A soft white glow filled Xiao Hua's vision as he found himself standing in a world of pure light. There was no one else around—only endless whiteness stretching in every direction. Strangely, his memories began to blur, becoming disjointed and hazy.
What unsettled him even more was the odd sensation within him—he felt both surprised and unsurprised at the same time. The contradiction was confusing, yet he couldn't grasp why he felt that way. No matter how hard he tried to recall, the reason eluded him.
"What's going on…?"
Xiao Hua frowned at the discomfort, an uneasy expression settling on his face. A moment later, something drew his attention—he instinctively lifted his head and spotted a circular light ring hovering a short distance away. After a brief hesitation, he walked toward it.
The moment he stepped into the ring of light, time seemed to distort. Though it was just a single step, it felt as though an entire decade had passed in that instant. Disoriented, his heart wavered in confusion.
Then—his body trembled.
As he slowly opened his eyes, what appeared before him was... a living room.
A modern living room, with clean white walls, soft lighting, and a quiet atmosphere that did not belong to the world he had known.
He found himself seated on a black sofa, its soft, comfortable texture gently pressing against his body. Yet, despite the pleasant sensation, he couldn't relax—not when his eyes were locked onto the three people standing before him. A young man and two young women, all wearing smiles that didn't reach their eyes—fake, forced, and disturbingly cold.
He recognized them instantly.
They were the siblings from his previous life—the very people he had cut ties with long ago. People he never wanted to see again. People whose names he had deliberately erased from his memory.
"What…?" Xiao Hua muttered in confusion, his voice low and uncertain. He sat frozen, blankly staring at the three familiar strangers.
"You seem a little confused, little brother." The young man chuckled, misinterpreting Xiao Hua's dazed expression. He nodded slightly, wearing a bright smile that made Xiao Hua's skin crawl with revulsion.
"You see…" The young man cleared his throat and took a deep breath, maintaining that same gratingly cordial expression. His tone oozed with sickly-sweet pretense as he continued.
"Our father and mother have left you the land and half of the family wealth. However, we felt that such a burden might be too much for you to handle alone. So, we, as a siblings, had a discussion and came to an agreement—we'll manage the wealth on your behalf for a while."
"Once you've grown up a bit, we'll hand it back to you and let you manage it however you see fit," he added with a smile that barely concealed the condescension beneath.
"That's right, little brother." One of the young women nodded, her voice syrupy and fake. "It's dangerous to control too much wealth at a young age—it might corrupt you, or warp your view of the world." Her smile was so practiced it could almost be mistaken for gentle sincerity.
"That's why," the other young woman chimed in, her tone laced with subtle hypocrisy, "you should let your older brother and us, your sisters, take care of it for now. Once you've matured and truly understand the world, we'll return it to you. We are merely worrying about your future, so I'll hope you understand that we make such a difficult choice."
"Hee hee…"
A strange, unsettling laugh escaped Xiao Hua's lips as he listened to the words of his so-called 'beloved' older brother and sisters.
Oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, the young man's eyes lit up, and he smiled even more brightly. "So… do you agree with the arrangement your dear older siblings have so thoughtfully put together?"
"Discussion? Dangerous? Future?" Xiao Hua repeated the words slowly, his voice dripping with cold disdain.
"Ha… haha… HAHAHAHA!!!"
His laughter turned twisted and chilling. He threw his head back, gazing up at the ceiling as a dark, oppressive aura erupted from his body. The room trembled as a violent wave of energy burst outward, sending furniture crashing and flinging the three people across the room like rag dolls.
"People like you…" His voice was low and venomous, echoing with fury. "Of all people, you're the last ones qualified to lecture me about responsibility or the future!"
A powerful, bloodthirsty intent surged within Xiao Hua. His cold, mocking laughter echoed through the room—wild, unrestrained, and filled with murderous rage.
"You discussed it among the siblings? Bullshit!" Xiao Hua roared, eyes blazing with fury as he glared at the young man. "Where was I when this so-called discussion happened?!"
His voice echoed like thunder, causing the man's face to pale in horror.
"It's dangerous for me? It might corrupt me because I'm young?" He turned his sharp gaze to one of the young women, who flinched under his stare. "And what about you, sister? Are you such a righteous and pure adult that you have the right to preach to me?!"
His expression twisted, savage like a cornered beast as he roared at her, voice laced with venom.
"Concerned for my future?" Xiao Hua's cold gaze shifted to the last woman. His lips curled into a grimace. "Are you really concerned about my future, or are you just scared you won't be able to go shopping anymore without the money?!"
Disgust, disdain, and an overwhelming killing intent poured from his words. His aura grew dark and violent—his patience had long since shattered.
"The funeral for Dad and Mom was only yesterday! And yet here you are—scheming and clawing for their inheritance like vultures!" His voice trembled with rage.
"It's no wonder they left everything to me instead of you!"
"L-Little brother, calm down… We truly mourned their passing… That's why we—"
"Even ghosts wouldn't believe your lies!" Xiao Hua cut him off coldly.
The young man's voice faltered in fear as Xiao Hua raised his hand. A terrifying pressure exploded from his body, dark and merciless.
In the next instant—
Boom!
The room was engulfed in a wave of violent energy, and the three were torn apart like scraps of paper under a storm.
Mincemeat—that was all that remained.
"Haa… Haa…"
Xiao Hua panted heavily, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Even after turning them into nothing but scattered flesh, the frustration and bitterness in his heart had not faded.
Suddenly—
"Are you okay, little brother?"
A nauseatingly familiar voice rang out beside him, making his body stiffen.
His eyes widened as he slowly turned his head—
The same repulsive face greeted him, plastered with that same insincere, fake smile. Behind the man, the two young women stood again, wearing identical expressions of false concern.
"Pay attention, little brother. This is a serious matter. We're truly worried about you holding such a large inheritance. That's why we suggest—"
"Shut up!" Xiao Hua bellowed, cutting the man off before he could finish.
His glare was sharp and violent, like a feral beast on the verge of attack, his killing intent once again surging as he stared down at these 'so-called' siblings who had returned as if nothing had happened.
As he roared, a powerful aura erupted from his body once again, surging outward in all directions. In an instant, his brother and sisters were reduced to a pile of flesh and blood—again.
"Little brother, are you even listening?"
That repulsive voice echoed once more. Xiao Hua didn't even glance at them. Every time he heard that voice, a crushing wave of fury and aura would explode from his body.
It repeated. Again and again.
Hundreds of times.
Each time they appeared, Xiao Hua would roar like a mad beast, his eyes filled with wild bloodlust. His body became soaked—no, drenched—with the blood of his so-called siblings. His expression grew increasingly deranged, his gaze sharp and frenzied, like that of a crazed animal tearing its prey apart.
Again, and again, and again… he slaughtered them.
Until—
"That's enough. I already know this is just an illusion." A calm voice rang out behind him.
Xiao Hua froze and slowly turned around.
Another him stood there—an exact copy, yet his eyes were cold and emotionless, as if gazing through the madness with indifference.
Upon seeing this second Xiao Hua, the blood-soaked one—who had been screaming and roaring like a beast—began to change.
A jet-black shadow beneath him surged upward, swirling around his body. As it continued to rise, Xiao Hua's face began to melt away, replaced by a dark silhouette. His heterochromatic eyes shifted into deep blood-red orbs that radiated an intensely chilling light.
"Were you disgusted by your own desire? Did you feel sick, knowing this dark, murky feeling festers inside you—churning endlessly until it finally erupts?" The silhouette spoke with the same voice as Xiao Hua, yet it carried a sinister, gloomy tone that sent chills through the air.
"I'm more impressed than anything." Xiao Hua replied, shaking his head. His gaze remained fixed on the black figure, a shadowy reflection of himself. "To think such destructive thoughts lay buried so deeply within me."
"When did you realize all of this was an illusion?" the shadow asked, a flicker of curiosity flashing within its eerie red eyes.
"The Bodhisattva Ancient Tree is truly remarkable," Xiao Hua said, nodding with admiration. "It can craft illusions so lifelike that even those trapped within them remain completely unaware."
"But because of that very perfection, it made a mistake even a beginner wouldn't make."
"Oh?" the shadow figure raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"Sister Azure, Sister Xue Yue, Xun Er, Sister Ya Fei, Zi Yan, and Little Fairy Doctor… They are people I could never forget, no matter how insane I might become." Xiao Hua's eyes narrowed, his voice firm and filled with unwavering conviction.
"Yet, you forgot them—even if only for a moment," the shadow figure sneered. The corners of its mouth curled into a mocking smile, and a glint of ridicule flashed in its blood-red eyes.
"That's exactly why I said—it's enough," Xiao Hua replied, his smile deepening. Strangely, his expression softened, carrying an almost gentle warmth. And yet, that very expression sent a chilling sensation through the shadow figure.
"But there's one thing you need to understand."
His expression suddenly twisted into that of a ferocious beast as a flame of wrath blazed in his eyes. His gaze turned so cold, so terrifyingly still, that the space around him seemed to freeze and crackle with invisible frost.
"If there is even a single destructive thought in my heart and soul right now, then let me make one thing absolutely clear—"
"—it would be directed at you and the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, for making me forget them… even for a moment!"
The dark silhouette trembled. A sense of terror welled up in its heart as it was utterly overwhelmed by those beast-like eyes—cold, merciless, and locked onto it like a predator to its prey.
Seeing its fear, Xiao Hua let out a cold snort and took a few steps back. "Now then," he said flatly, "let's bring this illusion to an end."
As he spoke, autumn-orange flames rose and coiled around his body, casting flickering shadows like leaves dancing in a swirling breeze. The fire moved with a primal rhythm, alive with the essence of falling embers and harvest sunsets. From a distance, he appeared as a guardian born of flame—wild, untamed, and brimming with the power of the turning season.
As the flames surged, the illusionary space began to collapse. The temperature plummeted uncontrollably, and reality twisted under the weight of Xiao Hua's blazing aura. Finally, with a muffled crack like the shatter of glass, the illusion burst apart—splintering like a mirror struck by divine force.
The Wrathful Chilling Flame was a fusion of the Heavenly Wrathful Lightning and the Primordial Bone-Chilling Flame. The former possessed the power to ignite the energy of heaven and earth itself, while the latter drove the temperature ever lower as its intensity climbed higher.
When combined, they formed a terrifying force—one that intensified the burning of heaven and earth energy the longer it surged.
This Wrathful Chilling Flame was the only flame capable of allowing Xiao Hua to escape the illusionary space crafted by the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, a being that had endured for countless ages and whose power far exceeded his own.
Xiao Hua watched coldly as the illusory realm shattered into pieces. Moments later, he found himself in a space bathed in a soft jade-green glow. Towering before him stood an ancient tree, over a hundred feet tall, exuding an ageless presence. Its emerald-green trunk gleamed as though carved from flawless jade, and it radiated an overwhelming life force.
From its aura alone, it was unmistakable—this tree was a manifestation of the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, identical in essence to the millions of feet colossus in the outside world, only shrunken to a fraction of its original size.
Xiao Hua's expression darkened, his eyes blazing with killing intent. The illusion was one thing. But for this tree to make him forget the people he held most dear—that was unforgivable.
However, just as Xiao Hua prepared to approach with the intent to destroy it, the emerald-green Bodhisattva Ancient Tree suddenly began to tremble, halting his steps. As it shuddered, a cluster of light emerged and slowly condensed into an intangible form that floated gently toward him.
Xiao Hua narrowed his eyes at the approaching light. He then glanced at the ancient tree, and after sensing no hostility from it, he closed his eyes and allowed the light to enter his mind. The moment it did, it transformed into a stream of strange information that scattered and spread within his consciousness.
He stood still, quietly digesting the influx of unfamiliar knowledge. Only after a long while did he slowly open his eyes, now filled with a faint glimmer of understanding. The information he received had granted him profound insight.
According to the memories transmitted to him, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree before him had existed since time immemorial—far longer than even the one mentioned in the novel…
At some unknown point during its slumber deep within the Dou Qi Continent, a black spatial crack suddenly appeared. Without warning, it dragged the tree into the void. The suction was so abrupt and powerful that, despite its great strength, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree was unable to resist and was forcibly drawn into the spatial rift.
After being cast into the void, the ancient tree remained alone in that endless emptiness for an unimaginably long time. It waited in silence—until, one day, a crack tore through the fabric of the void, and Xiao Hua entered.
At first, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree intended to retaliate and strike down the intruding youth. But just as it prepared to act, it sensed several terrifying presences hidden within Xiao Hua's body—existences so powerful that it was forced to halt its aggression.
Resigned to its fate, the ancient tree knew it could do nothing against him. Fearing the powerful beings within him, it chose instead to offer its treasures willingly. Still, it wished to test the young man's heart before granting him anything.
No matter what, it would never bestow its blessings upon one with an evil heart.
That was why the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree cast an illusion—a vision drawn from the depths of Xiao Hua's heart. Though it could not perceive the illusion itself, it could clearly sense a surge of dark emotions within him, centered around a certain group of people.
It did not know what that group of people were. Human relationships had always been difficult to comprehend. But it could recognize the emotion behind the desire.
Betrayal… the denial of betrayal… anger toward betrayal… bargaining, depression, acceptance… and in the end, deep disappointment, sorrow, and intense resentment.
However, as the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree continued to observe the churning darkness within him, it gradually realized something unusual—the dark emotions were not consuming Xiao Hua. Instead, they seemed to be revolving in a cycle, flowing endlessly but never taking root.
Only then did the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree come to a startling realization: Xiao Hua was not being swallowed by those emotions… he was watching them.
This meant that Xiao Hua had long since become aware he was within an illusion, yet he chose to remain, silently observing the scene as it unfolded.
"Sister Azure, Sister Xue Yue, Xun Er, Sister Ya Fei, Zi Yan, and Little Fairy Doctor… They are people I could never forget, no matter how insane I might become."
That voice rang out from Xiao Hua's mouth, sending a wave of shock through the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree. Somehow, his consciousness within the illusion had resonated outward—his voice echoing beyond the illusionary boundary into the real world.
This had never occurred before.
Perplexed and uncertain about how to respond, the ancient tree could not interfere with it, choosing to silently observe what would happen next.
"I might not have realized I harbored such destructive thoughts toward them… that much, I can admit. But there's one thing you should understand."
"If there is even a single destructive thought lingering in my heart and soul right now, then let me make one thing clear—it would be directed at you and the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree… for making me forget them, even for a moment!"
The Bodhisattva Ancient Tree finally understood why Xiao Hua had merely observed the illusion rather than trying to escape. He had been searching for what he had forgotten—trying to uncover the missing memories, to face the dark emotions hidden within, and to reconcile with them before moving on.
But once he remembered… rage erupted within him.
Sensing this, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree moved swiftly, revealing its intent to show that it was not his enemy.
Xiao Hua looked at the ancient tree, a trace of awkwardness and embarrassment flickering across his face. After all, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree was only here because he had brought it—purchased through the System.
Besides, the way the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree had arrived in this world was identical to how the Lightning Beasts, Lady Azure, and Lady Xue Yue had arrived in the Dou Qi Continent…
'Yeah… I really don't have the right to get mad when I was the one who caused the problem in the first place… forcing the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree to appear in this void without warning…'
And of course, he understood why it had shown him that illusion. It simply refused to give its treasures to those with evil hearts.
Honestly, even Xiao Hua was surprised to see the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree appear. He had never imagined that the System would literally bring him a Bodhisattva Ancient Tree that had existed since before even the immemorial era—just because he bought it.
He had originally assumed the System would summon the one mentioned in the novel—the version that had lived since the prehistoric age. Never did he expect it would deliver a being far older, one that had existed even before time was remembered.
This only deepened his curiosity about the System itself. Did it truly have the ability to traverse different parts of the universe? Could it reach across timelines, across realities?
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
After all, he himself was once a human from a different corner of existence. And yet, here he was—living in a fictional world, a place born from the pages of a novel.
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