Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Upon hearing this, He Damin couldn't help but laugh, patting his chest: "Don't worry! I'm at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, currently the strongest being in this world, and that's no empty title. A few demonic beasts that haven't fully awakened their intelligence yet are nothing to me, aren't they?"

As he spoke, he walked to the entrance of the Taoist temple and pushed open the ancient wooden door. "Xueru, wait for me here for a moment. I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you!" Chen Xueru quickly grabbed his hand, her eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness. "I want to see those mythical beasts with my own eyes!"

He Damin thought for a moment and felt that there was no danger in taking her with him, as he could protect her perfectly well, so he nodded: "Okay. But you have to stay close to me and don't wander off, okay? These places are very dangerous."

"Okay! I understand!" Chen Xueru nodded vigorously, a happy smile on her face.

The two left the Taoist temple in the underworld. He Damin grabbed Chen Xueru's waist, and with a flash of spiritual light beneath his feet, he transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky, flying eastward. Their first destination was the eastern volcanic cluster—to find the Vermilion Bird!

The wind whistled past their ears, and the scenery below rushed by. Chen Xueru clung tightly to He Damin, feeling the thrill of the wind and the rapid movement, both nervous and excited. Before long, they could see the fiery red volcanic cluster in the distance. The closer they got, the hotter the air became, and the sky gradually turned a dark red.

The active volcano where the Vermilion Bird resided continuously spewed thick smoke and volcanic ash, with lava flowing down the mountainside to form a vast lava lake at its foot, radiating terrifyingly high temperatures. He Damin and Chen Xueru stopped at the edge of the crater, the scorching heat waves hitting them in the face, burning their skin. Chen Xueru quickly circulated her spiritual energy to protect herself, hiding behind He Damin, peering into the depths of the crater at the enormous firebird, her palms sweating with nervousness.

"Brother Da Min, it...it's so big..." Chen Xueru whispered, her voice trembling slightly. That Vermilion Bird was truly magnificent, with its fiery feathers and enormous wings; just looking at it inspired awe.

He Damin did not answer; his attention was entirely focused on the Vermilion Bird. He stretched out his hand and grasped at the void deep within the crater. In an instant, the sky changed color, and a gigantic golden hand formed from pure spiritual energy appeared out of thin air, blotting out the sun and carrying an unparalleled pressure, and fiercely grabbed at the Vermilion Bird.

"Hey——!"

The Vermilion Bird clearly sensed danger, letting out a sharp, piercing cry as it abruptly raised its head. Its fiery eyes were fixed on the approaching golden hand, and its massive wings flapped wildly, sending countless blazing flames like arrows towards the golden hand in an attempt to stop its advance.

However, the golden hand remained motionless, like an indestructible mountain, easily piercing through the barrier of flames and seizing the Vermilion Bird by the neck. The Vermilion Bird struggled violently, its wings flapping even more forcefully, stirring up the magma in the crater and sending waves of scorching heat spreading outwards. But the golden hand gripped tightly, tightening its hold until it could barely breathe.

"Stop struggling." He Damin's calm voice reached Zhuque's ears. "I'm not here to kill you."

The Vermilion Bird, of course, couldn't understand human speech. It only knew it had been captured by a powerful enemy, its heart filled with fear and anger, yet it continued to resist desperately. He Damin sighed softly, then, without hesitation, his powerful divine sense instantly probed into the Vermilion Bird's mind. The Vermilion Bird's soul was powerful, filled with raging fire-attribute energy, but it was extremely chaotic, lacking clear consciousness, possessing only the most primal instincts. He Damin's divine sense, like an invisible hand, easily suppressed its chaotic soul, then carefully extracted it from its massive body.

It was a flickering, fireball-like soul, emanating an unsettling aura. He Damin pointed his finger, and a suction force emanated from the direction of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, drawing the soul towards it. "Go. Six Paths of Reincarnation, Animal Realm, be reborn."

The Vermilion Bird's soul transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the void. He Damin then retrieved a pre-prepared soul from his Yin-Yang space—the soul of a radical Chinese youth, a notorious "keyboard warrior" in his past life, fiercely criticizing the Japanese invaders, his pent-up fervor finding no outlet. In his lifetime, he was a struggling programmer, working tirelessly day and night, ultimately dying suddenly. He Damin happened to encounter his soul and preserved it in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, never expecting it to come in handy today.

"Go. From this day forward, you are Suzaku. Your mission is to protect the people of China." He Damin said silently in his heart, and then carefully poured that soul into Suzaku's enormous body.

The Vermilion Bird's body jolted, and its previously dimmed fiery feathers brightened once more. The rage and fear in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by a bewilderment that slowly cleared. It raised its head, curiously examining its enormous wings, then the golden hand gripping its neck, before finally fixing its gaze on He Damin, its eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of familiarity. It opened its beak and let out a clear cry, a sound no longer filled with fear and anger, but brimming with joy and excitement.

"Ding! Vermilion Bird awakening successful. Current cultivation level: Fifth rank (equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage). Memory seal in progress... Unsealing countdown: ten years." A cold system notification sounded in He Damin's mind.

He Damin nodded in satisfaction, dispersed the golden palm, and said softly, "Cultivate diligently. Ten years from now, you will remember everything, and remember your mission."

The Vermilion Bird nodded in a human-like manner, then flapped its wings and took flight. Its enormous wings whipped up a gust of wind, sending countless sparks flying. It circled three times in the sky, as if bidding farewell to He Damin, before transforming into a fiery streak of light and flying deeper into the volcanic field. It wanted to find a quiet place to cultivate diligently, awaiting the day its memories would be unlocked ten years later.

Having dealt with the Vermilion Bird, He Damin, along with Chen Xueru, rushed to the western snow-capped mountains to find the White Tiger.

At the summit of the snow-capped mountain, a biting wind howled and snowflakes danced in the air. A white tiger lay lazily on a massive rock, basking in the sun, its golden eyes half-closed, enjoying the rare warmth. Its snow-white fur shimmered in the sunlight, like the finest silk. As He Damin and Chen Xueru approached, the white tiger abruptly opened its eyes, stood up alertly, and let out a deep, menacing roar that echoed through the valley.

He Damin didn't give it much time to react. He used the same trick again, a golden hand descending from the sky and grabbing the white tiger by the neck. Although the white tiger was fierce, it could only struggle in vain before absolute power. Following the same procedure, He Damin extracted the white tiger's chaotic soul and injected the soul of another angry young Chinese man into its body.

The white tiger's body trembled, and its golden eyes instantly became clear. Sensing the powerful force within it, it excitedly roared to the sky, the sound shaking the entire snow-capped mountain and triggering a small avalanche.

"Ding! White Tiger has successfully awakened. Current cultivation level: Fifth Rank (equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage). Memory seal in progress... Unsealing countdown: ten years."

The white tiger nodded to He Damin, then, with a burst of speed, it turned and ran into the depths of the snow-capped mountains like a white lightning bolt, disappearing into the vast snowstorm. It was going to the summit of the icy peak to hone its claws and teeth, awaiting the day it would awaken.

Next was the Black Tortoise of the Southern Swamp. Deep within the swamp, miasma filled the air, and visibility was extremely low. A giant black tortoise lay asleep in the mud, its snores like muffled thunder. He Damin, carrying Chen Xueru, landed on its broad back, and the tremendous tremor slowly roused it. It opened its eyes groggily, saw He Damin and Chen Xueru, and instinctively tried to retreat into its shell. But He Damin's consciousness had already probed its mind, easily extracting its soul and infusing it with a Chinese soul.

The Black Tortoise awakened, letting out a deep and resonant roar, and the ancient patterns on its shell shimmered with light.

"Ding! Xuanwu has successfully awakened. Current cultivation level: Fifth Rank (equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage). Memory seal in progress... Unsealing countdown: ten years."

Xuanwu nodded with its dragon-like head, then slowly sank into the depths of the swamp, disappearing into the murky mud. It was going to the spiritual veins deep underground to absorb the essence of the earth and cultivate silently.

The final stop was the Azure Dragon of the Northern Ice Plains. Here, it was even colder than the snow-capped mountains; the earth was covered by a thick layer of ice, and even the air seemed to be frozen. A colossal azure python coiled atop the ice peak, its body thicker than the three divine beasts from before combined, emanating an even more terrifying aura. Its scales reflected the icy light, taking on a chilling azure hue. Although the small horns on its head and the claws on its belly were not yet clearly visible, they already revealed its extraordinary power.

He Damin landed with Chen Xueru not far from Qinglong. Qinglong slowly lowered its head, curiously observing them with its lantern-sized golden eyes, without immediately launching an attack.

"You are very strong," He Damin said calmly, looking at the Azure Dragon. "But you possess immense power, yet your intelligence remains undeveloped. Tens of thousands of years of cultivation have only left you in a daze. I'll give you a new soul, allowing you to truly awaken. What do you say?"

The Azure Dragon seemed to understand something, its massive head nodding slightly without resistance. He Damin was somewhat surprised, but also breathed a sigh of relief. He then extended his divine sense, easily extracting the Azure Dragon's soul and infusing it with the soul of the last angry young Chinese man.

The Azure Dragon's body shuddered violently, its scales instantly becoming even shinier, its horns growing longer at a visible speed, and its claws becoming even sharper. It roared to the sky, its voice no longer the hiss of a python, but carrying a hint of dragon's majesty, shaking the entire ice plain and causing huge cracks to appear.

"Ding! Azure Dragon has successfully awakened. Current cultivation level: Rank 6 (equivalent to the Void Refining stage). Memory seal in progress... Unsealing countdown: 10 years."

The Azure Dragon gave He Damin a deep look, then soared into the air, its massive body nimbly circling once, its azure scales shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight. It nodded to He Damin, then transformed into a streak of azure light, flying towards the endless sea to the east. It sensed that there, the water-attribute spiritual energy was more suitable for its cultivation.