A chill autumn wind slipped through the cracks of the Marquis Estate, carrying the scent of dry leaves and distant rain.
Shadows gathered in the main hall, broken only by shafts of pale light tracing across polished marble tiles.
On an embroidered sofa, a slender man reclined, his long grey hair swept back except for a bold green streak that glinted whenever he moved.
Dark, layered robes settled around him, the fabric whispering quietly as he shifted to cradle a cup of steaming tea.
The porcelain warmed his hands, and faint curls of fragrant steam mingled with the subtle tang of incense drifting from the corner.He pressed the cup to his lips, but his gaze darted through the room, pupils bright and sharp.
His fingers tapped an arrhythmic pattern against the rim. The tea rippled, betraying the excitement barely contained beneath his composed surface—a tremor that spoke of waiting and expectation.
The heavy doors of the hall swung open, spilling a wash of pale light across the polished marble.
A young boy strode in,as the doors closed behind him, his smile bright enough to cut through the morning shadows, and the muted hush of the room seemed to lift with his arrival.
He caught sight of the slender man and walked confidently to the sofa, settling onto the seat opposite.
The man, startled from his quiet reverie, sprang upright so swiftly that his tea nearly sloshed over the rim, barely steadying the cup in trembling hands.
The boy tipped his head to the side slightly, mischief flickering in his eyes. "So, how have you been, Old Poison?"
he asked, voice light but threaded with familiarity, despite meeting him for the first time.
"I have been well, young master." The man's voice was steady, but he remained standing as if the marble tiles beneath him demanded reverence.
"Sit down. You've met my future self—formality is wasted on me," the boy said with a wry tilt of his head, studying the man with keen, searching eyes.
The man hesitated for a brief moment before sinking onto the edge of the cushioned sofa, his posture rigid with deference.
"Young master, you saved the Dugu family. My oath binds me to your side—it is only right I await your command."
Hanrui gave a small shrug, corners of his mouth twitching at the man's stubborn formality. "Suit yourself, Old Poison."
As he observed, Hanrui's gaze flickered to the faint seal veiling the man's true soul rank—an illusion easily pierced by his own power.
"Level 95, huh," he remarked, voice light with genuine approval. "Not bad at all. At this rate, you'll level up again within six or seven years."
"Thanks for the compliment, young master. But honestly, without your guidance, I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today," Dugu Bo replied, still standing, posture rigid.
Hanrui sighed. "Can you drop the 'young master'? Hearing that from the Poison Douluo himself feels off—where's the unruliness you're famous for?"He cast a wry glance at Dugu Bo, frustration playing across his face.
"Seriously, was my future self just passing through, or did he actually forget to fix this bad habit?"Hanrui's words hung in the air, half in jest, half in genuine lament.
Dugu Bo's eyes twitched, the memory of the beating from the future Hanrui flashing briefly behind his gaze, but his posture remained respectful.
"Just call me Hanrui. And if you insist, 'Master Hanrui' will do," Hanrui said, frustration flickering across his face.
"Y-yes, Master Hanrui," Dugu Bo replied with some difficulty, a reluctant but genuine acknowledgement.
Footsteps echoed softly outside the guest hall. The heavy doors swung open, and five figures entered—the boy's father Wu Tian, his mother Han Mei, grandmother Xue Li, and two loyal subordinates who also served as maids.
Wu Tian, Han Mei, and Xue Li exchanged nods of quiet acknowledgment with Dugu Bo, their expressions calm but respectful.
The two maids lowered themselves into deep, formal bows, eyes flickering with a mixture of deference and wariness toward the infamous Poison Douluo.
"So, is everyone ready?" Hanrui glanced around the assembled group, receiving nods of affirmation in return.
Without hesitation, Hanrui took the hands of his grandmother and mother, leading them toward the waiting carriage.
His two maids followed closely behind, ensuring all were settled.
From behind, Wu Tian let out a soft chuckle, watching his son stride confidently ahead, flanked by the women who anchored their family's strength.(A.N:i mean one is almost a title douluo and the other is high level soul sage, so he isn't wrong.)
Hanrui boarded the first carriage with his grandmother, mother, and maids, while Wu Tian took his place with Dugu Bo in the second.
The carriages creaked and groaned as they began their slow journey. Outside, fading light filtered through the towering trees, casting long shadows along the road as they made their way toward the legendary Star Dou Great Forest.
As the carriage rolled steadily onward, Hanrui let out a quiet sigh. Five months had slipped past in an almost imperceptible blur.
His maids, Su Lian and Li Nan, had just crossed into soul rank 20—just in time to accompany the anticipated hunt for his father's and grandmother's soul rings.
"Well, I should include myself—I reached level 20 a month ago. Unlike others, I don't need to hunt for soul rings; all I have to do is cultivate, though I've delayed that quite a bit being the lazy cat I am," Hanrui thought wryly.
His void reserve had filled to twice its capacity, leaving him no choice but to craft items he didn't actually need—though among them were some genuinely useful creations.
One was the Sea Dragon Sword, forged using his mother's blood and Azure Glacial Steel as the base material, a rare alloy with strong water and ice affinities.
Still, it didn't quite satisfy him—neither for himself nor for his mother.
Then there was the Feather Sword, crafted from a swan soul beast's feather, conjured via the Materialization Module and fused with his grandmother's blood.
That blade turned out exceptionally well; he ended up making several more.
Not merely a sword, but a white sabre etched with a delicate feather pattern along the blade, designed for fencing.
"A perfect blend of a swan's fighting style," he thought admiringly. It boasted an additional ability to generate long-range wind slashes, while the feather pattern could detach into a light barrage of needle-like attacks.
Yet even these creations barely dented his overflowing void reserve the second time around.
Growing annoyed, he resorted to producing void crystals modeled after spirit stones in cultivation novels at varied levels, filling his infinite inventory with them.
'Thankfully, now that the reserve is full again, I finally have a way to dispose of the excess energy.'
As the carriage came to a halt, Hanrui stepped down, taking a deep breath of the crisp forest air.
"I'll definitely have to fix this carriage when I get back," he muttered, stretching to ease the stiffness from the ride.
His eyes settled on the dense greenery ahead. "So... this is the Star Dou Great Forest."
One by one, all seven of them slowly entered the shadowed embrace of the forest.
"First things first, we need to find suitable soul beasts for Su Lian and Li Nan," Hanrui declared, his voice confident. "Since we'll be traveling deeper for Father and Grandmother, let's deal with their needs first."
Affirmative nods met his words. Han Mei let out a quiet giggle, amused by her son's natural ease in taking charge.
At Hanrui's command Dugu Bo took point at the front, with Wu Tian securing the rear. Xue Li and Han Mei guarded the flanks, while Hanrui, Su Lian, and Li Nan kept close in the center.
Once their formation was set, Hanrui summoned his Azure Dragon and began communicating with the plants around him—an ability honed through countless hours in his Azure Dragon King Domain.
A moment later, the plants thrummed in response, guiding them. Hanrui led the group with purpose, and soon, they found a soul beast perfectly suited for Su Lian.
Ahead, nestled between two ancient tree roots, was a shy, nocturnal creature—the Thousand-Quill Hedgehog.
Its body was covered in countless fine, almost needle-like white quills that shimmered faintly even in the muted forest light.
The creature twitched nervously but moved with unexpected speed and precision.
Hanrui watched with interest as the hedgehog carefully launched a fan-shaped volley of quills, each needle flying out with deadly accuracy.
A closer look revealed a faint, glistening residue coating the quills—one that caused even a nearby leaf to tremble and stiffen momentarily, a paralyzing effect unmistakable.
At that moment, Dugu Bo locked the soul beast's movement with precise control.
"Su Lian, this soul beast has nearly reached a thousand years of cultivation. It's well suited for you. Do you wish to claim it, or shall we continue searching?" he asked, eyes softening as he turned to his maid.
"No need, Young Master. I'll take this one," Su Lian replied, a blush creeping across her cheeks as she momentarily lost herself in the handsome young man's gaze. As her companion and friend Li Nan snickered at the side.
Hanrui chuckled softly. "Then finish it off and absorb the soul ring—we'll protect you."
Su Lian stepped forward, her hand steady as she unleashed her first soul skill, Pinpoint Precision. A needle shot out with blinding speed, striking the hedgehog's head. Though the damage was minor, it bypassed defenses and targeted a vital point—instantly killing the soul beast.
A golden-yellow soul ring appeared, tinged with a faint purple glow. Without hesitation, Su Lian sat down and began absorbing the ring.
. . .
Deep within the Star Dou Forest, two women jolted simultaneously, sensing the aura their master had commanded them to seek.
Exchanging a quick glance, they moved swiftly toward the source. As they neared, Zi Ji couldn't help but feel an unfamiliar sense of reverence washing over her—an emotion reserved only for Di Tian and their master, the Silver Dragon King.
Yet this aura surpassed even that, sparking her curiosity and quickening her pace, much to Bi Ji's surprised bewilderment at her companion's sudden enthusiasm.
. . .
Near the tranquil Lake of Life, a young girl sat inside a humble straw hut, planning how to slip away to the human settlement unseen by her protective brothers.
Suddenly, an inexplicable sensation settled over her—as if leaving meant missing something vital.
Bewildered but intrigued, she chose to stay a little longer.
. . .
Back with Hanrui,
An hour passed peacefully as Su Lian flawlessly absorbed the soul ring.
Opening her eyes, Su Lian smiled radiantly and dipped her head in gratitude toward Hanrui.
He nodded in return, motioning for her to speak about her experience before discussing the soul skill itself, wanting to know if there had been any shifts in her martial soul or physical state.
"Young Master, I successfully absorbed the soul ring. I felt something give way inside—like a shackle breaking loose.
My body feels stronger; it's nothing like when I absorbed my first soul ring," she said, voice brimming with excitement and newfound confidence.
Hanrui nodded, satisfied, before prompting her, "What about your new soul skill?"
Su Lian focused. "It's called Embroidery Mark. I can launch a soul-powered needle that leaves a delicate pattern on its target. Any attack from an ally against a marked enemy becomes more accurate and effective for a short time."
A faint shimmer outlined the air around her fingers as she spoke, the first hint of pattern magic to come.
Hanrui's approval was clear in his eyes. "Not bad. I can tell the Embroidery Mark will become even more powerful as your martial soul evolves."
"Let's move on. Next, we need to find a soul beast suitable for Li Nan." Taking the lead, Hanrui guided the group in a new direction.
Before long, they reached a clear stream where a sturdy creature rested—the Iron-backed Salamander.
"That's an Iron-backed Salamander," Hanrui explained. "Its defense ranks among the best for its age and it secretes a nutrient-rich liquid perfect for your iron cooking pot. Do you want this one, or should we keep looking?" he asked Li Nan.
Shaking her head firmly, Li Nan replied, "Young Master, this one will do."
Without hesitation, Dugu Bo subdued the salamander, and Li Nan dispatched it swiftly with her blade.
A yellow soul ring tinged with purple appeared, hovering briefly before Li Nan sat down to absorb it.
As Li Nan focused on the absorption, two intruders suddenly made their presence known, startling everyone present except Dugu Bo and Hanrui.