Prologue II

The next day, after having breakfast with Huo Yun'er, Huo Yuhao went to find Rong Nianbing.

In Rong Nianbing's courtyard, Rong Nianbing asked, "Yuhao, how was it spending time with your mother yesterday?"

"Pretty good, Master." Huo Yuhao smiled. "Master, I wanted to ask how I could guide the soul of someone who had passed away to the Divine Realm. I want to use my remaining slot."

Rong Nianbing thought it over. "To guide a soul, you have to go to the plane where it resides and find it. You became a god on Douluo Star, so the soul you're looking for should also be on Douluo Star. Sea God Tang San is in charge of Douluo Star now. You'll have to go to him."

Huo Yuhao's heart sank when he heard that. His affairs with Wutong were still unresolved, and the Sea God was very displeased with him. He knew what would happen if he went. But thinking of his teacher, Huo Yuhao made up his mind. "Thank you, Master. I'll go to the Sea God."

"Yuhao, I know the Sea God has a conflict with you because of his daughter. Would you like me to go with you?"

"No, Master. Some things are better explained by me alone."

"All right, then." Rong Nianbing said nothing more. Huo Yuhao took his leave and left the courtyard.

In a blue great hall, Sea God Tang San heard that Huo Yuhao had arrived and felt relieved. When Huo Yuhao had first come to the Divine Realm, Tang San had planned to use Huo Yuhao's love for Wutong to teach him a lesson and make him run into a wall. Then he would have Dai Mubai appear and encounter Huo Yuhao, bring Huo Yun'er before him, and use both favor and force to make Huo Yuhao change his surname. Next, Dai Mubai would bring Huo Yuhao to plead for mercy, and Tang San would let him see Wutong. That way, the Child of Fortune would be completely in his hands, and he could control the Child of Fortune completely. Combined with the fortune power of the Soul Beast Clan he had obtained earlier, his Ten-Thousand-Year Plan would be fully carried out. Douluo Star would eventually belong entirely to him. Then he would see what Destruction could use to oppose him. In the end, the Divine Realm would also be in his grasp.

But yesterday, Huo Yuhao had gone to Dai Mubai without changing his surname, and he had not come to Tang San either. That threw Tang San's plan off course, and for a while he cursed Huo Yuhao, deciding he deserved death. Fortunately, Huo Yuhao had come to him now, and everything was still going according to plan.

Huo Yuhao entered the great hall and bowed to Tang San, who sat in the seat of honor. "Greetings, Lord Sea God."

"What business does the God of Emotion have with me?" Tang San sat in the seat of honor and looked down at Huo Yuhao.

"Lord Sea God, I want to guide my teacher Electrolux's soul to the Divine Realm. Please allow me to search for my teacher's soul on Douluo Star."

Tang San frowned. "That Otherworldly Demon? He wasn't a soul from Douluo Star. That soul has long since vanished from the world."

Huo Yuhao was just about to ask if there was another way when Tang San continued, "I believe I told you not to appear in front of me."

"Lord Sea God, please let me explain what happened with Wutong. Ah!" Before Huo Yuhao could finish, Tang San struck him with Divine Power and sent him flying into the wall. "What's there to explain? I heard you originally had the surname Dai, but now you have the surname Huo. You're a thing that doesn't even acknowledge its own surname. How can someone disloyal and unfilial like you expect me to listen to your explanation?" Before Huo Yuhao could argue, another wave of Divine Power pressed down on him. Huo Yuhao summoned all his Soul Power to resist, but Tang San raised his hand and struck him with Unfixed Storm, controlling him. Then the Sea God's Divine Power pinned Huo Yuhao to the ground, crushing his bones until they broke. Huo Yuhao could only grit his teeth and endure. Just then, Destruction's voice came into Tang San's mind. "Sea God, come to the God Realm Committee meeting."

Tang San cursed God of Destruction when he heard that. You ruined my good thing. You deserve death.

Tang San looked at Huo Yuhao, pinned to the ground below him. "Get lost." Then he struck Huo Yuhao again, sending him flying out of the great hall.

Huo Yuhao left the Sea God Hall and headed home. Before returning, he used Gold of Life to heal his injuries, and he didn't tell the Soul Spirits what had happened that day. When he reached the door, he put a smile on his face and opened it. "Mom, I'm home."

"Yuhao, you're back. How did it go?"

"I'm fine. Mom, what would you like for dinner tonight? I'll prepare it."

After spending time with his mother, Huo Yuhao reflected on things by himself. For now, he couldn't find his teacher's soul, and he couldn't go to the Sea God about Wutong either. The only thing he could do now was improve his strength so he could find another way to locate his teacher's soul. Then Huo Yuhao began to comprehend the power of the Emotion God Position.

Dai Mubai had heard that Tang San had beaten Huo Yuhao out of the hall and was waiting for him to come plead for help. But when he learned that Huo Yuhao had gone straight home, he couldn't help cursing the useless fool to himself. Tang San was angry too. "That damned dog. Looks like I didn't beat him enough at Qiankun Asking Love Valley. He thinks about that remnant soul all day instead of settling down and being my dog. He deserves death."

And so time flew by. Huo Yuhao had been in the Divine Realm for five years. During that time, he had encountered Tang Wutong several times, but whenever he spoke to her, he found that she had lost her memory and didn't remember who he was. When Huo Yuhao asked about Wang Qiu'er's soul, Tang Wutong said she didn't know. Later, the Sea God appeared and told Huo Yuhao that the Auspicious Beast was merely a wisp of Tang Wutong's soul that had drifted down to the lower realm. When Huo Yuhao tried to refute him, Tang San used the Sea God Trident to send him flying. Huo Yuhao knew Tang San was deliberately making things difficult for him, and he also knew Tang San was trying to fool him by claiming Wang Qiu'er's soul was part of Tang Wutong. He had Wang Qiu'er's memories, and he knew she was simply herself, not anyone else's soul. But Huo Yuhao couldn't say so. He wasn't as strong as Tang San, and he still had his mother and Brother Sky Dream and the others. He couldn't fall out with Tang San.

The Divine Realm was beautiful, with mountains and rivers, lakes and every kind of scenery through the four seasons. The air was filled with immortal energy, making anyone who stood in it feel clear and at ease in body and mind. Every day, aside from fulfilling his duties as the God of Emotion, Huo Yuhao went home to spend time with his mother, cook with her, and chat with the Soul Spirits. In his remaining time, he either cultivated Necromancy in the Undead Demiplane or researched Soul Tools. When he grew tired, he would lie down on the ground in the Undead Demiplane and sleep. Because of the Sea God, Huo Yuhao had few friends in the Divine Realm. Apart from occasionally visiting Rong Nianbing to discuss their insights into the power of emotion, he had almost nowhere else to go.

He had once asked Rong Nianbing why he had passed on his godhood to him. Rong Nianbing's reason was simple: passing on his godhood would let him leave the Divine Realm and travel. But since Tang San had been keeping an eye on Huo Yuhao all along, Rong Nianbing had taken advantage of the opportunity to let him inherit his godhood. So, to appease Tang San's displeasure, he had agreed to stay in the Divine Realm a while longer. Huo Yuhao said nothing when he heard this.

One day in the Divine Realm was one year in the lower realm. At first, Huo Yuhao had hoped that Xiao Xiao and the others would become gods and come to the Divine Realm too, but as time went on, he lost hope. Time flowed at the same rate in the Undead Demiplane as it did in the lower realm, so Huo Yuhao had plenty of time to spend with his family and cultivate.

The Divine Realm was wonderful. There were no Heavenly Tribulations, so Brother Sky Dream and the others could live carefree forever. But the Divine Realm was also terrible. As Soul Beasts, Brother Sky Dream and the others faced discrimination there. They spent every day at Huo Yuhao's home or in the Undead Demiplane. At least Huo Yuhao and Huo Yun'er were still there with them.

Huo Yuhao often lay on the ground in the Undead Demiplane. He couldn't find Elder Yi's soul, and he couldn't get Qiu'er's soul back. Only when he lay there could he feel at peace. He also cultivated diligently, training his Divine Power, comprehending the Elements of Ice with Snow Empress, discussing the use of spiritual power with Evil Lord, singing with Li Ya, teaching Xiao Bai and Octagonal to cook, watching Tian Meng and Ice Empress play together, and sometimes teaching his mother how to make Soul Tools.

"Bingbing, do I really have to wear this outfit? Can I please not wear it?"

"No. You won't even listen to me now? You think you can get away with anything? Snow Empress, Auntie, and I made this outfit for you. You'd better wear it." Ice Empress spoke with a "kind" expression.

Tian Meng shivered with fear. He could only obediently put on the dress.

"I told you Tian Meng would look perfect in it. I designed this based on the Divine Realm's most fashionable style."

"Bing'er, you have a good eye." Snow Empress praised her from the side.

Huo Yuhao watched all this and silently mourned for Brother Sky Dream. Ever since Snow Empress had read some novels, it was as if a whole new world had opened up to her. She often dragged Ice Empress, Li Ya, and Huo Yu'er along to read them. Eventually, simply reading wasn't enough for them, which was how they ended up with the scene before them.

"If Tian Meng were a little shorter, he'd look even cuter in that outfit."

Ice Empress agreed wholeheartedly. "Li Ya, you're right. Tian Meng should be shorter."

Tian Meng looked at Huo Yuhao for help. Huo Yuhao turned his head away and pretended not to see.

"Yuhao, why don't you try it on too? I think it looks quite nice."

"Mom, maybe some other time. I still have to train my spiritual power with Evil Lord today. Right, Evil Lord?" Huo Yuhao looked at Evil Lord. Evil Lord said, "Hm?"

Before Evil Lord could say anything more, Huo Yuhao took him away. They only stopped after they had left Tian Meng and the others behind. Huo Yuhao was just about to apologize to Evil Lord when Evil Lord spoke first. "What's wrong with you? You smile all the time, but you can fool the big meat worm; you can't fool me."

"Did you notice? Evil Lord, do you regret coming to the Divine Realm with me?"

"There's no Heavenly Tribulation every hundred thousand years here. That alone means I don't regret it. What about you?"

"I don't know. Now I have my mother, all of you, and endless life. I should be satisfied with all this, but I still feel like something is missing."

"Is it because of your teacher, or because of Tang Wutong?"

"Neither. I always kept a slot in the Divine Realm for my teacher, but I can't find his soul. As for Tang Wutong, Evil Lord, do you know the technique I created myself?"

"Hao Dong's Three Ultimate Techniques?"

"Yes. I can't use them anymore."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I can't feel that kind of emotion anymore. Not only that, but the more I cultivate the power of emotion, the more lost I feel. I feel like my understanding of emotion is regressing more and more. The more finely I grasp emotion, the more indifferent my own feelings become."

"I don't understand. Why don't you talk to Snow Empress and the others?"

"They haven't noticed, and I don't want these things to affect their lives. They each sacrificed themselves for me. I don't want them worrying about me anymore."

"Even though the Sea God keeps making things difficult for you outside, you still pretend nothing happened at home?"

"You noticed all that? As expected of Evil Lord. But please keep it secret. I think I can handle it on my own." Huo Yuhao smiled bitterly.

"All right. You have your reasons, and I'll keep it secret. But I still want to ask you: how much is this affecting your strength?"

"Aside from Hao Dong's Three Ultimate Techniques, which I can't use because my emotions are so muted, it hasn't affected my control over emotion. In fact, I've been making rapid progress."

"I feel like you're bragging. Whatever, as long as your strength hasn't regressed."

Huo Yuhao didn't answer. He just told Evil Lord to go rest, then went off alone to contemplate the power of emotion.

Time flew by. Huo Yuhao continued his monotonous life in the Divine Realm: fulfilling his duties, cultivating, spending time with his mother and Brother Sky Dream and the others, and searching for his teacher's soul. But today, a guest came to Huo Yuhao's courtyard. For Huo Yuhao, who had no visitors in the Divine Realm apart from Rong Nianbing, this was unusual.

"Please sit. I wonder what brings the God of Speed to visit a junior like me?"

"Nothing in particular. We're both gods who came from Douluo Star, and you're the only one here from there these days. I thought I'd come see you and talk with someone from my homeland."

"Then it's my honor." Huo Yuhao could only chat with her about Douluo Star in his era.

"Things have changed so much. By the way, Yuhao, Mubai would like to see you too."

"Thank you, God of Speed, but I've been busy lately. I'm afraid I have to decline the God of War's invitation." Huo Yuhao didn't want to see Dai Mubai, so he casually made up an excuse.

"That's a shame. I won't keep you any longer." When Zhu Zhuqing heard that the invitation hadn't succeeded, she didn't press the matter.

After seeing Zhu Zhuqing off, Huo Yuhao returned to the Undead Demiplane.

Huo Yuhao's life carried on like this: fulfilling his duties, spending time with his family, and cultivating.

Huo Yuhao didn't pay much attention to matters in the Divine Realm. Because of Tang San, the other gods had basically ostracized him. Huo Yuhao noticed it but didn't care. Recently, though, he had heard that the conflict between God of Destruction and Tang San was growing worse, but he didn't think much of it. After all, as a newcomer to the Divine Realm, he had no say in the matter.