Douluo Continent: Peerless Fusion Evolution

She stopped what she was doing, turned to look at her busy father, and said calmly, "Honey, I'm going out for a bit." I was still young then and didn't know where my mother was going; I just clung to her, begging to go with her. My mother lovingly patted my head and said gently, "My good child, I can't take you this time. Be a good girl at home, and I'll bring you a present when I come back." Later I learned that my mother was going to the Soul Beast Forest to hunt soul beasts. Her soul power had reached a bottleneck, and she needed to acquire a new soul ring to continue breaking through. My mother came from a commoner background, with limited cultivation resources, and had to learn everything step by step on her own. She had only attended a basic soul master academy as a child, learning some of the most fundamental soul master knowledge. Later, due to poverty,

Unable to afford the expensive tuition, my mother dropped out of school early and began struggling to make a living. Even so, she never gave up her cultivation. Day after day, year after year, she diligently practiced, and through her own efforts and talent, she finally broke through to level forty when I was six, becoming a Soul Master. This was an extremely rare achievement for a commoner Soul Master. I paused, the image of my mother's spirited appearance from back then flashing through my mind, and a feeling of admiration welled up within me. "My father supported my mother's journey to the Soul Beast Forest. He personally prepared ample food and water for her, and instructed her to be careful and return soon. And so, carrying my father's expectations and my longing, my mother embarked on her journey to the Soul Beast Forest."

This departure lasted for half a year. Six months later, my mother returned. She had successfully obtained the soul ring she had always dreamed of, and her soul power had also increased. However, her complexion was very pale, and she had become much thinner. At the time, my father and I were immersed in the joy of my mother's safe return and did not notice anything unusual about her. By then, my martial soul had also awakened, and like my mother, it was a ghost. I excitedly showed my mother my martial soul…

Although my mother looked tired, there was still a look of relief in her eyes. "Not long after my mother returned, a group of strangers dressed in black came to our house. These people all had cold faces, sharp eyes, and exuded a chilling aura. They pushed my father and me aside, and I don't know what they said to my mother, but her face became even more pale, her brows furrowed, and her eyes were full of struggle and helplessness."

In the end, Mother left with that group of people. Father tried to stop her, but they shoved him to the ground without mercy. I cried and tried to chase after Mother, but Father held me tightly. From that day on, our family was shrouded in nightmares. Mother began to leave frequently, each time for a long time, sometimes several days, sometimes several months. Each time she returned, Mother's face was as pale as paper, her expression haggard, and her body covered in more and more wounds. But at the same time, Mother's strength was constantly increasing, and her soul power fluctuations were becoming stronger and stronger. I was sent to a Soul Master Academy to study. At first, I wasn't very aware of the changes at home, only knowing that Mother was often away from home.

My father became taciturn, sighing all day long. Then one day, I came home for vacation and discovered that many valuables were missing, even my mother's favorite set of silver jewelry was gone. My father's once jet-black hair had turned white, and his face was lined with many more wrinkles; he looked ten years older. I realized then that something must have happened at home. I asked my father, but he only shook his head and sighed, unwilling to say more. From then on, I rarely saw my mother. Occasionally, late at night, I would hear suppressed sobs coming from her room.

"Back then, I asked my dad what had happened at home, what was wrong? But he wouldn't say anything, he just kept sighing. I wanted to ask my mom for clarification, but I couldn't even see her. Finally, when I was twelve, someone came to my school and told me that my dad had passed away."

At this point, Nana was already sobbing uncontrollably. Huo Yuhao also frowned deeply as he listened. He stood up, grabbed some tissues, and handed them to Nana.

After a long while, Nana calmed herself down a bit and said, "I ran home frantically, but my father had already passed away. He died with his eyes open. Even though he was gone, his eyes were filled with disbelief, as if he had seen something incomprehensible."

"Who? Who killed Dad? There was a clear, fatal wound on Dad's chest. Who could be so cruel as to kill my dad! I screamed for Dad, Dad, but Dad could no longer hear me, and he would never wake up again. Where is Mom? But where is my mom? Dad is dead, but Mom is still not here."

Just then, the wooden door creaked open from the outside, and Mom returned. I looked up and saw her face was as pale as paper, devoid of any color, her eyes vacant, as if she had lost her soul. She stumbled and staggered to Dad's body, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, throwing herself upon him. I had never seen Mom so distraught. Her hands gripped Dad's blood-stained clothes tightly, her nails digging deep into her flesh, crimson blood seeping from between her fingers, but she seemed oblivious, only whimpering in pain, muttering to herself, "I told you I would bring you misfortune, I would bring you misfortune! Why did you have to take this unlucky woman like me… In the other world, I hope I can forgive you…" As she spoke, her trembling hand pulled a gleaming short knife from her bosom. The blade reflected her distorted face, making her appear particularly ferocious and terrifying. Before I could react, before I could even call out "Mom,"

She had plunged the dagger deep into her own chest. Blood gushed out, splattering my face. The warm liquid slid down my cheeks, carrying a strong, metallic stench; I could even feel the sweet, metallic taste spreading in my mouth. My mother groaned, her body convulsing violently a few times, then slowly turned her head, looking at me with a complex expression—a mixture of relief, reluctance, and above all, guilt and love. She struggled to raise her hand, wanting to touch my cheek, but seemed to have lost her strength, her hand falling limply to her side. Finally, she collapsed helplessly onto my father's body, the crimson blood staining the ground beneath them—a horrifying sight.

He walked to Nana's side and gently patted her shoulder, trying to offer her some comfort and encouragement, signaling her to calm her current agitated emotions. Nana, however, grasped at a straw and threw herself into his arms, clinging tightly to his waist, tears instantly soaking his clothes. "I'm so scared, I'm so scared..." Nana's voice trembled, like a candle flickering in a storm, ready to be extinguished at any moment. "I don't know if telling you this is the right thing to do. Perhaps, like my mother..."

"He's an ominous person too, I..." Nana's words were broken and filled with fear and helplessness. Huo Yuhao felt the trembling in his arms and a surge of pity welled up in his heart. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Ominous and ominous are only relative. In the face of fate, everything is illusory. Don't be bound by these pointless thoughts. Wake up!" As he spoke, a golden light flashed in his eyes, and a gentle yet firm spiritual energy fluctuation was quietly released, transforming into an invisible impact that gently landed on Nana's head. Nana's body trembled violently, as if an electric current had passed through her entire body, and her hands, which had been tightly holding Huo Yuhao, involuntarily loosened.

"I...I've entered that nightmare again, it must be..." Nana's face was pale, her eyes glazed, as if she had returned to that terrible dream once more. She glanced at Huo Yuhao with a bitter smile, nodded gently, and said, "Thank you. I don't know how many times I've had the same dream, and every time I wake up crying. I can't take this torment anymore. If you won't help me, I'll end it all sooner or later, even if I can't meet my father and mother in another world, I don't care." Huo Yuhao looked at the fragile girl before him, his heart filled with sympathy and determination. He said in a deep voice, "You need to tell me first how to help you, or rather, what do you need me to do?"

Nana fell silent, head bowed, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, her heart seemingly engaged in a fierce struggle. Huo Yuhao didn't urge her; he could sense Nana's emotional turmoil and the deep-seated conflict within her. "Huo Yuhao, I'm sorry, I regret it..." Nana looked up, tears welling in her eyes, her voice filled with guilt and self-reproach. "I can't let my own affairs implicate you. I can see you're a good person." Nana's voice grew softer and softer, almost a whisper. After saying this, she seemed to have finally made up her mind, turning to walk out. "Stop." Huo Yuhao flashed forward, blocking the doorway, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness. Nana looked up at him, her face pale.

Huo Yuhao reached out and gently placed his hand on Nana's trembling shoulder, a chill creeping from his fingertips. Nana stiffened slightly but didn't flinch. Huo Yuhao could feel the deep sorrow and fear churning within her; this was no feigned indifference. His gaze softened, and his tone slowed considerably. "Nana, I can sense that you're not playing hard to get. Tell me, what happened next? Who were those strangers?" Nana looked up, tears blurring her vision, but she forced them back. She took a deep breath, as if swallowing all her pain, and then slowly spoke, her voice hoarse and low, "They... call themselves the Holy Spirit Cult, a very mysterious organization..." Huo Yuhao noticed that when Nana mentioned the words "Holy Spirit Cult," her body visibly trembled, her eyes revealing deep fear and disgust. "After they took me away, I was imprisoned in a dark, damp dungeon," Nana continued, her voice growing softer as she spoke, as if lost in painful memories.

"It's perpetually dark there, the air is thick with the smell of decay, and rats scurry about in the corners..." Huo Yuhao could picture the scene; such an environment would drive anyone to despair. "They told me that Dad and Mom's souls were imprisoned," Nana's voice trembled even more violently. "They even deliberately released Dad and Mom's souls for me to see... I saw with my own eyes Dad and Mom's souls bound in chains, enduring unimaginable torment. Their agonizing screams still echo in my mind..." Nana finally broke down in tears, which streamed down her face like broken pearls. Huo Yuhao gently pulled her into his arms, letting her lean on his shoulder, offering silent comfort. "Dad and Mom are in so much pain, so much pain!" Nana choked out. "They said that if I want Dad and Mom's souls to rest in peace, I must listen to them; otherwise, they will condemn their souls to eternal damnation..."

Nana's body trembled slightly, tears blurring her vision again. She choked out, "They...they said that if my soul isn't pure, I will...I will never be able to be reborn, that my soul will be tormented!" Huo Yuhao's heart tightened. Nana's voice was filled with fear and despair, which strengthened his resolve to help her. He took a deep breath and asked in a low, powerful voice, "How do you want me to help you?"

A reassuring aura seemed to freeze the air in the room for a moment. Nana lowered her head, tears streaming silently down her face. She bit her lip, refusing to utter a sound. Huo Yuhao could sense her inner struggle and pain. He took a step forward, his gaze sincere and resolute. "Speak. I can feel it. Everything you've said is true." As a mental-type Soul Master, Huo Yuhao possessed exceptionally strong mental power. He could clearly sense Nana's emotional fluctuations—a deep-seated sorrow and hatred, not feigned. His boundless spiritual sea granted him the power to see into people's hearts; no falsehood could escape his perception. Nana took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes, her voice hesitant and uneasy: "Yes... I was too impulsive. I shouldn't have come to you."

She lowered her head, her voice so low it was almost inaudible, "The Holy Spirit Cult... just how powerful are they? What do they do? I... I don't know." She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, as if grasping at a last straw. "Asking for your help rashly... I'm afraid I'll implicate you." Huo Yuhao frowned slightly. He understood Nana's worries, but he didn't want to give up on helping her because of that. (End of Chapter)