In a world of deep, purplish-black, the surroundings warped and twisted. Ming Tian found himself adrift in this place, a void without sky or earth. It felt like nothingness.
Where am I? What happened?
He only remembered killing the Heavenly Void Power Demon Bull, then absorbing its soul and Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
He remembered now. A Thousand-Year Soul Ring... his body couldn't handle it. He'd passed out the instant he absorbed the ring.
So... am I dead? Or is this... my Spiritual World?
Just as Ming Tian was struggling to understand how to escape, he noticed four balls of light floating in the void before him.
They were Red, Purple, Black, and White, and within each, he could see the shadows of the Soul Beasts and the Martial Souls of the Soul Masters he'd killed!
What is going on?
Ming Tian wanted to leave, but he didn't know how.
"Tian'er..."
A woman's voice echoed through the world. Ming Tian was overjoyed to hear it. It was his mother's voice!
"Mom!! Mom, where are you?"
Ming Tian called out, hoping to get an answer.
Before him, a small blue grass appeared, Blue Silver Grass. The tiny Blue Silver Grass emitted faint, blue light.
"Tian'er, your mother has already left. What remains within you is just a wisp of a soul, or rather, a thread of my will to protect you."
"When you are in real danger, I will protect you."
"My child..."
"Mom..."
Ming Tian began to cry, lost in thought. Just like when Meng Qianji attacked him, the dark Blue Silver Grass had emerged from within him. He felt the warmth of his mother's protection.
"Mom, I miss you so much..."
"Child, I'm so sorry that you have to suffer so much at such a young age..."
Ming Tian shook his head and said,
"No, Mom, I don't care. A child can't always live under their parents' protection. I want to become strong, so I can protect the people who are important to me."
"What's happening to me? Why am I in such a strange place?"
"Child, this is your Spirit World, also known as your Spiritual World."
"I reside here. You devoured the Heavenly Void Power Demon Bull and its Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Your body has reached its absorption limit. Because you couldn't absorb it all, your soul was trapped inside your Spiritual World."
"Then what should I do?"
Ming Tian asked anxiously.
You Hua Mo's voice paused, and then she asked a strange question.
"Tian'er, do you mind that your mother is actually a Soul Beast?"
"What? How could I mind? No matter what you become, you're still my mom!"
"Do you know? You, who was born from the union of a Soul Beast and a human, carry half a Soul Beast Bloodline. You aren't purely human. Do you still not mind? Won't you resent your mother?"
"Whether human or beast! Since I'm Mom's child, I've never regretted it!"
Ming Tian roared, his voice echoing throughout the Spiritual World.
Tears streamed down Ming Tian's face. You Hua Mo, hearing this, continued,
"You are a child born from a human and a Soul Beast. Therefore, you are different from both humans and Soul Beasts. You have a body that is more resilient than humans and a mind that is more wise than Soul Beasts."
"But this is also where your problems lie. You are only six years old. The limit brought by the Heavenly Void Power Demon Bull is beyond what your body can currently handle. Therefore, in order for you to successfully absorb the Heavenly Void Power Demon Bull's Martial Soul and Thousand-Year Soul Ring, I activated the part of your bloodline and constitution that belongs to the Soul Beast, allowing your body to absorb it smoothly. But this also caused problems."
"What problems?"
"The activation of the Soul Beast Bloodline and constitution has made the half-human, half-beast bloodline in your body unbalanced. The Soul Beast side is now dominant, and a part of your bestial nature will consume your spirit and body. Therefore, the probability of you becoming a Soul Beast in the future will increase, and that is not what I want to see."
"If you absorb Soul Beasts beyond the age limit your body can withstand, your Soul Beast Bloodline will further change your constitution and spiritual power. Then, although you can absorb them successfully, you will become a Soul Beast."
"That's what I don't want to see. Tian'er, promise me you won't take such risks again, okay?"
"Yes! Okay, Mom, I understand."
Ming Tian nodded.
"Actually, there is a way to change this situation. If you can obtain a Soul Bone within two years, I can guide a portion of your Soul Beast Bloodline into the Soul Bone, allowing your body to return to the balance of a half-human, half-beast bloodline."
"A Soul Bone?"
Ming Tian pondered.
"But Soul Bones are extremely rare. Aside from Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, which are guaranteed to produce Soul Bones, it's very difficult for you to obtain a Soul Bone within two years. Therefore, don't, under any circumstances, absorb Soul Beasts beyond your body's age limit. You can currently handle Soul Beasts with a cultivation of seven thousand years. Because of the expansion of your Soul Beast Bloodline, your tolerance range has increased slightly."
"That Heavenly Void Power Demon Bull has a cultivation of exactly seven thousand years."
"I understand, Mom. I'll be careful."
"There's one more thing. Before I died, I also produced a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone. To prevent Bibi Dong, who killed me, from obtaining my Soul Bone, I changed the location of the Soul Bone to become a Left Arm Bone. And not just anyone can absorb that Left Arm Bone. I attached my spiritual resentment to it, so I can sense where my Soul Bone is."
"The only people in this world who can absorb my Soul Bone are you and your sister. When you become strong, I will give you my sense, and go take back what originally belonged to you."
"Mom, rest assured, I will definitely take back the Soul Bone and avenge you!"
"Good child, remember, don't do anything that goes against your heart because of guilt or self-blame."
Ming Tian was a little puzzled. Before he could ask more, a bright light suddenly flashed before his eyes. The entire world lit up.
"Ah!!!"
Ming Tian cried out in surprise and sat up in bed. Looking around, he saw a girl's face, filled with concern and shock.
"Ming Tian, you scared me to death! You're finally awake! That's great! I'll go get your brother!"
Yan Qing Wan smiled, her face lighting up. She hurried away.
Ming Tian stared at everything in a daze, as if it were a dream...