The moment Xiao Lin collapsed, the floodgates of his mind burst open. Fragments of memory, long suppressed and dormant, surged into his consciousness like a tidal wave.
These were not just memories of his twenty-odd years in this world—they were the echoes of a previous life.
Driven by the agonizing grief of his wife's death, Xiao Lin's "Muddled State" finally shattered. He remembered who he truly was: a soul from Planet Earth who had closed his eyes one day and never opened them again, only to be reborn into this world.
Because he had crossed over through the womb, his memories had remained locked. He had lived his entire life believing he was a native of the Dou Qi Continent. Had it not been for this devastating emotional trauma, those memories might have stayed buried forever.
In Buddhist terms, the dust of the world had blinded his spirit; now, he had awakened his "Innate Wisdom" (Suhui).
Yet, for Xiao Lin, the price of this awakening was far too high. If he could choose, he would trade a thousand lifetimes of wisdom just to have his wife back. But in this world, there are no "ifs."
As his past and present souls fused, an invisible, terrifying explosion of Soul Power erupted from his body. Before he lost consciousness completely, this spiritual shockwave swept across the capital like a celestial storm.
In the Imperial Palace, the victory banquet was in full swing.
The moment Xiao Lin's unconscious soul power swept through, every expert at the Dou Wang (Dou King) level and above froze. A cold sweat drenched their backs. Those below that level—including the Dou Lings—merely felt a sudden, chilly gust of wind, unaware that a god-like pressure had just brushed past their lives.
In the sky above the palace, a figure materialized, wings of Dou Qi flapping urgently. It was the guardian of the Jia Ma Empire, Jia Xing Tian.
Currently a five-star Dou Huang (Dou Emperor), Jia Xing Tian was far from his future peak, yet he was sensitive enough to realize the gravity of the situation. His face paled.
"This power... what is it? Has an expert beyond the Dou Zong (Dou Ancestor) level arrived in Jia Ma? Impossible. Why would a titan of that caliber come to this barren Northwest region?"
"It seems the source of this power has nothing to do with your Imperial family."
A voice drifted from behind. Jia Xing Tian turned to see Yun Shan, the Sect Leader of the Yun Lan Sect. Sensing the disturbance, Yun Shan had flown all the way from the misty peaks of the sect to the palace seeking answers.
At this time, Yun Shan was a seven-star Dou Huang. Even if he and Jia Xing Tian joined forces, they knew they wouldn't stand a chance against the source of that soul pressure.
"If Sect Leader Yun Shan says so, then I assume it has nothing to do with your sect either?" Jia Xing Tian asked, though he already knew the answer.
In this era, the relationship between the Sect and the Crown was tense. The Imperial family feared the Yun Lan Sect's power, while the Sect guarded its autonomy. But in the face of a mysterious "Dou Zong" level threat, their petty rivalries vanished.
"We don't know if this mysterious figure is just passing through or has a darker purpose," Yun Shan said, his voice grave. "I suggest we cooperate for the time being."
Before he was corrupted by the hall of souls in the later years, Yun Shan still possessed the grace of a grandmaster. He truly cared for the Sect's standing and the empire's stability.
"Agreed," Jia Xing Tian replied curtly.
The shockwave didn't just affect the leaders.
Inside the Mittel Clan, the Ice king Hai Po Dong—currently a nine-star Dou Wang—stared at the night sky. The sheer scale of that soul power ignited a spark of urgency in his heart.
"Tengshan," Hai Po Dong commanded his subordinate, "I am entering secluded cultivation to break through to the Dou Huang realm. Handle the clan's affairs. Do not disturb me."
He realized that even a Dou Huang was a mere ant before such power, but he refused to remain defenseless.
"Yes, Elder Hai, I will definitely manage the family well and there will be no mistakes!"
When he learned that Hai Bodong was going into seclusion to try to break through to the Douhuang realm, Primer Tengshan was also very excited.
After all, once Hai Bodong becomes a Dou Huang, their Primer family will become the third force in the Jia Ma Empire to possess Dou Huang-level combat power.
This is a completely different concept compared to now!
Meanwhile, in the Intel Clan, the atmosphere was far uglier. Moyai, the Clan Head and Great Marshal, had returned from the banquet in a fit of rage.
"Damned coward! That senile Emperor!" Moyai roared, smashing ornaments in his private study. "My clan has bled for the empire, yet he refuses to grant me a High-Level Xuan Qi Method!"
Moyai had been stuck at six-star Dou Wang for years. He blamed his stagnation on his family's mid-level Xuan Qi Method. Seeing Hai Po Dong nearing the Dou Huang level while he remained stagnant had driven him to the brink of betrayal. The terrifying soul pressure he felt tonight only served as the final push. If the Jia Ma Empire couldn't give him power, he would find someone who could.
As the first light of dawn broke over the capital, the man at the center of the storm finally opened his eyes.
Xiao Lin sat up in the mourning hall. Through the fusion of his two lives and the stimulus of his grief, he realized he had gained more than just memories. He had awakened a Heavenly State (Tian Realm) Soul.
In a world where Dou Qi was king, a Heavenly State soul was a cheat code beyond imagination. Xiao Lin looked at the coffin of his wife, his eyes no longer filled with just pain, but with a cold, terrifying resolve.