long time.

Since heaven has allowed me to live this life for you, I will continue your path—your Martial Soul, your talent, and the journey you haven't finished. Those things you wanted to win but didn't, I will win for you. Those things you wanted to prove but didn't have the time to, I will prove for you.

I accept your pride. I will not let your regrets repeat themselves.

Thinking of this, Xiao Hongchen's mind finally calmed down. He closed his eyes to perceive this body.

His soul power flowed smoothly, and his meridians were unobstructed. Level forty-six, matching the level in his memories.

Let's activate the Martial Soul first.

Two yellow and two purple soul rings rose from beneath his feet. Golden light condensed behind him, and the phantom of a Three-Legged Golden Toad slowly emerged, while a golden energy leg extended from his rear.

"..."

Xiao Hongchen looked down and his mouth twitched.

It was fortunate that it was an energy construct and not a physical one. Otherwise, if he had to ruin a pair of pants every time he activated his Martial Soul, then he, the "genius of the Sun Moon Empire once in a thousand years," might as well be renamed the "genius of the Sun Moon Empire who exposes his butt every time he fights."

Just as he was about to retract his Martial Soul, a violent mental fluctuation exploded from deep within his brain.

Xiao Hongchen froze in place.

Then, the world unfolded before his eyes.

The arc of the curtains blowing in the wind, the faint hum of electricity inside the wall lamp, the number of rotations per second of the soul-powered fan—all information flooded in simultaneously. His brain completed the entire observation before his consciousness could even react.

This was the Brain Martial Soul. Not only had his perception become sharper, but the speed of his thinking had also surpassed consciousness itself.

No dizziness, no loss of control. It was as if his brain was meant to process this much information all along, and he had simply been looking at the world through covered eyes until now.

Now, the blindfold had been lifted.

Xiao Hongchen's mouth curled slightly.

It seemed that due to some influence from his transmigration, he had awakened a second Martial Soul: a mental-type body Martial Soul, the Brain.

The Brain Martial Soul should be a body Martial Soul of the same level as, or even higher than, Huo Yuhao's, as evidenced by the fact that Vina, the princess of the Heaven Dou Empire who possessed the same Martial Soul, was capable of a silver-grade secondary awakening.

At this moment, a deeper instinct drove him to turn his attention to the depths of his consciousness.

There lay a silver-white world.

It was his Sea of Consciousness. He hadn't expected that awakening the Brain Martial Soul would come with the benefit of opening a Sea of Consciousness!

The silver-white liquid substance beneath his feet was as calm as a mirror. When he breathed, ripples spread across the surface. When he thought, the ripples gained direction.

And in the deepest part of the Sea of Consciousness, there was a mass of gray light.

It hovered at the edge of the silver world, breathing.

With every contraction, a faint silver-white airflow was sucked into it. With every expansion, a sense of deathly stillness, almost tangible, spread outward.

Xiao Hongchen's pupils constricted slightly.

Not out of fear, but because he recognized that gray light.

Electrolux! The Holy Necromancer. The Undead Disaster that spanned the Holy Demon Continent.

It was here. Inside his brain.

Xiao Hongchen stood within his own Sea of Consciousness, gazing across the distance at that mass of deathly gray light.

He remained silent for a long time, and then he smiled.

"...So that's how it is."

He did not approach the gray light again, nor did he attempt to wake it. It was not the time.

"Please, treat me well."

His consciousness returned to reality.

Xiao Hongchen retracted his twin martial souls, sensing the newfound power deep within his brain. The release of his second martial soul left no external traces; the radiance of the Three-Legged Golden Toad was dazzling enough to mask any abnormalities on the spiritual level.

Very safe, indeed.

"Meng, why exactly was I in a coma for a week? I only remember a black rift suddenly appearing above Ming Capital, and then I knew nothing else." Xiao Hongchen recounted the original owner's final memory.

The silver-haired girl standing by the bed frowned slightly, recalling:

"That rift expanded suddenly, instantly covering the sky. Immediately after, a silver-white pillar of light descended from the heavens, enveloping you completely. Then, a black current of air followed the light and drilled into your head... Brother, are you really alright now? Did those two forces cause you any harm?"

He did not know how the spatial rift had been torn open. He did not know why the silver pillar of light had chosen him, either. He only knew that the light had wrapped around his soul, smashed all the way from Blue Star into the Douluo Continent, and finally landed in this body.

As for Electrolux, he had likely been swept over from the Holy Demon Continent through that rift above Ming Capital. While his remnant soul was drifting, it had been attracted by that pillar of light and had ultimately parasitized his Sea of Consciousness.

One body, three origins.

What was this? A buy-one-get-one-free deal?

He just didn't know if this great anomaly had attracted the attention of the God Realm.

Forget it, forget it; this was not something for him to consider right now.

He possessed a spiritual-type body martial soul.

Then, the Sky Dream Ice Worm...

Was there still time?

He calculated the time in his heart. He was thirteen years old now, and there was a year and a half until the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. The original plot should be at the very beginning.

Hmm, there should still be a chance.

"I don't feel any discomfort for the time being." Xiao Hongchen smiled and stretched his limbs, changing the subject, "Meng, has Shrek Academy... started its term?"

"Eh?" Meng Hongchen was slightly startled, a trace of suspicion flashing in her azure eyes, "Brother, why are you asking about this? Didn't you always look down on Shrek? Even if you really wanted to study at Shrek, it would be impossible. Shrek has always disliked our Sun Moon Empire; they wouldn't accept you."

Go to Shrek to study? To fight five hundred people for a single restroom?

"Shrek Academy? Just a bunch of remnants from an old era." Xiao Hongchen said dismissively, "The future will be the era of soul engineers, our era! Those stubborn soul masters who cling to their martial souls will inevitably be swept into the dustbin of history."

He paused, his gaze becoming serious:

"I just wanted to confirm the time... This is very important to me."

Meng Hongchen pondered for a moment and blinked:

"It seems they just started school within the two days you were in a coma. I'm not entirely sure of the exact date."

...It's over.

Xiao Hongchen sighed inwardly.

Calculating the time, the anomaly above Ming Capital must have occurred shortly before Huo Yuhao met the Sky Dream Ice Worm. It was precisely because of this that Electrolux had been attracted here.

The Sky Dream Ice Worm, the Ice Empress, the million-year wisdom soul ring... It seemed that these greatest opportunities, which originally belonged to Huo Yuhao, were completely missed.

However, it might not necessarily be a bad thing.

Huo Yuhao remained the Child of Destiny heavily watched by God King Tang, while he himself was currently just a stepping stone on his path of growth. As long as Electrolux was not exposed, he would remain safe for the time being.

"I see, I understand." Xiao Hongchen gave his sister a gentle smile, "I'm fine now. You've taken care of me for so long, go get some rest first."

Meng Hongchen let out a soft huff, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly:

"Ha? Don't get ahead of yourself! I just happened to come by at this time, that's all!"

"Alright, alright, I know." Xiao Hongchen laughed as he stood up and gently pushed his sister toward the door.

"In any case... I'm back."