1: Chapter 1 The Young Master of the Soul Clan

The moment Ye Bufan opened his eyes, his mind exploded.

Countless fragments of memory surged in like a burst dam—the Hun Clan, the Ancient Eight Clans, the Dou Di Bloodline, Hun Tiandi, the Void Swallowing Flame, the Hall of Souls... A sea of information crammed into his brain in just a few breaths, causing him to spasm in pain, veins bulging on his forehead, nearly making him think he was about to die again.

He gritted his teeth and held on, refusing to pass out. The only good thing about being a corporate slave in his past life was his endurance—he could keep smiling and say 'Sure, dear' even after the client made him revise a plan eighteen times. What was a little information overload compared to that?

It took a full incense stick's time for the pain to slowly fade.

Ye Bufan—no, now he should be called Hun Feng—slowly sat up from a jet-black, ice-cold jade bed, gasping for breath. Sweat had soaked through his robes, the black silk clinging to his body, outlining the lines of a young, sturdy frame.

He looked down at his hands.

Long, fair, with distinct knuckles, faint golden bloodline patterns visible beneath the skin. These were not ordinary hands; they belonged to a God-Grade Dou Di Bloodline. He tried to channel his Dou Qi, and instantly, a terrifying power that even shocked him surged through his meridians like a tidal wave. Black and blood-red Dou Qi flames burst from his palms, flickering and casting the room in shifting light.

Late stage Two-Star Dou Sheng.

Twenty-five years old.

"Holy shit..." Hun Feng stared at the Dou Qi flames in his hands, his lips trembling for a long moment before he finally blurted out two words. Then his expression shifted from shock to ecstasy, his mouth uncontrollably stretching from ear to ear. "Holy shit! Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!"

He leaped off the bed, barefoot on the cold black jade floor, darting around the room like a madman, trembling with excitement.

"I've transmigrated! Young Master of the Hun Clan! God-Grade Bloodline! Two-Star Dou Sheng! Twenty-five years old!"

He stopped abruptly, looked up at the dome ceiling carved with intricate ancient patterns, and let out a hearty laugh. In his past life, crushed by mortgages, scolded like a grandson by his boss, rejected by blind dates for not having a car or house—those days could all go to hell! Now he was the top-tier rich second generation, power second generation, and peerless genius of the Fighting Qi Continent. The entire Hun Clan's resources were his to squander, and he had a hand in shaping the continent's landscape!

"Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west? Sorry, in this life, you're out of luck."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door was pulled open from outside.

A slender figure walked in carrying a jade basin.

She was an extremely beautiful young woman, looking about his age, with long black hair casually tied back and a few stray strands falling on her fair neck. She wore a daringly cut black dress with a high slit reaching her thigh, revealing a flash of dazzling skin with every step. The neckline was also low, hinting at delicate collarbones and a full curve. A thin silver chain cinched her waist, making it look impossibly slender. Her long, straight legs were bare, and she wore black strappy sandals, with a small silver bell on her ankle that jingled crisply with each step, both clear and alluring.

Her features were as delicate as a painting—a small, straight nose, slightly red lips, and a pair of peach blossom eyes naturally carrying a hint of moisture, making her look like she was pouting when she looked at someone. But what truly captivated was the lively, innocent charm in her brows and eyes—despite having a face that could topple kingdoms, her temperament was like a kitten that hadn't grown up, clingy and playful.

"Young Master, you're finally awake!"

The woman quickened her steps with a grin as she entered, set the jade basin on a stand, turned around, and leaned close to Hun Feng. She stood on tiptoe to feel his forehead, chattering like a machine gun: "Why are you barefoot on the floor again? The cold jade floor has heavy earth energy; if you catch a chill, I'll have to brew medicine for you again. Do you know how long you were in seclusion this time? Three months and seven days! I waited outside every day, barely slept a wink. Look at these dark circles—"

She shoved her face close to Hun Feng's, pointing at the nonexistent dark circles under her eyes, wearing an expression that screamed 'Pity me.'

Hun Feng's memory quickly matched the face.

Yao Yao.

That name had been etched in his memory since he was six, earlier and deeper than anything else.

She wasn't from the Hun Clan's bloodline; she was an orphan his father, Hun Yuan, had picked up from the battlefield. That year, Hun Feng was six, Yao Yao was five, skinny as a little monkey, covered in blood, curled up in Hun Yuan's arms, her eyes full of terror. Hun Yuan originally planned to hand her over to the servants, but little Hun Feng, for some reason, held her hand tightly and wouldn't let go no matter who tried to pull him away. So this foundling became his personal maid, following him from age five until now, never leaving his side.

She served tea and water, made the bed, accompanied him in training and took beatings, and even shielded him from blades and spears. When Hun Feng cultivated, she crouched by the door guarding him for days without sleep; when he was injured, she lay by his bed crying, then wiped her tears and brewed medicine; when he killed, she stood behind him handing him his weapon, unflinching, even helping with a couple of strikes.

She had accompanied Hun Feng through the cruelest years of the Hun Clan's youth, watching him grow from a child into a 'madman' who made the entire Soul Realm tremble. And she herself had unknowingly become a standout among the younger generation of the Hun Clan—early stage Three-Star Dou Sheng!

Within the Hun Clan, everyone feared Hun Feng. But they feared Yao Yao even more.

Because Hun Feng at least needed a reason to kill; Yao Yao didn't—if she thought you were disrespectful to the young master, her bone whip would snap your throat in the next second. This little maid, who acted spoiled and coquettish in front of Hun Feng, would turn her peach blossom eyes icy cold when facing others, cold enough to freeze someone to death. So there was an unspoken rule within the Hun Clan: Offending the young master is seeking death; offending Yao Yao is worse than death.

But only Hun Feng knew how much trouble this girl could cause in front of him.

"Alright, alright, what dark circles? Let me see—" Hun Feng pinched her chin and examined her left and right. "They look fine, fair and tender. Where are the dark circles?"

Yao Yao blinked her peach blossom eyes as he held her chin, then slapped his hand away, puffing her cheeks and pouting, "Cut it out! You just woke up and you're already flirting. Did the seclusion mess up your head? You never used to compliment me. You used to only say, 'Yao Yao, get out,' 'Yao Yao, don't bother me,' 'Yao Yao, if you keep this up, I'll throw you into the void'—"

She counted on her fingers one by one, as if Hun Feng had treated her terribly before.

"Then I'll treat you better from now on," Hun Feng said with a smile.

Yao Yao's hand froze mid-count. She gave him a suspicious once-over, then poked his chest with a fair finger. "Are you really the young master? You haven't been possessed by something, have you?"

Hun Feng's heart skipped a beat, thinking this girl's intuition was damn sharp. But he kept his composure, grabbed her poking finger, and raised an eyebrow. "Possessed by what? I just had a revelation—I used to focus only on cultivation and killing, never really looked at the people around me. Now that I take a closer look, my Yao Yao seems quite beautiful."

Yao Yao was stunned.

Then her face turned red at a visible rate.

"You—you—what are you saying!" She yanked her hand back and took two steps back, her ears burning bright red. Her peach blossom eyes were misty, whether from anger or embarrassment. "Who's 'your Yao Yao'! I'm just a maid! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll go tell the madam!"

"Go ahead, tell my mother that the young master said you're beautiful. See whose side she takes."

"You—" Yao Yao was speechless, glaring at him angrily for a long time before finally blurting out something completely irrelevant, "Something's definitely wrong with you! I'll have Elder Hun Qian check you out later. You might have gone berserk!"

With that, she turned around, picked up the jade basin, and wrung the towel with loud snaps, her movements full of embarrassment and anger. But as she wrung, her hands slowed down. She lowered her head, her ears still red, but the corner of her mouth involuntarily curved up, a very faint smile, almost invisible.

Hun Feng pretended not to notice, but thought to himself: This girl—the old Hun Feng was truly blind.

"Alright, no more teasing." He stood up from the bed and stretched. "Let's talk business. What's been happening on the continent while I was in seclusion?"

At the mention of business, Yao Yao immediately resumed her efficient demeanor. She tossed the towel into the basin, took out a jade slip from her sleeve, and lightly tapped it. Rows of glowing characters appeared in the air.

"Quite a few major events, young master. Listen up."

She cleared her throat, her voice crisp and sharp, a world apart from the blushing, stomping girl just moments ago.

"First, the Sky Mansion Alliance has officially been established. The Pill Tower, the Flower Sect, the Burning Flame Valley, and a bunch of medium and small powers in the Central Plains have all joined. Yao Chen is the alliance leader, and that guy Xiao Yan is a deputy leader. They've already consolidated nearly thirty percent of the Central Plains' forces, clearly targeting our Hall of Souls."

Hun Feng raised an eyebrow. The timing of the Sky Mansion Alliance's formation was exactly as he remembered from the story, meaning that although he was a variable, the main plot hadn't derailed yet.

"Second, Xiao Yan just came out of the Ancient World. Intelligence says he obtained the last Dou Di Bloodline inheritance of the Xiao Clan, pushing his strength to One-Star Dou Sheng. After coming out, he went to the Nine Serenities Deep Ground Python Clan and got mixed up with someone named Yao Ming—" Yao Yao paused to explain, "That Yao Ming is the former clan leader of the Nine Serenities Deep Ground Python Clan, a Two-Star Dou Sheng. His younger brother Yao Xiaotian usurped his position. Xiao Yan helped him clean house and killed Yao Xiaotian."

Hun Feng nodded slightly. He was very familiar with this plot point.

"And then?"

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Three days ago, Xiao Yan and Yao Ming led a team and set off for Ancient Dragon Island."

Yao Yao flicked her finger, and the glowing text shifted, "There's a huge mess over at Ancient Dragon Island. The Three Great Dragon Kings of East Dragon Island, West Dragon Island, and South Dragon Island have rebelled, aiming to overthrow the rule of the Void Ancient Dragon royal clan of North Dragon Island."

"Although the current Dragon Emperor, Zi Yan, has inherited the complete Dragon Phoenix bloodline, she is still young after all, and the rebel forces of the three islands are formidable. Xiao Yan went there to help her quell the rebellion; he should have only just arrived at Ancient Dragon Island a few days ago."

Hun Feng's eyes narrowed.

The timeline was becoming increasingly clear—Xiao Yan had gone to Ancient Dragon Island, and the rebellion of the three Dragon Islands was no small matter; it wouldn't be resolved in a few months.

Furthermore, with the North Dragon King stirring up trouble in the shadows, this trip would take at least a month or two.

And during this period, a certain place was currently empty.

"Yao Yao." He spoke suddenly.

"Hmm?" Yao Yao tilted her head to look at him, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling.

"Where is Queen Medusa right now?"

The air went quiet for a moment.

Yao Yao blinked, and the sparkle in her peach-blossom eyes turned meaningful. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned in toward Hun Feng, tilting her head. The collar of her black dress swayed slightly with the movement, and her voice carried a hint of sweet laughter: "Oh—Young Master, so this is the plan you've been concocting."

Hun Feng remained composed: "I was just asking."

"Just asking?" Yao Yao circled Hun Feng, her skirt fluttering and silver bells jingling. Her laughter was as crisp as wind chimes stirred by a breeze, "The first thing you do after waking up is ask where someone else's wife is, and you call that 'just asking'? Oh, Young Master, Young Master, you were crazy before, but at least you kept your distance from women. How did a period of closed-door cultivation make you suddenly enlightened in that regard?"

Hun Feng turned his head to look at her, asking with a calm expression: "Didn't you just say that I treated you too poorly before? Now that I've become enlightened, you're complaining?"

Yao Yao was choked by his words and stumbled to a halt, her peach-blossom eyes wide, her mouth opening, and her ears turning red again.

"W-who said you became enlightened regarding me! I meant you became enlightened regarding someone else!" She stomped her foot, causing her small silver bells to jingle chaotically, "Stop confusing the concepts!"

Hun Feng suppressed a laugh and continued walking forward. Yao Yao followed behind him, pouting, muttering something unintelligible—likely cursing him for being heartless.

The two walked along the suspended stone bridge. The scenery of the Soul Realm unfolded before them—a gigantic continent floating in the void, with ink-thick black mist churning above, and countless soul bodies struggling silently within the fog.

Beneath their feet lay the soul-devouring iron ground streaked with blood. The entire continent resembled a sleeping ancient beast, breathing slowly in the darkness.

In the distance, hundreds of black palaces were scattered about, each hundreds of zhang tall, their roofs sharp like spears, piercing into the layer of black mist above.

In the very center of the continent stood a colossal palace a thousand zhang tall—the Hall of Hun Tiandi, carved from a single mountain of soul-devouring iron, its walls covered in the Dou Technique diagrams and bloodline totems of the ancient Hun Clan.

"Young Master, you still haven't answered me." Yao Yao caught up from behind, having already adjusted her expression to return to being that capable and charming little maid, though a trace of unconcealed mischief remained in her peach-blossom eyes, "Do you really intend to target Queen Medusa?"

"Target? That sounds so unpleasant." Hun Feng said in a lazy tone, "She is currently in closed-door cultivation at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, evolving, attempting to transform from a Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python into a Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python. There is only one Nine-Colored Origin Stone and only one portion of the Yellow Spring Demon Saint's essence blood; it's such a waste to leave such opportunities on her alone."

Yao Yao thought about it, then nodded very seriously: "That makes sense. So, Young Master's plan is—"

"First, I will go see my mother, then go to the Hunyuan Hall to meet those old fossils." Hun Feng's gaze narrowed slightly, "After these matters are finished, you will accompany me to the Nine Serenities Deep Ground Python Clan."

Yao Yao paused, a strange look flashing in her peach-blossom eyes. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she only curved her lips into a smile, a smile filled with thirty percent excitement and seventy percent certainty.

Since she was small, she had never needed to ask Hun Feng "why"—she only needed to ask "when are we leaving" and "are you taking me along." The tacit understanding cultivated over twenty years of being together from dawn till dusk was more effective than any words.

"Are you taking me?"

"Obviously."

The two looked at each other and laughed simultaneously.

Yao Yao skipped two steps with her hands behind her back, the silver bells on her ankles jingling, her black skirt swaying gracefully with her movements. Suddenly remembering something, she turned her head to look at Hun Feng, her peach-blossom eyes filled with fragmented light.

"Young Master, ever since you woke up from your closed-door cultivation, you've been a completely different person." Her voice was soft, as if she were talking about something very happy, yet afraid that if she said it out loud, it would vanish.

Hun Feng looked at the silhouette of her profile outlined by the dim light of the Soul Realm. His heart stirred slightly, but he did not answer, instead reaching out to gently pat her on the head.

"Let's go, we'll see my mother first. If you keep spacing out, I won't wait for you."

After speaking, he strode forward. Yao Yao covered her head where he had patted her, stood in place for a second, then pursed her lips and chased after him, her steps even lighter than before.

The two walked one after another on the suspended stone bridge of the Soul Realm. The members of the Hun Clan they encountered along the way bowed and retreated to the side of the road from afar, not daring to let out a breath.

Only after the two had walked far away did someone secretly look up, seeing that the enchantress in the red dress, who usually killed without blinking, was now following behind the Young Master, walking on tiptoes to step in his exact footsteps, like a little black cat that had stolen some fish.

The side hall where Lin Qingwan lived was on the east side of the Soul Realm. It was a relatively small and elegant palace, completely different from the cold and rigid style of the other buildings in the Soul Realm.

In the small courtyard outside the hall, a patch of dark orchids that could survive in the yin-energy environment was planted, their pale purple flowers emitting a faint fluorescent glow in the gloom—this was the only place in the entire Soul Realm with a touch of vitality.

Before Hun Feng reached the door, he saw the hall door pushed open, and a woman dressed in a plain white long dress hurried out to greet him.

"Feng'er!"

Lin Qingwan grabbed Hun Feng's arm, looking him up and down, her eyes instantly turning red.

"You're finally awake! Mother heard that the Dou Qi fluctuations during your closed-door cultivation this time were abnormal, and I was afraid you had suffered a cultivation deviation. I was so worried I couldn't sleep for days... Let Mother see, is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?"

A warm current surged in Hun Feng's heart. In his previous life, he was an orphan and had never been worried about by a mother like this. At this moment, facing the undisguised concern of this pale and haggard woman, the sense of alienation belonging to a transmigrator in his heart was quietly melting away.

"Mother, I'm fine." He held Lin Qingwan's hand, his voice softening involuntarily, "It's just that the commotion was a bit large during the bloodline fusion, but I actually gained something from it, and my cultivation has improved quite a bit."

"Don't worry, Madam," Yao Yao poked her head out from behind Hun Feng, grinning and hooking her arm through Lin Qingwan's other arm, "The Young Master is not only fine this time, but he has also become enlightened. He even complimented me on being pretty just now; it's like seeing a ghost."

Hun Feng glared at her, and Yao Yao made a face at him in return.

Lin Qingwan looked at her son and then at Yao Yao, the smile in her eyes deepening a little. She patted the hand Yao Yao had hooked through her arm, her tone gentle and meaningful: "He wasn't wrong to compliment you; your dress today is indeed beautiful. It's a good thing to be complimented, don't scold him."

Yao Yao pursed her lips and smiled, her peach-blossom eyes curving into crescent moons, rarely not talking back.

Lin Qingwan turned back to Hun Feng, carefully checking his aura. Only after confirming he was not injured did she let out a sigh of relief.

But her expression did not truly relax; her brows were slightly furrowed, and she lowered her voice: "Feng'er, although Mother's cultivation is not high, I can still see some things. Since you woke up this time, you feel like a completely different person. Before, you were full of baleful aura that you couldn't hide in your expressions, but now... you are much more composed, as if you have changed into a different person. Has something happened?"

Hun Feng inwardly marveled at his mother's keen intuition. But his expression remained unchanged, and he just smiled and shook his head: "Mother is overthinking. After long closed-door cultivation, one's state of mind will always change somewhat. Your son is just clearer about what he should do now than before."

Lin Qingwan gazed at him for quite a while, and in the end, she did not ask further, only sighing softly and reaching out to straighten his collar.

"No matter what you want to do, promise Mother to protect yourself. Your father was too impulsive back then; he knew the Ancient Clan had set an ambush but went anyway... resulting in him being severely injured and..."

Speaking up to this point, she did not continue.

Hun Feng was silent for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

"Don't worry, Mother, your son has a sense of proportion."

Because the path he was about to take was far more dangerous than any path his father had taken back then. And if the gentle mother before him knew what he was about to do next, she would likely faint on the spot.

Bidding farewell to Lin Qingwan, Hun Feng took Yao Yao and walked toward the Hunyuan Hall. This was the place Hun Tiandi had sent word for him to go to, and several elders were waiting there.

"Yao Yao." While walking on the road, Hun Feng suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Investigate the defense deployment of the forbidden area of the Nine Serenities Deep Ground Python Clan, the more detailed, the better. The number of guards, the rotation schedule, the types of restrictions—also, how many remnant souls of ancient Sky Swallowing Pythons are currently at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, and the specific location of Medusa's closed-door cultivation. Use the secret lines of the Hall of Souls; spare no cost to get it. Give it to me before tomorrow."

Yao Yao paused, turned her head to look at him, and that glint of mischief in her peach-blossom eyes flashed again.

"Got it, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly for you." She turned and walked two steps, then suddenly looked back, leaned into Hun Feng's ear, lowered her voice, and whispered something.

Hun Feng was stunned, then shook his head with a laugh, watching her disappear lightly into the black mist of the Soul Realm, the sound of the silver bells fading into the distance.

In the distance, the thousand-zhang giant shadow of the Hall of Hun Tiandi stood in the churning black mist, silently overlooking the entire Soul Realm.

On the chessboard of the Fighting Qi Continent, the Child of Destiny was fighting a bloody battle on Ancient Dragon Island. And the cold and stunningly beautiful Queen of the Snake-People Tribe behind him was currently alone at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, completely unaware of the impending variables.

Hun Feng withdrew his gaze, straightened his robes, and stepped onto the stairs of the Hunyuan Hall.

He was going to meet those old fossils who had lived for over a thousand years. Given their suspicious nature, this meeting would likely not be very easy. But it didn't matter—what he was thinking about right now was something else.