Chapter 4: The Archmage and the Unlocked Worlds
The campfire burned low, casting dancing shadows across the three faces. Tang Ya had finally fallen asleep, curled against her pack, while Bei Bei maintained watch. Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, seemingly meditating, but his consciousness was elsewhere.
Deep within his spiritual sea, three figures stood before the Black Book.
Tianmeng Iceworm, now a miniature glowing caterpillar, floated nervously. "So, old man, you're telling me you're a god from another world? And you got stuck here as a wisp of soul?"
The elderly figure of Electrolux nodded, his gray robes swirling with phantom light. "Not a god in the sense your world understands. I am a mage. A Necromancer Holy Necromancer, to be precise. In my world, I held the sun and moon within my grasp, plucked stars from the sky. But that was... a long time ago."
Huo Yuhao's mental projection studied the archmage. "You said you were drawn here when I fused with Tianmeng. Why?"
Electrolux gestured toward the Black Book. "That artifact. It doesn't just travel between worlds—it bridges fundamental laws. When you underwent the soul fusion, it emitted a resonance that called to remnant souls anchored by similar energies." He looked at Huo Yuhao with ancient, knowing eyes. "You have a piece of Gold of Life within you. A substantial piece. It called to me like a beacon."
Knowledge_Seeker (via chat group): Fascinating! The Gold of Life must have properties that transcend dimensional boundaries!
Dimensional_Archivist: Confirmed. The Gold of Life in Huo Yuhao's possession carries signatures from at least seven higher-dimensional sources. It's not just life energy—it's narrative energy.
Tianmeng wriggled. "So what now? We have a three-person party in the kid's head? A bug, a ghost, and a reader?"
Electrolux ignored the jibe. "Young Huo Yuhao, the Black Book is awakening. Can you not feel it?"
Huo Yuhao focused on the Book. Indeed, something was different. Where before it had been a silent, dark presence, now faint light seeped from between its closed covers. Golden script glimmered on its surface—characters from no language he knew, yet he understood their meaning.
[SYNCHRONIZATION: 12%]
[CONNECTED REALMS: 1 (Primary Anchor: Douluo Dalu)]
[NEW REALM DETECTED... ANALYZING...]
Then, a voice that was neither the system's nor any of the beings in his spiritual sea echoed through the space:
"Infinite worlds, infinite stories. The reader has become the read. The observer has entered the tale. Balance must be maintained."
The Black Book's cover opened.
Not fully—just a crack. But from that crack poured light that resolved into floating panels, each showing a different world:
A young man in black, wielding a strange black ruler, facing a monstrous beast wreathed in green flame.
A vast university floating among stars,where martial techniques were studied like sciences.
An immortal cultivating under a waterfall of liquid time.
A youth with a bleeding eye,fighting against heavens that sought to crush him.
A scholar unraveling the shrouded truths of ancient history.
A warrior whose fists could shatter dimensions.
A primordial world where gods and demons walked among mortals.
"Seven realms," the voice intoned. "Seven possibilities. But the vessel is young. The soul is still integrating. Only one may be unlocked... for now."
The panel showing the black-clad youth with the ruler glowed brightest.
"Realm of 'Battle Through the Heavens' unlocked. Connection established. Temporal mechanics integrating..."
A new energy flooded Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea—wild, unrestrained, filled with the essence of a world where flame and fighting spirit reigned supreme. He felt it merge with his existing energies, not replacing them but adding a new layer.
[System Alert: Black Book Function Unlocked — "Worldwalking (Limited)"]
[Function 1: Temporal Recollection — Host may project consciousness into past events of current world. Observation only. No interaction.]
[Function 2: Realm Resonance — Host may access one unlocked secondary realm's energy patterns. Currently: Dou Qi (Battle Through the Heavens).]
[Warning: Premature unlocking of additional realms may cause soul instability. Proceed with caution.]
Electrolux's eyes widened. "Temporal projection? Even in my prime, such magic was... theoretical."
Tianmeng shivered. "That voice... it sounded like the world itself. But not our world."
Huo Yuhao reached out mentally toward the glowing panel showing the black-clad youth. As he did, information flooded him:
[Realm: Battle Through the Heavens (Dou Po Cang Qiong)]
[Primary Energy: Dou Qi]
[Notable Techniques: Flame Mantra, Skyfire Three Mysterious Changes, Emperor's Fury]
[Connection Strength: Faint (Knowledge access only. Energy borrowing: 0.1% efficiency)]
[Representative Figure: Xiao Yan (Status: Active, Timeline: Early Cloud Peak Sect conflict)]
Martial_Fanatic (via chat group): XIAO YAN! THE ASURA OF THE DOU QI CONTINENT! THIS IS AMAZING!
Cultivation_Nerd: But the efficiency... 0.1%? That's practically nothing. At that rate, using Dou Qi techniques would drain him a hundred times faster than local spirit power.
Fate_Observer: This isn't about direct power borrowing. Look at the description—"knowledge access." He can learn their techniques, understand their principles, then adapt them using local energy systems.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his consciousness, feeling suddenly exhausted. The revelations were coming too fast.
Electrolux noticed his strain. "The mind needs time to integrate new paradigms. I suggest you rest the conscious mind while we," he gestured to himself and Tianmeng, "study these new functions."
Tianmeng puffed up. "Hey, I'm a million-year spirit beast! I can help!"
"Indeed," Electrolux said dryly. "Your experience with... sleeping through millennia may prove unexpectedly relevant to temporal mechanics."
Outside, in the physical world, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes. Dawn was approaching, painting the forest in shades of gray and gold.
Bei Bei was stirring the fire back to life. "You meditate like an old master," he remarked without looking up. "Most kids your age would be exhausted after yesterday."
"I've had to grow up fast," Huo Yuhao said, which wasn't a lie.
Tang Ya yawned and sat up. "Morning! So, mysterious flying boy, what's your plan?"
Huo Yuhao considered. The Black Book's new functions changed things. Temporal Recollection—if he could observe past events without interacting, that was an intelligence-gathering tool beyond compare. And Dou Qi techniques...
"I need to test my abilities further," he said. "There's a place I need to visit. A valley to the north."
Bei Bei's eyes sharpened. "The Icefire Yin Yang Eye? That's dangerous territory. Even Soul Sages tread carefully there."
So he knew of it. Of course—as the future master of the Tang Sect, he would know about the legendary treasure trove.
"It's important," Huo Yuhao said simply.
Tang Ya looked between them. "Well, if it's important, we'll go with you! Safety in numbers!"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "This is something I need to do alone. But... I appreciate the offer."
The refusal hung in the air. Bei Bei studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Everyone has their secrets. But remember—the Tang Sect's door is open. Not as recruiters," he added with a slight smile, "but as potential allies."
It was a significant shift from their earlier dynamic. Huo Yuhao nodded. "I'll remember."
They parted ways after a simple breakfast. As Huo Yuhao headed north alone, the chat group buzzed with activity.
Soul_Land_Expert: Why the Icefire Yin Yang Eye? In the original, Huo Yuhao doesn't go there until much later, and with help!
Knowledge_Seeker: Hypothesis: The temporal recollection function. He may be attempting to observe past events there. Perhaps to understand the layout, the dangers, or to witness something that happened long ago.
Fate_Observer: Or he's testing the Dou Qi connection. The extreme environments of the Icefire Yin Yang Eye would be ideal for testing flame-based techniques from another world.
All three were right.
Two days of travel brought Huo Yuhao to the outskirts of the legendary valley. Even from a distance, he could feel the conflicting energies—blazing heat and bone-deep cold emanating from the same place.
He found a hidden cave overlooking the valley entrance. "This will do," he murmured.
Settling into a meditation posture, he focused inward. "System, activate Temporal Recollection. Show me... the last time the Icefire Yin Yang Eye was visited by someone significant."
[Temporal Recollection activating...]
[Anchor Point: Icefire Yin Yang Eye]
[Time Index: 10,873 years before present]
[Warning: Observation only. No interaction possible.]
Huo Yuhao's consciousness detached, flowing backward along the river of time. He saw flashes—centuries passing in reverse, the valley changing, until...
He stood as a ghost in the past.
Two figures faced each other across the steaming, half-frozen pools. One was a man in simple robes, blue hair flowing, holding a trident that shimmered with ocean light. The other was a woman of impossible beauty, her hair like spun silver, eyes holding galaxies.
Tang San and the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena.
But this was long before their eventual conflict. This was... a meeting.
"You don't have to do this," Tang San was saying, his voice younger than Huo Yuhao had ever heard it. "The dragon clan's grievances are with the ancient gods, not with humanity today."
Gu Yuena's expression was cold. "My people are scattered. Hunted. Your kind takes our bones for tools, our souls for rings. And you speak of grievances?"
"I speak of change," Tang San said, and there was a sincerity in his eyes that shocked Huo Yuhao. This wasn't the manipulative God-King he knew—this was a young man, barely a god, trying to prevent a war. "I'm founding an organization. The Spirit Pagoda. It will provide spirit rings without killing. We can change the relationship between our species."
Gu Yuena laughed, a bitter sound. "Words. Always words with humans. Show me action. Show me you're different from the ones who drove my father mad and tore him in half."
Then she turned and noticed something. Not Huo Yuhao—he was just an observer—but something in the valley. "What is that?"
Tang San followed her gaze. "A natural formation. Extreme energies create unique materials. Some of them could help your people heal, you know. The frozen jade髓 here, the flame crystals..."
"I know what they are," Gu Yuena snapped. But her eyes lingered on the valley. "This place... it reminds me of home. Before the fall."
An idea seemed to occur to Tang San. "If I could secure this valley for you and your people. A sanctuary. Would that be a start? Proof I mean what I say?"
The scene froze, then shattered.
[Temporal Recollection interrupted. Energy depletion at 87%. Returning to present.]
Huo Yuhao gasped back into his body, sweat pouring down his face. The mental strain was immense.
Fate_Observer: So that's how it began. Not with manipulation, but with a genuine attempt at peace. Somewhere along ten thousand years, that young god became the controller he is today.
Dimensional_Archivist: Note the date. 10,873 years ago. That's approximately when Tang San first ascended to godhood. His ideals were pure then. Corruption came later.
Soul_Land_Expert: And the Icefire Yin Yang Eye was supposed to be a sanctuary for dragon-kind? But in the present, it's just a treasure trove for human cultivators! What happened?
Huo Yuhao didn't know. But he understood something now—the valley wasn't just a collection of treasures. It was a broken promise.
As he recovered his strength, he decided to test the second new function. Focusing on the Dou Qi connection, he attempted the simplest technique he'd gleaned from the Battle Through the Heavens resonance—a basic flame control method called "Ember Guidance."
Spirit power flowed, but he redirected it through the Dou Qi pattern. The efficiency was terrible—as predicted, about 0.1%. But the effect...
A tiny flame, no larger than a candle's, flickered above his palm. But this wasn't normal fire. It danced with strange colors—greens and blues at the edges—and seemed to burn not just matter, but the very space around it.
[Technique: Ember Guidance (Adapted)]
[Efficiency: 0.1%]
[Effect: Creates flame that burns spiritual energy as well as physical matter. Weak but unusual.]
"Interesting," Electrolux's voice murmured in his mind. "The energy pattern is... inefficient but novel. With study, we might adapt it to local energies more effectively."
Tianmeng chimed in. "Ooh, pretty fire! Can you cook with it?"
Huo Yuhao dismissed the flame. "Not yet. But maybe someday." He looked down into the valley. "For now, I need to retrieve something."
He remembered from his Ayush memories: the Icefire Yin Yang Eye contained treasures that would be crucial later. But more importantly, it contained clues. Clues about what changed Tang San from the idealistic young god in his vision to the controller of fate he became.
As he began his careful descent into the valley, avoiding the deadly alternating patches of boiling and freezing air, the Black Book in his spiritual sea turned another page.
On it, new words formed:
"The first thread of the past has been observed. Seven more key moments to witness before temporal mechanics unlock further."
"Warning: Each observation brings you closer to the attention of those who watch the timelines."
"Continue?"
Huo Yuhao didn't hesitate. "Continue."
He had to understand how the story went wrong before he could write a new ending.
And somewhere, in a realm of flame and fighting spirit, a young man named Xiao Yan suddenly shuddered, feeling a strange connection form—a thread linking him to a boy in a world of spirits and rings, a boy who was just beginning to learn that some fires burn across dimensions.
The multiverse was stirring. And Huo Yuhao, reader-turned-protagonist, was at the center of it all.