BTTH: The Legend Of Xiu Emperor

The Soul Realm, atop a towering mountain.

A four-year-old child sat cross-legged on the mountain peak, his eyes closed, hands forming seals, as a terrifying fighting spirit exuded from every breath he took.

Hours passed.

The child ceased the seals, exhaled deeply, and slowly opened his tightly closed eyes.

These were a pair of particularly lively eyes. From their depth, one could discern that this child seemed far more precocious than others his age. He had a delicate face, promising that he would grow into a strikingly handsome man, likely one to capture the hearts of countless young women.

Feeling his own strength, the child murmured with joy, "I've actually broken through to the fourth stage of Dou Zhi."

This place was the Douqi Continent—a world without fanciful magic, ruled instead by the cultivation of Dou Qi. The rankings here were:

Dou Disciple/Dou Zhi,

Dou Practitioner/Dou Zhe,

Dou Master/Dou Shi,

Dou Grandmaster/Da Dou Shi,

Dou Spirit/Dou Ling,

Dou King/Dou Wang,

Dou Emperor/Dou Huang,

Dou Ancestor/Dou Zong,

Dou Venerable/Dou Zun,

Dou Saint/Dou Sheng, and

Dou God/Dou Di.

The four-year-old child, however, was not originally from this world.

His name was Hun Xiu. For four years, he had lived on the Douqi Continent. When he realized he had been reborn into the Soul Clan, as one of the sons of Hun Tian Di, Hun Xiu made up his mind to cultivate diligently. He knew that without effort, he might amount to nothing but dust in the years to come.

From the moment he could remember, Hun Xiu had come to this mountaintop to practice daily. Now, a year had passed.

Among the Soul Clan, children his age were still indulging in carefree lives, playing, eating, and drinking. With the bloodline of the Dou Di flowing through their veins—a heaven-defying inheritance—they didn't need to start cultivation early. After the age of seven, their bloodline would activate, and practicing would become second nature.

But Hun Xiu, knowing the future fate of the Soul Clan, refused to follow suit.

The current glory of the Soul Clan would eventually be shattered. After offending the protagonist of the story, Xiao Yan, the Soul Clan would decline and ultimately meet extinction.

This knowledge sent shivers down Hun Xiu's spine.

"Why has fate played such a cruel joke on me?" he wondered.

Most people who traveled through time arrived with systems, magical tools, or other advantages. But Hun Xiu had none of that. All he had was a powerful father, Hun Tian Di, and the dormant Dou Emperor bloodline within him. Beyond that, he was no different from any ordinary person.

In this world, strength was everything. Even Hun Tian Di, for all his ambitions, only valued those who were useful to him.

The original story depicted Hun Tian Di as ruthless, willing to sacrifice even his own clan for the sake of ascending to Dou God. But his dreams were shattered by Xiao Yan, who not only defeated him but led to the downfall of the Soul Clan.

Now, reborn into this world, Hun Xiu vowed to rewrite that fate. Not only would he save the Soul Clan, but he would also intervene in Xiao Yan's life. To achieve this, he needed power.

In the Douqi Continent, strength reigned supreme—a timeless truth.

Hun Xiu couldn't help but feel joy as he sensed his progress in cultivation. At this rate, he might condense the Dou Vortex/Cyclone and become a Dou Practitioner before the age of seven—a crucial milestone for anyone aspiring to greatness on this continent.

"Tomorrow, I'll return here!" he resolved.

With small steps, Hun Xiu descended the mountain, contemplating an excuse to leave the other children behind again.

After his departure, two figures appeared on the mountaintop where he had just been meditating.

One was a man in a black robe, his aura restrained. His eyes were dark, with a faint flicker of flame in their depths.

The other was dressed in white and bore a striking resemblance to Hun Xiu.

They were Void Devouring Flame and Hun Tian Di.

Hun Tian Di gazed in the direction Hun Xiu had left and murmured, "Xiu'er has been different from other children since birth."

Void Devouring Flame nodded in agreement. "Indeed. At his age, other children only play, yet he has already begun cultivation. Without activating his Dou Emperor bloodline, he has reached the fourth stage of Dou Qi in just one year. Such talent is truly remarkable."

Black flames flickered in Void Devouring Flame's eyes as he pondered this.

"Remarkable indeed," Hun Tian Di agreed, "but talent is not uncommon in the Soul Clan. With the activation of the Dou Emperor bloodline, even mediocre individuals can rise. What I value in Xiu'er is his diligence and determination."

Void Devouring Flame chuckled. "Diligence? Without talent, what use is hard work?"

"No," Hun Tian Di disagreed. "Both are crucial. Talent may open doors, but diligence determines how far one can go."

Gazing into the horizon, Hun Tian Di murmured, "I hope Xiu'er will not disappoint me."

In truth, Hun Xiu reminded him of his younger self. At three years old, Hun Tian Di had also begun cultivation while others his age played. He had been looked down upon by his father but vowed to rise above expectations and shock everyone.

In the end, he succeeded, becoming one of the five strongest individuals on the continent and leading the Soul Clan to prosperity.

Now, in Hun Xiu, he saw that same potential.

"One day, Xiu'er will astonish the world," he thought.