Bai Yi's eyes drifted into an absolute void, devoid of light and color, as if nothing existed.
Buzz~
Suddenly, a buzzing sound pierced through the nothingness, infusing the world with vibrant hues.
The realm began to tremble as a dark blue glow spread, enveloping the void with an intense soul power that was difficult to comprehend. Bai Yi observed as a youthful shadow emerged—though merely a shadow, it radiated strong vitality.
In the next moment, the blue light filled the void, bringing an overwhelming sense of comfort to Bai Yi's consciousness.
"Look, isn't that the top student? Seems overrated."
"I heard he's an orphan. How sad."
"What's your problem? Are we wrong?"
"Why are you bothering him? Just beat him already!"
Familiar voices echoed around him. Bai Yi turned sharply to see a small child, less than a meter tall, being bullied by a group of slightly older kids.
What's happening? How is this transformation being revealed?
As the thought crossed his mind, more images materialized.
"Hey, you can stay here at night. If you have questions, just ask the teacher. If you're scared to go home, sleep at your desk."
"Where did this little beggar come from? Get lost!"
"I heard you just got a scholarship. How much do you need to borrow?"
"What do you mean 'you have nothing at home'?"
"Starting a business? How can a kid like you even think about that?"
"Shut up! You think you can fool me? Beat him up! He's just an orphan!"
As the relentless taunts continued, Bai Yi felt a mix of helplessness and resignation. Bullying had become the norm for civilians in this era.
However, these memories were among the most vivid for Bai Yi. He recalled a time when warmth was offered to him by three teachers and a middle-aged gambler who had since passed away. After that, it was just the memories of bullying.
But he could see it was almost over.
A smile crept onto Bai Yi's face. In this era, a little talent combined with hope and hard work could change everything.
The imagery shifted from a dilapidated street to a clean, vibrant one. The houses transformed into grand structures, unlike anything found in the Lions Castle. Bai Yi felt like a beggar from the countryside stepping into a futuristic city.
The previously indifferent gazes around him softened as curiosity took hold.
"Hello, new classmate! I'm Diane. What's your name?"
As the scene changed, a beautiful girl appeared beside the little boy, dressed in exquisite attire that Bai Yi had never seen before.
"So cold! I heard you're smart, but don't you find class boring? I really want to go outside and play."
"Hey, don't ignore me! Your clothes have holes. Let me take you shopping. Dressing like this affects my mood."
The little boy turned to her in surprise but quickly returned to a calm demeanor.
"Why? Don't you believe me?"
Ding. A gold coin fell onto his desk. The boy was momentarily stunned, his small fingers holding the coin, its golden sheen glimmering between them. Children from the civilian areas rarely saw gold coins.
"Hey! I thought you were deaf! If you take my money, you have to talk to me. What's your name?"
"Bai Yi."
"Bai Yi? What a strange name! Why not just go by Bai? It sounds better!"
"Bai Yi."
"Well, it's just two words for a gold coin. You're charging too much! Haha, teacher, don't look at me like that. I'm just getting to know my new classmate!"
The scene accelerated, revealing more memories. Bai Yi smiled as he recalled the details.
"Investment? Is it reliable? I've only got 500 gold coins left. Should I give it all to you?"
"You're bold! I want a large share of the profits!"
"People say you're lying. Is it true?"
"Well? If so, I'll trust you again. Let's go shopping and eat something delicious!"
"Look! This is the magic scroll I bought secretly. It can cast a fireball. I'll show you after school!"
"Why are you burning their bodies? They'll feel pain, right?"
"Why are you faster than me? Alright, here, I'll give you what I promised."
"Wow, is this a birthday gift? Such amazing fireworks must have cost a lot! Did my gift measure up?"
"Hey, Bai Yi, why haven't you mentioned your investment in a while? What happened? Failure isn't an option! This is additional funding. I want to see fireworks in the tallest building!"
The imagery flashed rapidly, with dialogues flowing. Smiles and emotions filled Bai Yi's eyes. At age ten, a pivotal change occurred. Before then, life had been tough, but afterward, things improved dramatically.
As winter appeared in the memories, Bai Yi sensed that rapid growth was imminent.
When the wolf emerged in the memory, plunging a dagger into its heart, the imagery shifted to scenes of war and conflict.
Suddenly, he found himself lying in bed, and the images collapsed around him.
Once again, he was enveloped in nothingness, only to be bombarded by a new wave of memories.
These memories surged like a tide, feeling foreign, as if they belonged to someone else. Children appeared, growing rapidly across various eras—exaggerated times marked by colossal warships traversing a cosmic sea.
The horrifying sounds of destruction echoed as worlds shattered. A young man floated amidst the stars, moving through the void with strength.
Greater wars commenced, and glories rose, only to fade swiftly.
Bai Yi's expression grew serious as the images became increasingly surreal. Ultimately, some balance shattered, and the world dissolved into nothingness.
When light returned, he witnessed the growth of different children, though this time their development felt distinct. They matured faster, maintaining something illusory and incomprehensible.
As the imagery progressed, a group of horrifying beings, clad in various costumes and exuding a mystical aura, gathered.
Suddenly, a sigh echoed, causing the entire scene to vanish.
Another series of images emerged, accelerating in speed and complexity.
At a certain moment, all the images coalesced into nothingness, replaced by strange structures, including an extremely simple temple.
Bai Yi sensed something and looked down at his body, now shimmering blue.
He understood and approached the hall with solemnity, beginning to grasp the essence of what a saint truly was.
This was a collective of beings pursuing eternity, navigating time and space, dimensional turbulence, and the main material world.
Layers of space formed this existence.
Scholars theorized that the force of time and space turbulence birthed dimensional chaos, which in turn shaped the grotesque, leading to the emergence of unique rules.
Ultimately, these rules combined with various forces to create dimensions and, at their pinnacle, worlds.
Originally, time and space turbulence was meant to enhance backgrounds over time, suggesting an infinite universe.
However, as grotesque power flowed into reality, more entities emerged, and those born from this power evolved into creatures.
These creatures diversified and civilization began to flourish.
With the rapid evolution of life, this endless world became increasingly confined. Beings began to pursue immortality, strength, and all that benefited existence.
Yet, as their numbers swelled, so did their greed. When beings sought to surpass the grotesque power manifesting in reality, chaos erupted, leading to the collapse of the rules and the end of an age.
Greed led to the destruction of an infinite world.
As the uppermost realm crumbled, time sped through hundreds of thousands, millions, and tens of millions of years, and the rules would be reborn, giving rise to new life.
Yet, no matter how many cycles occurred, the greed of beings persisted. In the aftermath of countless destructions, a resilient figure emerged, forming the organization known as the Saints.
They began to regulate the development of the world, suppressing it by force. Science and magic were constrained, and some civilizations faced annihilation.
In essence, slow development posed no issue. But if one attempted to overtake at a curve, disaster would follow.
Those who ascended to sainthood possessed unparalleled talent. Only those capable of leading through the ages could understand the lessons of eons past.
With the emergence of the Saints, the lifespan of epochs began to extend. Yet, greed remained unquenchable, leading to the ultimate demise of previous eras in the annals of history.
Bai Yi regarded the notion of a saint with solemnity. This concept intrigued him.
If these were the Saints, then the controller of the Soul Tower should not obstruct the next one from arising.
Bai Yi pondered this quietly. The era of the ancient gods spanned millions of years, the new gods nearly as long, and now they were in a dark age.
Was he truly the first saint of this era? Did the lineage of saints end before the panel appeared?
Thus, the controller of the Tower of Souls might not be a saint, but rather the keeper of the imprisoned saints.
This reasoning made the obstruction and disdain understandable.
With these thoughts in mind, Bai Yi stepped into the hall.
This hall was the tomb of the saints, resembling a living room, serving as the venue for registering new saints.
He needed to leave his mark here to gain the support of the saintly powers and break through the limits of humanity, extending that limit infinitely.
His experiences would be captured in this mark, becoming a new inheritance within the tomb of the saints once he passed.
It was an endless cycle.
After grasping all of this, Bai Yi found himself questioning why such powerful saints had their inheritance severed.
The hall's layout was simple, adorned with murals, statues, and tables akin to a restaurant, all pristine and exuding a sense of timelessness.
Bai Yi scanned the room, noticing a red wooden counter with yellowed parchment, resembling a contract.
As he approached, unintelligible words appeared on the ground, only to morph into familiar text before his eyes.
[Registration? Here↑]
Bai Yi raised an eyebrow. Is this a bit too casual?
Following the arrow to the counter, he saw a prominent line of text:
← This is the registration. Just press the Seal of the Saint. Don't bother me unless it's urgent. I've been stuck here for ages!
Bai Yi frowned slightly.
→ This is the task list for other saints, alongside enemies they can handle. Newcomers like you can't even enter the genealogy upon death!
"Seriously? Why is this task so prolonged?"
Bai Yi's perception of these powerful beings shifted dramatically.
Looking at the thick parchment on the left and the two blood-colored scrolls on the right, he couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
It felt suspiciously similar to an Adventurer's Guild. Despite its high-end appearance, it was reduced to mere bureaucratic nonsense.
Bai Yi raised his hand, and a mark of the saint appeared on his blue arm. He pressed it against the counter.
Buzz~
The blue light emanated, creating an overwhelming sense of anticipation.
A line of text materialized before Bai Yi:
"Oh? The soul is holy? Yes, boy, your awakening might be a bit painful. Give me a piece of Origin Stone, and I can share the trick."
Surprised, Bai Yi realized that the currency among saints was the Origin Stone.
"Don't believe him! He's a liar. Entering the soul is easy. Just relax."
As this line of text appeared, Bai Yi's consciousness shifted, plunging him into a vast blue ocean.
He looked around cautiously, sensing that the previous warnings suggested the inheritance of the saints was far from straightforward.
In this azure realm, a whirlpool formed around him, and Bai Yi felt his soul expanding rapidly.
"You are absorbing immense soul power; your soul and spirit are growing swiftly."
"Your specialty, Soul Gourmet, and spiritual growth have been unlocked."
"Spirit +1, Spirit +1, Spirit +1."
(End of this chapter)