336 Six Souls

Alice's voice came abruptly to my ears, sharp and teasing as always. "Speaking of what's yours, I believe this is yours too."

A ripple of shadow shimmered beside me, and from that darkness stepped Alice, her boots whispering against the marble floor. Mist coiled behind her, and out of it came Da Ji, my sister. Between them, bound in a net of faint radiance, floated a shard of light pulsing like a living heart. My Human Soul.

The moment Alice released it, it burst forth in a ray of brilliance, streaking straight toward me and vanishing into my chest. I felt its warmth, that familiar human tenderness, and settled in me again. Three souls now returned out of six. My being felt just a little more complete.

"Long time no see," I said, voice steady but tinged with emotion.

"I am here too, brother," Da Ji added with a mischievous smile.

"Yeah," I replied, softer this time.

Alice crossed her arms, brow raised. "No hugs."

I immediately grabbed Da Ji anyway, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"B-Brother—! No, stop suffocating me!" she complained, laughing and struggling at the same time.

Ren Jingyi, who had been quietly devouring a drumstick on one side of the table, spoke between bites. "They got good chicken in here."

Hei Mao sighed, rubbing his temples. "You sure have a world of your own, huh?"

Ren Jingyi shrugged innocently. "I'm a growing girl."

Ru Qiu, standing aloof with his arms crossed, muttered darkly, "This is ridiculous."

Gu Jie shot him a glance sharp enough to cut through steel. "Just behave yourself."

Zhou Yong leaned closer to Ren Xun and whispered, "Is this wise, Your Majesty? I feel that your authority is being diminished…"

Ren Xun, who had been trying to maintain the dignity of a ruler amid the chaos, exhaled heavily. "Just mind your own business."

The room was alive with warmth, laughter, and irritation mingled freely. Then, the air changed.

A sudden tremor of qi rippled through the hall. The warmth vanished, replaced by a solemn weight that pressed on the chest like a physical force. My senses sharpened instantly. A figure descended through the open entrance, a silhouette framed in purple flame and wind. Dark wings spread wide behind him, each feather like a blade, and twin horns jutted from his brow like jagged obsidian. His landing cracked the marble beneath his feet.

Everyone froze.

As the dust settled, the horns and wings retracted, dissolving into motes of light. The man knelt on one knee, his voice echoing through the chamber.

"Master," he said, head bowed, "I've arrived. It looks like I just got here in time."

"Lu Gao," I said, smiling as the dust finally settled around his boots. "My Hell Paladin."

He straightened, his eyes glinting faintly beneath the light of the throne room's lanterns. "Master." He gave a respectful bow. He blinked, staring at the remnants of his landing. "Uuuh… sorry… I'm still not used to controlling my strength, either in Divine Transformation or not…"

Ren Xun sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "It's fine, it's fine… I'll just have someone fix it, again."

Gu Jie stepped forward, her gaze softening. "Brother Lu, you've become stronger once more."

Hei Mao smirked, folding his arms. "Still far from reaching the sleeve of my clothes."

Ren Jingyi puffed out her cheeks. "Bet big brother Lu Gao is smarter than you."

Hei Mao didn't even flinch. "Sure."

The others broke into laughter as they gathered around Lu Gao, crowding him with warmth and curiosity. He looked different. He was taller and more refined, the once brash youth now replaced by a man whose confidence radiated like quiet fire. His aura alone was enough to tell me that he had reached the Eighth Realm. Among my disciples, only Gu Jie surpassed him.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Jie," he said with a slight bow toward her, then turned to the others. "I missed you, too, Little Mao. And the same goes for you, Little Jingyi'er."

Hei Mao frowned. "I'm not little anymore. I'm growing taller, you see… not like this midget."

Ren Jingyi's eyes flared. "Don't call me a midget!"

"How about midge?" Hei Mao offered, feigning thought.

"No."

"Mid?"

Ren Jingyi stared at him incredulously. "You're an idiot."

"Now, now…" I interrupted before another spar broke out. "No need to quarrel or anything, alright? We're not in kindergarten anymore."

"What even is a kindergarten?" asked the offended Ren Jingyi.

"Not so smart now, are you?" provoked Hei Mao.

"Why?! Do you know what a kindergarten is?"

"..."

Lu Gao chuckled softly, then straightened as his expression turned solemn. "Master," he said, raising his hand. "I believe this is yours."

Two orbs of light floated from his palms, one deep red, pulsing like a living ember, and the other golden-white, radiating divine warmth. The Hell Soul and the Heaven Soul.

They hovered for a moment, circling me like twin suns before merging into my being with a thunderous pulse of power. I felt the surge ripple through me, five of my Six Souls now whole again. The connection was complete, almost. Only one more remained.

"Jue Bu sends his regards, Master," Lu Gao continued. "He should've returned to Liu Yana's side by now, fulfilling the duties you've entrusted to him."

I looked at him and saw not just the student who once stumbled over his own zeal, but a man who had carved himself in the fires of war and duty.

"You've done well, Lu Gao," I said, my voice steady with pride. "More than I could've asked. Thank you for carrying the burden I left in your hands."

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He bowed deeply, and the faintest smile crossed his lips.

"My honor, Master. Always."

Through the already open gates, a lone figure strode into the hall. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and drenched in sweat. His golden robes trimmed in black shimmered faintly beneath the light, though the long journey had left them dust-stained and creased. His blond hair clung to his brow, and yet, despite the exhaustion, he carried himself with the proud bearing of a warrior who had endured far worse.

"Yuen Fu?" I asked, honestly surprised.

He looked up and smiled, that same wry grin I hadn't seen in ages. "Surely, you haven't forgotten about me, have you, Master?"

Among my disciples, Yuen Fu was the outlier, the one I hadn't picked up by a desire to help or coincidence. He'd earned his place by virtue and sheer resolve. Of all my disciples, he possessed the deepest sense of duty and the most unyielding will.

"I've come to join the war, of course…" he said.

Lu Gao crossed his arms with a smirk. "Are you sure it's not to run from your wives?"

Yuen Fu barked out a laugh. "Hah! Most of them are old hags now! No, I left them behind long ago. For the past hundred years, I've done nothing but train and to comprehend the path of the sword. Since the Guardians couldn't leave New Willow, I've come to represent them in spirit."

His spiritual pressure spread through the hall like the edge of a blade drawn from its sheath, sharp, steady, and disciplined. Seventh Realm: Bloodline Refinement. Yet beneath it, there was something more. A hidden pulse. The mark of one who had reached the precipice of Martial Ascension, a warrior on the verge of transcending mortality itself.

He exhaled and wiped his brow. "Phew~! Quite the adventure getting here… but seriously, Master, do you think I'd miss the day of your coronation? Never."

I smiled faintly. "Your spirit hasn't dimmed at all, Yuen Fu. Since you're so eager for battle, I'll make sure you stand at the foremost line when the war begins."

He met my gaze, grin widening. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Master."

This Civil War… we were going to end it with this one fight. A single battlefield to decide the fate of an empire, and when the dust settled, we would reign victorious.

Yet even with all the preparations complete, one question gnawed at me: where in the nine heavens was my Animal Soul? Even Yuen Fu had arrived before that blasted mutt.

Just as I was about to curse, a bark split the air.

"I've arrived!"

Before I could react, Yuen Fu was tackled from behind, sent tumbling across the polished floor in a blur of gold and flailing limbs. The Animal Soul, manifested as a golden retriever, landed squarely on top of him, tail wagging furiously, and tongue lashing across his face like a storm.

"What manner of beast is this?" Yuen Fu shouted between gags, struggling helplessly. "Help!"

Lu Gao stepped forward, shaking his head with the patience of a long-suffering senior. "Here, let me give you a hand—"

He didn't even finish. The dog's tail whipped around like a cudgel, catching Lu Gao in the shin and sending the Hell Paladin sprawling face-first to the ground. He groaned, trying to push himself up, but the Animal Soul bounded onto him next, showering him with slobbery affection.

Yuen Fu crawled away, half-laughing, half-panting, while Hei Mao rushed to help him up. Their eyes went wide as the dog turned its attention on them and leapt again, tongue first.

"Wait, wait—!" Hei Mao's protest was cut off by a wet splat of a lick to the face. "Shit! Master!"

Ren Jingyi tugged on Gu Jie's sleeve. "Big Sister, should we… uh… help them?"

Gu Jie didn't even blink. "No. It's futile."

I didn't want to admit it, but I didn't particularly want to deal with the Animal Soul either. It was still inhabiting my physical body, a body far more divine than I currently was. My spirit form had ascended through the Longevity Path, but not the full Transcendence Path, not since I'd lost my Divine Soul. What I carried now was a Divine Spark, the gift of False Earth. A Spark was not the same as a Soul; it was power borrowed, not owned.

Still, if I regained my physical flesh, I would also regain my full Paladin Legacy. That alone made the trouble worth enduring.

"Animal Soul," I said at last, summoning my authority. "Sit."

The golden retriever froze, then plopped its rear down, tail still thumping wildly. When it saw me, it began to crawl forward while keeping its rump on the ground, dragging itself in a most ridiculous display of obedience and excitement.

"Ball! Ball!" it barked.

"Some other time," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. "For now, I need you back… and my body… Wait, where's the Hollow Star?"

The dog gagged audibly. Then, with a shudder, it vomited up the crown itself, the Hollow Star, spitting divine saliva all over the marble floor.

"Ball! Ball! You promised!"

I sighed. There was no reasoning with this creature, but I had to try. So, I crouched to its level, my voice firm but gentle. "Listen. I'll play fetch with you. We'll even go for a run after all this madness is done. I'll give you all the belly rubs you want, just… come back to me first."

The golden retriever tilted its head, as if considering the proposal, eyes bright and glimmering with mischief. Then, after a long pause, it gave a single decisive bark of agreement.

I brought the bulk of my Spirit Body into being and invoked Divine Possession, merging spirit and flesh into one seamless whole. Power surged, luminous and heavy, until my vision flickered back into focus.

Warmth flooded my limbs. The moment the merger completed, I felt the familiar strength of my flesh restored… the full pulse of divinity, the thrum of blood and bone and spirit once more united.

I exhaled, eyes opening to the awed faces around me.

"Good boy," I said softly. "You kept my body safe."

When I opened my eyes, I realized something was very wrong.

I was still a dog.

I blinked once, twice. My paws, still golden. My tail, still wagging. My tongue, out.

"Wait," I muttered, "what the hell?"

Drawing on the steady rhythm of my Human Soul, I urged my divine essence to reshape the body, forcing it to assume a humanoid form. The world brightened in a flare of golden qi as my limbs elongated, bones shifting, and flesh reforming. When the light faded, I was standing upright on two legs again.

And everyone was staring.

Wide-eyed. Mouths agape.

Something was clearly wrong.

I reached up and touched my head and felt something soft, fluffy, rounded, and twitching.

…Ears. Dog ears.

Then came the faint sound of a tail thumping the floor behind me.

A tail.

It wagged. On its own. Enthusiastically.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," I groaned. The Animal Soul inside me was expressing itself so vividly that its instincts were leaking through my own divine form. My left ear twitched again, and the tail swished happily.

Realization hit me like a divine hammer.

I was naked.

"Boobs!?"

The hall went dead silent before bursting into chaos.

Ren Jingyi shrieked and covered her eyes, face red as flame. "M-Master! What in the heavens—!?"

Hei Mao choked on air. "I—uh—Master, I mean, Your Eminence—why are you—uh—like that!?"

Lu Gao, bless his damned soul, started laughing so hard he had to hold his stomach. "Master, forgive me, but this… this is glorious!" Piece of shit, you should be the most sympathetic of my plight, you know?

Gu Jie, ever the calm one, pinched the bridge of her nose. "So the transformation is… feminine this time. That's new."

Yuen Fu averted his gaze, muttering prayers to some poor, forgotten deity. "I've trained a hundred years for this moment, and yet I was not prepared for this blasphemy…"

Even Ren Xun coughed awkwardly into his sleeve. Zhou Yong looked personally offended by my existence.

I sighed. "Don't look at me like that. This isn't intentional."

It wasn't. It really wasn't.

Then I remembered. Aixin. That troublesome goddess had tampered with my physical body ages ago, reshaping it into a female form in her attempt to steal my body. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

I focused once more, channeled the power of my Human Soul, and let my divine essence reshape me again. My body lengthened, hardened, and the divine balance returned—muscles firm, voice deep, and stature restored. My tail and ears receded at last.

"Finally."

With a flick of quintessence, I wove robes from light and jade essence, the Lofty Jade Proposition, reborn in splendor around me. The soft white fabric shimmered faintly, like dawn breaking through mist.

"It looks like big daddy Da Wei is back…"

The room broke into quiet laughter.

Deep inside my being, something vast began to shift. The six pocket worlds within my dantian, the Six Realms I had cultivated, trembled violently. Cracks of light spread between them as they collapsed inward, merging into one.

When the light cleared, I beheld a single vast world. Blue seas, green continents, clouds swirling in the atmosphere.

Earth.

My dantian now looked like Earth.

Weird.

I tried to peer deeper, but my vision was blocked. Pain spiked behind my eyes… It was a sharp, splitting migraine. My Six Souls revolved around my core, comforting me with steady pulses of warmth. The sensation eased. My pocket dimension, however, had expanded tenfold, teeming with relics, artifacts, and treasures I had long stored away.

But among them, one object called to me above all.

"Come forth."

A silver gleam burst from my dimension, a streak of light that coalesced into a familiar shape.

My sword. Silver Steel.

It hummed in my hand, a clear note that vibrated through my bones. A simple longsword, elegant and unassuming, yet strong enough to cleave through darkness itself. Its power had grown. It recognized me again.

I reached out my other hand, calling forth the Hollow Star. The crown floated to my palm, radiant with divine light.

I smiled faintly, my reflection shining on the silver of the blade.

"My holy coronation is nigh," I murmured. "Under the starless night and the dark moon, I shall be made the Holy Emperor of the Hollowed World."

My gaze drifted toward the window, where the first winds of war stirred in the distance. This Civil War would end soon. But I knew better that when it ended, a far greater war would begin.

A World War.

And I intended to win that, too.

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