After an unknown amount of time, Dai Yuhao's consciousness slowly drifted up from the chaotic darkness.
First, he felt a dull pain in his shoulder, but just as he tried to move, his body froze, and an uncontrollable gasp escaped his lips: "Sss..."
He opened his eyes, only to be slightly startled by the stinging brightness before him.
Had he slept through the entire night? Was it already dawn?
But immediately after, the pain radiating from all over his body woke him up completely.
Enduring the discomfort, he struggled to push himself up into a sitting position, then froze in surprise.
This... wasn't his home.
The room wasn't very large, but it was filled with an air of strangeness and cleanliness.
The four walls were a spotless white, and glowing orbs were embedded in them, illuminating the entire room as brightly as a small sun.
The bed beneath him was incredibly soft, covered with clean white sheets; he had never experienced such a warm and soft sensation before.
And finally, what drew all his attention was the person sitting quietly on a chair by the bedside.
A woman with hair as red as flames, so beautiful she seemed almost unreal.
She was looking at him with a calm gaze, her emotions unreadable.
Dai Yuhao subconsciously pursed his lips, his small hands reflexively clutching the sheets beneath him.
After a few seconds of silence, he finally mustered a sliver of courage and spoke in a small voice, "H-hello, Auntie... Excuse me, where is this place?"
Facing Dai Yuhao's timid and bruised appearance, Leng Yaozhu ultimately couldn't maintain her usual indifference.
Her expression softened, a gentle curve appearing at the corners of her lips, and her voice became soft. "Little one, this is the Spirit Pagoda of Old Star Luo City."
"Spirit Pagoda..." Dai Yuhao repeated softly, but his eyes suddenly lit up at the words Star Luo City.
He remembered his mother mentioning that their home was not far outside Star Luo City.
He couldn't help but lean forward, saying with a hint of urgency, "My home... my home is just outside Star Luo City!"
Leng Yaozhu's eyes flickered as she quietly noted this information. Following his lead, she asked gently, "Then what is your name? How did you end up here all by yourself?"
Wanting only to go home quickly, Dai Yuhao answered honestly, "My name is Dai Yuhao. I remember... I fell asleep at home, and when I woke up, I was here."
"Dai... Yuhao."
Leng Yaozhu whispered the name, a deep shock suddenly flashing in her eyes.
As the Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda, she was extremely sensitive to the name Yuhao.
The First Generation Pagoda Master who founded the Spirit Pagoda, that legendary figure who ultimately became a god, was named Huo Yuhao.
And as far as she knew, Huo Yuhao came from the Star Luo Dai family, so his original name was... Dai Yuhao.
A child with the same name as the legend from 10,000 years ago appearing before her in such an eerie way—in her eyes, this could never be a mere coincidence.
Could this Dai Yuhao be from the Star Luo Continent? Was he royalty of Star Luo?
But looking at his clothes and the obvious scars on his body, he should be of ordinary birth, right?
Countless questions and speculations intertwined rapidly in her mind, but she didn't let any of it show on her face.
She hadn't yet untangled the key points, but she was already absolutely certain: behind this matter, there must be an incredibly complex entanglement.
At that moment, Dai Yuhao's voice interrupted her thoughts.
He gripped the white sheets beneath him tightly, his eyes turning slightly red, his voice filled with anxiety. "Beautiful Auntie... I want to go home... I miss my mama..."
Looking at those tear-filled, crystal-clear eyes, Leng Yaozhu frowned slightly.
With her level of cultivation, she could naturally tell that the child himself posed no threat; he was purely a bruised young boy who missed his mother.
But precisely because of this, everything seemed even more suspicious.
Who exactly was pulling the strings behind the scenes?
What was the purpose of sending this child to her?
While lost in thought, she reached out, her fingertips gently brushing through the child's soft hair, her voice remaining gentle.
"Don't be afraid... Auntie will help you."
Afterward, Leng Yaozhu used all her skills to subtly probe Dai Yuhao's background.
However, the child before her was only 3 years old after all; he was ignorant of many words and had no clear understanding of his own identity.
He could only rely on his limited memory and vocabulary to describe fragmented snippets.
His mama worked in a very big house and came back very late every day.
They lived in a small courtyard next to the house, and he had never been anywhere outside that courtyard.
As for his father, there was only blankness in the child's clear eyes... he had never seen him, but his mama always smiled when she spoke of him.
By the end of her questioning, looking at Dai Yuhao's small face scrunched up from trying to remember, Leng Yaozhu couldn't help but sigh helplessly in her heart.
The useful information she had obtained was, after all, very little.
The only thing clear was that this child lived with his mother, residing in an annex courtyard of some large mansion; they were of low status and frequently suppressed and bullied.
As for the child's father, it sounded like he might be dead; otherwise, it would be impossible for him not to see his wife and son for $3$ years... It was natural for a child to miss home and his mother, but children were also the easiest to deceive.
Leng Yaozhu hadn't expected herself to have such patience and ingenuity in coaxing a child.
She could always bring out various novel items to attract Dai Yuhao's attention, making him gradually stop crying to go home to his mama.
On the second day after arriving in this world, Leng Yaozhu took Dai Yuhao's small hand and walked out of the Spirit Pagoda's main gate.
Outside, the three tower masters and Vice Tower Masters of the Old Star Luo City branch were already waiting to see them off.
Before leaving, Leng Yaozhu stopped and let her gaze sweep over the three smiling people before her.
"Keep everything from yesterday to yourselves."
The three of them stiffened, naturally understanding that she was referring to the matter of Dai Yuhao appearing out of thin air yesterday.
Facing this powerful and formidable Vice Tower Master, the three naturally didn't dare to have the slightest objection. They immediately bowed their heads and replied in unison, "Yes, we understand."
Leng Yaozhu said no more and, leading the still-bewildered Dai Yuhao, walked straight toward the soul tool automobile waiting nearby.
The car door closed silently, cutting off all outside gazes and speculation.
For as long as Dai Yuhao could remember, he hadn't even stepped more than a few paces out of his own tiny courtyard.
Now sitting on the soft back seat of the soul tool automobile, the world flowing past the window was like a series of rapidly unfolding fantasy scrolls to him.
Towering buildings, bustling crowds, colorful soul tool signs... the unfamiliar sights flooded into his clear eyes like a tide, causing him to let out short, surprised gasps from time to time.
Everything was impacting the boundaries of his youthful perception, bringing a sense of novelty and shock that was almost dizzying.
Leng Yaozhu watched all this in silence. The successive sounds of youthful wonder in her ears caused a trace of softness, which she herself hadn't noticed, to flicker in her usually cold eyes.
But a 3 year old child is at an age where they might fall asleep at any moment. By the time the soul tool automobile drove into Shrek City and finally stopped at the Spirit Pagoda...
Dai Yuhao had already slumped over beside her, his small head resting on her long, slender legs, breathing evenly and fast asleep.
Leng Yaozhu looked down at the small face on her lap. She didn't wake him immediately but gently adjusted her position and took him into her arms.
Carrying Dai Yuhao, Leng Yaozhu stepped out of the car, ignored the gazes from around her, and walked straight into the Spirit Pagoda.
She quickly crossed the spacious first-floor lobby, ignoring the unconcealable shock on the faces of the staff members along the way, and stepped straight into the private elevator.
The numbers ticked silently, finally stopping at the 121st floor, which was Leng Yaozhu's private space.
However, her journey along the way had already stirred up silent waves within the Spirit Pagoda.
This top beauty of the Spirit Pagoda, Vice Tower Master Leng, who was known for her coldness and detachment, had actually returned carrying a young child.
Witnesses exchanged looks of disbelief, and suppressed whispers of excitement and curiosity quickly rippled out like waves.
The news seemed to grow wings and quickly spread throughout the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda!