Soul Realm.
Atop a high mountain peak.
A child, around four years old, sat cross-legged at the summit, eyes tightly shut. His hands formed mysterious seals, and with each breath in and out, a terrifying aura of Dou Qi spread out around him.
Several hours later…
"Whew…"
The child finally stopped his hand seals and exhaled a long, murky breath. Slowly, his tightly closed eyes opened.
They were a pair of strikingly intelligent eyes—eyes that revealed a maturity far beyond his age.
His features were delicate and handsome; one could easily imagine that, in the years to come, he would grow into an extraordinarily attractive young man.
Perhaps even a heartbreaker—a "scumbag" who'd leave countless girls sighing in his wake.
Sensing his own strength, the boy couldn't help but murmur with a hint of joy,
"I actually broke through to Dou Qi Stage Four…"
This world was known as the Dou Qi Continent.
There was no dazzling magic here—only Dou Qi, developed to its pinnacle. The cultivation ranks were:Dou Qi, Dou Zhe (Fighter), Dou Shi (Warrior), Da Dou Shi (Great Warrior), Dou Ling, Dou Wang, Dou Huang, Dou Zong, Dou Zun, Dou Sheng, and finally, Dou Di (Battle Emperor).
But this four-year-old child was not a native of this world.
His name was Hun Xiu. He had been on the Dou Qi Continent for four years now. When he learned of his arrival in this world—
—and that he had been born into the Soul Clan, as one of the sons of Hun Tiandi, the infamous Soul Emperor—
Hun Xiu realized: if he didn't work hard at cultivation, he'd end up buried in dust one day.
So ever since he could remember, Hun Xiu had climbed to this mountain peak every single day to train. It had now been a full year.
Among the Soul Clan, children his age were still considered infants. Most of them spent their days eating, playing, and being carefree.
After all, being born into the Soul Clan meant they had inherited the incredible Battle Emperor bloodline, so they didn't need to start training early.
Once they turned seven, that bloodline would awaken, and cultivation would come effortlessly.
But Hun Xiu wasn't like the others.
As a transmigrator who knew the future of the Soul Clan, he understood: every single second mattered.
Don't be fooled by how glorious the Soul Clan looked now. Once they crossed paths with Xiao Yan, everything would go downhill.
The Soul Clan would decline—and eventually be wiped out.
The thought of that future made Hun Xiu shudder. He sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
Why? Why would the heavens play such a cruel joke on me?
Yes—he had reincarnated, or rather, transmigrated.
Others who transmigrated got cheat systems, powerful hacks…
But Hun Xiu?
Nothing. No system, no cheat, no secret golden finger.
If he had anything at all…
It was one thing: a good father—Hun Tiandi.
And an as-yet unawakened Dou Di bloodline.
Beyond that? He had nothing.
In short—he started life with a powerful dad, but everything after that depended entirely on himself.
Sure, he could rely on his father—but only if he proved he was worth it.
The Dou Qi Continent was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. The Soul Clan was no exception.
Without enough talent, that good dad of his wouldn't even glance his way.
To Hun Tiandi, a ruthless hero bent on becoming a Dou Di, everything else was secondary.
Anyone or anything that could be used was kept.
Anything that couldn't be used? Abandoned.
Just look at the original story—Hun Tiandi sacrificed even the Soul Clan's people in his quest to become an emperor. That showed just how cold-blooded and calculating he was.
He believed that once he ascended to emperorhood, he would reign supreme and unify the continent.
But fate had other plans.
A young man named Xiao Yan appeared—and shattered all those dreams.
Hun Tiandi was eventually sealed by Xiao Yan, and the once-mighty Soul Clan was reduced to ashes, vanishing in the flow of history.
A mere stepping stone in Xiao Yan's journey to becoming the Flame Emperor.
Now that Hun Xiu had arrived in this world, he was determined to rewrite the Soul Clan's fate.
And not just that—those close to Xiao Yan? The beautiful companions of his future?
Let Hun Xiu be the one to "comfort" them instead.
But to achieve all that, strength was an absolute necessity.
In this world, Dou Qi reigned supreme. Power was everything.
Hun Xiu sensed the improvement in his cultivation and couldn't help but smile.
At this rate, he might be able to condense a Dou Vortex and become a Dou Zhe (Fighter) even before the age of seven!
Becoming a Dou Zhe was the first real step toward becoming a strong person on this continent.
Only after that could one cultivate real techniques, Dou Skills, and truly gain a foothold in this world.
Just thinking about it made Hun Xiu excited.
"I'll come again tomorrow!"
He stood up from the ground, took small but determined steps, and left the mountain peak.
All the while thinking:
What excuse should I use tomorrow to sneak away from those little brats and come train alone again?
After Hun Xiu left, two figures silently appeared at the mountain summit where he had just been cultivating.
One man wore a black robe, his aura completely hidden. His features were sharp and handsome, his eyes pitch-black.
If you looked closely, you'd see a flickering flame dancing within those dark pupils.
The other man wore white robes, equally handsome, and bore a striking resemblance to Hun Xiu.
These two were Void Swallowing Flame (Xu Wu Tun Yan) and Hun Tiandi.
Hun Tiandi looked in the direction Hun Xiu had gone and muttered,
"Xiu'er… That child has always been different from the others."
Void Swallowing Flame nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. At that age, other children only know how to play. But he's already begun cultivating. And without even awakening his bloodline, he's reached Dou Qi Stage Four in just a year. That kind of talent… is terrifying."
The flame in his eyes flickered strangely, as if lost in thought.
Hun Tiandi nodded lightly.
"Yes, such talent is quite rare."
"But in the Soul Clan, isn't that level of talent common once the Dou Di bloodline awakens? With effort, any child can become powerful."
"What I truly value in him is his diligence and determination."
Void Swallowing Flame smirked.
"If hard work and diligence were enough, why would talent matter at all?"
"No…"
Hun Tiandi shook his head.
"Talent matters—but so do effort and perseverance."
"I just hope that Xiu'er won't disappoint me in the future."
To be honest, Hun Tiandi saw a reflection of his younger self in Hun Xiu.
Back then, while others played, he trained. He started cultivating at the age of three, just like Hun Xiu.
At the time, he was not favored by his father—so he made a vow:
"I will quietly surpass everyone, and one day, astonish them all."
And he succeeded.
He became one of the five peak powerhouses of the continent and led the Soul Clan to its current glory.
So many years had passed—and now, at last, he saw the same spark in one of his sons.
Hun Xiu.
He believed Hun Xiu would one day amaze everyone—just like he had once done.
Quietly rise to the top, and stun the world.