Chaotic Multidimensional Space
In the ever-shifting void, but not empty, it was saturated with depths layered upon depths, each overlapping and bleeding into one another like translucent veils of light, geometry, and motion.
Shapes within shapes, hypercubes, tesseracts, and impossible polygons... spined and rippled across directions one can't even name. Space here was not linear or flat, but folded and recursive, looping back into itself in infinite variations. Surfaces shimmered like oil on water, reflecting colors unknown to mortal eyes, hues that suggested emotion, memory, even time.
Points of light drift through this space, each one containing entire universes compressed into singularities... flickering, colliding, merging. Gravity bends sideways.
Time moved like breath.
One can see echoes of your own body split across dimensions, some taller, others shadowed, some made of light, or crystal, or thought.
Sound here wasn't heard, it was felt... like chords strummed across the bones of reality, resonating in your thoughts with alien harmonies. It's overwhelming and sublime, an orchestra of math, energy, and abstraction, as if the laws of physics are having a conversation.
Here, Time and Space were non-existent and yet one.
[Notice: Anomaly Detected.]
[Analysing.]
[Analysing.]
[Analysing.]
[Notice: An Anomaly has been detected as a Foreigner.]
[Calculating the future trajectory of Fate.]
[Calculation Complete: Anomaly contains Fragmental Law of Foreign Universe.]
[Question: Proceed with the Analysis of the Fragmental Law of the Foreign Universe?]
[Answer: Yes.]
[Calculation. Assimilation of the Primordial Law of the Great Thousand World Universe has been initiated.]
[Progress.]
[Anomaly designed as Hun Tiandi.]
[Detecting the Fate of the Foreigner Hun Tiandi.]
[Notice: Fate Detected. The Fate of the Foreigner Hun Tiandi has been decided to be crucial to initiate the Grand Paradigm.]
[Question: Should the Universe Law design Foreigner Hun Taindi as Heaven's Chosen?]
[Notice: Fate Detected. Future of Space-Time adjusted. Possibility discovered.]
[Calculating the effects of Fate on Douluo Universe.]
[Calculations complete.]
[Assimilating the Fragment of the Primordial Great Rule of the Great Thousand World Universe.]
[Notice: Hun Tiandi has been designed as Heaven's Chosen.]
[Notice: Three Realms Solution Accepted.]
[Initiating the Grand Paradigm Shift.]
[Designating the Douluo Paradox.]
[Douluo Paradox adjusted.]
[Space-Time of Douluo Planet repaired.]
[Notice: The Death of the Universe decreased by 1%.]
[Notice: Restrictions on the Divine Realms increased by 10%.]
[Decision: Designating Universe Trial for the individual Code: Hun Tiandi.]
[Notice: Universe Trial created.]
[Notice: Universe Trial's Site has descended onto the Douluo Continent.]
[Correction: Resetting the boundary. Trial Activation set condition decided.]
[Notice: Creation of the Firmament Board Initiated.]
[Notice: Firmament Board Established.]
[Question: Initiate invitation to the Firmanent Board?]
[Answer: Yes.]
[Question: Condition?]
[Answer: 1st - Six-Dimensional Space Beings and Above. 2nd - Children of Destiny upon Four-Dimensional Space. 3rd - Special Case: Sages and Contributors in Three-Dimensional Space. 4th - Heaven's Chosen at Titled Douluo and Equivalent.]
[Rebooting the Universe Law System.]
[Initiating Changes.]
***
The journey to the Rising Dragon City was rather short, but most importantly, fruitful, as Hun Tiandi spent most of the time talking with the two people of the Sun Moon Continent.
Especially the Titled Douluo, Xuan Ziwen, was rather eager, in his opinion.
Not only about the Soul Tools, because when Hun Tiandi heard him speaking about the Soul Tools, he realized that he was a fantastic Professor like the old Alchemists of the Dou Qi Continent.
The Soul Guidance Devices, or the Soul Tools, were powerful weapons and equipment that could be activated and directed using a Spirit Master's Spirit Energy. It can be used to support the daily lives of people or their work.
Soul Tools were first introduced by the Sun Moon Empire, around four thousand years ago, as they gradually took over the entire Sun Moon Continent.
Soul Tool was a rahter broad name for many different kinds of machines and devices. One thing in common is that they use the same or a similar type of Energy, the Spirit Energy.
According to Xuan Ziwen, Soul Tools have nothing to do with soul masters. The meaning of the existence and advancement of Soul Tools lies in catalyzing human society's evolution.
That meant research and development in Soul Tools were intended to advance and further societal development, so that humans can enjoy a stronger and more fulfilling existence. In the near future, humankind will be able to use Soul Tools to dominate and subdue all other species, perhaps even other worlds that are not their own.
Their vision may be too insignificant and trivial for now, but humans are also constantly growing and evolving in tandem with their advancements in Soul Tools.
They are made of various metals that were available on the Sun Moon continent. Ancestors of the Sun Moon Empire created arrays/special carving, which, when infused with soul power, give a certain destructive property that can only be handled by special metals and minerals.
Special arrays/carvings are embedded in the core of the Soul Guidance Devices.
There are many different types of Soul Guidance Devices. However, they can be classified into two basic categories: close-range and long-range Soul Guidance Devices. The Devices are activated with Spirit Energy; on activation, they can potentially become powerful weapons.
The more powerful the spirit guidance device, the larger the Spirit Energy required. It can be said that the higher the Spirit Master's cultivation, the more compelling the weapon he/she can use.
Even Jin Eyu was intrigued hearing that... to think that some devices that were created and built in their hands would be able to kill even Titled Douluos. While Jin Eyu didn't think that the Soul Tools would replace the fundamental basis of the Martial Souls, as it was impossible to reach Godhood through them, he understood one thing based on the talk of the Xuan Ziwer.
The Soul Tools were the future.
With the right combination of the Soul Tools, even an Average Titled Douluo could kill a Hyper Douluo, and the power of the Spirit Masters using the Soul Tools would be drastically increased.
Not to mention...
The Soul Tools were very similar to the Essence Tools.
There are some tools that work with the power of essence. These tools are called Essence Tools. If essence is channeled, these tools can perform their functions. Essence Tools were all used for different purposes. Essence Tools without an owner will leak Spirit Energy, so someone can use Spirit Energy to know if they are real or not.
The art of creating these was lost long ago, so they are considered antiques.
But compared to the Soul Tools, the Essence Tools were just worthless decorations.
Hun Tiandi was already determined to keep Xuan Ziwen tied to the Spirit Hall, and he could guess that the man's intentions were rather similar, because he was behaving as if he wanted to sell his services to him.
Though what caught his attention almost equally was the young girl who was occasionally sneaking glances at him. She was somewhat naive, but also possessed a certain arrogance and was rather brutish, rebellious, and carefree.
Hun Tiandi knew that her backround must be really extraordinary.
"Are we there yet?"
Xu Tianzhen asked, probably for the fifth or sixth time, which caused the elderly Golden Crocodile Douluo to twitch in annoyance as the girl was a total menace. The moment she realized that there was no danger, she started testing boundaries and began acting spoiled like a princess.
"This is already the seventh time that you asked brat... and the answer is still the same. No..."
Jin Eyu asked as Xu Tianzhen just hummed happily and started jumping around Hun Tiandi, looking around the Star Dou Forest, as they had already entered the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest and were not far from the Rising Dragon City.
Xuan Ziwen shook his head because he knew that as the sole Imperial Princess of the Sun Moon Imperial Family, she was beyond spoiled and usually did what she wanted. Here, it was the same with the distinction that they were not in the Sun Moon Empire anymore.
"So the Soul Guidance Devices are like a combination of very advanced Blacksmithing, Forging, and Essence Tool Refinement, but more scientific and technological?"
Hun Tiandi asked while he was speaking with the Xuan Ziwen, as the Titled Douluo from the Sun Moon Empire learned that the young red-haired man with rather terrifying, piercing red eyes was the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall.
An organization of the Spirit Masters that had a history of more than fifteen thousand years... this was more than the current written history of the entire Sun Moon Continent, not to mention the most frightening aspect of the Spirit Hall.
This was once an organization that was created by the real God.
Angel Goddess.
"Yes, Your Holiness, Holy Son. But that's just an oversimplification of the real beauty of the Soul Tools. You see, with the Soul Tools, even the combat prowess of the Spirit King could reach that of the Spirit Emperor or Spirit Saint."
To be able to increase the combat prowess by several whole realms was something that was absolutely unheard of in the Douluo Continent, but for the Sun Moon Continent, it was normal.
Though Hun Tiandi and Jin Eyu also learned the reason why.
It seemed that the Sun Moon Continent, as they had suspected, was severely lacking compared to the Douluo Continent in the most crucial aspects for cultivation.
Spirit Beasts, Immortal Herbs, Spirit Herbs, and the density of Spirit Energy and Life Energy.
This was something that Xuan Ziwen personally confirmed: for the inhabitants of the Sun Moon Continent, the traditional Martial Soul cultivation was much more challenging, and thus, they were giving most of their efforts into the Soul Tool development.
Which, for Hun Tiandi and Jin Eyu, made rather sense.
If the Sun Moon Continent were focusing on the Martial Soul cultivation, their results would be poor, but they, on the other hand, had something that the Douluo Continent lacked severely.
Acess to the countless precious metals and ores. Many of their veins had Heart of the Mountains, which was something that allowed the metals and ore to replicate as long as the source of the metal or ore wasn't depleted and the place had enough Spirit Energy.
***
Rising Dragon City, Slum Area
Amid the slums of the Rising Dragon City, a young girl around ten years old was wandering and avoiding getting caught after stealing some food. Her name was Tang Hailan, one of the orphans living in the Rising Dragon City.
She wasn't even a Spirit Master, because Rising Dragon City was one of the cities where the Spirit Hall wasn't regularly conducting the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, especially in the later years due to the friction with the local nobility of the Star Luo Empire.
This caused the civilians and commoners of the Rising Dragon City and several surrounding provinces to hold huge disdain for the local nobles and aristocrats, while many, if they could, were already migrating toward the territories where the Spirit Hall held considerable influence.
Despite not being a Spirit Master, she was very fast and strong, as she dodged among the people after she stole some food.
It was one week after she had awakened in this new world.
Tang Hailan was originally from a different world, called Earth, and was the Young Sect Mistress of the Tang Sect located in the Huaxia. She was the granddaughter of the Grandmaster of the Tang Sect, Tang Lan, and was destined to inherit the Tang Sect.
Though right now, the Tang Sect was just a long-distant memory.
As was her family, her grandfather and uncles.
Everyone was dead.
During that one fateful night.
'Tang San... you fucking bastard... all of it is your fault! Just wait until I find you...'
Tang Hailan cursed in her mind as she arrived at the hideout.
The Tang Sect was a Sect of assassins proficient in assassinations, poisons, and the creation of the Hidden Weapons. They were one of the most powerful Sects in the Huaxia, but due to the decline of Qi of Heaven and Earth, many predicted that the Tang Sect would cease to exist.
Tang Hailan wanted to prevent that by uncovering the reason for the decline of Heaven and Earth Energy in the world...
Yet...
One day, an Outer Sect disciple by the name Tang San ruined everything.
Among the Tang Sect Outer Sect disciples, he was the third most senior and therefore came to be known as Tang San. Even among them, he was considered a genius not seen in two hundred years.
Tang Sect has many secrets and techniques. Their Hidden Weapons are designed and constructed in a way that no outsider can mimic. Even a Tang Sect disciple must learn them arduously for several years before becoming proficient in their use.
The greatest difference between the Inner and Outer Tang Sect was the usage methods of Hidden Weapons. Outer Sect gave priority to mechanisms, and for the Inner Sect, the standard was genuine technique. Poison use was likewise an Outer Sect talent, while in the Inner Sect, Hidden Weapons were handed down in a direct line from master to disciple, and very few employed poison, since they were basically not needed.
Wanting to know the secrets of the Tang Sect that were only taught to the Inner Sect disciples, he broke into their sacred place, stealing the knowledge. Having read and mastered its contents, knowing he committed a crime, he committed suicide by jumping off Hell's Peak.
This event also led to the destruction of the Tang Sect at the hands of several other Sects and the Huaxia Imperial Clan because, during the pursuit of Tang San, the Sect was forced to turn off part of the Sky Barrier that protected their Sect.
She herself died during that siege on the Tang Sect.
The next thing that happened was awakening in the body of a near-death orphan in the Rising Dragon City, where she was saved from death by fellow orphan Zhang Peng.
She practised the Mysterious Heaven Skill to obtain some strength and searched for the opportunity to undergo the Martial Spirit Awakening, but for that, she would need to go to another city where the Spirit Hall had more influence.
Tang Hailan understood that the Spirit Hall was the biggest and strongest faction in the world and probably the only one where commoners could reach the highest echelons of the Sect, which was something that aligned with her goals.
Killing the traitor of the Tang Sect, Tang San.
Tang Hailan knew that even though he died, he wasn't truly dead.
His body may have died, but his Soul persisted. Something was telling her that he was or would be here in the Douluo Continent.
She then started practising the Mysterious Heaven Skill of the Tang Sect to recover some of the Inner Qi that she had used up during the escape and recover from her fatigue and exhaustion.
The Mysterious Heaven Skill is the supreme internal cultivation technique of the inner sect of the Tang Sect in Huaxia. It comprises nine tiers and is strictly forbidden for outer sect disciples to practice.
Regular practice of the Mysterious Heaven Skill has multiple benefits. It widens the meridians and eliminates impurities, gradually improving one's physical condition. This technique also helps to increase cultivation speed and compress Inner Qir, leading to higher concentration and potency.
Just as she started cultivating, she suddenly realized that she wasn't alone in the room.
In the split of a second, she reached for her dagger, only to be met with overhelming spiritual pressure that immobilized her in place.
"You are pretty skilled for a ten-year-old or something... but the age of your Soul is..."
Tang Hailan shuddered when the voice said that, because it was clear that the owner saw through her like nothing. Soon enough, though, she calmed down and observed the young man in front of her, as she realized that the disparity between the two of them was too huge.
She knew very well, that with all of her Internal Qi being frozen and with her body too, she couldn't even move an inch.
"You don't have anything to fear from me... on the contrary, I am here to present you with an opportunity... let's say, from one foreigner to another."
He slowly said as he released the pressure on her a bit, just enough so she could move her head, but he was still monitoring her with the Spiritual Realm comparable to the full power of a Demi-God.
Now that Hun Tiandi had reached the Soul King Realm and gotten a very powerful Spirit Ring and even a Spirit Bone that was related to the Mind, he could exert the full might of his Spiritual Realm for around half an hour per day.
Which was already far more than enough to deal with approximately 99% threats on the continent.
"So, you are also one? Reincarnator?"
Tang Hailan asked very slowly, because in the Tang Sect, there were long ago rumors and legends about the possibility of reincarnation. She heard from her grandfather that some Devil Cutlivators of Huaxia used this method to attain eternal life.
By reincarnating their souls into the new bodies to obtain an extra two or three hundred years of life, if lucky.
"You could say that... but where are my manners. My name is Hun Tiandi, Hun for the Soul, Tian for Heaven, and Di for Emperor, titled Heavenly Soul Emperor in my past, but now, I am Holy Son of the Spirit Hall. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Hun Tiandi didn't really care about his revelation, because if she disagreed with his proposal and didn't agree, she would die, and her Soul would be devoured by him through the Soul Devouring Skill.
He would win either way and obtain what he wanted.
If she agreed and joined the Spirit Hall willingly, then all would be better.
"Tang Hailan. Young Sect Mistress of the Tang Sect of Huaxia. What do you want from me, senior?"
Tang Hailan, while being an arrogant young sect mistress of the Tang Sect in her past life, was even more cunning and scheming than a fox.
Not to mention, her new life on the streets and being powerless was like a hammer strike on the glass for her ego.