Simultaneous Transmigration: From Douluo Continent to the Pinnacle

Fallen God City is a small border town in the Northern Region. It is not prosperous, but it has a unique cultural heritage belonging to the Central Region. Lin Yao and Old Ghost Zhaixing rested in the city for one night, and set off for the Northern Region Hub Hall of the Soul Palace the next day.

Lin Yao didn't rush. Led by the Old Ghost Zhaixing, he slowed his pace, traveling between the official roads and cities of the Northern Region of Central State. Everywhere he looked, there were wide roads, magnificent cities, and a constant flow of people. The concentration of energy in the world was several times higher than in the Northwest; even the air was filled with a rich, invigorating energy. Along the way, three Dou Wang level experts rode flying beasts overhead. These were powerful figures who would be awe-inspiring in the Northwest, but in Central State, they were merely insignificant.

"This is only the border region of Zhongzhou, yet it already possesses such profound cultural heritage." Lin Yao sighed inwardly. "No wonder people often say that Zhongzhou is the true stage of this world."

The old ghost who picked stars laughed from the side: "Young friend Lin Yao, once you stay in the Central Plains for a while, you will find that this place is a completely different world from the Northwest. Most of the so-called forces in the Northwest are not even third-rate in the Central Plains. The ones that truly dominate are the Four Directions Pavilion, the Eight Ancient Clans, and some hidden sects. Any one of them could easily crush all the forces in the Northwest."

Lin Yao didn't answer, but instead cast his gaze towards the faint outlines of the mountains in the distance. Those places might be his battlefield for a long time to come.

The Soul Palace's Northern Region Hub is located in a colossal city called Soul Abyss City. When Lin Yao entered the city, his brow furrowed slightly. A faint, chilling aura permeated the air, as if the entire city was shrouded in an invisible shadow. The streets were far less crowded than in other cities, and even those who did pass by hurried along, their faces bearing an unspoken unease.

A layer of hazy mist perpetually shrouds Soul Abyss City, giving the city a perpetually somber appearance. The Northern Region Hub of the Soul Palace is nestled deep within Soul Abyss City, a sprawling black palace complex. The palace eaves are sharp as eagle beaks, and the walls are adorned with numerous bizarre and grotesque reliefs—humans and beasts, all twisted and deformed, exuding a heavy sense of oppression. Lin Yao followed the Old Ghost Zhaixing through a series of deep corridors, arriving before a massive black iron gate. Several Soul Palace guards standing at the gate bowed upon seeing the Old Ghost Zhaixing, their gazes subtly sweeping over Lin Yao.

The black iron door slid open slowly, revealing a downward staircase. A chilling wind surged up from below, carrying an indescribable aura. The aura was mixed with the smell of rust, mildew, and a faint, almost imperceptible, sweet metallic scent, causing Lin Yao's brow to twitch slightly.

"Below is the Soul Prison Plaza," Old Ghost Zhaixing introduced in a low voice as he walked ahead. "Most of the souls collected by the Soul Hall are sent here for initial processing. Since this is your first time here, it's good to familiarize yourself with the rules."

Lin Yao remained silent, following behind him as they descended the long staircase. At intervals along the dark passageway, eerie green torches burned, their light casting an even more sinister glow upon the bas-reliefs on the walls. After descending about a hundred steps, the view suddenly opened up.

It was a huge underground plaza.

The dome, suspended dozens of feet high, was inlaid with countless eerie green stones, casting a cold, ethereal light over the entire plaza. The plaza floor was made of dark gray stone slabs, engraved with intricate array patterns. Most chilling was the central area of ​​the plaza—countless iron pillars stood like a forest, each pillar holding a faint, shimmering shadow. These shadows were humanoid and animaloid, all translucent and emitting a weak glow.

That is a soul.

Thousands of souls were bound by chains to iron pillars, their forms withered and their expressions blank. Most of these souls had dimmed to the point of being almost transparent, clearly having been drained here for many years, with little of their essence remaining. A mournful wail echoed from the depths of the plaza. Lin Yao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a Soul Hall deacon standing before a stone platform, wielding a long, black whip, lashing it fiercely at a soul bound to the platform. The whip seemed to be imbued with some kind of power specifically designed to suppress souls; each lash sent up a spray of grayish-white light, the glow emitted when fragments of the soul were peeled away from its body.

The soul let out a piercing scream, writhing wildly in intense pain. However, the chains binding him were engraved with sealing patterns, preventing him from breaking free or escaping. He could only endure the torment of being whipped again and again.

"This is dealing with disobedient souls." Old Ghost Zhaixing spoke calmly, as if introducing something perfectly ordinary. "Some souls were powerful beings in life, with high aspirations, and unwilling to be refined. This lash strikes at the very essence of their souls; with each lash, their will weakens a little. Before long, even if they were powerful Dou Zun in life, they will become obedient dogs."

Lin Yao watched the scene quietly, his face expressionless. His face betrayed no anger, pity, or reluctance; he simply watched indifferently as the figure gradually grew quiet and numb under the repeated lashes.

He was taking notes.

He secretly observed the patterns on the long whip, the sealing structure engraved on the chains, and the techniques used by the deacons. These observations corroborated the information extracted from Mu Gu, making the details of the Soul Palace's soul essence extraction technique even more comprehensive. He silently imprinted all of this deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, so that one day, when needed, these would be the sharp blades piercing the heart of the Soul Palace.

"Let's go." The old ghost of the stars didn't linger. He led Lin Yao through the Soul Imprisonment Plaza, up another set of stairs, and back to the ground.

Lin Yao glanced back at the eerie plaza one last time before turning to follow Old Ghost Zhaixing, his expression as calm as ever. But he understood in his heart what the existence of this Soul-Prisoning Plaza meant. In the eyes of the Soul Palace, souls were resources, nourishment, and currency—things far more precious than gold and silver. And the countless powerful figures on this continent were nothing more than walking nourishment in the eyes of the Soul Palace.

Everything he sees today will become evidence in the reckoning at some point in the future.

Deep within the main hall of the Hub Hall lay an exquisitely furnished study. In contrast to the somber, black-carved style of the outside, this study exuded an air of refined scholarly elegance. Rosewood bookshelves held numerous scrolls of ancient texts, and an old map lay open on the desk, its ink still damp. A middle-aged man in a grey robe, with a lean, scholarly appearance, sat behind the desk, perusing an ancient book. He didn't seem like a powerful figure who had risen to the upper echelons of the Soul Hall for many years; he appeared more like a scholar teaching in an academy.

This is Feng Yuan, the deputy hall master of the Northern Branch of the Soul Hall.

"You flatter me, Vice Hall Master." Lin Yao bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.

Feng Yuan didn't rush to speak. Instead, he picked up his teacup and took a sip, seemingly pondering something. After a while, he put down the teacup, looked at Old Ghost Zhaixing, and said calmly, "Zhaixing, about Elder Mugu... tell me in detail."

The old ghost of the stars' chest heaved imperceptibly. He glanced at Lin Yao, and seeing that the other's expression remained unchanged, he slowly spoke: "Reporting to the Vice Hall Master, I was ordered to go to the Black Corner Region to investigate the fall of Elder Mu Gu. After arriving near Canaan Academy, I discovered that Elder Mu Gu had indeed fallen. Upon inquiry, it was indeed done by young friend Lin Yao."

The study was quiet for a moment.

Feng Yuan's hand holding the teacup remained still, and his expression remained unchanged. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly, "Alright."

The word "good" carries an undisguised sense of satisfaction.

"That old codger Mu Gu, relying on being an alchemist and a Dou Zun powerhouse, has always been arrogant and disrespectful to everyone in the hall. He even occasionally disregards the face of the vice hall masters," Feng Yuan said slowly. "His death is a loss for the Soul Hall, but for me, Feng Yuan, it's hardly a loss. On the contrary, young friend Lin Yao..." He looked at Lin Yao with a meaningful gaze, "To be able to kill a high-level Dou Zun at such a young age, such talent is extremely rare even in the Central Continent. No matter how valuable Mu Gu is, he's just an old man who has lived for hundreds of years. But young friend Lin Yao's value is only just beginning to emerge."

He stood up, walked to Lin Yao, and smiled gently and kindly: "You killed Mu Gu. My Soul Palace will not pursue the matter before, and no one else will. From this day forward, you are under my command, Feng Yuan."

Lin Yao looked up and met his gaze, then replied loudly, "Thank you for your guidance, Vice Hall Master!"

Feng Yuan nodded in satisfaction, his gaze lingering on Lin Yao for a moment: "Your aura... is not bad. A young man who has cultivated to this level is qualified to enter the Heavenly Gang Palace." He turned to the Star-Picking Old Ghost and instructed, "Take him to the Heavenly Gang Palace to report and receive his identity token first. I have other arrangements afterward."

"Yes," the old ghost Zhaixing bowed and replied.

Lin Yao followed the old ghost Zhaixing out of the study, through layers of halls, and headed in another direction. He recalled Feng Yuan's words and expression, and a slight, unintentional smile slowly curved his lips—the deputy hall master said, "I won't pursue the matter of you killing Mu Gu," but he wondered if the old man Mu Gu knew how much torment he had suffered before Lin Yao killed him, when he had tried to avenge himself before his death.

But it didn't matter. Feng Yuan's tolerance and high regard stemmed from recognizing Lin Yao's value. The Soul Hall had always been like this, recognizing only interests, not feelings. He smiled silently to himself: since they only cared about interests, he naturally had to play the role of a "valuable person," showcasing his worth while constantly feigning weakness and concealing his shortcomings, making the Soul Hall feel that he had been won over and subdued.

Only by making the Soul Palace lower its guard can he gradually infiltrate from the periphery to the core, extending all the way from the Northern Region Hub Hall, and finally reaching that real behemoth.

The Heavenly Gang Earthly Palace is the core area of ​​the Soul Palace's northern hub, and also the place where the Soul Palace cultivates its core experts and refines precious souls. Entering the Heavenly Gang Earthly Palace requires passing through a gate equipped with a soul detection array. That array can accurately identify the soul origin of those who enter, distinguishing friend from foe. Lin Yao nonchalantly stepped through the light barrier; the barrier remained calm without issuing any alarms. He walked inside, picked up a small black identity plaque, engraved with his name and code name.

"From now on, you are a member of the Northern Region branch of my Soul Palace." Old Ghost Zhaixing watched him put away the nameplate, his voice somewhat complicated, "Vice Palace Master Feng Yuan has high hopes for you, and there will be many opportunities for you to make contributions in the future."

Lin Yao twirled the nameplate in his hand and nodded with a smile: "Don't worry, I'll do my best."

Upon hearing this, Old Ghost Zhaixing felt a chill run down his spine for some reason, sensing that there was something else hidden in his words. However, he wisely refrained from asking further and instead changed the subject, saying, "In the hall, the old rule is that newcomers should familiarize themselves with the environment first. In three days, you will accompany the elders to the Western Regions branch hall on some business. There are some tricky tasks to handle there recently, and with your abilities, it's a good opportunity to show your skills."

"Okay," Lin Yao replied.

He wasn't in a hurry. He was waiting, waiting for the Soul Hall to gradually place him in a more important position, waiting for them to proactively bring more secrets to him. All he had to do was play the role of a "young genius valued by the Soul Hall"—excellent, decisive, valuable, but also obedient and reliable.

He put away the nameplate and looked up into the dark space deep within the Heavenly Gang Palace. He wondered what expressions the higher-ups of the Soul Palace would have when they learned his true purpose.

Of course, that was a long time later.

That evening, Lin Yao stood alone on the city wall of Soul Abyss City, gazing at the distant mountain silhouettes shrouded in gray mist. The wind swept past him, bringing with it the chill of the northern Central Region and a strange sense of urgency. He suddenly remembered the morning he left Canaan Academy, and the way Little Fairy Doctor smiled at him in the sunlight.

"Wait for me to come back," he said softly.

He didn't say "if," because there are no "ifs." When he emerges from the deep pool of the Soul Palace, that will be the time he truly steps onto the Central Plains stage. At that time, both the Soul Palace and the Soul Clan will witness the power of five different flames emerging simultaneously.

For now, he still needs to continue playing the role of "the young genius who has submitted to the Soul Palace".

The following day, Lin Yao, accompanied by the Old Ghost Zhaixing, set off through the spatial wormhole network within the Soul Palace, heading towards the Western Regions branch. The moment he stepped into the wormhole, he looked back one last time in the direction of Soul Abyss City. The city, shrouded in gray mist, lay silently on the Central Plains like a lurking giant beast.

Lin Yao smiled slightly, turned around and walked into the spatial ripples.

What he didn't see was that behind him, the Soul Hall's communication array was quietly operating. A message about "the newly promoted genius Lin Yao" was being reported layer by layer, passing through the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Halls of the Northern Region's Hub Hall, passing through Vice Hall Master Feng Yuan's study, passing through a higher level of the Soul Hall in a certain region, and finally arriving at a place that even most of the Soul Hall's elders were not allowed to set foot in.

That place was a truly colossal place overlooking the entire Central Plains.

Everything went exactly as Lin Yao had predicted.