The forest lay bathed in the golden glow of dawn, mist curling lazily around ancient roots and trunks, as though the very trees were listening. Yuan Liuyue knelt beside Xuan Mo, cradling him gently. Her amber-green eyes, filled with centuries of wisdom, studied him with awe and tenderness.
Even as a toddler, Xuan Mo's aura pulsed with intelligence far beyond his age. For months, subtle sparks of recognition had begun to stir—flashes of memories that did not belong to this life. He had seen worlds like this before. He had walked paths of cultivation, battled forces beyond mortal reckoning, and now those memories had awakened fully.
At first, it was vague déjà vu: the feel of moss under his tiny hands, the subtle hum of energy threading through the forest, the rhythm of his own heartbeat aligned with the world around him. Then came fragments—visions of formations, cultivation techniques, and signs of a System he could intuitively sense.
By his second year, these memories crystallized. Xuan Mo's hybrid blood—Demonic Dragon and World Tree spirit—responded instinctively to the energy around him. The forest hummed, alive and aware, recognizing that the child within it now carried a consciousness that spanned more than one life.
Yuan Liuyue noticed his growing awareness, a flicker of pride and caution in her eyes.
> "Little one," she whispered, brushing a strand of gold-threaded hair from his face, "you are ready to hear the story of your father… and the forest you now call home."
Xuan Mo listened, eyes wide and calculating, as his mother spoke. His mind, enriched by his previous life, analyzed every detail, every strategy, and every cultivation technique she described.
"Your father, Liang Hanzhen… was no ordinary man," Yuan Liuyue began. "Handsome, devilish, terrifying. At the Demonic Dragon Sovereign Stage, he faced four of the most powerful cultivators of his era. A battle so great it could have shattered worlds."
The four enemies were legendary:
Zhao Wushen – Void Flame Sovereign: Fire that incinerated continents.
Ling Yaojing – Earthbreaker: Every stomp shattered mountains.
Feng Mo – Shadow Reaper: Bending reality around him like paper.
Han Qiu – Storm Sovereign: Lightning storms that tore islands from the sea.
The forest seemed to lean closer as Yuan Liuyue spoke, shadows twisting and light fracturing across mossy floors.
"Flames, storms, shadows, and earthquakes… all directed at him. And yet your father… he stood. His Demonic Dragon Roar, Eclipse Fang Strike, and World Dragon Aura bent each assault, absorbing it, returning it in perfect counterbalance. Not a hair on his head moved. Not a root, not a stone, escaped untouched."
Xuan Mo's young mind raced. Though his body was small, his transmigrator awareness recognized each strategy, each cultivation tier, and the genius in the battlefield manipulation of his father.
"One by one, he dismantled his enemies. Zhao Wushen vanished in golden and black fire. Ling Yaojing's mountains shattered into dust. Feng Mo's shadows unraveled reality. Han Qiu's storms bent to his will. Four of the strongest cultivators in history were utterly defeated, their essence left behind."
Yuan Liuyue's voice softened, reverent.
"And then… your father forged this forest. From the bodies, from the energy, from the very essence of his defeated enemies… he created the Soul-Lattice World Formation. Roots twisted with fire, mist shaped into ethereal serpents, elemental energy condensed into living glyphs. It is alive… aware… and it recognizes its master."
Xuan Mo felt the pulse of the formation, the subtle bending of roots and mist toward him. Unlike any ordinary formation, this one resonated with his bloodline, granting him ownership. It even partially recognized Yuan Liuyue, allowing her to support him, but ultimate authority rested with him—the child of Liang Hanzhen.
"The forest responds to you," Yuan Liuyue whispered. "It honors your bloodline. You are its master. And yet… as long as I stand with you, it recognizes me too. No force, mortal or immortal, can breach it while it senses your presence."
The roots seemed to hum in acknowledgment. The mist curled and shifted, twisting into shapes that reflected Xuan Mo's aura. Though he was still a toddler, the formation already moved as an extension of his being, waiting for the day he could consciously command it.
Even as Yuan Liuyue spoke, Xuan Mo noticed a shimmering interface, visible only to him—the Sign-In System. He instinctively understood the first two years had been "dry":
[Monthly Sign-In Available]
1. Residual Energy of Fallen Beasts – Minor boost, precursor to major artifacts
2. Celestial Fragment Scroll – Slight improvement in elemental control
3. Training Ground Seed – Accelerates hybrid cultivation potential
He analyzed each item mentally, predicting its long-term value. Even minor gifts contained the potential to accelerate his hybrid cultivation beyond ordinary comprehension.
Yuan Liuyue lowered her forehead against Xuan Mo's, her voice heavy with love and warning:
"Remember this, little one. What was forged in blood, spirit, and absolute power… is now yours to inherit. One day, you will surpass it. One day… you will become the storm the heavens cannot ignore."
The forest hummed softly around them, golden light fracturing across ancient roots. Xuan Mo's tiny aura pulsed in acknowledgment, a quiet understanding that he had inherited not just power, but strategy, legacy, and destiny.