On the Douluo Continent, within the Sun Moon Empire.
One hundred kilometers outside of Radiant City, an army of five thousand soldiers advanced slowly. Their formation was neat, their steps uniform. Each soldier wore specially crafted armor, holding sharp spears that radiated a pressing aura of killing intent.
At the head of the hundred-meter-long army was a golden carriage, drawn by eight tall and powerful scale horses, moving forward steadily.
On both sides of the carriage were more than a dozen people dressed in luxurious garments, their auras strong and formidable. Compared to the soldiers marching on foot, those mounted on warhorses were clearly of higher status.
"Stop." A bald elder beside the carriage raised his palm and gave a low command.
With that single word, the entire army halted at once. Hundreds of soldiers swiftly surrounded the carriage, their spears angled outward, alert to all directions. The mounted experts also tensed up the moment the bald elder spoke.
"Elder Ye, what happened?" A deep, aged yet dignified voice came from within the carriage.
The one addressed as Elder Ye was the bald old man. He was tall, his face ruddy, and though nearly a hundred years old, his energy and spirit did not match his age.
His name was Ye Yulin, a Level 91 Titled Douluo, and also a Level 9 Soul Engineer — one of the protectors of the Sun Moon Empire, holding an exalted position.
Upon hearing the emperor's voice, even someone like Ye Yulin showed a respectful expression, slightly bowing as he said, "Your Majesty, there is an unusual energy fluctuation ahead. I was concerned it might pose a threat to Your Majesty, so I halted the army."
Indeed, the one worthy of such deference from a Level 9 Soul Engineer was none other than the current Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.
"Go take a look," the Emperor said, his tone laced with curiosity about the energy fluctuation mentioned by Ye Yulin.
Ye Yulin hesitated briefly before replying, "Your Majesty, allow me to go first. If something were to happen—"
"Elder Ye, there is no need to be so cautious. Within the Sun Moon Empire, there is no one who would dare harm me. Even if there were, are you all not here? I will be fine." The Emperor cut him off, speaking with confidence and authority.
Seeing that the Emperor was resolute, Ye Yulin did not press further. His earlier suggestion had been out of caution, but with so many experts present, even a Super Douluo would not be able to harm the Emperor. The energy ahead hadn't even reached the level of a Titled Douluo; harming the Emperor under their protection was impossible.
"Forward!" Ye Yulin commanded, and the army resumed its formation, continuing onward.
After walking about five hundred meters, the air grew noticeably colder. Under the blazing sun, a chill spread as if they had stepped into the depths of winter.
With the sharp vision of a Titled Douluo, Ye Yulin peered through the white mist ahead and caught sight of something unusual.
Inside the mist — there seemed to be an infant?
Seeing this, Ye Yulin furrowed his brows. After carefully looking several times and confirming he was not mistaken, doubt filled his heart.
"Elder Ye, what's ahead?" The Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire stepped out from the carriage, gazing at the whiteness ahead with wary eyes, and asked Ye Yulin.
"There's a baby within the icy mist," Ye Yulin answered truthfully.
"A baby?" The Emperor was stunned. His gaze returned to the mist, surprise flashing across his aged face.
Even without entering the mist, he could feel a bone-piercing chill. If it was this cold outside, the temperature within must be far worse. How could an infant survive in such conditions?
"Go and bring him out," the Emperor said after a moment of thought, addressing a nearby soldier.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The mounted warrior clasped his fist and prepared to move forward into the icy fog.
"Your Majesty, no! I sense something strange about this child. We should not act rashly," Ye Yulin quickly objected.
As a Level 9 Soul Engineer, his spiritual power far surpassed that of ordinary Titled Douluo, and his perception was extremely sharp. Initially, he had felt nothing unusual about the infant, but as his senses deepened, a faint sense of danger emanated from the baby.
This discovery startled even him — a Level 9 Soul Engineer — to the core. Feeling danger from an infant was absurd. His first instinct was that he must have sensed incorrectly.
Yet after repeated, careful probing, he could no longer deceive himself. That faint yet real sense of danger indeed came from the baby. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it existed.
An infant that could make a Level 9 Soul Engineer feel danger — it was simply unbelievable, enough to make him feel as if he had seen a ghost.
The Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire waved his hand dismissively, signaling an eighth-level Soul Engineer to fetch the baby. Between the Emperor's and Ye Yulin's orders, the eighth-level Soul Engineer knew whose command to obey. He dismounted and advanced on foot toward the icy mist.
He chose not to ride in, preferring the stability of being on solid ground — it would allow him to react quickly if danger arose.
Ye Yulin could only sigh helplessly, wanting to object further, but when he met the Emperor's stern gaze, his body trembled and the words stuck in his throat.
"Ah…" Ye Yulin sighed inwardly and readied a Level 9 defensive Soul Tool in his hand, prepared to activate it at any moment.
The Emperor saw Ye Yulin's nervous posture and smiled, shaking his head. This elder was simply too cautious.
The eighth-level Soul Engineer soon reached the center of the icy fog. There, lying naked on the ground, was a male infant, seemingly just born.
A faint energy fluctuation radiated from the baby's body, spreading as a chilling aura that froze the ground for dozens of meters around him. The dense mist all came from this freezing power.
Even with the strength of a Soul Douluo, the eighth-level Soul Engineer shivered uncontrollably when touched by the baby's cold energy, goosebumps rising all over his skin.
"What a strange infant," he said, his voice trembling — partly from the cold, partly from fear. Yes, fear.
The baby's abnormal presence frightened him. If not for the Emperor's order, he might have immediately drawn his eighth-level Soul Tool and destroyed the infant on the spot.
"Why did this task have to fall to me?" he muttered bitterly. But duty was duty; gritting his teeth, he approached and bent down to pick up the child. The closer he got, the stronger the icy assault on his body became.
The instant he lifted the baby, his arms felt frozen solid. His expression changed drastically as he frantically circulated his Soul Power to resist the cold — but with little effect.
Holding the infant tightly, he wasted no time and hurried back along his path.
Perhaps due to the sudden movement, the baby stirred, slowly opening his closed eyes.
"I didn't die?" A voice echoed in the baby's mind — his own consciousness speaking. It was his thought taking form.
The baby blinked repeatedly, trying to bring his blurry vision into focus. After a few blinks, the overlapping haze in front of him cleared.
He saw a man's chin and black armor — and he realized he was being carried.
One second, two seconds — the baby stared blankly for two full seconds before he truly reacted. Those deep, starry eyes suddenly contracted, and the natural chill emanating from his body intensified with his emotional upheaval.
"Ah—" The eighth-level Soul Engineer's face twisted in pain as the freezing energy surged even colder.
"So… I've been reborn? Or have I possessed another body?" The baby was shocked as he sensed the changes in his surroundings and his own body.
Yet, despite his astonishment, his long-honed composure did not falter. He began calmly analyzing his situation.
"Hmm?" His thoughts were interrupted as the surrounding environment shifted again, triggering his vigilance.
A powerful divine sense spread outward, and in an instant, the area within 5 kilometers appeared vividly in his mind — even clearer than what eyes could see.
"My divine sense has weakened considerably," he noted inwardly, focusing his attention on what he perceived.
The Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, Ye Yulin, and the entire army appeared clearly within his perception.
"The situation doesn't look good…" he realized quickly. He tried to mobilize his power, only to find that apart from his divine sense, his entire cultivation was gone — he was now as helpless as an ordinary human.
The sudden loss of strength startled him momentarily, but having experienced countless life-and-death trials in his previous life, his heart was firm as stone. He regained composure almost instantly. He first went through the last thing he could remember before his demise. He had been besieged and had to detonate his entire cultivation base to drag his enemies with him as he died.
Fortunately, the very object that let to his so called good brothers betrayal had most likely saved him; he had through a stroke of fortune acquired the legendary Heavenly Eyes, said to have been the Primordial Time Lords of the Immortal Realm's source of absolute power and domination.
At that time, the baby soon devised a plan.
First, he restrained the cold aura that his body naturally emitted. This chill originated from his spiritual essence overflowing — not difficult to suppress. With great control, he lessened the aura until it vanished entirely.
Once the cold subsided, he withdrew his divine sense from the surroundings — all except the portion covering the Emperor.
Not only did he not retract it, but he intensified it, employing a special secret art to subtly influence the Emperor's consciousness using his Divine Sense.
He did not know how these people would treat him, but he had never been one to wait for fate. His life and death would be in his own hands — never another's.
His sharp gaze quickly discerned from the Emperor's attire that this man was the ruler of some empire — one who commanded all these soldiers. If he could sway the Emperor's mind, then his safety would be secured.
(End of Chapter)