"Ugh… where am I? What is this place?"
Ye Kaishan's voice echoed into the endless void. He wasn't even sure if he had spoken aloud.
"The last thing I remember… I was in the hospital. After that car accident, on my way back from college…"
He tried to move—but nothing responded. His body didn't feel like it existed at all. Around him was pitch darkness. No sound. No light. No sensation. It was like floating in a lifeless space… maybe even worse than death.
Suddenly, a faint blue screen appeared before him. It hovered in the darkness, glowing gently, like a beacon in a sea of shadows.
"A screen?" he muttered. "There's something here… finally, light."
The glowing panel began to flicker, displaying images—blurry at first, then slowly becoming clearer.
Ye Kaishan focused carefully. "Is that… a forest? And mountains? People too…"
He saw several figures standing in a clearing. They were wearing strange clothing—robes, sashes, and ornaments that looked like something out of a fantasy game. They were facing a girl, surrounding her, mocking her.
"Song Yan, just give up already," one girl sneered. "A stone can't dream of flying. Even if you're the matriarch's daughter."
"You reached the Soul Spirit Realm at age eight," another scoffed. "Everyone was shocked back then. A true genius—someone who could be nurtured into a legend."
"But you've stagnated at that realm for twelve years. You're nothing now. Just a waste. All of us have reached the Dao Companion Fusion realm already."
"We've already connected with our Dao companions and created our Grotto Heavens," a third added proudly. "I've been cultivating with mine for years now."
Song Yan stood in silence, her face calm despite their insults. Her features were refined—jade-white skin, delicate brows, eyes like still water. Even in this moment of humiliation, she radiated an otherworldly grace.
Ye Kaishan stared at her through the screen.
"She's… beautiful. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Even the top actresses on Blue Star can't compare."
Song Yan glanced at the girls with a flicker of resentment in her eyes, but said nothing. Her composure didn't break. She turned and walked away quietly, like a fallen fairy returning to her palace.
She returned to her courtyard and sat cross-legged on a jade slab, meditating.
"In this life too… I cannot sense my Dao companion," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
"In the Soul Spirit Continent, those who cannot awaken their Dao companion cannot progress. I was the Void Empress in my previous life… Cultivated to the peak of Soul Emperor Realm using a Soul Heavenly Treasure."
"But that treasure had its limits. To reach the Starry Sky Realm… to go beyond my former self… I need to find my Dao companion."
She clenched her hands.
"I ruled for thirty thousand years in my last life… but I died in battle against the Ten Empresses of the Fairy Court. All because I never awakened my companion. This time, I must find him."
Ye Kaishan felt goosebumps rise—even though he had no body.
She was reborn? She's a peak expert from a previous life?
Then, something strange stirred inside him.
A sudden pain pierced his head, and golden runes began to glow in his soul space. A tiny sapling appeared in his mind—its leaves shimmering with dark blue and faint green light.
"What is this…?"
He instinctively reached out. The moment he touched it, golden light exploded. The sapling grew. Lines of information flowed into his mind like a river.
"A… Space-Time Soul Tree?"
It was a skill tree—a soul artifact that would grow with him. It unlocked powers tied to time, space, and the soul. And with it came knowledge about this world.
"This world is ruled by female cultivators… and men are their Dao companions."
"When a woman reaches the Soul Spirit Realm, she forms a soul link. That link guides her to her fated Dao companion. Only with him can she progress further."
"If a Dao companion dies, the cultivator becomes crippled. Advancement becomes impossible."
"So… I'm her Dao companion?" His heart raced.
"She hasn't sensed me yet… This tree must be concealing me in her soul space. But I can feel my body now. I even have some control over space and time…"
He focused. A pulse of energy rippled through the void. He could feel a tiny spark of teleportation… and a sliver of time manipulation.
"I need to watch and learn more… but this confirms it. I've died. And I've somehow become the Dao companion of a reborn Empress."
That night, Song Yan fell asleep on her bed, her brows slightly furrowed.
The next morning, she woke early and headed toward her parents' residence.
The Song Clan was a mid-tier power—ranked 8th on the Soul Spirit Continent. Their sect sat beneath the towering Mylan Mountain, surrounded by thick forest. The central hall was vast, with dozens of buildings spread out like a small city.
Disciples trained on open grounds as Song Yan passed silently.
She entered her mother's chambers.
Inside, a graceful woman sat before a mirror, her long hair falling like silk. A young man combed it gently behind her—it was Song Qian and her Dao companion, Song Yan's father.
"Mother. Father," Song Yan said and bowed respectfully.
Song Qian turned and smiled warmly. She stood and hugged her daughter.
"Yan'er, I was just thinking about you. I may have found a way to help you awaken your Dao companion."
"Mother… you don't need to do this," Song Yan replied softly. "You've already sacrificed so much for me. Because of me, your influence in the clan is fading."
"Don't say that," Song Qian said, holding her daughter's hand. "You'll find him. I believe in you."
Her father nodded with a gentle smile. "We both do."
Song Yan looked down. "It's been twelve years… I've made no progress. That's why I came here today. I want to go to the Loman Forest."
"What?! The Loman Forest is dangerous!" Song Qian stood up, her voice rising. "Even Soul Star Realm experts don't enter that place. It's cursed!"
"I'm not going inside," Song Yan said calmly. "I heard the Loman Flower grows near the edge of the forest. It's good for tempering the soul. I want to gather some for Song Wu. She recently entered the Spirit Soul Realm. It might help her awaken her Dao companion."
Song Qian hesitated, conflicted.
Her husband placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Qian… let her go. She's strong. She knows the risk."
"...Fine," Song Qian said reluctantly. "But promise me—don't go into the forest. Just pick the flowers and come back."
"I promise."
"Go quickly, before I change my mind," her mother muttered.
"Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Father!" Song Yan cupped her hands and turned, rushing out of the room before her mother could stop her.
Song Qian sighed deeply, watching her go.
"She hides her pain too well…"