Time turned back, to the Star Dou Great Forest on the Douluo Continent.
"The Douluo Continent, ten thousand years ago. Hahahahaha! My idea was right after all!" A clear voice rang out at the forest's edge, brimming with barely restrained excitement.
A young man stood there, gazing up at the sky, his delicate face alight with joy. A steady drizzle fell from above, as though a thin veil had been drawn over the world.
The fine rain carried a rich, immense life force, gently nourishing the life within the Star Dou Great Forest like a tender mother. Wisps of cool wind brushed past the young man. He was none other than Huo Yuhao.
He murmured to himself excitedly, "I never expected to stumble into success and win my gamble! Turning back time-something so elusive, so close to myth that anyone would find it hard to believe. Yet I did it. I set a precedent unlike any in history."
"Though I paid for it with my former body and all my cultivation, and the process was fraught with danger, heaven never seals off every path. I succeeded in reversing time and returning to the past."
Not only that, but some of the power of time within the turbulent currents of spacetime had also caused a few strange changes in his Martial Soul.
Huo Yuhao looked around and was delighted to discover that he had returned to the moment just before he entered the Star Dou Great Forest. This place did not really count as being inside the forest, so people called it the safe zone, where Soul Beasts seldom appeared.
Before long, the rain grew heavier, turning into a downpour. Huo Yuhao knew he could not stay out in it for long. It was coming down harder and harder, with no sign of stopping.
He turned and left the area outside the Star Dou Forest, searching for somewhere to stay. His efforts were rewarded when he finally found an inexpensive inn.
It was already late, and the overcast sky had grown even darker. Lightning flashed across it from time to time, accompanied by deafening crashes.
Huo Yuhao entered the inn, and a server came up to him with a broad smile. "Are you here for a meal or a room, sir? We have luxurious top-class suites, ordinary double-bed rooms, and shared rooms for two or three people. Our prices are fairer than those in the city. But sir, in a shared room, you'll generally have to squeeze in with others, so I'd recommend a double-bed room."
"A luxury suite costs one Silver Soul Coin, a double-bed room is forty Copper Soul Coins, and the shared rooms are cheaper, at only twenty Copper Soul Coins."
Huo Yuhao remained composed as he took a bag of copper coins from his robes and handed it over. "A room, a double-bed room. Sorry for the trouble, but please get me a few dishes as well. Refund any extra or I'll pay the difference." This was the money he had saved through frugal living at the Duke's Mansion. Though life had been hard in the past, he had managed to put some money aside.
"Certainly, sir. Please have a seat and wait a moment. I'll get your room key right away." The server took the money bag and turned away to get busy.
Huo Yuhao thought to himself, Sigh, it looks like I need to deal with the money problem first. Gold Soul Coins, Silver Soul Coins, Copper Soul Coins: one Gold Soul Coin equals ten Silver Soul Coins, or a hundred Copper Soul Coins. Normally, a family of four needs only twenty Gold Soul Coins for a year's expenses.
In my previous life, I sold grilled fish for five Copper Soul Coins apiece. Business was booming, and it did solve my money problems early on. Do I have to go back to my old trade?
The inn was not very large, and only a few people sat in the main hall, most of them blacksmiths who had been busy all day. They had gathered here just to drink a few cups of cheap ale.
A jug of ale here cost only two copper coins. Though it was of inferior quality and might have been watered down, the blacksmiths did not mind. After a busy day, they just wanted to relax here in the evening and drink their fill of ale before starting another day's work.
Soon, the food was served. The server handed Huo Yuhao his room key and said with a smile, "Here you are, sir. Your room is the first one on the second floor. It's already been prepared for you. Call me if you need anything."
Huo Yuhao took the key and replied, "Mm, you may go." As he ate, he considered, Making Soul Tools might be a good way to earn money. If I auction them off later, they should bring in a sizable income. If I get the chance, I should find a steady clientele, so I won't have to worry about running short of money.
After returning to his room, Huo Yuhao walked slowly to the window and gently drew back the curtains. He watched the rain pouring down outside in silence, sinking deep into thought.
Although I've lost all my cultivation now, that's only a small matter. With the wealth of experience I gained over decades in my previous life and the vast knowledge I accumulated in the Divine Realm, growing strong again won't be difficult.
What's more, an enormous clock has inexplicably appeared in my mental world. Although I don't yet know what it does, it must be connected to the power of time by countless threads. With these advantages, I'll surely reach a higher realm than I did in my previous life. Entering the God King realm ahead of time and attaining Dual Godhood won't be impossible either.
Huo Yuhao's thoughts suddenly stalled, however. When he recalled the utterly terrifying power Tang San possessed, he could not help feeling a pang of dread.
How is that possible? He saw through every one of my moves. Is this the gap between a God King and a First-Level God? And he had clearly been locked in battle with the Golden Dragon King and the God of Destruction...
Huo Yuhao knew full well that Tang San in this spacetime kept constant watch over the Douluo Continent. Once he entered the game, the road ahead would surely be full of hardship. Even with help from his teacher Electrolux, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, and the others, he would likely be walking on thin ice, every step exceptionally difficult.
If I keep following the conventional path, increasing my Soul Power and acquiring Soul Rings to grow stronger, I'm afraid it will be nowhere near enough to give me the power to defeat Tang San.
In my previous life, most of my power came from outside sources. Although Soul Beast Soul Rings are the main way Soul Masters gain power, without Tian Meng and the other Soul Spirits, my own offensive abilities would be greatly diminished.
After all, Soul Masters have mortal bodies too. Simply piling on cultivation without any Soul Skills or Soul Rings-leaving aside whether it's even possible-would be pointless. Even if I managed it, without offensive skills, however high my cultivation was, it would be of no use.
Power like that doesn't truly belong to me. If I always rely on the power of others, I'll never become a true powerhouse.
Huo Yuhao understood this deeply. In his previous life, he had reached rank 99 and become a Limit Douluo in a little over a decade, then gone on to break through and become a god. For most of that journey, he had relied on the help of his teacher, Tian Meng, and the others.
The only thing he could take pride in was probably his Soul Tool technology. On the Douluo Plane, no Soul Rings meant no Soul Skills, a far cry from the cultivation methods of other planes.
Because Soul Beasts possessed great power, humans hunted them and obtained skills from them, thereby setting foot on the path of cultivation.
A thought suddenly flashed through Huo Yuhao's mind. What if I cultivated magic like Master Rong Nianbing and Elder Yi? Could I also rise to become a powerhouse and make those powers my own? Come to think of it, Master Rong Nianbing taught me magic back then, and as the God of Emotion, I know a little about many kinds of Elemental Magic.
If I used that as a foundation, added Necromancy, and cultivated both alongside my Martial Soul, the result would surely be formidable. Cultivating both magic and martial arts-these are really just safeguards for my early stages.
Having more skills is never a burden. If I cleverly combine some of them with my Soul Rings, they'll surely unleash power beyond imagination.
In the guest room, the quiet was abruptly broken by a mysterious voice. "Boy, stop wasting your thoughts. With the ideas you have about cultivation right now, you're nowhere near qualified to seek revenge." The voice drifted over, carrying a chill.
Huo Yuhao trembled violently at the sound and instantly went on guard. He was secretly astonished. The voice definitely had not come from outside, and there was no unusual movement in his Sea of Consciousness either. Only the mysterious clock floated quietly within it, and no matter how he looked at it, it did not seem to be the source of the voice.
He opened his eyes warily, his gaze burning as he swept the room. "Who? Who's speaking? Come out, now!"