Chapter 38: Memories of the Past

"Ice Emperor Scorpion, you—you're really something! Even after death, you're still following me."

"Get lost! Who died? You? If you were really dead, I'd be the first to bail."

"Then what's going on now?" Gu You glanced around at the endless sea of fire.

"I can't fully explain it either, but that woman is still alive! The only thing I know is that your annihilation beam disrupted the energy of the missile's impact on Yuezi. That caused the explosion to spread outward instead of inward, weakening the effect to something even less than a fourth-level soul-guided missile. And because you held onto her, neither of you got hurt at all," Ice Emperor Scorpion explained.

Wait, that's possible? Gu You's mind tensed—he felt like he had just discovered a whole new world.

"Then where did she go?" Gu You asked seriously. If Yuezi was still alive, why hadn't she killed him while he was unconscious?

"No idea. I only just regained access to your vision. I used ice elements to stimulate you awake."

"Not bad. I have to say, even though your brain is a little defective, you're still quite smart. I can't keep calling you Ice Emperor Scorpion all the time, can I? You need a real name—something catchy. Let's call you... Tie Hanhang* (Iron Blockhead). How about that?"

…?

Before Tie Hanhang could protest, Gu You immediately cut off their mental communication. "Resistance is futile." He then smiled indifferently.

"You're awake?" Yuezi was perched on a black, thorn-like structure formed from dark energy. One hand rested on her knee, while the other held onto a thorn as she gazed up at the fiery sky.

Gu You instantly became alert.

"Heh… Am I really that terrifying?" Yuezi smirked. "Let me tell you a story. Want to hear it?"

"Go ahead," Gu You replied, half-crouching. Yuezi had clearly held back during their fight—no matter when or how they clashed. After all, the power of an Ultimate Douluo was truly terrifying. With a mere flick of a finger, an entire city could be wiped off the map. She never intended to kill him. But why? The answer was probably in this story.

"I was born into a wealthy family, with two sisters alongside me. When I turned six, I awakened my martial soul. My elder and younger sisters both had incredible talent. Their martial souls were rare treasures—Heavenly Moon Rings, the family's inherited martial soul. But me? My martial soul was a joke—a vine. Soul power, level three." Yuezi clenched her fist, and a surge of terrifying soul power rippled around her.

"That day!! The whole family found out I was my father's illegitimate child! You will never understand how that felt—the disbelief, the shock! I was treated with contempt. Even a mere butler, an insignificant servant, could scold and punish me, the supposed 'young lady' of the family. Haha! Tell me, what was I supposed to do?" Yuezi asked Gu You.

Gu You shuddered slightly, unsure how to respond.

"You probably don't know. After all, your life must've been great, right? With an extraordinary martial soul, I imagine you had a wonderful childhood…." Yuezi lowered her head. Gu You didn't refute her words. He had no right to mock anyone else.

"I worked hard to cultivate. When I finally reached level ten and could absorb my first soul ring, I went to my father to ask for help. Do you know what he said? He told me that my talent wasn't good enough, that I was inferior to my sisters. He said I should focus on learning knowledge and household management instead—perhaps pursue a career in politics in the future. I knew he meant well, but I just had to ask!! If that was the case, why did he even have me with a woman he barely knew? If he knew I was doomed from the start, why did he bother raising me? Was it just out of guilt? I wanted to be a Soul Master. I wanted strength—to uncover the truth about myself. Whether they opposed me or ignored me, I didn't care anymore…"

"I stole a sum of money from my father and went to the Spirit Pagoda to draw a random soul spirit. But fate played a cruel joke on me—I got a defective one! A defective vine soul spirit!! That day, starving and desperate, I stared at the weak vine in my hands and chose to absorb it anyway. I don't know how I found the courage, but I knew one thing—I would never let my resentment fade! My martial soul mutated into Bloodthirsty Heaven Vine. Over the next two years, I survived by killing stray cats and dogs on the streets. In just two years, my soul power reached level twenty. Back then, I was still kind. I didn't think about killing people. But that all changed one day…"

"It was a group of scumbags. They tried to kidnap me and drag me into the darkest underbelly of this world. But I got lucky—they were just regular people. I killed them and reached level twenty-three. The first time I tasted the thrill of killing, I couldn't stop. I had no money left, so I decided to return home and prove my worth—to show them I wasn't a waste. Looking back now, I was so naive." Yuezi's gaze darkened as she looked at her own hands.

"My family… they called me an evil Soul Master! They wanted to send me to the Federation court—to have me tortured for life. They called me a little b**ch, a monster. Even my father stayed silent. I longed for just one word of acknowledgment from him. But there was none!!"

"They locked me up for days. But I found my chance. I used my martial soul, extended my vine through a crack in the door, and slowly, silently strangled the butler who guarded me. Then, I used the vine like an arm, opened the door, and began my slaughter. That day, the family's strongest Soul Masters weren't home. The most powerful ones left were just Soul Elders and Soul Masters. With just a single soul ring, I wiped them all out—every last one. Their corpses became my nourishment!!" Yuezi's face twisted in madness. This memory clearly had a profound impact on her.

"That day, my soul power skyrocketed to level forty. I looted the family's treasures and set off to uncover the mystery of my mother. But to this day, I still have no answers. When I reached the rank of Titled Douluo, I finally touched the power of the gods. That power is so wonderful—far more intoxicating than killing."

Yuezi finished her story and looked at Gu You.

"You and I were both chosen by the gods. I never had any desire to harm innocent people, but this world forced me to become like this. There are many others like me—evil Soul Masters, outcasts. They are all wicked, but can you truly say they were born that way? Join me. Let's become gods together. Let's use our eternal power to destroy this unjust world and uncover the regrets buried in our pasts."

Gu You wavered for a moment but ultimately shook his head. "You're right. I don't deny it. But… what about all the people you killed? Killing the wicked, I understand. But what about the innocent? Were you truly the one meant to judge them? You and I both have our own truths, but our perspectives are different. You only saw the darkness of the world, while I saw both its light and its shadow. I've met good, kind-hearted people, and I've seen selfish, despicable ones. So I ask you, will you turn back? With me, you have a chance. I know the world's greatest healing Douluo, Shengling Yali. Her Angelic Martial Soul could purify your soul. You don't have to be an evil Soul Master. If you do enough good, people will forgive. After all, when a good man does evil, he is condemned forever. But when a villain redeems himself, he is celebrated for eternity."

"Hahaha! You know, you're quite fun to talk to. But… we still need to settle this with a fight!!"

(End of Chapter)