Crossing Over, Homelander Physique, and the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame

"Tch, another Peerless Tang Sect fanfic where the protagonist grovels before Tang San and takes a thief for his father. Damn, that's frustrating."

In his room, Xiao Dong tossed his tablet onto the bed and rubbed his forehead, unable to hold back an irritated curse.

A veteran webnovel reader, he had never been able to stand those fanfics where someone crossed into the world of Peerless Tang Sect with a cheat at his disposal, only to become Shrek Academy's dog and let the Divine King Tang play him like a puppet for his Protagonist Halo.

As far as Xiao Dong was concerned, if he crossed over, he would bulldoze his way through. Divine King or Shrek, anyone who annoyed him would get slapped to death. And those stunning beauties from the original story, each with her own charms? He would bring every last one over to his side. Now that would be satisfying.

Buzz!

As Xiao Dong grumbled to himself, the screen of the tablet he had thrown onto the bed suddenly began to tremble violently.

A dazzling white light burst from deep within the screen, twisted and gathered in midair, then took the form of an ancient scroll glowing gold.

Nine lines of radiant text were clearly written across the scroll.

[Choose any four of the following nine opportunities as your starting talents upon arriving in the Douluo Continent:]

[One: Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline] [Two: Homelander Physique]

[Three: Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul] [Four: Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul] [Five: Brain Martial Soul]

[Six: Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record] [Seven: Xiao Yan's Legacy]

[Eight: Sea God Trident] [Nine: A wisp of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's essence]

The sudden turn of events made Xiao Dong go rigid. A deep look of shock and doubt flashed through his eyes.

"A prank...?"

Xiao Dong muttered the words, but the vast pressure radiating from the display told him this was probably no ordinary illusion.

Real or not, I'll choose first!

He drew a deep breath. Decisive by nature, Xiao Dong quickly scanned the nine options.

"Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline? Clear Sky Hammer? Sea God Trident? Who wants the Divine King Tang's junk? And the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record is such a low-grade technique even a dog wouldn't practice it. Cross them all off!"

Almost at once, Xiao Dong's gaze locked fervently on the second option.

Homelander Physique!

It was practically one of the most overpowered divine abilities a newcomer could have: a body of steel impervious to blades and bullets, superhuman strength that could tear through anything, heat vision that could melt gold and iron, eyes that could see through all things, and the freedom to fly faster than sound!

With a body like that, he would be nearly invincible from the start in the lower realm of the Douluo Continent. Those so-called Soul Saints and Soul Douluos probably would not even have the physical strength to scratch an itch for him!

First choice: Homelander Physique. No question!

Xiao Dong settled on it without hesitation, his eyes burning with excitement.

Yet for all his excitement, Xiao Dong knew webnovel conventions well. Powerful as the Homelander Physique was, and nearly unmatched in a contest of flesh and blood, it had one glaring weakness: mental resistance and comprehension were somewhat lacking. In a world like the Douluo Continent, where illusions and mental attacks were commonplace, an ambush by a high-level mental-type Soul Master could prove troublesome.

Only by covering that weakness can I become truly invincible...

Xiao Dong's gaze shifted down to the fifth option.

Brain Martial Soul!

In Peerless Tang Sect, Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes were already considered among the finest mental-type Martial Souls. Compared to the pure Body Martial Soul known as the "Brain," however, the Spirit Eyes were clearly a level below.

Awakening the Brain Martial Soul would grant him an immense, profound Sea of Consciousness, letting him become completely immune to mental attacks and even counter them. It would also give him extraordinary powers of deduction and martial comprehension. No matter how obscure a secret art was, he could grasp and master it in an instant!

Homelander's body, paired with the Brain Martial Soul's absolute mental defense and terrifying comprehension. That wipes out the one weakness completely!

Xiao Dong gave a cold laugh, then looked at the remaining options.

His gaze lingered briefly on the Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul before moving on. Ultimate Ice was formidable, but beside the other two opportunities from a truly greater world, it still seemed too small in scope.

Seventh option: Xiao Yan's Legacy!

Xiao Dong's eyes blazed. The Flame Mantra, Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, and all the peerless Dou Techniques and Soul Alchemy the Flame Emperor Xiao Yan had cultivated throughout his life—any one of them would crush the Douluo Continent's crude Soul Skill system to dust.

Final option: a wisp of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's essence!

As he chose it, Xiao Dong's heart gave a violent thump.

The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame was a divine flame ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It possessed the heaven-defying power to purify all things: anything touched by even the tiniest trace of it would be reduced to nothingness!

More terrifying still, this Heavenly Flame could use a person's seven emotions and six desires to ignite from within, burning their body, soul, and Soul Power alike to nothing.

In other words, with this divine flame protecting him, whether he faced close-quarters combat, a clash of Soul Power, or even the strangest and most unpredictable attacks against his mind and soul, all would vanish beneath the demon flame's tyrannical purification!

All four opportunities decided!

Without another moment's hesitation, Xiao Dong jabbed his finger through the air and pressed down hard on the four dazzling golden clusters of light.

Boom!

The instant his fingertip landed, the ancient scroll erupted with blinding radiance. Space twisted violently, and a black hole like an abyss formed out of thin air. A wildly powerful suction burst forth and dragged Xiao Dong inside.

The world spun around him. Amid a thunderous roar, Xiao Dong's consciousness slowly sank into darkness.

The air was fresh beneath a clear, azure sky, where white clouds drifted lazily.

A breeze swept across the vast, lush grassland, stirring waves of green. The air brimmed with a dense, unfamiliar energy. It was not Dou Qi, but the Soul Power of heaven and earth unique to the Douluo Continent.

"Whew..."

The boy lying in the grass twitched his fingers. Then his tightly shut eyelids slowly opened.

The moment his eyes opened, Xiao Dong sprang to his feet with a nimble kick-up and swept a wary gaze over his surroundings.

There was not a soul in sight. In the distance, he could just make out the silhouettes of towering mountain ranges rolling across the horizon.

"I really crossed over..."

Xiao Dong murmured as he stared at the utterly unfamiliar landscape. Before he could think further, an indescribably fierce heat surged from deep within his heart. Like a flash flood, it swept through every meridian, every bone, and every bit of flesh in his body!