Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Deep within the underworld, the enormous portal of light in the Six Paths of Reincarnation slowly rotated, its deep hum like the breath of an ancient behemoth, causing ripples to spread through the air. Around the portal, a hazy mist surged ceaselessly, occasionally punctuated by flickering, eerie blue will-o'-the-wisps, adding to the sinister and mysterious atmosphere. The water of the Pool of Reincarnation was inky black, yet possessed a strange luster; its surface was calm and still, seemingly capable of swallowing all sound and light.

He Damin sat cross-legged on a cool, black rock beside the Pool of Reincarnation. He wore a simple gray Taoist robe, the hem of which swayed slightly in the cold wind of the underworld. The water mirror in front of him was as big as a millstone, its edges gleaming with a faint white light, clearly reflecting the scene of the Demon Beast Forest.

In the water mirror, Ito Sai's figure was strikingly conspicuous. This creature had evolved to the fourth tier, its body swollen like a small mountain covered in dense vegetation. With each step it took, the ground trembled slightly, leaving a deep footprint. The golden mane on its back stood erect, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen, reflecting a blinding light in the sunlight. At this moment, it stood in an open field, its massive body radiating a suffocating pressure, surrounded by hundreds of demonic beasts of various forms. The lower-level beasts trembled with fear; some lay prostrate on the ground, their legs shaking, not daring to lift their heads; others huddled together, whimpering, their eyes filled with terror and despair. Ito Sai growled in a harsh, demonic language, clearly forcing them to submit.

"That little devil, he's quick on his feet." Chen Xueru stood beside He Damin, dressed in a plain white dress. The eerie atmosphere of the underworld made her instinctively wrap her clothes tighter. Looking at the scene reflected in the water mirror, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of worry in her voice. "If this continues, the Demon Beast Forest will soon be unified by him. Then, his demon beast army will likely become a considerable force."

He Damin nodded slowly, his gaze still fixed on the water mirror, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knee. "Not fast enough," he said calmly. "I need to make him even faster."

Chen Xueru paused for a moment, then turned to look at him with a puzzled expression: "Faster? Didn't you say before that you wanted him to develop faster so that you could put pressure on the sects and holy lands of this world and prevent them from becoming too complacent?"

"Yes. But pressure alone isn't enough." He Damin stood up, walked to the edge of the Reincarnation Pool, and gently touched the cool water, creating tiny ripples. "Think about it, those souls from China, arriving in this unfamiliar world, all alone, filled with unease and confusion. They need a totem, a spiritual pillar, a belief that can unite them."

Chen Xueru blinked thoughtfully, her eyes gradually brightening: "You mean... find them someone to admire?"

"The Four Divine Beasts." He Damin turned around, his gaze unwavering as he looked at her. "The Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise. The Four Divine Beasts of ancient Chinese mythology, guarding the four directions, warding off evil and disaster, are cultural symbols etched into the very bones of our Chinese nation. If I could find a demon beast possessing the bloodline of these divine beasts, and infuse it with the passionate souls of those hot-blooded Chinese youths, making them the divine beast totems of this world..."

Chen Xueru's eyes widened instantly, and she excitedly grabbed He Damin's arm: "Then the soul of China will have a spiritual anchor! When they see these familiar mythical beasts, they will remember their roots and feel a stronger sense of belonging!"

"It's not just a spiritual crutch." He Damin walked back to the water mirror, pointing to Ito Sae's arrogant appearance inside. "The Four Divine Beasts possess powerful bloodlines and boundless potential. They are not merely symbols, but will become the true guardians of this world, protecting the soul of China from being bullied and deterring other forces with ill intentions. Once they grow up, even those reclusive demon kings and demon emperors will not dare to act rashly against the people of China."

Chen Xueru nodded vigorously, but then frowned with worry: "But where can we find a demon beast with the bloodline of the Four Divine Beasts? Do such legendary creatures really exist in this world?"

He Damin smiled confidently: "Whether it's there or not, we'll have to look to find out. This world is so big, full of hidden talents, there's bound to be some surprises."

After he finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes. In an instant, a vast and boundless divine sense surged out of his body like a flood bursting its banks, spreading in all directions. The range of divine sense at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage was simply terrifying. He "saw" the clouds and mist swirling within the Qingyun Sect's mountain gate, where disciples were diligently cultivating; he "saw" the protective array of the Canglang Holy Land shimmering like a blue ocean; he "saw" the lotus pond of the Qinglian Holy Land, where enormous lotus flowers were blooming, radiating rich spiritual energy; he "saw" the cruel scene of the survival of the fittest in the Demon Beast Forest, where various demon beasts fought for survival; and he also "saw" the boundless, endless sea, with surging waves and undercurrents beneath the surface.

His divine sense, like a highly sophisticated scanner, swept across every corner, "seeing" countless demonic beasts. There were first-tier rabbits, just awakening their intelligence, hopping and skipping through the grass; there were powerful third and fourth-tier demonic beasts, occupying their own territories and lording it over others; and there were also some extremely rare mutated demonic beasts, possessing unique abilities. He sifted through them one by one, carefully sensing the bloodline aura of each demonic beast, searching for those that carried a trace of divine beast blood.

Time passed slowly, and in the underworld, there was no distinction between day and night, only eternal darkness. He Damin stood there quietly, like a statue. Chen Xueru stood beside him, not daring to breathe, afraid of disturbing him.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps several hours, perhaps a day and a night—He Damin's brow twitched slightly. He had finally made a discovery!

Deep within the Demon Beast Forest, a place rarely visited by humans, shrouded year-round in a thick, dark green miasma, highly poisonous and unapproachable even to high-level cultivators. At the heart of this miasma lay a vast swamp, bubbling and emitting a putrid stench. In the very center of this swamp, a gigantic black tortoise lay silently. Its shell, as large as a small house, was covered with dense, ancient, and mysterious patterns that emitted a faint, eerie glow in the dim light. Its head, unlike the rounded heads of ordinary tortoises, resembled that of a legendary dragon, covered in tiny scales; its tail, like a snake, swayed gently in the water; its limbs were thick as pillars, covered in hard shells. This was… a Xuanwu! A demon beast possessing the bloodline of the Xuanwu!

Then, in the east, amidst a range of undulating volcanoes, lava erupts year-round, turning the sky a fiery red and filling the air with the acrid smell of sulfur. Deep within the crater of one of the largest active volcanoes, a lava lake churns and boils, radiating intense heat. A colossal bird, entirely fiery red, perches within the lava. Its feathers, like burning flames, each shimmer with a dazzling red light. When its wings are spread, they almost blot out the sky, casting shadows over the entire crater. Occasionally, it lowers its head to peck at the churning lava, as if the scalding water were merely a delicious snack. This is… the Vermilion Bird! A demonic beast possessing the bloodline of the Vermilion Bird!

The gaze shifts westward, revealing a vast, towering mountain range, its peaks capped with snow that never melts, a place where the wind howls and nothing grows. At the summit of one of the highest peaks, a gigantic, pure white tiger lies dormant, eyes closed in repose. Its fur, sculpted from the purest ice and snow, is flawless, reflecting a cold luster in the sunlight. Its eyes are a rare gold, like two dazzling gems, and a clear "king" character mark adorns its forehead, radiating regal majesty. As if sensing something, it abruptly opens its eyes and roars to the heavens. The roar explodes like thunder, causing rocks to tumble down and a small avalanche to occur in the distance. This is… a white tiger! A demonic beast possessing the bloodline of the white tiger!

Finally, on a vast, snow-covered plain in the north, where the weather was bitterly cold and ice and snow blanketed everything, almost no signs of life could be seen, a colossal azure python coiled atop a massive ice peak in the center of the plain. Its body was as thick as a small mountain, and its length was immeasurable; from a distance, it resembled a blue mountain range. Two imposing horns grew from its head, not yet large, but already showing the beginnings of dragon horns; four claws, though still immature, were faintly visible beneath its belly. It perched atop the ice peak, occasionally flicking its forked tongue, inhaling and exhaling the surrounding frigid air, causing the temperature of the entire ice peak to drop even further. This was… an Azure Dragon! A demonic beast possessing the bloodline of an Azure Dragon!

He Damin suddenly opened his eyes, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

"Found it," he said softly, a hint of barely perceptible excitement in his voice.

Chen Xueru, who had been watching him nervously, rushed over upon hearing this and asked eagerly, "Found it? Where? Where? Let me see!"

He Damin lightly touched the water mirror with his finger, and the scene inside immediately changed, splitting into four smaller images, showing the Black Tortoise in the swamp, the Vermilion Bird in the volcano, the White Tiger in the snow mountain, and the Azure Dragon in the ice field. Chen Xueru looked at the enormous monsters, which were as big as small mountains, and couldn't help but gasp, her eyes wide open.

"They...they're huge!" she exclaimed. "They're several sizes bigger than Ito Sai!"

"The stronger the bloodline, the greater the potential, and naturally, the larger the size," He Damin explained. He stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff body. "These demonic beasts have lived for at least tens of thousands of years. Their bloodlines contain a trace of divine beast inheritance, which is why they can grow so large and strong. But unfortunately, their intelligence is low; they are still at a relatively primitive stage, relying solely on instinct to cultivate and survive. If we could replace their souls with those of the Chinese, allowing them to awaken their past life's memories and wisdom, their potential would be limitless!"

"So how are you going to switch?" Chen Xueru asked curiously, then added with some worry, "Their cultivation levels look incredibly high, right? Can you defeat them? What if they fight back?"