XVKFq4wK

1Douluo Dalu 2
2
3
4
5
6The Unrivaled Tang Sect
7
8
9
10
11(斗罗大陆2绝世唐门)
12
13
14Book 34
15
16
17
18
19
20The Calm Before the Storm
21
22
23
24
25Tang Jia San Shao
26
27
28(唐家三少)
29
30
31
32
33
34Story Description:
35
36
37
38
39
40The legend of the continent, the battle that brought fame; the Sacred Phoenix Lady, the Windfire Meteor Godrealm saber-art; the pair that ascend and fuse, the golden sun and the blue moon, the fury of the crashing thunder. There is no magic, no battle qi, nor any martial arts in this land. However, there are martial spirits. Ten thousand years have passed since the founding of the Tang Sect on the Douluo continent, and it has declined. A new, proud generation of heaven’s chosen has been born. Can the new generation of Shrek’s Seven Devils rally the Tang Sect and once more compose the song of the Unrivaled Tang Sect?
41
42
43
44
45
46A million-year-old spirit beast, a sacred deathgod that holds the sun, the moon, and the stars in his hands, and a brand new spirit tool system which caused the fall of the Tang sect. One miracle shall occur after another.Can the Tang Sect’s hidden weapons rally the winds, and can the glory of the Tang Sect ascend once more? All of this will be continued in the second installment of Douluo Dalu—The Unrivaled Tang Sect!
47
48
49
50
51
52Original Story can be found here: Link
53
54
55
56
57
58Chapter 452.1: Broken Meridians
59
60
61Just as the black and red clashed, the twelve Titled Douluo staggered a few steps back. The Shattered Star Douluo did his best to protect everyone from Shrek Academy from this explosive burst of strength.
62
63“Let’s retreat a little further first!” The Shattered Star Douluo shouted. He immediately unleashed his Light of Shattered Stars, which engulfed everyone. After this, he proceeded to a point lower down the mountain with all of them.
64
65If they continued to remain here, they would very soon be killed by this clash between two Ultimate Douluo!
66
67The two of them were simply too strong. The shockwaves from their clash were already very terrifying.
68
69The black dragon claws were forced back, but they didn’t sustain any harm.
70
71“Bloody Demonpuppet. So that’s your martial soul. It relies on devouring spirits to evolve. It seems like you haven’t just harmed soul beasts, but also many humans. This so-called Death God is simply a manifestation of your martial soul. How many avenging spirits do you kill every time you manifest it in this form? Every avenging spirit can only be collected after a live human being is killed. Even soul beasts can’t be replenished. However, I don’t care if you kill humans. But you’ve killed too many of my people. I’ll use your life to avenge all of them.”
72
73As he spoke, ‘Huo Yuhao’ peered into the sky and let out a dragon roar. Following this, he lifted both his hands in the air, his palms facing upward. The space behind him tore apart, and a huge dragon head slowly poked out. Pitch-black dragon flames that carried spots of golden starlight were unleashed towards Ye Xishui.
74
75The surrounding space blew apart just as the dragon flames were unleashed. The blood-red light was torn apart, and the entire mountain started to distort. A terrifying force tore apart the spatial barriers and bore down on Ye Xishui as if it were a great river.
76
77The Bloody Demonpuppet behind Ye Xishui shone brightly. Her own body also turned into a streak of red light that fused into the back of the Bloody Demonpuppet as her seventh soul ring shone. The Bloody Demonpuppet expanded as it moved through the air. Rings of red light forcefully resisted the onslaught of the dragon roars.
78
79Intense explosions started to ensue, and the entire mountain started to compress downward because of their terrifying strength.
80
81The Death God Pagoda finally moved. It was shaking slightly.
82
83“Beast God, Di Tian! So it’s you!” Ye Xishui’s sharp voice sounded. Evidently, she couldn’t believe that the Beast God had actually appeared here and was helping the Star Luo Empire.
84
85The Beast God calmly said, “That’s right, it’s me. You can kill everyone else, but you can’t kill this person I’m protecting. Moreover, what’s the benefit of letting the Sun Moon Empire rule the entire continent?”
86
87Ye Xishui snorted coldly, “That’s right. You’re indeed very strong, and can curb my abilities. However, don’t forget that you’re not in your true form right now. If you possess this little fellow for too long, he might be unable to take it.”
88
89It was a pity that all the Titled Douluo had already retreated. Otherwise, they would be shocked beyond words if they heard Ye Xishui admitting that she wasn’t Di Tian’s match.
90
91It was the truth. The last time Di Tian had commanded his soul beast army to attack Shrek City, Elder Mu and Elder Xuan had banded together to overcome him. Elder Mu had even planned everything very early, which aided them in curbing Di Tian. Even so, Huo Yuhao was the one who convinced Di Tian in the end. Otherwise, Shrek City would have been destroyed.
92
93He had a cultivation that was greater than eight hundred thousand years, and had broken through eight bottlenecks. He was already one foot into another tier. Even Ye Xishui had to admit that he was terrifyingly strong.
94
95“How do you know that I can’t summon my true form? How is it possible for a mere human like you to comprehend things at my level?”
96
97As he spoke, ‘Huo Yuhao’ pointed his right hand towards the sky and his left hand towards the ground. A pitch-black beam of light quickly joined between his left and right index fingers. Black light tore space apart, and a figure slowly walked out from the slit that opened.
98
99Suddenly, the black dragon head behind ‘Huo Yuhao’ turned real, and the strength of the dragon flames increased significantly.
100
101“You, you can actually break apart space and teleport your true body? This is impossible…” Ye Xishui exclaimed, but she stopped resisting. Instead, she turned into a beam of red light and instantly charged towards the Death God Pagoda.
102
103The Death God Pagoda shone extremely brightly. Countless avenging spirits could be heard whining. A beam of red light that Huo Yuhao had seen before descended from the sky. It was the Avenging Light of the Death God, a watered-down version of the Light of the Death God. It clashed ferociously with the dragon flames that were in pursuit of Ye Xishui.
104
105It wasn’t that Ye Xishui wasn’t willing to fully unleash her Light of the Death God. It was just that she needed some time to accumulate her strength before she could unleash the complete version of her Light of the Death God. The last time she did so, she went through prior planning first.
106
107This Avenging Light of the Death God was unleashed through some kind of special method after greatly compressing avenging spirits. It was very powerful, but it used up thousands of avenging spirits every time it was unleashed. There weren’t just a hundred thousand avenging spirits that were gathered within this Death God Pagoda. However, they were very limited. Every time it was unleashed, they had to be replenished.
108
109What Huo Yuhao didn’t know was that there were many avenging spirits in this Death God Pagoda that were collected by Ye Xishui after he initiated the massive explosion in Radiant City. This also aided in the completion of the Death God Pagoda, allowing it to cross the barrier that made it a Class 10 soul tool.
110
111In this world, there wasn’t just a single genius. Huo Yuhao was one, but Ye Xishui was also another one.
112
113She had started to research soul tools in the Sun Moon Empire after her disappointing relationship with Mu En. After years of research, she gradually fused her evil soul master abilities and soul tools, creating a unique soul tool that belonged only to her. With her immense power as a foundation and the Holy Ghost Church as a backer, she finally became the strongest soul engineer in the Sun Moon Empire and the Death God Douluo. At the same time, she was also the Supreme Leader of the Holy Ghost Church. After Xu Tianran ascended to the throne, he even accepted her as his godmother. The current leader of the Holy Ghost Church, Zhong Liwu, was Ye Xishui’s son.
114
115It could be argued that she was actually the most powerful person in the Sun Moon Empire.
116
117A huge explosive force was released as the black dragon flames and the Avenging Light of the Death God clashed. The entire mountain was flattened. The Death God Pagoda actually rose into the air and turned into a beam of red light that shot forward in the direction of the Sun Moon Empire. At the same time, a beam of blood-red light shot into the sky and turned into a weird image.
118
119From afar, the formation of soul tools that the Sun Moon Empire had deployed started to reverberate with booms. The Titled Douluo from the Star Luo Empire had already achieved what they wanted. Following this, beams of golden light rose into the sky. It was the signal for the army to come.
120
121Huo Yuhao silently drifted above the mountain and watched as the Death God Pagoda escaped. He didn’t pursue. The Beast God was drifting beside him. He furrowed his brow as he looked at Huo Yuhao.
122
123Di Tian was a little displeased as he said, “You actually riled up such a strong enemy. If I didn’t appear in my true form, I don’t think she would have left.”
124
125Huo Yuhao seemed to have returned to normal, and calmly said, “You’ve already cost me two opportunities to advance to the future. Don’t you think you should help me at such a critical moment? Moreover, from the perspective of the world of soul beasts, it’s not advantageous if the human world is ruled by the Sun Moon Empire. When that happens, all of you will only become experimental subjects of the Sun Moon Empire. Once they find substitutes for soul rings that can replace soul beasts, it’ll be the day that soul beasts vanish from the face of this world. This is why peace and balance between the various empires should be something that you want to see, am I right? Now that the Sun Moon Empire is so strong and the Heavenly Soul Empire is on the verge of destruction, the Sun Moon Empire would be very likely to rule the entire continent if we don’t deal them a huge blow right now.”
126
127After pondering for a moment, Di Tian said, “However, you can’t face too strong of an opponent. If not for the fact that I had some kind of understanding of her the first time you suffered the attack of the Avenging Light of the Death God and intentionally dealt with her strategy, she wouldn’t have been scared off. She’s right. I can’t possibly descend in my true form. I believe that she’ll realize that she’s been scared off by me after she returns and calms down. This woman is very strong. If not for the fact that she detached herself from the Death God Pagoda, I wouldn’t have been confident of fighting her even with my true form if she relied on her Death God Pagoda to fight me.”
128
129After hearing his words, Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned. Even the arrogant Di Tian was not confident of defeating Ye Xishui. How strong was she? With someone as strong as her, the Star Luo Empire would be unlikely to gain an advantage even if the Star Luo Empire faced her with a hundred-thousand-man army.
130
131“This time, you’ve lent me too much of your strength. Your body is already on the verge of collapse. Fortunately, there’s a very strong life energy in your body, which seems to come from the same source as the Lake of Life. This life energy has been helping you to recover quickly. However, don’t face her again. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be confident of saving you. You only have one life. Your life might be important to us, but isn’t it important to you too? Take precious care of your life and get as far away from the Death God as possible.”
132
133The Beast God was very composed. He didn’t react to Huo Yuhao’s earlier reprimand. After he finished speaking, dim black light slowly turned into air currents, and he disappeared. Black air also engulfed Huo Yuhao and carried him to the top of the mountain.
134
135Slowly, the black disappeared, and Huo Yuhao looked very pale. Fresh blood flowed from all his pores. He only felt excruciating pain throughout his entire body before he lost consciousness.
136
137When the Star Luo Empire’s Titled Douluo came to the top of the mountain, they only witnessed an astonishing scene.
138
139
140
141
142
143Chapter 452.2: Broken Meridians
144
145
146The height of the highest mountain peak in the Ming Dou Mountain Range must have had fallen by at least a hundred meters. There was a huge depression at the top of the mountain, and this depression was filled with smaller craters. Even though the clash was already over, the entire mountain was still engulfed by strong soul power undulations. Occasionally, the cries of avenging spirits could be heard as well.
147
148“Yuhao!” Xu Sanshi immediately spotted Huo Yuhao lying in the center of the huge depression, and rushed towards him. Everyone from Shrek Academy did the same.
149
150The earlier clash at the top of this mountain was too intense. They had no idea what had happened, but the Death God Pagoda had vanished at this moment. The Death God Douluo had also disappeared, and only Huo Yuhao remained. After the flashes of red light earlier, the soul engineers of the Sun Moon Empire quickly fled after being momentarily shocked. They left with whatever soul tools they could bring with them.
151
152Although more than ten Titled Douluo from the Star Luo Empire were here, their advantage in numbers didn’t give them an advantage. A combined attack from many soul tools would still threaten them greatly. Seeing that their enemies had fled, they naturally didn’t pursue them.
153
154Victory? If they had really achieved victory, it was a victory that belonged to the twenty of them! And amongst them, Huo Yuhao had played the most critical role.
155
156When all the Titled Douluo witnessed the Death God Douluo’s immense abilities, they were all shocked. They clearly knew that they couldn’t overcome such a powerful enemy even with their numerical advantage. Moreover, Ye Xishui had the Death God Pagoda to rely on. If they continued fighting, they would have all been decimated.
157
158However, it was at that moment when Huo Yuhao’s unexplained power managed to resist the Death God Douluo. They didn’t witness the fighting process, but the final result did sort of indicate that Huo Yuhao hadn’t lost. The Death God Douluo and Death God Pagoda had disappeared, and the Sun Moon Empire’s soul engineers had retreated too. This meant that the Ming Dou Mountain Range had been won back. To the Star Luo Empire, this was extremely important. With the Ming Dou Mountain Range falling back into the hands of the Star Luo Empire, the Sun Moon Empire would find it very difficult to reclaim it again and reinvade the Star Luo Empire. Furthermore, the Sun Moon Empire lacked leadership right now. Now that the Star Luo Empire had overcome their first defensive line, it was time for them to make further headway!
159
160All the Titled Douluo were excited right now, but everyone from Shrek Academy looked very serious.
161
162When they surrounded Huo Yuhao, they only saw how blood-soaked his clothes were. Blood was oozing from all his pores, and his aura had become very weak. They couldn’t even sense any soul power undulations from him.
163
164Xu Sanshi looked very serious, and squatted down beside Huo Yuhao. He carefully placed his hand on his chest to sense Huo Yuhao’s condition. After a brief moment, he furrowed his brow and stood up.
165
166“How is he, Third Senior?” Ye Guyi asked anxiously. Tears were already forming in her eyes. Even though she had already suppressed her feelings for Huo Yuhao, she still felt that she was about to experience an emotional outburst upon seeing that he was seriously wounded and on the verge of death.
167
168Xu Sanshi solemnly replied, “Not good. Little junior’s life aura is very weak and his heartbeat is so slow it’s almost undetectable. He might die at any moment.”
169
170“Yuhao, wake up. Yuhao…” Ye Guyi squatted down beside Huo Yuhao and started sobbing as she pleaded for him to regain consciousness.
171
172Ji Juechen also furrowed his brow. “Is there no other way?”
173
174Xu Sanshi shook his head and said, “I did a preliminary check on his condition, and it seems like all his passageways have been broken. They even seem to be seriously damaged. I don’t even dare to touch him right now.”
175
176Jing Ziyan was the calmest among all of them. She immediately turned around and faced all the Titled Douluos, asking, “Elders, which one of you is adept at healing? Please take a look at Yuhao. He’s in very bad condition.”
177
178At this moment, all of the Titled Douluo were jolted from their excitement, and quickly surrounded Huo Yuhao.
179
180However, all of these Titled Douluo that were chosen for this mission were adept at attacking. None of them was adept at healing! After checking Huo Yuhao’s condition, all of them came to the same conclusion as Xu Sanshi. Huo Yuhao was in very bad condition. All his passageways were seriously injured. If it was someone else with such serious injuries, he would have died. However, there was some kind of special force in his body that was helping him hang on. The circulation of his blood seemed to have stopped completely, apart from a small region around his heart. As for his soul power, it had long disappeared.
181
182At this moment, all the Titled Douluo were helpless.
183
184The Shattered Star Douluo said, “Yuhao’s injury is very serious. Let’s not touch him for now. Let’s go and rendezvous with the army first. Giant Hammer, make a trip back and immediately ask the Marshal to send a healing-type soul master over. I’ll stand guard here.”
185
186“Alright.” The Giant Hammer Douluo acknowledged his words and turned around before flying away.
187
188Huo Yuhao had made an important contribution this time by helping to reclaim the Ming Dou Mountain Range. Even these arrogant Titled Douluo were in awe of him. They were also very shocked by the secret force in him that was keeping him alive.
189
190Even without saying anything, they knew that he had borrowed some kind of strength that didn’t belong to him to fight the Death God Douluo, scaring her away. His body was seriously wounded because he couldn’t handle such great power in his body.
191
192All of the Titled Douluo thought that it was no mean feat that Huo Yuhao could preserve his life. He was dealing with a powerful force that could resist an Ultimate Douluo! Even Titled Douluo like them weren’t confident of remaining alive if they had to deal with such a powerful force.
193
194Tang Wutong also stood beside Huo Yuhao. She didn’t wail as pitifully as Ye Guyi. She only stood where she was, looking a little dazed.
195
196The scene of Huo Yuhao exchanging places with her when the Light of Death God descended on her earlier kept on repeating itself in her mind. She kept on asking herself this question – if it were me, would I be capable of doing the same thing?
197
198Huo Yuhao! Tang Wutong knew that this name had been permanently imprinted in her mind right now.
199
200The healing-type soul master team arrived at almost the same time as the soul master legion that was here to reclaim the mountain range. Everyone was shocked that the White Tiger Duke had personally come, and even brought along a healing-type Titled Douluo. There were also about sixteen other healing-type soul masters with them.
201
202“Where’s Yuhao?” The White Tiger Duke led this large group of healing-type soul masters as they descended from the sky. The first thing he asked when he landed was Huo Yuhao’s location.
203
204The Shattered Star Douluo’s expression changed when he saw that the White Tiger Duke was personally here. It was important to know that the White Tiger Duke was very crucial to the Star Luo Empire’s military. If the Death God Douluo returned, they would be unable to protect him at all!
205
206“Duke, you…”
207
208The White Tiger Duke lifted his hand and stopped the Shattered Star Douluo from speaking any further. Of course he understood what the Shattered Star Douluo meant. He said, “It’s more important to save this life first. We can leave the rest for later.”
209
210Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan and the rest quickly came up to receive him. The White Tiger Duke led the healing-type soul masters to Huo Yuhao under their guidance.
211
212The healing-type Titled Douluo was an elder with white hair and a wrinkled face. It was impossible to tell her actual age.
213
214When she arrived in front of Huo Yuhao, she lifted her right hand and a streak of dim-green light instantly turned into a barrier of light that engulfed him.
215
216“Duke, you must save Yuhao.” Xu Sanshi’s voice started to tremble slightly.
217
218“Don’t worry, I’ll try my best. Yuhao is a great servant to our empire!” The White Tiger Duke said without any hesitation.
219
220Earlier, he could only see the explosions of light that had blossomed from the top of the mountain. When they first started, he started to tense up. Without a doubt, Huo Yuhao had already been discovered. Being discovered was an unavoidable consequence of the plan. The key lay in whether Huo Yuhao was able to free all the Titled Douluo after being discovered.
221
222Therefore, the most important thing to take note of was the amount of time the explosions lasted for.
223
224Huo Yuhao didn’t disappoint him. The lights didn’t disappear, and even larger explosions ensued. At that point, the White Tiger Duke was already ready to command his entire military to fight.
225
226After that, the White Tiger Duke saw terrifying red light flashing at the top of the mountain. The black light that Huo Yuhao had released wasn’t very clear against the night sky.
227
228However, the White Tiger Duke was astonished when he saw that the mountain had collapsed slightly. Huo Yuhao had succeeded!
229
230Even without any signal, the White Tiger Duke had already given the order to attack. The Giant Hammer Douluo returned not long after that, and relayed news that Huo Yuhao had been seriously wounded.
231
232For some unknown reason, the White Tiger Duke felt his heart constricting after learning that Huo Yuhao had been seriously hurt. He ignored Princess Jiujiu’s attempt to stop him and personally led a team of healing-type soul masters to save him. He only had one thought in his mind – save Huo Yuhao at all costs. Such a talent was simply too important to the Star Luo Empire.
233
234Besides his desire to save a generational talent, the White Tiger Duke didn’t realize that deep down in his heart, there was some kind of unexplained attachment that was growing. Even he himself wasn’t clear what it was. His concern for Huo Yuhao had already surpassed the sort of brotherly love he had for his own subordinates.
235
236Ye Guyi clenched her fists tightly and prayed to herself. Nan Qiuqiu also clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and was reciting something to herself.
237
238The White Tiger Duke softly said, “Yuhao will be fine. Don’t worry. This person performing the healing on Yuhao is the Hallmaster of the Star Luo Empire’s Imperial Shrine. She's a Titled Douluo. As long as someone is still breathing, she can save him. Perhaps all of you have heard of her before. Her name is Wang Xian’er.”
239
240
241
242
243
244Chapter 452.3: Broken Meridians
245
246
247After hearing the words ‘Wang Xian’er’, Xu Sanshi was the first to react. His body shook a little before there was a surprised look on his face. He probed, “Are you talking about the Immortal Doctor Douluo Wang Xian’er?”
248
249The White Tiger Duke nodded gently.
250
251Xu Sanshi heaved a huge sigh of relief and explained to the rest, “Elder Wang Xian’er is the world’s top healing-type soul master. Even Elder Zhuang from our academy is inferior to Elder Wang. Elder Zhuang even mentioned that Elder Wang is the world’s strongest healing-type soul master. Her martial soul is the Healing Angel.”
252
253Healing-type and food-type soul masters found it more difficult to become Titled Douluo compared to assault-type soul masters.
254
255This was because fighting helped to stimulate the potential of soul masters, but healing-type and food-type soul masters hardly fought. They could only rely on cultivation and the accumulation of experience to slowly improve. As a result, there were only a few of them who could become Titled Douluo. As for Transcendent Douluo, there were hardly any of them who made it.
256
257This Immortal Doctor Douluo Wang Xian’er was one of these rare healing-type Transcendent Douluo. She was probably the most important trump card of the entire Star Luo Empire, and the Hallmaster of the Star Luo Empire’s Imperial Shrine. She was only inferior to another Transcendent Douluo, who was the strongest individual in the Star Luo Empire.
258
259If even this Miracle Healer couldn’t save Huo Yuhao, it meant that Huo Yuhao was really going to die. This was why Xu Sanshi heaved a sigh of relief when he found out that she was the Immortal Doctor Douluo. He had known Huo Yuhao for a long time now. He knew that Huo Yuhao’s survival abilities were shocking, and he had managed to escape death many times. In terms of survivability, he was definitely the best among the members of Shrek’s Seven Monsters. Right now, it was almost impossible for him to die, since the Immortal Doctor Douluo was around.
260
261The green light in Wang Xian’er’s hands slowly retracted, and she furrowed her brow slightly. The wrinkles on her face also became more evident.
262
263“This little fellow’s injuries are very weird.”
264
265Weird? After hearing her words, everyone from Shrek Academy started to become worried. Tang Wutong immediately asked, “What’s weird?”
266
267She replied, “His passageways are almost broken, especially his main passageways. His injuries are extremely serious. If I’m not wrong, there must be some kind of immense force that surged through his entire body that caused his passageways to burst. Logically speaking, his flesh should have blown apart under such conditions. There should be no way for him to still be alive.”
268
269“However, I’m shocked by the fact that his main organs are still fine even though his passageways are so seriously hurt. More surprisingly, his damaged passageways are all only temporarily blocked. His blood is not flowing, but stuck within these passageways. Furthermore, there’s very strong life energy in his damaged passageways. They seem to be recovering on their own. It’s something that I’ve never seen or heard of before. I think he possesses extraordinary life energy, which enables him to experience something like this. In addition, there’s some kind of force protecting his body.”
270
271The White Tiger Duke hurriedly asked, “What should we do then? How can we heal him?”
272
273The Immortal Doctor Douluo shook her head and said, “There’s no need to heal him.”
274
275“What?” Everyone exclaimed at the same time. The Immortal Doctor Douluo said that there wasn’t any need to heal him. Didn’t this mean that Huo Yuhao was doomed?
276
277The Immortal Doctor Douluo gestured and said, “Don’t misunderstand. What I mean is that he should be able to recover, but he’ll need some time. I’ll stimulate some of his life energy and try to pour in some life energy into his body. This will increase the speed of his recovery. That’ll be enough. We don’t have to overtreat him. At times, overtreating can cause unnecessary damage to a body. Since his self-healing abilities are already so strong, we’ll just let him heal. That’ll be the most beneficial to him.”
278
279After hearing Wang Xian’er’s explanation, everyone present heaved a sigh of relief. The White Tiger Duke respectfully said, “I’ll need to trouble you then.”
280
281Wang Xian’er eyes flashed and turned jade-green. The jade-green color in her eyes gave everyone a very bright and lively feeling. Following this, the Immortal Doctor Douluo’s body started to experience weird changes.
282
283Multiple pairs of wings started to open up behind her back. One, two, three, four, five. There were actually five pairs of wings that appeared. They were all jade-green too. They resembled those of Bi Ji. However, the Immortal Doctor Douluo’s wings were smaller than Bi Ji’s wings, though there were more of them. After the appearance of each pair of wings, the life energy in the air became evidently more concentrated. After they had all appeared, the entire top of the mountain was like an ocean of life. Everyone felt abnormally relaxed and comfortable right now.
284
285The Immortal Doctor Douluo was a national treasure of the Star Luo Empire! Who could ensure that one wasn’t ever hurt or never ever fell ill? She was like a goddess to the Star Luo Empire.
286
287Something strange occurred to the Immortal Doctor Douluo’s body. Every time a pair of wings appeared behind her, she would look younger and younger. When the fifth pair of wings appeared, she already looked as young as an eighteen or nineteen-year-old teenager. Her eyes were bright and captivating. She possessed a beauty that was filled with life aura. Everyone felt a sense of amiability when they looked at her, and couldn’t help but get closer to her.
288
289She lifted her right hand and mimicked a pressing action in Huo Yuhao’s direction. Suddenly, intense green light started to gather towards Huo Yuhao’s body.
290
291Huo Yuhao’s body slowly lit up. Spots of green lights shone, and a gentle life aura cleansed his entire body, removing all the impurities that were still within. Streaks of black air current slowly drifted out from his body before dissipating. Huo Yuhao’s body also slowly lit up with green. Evidently, he was absorbing the life aura that the Immortal Doctor Douluo had exuded.
292
293Under the effect of that concentrated life energy, Huo Yuhao’s own aura started to appear. His chest could also be seen rising.
294
295The young version of the Immortal Doctor Douluo revealed a slight grin on her face. Right now, she was in the form of her Healing Angel.
296
297She kept on pouring life energy into his body, stimulating his potential. Such a healing method tackled the symptoms and root cause of the problem, which was the most advanced healing technique. It was even more effective when used by the Immortal Doctor Douluo.
298
299Suddenly, Huo Yuhao’s forehead lit up. A streak of jade-green light suddenly appeared and slowly cracked open on his forehead. It was his Eye of Destiny.
300
301It was just that his Eye of Destiny was completely jade-green right now. When that jade-green light appeared, Huo Yuhao’s body suddenly turned into a huge jade-green whirlpool, and devoured all the life aura that the Immortal Doctor Douluo released.
302
303Wang Xian’er was also shocked. It is very abnormal for a Soul Sage to devour life energy at such a speed! What’s going on? Is it that source of power that’s protecting his body?
304
305Although she was shocked, she still increased the output of her life energy. She was different from ordinary soul masters. Every human and soul master had their own life energy. Once they drained too much of it, they would experience decline, and might even die as a result.
306
307However, the Immortal Doctor Douluo possessed strength that could control life. She could filter life energy from the air to complete her healing. The more prosperous the life energy in at a place, the greater her powers. For example, her healing abilities would be on another level if she were in the Great Star Dou Forest. If she could reach the Lake of Life where Di Tian was, her healing abilities would be at the tier of an Ultimate Douluo.
308
309After sensing the changes to Huo Yuhao’s body, she poured more soul power into his body. All types of life aura and elements at the top of the mountain were all infused into Huo Yuhao’s body.
310
311Wang Xian’er was observing Huo Yuhao’s changes throughout this process. She discovered that his passageways were evidently healing faster after the jade-green light appeared on his forehead. It wasn’t just his passageways; every part of his body was healing rapidly. Most of the life energy actually came from his own body. Although he had absorbed a lot of life energy too, the life energy that he absorbed wasn’t as pure as his own life energy. It was as if it went through a filtering process before it managed to completely fuse with his body.
312
313The soul power of a Transcendent Douluo was already very dense. While Huo Yuhao was devouring her life energy very quickly, she was also rapidly gathering life energy from the air.
314
315From afar, it was clear that a huge green whirlpool had appeared at the top of the mountain. The life energy surrounding the entire mountain range was rapidly being absorbed before fusing with Huo Yuhao’s body.
316
317The jade-green light that Huo Yuhao’s body emanated also became stronger and stronger. At the start, it was only shining from his Eye of Destiny, but it slowly spread to the rest of his body. Under the effect of the immense life energy, he evidently experienced a drastic change in his condition. At least his breathing became more normal and stable.
318
319Wang Xian’er nodded silently. It was also her first time seeing a case like this. She quietly memorized the changes to Huo Yuhao’s body. This was like a brand-new experience to her.
320
321Suddenly, Huo Yuhao’s body experienced changes again. He unleashed a beam of intense jade-green light from his body. This beam of jade-green light rapidly fused with the whirlpool and caused it to stop. After this, it started to flow in the opposite direction.
322
323Immense life energy started to pour into Wang Xian’er’s body.
324
325Wang Xian’er was stunned for a moment first. After this, she sensed the benefits of this immense life energy. Just like she had felt before, the life energy coming from Huo Yuhao’s body was extremely pure. There wasn’t any form of impurity within it. It was much purer than even her own soul power.
326
327
328
329
330
331Chapter 453.1: Tang Wutong's Erasure
332
333
334Even though this pure energy wasn’t very strong compared to hers, it was like a seedling. When this pure life energy entered her body, she immediately controlled it and poured it into the core of her soul power, sealing it. At the same time, she also summoned her soul power to familiarize itself with the traits of this pure life energy.
335
336A surprised look appeared on the Immortal Doctor Douluo’s face. For someone at her tier, it was very difficult to improve any further, especially since she was a healing-type Transcendent Douluo; it was even more difficult for her than for others.
337
338Wang Xian’er was in fact like Mu En and Long Xiaoyao – she was a generational talent. She was the only honorary elder that remained of the Star Luo Empire. She had been protecting the empire for years. However, she was growing older and older – she was close to two hundred years old now. As she grew older, she felt as if her life energy was quickly fading away. She believed she only had ten more years to live.
339
340However, after Huo Yuhao poured that pure life energy into her body, she was offered another opportunity to make progress.
341
342Her accumulation had long been sufficient. What she lacked was enlightenment and an opportunity. The pure life energy that Huo Yuhao released presented a valuable opportunity to her! As long as she tried her best to remember the traits of the life energy that he had released and evolve her soul power according to these traits, she could enable her soul power to rise another tier.
343
344By raising her cultivation by one rank, she would be able to live for decades longer.
345
346Elder Mu lived until the age of two hundred before he passed away. The main reason was because the injury that he sustained in his younger days was too serious. Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui were both still alive and well. If nothing happened, neither of them would have any problems living for more than three hundred years.
347
348After a momentary surprise, Wang Xian’er immediately increased her attention on Huo Yuhao. As a healer, she was very concerned about him. Furthermore, she was a very sympathetic and kind person. She definitely didn’t wish him to suffer because of what she had obtained.
349
350After meticulously observing him, she was quickly relieved. Huo Yuhao was in good condition, which was better than expected. Earlier, the reversal of the flow of life energy occurred because the amount of life energy he could store in his body had reached its limit. This limit wasn’t reached because of the Immortal Doctor Douluo’s life energy. Her life energy only acted as a guide that guided his own life energy. After that, his body was completely nourished by that pure life energy.
351
352Wang Xian’er was silently in awe. Every individual indeed had his own break! If all this life energy belonged to her, she believed that she could possibly become an Ultimate Douluo in the future. To her, pure life energy could be directly turned into soul power.
353
354However, such pure life energy could only serve to increase the life energy in his own body.
355
356The Immortal Doctor Douluo absorbed the remaining life energy in the air into her body. She couldn’t possibly waste it! To her, she had reaped massive rewards today. In just this short period of time, she felt as if the bottleneck that had been frustrating her for so long could possibly be broken through.
357
358The door from Rank 95 to Rank 96 seemed to be slowly opening.
359
360The green light started to slowly retract, and the mountaintop started to become peaceful once again. Huo Yuhao had regained some rosiness in his cheeks by now.
361
362Wang Xian’er was shocked when she discovered that Huo Yuhao’s damaged passageways were filled with life energy.
363
364This meant that the pure life energy was entering his passageways and aiding in their recovery. Huo Yuhao’s blood started to circulate once again inside these healed passageways.
365
366Even the Immortal Doctor Douluo was shocked by a scene like this. It was too magical.
367
368“Elder, how is it?” Xu Sanshi asked softly.
369
370The Immortal Doctor Douluo replied, “Alright, he’s fine now. However, he needs some time to recuperate. Please take him back first.” As she spoke, she mimicked a pressing action toward Huo Yuhao, and streaks of gentle green light turned into strips before surrounding his body. They lifted him up without moving his body at all.
371
372Wang Xian’er turned to the White Tiger Duke and said, “Duke, I’ll bring him back first and observe him for a period of time. His condition is a little special. However, overall, he should be fine.”
373
374“Alright, I shall count on you then.” The White Tiger Duke said respectfully.
375
376At this moment, the situation here at the Ming Dou Mountain Range was already set in stone. The Sun Moon Empire hadn’t station many troops here. When the Death God Pagoda left, it meant that their defense here had already failed. This time, the Sun Moon Empire had left behind many soul tools even though they didn’t lose too many soul engineers. To the Star Luo Empire, this was already a success.
377
378Those from Shrek Academy didn’t stay further either. They followed the Immortal Doctor Douluo and proceeded in the direction of the Northwestern Field Army’s base.
379
380Everything that had happened tonight was indeed very astonishing! However, the rest only witnessed what had happened in the latter half of the night. Only Tang Wutong clearly saw what had happened in the earlier half of the night.
381
382Her eyes shone a little as she saw Huo Yuhao engulfed by the green light. She looked very perplexed, and her thoughts were unknown.
383
384Very soon, all of them returned to the base. Wang Xian’er sent Huo Yuhao back to his tent and performed another check on him. After that, she instructed everyone not to move him, and let him recuperate. He should be able to recover very soon.
385
386After relaying her instructions, she reverted to her elderly appearance and left. She was also rushing back to attempt to evolve her own soul power and try to raise it to Rank 96.
387
388Everyone from Shrek Academy surrounded Huo Yuhao’s bedside. At this moment, they all heaved a sigh of relief.
389
390They had finally reclaimed control of the Ming Dou Mountain Range, which completely changed the situation in the entire continent. They had basically completed their mission. As for how the Star Luo Empire would deal with the Sun Moon Empire from now on, that was a problem that the White Tiger Duke had to deal with. To them, the most important thing was knowing when Huo Yuhao would be able to fully recover.
391
392After a brief moment, Xu Sanshi said, “Alright, everyone must be tired after moving around the entire night. Let’s do it this way – we’ll take turns to watch over Yuhao. Girls are more meticulous. Guyi, I’ll assign you this role first, and you’ll watch over him until daybreak. Qiuqiu will take over after you. We’ll decide the roster after that. Guyi, remain here. As for the others, go back and rest.”
393
394Huo Yuhao was unconscious, thus Xu Sanshi took over his role as the leader. Everyone nodded. Ye Guyi was even a little thankful as she looked at Xu Sanshi.
395
396There was a weird look in Tang Wutong’s eyes. She looked at Ye Guyi before glancing at Huo Yuhao. After this, she turned around and left the tent.
397
398Watching her back, Xu Sanshi revealed a cheeky smile on his face. At times, it might not be a good thing to hasten things. Using some other method might actually yield more effective results.
399
400Even though Xu Sanshi wasn’t sure whether Tang Wutong was Wang Dong’er, at least he knew that she looked very alike to Wang Dong’er. This was something that couldn’t be pretended. If Wang Dong’er had really gotten into a mishap, Tang Wutong might possibly become Huo Yuhao’s new confidante in the future. This was why he was trying to stimulate the relationship between the two of them.
401
402Everyone left the tent, and only Ye Guyi remained.
403
404As she looked at Huo Yuhao, she couldn’t help but sigh to herself.
405
406“Yuhao, get better quickly. I know that you’ve never liked me before, and you’ll never ever like me. However, I feel very happy to have an opportunity to be alone with you and take care of you. Don’t you think I’m very foolish?”
407
408After laughing, Ye Guyi stood up and walked to one side. She carried a basin to Huo Yuhao’s side and used a clean towel to wipe the bloodstains off his face.
409
410She didn’t dare to change his clothes, as she was afraid that it would affect his recovery. However, it should be fine for her to gently wipe him down.
411
412Amidst her gentle movements, the bloodstains on Huo Yuhao’s face were quickly wiped off.
413
414He looked a little sallow, as if it was because he had lost too much blood. However, his life aura was very strong.
415
416Ye Guyi lifted her hand and wanted to touch his face. However, her palm remained above his face. She never touched him.
417
418“Nemesis! You are really my nemesis!” She sighed before retracting her hand. After this, she quietly sat beside him and looked at him.
419
420Outside the tent, a pair of beautiful eyes moved away from the window. Tang Wutong was standing there, and silently heaved a sigh of relief.
421
422When she left the tent earlier, she kept on telling herself that nothing would happen between Huo Yuhao and Ye Guyi, given that he was already in such a state. However, she wasn’t able to calm herself down after leaving the tent. This was why she silently returned outside the tent and secretly watched from outside. She saw Ye Guyi wiping Huo Yuhao’s face.
423
424An indescribable feeling surged into her heart. She even wanted to charge in. However, she was soon jolted to her senses.
425
426Why am I like this? He has nothing to do with me. Why am I so concerned about him? Someone else is treating him so nice. Why am I not happy for him?
427
428These thoughts kept on playing in her mind. When she saw Ye Guyi lifting her hand and wanting to touch Huo Yuhao’s face, she forgot everything again and wanted to charge into the tent. It was only when Ye Guyi put her hand down that she heaved a sigh of relief.
429
430
431
432
433
434Chapter 453.2: Tang Wutong's Erasure
435
436
437Tang Wutong clenched her fist as she turned around and peered into the night sky. She stuck her tongue out at the sky and asked herself – Tang Wutong, what’s wrong with you? Why are you missing that person? Don’t tell me that you’re jealous? Why? Just because he saved me? No, I can’t be like that. He’s just an ordinary person. Furthermore, he already has a lover. So what if he’s outstanding? He’s not particularly handsome either! Sleep, go and sleep!
438
439As she talked to herself, she started to walk towards her tent. However, she was walking very slowly.
440
441
442
443
444
445Early morning. The Immortal Doctor Douluo was delighted as she came to Huo Yuhao’s tent and checked on his condition once again.
446
447Just as she had expected yesterday, she managed to breakthrough the bottleneck that she had been facing for years after absorbing Huo Yuhao’s pure life energy.
448
449She rose from Rank 95 to Rank 96. It wasn’t easy. It had taken her close to sixty years! However, she had finally achieved this step. Huo Yuhao was undoubtedly responsible for this.
450
451This was why she came in the early morning. Even though she didn’t need to perform any treatment on him, she still had to try her best to prevent him from suffering any problems during his recuperation process. It was a form of gratitude towards him.
452
453Huo Yuhao was in a stable condition. His broken passageways were slowly recovering, and he was recovering at a quick rate overall. Apart from the immense life energy in his body, there was another important reason for his speedy recovery. It was that his passageways immediately froze up in place after they were damaged. They didn’t shift or change their positions at all. As they remained still, they played a very critical role in his recovery.
454
455Ye Guyi didn’t sleep the entire night. As she saw the Immortal Doctor Douluo silently nodding as she checked up on Huo Yuhao, she couldn’t help but ask, “Elder Immortal Doctor, how is Yuhao? Will he be fine?”
456
457Wang Xian’er glanced at her and was amused as she said, “Young lady, the more concerned you are, the more disorderly you’ll be. In terms of emotions, you have to work harder. There’s some kind of pent-up gas in you. I assume it has something to do with him? I can sense that your martial soul comes from the same origin as mine. Alright, I shall lend you a hand.”
458
459As she spoke, the Immortal Doctor Douluo lifted her left hand and gently pressed on Ye Guyi’s chest.
460
461Suddenly, Ye Guyi sensed a gust of refreshing soul power entering her body. Her entire body seemed to have cleared up. She felt indescribably comfortable after that. If not for the fact that Huo Yuhao was sleeping, she would shout into the sky.
462
463“Medicine can cure diseases. But matters of the heart can’t be resolved through medicine. Young lady, I can tell that you really like him. Why? You’re so pretty. Isn’t he satisfied?” Wang Xian’er retracted her left hand and touched Ye Guyi’s head.
464
465Ye Guyi felt much better after the knot in her heart was untied. As she looked at the benevolent look in the Immortal Doctor Douluo’s eyes, her eyes turned red, and she gently shook her head. She said, “He already has someone he likes. I don’t blame him. Perhaps I’m only in love with the fact that he’s so persistent towards love.”
466
467The Immortal Doctor Douluo sighed and said, “Young people! It’s difficult to tell what love is. I was the same when I was young. It’s just that loving someone doesn’t mean possessing that person. Furthermore, there are other things to like and admire in this world. There’s nothing wrong with liking him. Just don’t be too stubborn. Otherwise, you’ll only feel depressed your entire life. You must learn to let go, understand?”
468
469“Yes. Thanks for your advice, elder.” Ye Guyi gently nodded. However, she couldn’t help but turn her gaze towards Huo Yuhao.
470
471Wang Xian’er smiled slightly. She knew that she couldn’t fully convince Ye Guyi in just a few words, especially when it came to matters of the heart. However, she could tell that she wasn’t a stubborn person. Otherwise, the pent-up gas in her body would be even worse.
472
473“He should be fine. However, he’ll still need time to recover, since his passageways have been so seriously damaged. If I started healing from the start, I’d need at least half a year to fully heal him. I can’t even guarantee that there won’t be any side effects. His entire cultivation might even be disabled. However, his life energy is too strong. He must have experienced something special, and is thus able to recover on his own. In my opinion, he should be fine in at most ten days. I’ve got to say that this is a miracle.”
474
475“Recover in ten days? That’s fantastic.” Ye Guyi couldn’t help but cheer.
476
477At this moment, the curtains to the tent opened, and Nan Qiuqiu walked in.
478
479“What’s so great? Is Yuhao fine?” Nan Qiuqiu quickly walked to Ye Guyi’s side and looked at Huo Yuhao. Seeing that he was still the same as the night before, she revealed a disappointed look on her face.
480
481The Immortal Doctor Douluo laughed, “Yet another one. There are so many guys out there. Why do all of you fall for the same guy? There’s no future. Isn’t it more painful? However, you aren’t that bad. At least you don’t have a mental knot because of your crush for him.”
482
483Nan Qiuqiu’s face turned red, and she said, “Elder, don’t make fun of me. I don’t like this guy. It’s Sister Guyi who likes him.”
484
485The Immortal Doctor Douluo laughed, “I’m old, but I’m not blind. If I can’t even tell that you like him, won’t I have lived the last two hundred years in vain? Alright, alright, I won’t bother with the issues of young people anymore. You can deal with your own problems. Remember, don’t touch him. If his passageways move, there’ll be trouble.”
486
487“Yes.” Nan Qiuqiu and Ye Guyi hurriedly acknowledged her words.
488
489The Immortal Doctor Douluo left, and both of them looked at each other. Nan Qiuqiu stuck out her tongue at Ye Guyi, who smiled back. After this, both of them turned their attention to Huo Yuhao.
490
491Nan Qiuqiu twisted her lips and said, “What’s so good about this guy? Who likes him? Hmph! He’s always so mysterious. He’s not even twenty, but he acts like a forty or fifty-year-old man.”
492
493Ye Guyi was amused as she looked at her. “Why do I recall someone mentioning before that she likes guys who are more mature and capable?”
494
495Nan Qiuqiu’s face turned red, and she said, “Is that so? Who said that? Who’s that person with such low taste?”
496
497Ye Guyi laughed. “Alright, it’s not you.”
498
499Her smile gradually faded away. As she looked at Huo Yuhao, she softly said, “Elder Immortal Doctor said that we should let go. He won’t belong to us. I can actually sense that he’s in pain.”
500
501“What? He’s in pain? So many of us like him. Furthermore, he’s the future Hallmaster of the Sea God’s Pavilion. He also holds an important position in the Tang Sect too. He’s even the in-name Master of the Spirit Pagoda. He’s so decorated. What’s there to feel pain over?”
502
503Ye Guyi glanced at her and said, “Now you finally admit that you like him. He’s actually in pain. I can sense it. Everything that you’ve mentioned is his achievements. However, have you ever thought of the amount of pressure he has to bear because of these achievements? It was still fine in the past, but ever since Dong’er went into a coma, his emotions were greatly affected. After this mission, I even feel that he seems to be less composed than before. If this were the past, he wouldn’t have taken such a huge risk. Last night, I finally understood that maybe he doesn’t want to live anymore. This was why he was willing to take such a huge gamble. Only he knows how painful he feels.”
504
505Nan Qiuqiu furrowed her brow and asked, “Isn’t that Tang Wutong Wang Dong’er who has lost her memories? Didn’t everyone claim that?”
506
507Ye Guyi rolled her eyes and said, “For goodness’ sake, can you be more observant? Haven’t you realized that Huo Yuhao has been very ceremonious towards Tang Wutong? He’s so polite that it feels as if they are strangers. She’s not even as close to him as we are. What does that mean? Given his character, would he act like that if Tang Wutong was really Wang Dong’er? He must have used some method to verify that Tang Wutong isn’t actually Wang Dong’er. This is why he’s acting like this. It’s also since then that I felt that his emotions have become a little abnormal.”
508
509After hearing her words, Nan Qiuqiu stuck out her tongue and said, “Hmm, it seems so. If that Tang Wutong isn’t Wang Dong’er, where can Wang Dong’er be then? Actually, I feel that we probably don’t even stand a chance even if Wang Dong’er is dead. This fellow is too stubborn. He only loves Wang Dong’er. Wang Qiu’er looked so alike to Wang Dong’er and sacrificed so much for him, but even that didn’t change his heart.”
510
511Ye Guyi said, “This is why we should let go. Let’s keep this as a beautiful memory. We are from different worlds. I only hope that he can find Dong’er soon, and start to feel happy once again.”
512
513Nan Qiuqiu gave Ye Guyi a weird look, “Sister Guyi, I suddenly feel that you’re very noble.”
514
515Ye Guyi chuckled and replied, “What’s there to be noble about? If I stood even the slightest chance, I’d do my best to fight for it. I wouldn’t even bother with my face. However, you’ve said it. We have no chance at all. In that case, we can only wish him the best.”
516
517Outside the tent, a person was quietly standing there. She had already come ever since the Immortal Doctor Douluo left, but she didn’t enter the tent. She only eavesdropped on Nan Qiuqiu and Ye Guyi’s conversation. When she heard to this point, she turned around and silently walked off. For some reason, she started to feel slightly lonely deep in her heart.
518
519Nan Qiuqiu took over from Ye Guyi to keep watch over Huo Yuhao until lunchtime, when the next change was made. Jiang Nannan replaced Nan Qiuqiu. After that, it was Jing Ziyan. Jing Ziyan’s shift lasted until nighttime.
520
521“Wutong, rest for two hours after dinner before replacing Ziyan. Do you have any questions?” Xu Sanshi asked Tang Wutong.
522
523
524
525
526
527Chapter 453.3: Tang Wutong's Erasure
528
529
530Tang Wutong was stunned for a moment before she shook her head and replied, “I’m fine.”
531
532Xu Sanshi naturally said, “That’s great then. I asked Elder Immortal Doctor Douluo earlier, and she said that Yuhao’s passageways have basically joined up again, but they’ll need some time to heal. His shirt is filled with bloodstains, which isn’t great for his body. Can you help him his shirt at night? Please be careful.”
533
534“Alright.” Tang Wutong subconsciously agreed to his request. By the time she realized that it was inconvenient for a lady to help a guy change his shirt, Xu Sanshi had already left.
535
536She wanted to stop him, but she didn’t do so in the end.
537
538Xu Sanshi revealed a grin on his face as he walked away. Yuhao, I’ve already helped you so much. You must do your best and recover quickly.
539
540After dinner, Tang Wutong returned to her tent. She had two hours to rest. However, she couldn’t calm herself down as she sat on her bed. She discovered that she was actually eagerly waiting for the two hours to pass.
541
542However, the two hours passed very slowly. She couldn’t calm herself down at all, and even started pacing up and down inside her tent in order to compose herself.
543
544Finally, two hours passed. She quickly charged out of her tent and proceeded to the opposite tent.
545
546“Wutong, you’re here.” Jing Ziyan stood up to receive her as she saw her walking over.
547
548“Oh yes, Sister Ziyan. It’s been tough on you. How is he?” Tang Wutong asked softly.
549
550Jing Ziyan smiled and replied, “Everything’s fine. I’ll pass him on to you. I’ll return to rest now.”
551
552“Alright, don’t worry.” Tang Wutong acknowledged her words and saw Jing Ziyan out of the tent.
553
554After Jing Ziyan left, she returned to Huo Yuhao’s side. Her breathing quickened. Am I really going to be with him the entire night? Everyone knows about it too.
555
556Nothing will happen. Didn’t Guyi remain here for the entirety of last night too? I can do the same!
557
558Tang Wutong slowly walked to Huo Yuhao’s bedside and watched him in his deep sleep. His face was still as pale as ever, but it was less sallow than it was the previous night. His breathing had also become more rhythmic.
559
560He was still wearing what Xu Sanshi gave him at the last minute then. When she saw how bloodstained his shirt was, she couldn’t help but recall Huo Yuhao’s naked look when he helped her to bear the strike of the Light of the Death God. She turned slightly red from embarrassment.
561
562I shall help him clean up his body first.
563
564She filled a basin with clean water before returning to the tent. After that, she used her own basin to collect some hot water and adjusted the temperature of the water to a suitable temperature using the water in the other basin.
565
566She didn’t use the towel in Huo Yuhao’s tent. She wasn’t willing to admit to herself that Ye Guyi had used it to clean up Huo Yuhao the previous night, and thus she didn’t want to use it at all.
567
568She used her own towel. After soaking the towel in warm water, she sat by Huo Yuhao’s bedside and carefully unbuttoned his shirt.
569
570She shuddered slightly when she touched Huo Yuhao’s chest. Helping a guy to unbutton his shirt was indeed very embarrassing.
571
572Her face turned red from embarrassment, and her body had evidently warmed up too. Even the temperature in the tent seemed to have risen due to her embarrassment.
573
574After pausing for a moment, she decided to pinch his breast and slowly remove the front of his shirt. After this, she gently released her soul power, lifting Huo Yuhao’s body and removing his shirt.
575
576After she was done, she discovered that there was a layer of sweat on her forehead.
577
578To a Soul Sage, this wasn’t considered too tedious! However, she actually broke out in a sweat. How nervous must she be?
579
580Huo Yuhao’s body started to release a blood fog, and some of the bloodstains on his body had already dried up. When she removed his shirt earlier, it was evident that many of the bloodstains had already adhered to his body. Tang Wutong used a little warm water to dab at the surface of his shirt, hoping to dissolve some of the dried bloodstains before removing them.
581
582She managed to keep Huo Yuhao’s body levitated in the air using her soul power. After that, she released her Radiant Dragon God’s Butterfly and used one side of its wings to lift his body. Following this, she quickly ducked down below him and use the moist towel to wipe off the bloodstains on his back.
583
584She started to perspire more and more, releasing a slight fragrance from her body. She was very focused as she did all this. Her face had turned red, but she felt a sense of achievement after cleaning Huo Yuhao’s body. She was even feeling satisfied.
585
586She carefully placed him on the bed. It was time to wipe off the front of his body.
587
588She cleaned the towel in the warm water before wiping his face. After wiping his face, she wiped his brows.
589
590She felt cramping pains in her heart when she saw his pale face. He’s really seriously injured!
591
592After wiping his face, she started wiping his neck before proceeding to his chest, arms, armpits, belly and waist. His body was soon very clean after Tang Wutong meticulously cleaned him up.
593
594“Hoo—” After she was finished, she let out a long breath. She had become much more relaxed. She lifted her wrist and used her sleeves to wipe off her perspiration. After chuckling, she muttered to herself, “So I’m actually capable of waiting on others. If dad knew about this, I wonder what kind of reaction he’d have.”
595
596However, her grin didn’t last very long. This was because her gaze landed on Huo Yuhao’s pants.
597
598I’m done with his top. What about the bottom?
599
600Clean? Or not?
601
602She was in a difficult spot as she looked at his bloodstained pants. Even though she had taken a peek at his nude body that night, it was still different from the situation now! Everyone was in peril at that point in time, and couldn’t care so much. However, they were alone in a tent right now. Even though he was in a coma, an intimate atmosphere was slowly brewing in the tent right now.
603
604She was in a daze as she looked at Huo Yuhao. Tang Wutong seemed to have been struck with an epiphany. She pulled the blanket across the entire top half of his body and covered it up.
605
606She turned around and came to the front of his tent. She looked out, and only returned after verifying that there was no one around.
607
608After taking in a few deep breaths, Tang Wutong made her decision. She swiped her right hand over his belt before it broke. She pulled the blanket down slightly, all the way until it covered his crotch. After that, she carefully lifted his body with her soul power, and used warm water to moisten the bloodstains on his pants. Following this, she slowly pulled down his pants.
609
610With the blanket, she managed to cover his most vital area. At least nothing embarrassing was on display. It was only after this that she wiped down his exposed legs.
611
612Watching the bloodstains disappear, Tang Wutong heaved a huge sigh of relief. Her forehead was covered in perspiration once again.
613
614She twisted her lips at Huo Yuhao before sticking out her tongue. This fellow is indeed tiring me out.
615
616What should I do next? How can I help him clean up that part of his body? After all, she was unmarried. She couldn’t bring herself to clean up such a private part of a guy, even though she might be slightly fond of him. After hesitating for a moment, she immediately turned around and ran out. She went to call Xu Sanshi.
617
618When Xu Sanshi came over and saw Huo Yuhao’s exposed legs, he almost burst out laughing. However, he appeared to be very composed on the surface.
619
620“Senior Xu, I can’t help him with that part. I’ve already pulled his pants down. Please give him a hand.” As she spoke, Tang Wutong embarrassedly passed the towel in her hand to Xu Sanshi. After that, she turned around and ran away.
621
622Xu Sanshi didn’t make fun of her. She was already embarrassed enough. He knew exactly when to and when not to make jokes – he knew what the limits were.
623
624After cleaning up Huo Yuhao’s vital area, he helped him put on a clean set of pants.
625
626Looking at Tang Wutong’s embarrassed face and the beads of sweat on the tip of her nose, Xu Sanshi concernedly asked, “I’m done. Wutong, are you fine? If you aren’t, I can help you take care of him for a while.”
627
628Tang Wutong shook her head gently and said, “I’m fine. Senior Xu, let me do it.”
629
630“Alright, tell me if you need help.”
631
632After he finished speaking, Xu Sanshi turned around and left.
633
634Tang Wutong sat by his bedside and continued to watch Huo Yuhao as he slept. She let out a long breath. What she did earlier was even more tiring than cultivating for an entire day. It wasn’t physically draining, but it was mentally tiring.
635
636She felt a sense of achievement as she saw how clean Huo Yuhao was. This guy is really good. He made me so tired. Hmph! When he wakes up, I’m going to deal with him.
637
638As she sat by his bedside and watched him sleep, she relaxed her mind and slowly started to fall asleep.
639
640Something like this wouldn’t happen normally, but she was too tensed up earlier. Right now, she unwittingly felt a strong sense of lethargy when she relaxed.
641
642Even Tang Wutong didn’t know when she fell onto the bed. When she fell onto the bed, she squirmed, but didn’t touch Huo Yuhao. She was like a kitten as she fell into a deep sleep.
643
644The sky turned darker and darker. Suddenly, Huo Yuhao gently moved. His right hand was trembling, and came into contact with Tang Wutong’s hand.
645
646He subconsciously hooked her finger, and his breathing had evidently become faster. His lips were also shaking slightly.
647
648Ever since he had descended into a deep sleep that day, Huo Yuhao kept experiencing dreams and nightmares. Everything in the past replayed in his mind. His tragic childhood, tough period of cultivation in Shrek Academy, happy times with Wang Dong’er, and their four fusion skills all surfaced in his mind. Wang Dong’er and Wang Qiu’er’s departure and all sorts of pain also filled his head.
649
650
651
652
653
654Chapter 454.1: Awakening, Realising
655
656
657Cool sensations suddenly coursed over his body amidst all that pain, and these sensations gradually extinguished the flames of agony within him. That refreshing feeling was exceptionally comfortable, and Huo Yuhao’s nerves gradually relaxed in his deep slumber. In his dream, Dong’er had returned to his side and was leaning down next to him. He could smell her faint fragrance as he was holding her petite hand, and he could feel his heart calming down completely. All the torturous pain and agony that he had sustained in the past were nothing with Dong’er around, and everything was no longer painful as long as she was back. At least, there was a crisp sweetness after the bitterness.
658
659The first ray of sunlight seeped into the tent in the next morning and shone right on Tang Wutong’s face. She wanted to raise her hand subconsciously to shade herself from the sunlight, but she realized that her hand felt a little heavy.
660
661Tang Wutong opened her eyes. Her large and pinkish-blue eyes were still a little blurry and sleepy, and the first thing she saw was a pale but slightly rosy cheek.
662
663The blurriness in her eyes immediately vanished as her big beautiful eyes widened in an instant. Everything went blank in her mind.
664
665I… where am I? Why is there someone sleeping next to me? She nearly kicked out, but she had a deep impression of this side profile that she was staring at, and she understood that this person couldn’t be harmed.
666
667Tang Wutong forced herself to calm down and composed herself before she took a serious look at this person. It’s… it’s him? Huo Yuhao?
668
669Tang Wutong’s memory from the previous night finally returned. She thought to herself, to her apparent surprise, I fell asleep next to him? And I slept here for the entire night? Even though this fellow is still unconscious, but… but I slept with him for the entire night.
670
671Tang Wutong glanced down at her hand. She was astonished as she discovered that all of the fingers on her right hand were tightly interlocked with Huo Yuhao’s right hand, as if that was how it was supposed to be.
672
673That can’t be… What are you doing, Tang Wutong?
674
675Tang Wutong sat up, embarrassed, as she swiftly pulled her hand back. She blushed from the embarrassment – He’s still unconscious, and it’s evident that he wasn’t the one who reached over to grab me. Does this mean that not only did I sleep next to him, but I also decided to hold his hand? That… that is just unbelievable.
676
677Tang Wutong placed her hands against her cheeks, which were burning up. She didn’t dare to look at Huo Yuhao. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard outside the tent.
678
679Tang Wutong bounced to her feet as if she had been shocked. She stood beside the bed as she circulated her soul power so that she could calm herself down.
680
681The curtain was lifted as Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan walked in from outside. They looked at Tang Wutong, who was standing beside the bed, and Jiang Nannan couldn’t help but laugh at her as she said, “Wutong, even if you’re taking care of Huo Yuhao, you don’t have to keep standing up! How is he? Has anything changed?”
682
683Tang Wutong’s back was facing them as she nodded and said, “He’s doing well. Everything’s normal.”
684
685Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan came beside the bed. Xu Sanshi glanced at Tang Wutong, and caught her embarrassed and blushed expression. From his perspective, she was clearly still feeling embarrassed about cleaning up Huo Yuhao during the previous night. He couldn’t help but laugh inside, but he didn’t expose her.
686
687“Eh, Yuhao’s complexion seems a lot better than before. Look, there’s traces of rosiness on his face,” Jiang Nannan said elatedly.
688
689Wasn’t that right? Xu Sanshi looked down, and could tell that Huo Yuhao’s face was much rosier than the past few days, while his breathing was evidently a lot thicker and more stable.
690
691“Wutong, you take the best care of him! Seems like he’ll recover very quickly,” Xu Sanshi praised her.
692
693“Yes, I hope he will recover as soon as possible.” Tang Wutong answered subconsciously.
694
695Jiang Nannan said, “Wutong, you must be tired after taking care of him for the entire night. You should go back and rest. Sanshi and I will take turns to look after him today, in the day.”
696
697“Oh, okay,” Tang Wutong nodded in their direction before she hurriedly stepped out. She raced into her own tent after exiting Huo Yuhao’s tent.
698
699Jiang Nannan glanced at the tent’s curtain, which was still swaying a little. She muttered confusedly, “Eh, why does she seem like she’s escaping from something?”
700
701Xu Sanshi chuckled and said, “Who knows? In the end, Yuhao is in such bad shape, and he can’t do anything bad to her even if he wanted to. Nothing could have happened.”
702
703Jiang Nannan blushed as she glared at him and said, “Only you would think about doing bad things every day.”
704
705Xu Sanshi grabbed her around her slim waist and said, “Did you not say last night that ‘bad things’ actually feel quite good?”
706
707“Psh! You’re such an asshole. How can you say such things? If you keep going, stay away from me next time.” Jiang Nannan retorted angrily as she blushed even more.
708
709“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. I’ll stop talking.” Xu Sanshi apologized again and again.
710
711His eyes suddenly widened as he spoke. That was because he suddenly noticed that the corner of Huo Yuhao’s mouth actually curved upward a little, as if he was… smiling?
712
713Huo Yuhao recovered very quickly indeed, and he finally awakened from his deep slumber that same afternoon. Even though his body was still very weak, his mind was clear and awake, and that undoubtedly meant he was starting towards a path to speedy recovery.
714
715Xu Sanshi was taking care of Huo Yuhao in the afternoon. He had just fed Huo Yuhao some water before he lowered his voice and said menacingly, “You little rascal – did you hear something you were not supposed to hear this morning?”
716
717Huo Yuhao couldn’t help laugh as he said, “No! I didn’t hear anything at all.”
718
719“Really?” Xu Sanshi stared at him suspiciously, “But why did I feel like you were smiling this morning?”
720
721Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes and said, “Third senior brother, you must have a guilty conscience. What have you done this time?”
722
723“Psh, psh. I am righteous and honest. Why would I have a guilty conscience? Right, Yuhao, let’s not talk about that. Our mission can be considered successfully completed – we have helped the Star Luo Empire regain the Ming Dou Mountain Range, which they can use to directly threaten the Sun Moon Empire’s own territory. We have fulfilled our strategic aim. Should we go back once you’ve recovered?”
724
725Huo Yuhao answered, “Yes, it’s about time to go back. We don’t yet know what the situation is like with the Heavenly Soul Empire. If the Heavenly Soul Empire is completely conquered, the Sun Moon Empire will directly threaten the academy. We should return to the academy as quickly as possible once I’m a little better.”
726
727Xu Sanshi said, “Alright then, doesn’t seem like we have another choice. Right, the Star Luo Empire has ordered us to be rewarded for our merit in battle, and many rewards have been bestowed upon us. We have accepted all the monetary rewards, but we declined offers of noble titles. Your title is a hereditary Marquis – what do you plan to do with that?”
728
729Huo Yuhao sighed and said, “Forget about the rest. This title of hereditary Marquis is useful to me, so I want that. How is the situation on the frontlines?”
730
731Xu Sanshi said, “The Star Luo Empire’s garrisoned in the Ming Dou Mountain Range after taking it back. They have sent several dozen small teams of soul masters to wreak havoc in the Sun Moon Empire. This is meant to attract the Sun Moon Empire’s attention, but we have no idea what this measure will achieve. We no longer participated in their military operations after that day.”
732
733Huo Yuhao said, “That’s alright. I trust that the White Tiger Duke won’t make the same mistake with his eye for war strategies. The Star Luo Empire’s elites are all here, and the Sun Moon Empire has to put in a lot of effort even if they deploy their large armies to attack the Ming Dou Mountain Range to retake it. Furthermore, their main forces are all concentrated in the Heavenly Soul Empire.”
734
735Xu Sanshi laughed bitterly. “I think the Star Luo Empire won’t be that much of a threat to the Sun Moon Empire. The Death God Douluo is too terrifying – with her around, it will be very difficult to deal real damage to the Sun Moon Empire.”
736
737A lamenting and frustrated look appeared in Huo Yuhao’s eyes. How could he not be aware of what Xu Sanshi had just told him? The Death God Douluo, Ye Xishui, was an Ultimate Douluo, and she possessed the powerful Bloody Demonpuppet as her martial soul. She was his teacher’s old lover, and this senior was simply too powerful.
738
739Huo Yuhao could still remember that his teacher once said it was difficult for evil soul masters to become Titled Douluo, but if one such evil soul master eventually did become a Titled Douluo, then there would be a calamity.
740
741The Holy Ghost Church had been hiding away for so many years, and their strength had finally matured. They possessed evil soul masters who were also Titled Douluo, and they even had an evil soul master who was an Ultimate Douluo. She possessed the Death God Pagoda, which had probably become a Class 10 soul tool. Ye Xishui was almost invincible in the human world, and she was directly involved in this war. The Beast God Di Tian had scared her away this time – but what about the next time?
742
743A single individual’s strength might not be able to change the outcome of a war, but a person with terrifying power such as hers was sufficient to turn the tides of battle!
744
745Furthermore, the Holy Ghost Church still had the Darkness Holy Dragon, Long Xiaoyao, who was yet another Ultimate Douluo. The only two remaining Ultimate Douluo in the world were both aiding the Sun Moon Empire. This was terribly disadvantageous for the Douluo continent’s three native empires.
746
747The balance of this war had completely swung in favor of the Sun Moon Empire. The Star Luo Empire had regained the Ming Dou Mountain Range, but what about the future? What would the future bring? The Sun Moon Empire’s main forces were concentrated in the Heavenly Soul Empire, but the Death God Douluo was anchoring things down in the Sun Moon Empire, and it was hard to say how many of the Star Luo Empire’s soldiers and soul masters would be annihilated.
748
749What was even more frightening was the fact that Ye Xishui was an evil soul master, and everyone could tell from the mental state that she had displayed the other day that her mind wasn’t stable at all. Such a person wouldn’t care about the deaths of normal citizens, and there was nothing at all that could threaten her.
750
751My strength is far from enough! If I can also become a Titled Douluo, and perhaps even a Transcendent Douluo, I might have a chance to stop her. But becoming a Titled Douluo is so difficult.
752
753Huo Yuhao said nothing, and Xu Sanshi said, “I have already sent the news back, and I have reported the Death God Douluo, Ye Xishui’s existence to the various elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion. I think it won’t be long before the academy might throw themselves into the war after all – otherwise, the Sun Moon Empire will be unstoppable.”
754
755
756
757
758
759Chapter 454.2: Awakening, Realising
760
761
762“Yes,” Huo Yuhao returned from his contemplation and said, “We should go back as quickly as possible. The Star Luo Empire isn’t being aggressively pressured by the Sun Moon Empire on this side after all, and they can stabilize themselves for the time being. However, the Heavenly Soul Empire is probably in deep trouble. With the Death God Douluo around, I don’t think the Star Luo Empire can be that effective even if they push into the Sun Moon Empire’s territory. The academy probably has to make other plans.”
763
764Xu Sanshi said, “Alright. You don’t have to worry about so much – your recovery is most important. Stop talking and take a rest.”
765
766“Alright,” Huo Yuhao shut his eyes once more and quietly felt the changes in his body.
767
768Huo Yuhao’s body had almost exploded from the pressure after he overused the Beast God, Di Tian’s strength, but all that wasn’t without benefit.
769
770The Beast God was controlling him back then, but Huo Yuhao’s consciousness was still very much awake. Therefore, he could entirely feel how frighteningly powerful the Beast God’s power was.
771
772That was what it felt like to be an Ultimate Douluo. This experience undoubtedly allowed Huo Yuhao to feel the aura of a top-tier individual before he had attained the necessary power and cultivation.
773
774Huo Yuhao could even feel that the Beast God had infused about eighty percent of his true body’s soul power into him. Huo Yuhao’s passageways were all saturated when that happened, and his tremendous life energy couldn’t keep up with the terrifyingly destructive power. This was the case even after the reverse scale that the Beast God had given him bore the brunt of the pressure.
775
776This part of his memory was very vivid and deep for him. He realized back then that Di Tian’s soul power was different from his. Huo Yuhao was a Soul Sage, and his soul power was like sticky liquid that circulated as and how he wanted. His soul power’s density, purity, regenerative effects, and sustainability were all relatively good.
777
778However, Di Tian’s soul power was like tiny black holes connected together, and every black hole contained frightening spatial power, while each unique space contained unimaginably terrifying strength. Everything was within Di Tian’s control.
779
780Huo Yuhao had thought to himself back then, Is that the power of an Ultimate Douluo? It was very difficult for the human body to contain such terrifying and extraordinary soul power, and humans would have to rely on spatial power to contain their soul power. Furthermore, that spatial power had to take effect within one’s own body. Everything was just so strange and mystical.
781
782Di Tian mentioned spatial power when he was battling Ye Xishui, and it was evident that she wasn’t as good with spatial power as Di Tian was. They were both some of the most powerful individuals in the world, but there was still quite a gap between them. Huo Yuhao could feel that if Di Tian’s true body was present, Ye Xishui would still ultimately be no match for Di Tian even if she leveraged the Death Pagoda.
783
784Di Tian wasn’t known as the most powerful individual in the world for no reason.
785
786Huo Yuhao had told his four Spirits that his future aim was to challenge the Beast God and ultimately defeat him, before he would attempt to sense the call from the God realm.
787
788Huo Yuhao realized after his experience that he still had a long way to go. He was just too far away in comparison to the most powerful individuals in the world.
789
790Huo Yuhao was rare prodigy. However, which individual who could become a Titled Douluo wasn’t a prodigy?
791
792Ye Xishui, Mu En, and Long Xiaoyao were all the most talented individuals of their generation. Huo Yuhao still had a long way to go if he wanted to catch up with them, much less surpass them.
793
794Di Tian’s power replayed in his mind. Huo Yuhao didn’t feel discouraged because of it. Instead, an intense desire was ignited in his heart – the desire to become more powerful, to become stronger.
795
796Furthermore, for some reason, he realized after he had passed out twice that his spiritual state would improve every time he came to. During both times when he was unconscious, he felt as if Dong’er had returned to his side, and that sensation felt extremely real.
797
798If it can be like that every time I pass out, then I don’t mind even if I have to pass out every day!
799
800Huo Yuhao continued to think as the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile. He channeled his spiritual power and looked inward at his current state.
801
802The passageways in his body were reconnected, and dense life energy flourished through them, while his blood was flowing very smoothly. His soul power began to recover by itself after his passageways healed, and that was the strength of his body.
803
804Di Tian’s strength wasn’t something that just anyone could take. He had used his body as a foundation in battle, and even if another Titled Douluo was in his place, he or she probably wouldn’t be in as good a shape as Huo Yuhao was. Even a Titled Douluo could explode from all the pressure, let alone a Soul Sage like Huo Yuhao.
805
806Huo Yuhao’s reconnected passageways had become green from all that life energy nourishing them. There was no question that more of that tremendous life energy originated from his Life Guardian Blade than his own veins.
807
808The Life Guardian Blade had evolved completely after it consumed the Life Gold. It was a small carving knife at the start, but it had evolved into a dagger. It was nourished continuously within Huo Yuhao’s body, and even Di Tian couldn’t feel its existence. Di Tian had used his own strength to protect Huo Yuhao’s organs when his body was severely hurt. Damaged passageways weren’t much, and the power in Huo Yuhao’s veins was enough for his passageways to recover by themselves. However, Huo Yuhao would be in deep trouble if his organs had erupted.
809
810What Di Tian didn’t know was that the power of Huo Yuhao’s Life Guardian Blade was unleashed once more when it was guided by the Immortal Doctor Douluo’s life energy. That pure life energy had baptized Huo Yuhao’s body once more.
811
812Its effects this time were almost the same as when Huo Yuhao had first fused with it. His damaged passageways contained even more life energy. His healed passageways became tougher, and were filled with even more life energy.
813
814If this state continued, Huo Yuhao felt that he could return to normal after just three more days at the most.
815
816The experience of fighting against the Death God was exceptionally precious for him. At the same time, he understood that the protection that the Beast God’s reverse scale conferred to him wasn’t absolute. He was lucky this time – if Ye Xishui hadn’t been overly sensitive, he probably would have been in deep trouble, just as he would be if he was faced with an individual as powerful as an Ultimate Douluo.
817
818Even if he was faced with a normal Titled Douluo, his body would be severely injured from the burden it would have to take even if the Beast God defeated the Titled Douluo for him.
819
820Thinking about everything in hindsight was scary, but all this wasn’t a bad thing for Huo Yuhao, because at least he was able to judge how much strength the Beast God could channel into his body, and how much his body could take. This would very beneficial for his attempts to utilize the Beast God’s power in the future.
821
822The Beast God didn’t just do bad things after he had bestowed the reverse scale upon him; he finally did something good. However, Huo Yuhao still reminded himself constantly that he wouldn’t draw upon the Beast God’s power if he could afford it. Otherwise, he would develop a reliance on it, and that would hinder his future improvements and cultivation.
823
824Soul power continued circulating within his body. Huo Yuhao used his spiritual power to control a small part of his soul power before he circulated it in his dantian.
825
826Huo Yuhao recounted again and again how it was like when the Beast God had channeled soul power into his body. If he could create a black hole like that, would his cultivation improve more quickly? Even if his cultivation didn’t improve, what would it be like for his explosiveness in battle?
827
828Huo Yuhao began to circulate that thread of soul power in his dantian as he contemplated. He whirled and compressed it – this seemed like where the Beast God’s secret lay, except utilizing spatial power was still a mystery for him.
829
830This thread of soul power wasn’t that powerful, but it began to whirl increasingly quickly as Huo Yuhao deliberately controlled it with his spiritual power. This soul power was gradually compressed. From the beginning, it was like a fist, but it was gradually compressed into the size of a chicken egg, and then a hawthorn.
831
832Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that his liquid soul power felt like it was going to solidify after it had reached that level. Its rotation speed began to slow down due to the compression process.
833
834What’s happening? Is my method wrong? But Di Tian’s soul power was clearly formed by small black holes that were rotating at high speed! Every black hole contained spatial power and immense soul power. Is there something wrong with how I’m compressing the soul power?
835
836Huo Yuhao infused even more spiritual power as he contemplated, and forced that soul power to continue rotating more quickly. However, he was careful not to compress it anymore.
837
838Huo Yuhao could gradually feel that something wasn’t right. This thread of soul power was rotating even more quickly from his full effort, but solid grains began to appear in it. Those grains began to absorb the rest of the soul power inside his dantian as they rotated so that they could strengthen themselves. Those whirlpools that had been compressed to the size of hawthorns began to enlarge once more.
839
840No!
841
842Huo Yuhao immediately sensed that something wasn’t right. He instantly increased his control over his spiritual power so that he could make the whirlpools rotate slower.
843
844That was him – if another Soul Sage was in his place, that person couldn’t possibly have extra spiritual power after adjusting his or her control over their soul power time and time again.
845
846The soul power’s rotation speed slowed, and its absorption of external soul power naturally weakened. Its volume stopped increasing, but the solidified soul power also began to slowly melt and become liquid once more.
847
848Finally, the thread of soul power returned to normal under Huo Yuhao’s careful control, and returned all the soul power in his dantian. It continued circulating according to the Mysterious Heaven Technique’s cultivation pathways.
849
850Huo Yuhao was utterly confused after his experiment. He couldn’t possibly ask the Beast God, as Di Tian would be extremely happy that his soul power was increasing more slowly. How could Di Tian possibly tell him such a secret? However, the way Di Tian was circulating his own soul power left a deep impression in Huo Yuhao’s mind, and he could faintly feel that this way of circulating soul power was the method that he would ultimately reach.
851
852
853
854
855
856Chapter 454.3: Awakening, Realising
857
858
859Doing experiments on his body here was far too dangerous; a single misstep would be equivalent to creating a bomb in his body. Huo Yuhao decided that, after his body had recovered, he would channel his soul power out of his body and control it outside. That should be no problem with his spiritual power. At the very least, he had to figure out the secret of how soul power and spatial power fused together. He would have to ask Elder Xuan for the rest after he returned to the academy. Even though Elder Xuan wasn’t an Ultimate Douluo, he was still a Rank 98 Transcendent Douluo after all, so he should also be working in the same direction.
860
861His body was getting better by the second, and his passageways were repairing themselves continuously. Huo Yuhao could get out of bed himself by nightfall.
862
863However, he didn’t get to eat much for dinner due to his physical state. He ate a large bowl of nourishing meat soup and some noodles that were cooked until they were very soft.
864
865Everyone from Shrek who was sitting in the canteen glanced at Huo Yuhao again and again. What a miracle – what was happening to Huo Yuhao’s body was simply a miracle!
866
867He was someone whose passageways were almost completely shattered. Not only did he not die, but it had only been three or four days, and he could already get up and walk? What was that if not a miracle? They would have inferred that he had an undying body if they hadn’t known him so well.
868
869Xu Sanshi stared at Huo Yuhao’s pale expression and said, “Yuhao, who are you going to assign to take care of you tonight?”
870
871Ye Guyi and Nan Qiuqiu blushed when they heard his words. Tang Wutong was drinking her soup, and her spoon quivered faintly as she spilled some soup back into her bowl.
872
873Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “There’s no need. We are inside the Northwestern Field Army’s main camp, and we are very safe. I can move around by myself too, so I don’t need someone to take care of me. Thank you, everyone, for the past few days, and I know I’ve also worried you. My body will completely recover after two more days, and then we can return to the academy.”
874
875Ye Guyi and Nan Qiuqiu seemed a little dejected when they heard him say that he didn’t need anyone to take care of him, because that meant that they no longer had any chances to be close to him. Tang Wutong heaved a deep sigh of relief. She didn’t even take a single glance at Huo Yuhao throughout dinner – every time she thought about wiping and cleaning Huo Yuhao the previous night, she would be uncontrollably embarrassed. She couldn’t even regret it. Why did I help him do something like that the other night? That’s just unbelievable.
876
877Xu Sanshi glanced at all three ladies, and a strange smile appeared on his face. “Alright, then you have to be careful tonight. Right, Wutong is very near you, and you can call her if you feel that something is wrong with your body. She should be able to hurry over as soon as possible – right, Wutong?”
878
879“Ah?” Tang Wutong raised her head and looked at Xu Sanshi, and then at Huo Yuhao. Her expression was clearly a little rigid as she nodded.
880
881Huo Yuhao thought she wasn’t very willing as he watched her expression and hurriedly said, “It’s alright, Wutong. I don’t think I’ll have to trouble you.”
882
883“Yes,” Tang Wutong acknowledged before she lowered her head once more.
884
885Everyone returned to their tents to rest after dinner. The Northwestern Field Army’s camp was very empty at this moment, as most of the army had already been deployed into the Ming Dou Mountain Range. The White Tiger Duke and Princess Jiujiu had to direct everything over there, so they weren’t around either.
886
887Huo Yuhao’s body felt a lot better as he crossed his legs and sat on his bed. His passageways had reconnected completely, and the next thing he had to do was get used to his new passageways. At the same time, he had to let his passageways consolidate and strengthen themselves with nourishment from his life energy. They should be able to recover completely by then.
888
889Life Gold is truly a mystical existence!
890
891Huo Yuhao controlled the Life Guardian Blade with his mind as green light flickered, and it suddenly appeared in front of him and hovered in the air, point-down.
892
893The room was a little dim, but the dagger’s appearance instantly tainted everything with green hues. Green light weaved around the room as dense life energy rippled.
894
895Huo Yuhao waved his hand, and the dagger ended up in his grip. The blade wasn’t very long – about seven inches – and the grip was about four inches long. The Life Guardian Blade could only be considered a small dagger.
896
897However, Huo Yuhao immediately felt a thick wave of life energy fill his body as he gripped the dagger, and everything in his body shone with green colors.
898
899He leapt down from his bed, and removed a tough piece of metal from his storage ring. Huo Yuhao swung the dagger in his hand, and green light flashed over the metal before it vanished into thin air just like that, as if it had never existed.
900
901A beam of light flashed on the Life Guardian Blade, and it didn’t change much, but Huo Yuhao could feel that it now contained some life energy inside that didn’t belong to it.
902
903Huo Yuhao used his mind once more, and the Golden Dragon Spear flew out from his Eye of Destiny. The Life Guardian Blade pressed against the Golden Dragon Spear, and the Golden Dragon Spear flickered and absorbed that life energy that belonged to some other object.
904
905Something occurred to Huo Yuhao – just as Wang Qiu’er had said before, the Life Guardian Blade and the Golden Dragon Spear were clearly complementary to each other.
906
907Life energy absorbed by the Golden Dragon Spear could sustain the Life Guardian Blade, while life energy absorbed by the Life Guardian Blade from objects could be used to replenish the Golden Dragon Spear. If these two items could be completely fused together, then their strengths would be improved – perhaps, their strengths would even be increased to a frightening level.
908
909The Life Guardian Blade belonged to him, while the Golden Dragon Spear belonged to Wang Qiu’er, so he couldn’t attempt something like this before. Furthermore, the Life Guardian Blade was just a small carving knife back then, and its volume was too small. But now, the blade’s bulk had increased, and both items belonged to Huo Yuhao – could he attempt this now?
910
911Huo Yuhao pinched the Golden Dragon Spear’s tip as he contemplated, before he pressed it against the Life Guardian Blade’s grip.
912
913The Life Guardian Blade shone with faint green light, while the Golden Dragon Spear radiated faint ripples of golden light. Those lights intertwined and fused with each other.
914
915I can’t just tie them together, can I? A simple connection like that cannot unleash their potential as contemporary to each other! What do I have to do for this to work?
916
917Huo Yuhao was stuck. He could sense that his choice was right, but how he should fuse them together was another tough question.
918
919Huo Yuhao frowned as he descended into deep thought. The Life Guardian Blade radiated tremendous life energy, while the Golden Dragon Spear seemed a lot more reserved. There seemed to be golden light flowing inside the Golden Dragon Spear’s deep golden hue – perhaps that was because it had tasted the blood of many, and the spear itself effused a somber and desolate aura.
920
921Both items had the same characteristic of absorbing life energy, but they were different in that the Life Guardian Blade absorbed life energy from objects and converted it into life energy that humans or animals needed, while the Golden Dragon Spear did the opposite.
922
923How could these two be fused together?
924
925Huo Yuhao continued contemplating as he pressed both items together, and he deeply felt their transformations as they were pressed against each other.
926
927Huo Yuhao quickly discovered that neither changed too much when they were pressed together. They didn’t reject each other, but they didn’t attract each other either. They seemed like two distinct objects that couldn’t be simpler, and nothing much happened when they were pressed together.
928
929Huo Yuhao took out another piece of metal. He allowed the Life Guardian Blade to absorb its life energy – yes, something began to change.
930
931The Life Guardian Blade flashed once before golden light circulated around the Golden Dragon Spear. However, this didn’t take longer than an instant before the two items finished interacting.
932
933Seems like I can’t forcefully fuse them together. At least, I don’t have the ability to do so at this point.
934
935Huo Yuhao shook his head exasperatedly. His Eye of Destiny flickered and reabsorbed the Golden Dragon Spear. Right at this moment, an idea struck him – if he didn’t have the ability to fuse them together, could they fuse together through destiny within his Eye of Destiny?
936
937The Eye of Destiny contained the mystical power of destiny, and that was a power that not even the Beast God, Di Tian could understand. The Beast God couldn’t detect the Life Guardian Blade’s existence before this because it was contained within Huo Yuhao’s Eye of Destiny.
938
939Huo Yuhao had stored and nourished both items in his Eye of Destiny separately before this, and he didn’t try letting them interact with each other. What if he changed his methods?
940
941With that, Huo Yuhao immediately reabsorbed the Life Guardian Blade into his Eye of Destiny, and he controlled and shifted it so that it was placed in the same place as the Golden Dragon Spear.
942
943He didn’t feel anything special. They were both under the influence of the power of destiny, but they were just sitting there calmly – they were no different from how they were on the outside.
944
945Huo Yuhao wasn’t worried, as he knew that good things only came to those who waited. For him, both items fusing together could possibly give him an unexpected surprise, while it would be nothing much for him even if those items didn’t fuse. They were both Huo Yuhao’s trump cards on their own.
946
947Huo Yuhao finished dealing with the two things that could almost be considered godly weapons, and his thoughts returned to his recollection of Di Tian’s soul power.
948
949His body hadn’t completely recovered at this moment, but his spiritual power had almost completely recovered. Soul power also flourished in his body.
950
951Huo Yuhao didn’t dare to experiment within his body because he would be in big trouble if something went amiss. However, everything was different outside his body. Even though Huo Yuhao knew that he should wait until his body had fully recovered before undergoing this experiment, he couldn’t resist the temptation right now. His desire for power and strength became even stronger after facing off against Ye Xishui, and understanding and grasping the secret to Di Tian’s soul power would undoubtedly be very helpful for his improvements in cultivation.
952
953Huo Yuhao thought for a moment before he decided to begin his experiment. He was doing it externally anyway, and he wouldn’t hurt himself as long as he controlled his soul power appropriately. He could stop his experiment the last time he attempted it inside his body, so he should have no problems outside his body.
954
955Huo Yuhao assured himself before he immediately started his experiment.
956
957Huo Yuhao raised his right hand, and a thread of soul power gradually appeared. The Mysterious Heaven Technique’s soul power was presented as a faint white color; this was his purest soul power because it didn’t interact with either of his martial souls.
958
959
960
961
962
963Chapter 455: Extreme Compression!
964
965
966The biggest difference between soul masters with twin martial souls and those with only one was that when soul masters with twin martial souls switched between their martial souls, their soul power would swiftly fuse with that martial soul.
967
968Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was sufficiently strong at this point that he could even use both of his martial souls at the same time under certain circumstances. Using both martial souls at the same time meant fusing one distinct part of his soul power with his respective martial souls at the same time.
969
970He couldn’t do it for a prolonged period of time, and could only do it once or twice before he had to choose one martial soul. However, this method undoubtedly enabled him to connect his two martial souls more perfectly in an actual battle, and if this connection was utilized appropriately, it would be no different from using both martial souls at the same time.
971
972Huo Yuhao had only just mastered this method. It was a pity that his newfound ability was far from sufficient against an Ultimate Douluo like Ye Xishui. He didn’t even have a chance to use it.
973
974The Mysterious Heaven Technique’s pure soul power began to rotate in Huo Yuhao’s palm. To ensure his safety, Huo Yuhao only used half the soul power that he had used when he was experimenting inside his body.
975
976Milky-white soul power continued to rotate, and gradually became like a whirlpool. It was like a ball of milky-white liquid, and it seemed very strange and unique.
977
978Huo Yuhao allowed it to start its rotations before he gradually began to compress the milky-white soul power while it rotated.
979
980He was very careful with his movements, and he made the compression process as balanced as possible; doing so would hopefully avoid the phenomenon that had occurred the last time, where some parts solidified, while other parts remained in liquid form. Since he had decided to do this, he would have to do it a perfectly as possible. Only then would he achieve the best results.
981
982Milky-white light shone faintly. Huo Yuhao concentrated on his task, and the white whirlpool’s volume quickly became smaller under his manipulation. It didn’t take long before it was half its original size.
983
984Huo Yuhao was especially meticulous in controlling the whirlpool this time, so it didn’t show any signs of solidifying. It only became a lot thicker, and rotating it seemed to become increasingly harder.
985
986Huo Yuhao used even more spiritual power. With his prior experience, he immediately raised his spiritual power while he made sure he was even more careful with his manipulation.
987
988The small white whirlpool became increasingly small, while the milky-white hues became increasingly withdrawn as the thick liquid-like state began to solidify. It started to spin faster and faster under Huo Yuhao’s control.
989
990Huo Yuhao remembered very clearly that every single existence that resembled black holes in the Beast God’s body were rotating at a speed that was almost indiscernible to the naked eye. Their rotation speeds were evidently important to utilizing spatial power.
991
992He didn’t know the trick to that yet, so he had to experiment according to what he could observe.
993
994The whirlpool began to rotate even faster while it became even smaller, and it slowly began to solidify.
995
996Huo Yuhao could feel that he was on to something. The tiny whirlpool was gradually compressed to the size of a yellow bean – it had become completely solid at this point, and was shaped like a funnel. It continued rotating vigorously, while the soul power aura that it was emanating became increasingly weak.
997
998Does this mean that I can solidify my soul power, and store it externally? That’s just miraculous. If I can do that, what will happen if I place this highly compressed soul power into Milk Bottles? What kind of effect will I achieve?
999
1000Milk Bottles were useful, but the soul power they could contain was ultimately limited, and even Milk Bottles of higher classes were only equivalent to a Soul Sage’s soul power. Milk Bottles weren’t that important for higher-tier soul engineers.
1001
1002Perhaps I can devise a Milk Bottle of an even higher class if I didn’t have any distractions?
1003
1004Huo Yuhao was elated from his surprise discovery. He began to observe the milky funnel even more intricately, without overlooking any details. He continued to use more spiritual power at the same time to compress the funnel, and so that he could keep it rotating.
1005
1006The yellow bean gradually became the size of a green bean. Huo Yuhao could feel that his soul power was being compressed almost to its maximum level, while its rotation speed seemed to have reached a limit as well. It would be difficult for his spiritual power to make it spin even faster.
1007
1008But its volume hasn’t changed qualitatively. No matter how I look at it, it’s just a small object that’s spinning continuously!
1009
1010How did this happen? When it was inside my body previously, I hadn’t compressed it to such a level, and it had already begun absorbing my soul power!
1011
1012Right – it has to continuously absorb soul power?
1013
1014Huo Yuhao’s eyes lit up. He carefully released a little more soul power – indeed, the solid funnel that was spinning furiously sensed Huo Yuhao’s soul power, and seems to quiver subtly before a powerful gravitational force immediately emerged from it and swallowed the soul power that Huo Yuhao had released.
1015
1016The tiny funnel began to spin even faster after swallowing that bit of soul power. Furthermore, the gravitational force that it produced began to strengthen, and Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that the little thing was starting to consume the origin energy of heaven and earth around it as well. That wasn’t all – this gravitational force was acting on his own body as well, as if it wanted to absorb even more of his soul power.
1017
1018This process was just so strange. Huo Yuhao was very excited at this point, and he immediately released another thread of soul power for the funnel to absorb as he closely monitored the funnel’s transformations.
1019
1020The tiny funnel began to spin even faster after it consumed that soul power, and was now spinning at a speed that was so quick that Huo Yuhao could barely see what state it was in. More importantly, the funnel no longer needed Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power to control it after it absorbed his soul power. It could now maintain its high rotation speed on its own. At the same time, it began to absorb the origin energy around it more quickly.
1021
1022Is it strengthening itself on its own? Have I done it?
1023
1024Fifteen minutes had gone by since Huo Yuhao had released this thing, and more and more strange and mystical phenomena gradually began to appear on it.
1025
1026Huo Yuhao’s mind was steady and calm. He didn’t continue releasing soul power into the funnel under such circumstances – instead, he focused on closely observing how the funnel transformed after absorbing more of the origin energy of heaven and earth.
1027
1028The funnel’s volume had evidently increased after absorbing his soul power twice. Its mass had increased to that of a yellow bean after both instances.
1029
1030The funnel’s volume was increasing at a decreasing rate as it continued to absorb the origin energy around it. However, it was still increasing in size as it continued absorbing energy, and its rotation speed continued to increase as well.
1031
1032Huo Yuhao attempted to attach his spiritual power to the funnel. He could still do it in the beginning, but now his spiritual power was tossed back out very quickly.
1033
1034The funnel seemed to have created a strange magnetic field with its high-speed rotations. This magnetic field seemed to affect the space around it.
1035
1036That’s it – this should be it. If its rotation speed increases to a certain level, and if the funnel itself becomes sufficiently strong, perhaps it will become like the soul power inside the Beast God’s body. But how am I to store this inside my own body? If I can’t store it, then won’t everything be meaningless?
1037
1038Huo Yuhao wasn’t worried. He just sat on his bed with his legs crossed as he used his spiritual power to observe the funnel’s state.
1039
1040This little thing was continuing to spin faster and faster, and was consuming energy at a continuously faster rate. After an hour, its volume had increased by another thirty percent.
1041
1042Huo Yuhao discovered upon closer inspection that the spatial undulations around it weren’t obvious, as if this phenomenon was because the funnel itself was far from strong enough. However, in terms of volume, the funnel seemed similar to those black holes when the Beast God was using his soul power!
1043
1044However, even if that was the case, Huo Yuhao could already feel that this little thing was very dangerous. It was like a storeroom full of gunpowder that could be ignited at any time, and if anything collided with it, the soul power that was rotating at high speed could become unstable, and would definitely explode.
1045
1046Unfortunately, he was inside an army camp, so he couldn’t test how it would look like after it exploded. He would have to find another place for that.
1047
1048Huo Yuhao channeled his spiritual power with that thought and enveloped this funnel from the outside as he began to attempt to gradually reduce its speed.
1049
1050This circumstance was different from when the soul power was inside his body. This time, perhaps because the funnel was simply spinning too quickly, he ran into a small problem as he tried to control it.
1051
1052Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was just starting to interact with it when the funnel immediately displayed signs of instability, as if it were instantly about to explode. Huo Yuhao hurriedly reduced the amount of pressure he was putting on it with his spiritual power before the tiny funnel stabilized once more.
1053
1054However, that wasn’t enough to stump Huo Yuhao. First, he used a spiritual barrier to cut off the funnel’s connection to the outside world so that it could no longer absorb the origin energy around it to strengthen itself, before he gradually reduced its rotation speed so that it would gradually slow down in its stabilized state.
1055
1056He took fifteen minutes to make this solid-state soul power stop spinning completely. The funnel finally presented itself in a conical shape in his hands, while the compressed soul power began to dissipate swiftly because it was no longer spinning as Huo Yuhao reabsorbed it into his body.
1057
1058This process continued for about two hours. Huo Yuhao still hadn’t discovered the trick after close inspection, but at least he had managed to finish his experiment.
1059
1060Perhaps this introductory experiment will give me even more unexpected surprises? What I need now is to make more observations. I need to go outside.
1061
1062Huo Yuhao exited his tent, and glanced toward somewhere not far from him – the tent that belonged to Tang Wutong. He gradually activated his martial soul and used Imitation.
1063
1064His passageways still felt a little painful, but there wasn’t a problem if he didn’t forcefully channel a lot of soul power. He didn’t want to give up on such a fantastic opportunity – many times, inspiration was but something that occurred over an instant, and perhaps he would never find the same inspiration again if he missed it.
1065
1066Therefore, Huo Yuhao didn’t hesitate for too long. He immediately concealed himself through Imitation and snuck out of the camp.
1067
1068The Star Luo Empire’s camp didn’t have that many surveillance soul tools. With his ability and deliberate intentions, he quickly managed to get out.
1069
1070Huo Yuhao accelerated after leaving the army camp, though he only used less than thirty percent of his soul power as he raced into the distance.
1071
1072His body’s physical state was a little better than he had imagined. There wasn’t too much of a burden on his body as long as he suppressed his soul power to a certain level, and this was undoubtedly a beneficial result for him.
1073
1074He went more than ten kilometers away from the camp before he slowed down. He found a small hill and went behind it, and then used his spiritual power to sense if there was anybody around him before he began his experiment once more.
1075
1076With his previous experience, Huo Yuhao directly released even more soul power than before this time, and began to rotate and compress it.
1077
1078He took half the time that he did before, and the soul power that he had released took the shape of a solid funnel.
1079
1080He was no longer inside the army camp. There was nobody else around him, and he wasn’t afraid of this thing exploding anymore.
1081
1082The funnel hovered in midair. Its rotation speed was increasing very quickly as Huo Yuhao continued infusing soul power into it, and it began to absorb the origin energy of heaven and earth around it crazily.
1083
1084It didn’t take long before the solid funnel became the size of a fist. White lightning streaks were faintly visible around it, and the space around it also began to contort.
1085
1086Huo Yuhao continued to observe closely as he reduced the amount of soul power that he released. This fist-sized solid funnel had a gravitational force that was much stronger than the first one, and even if he reduced the amount of soul power that he released, this thing would still automatically absorb his soul power. Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that his soul power was even flowing out from his pores to fuse with the funnel, and all the origin energy within a thousand square meters around him was being aggregated at lightning speed. The funnel’s volume and rotation speed were also increasing continuously.
1087
1088What kind of law does this follow? Huo Yuhao wasn’t sure, but he understood that the more soul power this funnel contained, the closer it came to the special characteristics of the Beast God’s soul power. Of course, this was only one of the black holes inside Di Tian’s internal soul power.
1089
1090Huo Yuhao stopped releasing soul power as he gradually moved backwards to distance himself from the funnel. However, he quickly realized to his surprise that there seemed to be some kind of unknown pulling force coming from his body, as the funnel actually shifted along with him – it was chasing him.
1091
1092Are you kidding me?
1093
1094Huo Yuhao wasn’t confident of making it stop, as it had become so big.
1095
1096He was astonished, and couldn’t be bothered with the fact that his passageways hadn’t recovered completely. Light flashed around his body as he used Instant Teleportation, and he used it at its maximum range.
1097
1098Huo Yuhao disappeared one hundred meters away with a flash. The funnel quivered faintly, and it seemed to have lost its target, and finally stopped chasing him.
1099
1100Huo Yuhao finally heaved a sigh as he continued shifting backwards. He placed two hundred meters between the funnel and himself before he used Spiritual Detection to scrutinize its state.
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
1106Chapter 456.1: The Experiment Fails?
1107
1108
1109The funnel’s volume and rotation speed were also increasing continuously along with its soul power. Its gravitational force became stronger as it became larger, and even the stones and sand around it were being pulled in its direction. However, it was immediately ground to dust by the powerful soul power.
1110
1111The space around the tiny funnel slowly began to contort even more. Its volume was still increasing as it spun, but its rotation seemed a little irregular, while the funnel itself was no longer stable. It was trembling faintly.
1112
1113I’m losing control!
1114
1115An ominous feeling surfaced in Huo Yuhao’s heart as he pounced behind a small hill on the side.
1116
1117“Boom, boom, boom—” Intense explosions could be heard as a vigorous air flow rushed over his head. The soundwaves were deafening as intense soul power undulations erupted in all directions. However, everything settled down very quickly.
1118
1119Huo Yuhao looked up at where the funnel was before, and he could see an enormous crater that was thirty meters in diameter and more than ten meters deep. A hurricane seemed to have swept over the large crater, and he could see many marks like blade cuts around it.
1120
1121This…
1122
1123Huo Yuhao, even with his full strength, couldn’t do any better.
1124
1125However, he didn’t even use ten percent of his soul power.
1126
1127High-speed rotation and compression were undoubtedly the reasons why the tiny funnel had become so strong. However, the funnel became very unstable when he lost control of it.
1128
1129There were clear spatial undulations and contortions around the funnel. However, there was a clear gap between that and the Beast God’s black holes. That was probably because he didn’t have enough soul power.
1130
1131It was no wonder the Beast God was so formidable – he had stored so much soul power in that state in his body. It would be a surprise if he wasn’t that frighteningly powerful.
1132
1133Huo Yuhao understood that controlling such power was far too difficult with his current strength. However, understanding and experiencing the principles concerning this was very beneficial for his future cultivation, so that he didn’t take any long roads.
1134
1135He decided to stop experimenting because he wasn’t sure whether he could distance himself from the pull of the funnel using Instant Teleportation if the funnel became stronger than before. What would happen if he couldn’t? That meant he could only detonate it prematurely. Otherwise, the ultimate result would be that his soul power would be sucked dry, or perhaps the funnel would swallow everything. The funnel would increase to an even more frightening state before a tremendous explosion would be triggered.
1136
1137Huo Yuhao had already observed and learned a lot today. As for his next experiment, he felt that it would be a lot safer if he attempted it after he had returned to the academy.
1138
1139Huo Yuhao rushed back to the army camp. The explosion from before was quite loud, but the army camp was ultimately relatively far away, while he had also chosen a valley in the mountains. That was the reason why nothing much happened in the army camp.
1140
1141He silently snuck back to his own tent but was startled when he lifted his curtain because there was actually someone else in his tent.
1142
1143Tang Wutong was frowning as she stood in the center of the tent and asked as he walked in, “Where did you go?”
1144
1145Huo Yuhao hesitated momentarily as he stammered, “I went to the toilet!”
1146
1147Tang Wutong retorted angrily. “Do you need to spend one hour on the toilet?”
1148
1149“I have constipation…” Huo Yuhao answered feebly.
1150
1151
1152
1153“You!” Tang Wutong grunted furiously as she turned to leave.
1154
1155“Hey, how did you know I wasn’t in my tent?” Huo Yuhao asked subconsciously.
1156
1157Tang Wutong had already stomped to the entrance of his tent. She paused and replied, “I was afraid that something would happen to you, so I decided to visit you tonight, and discovered that you weren’t here anymore. Where did you go?”
1158
1159Huo Yuhao could tell that her voice was softening, and Dong’er’s beautiful face surfaced in his mind once more. His heart softened as he spoke the truth, “I went to experiment with a method of controlling soul power. It wasn’t very convenient to do it inside the army camp, so I decided to go outside.”
1160
1161Tang Wutong turned around and stared at him in shock. “Your body is already like that – why are you still doing experiments? What if something happened? Couldn’t you have just waited for two more days?”
1162
1163“Uh… alright, I made a mistake,” Huo Yuhao admitted his mistake conscientiously.
1164
1165Tang Wutong grunted and said, “Sleep early. Good night,” And she walked away after that.
1166
1167Huo Yuhao was in a little bit of a daze as he watched her departing profile. Her attitude towards me seems a little better than before! Unfortunately, she’s not Dong’er – how fantastic would everything have been if she were Dong’er!
1168
1169Huo Yuhao lamented in his mind as he sat back on his bed and quietly recalled every detail of his experiment.
1170
1171Two days quickly passed as Huo Yuhao’s body gradually recovered. Positive news came back from the frontlines – the Sun Moon Empire’s internal territories were indeed empty, while the White Tiger Duke’s war strategy was extremely successful. The soul master legions that had dispersed into the Sun Moon Empire’s territories were wreaking havoc everywhere, and they caused great damage to the Sun Moon Empire. The Star Luo Empire had more soul masters than the number of soul engineers that the Sun Moon Empire had brought back, and this disparity was even wider in terms of the number of powerful individuals. The Sun Moon Empire was badly bruised and battered as the Star Luo Empire overran several of their cities.
1172
1173However, the White Tiger Duke governed his army very strictly. Normal citizens were not to be harmed after the city had fallen, and their armies would pull out of the city after looting and pillaging the governing body’s granaries and armories.
1174
1175Conquering cities wasn’t the aim of their battle strategy, and wreaking excessive destruction wasn’t within the White Tiger Duke’s personality either. Pillaging resources was a lot more effective – furthermore, doing so could also replenish the Star Luo Empire’s own expenses.
1176
1177Everyone who participated in the strategy were soul masters, and many of them had storage soul tools. Pillaging was like a gentle breeze for them.
1178
1179Quickly, the Sun Moon Empire’s eastern borders were in a state of emergency.
1180
1181Even though their intel was shut off and they didn’t know about the Sun Moon Empire’s response, or about the Heavenly Soul Empire’s situation, the Star Luo Empire’s operations would undoubtedly relieve the situation.
1182
1183The White Tiger Duke sent letters back several times to inquire about Huo Yuhao’s physical state. After he made sure that Huo Yuhao was fine, he even personally wrote a commendation for Huo Yuhao for his contributions to the Star Luo Empire. The title of Marquis had also been conferred to Huo Yuhao.
1184
1185Xu Sanshi and the others rested and got ready for another day, and they made sure Huo Yuhao had recovered completely before he wrote a letter to the White Tiger Duke to bid their farewells. All eight of them then departed the Star Luo Empire’s army camp and journeyed back toward Shrek Academy.
1186
1187Both the White Tiger Duke and Princess Jiujiu didn’t want them to leave. However, the war situation at the frontlines was of the utmost priority, so they couldn’t take time out to attempt to keep the eight of them here. Furthermore, they understood that these people from Shrek Academy couldn’t be kept. Fortunately, both parties had established an amiable relationship after their missions – especially so after Huo Yuhao accepted his title of Marquis. This undoubtedly meant that Huo Yuhao was admitting he was a soul master from the Star Luo Empire.
1188
1189Everyone flew through the air. They came as eight, and they returned as eight. Huo Yuhao had practically returned from the dead, but everyone managed to return with their lives. However, everyone had experienced the cruelty of war. This was especially so after the top-tier individuals directly participated in the war.
1190
1191The Death God Douluo Ye Xishui never appeared again after she departed. At least, the Star Luo Empire had yet to encounter that terrifying Ultimate Douluo after they invaded the Sun Moon Empire. But no matter what, this Ultimate Douluo was like an enormous shadow that loomed over the Star Luo Empire’s head. Her appearance would lead to rivers of blood.
1192
1193The situation had descended into complete chaos. The eight of them were returning to the academy to protect it, and that was what they absolutely had to do.
1194
1195Even though their individual strengths weren’t much for Shrek Academy as a whole, Huo Yuhao’s status was special, and his presence could even allow Shrek Academy to link up with the Great Star Dou Forest’s soul beasts for aid. If that was the case, Shrek Academy would be able to hold their own against the Sun Moon Empire if it was invaded.
1196
1197They maintained a strict formation as they flew through the air. Huo Yuhao flew in the center, but his eyes were a little lackadaisical.
1198
1199More accurately put, he had been in this state for the past few days. Whether he was walking, sitting, flying, or perhaps even eating, he would have a dazed and listless demeanor. His companions were a little worried about him, but he would always say that he was just contemplating some things when they asked.
1200
1201The truth was, he wasn’t lying – he was contemplating some things that were extremely important to him. That tiny funnel that he was experimenting with was naturally the most important item amongst those things.
1202
1203Huo Yuhao had officially concluded his experiment’s results after his last experiment. Even though he didn’t manage to create a black hole like Di Tian’s soul power, in the end, the entire experimental process allowed him to discover and complete things that he had never known about.
1204
1205For instance, soul power would generate tremendous gravitational force once it was compressed into a solid state, and its absorption of external soul power would become stronger. This point was very important for his future cultivation.
1206
1207He was a Soul Sage, and his soul power had become liquid at this point. His liquid soul power’s viscosity would increase as his cultivation increased – wasn’t that distinctly similar to what his soul power was like when he compressed it during the experiment? Furthermore, he had known about this principle a long time ago, that soul masters compressed the soul power inside their body continuously as their soul power increased, before more soul power would be stored. Soul masters’ martial souls would naturally become stronger if their martial souls fused with stronger soul power.
1208
1209Elder Mu had told Huo Yuhao before that soul masters’ soul power would be continuously accumulated and compressed as they became stronger, and only when they became Titled Douluo would things begin to change.
1210
1211However, Elder Mu didn’t tell him much about Titled Douluo. That wasn’t because he forgot about those things – Huo Yuhao’s cultivation was still very low at that point, and Elder Mu feared that Huo Yuhao would attempt to run before he could walk.
1212
1213Huo Yuhao recalled what Elder Mu had told him. According to Elder Mu, a soul master’s soul power would reach the limit of its conversion from liquid to solid as he or she reached the pinnacle of an eight-ringed Soul Douluo, which was Rank 89, while Titled Douluo would probably have entirely solid soul power.
1214
1215
1216
1217
1218
1219Chapter 456.2: The Experiment Fails?
1220
1221
1222One of the most prominent characteristics of solid-state soul power was probably the fact that they could leverage the origin energy of heaven and earth in the air better. Huo Yuhao had already felt this in his experiment from before.
1223
1224Even if the solid-state soul power didn’t absorb the soul master’s own soul power, it would still continuously absorb the origin energy in the air by itself. The pertinent soul skill’s strength would therefore increase throughout this process.
1225
1226This experiment was equivalent to opening a door to another world for Huo Yuhao, and it allowed him to see stranger things regarding soul masters. The first thing he wanted to do when he returned to the academy was to seek out Elder Xuan so that he could answer his questions and clear up his confusion.
1227
1228“Hey, are you alright? Why are you always in such a daze? Did your injuries this time damage your brain?” Tang Wutong was flying beside him, and she couldn’t help but ask him that question. This fellow has been like this over the past few days. Everyone is worried about him, but they can’t really press him any further for fear of upsetting him. He keeps saying that’s he’s fine, he’s alright – but he doesn’t seem like he’s alright at all!
1229
1230“Eh?” Huo Yuhao was deep in thought, and his thoughts became a little jumbled when he heard Tang Wutong’s voice. He frowned a little and said, “Of course I’m fine. I’m just thinking about some things.”
1231
1232Tang Wutong rolled her eyes and said, “What do you have to think about, that you have to do that for a few days? It’s fine if something is wrong with you – just treat it as quickly as possible. Don’t force yourself!”
1233
1234Huo Yuhao snapped, “Nothing is wrong with me. I’m perfectly fine. There are some questions that I need to think more about, so don’t interrupt my train of thought.” With that, he continued flying forward as he began to contemplate once more.
1235
1236This guy! Tang Wutong glared at him, but he didn’t respond at all. He doesn’t recognize my good intentions at all. Hmph!
1237
1238Everyone flew continuously until midday before Xu Sanshi, who had taken point, suggested for everyone to descend and have a rest. It was quite a coincidence that they descended onto a spot next to a wide river.
1239
1240This enormous river was a hundred meters wide, and the flow of the water was very rapid. Even though it wasn’t very clear, one would consider the bluish-green river water’s clarity to be decent if its volume was taken into account.
1241
1242“Huo Yuhao, I want to eat grilled fish. This river is so huge – I’m sure there are enough fish here. They must be very fat and juicy,” Nan Qiuqiu exclaimed joyfully.
1243
1244“Ah? Grilled fish?” Huo Yuhao stared at her, and his eyes looked a little blank.
1245
1246Xu Sanshi smiled and said, “Yes, Yuhao. Your grilled fish is the best in the world. Give us another taste of it! Everyone will probably get busy once we get back to the academy. You should also stop thinking and rest your mind a little bit. You should switch up your thoughts once in a while no matter what you’re contemplating.”
1247
1248Huo Yuhao couldn’t really decline his request as he saw everyone’s hopeful eyes. He nodded and went ahead to catch some fish.
1249
1250Tang Wutong secretly swallowed some saliva as she heard that they were eating grilled fish. She could still vividly recall the aromatic fragrance from the last time.
1251
1252Catching fish was like a hot knife on butter for a Soul Sage. Huo Yuhao chose to use the simplest and most brutal method.
1253
1254He froze some of the river’s water before he transformed it into icy spheres and detonated them in the water with Ice Explosion. The vigorous shockwaves flipped a large amount of fish out, and Huo Yuhao used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon to pull them onto the shore.
1255
1256The entire process took a little more than ten seconds, and he proceeded to then process the fish. Ye Guyi and Nan Qiuqiu had already gone to collect firewood, while the others helped out in their own way to prepare rations and start a fire.
1257
1258Huo Yuhao’s movement was extremely quick. His deep thoughts over the past few days were very helpful to him, and he had an increasingly strong feeling that he had found the right path. Therefore, he was eager to continue thinking.
1259
1260The fish were processed after a short while, and a fire had been started. The grilling had begun.
1261
1262Huo Yuhao didn’t do anything different from the last time. He was still very familiar with the techniques for grilling fish, and grilled fish quickly appeared one after another in his companions’ hands for them to enjoy.
1263
1264“Oh, this is good – it’s so good,” Nan Qiuqiu exclaimed elatedly as she ate.
1265
1266Tang Wutong was also eating, but she realized that today’s grilled fish seemed a little different from the last time when they were traveling toward the Star Luo Empire’s Northwestern Field Army. The fish still tasted fresh and delicious, while the fire had been controlled extremely well – but something seemed to be missing. In a more exaggerated sense, the grilled fish seemed to lack spirit.
1267
1268Tang Wutong sat down beside Jiang Nannan. She couldn’t help but whisper, “Sister Nannan, do you see any difference between the grilled fish today and the one we had the last time?”
1269
1270Jiang Nannan was momentarily stunned. “Difference? Nope! The fish is very tasty. You don’t think it’s nice?”
1271
1272Tang Wutong shook her head and replied, “Not that – I just feel like something seems to be missing from the last time.”
1273
1274Jiang Nannan was dazed for another moment before a deep look appeared in her eyes. She whispered, “I think you’re right. Huo Yuhao thought you were Dong’er when he grilled fish for everyone the last time. He gave voice to the emotions in his inner heart when he was grilling for you. Afterwards, it should be because he realized that you’re not Dong’er, so he has treated you like everyone else.”
1275
1276“Eh?” Tang Wutong stared at Jiang Nannan, surprised. She turned her eyes toward the grilled fish in her hands.
1277
1278The fish is missing emotions? It’s missing a spirit? Can emotions be infused into a fish? In that case, his feelings for Wang Dong’er must be very deep!
1279
1280For some reason, envy seemed to develop in her heart as her thoughts stopped here.
1281
1282Everyone was satisfied after eating the grilled fish, and they continued their journey.
1283
1284It was midnight when they returned to Shrek City. Xu Sanshi and the others went back to the Tang Sect, while Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong went to Shrek Academy.
1285
1286Huo Yuhao was the group leader, so he had to report the results of their expedition to Elder Xuan. Tang Wutong didn’t belong to the Tang Sect, and she was staying in Shrek Academy in the first place.
1287
1288Darkness permeated the skies. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong weren’t flying anymore as they walked toward Shrek Academy, as that was a form of respect for the academy.
1289
1290Shrek City had transformed quite a bit over this period of time. With the full effort of the academy and the Douluo continent’s three native empires, the new Shrek City’s construction speed was one of the fastest in the continent.
1291
1292According to their current speed, they would need one more year at most before the Shrek City’s overall structure would take shape, and they would need another three years after that before the new city would be completely established.
1293
1294Once the new Shrek City was constructed, its scale would rival that of Star Luo City and Heaven Dou City. It would be second only to the Sun Moon Empire’s Radiant City, which was the number-one city on the continent.
1295
1296The academy’s main gates were already shut. However, that didn’t pose a problem to Huo Yuhao or Tang Wutong at all. Huo Yuhao didn’t want to disturb anyone, so he used Imitation before he concealed both Tang Wutong and himself, and they discreetly leapt over the wall.
1297
1298The Sea God’s Lake came into view in the distance. Huo Yuhao stopped as he arrived at the lakeside, and Tang Wutong did the same.
1299
1300The night sky was impressive tonight. Moonlight shone across the Sea God’s Lake, and it cast light on the lake’s clear ripples and waves. The moonlight was gentle, while all sorts of vegetation stacked on each other by the lakeside. The Sea God’s Island was barely visible in the distance as if this were a paradise on earth.
1301
1302Huo Yuhao began to feel dazed as he saw everything in front of him. He could still clearly remember the time when he had realized that Dong’er was a girl – weren’t they on Sea God’s Lake?
1303
1304The Sea God’s Fated Blind Date. Everything that had happened that day left an extremely deep impression in his mind.
1305
1306Idiot – I’m her idiot. I was with her for such a long time, yet I didn’t realize she was a girl. That was really stupid of me!
1307
1308He recounted all the sweetness and tenderness he had shared with Dong’er, and the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile. He felt as if he could see Dong’er once more under the moonlight.
1309
1310Dong’er, have you really been beside me this entire time? But why don’t you show yourself to see me?
1311
1312Huo Yuhao reached inside as he reminisced, and retrieved the handkerchief that he had treasured this entire time.
1313
1314Tang Wutong was but momentarily stunned by the beautiful scenery on Sea God’s Lake as she arrived by the lakeside. She was about to return to Sea God’s Island, but she immediately realized that Huo Yuhao was in a daze once more. Except, this was different from the last time. The way he was dazed from before seemed very muddleheaded as if he were very deep in thought.
1315
1316However, his eyes were very gentle in this moment, much like the moonlight reflecting off the lake. The corner of his mouth was curled upward, and there was a slight smile on his face.
1317
1318She instantly froze when she saw him reach into his shirt and take out a handkerchief that felt extremely familiar to her. That… isn’t that my handkerchief?
1319
1320Huo Yuhao closed his eyes as he held onto the handkerchief and slowly took a deep breath through his nose. The moist air on the lakeside and the clear and fresh smell of vegetation wafted into his nose, while the handkerchief’s crisp aroma that he had yearned for was also part of all those refreshing smells that he was familiar with. He felt as if his heart and mind were both intoxicated as his entire body relaxed.
1321
1322Tang Wutong was just watching him from beside him. She blushed a little – why is he holding my handkerchief? Does that mean he knows that I was sleeping beside him that night?
1323
1324Huo Yuhao opened his eyes as he looked down at the handkerchief in his hands and heaved a faint sigh. “Dong’er, when will you return to my side? Have you really forgotten about me, or do you have some hidden troubles? If you have any problems, why don’t you let me face them together with you?”
1325
1326Bastard! He thinks my handkerchief belongs to her. Tang Wutong was so upset that she started to pout.
1327
1328Huo Yuhao was completely immersed in his wonderful memories. Naturally, he wasn’t paying attention to Tang Wutong’s emotional changes. However, she didn’t disturb him and was just standing next to him.
1329
1330This bastard – he’s quite concentrated in his love. Tang Wutong couldn’t help but recall the first time she had met Huo Yuhao. He almost immediately charged at her and embraced her in his arms, and that embrace was burning with passion and filled with emotions. Tang Wutong was overcome with embarrassment at that time, but she felt as if she were about to melt in his arms. She began to feel a little feverish when she recalled that moment.
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336Chapter 456.3: The Experiment Fails?
1337
1338
1339Huo Yuhao finally came to from his deep dream after a long while, and he glanced at Tang Wutong with an apologetic look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I phased out. Thank you.”
1340
1341Tang Wutong was momentarily stunned. “What are you thanking me for?”
1342
1343Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “Thank you for not waking me from my dream. It feels great to be home – let’s go.” With that, he soared into the sky like a large bird gliding across Sea God’s Lake.
1344
1345He tapped gently on the surface of the lake, and a small piece of ice formed underneath his feet and supported the weight of his body. He continued gliding forward as he strode across the lake like rolling clouds and flowing water.
1346
1347Tang Wutong followed behind him. She didn’t step on those ice pieces but quietly flew behind him instead. Huo Yuhao glowed with spirit, health, and vigor when he spoke his thanks to her. She seemed to have seen Huo Yuhao in such a state when they left Shrek Academy – back then, he still thought she was Wang Dong’er. Now, that Huo Yuhao that she recalled seeing seemed to have returned.
1348
1349Tang Wutong wanted to tell Huo Yuhao that the handkerchief belonged to her, but she erased that thought from her head when she witnessed the vigor and vitality in his eyes. Even though it was just a small thread of hope, some was better than none.
1350
1351They stepped onto Sea God’s Island. Huo Yuhao went to the Sea God’s Pavilion, while Tang Wutong returned to her own place. Huo Yuhao would be doing the reporting, so she didn’t have to follow him.
1352
1353Huo Yuhao stood in front of the Golden Tree and knelt down in front of it before going to the Sea God’s Pavilion. He respectfully kowtowed thrice toward the Golden Tree.
1354
1355“I have returned, teacher. Even though you might find this hard to believe, I did meet Ye Xishui on my expedition. She is now the Sun Moon Empire’s Death God Douluo, and she is an evil soul master who is also an Ultimate Douluo. She is likely to be the continent’s first Class 10 soul engineer.”
1356
1357Faint golden light rippled from the Golden Tree, and dense elements of light were clearly visible. These undulations were extremely intense at first before they returned to complete calm.
1358
1359“Teacher, did you hear me?” Huo Yuhao exclaimed joyfully.
1360
1361The Golden Tree no longer gave him any signs. Faint golden hues radiated gently, and everything seemed to return to tranquility.
1362
1363“Elder Mu can’t answer you anymore. He released his strength the last time, and his spirit has been damaged. He can only nurture himself inside the Golden Tree. Yuhao, were your words really true?”
1364
1365Elder Xuan had arrived beside Huo Yuhao, and his face was overcome with solemnity.
1366
1367Huo Yuhao nodded and got to his feet. He recounted everything that had happened when he faced off against Ye Xishui and everything else that he had heard and seen on his expedition in front of the Golden Tree.
1368
1369Elder Xuan’s expression turned even blacker when he heard Huo Yuhao’s words. He glanced at the Golden Tree and said, “Follow me inside.”
1370
1371Elder Xuan brought Huo Yuhao into the Sea God’s Pavilion. They didn’t wait in the main hall, but Elder Xuan brought him directly into his own room.
1372
1373“Sit down,” Elder Xuan pointed at a chair inside the room.
1374
1375Huo Yuhao walked over to sit down and said apologetically, “I apologize for disturbing your rest by coming so late in the night.”
1376
1377Elder Xuan sighed and said, “How can I have the mood to rest? The situation in the continent has suddenly become so deplorable. I never thought that the Sun Moon Empire has hidden such deep secrets.”
1378
1379Huo Yuhao hurriedly asked, “Back when I was at the Star Luo Empire’s frontlines, I heard that the Heavenly Soul Empire has lost a lot of territory, and even the Heaven Dou City has been lost. What is the situation like now?”
1380
1381Elder Xuan shook his head and said, “The situation is terrible. The Heavenly Soul Empire has already lost two-thirds of their territory to the Sun Moon Empire. The Sun Moon Empire had to task some of their soldiers to handle their conquered territories, and they also had to pacify the Heavenly Soul Empire’s citizens – if not for those reasons, the Sun Moon Empire would have conquered every inch of the Heavenly Soul Empire. The Heavenly Soul Empire’s remaining soldiers have already rendezvoused with the Star Luo Empire and the Dou Ling Empire, and they are holding on to the last of their territories. However, it will be extremely difficult for them to defend it. The Heavenly Soul Empire has already sent messengers to the academy for aid. The Dou Ling Empire has also started to send their armies into the Heavenly Soul Empire.”
1382
1383Huo Yuhao wasn’t overly surprised, as he had already predicted such a situation. The Dou Ling Empire’s thoughts were very simple – they hoped to keep their enemies out of their borders and keep the battle in the Heavenly Soul Empire. That would evidently be more beneficial for them. Therefore, it was natural that they were sending their armies forward. Otherwise, the Dou Ling Empire would end up like the Star Luo Empire if the Heavenly Soul Empire was destroyed. They would have to prepare to suffer the Sun Moon Empire’s cannon fire at any moment.
1384
1385The Heavenly Soul Empire sending for aid from the academy was also expected. However, the Heavenly Soul Empire’s nation-protecting sect, the Body Sect, couldn’t protect them against the Sun Moon Empire’s assault. How much stronger could Shrek Academy be than the Body Sect?
1386
1387Shrek Academy would definitely be stronger in terms of overall strength. However, Shrek was an academy, not a sect. The academy didn’t have the same common interests as the Body Sect. The academy’s elders naturally wouldn’t be a problem, but the teachers and students didn’t have a duty to fight for the academy. Even if they agreed to, the academy’s higher levels would definitely have to consider the safety of these teachers and students – quite unlike the common interest shared within sects.
1388
1389Therefore, Elder Xuan had been very hesitant these days about the Heavenly Soul Empire’s request for aid, and he hadn’t sent out any reinforcements yet.
1390
1391Reinforcements were important, but the question of scale posed a very large problem. If the Heavenly Soul Empire had been completely dominated by the Sun Moon Empire, they would be able to directly threaten Shrek City. There was no question that the Sun Moon Empire would attack Shrek City. In the beginning, Shrek Academy’s participation in the war finally allowed the Douluo Continent’s three native empires to beat the Sun Moon Empire back, and the Sun Moon Empire was ultimately defeated. The Sun Moon Empire holed up for a thousand years after that.
1392
1393The Sun Moon Empire had obtained all possible advantages, and they would never let Shrek City go. They had the most advanced technology on the continent, and their assault could likely be even more frightening than the Great Star Dou Forest’s beast wave back then.
1394
1395“Elder Xuan, you have to take care of your body,” Huo Yuhao could clearly see that there were more wrinkles around the corners of Elder Xuan’s eyes.
1396
1397Elder Xuan glanced at him and smiled warmly as he said, “To be honest, I’m not very good at being a leader. My life was carefree when Elder Mu was around. I was wanton and unrestrained, and I was very happy from beginning to end. Ever since Elder Mu left, that burden has been shifted onto my shoulders. I finally truly understand the kind of responsibility that Elder Mu had borne for so many years.”
1398
1399“If only the Sun Moon Empire had delayed their assault for a few decades more! By then, you would have grown to become a man, and I could have passed this mantle to you.”
1400
1401Elder Xuan smiled, but there was some bitterness in that smile, which was bathed with the vicissitudes of life.
1402
1403Huo Yuhao said, “Elder Xuan, I will work hard to grow up. I am willing to give everything for the academy.”
1404
1405Elder Xuan said, “Now is not the time to give everything you have. If the situation forces our hand in the end and we cannot defend ourselves against the Sun Moon Empire, then you must remember that you must continue to live on. You and the other young men are the hope of the academy. Do you understand?”
1406
1407Huo Yuhao felt his heart skip a beat. He could clearly sense some bad omens in Elder Xuan’s words.
1408
1409Elder Xuan said, “Ye Xishui is actually still alive – I didn’t expect that. Furthermore, she has become the Sun Moon Empire’s Death God Douluo. With her and Long Xiaoyao around, unless the Beast God stands directly with us against them, there is no chance that we can defeat them. Furthermore, the Beast God represents the benefit of all soul beasts. With his personality, he is no doubt more than eager to watch humans hurt each other and to see the human elites perish. That is most beneficial for soul beasts. Therefore, even if he did participate, he would wait until both parties have been badly hurt. We can’t depend on him at this moment.”
1410
1411Huo Yuhao said, “Elder Xuan, can we gather some reclusive sects to come together and fight the Sun Moon Empire? In the end, things will be bad for them if the Sun Moon Empire conquers the Douluo Continent’s three native empires.”
1412
1413Elder Xuan answered, “We are already doing that, and some sects have already responded positively. However, the Sun Moon Empire’s soul tool technology is far more advanced than ours. Their prowess in battle sweeps aside everything in their path. I have obtained some detailed battle reports from the Heavenly Soul Empire. The Sun Moon Empire and Heavenly Soul Empire’s losses are one to ten! Even with the Body Sect’s participation in the defense of the Heaven Dou City, their losses were still five to one compared to the Sun Moon Empire. It’s hard to say what the war will be like in the future. Fortunately, you helped the Star Luo Empire regain the Ming Dou Mountain Range, and you’ve finally held the Sun Moon Empire back for a period of time. Time is increasingly important for us. I have already instructed the Tang Sect to push back all soul tools that are meant to be sold and all purchase requests so that they can focus all their efforts on crafting soul tools to equip Shrek’s city defense army. We can only hope that Shrek city’s defense army can turn the tides of battle.”
1414
1415Huo Yuhao could feel fear creeping into his heart. He naturally understood the kind of pressure that Elder Xuan had to bear to make such a decision. The Star Luo Empire and Heavenly Soul Empire both lacked resources, but the Tang Sect’s production was very limited! How much effort would they have to put in to equip a legion with enough strength to fight against the Sun Moon Empire’s soul engineer legions?
1416
1417“Elder Xuan, why don’t I seek out Di Tian tomorrow?”
1418
1419Elder Xuan shook his head and said, “There’s no use. Soul beasts have always only protected their own and not outsiders. Di Tian can only protect you; he’s more than happy to see other humans die – the more the better. Don’t waste your time. You should go and rest. You should return to the Tang Sect after resting up for a few days so that you can help the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall produce soul tools more quickly. All of the academy’s resources and the resources that the Douluo Continent’s three native empires have sent to support us have been granted to the Tang Sect. Perhaps the Tang Sect’s strength will be key to the final outcome of the war.”
1420
1421“Yes,” Huo Yuhao acknowledged and stood up.
1422
1423Elder Xuan said, “We will send news from the frontlines to the Tang Sect as soon as it comes. You can rest assured as you cultivate and craft soul tools in your sect. You don’t have to bother yourself with other things for the moment.”
1424
1425
1426
1427
1428
1429Chapter 457.1: The Academy's Soul Engineer Legion Plan
1430
1431
1432“Yes.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged once again before leaving Elder Xuan’s room.
1433
1434He didn’t remain in the Sea God’s Pavilion, but went back to the Tang Sect. His body had just recovered, and he didn’t dare to toil the entire night. He returned to the Tang Sect, where his own room was, and begun to meditate to recover his physical strength.
1435
1436On the morning of the second day, he ate his breakfast before Bei Bei gathered the senior management of the Tang Sect for a meeting.
1437
1438Huo Yuhao went to report to Elder Xuan the night before. Xu Sanshi recounted the entire process in detail as a means of updating Bei Bei.
1439
1440Just like Elder Xuan had mentioned, the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall was very busy. Shrek Academy sent all their teachers and students from the Soul Tool Department to the Tang Sect, personally led by Dean Qian Duoduo. They were now all under Xuan Ziwen.
1441
1442The academy also sent over all types of resources, and Dean Xian Lin’er and Teacher Fan Yu led a batch of teachers from the Martial Soul Department to instruct the students of the academy as well as the Shrek City Defense Army on the use of soul tools.
1443
1444The Tang Sect had already been relocated into two different areas. One of them was at the original address, while the other region was a huge factory that was used to manufacture soul tools.
1445
1446“Eldest senior.” Huo Yuhao hurriedly greeted Bei Bei when he saw him.
1447
1448However, Bei Bei was unkind to him. He said, “Little junior, you aren’t allowed to perform any missions without my permission from now on.”
1449
1450“What?” Huo Yuhao was shocked as he looked at him. He asked, “Eldest senior, why is that so?”
1451
1452Bei Bei ferociously banged the table and furiously said, “Before you left, what did I tell you? My words have fallen on deaf ears, haven’t they? You disregarded your own safety and took such a huge risk. How dare you still ask me why?”
1453
1454“Ugh…” Huo Yuhao suddenly looked very embarrassed. He scratched his head and looked at Xu Sanshi helplessly.
1455
1456Xu Sanshi chuckled and said, “Yuhao, don’t look at me. You were injured earlier, such that I couldn’t bear to reprimand you. Did you really think I couldn’t tell what you were planning? I was fooled by you at the start. After that, I realized that the door that you left behind was supposed to be used to return back to the base, am I right? This means that you didn’t stand a chance at all. If not for the power that Di Tian left in your body, you would have been dead. Eldest senior is right. Don’t go out and perform any missions anymore. Remain in the sect and focus on your cultivation.”
1457
1458Huo Yuhao revealed a disgruntled look on his face, “Third senior, you can’t put it that way. I was forced by circumstances then, wasn’t I? If I didn’t help the Star Luo Empire achieve a decisive victory, the Sun Moon Empire would have run riot in the Heavenly Soul Empire.”
1459
1460Bei Bei looked very cold, “All right, there’s no use in saying all of that. Sit down. Whatever it is, you won’t be allowed to leave Shrek City without my permission. Otherwise, you’ll be expelled from the sect.”
1461
1462Bei Bei was normally very refined and very nice in his treatment of the members of Shrek’s Seven Monsters. This was especially so for Huo Yuhao. This was his first time he had lost his temper against Huo Yuhao.
1463
1464Huo Yuhao was instantly very fearful and didn’t dare to argue back. He could only sit down disappointingly, and he appeared very helpless.
1465
1466Nan Qiuqiu was sitting beside him and started to secretly laugh.
1467
1468Huo Yuhao was frustrated as he glanced at her. He asked, “Is it that funny?”
1469
1470Nan Qiuqiu chortled, “You deserve it. Who asked you to lose your cool? We support eldest senior’s punishment of you. Just remain in the sect and cultivate.”
1471
1472At this moment, Bei Bei said, “During these few days that you weren’t around, the Tang Sect has already started to move on all fronts. According to Elder Xuan’s instructions, what we need to do first is equip an army that is capable of resisting the Sun Moon Empire’s soul engineer legions. The members of this army will be formed by the teachers and outstanding students of the academy. I’m going to repeat the plan now, and we’ll see if anyone has anything to add.”
1473
1474“The academy has considered the opinions of all parties after a conference. They’ve decided to set up three soul engineer legions.”
1475
1476Three? Huo Yuhao was slightly shocked when he heard this number. If they were like the Sun Moon Empire, each soul engineer legion would be composed of five hundred people. This meant that equipping three soul engineer legions would mean equipping a thousand five hundred people. How easy was it to create enough equipment for a thousand five hundred people to use? Furthermore, the Sun Moon Empire’s soul engineer legions were strong in the sense that their soul tool technologies were leading in the entire continent. Formations of soul tools and linked soul tools were some things that the Tang Sect lacked.
1477
1478Why were there so few casualties from the Sun Moon Empire’s soul engineer legions when they fought? Hundreds of the Sun Moon Empire’s soul engineers unleashed linked soul tools, creating a line of defense that even Transcendent Douluo were helpless against!
1479
1480Wasn’t it a little too hasty for the academy to set up three soul engineer legions?
1481
1482Bei Bei glanced at Huo Yuhao and managed to see how astonished he was. A smiling intent flashed across his face. However, he soon returned to his cold and indifferent look and continued, saying, “Out of these three soul engineer legions, the first legion will be called the Tang Sect Soul Engineer Legion. The academy approved this name. It’ll also be the most elite legion out of the three. It’ll consist of two hundred soul engineers. They’ll all be equipped with the most advanced technologies that the Tang Sect possesses right now. All the soul engineers will at least be Soul Emperors. The leader of this legion will be Dean Xian Lin’er, and the vice-leader of this legion will be Dean Qian Duoduo. At the same time, there’ll be ten Titled Douluo in this legion, all from the academy. However, Dean Xian Lin’er will be the only Transcendent Douluo.”
1483
1484Two hundred? That’s still rather reliable. Huo Yuhao heaved a slight sigh of relief when he heard that. However, he opened his eyes wide when he heard ’ten Titled Douluo’.
1485
1486Ten Titled Douluo! Even the Sun Moon Empire’s Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Legion, the strongest out of the Hand that Protects the Nation, didn’t have so many Titled Douluo. Moreover, all the soul engineers from this legion would at least be Soul Emperors, even though there were only two hundred of them. It really seemed like they wanted to create the number one soul engineer legion on the continent.
1487
1488Bei Bei said, “Currently, we’ve decided to equip this soul engineer legion with custom-made soul tools, including the newly-created batch of linked soul tools. Teacher Xuan will also personally supervise and participate in the creation of core parts of all equipment. We’ve predicted that we’ll be able to fully equip all of them within half a year to a year’s time.”
1489
1490Huo Yuhao lifted his hand and said, “Eldest senior, I have a question.”
1491
1492Bei Bei glanced at him and said, “What’s the question?”
1493
1494Huo Yuhao said, “Given the Tang Sect’s current abilities, there shouldn’t be no problem creating soul tools for Soul Emperors. In terms of linked soul tools, we shouldn’t have a problem either, since we have Teacher Xuan. However, Soul Emperors should only be a small part of this soul engineer legion. Soul Sages, Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo will make up the large bulk of this soul engineer legion. The soul tools that they will be using should be even more advanced, otherwise, they won’t be effective enough! Do we have the ability to create so many advanced soul tools?”
1495
1496Bei Bei nodded and thought to himself. No wonder he’s our little junior. He managed to find the core of the problem so quickly.
1497
1498“Your question is very good. Yes, we won’t be able to create so many suitable soul tools given our current abilities. This is why, after much discussion, we’ve decided that the Tang Sect Soul Engineer Legion will be composed entirely of close-combat soul engineers. For all the soul tools we are going to manufacture, we’ve decided to focus on those that increase speed and offensive strength. Secondarily, they’ll be tailored to increase survivability on the battlefield. The only linked soul tool will be for mass defense.”
1499
1500After hearing his words, Huo Yuhao was immediately enlightened. At the same time, his eyes brightened. It’s a great idea, isn’t it? What are the soul masters from Shrek Academy most adept at? It’s the way they fight. In the entire continent, Shrek Academy is the best in this aspect.
1501
1502Since this is the case, why would we focus on long-range attacks? Close-combat soul engineers, increasing speed, offensive strength, and survivability. If we can achieve all these, we would naturally increase the fighting strength of our soul masters.
1503
1504“If that’s the case, that’s great then. Eldest senior, you can continue.” Huo Yuhao was in awe as he looked at Bei Bei.
1505
1506Bei Bei glared at him unkindly and continued, saying, “For the other two soul engineer legions, there will be more people. The first of the other two soul engineer legions will be called the Heavy Artillery Soul Engineer Legion. They’ll be equipped with the most advanced Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons. They’ll be given three hundred of them, of varying classes. There’ll be a total of one thousand soul masters in the legion. Our aim is to ensure the agility of our heavy cannons as we increase our firepower, and also to ensure that the soul engineers wielding these cannons will be able to get into formations at the quickest speed under any condition and at any place. Currently, we’ve already requested the purchase of a huge batch of low to mid-tier soul cannon shells. Some of them have even secretly been imported from the Sun Moon Empire. In addition, we are also manufacturing our own cannon shells.”
1507
1508Heavy Artillery Soul Engineer Legion. It was much simpler to equip such a soul engineer legion. The Tang Sect had already been producing Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons, and thus had an increasing stock of them.
1509
1510However, the stronger a cannon was, the less portable it was. How could they ensure that they could move the cannons as quickly as possible? Furthermore, they still had to preserve the fighting strength of the cannons. What they needed were sufficient Sealed Milk Bottles to support these cannons.
1511
1512Wait, one thousand people and three hundred cannons? It seems like eldest senior is trying to use people to make up for the lack of Sealed Milk Bottles? After all, every soul master is a source of energy. If they take turns to pour soul power into the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons, they should be able to attack continuously for some time.
1513
1514If three hundred Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons are fired at the same time, they would unleash terrifying strength!
1515
1516Huo Yuhao could still clearly remember that Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons had played a very critical role in Shrek City when the Beast Wave came.
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522Chapter 457.2: The Academy's Soul Engineer Legion Plan
1523
1524
1525Bei Bei said, “The third soul engineer legion will be named the Fort Soul Engineer Legion. It’ll be composed of a thousand five hundred soul masters. Comparatively speaking, this batch of soul masters will be of lower cultivations, and they’ll only be equipped with one type of soul tool – our modified all-terrain self-driving fort. Every fort can only carry five people. As a result, this soul engineer legion will be equipped with three hundred such forts.”
1526
1527After hearing such a number, Huo Yuhao was astonished. He first thought of the sheer amount of rare metals they needed to produce so many self-driving forts and Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons!
1528
1529Bei Bei instantly saw through what he was thinking and took the initiative to answer his doubts before he even posed his question, “To conserve resources and increase the speed of manufacture, we’ve hired blacksmiths from the Heavenly Soul, Dou Ling and Star Luo Empires on high payrolls. They’ll proceed with the manufacturing of the outer shells of the cannons and forts. All the metal outer shells will be built using fine iron. Although this can greatly reduce the defensive tenacity and durability of these cannons and forts, it’s the only way to manufacture so many soul tools as quickly as possible. According to our estimates, the three soul engineer legions should be fully equipped within a year’s time.”
1530
1531Relentless! This was Huo Yuhao’s immediate reaction after he heard Bei Bei’s words.
1532
1533The academy is really going all-out this time! These three soul engineer legions consist of a total of two thousand seven hundred soul masters, including more than ten Titled Douluo. This is indeed the strength of Shrek Academy.
1534
1535The Sun Moon Empire would never expect them to manufacture the outer shells of such large-scale soul tools using fine iron. After all, soul tools were precious in the sense that they were durable. How could fine iron compare to rare metals?
1536
1537At least, it was unlikely that the Sun Moon Empire would use fine iron to manufacture soul tools. However, the Tang Sect was going to do just that. The only advantage that the Tang Sect had over the Sun Moon Empire was the mechanical blueprints for the Tang Sect’s Hidden Weapons that originated from the ancient Tang Sect.
1538
1539Huo Yuhao could guess without even asking. Apart from the most critical parts, all of the soul tools they were going to manufacture were likely going to be using fine iron, fine steel, and other ordinary metals. Even though they were also very strong, their strength could only be realized by the Tang Sect using those mechanical blueprints.
1540
1541Teacher Xuan, you’ve really tapped into the full potential of the Tang Sect!
1542
1543Bei Bei said, “Now that the first batch of soul tools for the three soul engineer legions has been completed, we’ve been conducting training every day. Perhaps our three soul engineer legions aren’t strong enough to change the entire situation of the war, but they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. When needed, we can attack and defend.”
1544
1545Huo Yuhao said, “Eldest senior, I have a suggestion.”
1546
1547Bei Bei nodded and answered, “Go on.”
1548
1549Huo Yuhao continued, “I suggest that we specially divide some people to specialize in manufacturing stationary soul cannon shells. A stationary soul cannon’s greatest advantage lies in its effective range. Since we can use fine iron to create the main structure of our soul tools, we can also manufacture cannon shells. As long as we reduce their strength below a certain standard, fine iron and steel should be able to handle them.”
1550
1551Bei Bei furrowed his brow and said, “We’ll only be able to manufacture Class 3 stationary soul cannon shells then. Wouldn’t that be too weak?”
1552
1553Huo Yuhao’s eyes flashed and he replied, “It might not be. If we thicken the layer of fine iron and steel on the outer shell, we should be able to increase the soul cannons to at least a Class 4 standard. Furthermore, these outer shells can be manufactured by ordinary blacksmiths. We can add a very thin layer of rare metals as the innermost layer. In that case, we should be able to create Class 4 stationary soul cannon shells. Although the destructiveness of a Class 4 stationary soul cannon shell is only roughly at the standard of a Class 5 soul cannon, we’ll still be able to gain a very huge advantage in long-range attacks if we have enough of them. They’ll be especially useful for aerial soul tools. Given my spirit power, we can specialize in using stationary soul cannons to attack the Sun Moon Empire’s aerial surveillance soul tools that within a ten-kilometer radius. Destroying aerial surveillance soul tools doesn’t require too much power either.”
1554
1555After hearing Huo Yuhao’s words, Bei Bei nodded repeatedly and said, “Alright. If you think this is plausible, I’ll arrange for you to find Teacher Xuan when this meeting is over. After that, you can quickly perform tests and come up with a proposition before we commit to anything. We don’t have many soul engineers in the Douluo Continent, but we have many blacksmiths. Hire another batch of them.”
1556
1557“Alright.”
1558
1559After this, Bei Bei introduced all the details relating to the Tang Sect to everyone. There were simply too many matters to deal with in the Tang Sect right now. Bei Bei was also very relieved now that Huo Yuhao and the rest had returned. At least there would now a bunch of them helping him with all the work. Otherwise, he would have died from fatigue. He wouldn’t even have enough time to search for the Bluesilver Emperor.
1560
1561After the meeting was over, Huo Yuhao left the room and was prepared to find Xuan Ziwen. After seeing the Death God and learning about some soul tools on the battlefield, he wanted to discuss all of it with him.
1562
1563“Hey, wait a minute.” Someone called to Huo Yuhao, causing him to turn around perplexedly. He only saw Nan Qiuqiu chasing after him with a grin on her face.
1564
1565“What’s wrong, Qiuqiu? You’re still gloating?” Huo Yuhao laughed.
1566
1567Nan Qiuqiu snorted and replied, “Am I that sort of person? I’m here to help you.”
1568
1569Huo Yuhao was curious as he asked, “Help me? Help me with what?”
1570
1571Nan Qiuqiu chuckled and said, “Do you want to go out and play? I have an idea that will let eldest senior agree to let you go out.”
1572
1573“What?” Huo Yuhao appeared delighted. He didn’t really want to leave, but he might have a chance to bump into Wang Dong’er if he left Shrek City.
1574
1575Huo Yuhao was doubtful as he asked, “What idea could you have?”
1576
1577Nan Qiuqiu snorted and said, “You just need to agree to one of my conditions before I’ll bring you along.”
1578
1579“What’s the condition? Tell me.” Huo Yuhao asked.
1580
1581Nan Qiuqiu paused for a moment and she turned slightly red. After that, she answered, “I want you to be my boyfriend for a few days.”
1582
1583“What?” Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment. He was a little embarrassed as he looked at her and shook his head helplessly before turning around and leaving.
1584
1585“Hey!” Nan Qiuqiu stomped her foot in anger. “Am I that annoying? Can’t you even pretend to be my boyfriend?”
1586
1587Huo Yuhao shook his head and replied, “I’m sorry, Qiuqiu. We can negotiate other things, but I can’t accede to this request of yours. You should know my feelings for Dong’er. If I agree to your request, I’ll be hurting you. That won’t be good for either of us. I’m really sorry. You’re a nice lady, and I’m sure you’ll find your prince charming in the future. I’ll go and find Teacher Xuan first.” After he finished speaking, he turned around and left.
1588
1589Of course, Huo Yuhao could sense the feelings that Ye Guyi and Nan Qiuqiu had for him. It was just that he was overly sad because of what had happened to Wang Dong’er and Wang Qiu’er, and really didn’t wish to associate himself with anyone else. If he were more determined when Wang Qiu’er got close to him, the tragedy might not have happened. This was why he was now very disciplined with regards to matters of the heart. Even though Tang Wutong looked almost identical to Wang Dong’er, he still decided to immediately steer clear from her after verifying that she wasn’t Wang Dong’er. He didn’t want to give her and himself the wrong impression. She had her own feelings. When a guy and a girl stayed around each other too much, it was inevitable that feelings would grow between them. Huo Yuhao didn’t wish for such a situation to happen. This was why he rejected Nan Qiuqiu so readily. Perhaps this might hurt her in the short-term, but it was better than hurting her after she was even more emotionally involved.
1590
1591“Hmph! Guys are all so heartless. I don’t want any prince charming. Don’t leave. Let me finish talking first.” Nan Qiuqiu was fuming as she pursued Huo Yuhao, stopping him in his tracks.
1592
1593Huo Yuhao sighed slightly and asked, “Qiuqiu, what else do you want?”
1594
1595She snorted and said, “It’s a good thing for you. I still have to chase you for this. But you’re so unwilling.”
1596
1597Huo Yuhao was apologetic, “I’m sorry, Qiuqiu. Ever since Qiu’er left and Dong’er felt into a coma, I’ve not been feeling very good. If there’s anything that I’ve done to offend you, please forgive me.”
1598
1599Nan Qiuqiu glared at Huo Yuhao and said, “Do you know how much I hate you? It’s always like this – acting so kind and treating others as outsiders. Even if you can’t be my boyfriend, can’t you at least be an ordinary friend?” As she spoke, her eyes had already turned red.
1600
1601Huo Yuhao’s heart softened and he said, “We’ve always been friends! We’re even partners, even closer than ordinary friends.”
1602
1603Nan Qiuqiu’s expression became milder and she said, “That’s more acceptable. Alright, I shall not delay you. I’ll get straight to the point. Do you remember my mom mentioning that there’s a mysterious place where the Earthdragon Sect is that she wishes to give to the Tang Sect?”
1604
1605Huo Yuhao was moved and he said, “Yes, Elder Nan did mention it before. Why? Haven’t we gone to retrieve it yet?”
1606
1607Nan Qiuqiu said, “One look and I can tell that you didn’t fully understand her words. My mom was telling you that the place is likely to be accessible only to you. As the temperature inside is extremely low, ordinary soul masters can’t possibly survive inside, much less venture deep into it. According to the information that our ancestors left behind, there’s likely to be a mine inside. This mine is also very strange – it’s extremely cold inside. We can only predict that there’s some kind of rare metal inside, but we can’t tell how rare it is. If you’re interested, you can go and take a look since you’ve nothing much to do now and the war situation has more or less stabilized. If you retrieve rare metals, you can bring some of them back.”
1608
1609
1610
1611
1612
1613Chapter 457.3: The Academy's Soul Engineer Legion Plan
1614
1615
1616So it’s about this matter. Huo Yuhao finally understood, and said with gratitude, “Thanks, Qiuqiu. I’ll return and ask eldest senior for permission first.”
1617
1618Nan Qiuqiu nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll go and find my mother too. I’ll ask if she’s free within this period of time. Haih, our sect’s territory has already been occupied by the Sun Moon Empire. If we return, we must be careful too.”
1619
1620Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “No worries, it won’t be some kind of death trap. We’ve already overcome the Death God. Do we need to be afraid of ordinary soldiers from the Sun Moon Empire?”
1621
1622Nan Qiuqiu laughed and said, “Eldest senior just lectured you, but you’ve already gone back to your old ways. Aren’t you afraid that I’ll report you to him?”
1623
1624Huo Yuhao laughed, “I’m not afraid. You aren’t that kind of person. You’re the most loyal.”
1625
1626Nan Qiuqiu snorted and said, “It seems like we can only be good brothers in this life.”
1627
1628Huo Yuhao chuckled, “It’s great to be good brothers! See, I’m so good to my brothers. Alright, I’ll find Teacher Xuan first. We’ll talk when we get back.”
1629
1630In the next few days, Huo Yuhao was completely busy. His discussion with Xuan Ziwen took six hours before he invested his energy into developing stationary soul cannon shells. Xuan Ziwen handed this job to him. If it were Xuan Ziwen, he would find it very easy to complete this task.
1631
1632As for the Earthdragon Sect, Bei Bei allowed him to proceed there after he was done with this task.
1633
1634During the breaks in his experiments, Huo Yuhao wanted to make a trip to the Sea God’s Island and ask Elder Xuan about a problem he had faced during his cultivation. It was just that he found it difficult to turn his attention away from his experiments after he started on them. He only found the time after he completed all his experiments.
1635
1636After the Class 4 stationary soul cannon shells were completed, they were only two-thirds as strong as normal Class 4 stationary soul cannon shells. However, their effective range was almost the same. This was the result of the materials used. Furthermore, Xuan Ziwen was already very pleased that they could make it this far.
1637
1638Huo Yuhao had used a few techniques in their construction. Amongst them, the most important technique was the delayed activation component of the stationary soul cannon shells.
1639
1640When such cannon shells were fired, they normally relied on the thrust at their tail ends to reach far away before exploding. The components that gave them their thrust and power had to be separated using a strong rare metal. The stronger a cannon shell was, the more precious the rare metal needed to separate the components.
1641
1642However, Huo Yuhao went against conventional logic this time in his design. He used a new activation technique.
1643
1644First, as these soul cannon shells were specially designed for Zhuge Divine Crossbows, Huo Yuhao fully tapped into their thrusting force.
1645
1646The cannons were able to fire the cannon shells around two kilometers in distance. If the shells were detonated within these two kilometers, a lot of energy is undoubtedly wasted.
1647
1648Huo Yuhao didn’t separate the components but placed them together in the same compartment. At the bottom of the cannon shells, he used some mechanical principles and created a delayed activation component.
1649
1650When these shells were fired by the cannons, they would automatically be activated. However, as it didn’t have the thrust component, the power component should directly blow apart.
1651
1652However, with the delayed activation component, the power component was meant to blow apart after some time. It would take a few seconds. Within these few seconds, the shell would have flown more than two kilometers away. When the power component was about to be detonated, the central detonation component would take effect. The power component was divided into two parts. One of these parts was the second thrust component. This second thrust component would increase the speed of the shell once again, reaching the speed of an original Class 4 shell and flying far away. Due to the initial propulsion, it just needed to increase the speed of the shell. In this way, a lot of energy was conserved. Although the strength of the power component was slightly reduced as it was smaller, it was important to remember that the outer shell and mechanical components were made completely from fine iron! It was already very difficult to achieve this.
1653
1654Such a cannon shell would be two-thirds as strong as usual, but its cost would only be a tenth of normal. This was not even including the fact that some rare metals couldn’t be found on the market. It was indeed possible to mass-produce such cannon shells.
1655
1656Of course, Huo Yuhao’s research only went this far. Stronger stationary soul tools couldn’t be manufactured in this way. This was because they were too strong, and needed rare metals for their outer shells. However, adopting this method would undoubtedly help to conserve resources.
1657
1658He had finally finished. Huo Yuhao reported his results to Bei Bei and was excited as he sat in the chair in front of Bei Bei, gulping down water. He was completely tired out over the past half month.
1659
1660Bei Bei couldn’t help but smile when he saw Huo Yuhao’s excited look. After Huo Yuhao and the rest returned, they had helped him with a lot of work. He had been much more relaxed over the past half month.
1661
1662“Yuhao, when are you planning to leave since the experiments are done?” Bei Bei asked.
1663
1664Huo Yuhao was puzzled as he asked, “Leave? Where to?”
1665
1666Bei Bei was speechless and said, “Your memory is failing you! Have you forgotten what you promised Qiuqiu? They are helping us. We can’t delay any further. Go and take a look. If it’s some kind of precious rare metal, bring it back.”
1667
1668Huo Yuhao recalled his conversation with Nan Qiuqiu that day and was embarrassed as he scratched his head. “Alright, eldest senior. I’ll go over in a day or two.”
1669
1670Bei Bei said, “Alright, you can go in two days’ time. You should also rest over these two days. You can’t spend all your time researching in the future. Look at Teacher Xuan. He’s a soul tool maniac right now.”
1671
1672Xuan Ziwen had become the busiest person in Shrek City. However, it was weird. He managed to become a Titled Douluo amidst all his business. Recently, he was researching his special Class 9 soul tool. Once his research was over, he would become a true Class 9 soul engineer. He would even be stronger than most ordinary Class 9 soul engineers.
1673
1674Huo Yuhao chortled and said, “I can’t rest. I had some doubts during my cultivation earlier. I still need to ask Elder Xuan about them. Eldest senior, I’ll leave first if there’s nothing else. I’ll go to the Sea God’s Pavilion straightaway. If you want to find me, ask someone to go over there to call me over.”
1675
1676After he finished, he quickly rushed out. To him, every minute was precious.
1677
1678His soul power had increased by another rank over the past half month. He was now a Rank 74 control-type Soul Sage. This increase was a result of his accumulation, as well as his research into the soul power of the Beast God.
1679
1680As he was busy performing experiments, Huo Yuhao didn’t manage to improve in his earlier cultivation. But now that the experiments were over, it was time for him to work towards improvements in that area.
1681
1682“Yuhao, wash up before going.” Bei Bei smiled as he called out to Huo Yuhao from behind.
1683
1684“Alright.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged his words before he disappeared.
1685
1686Bei Bei wore a smile on his face and shook his head helplessly. He gently leaned back in his chair. Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something. He pulled the drawer in front of him open and took out a small jade box.
1687
1688Pinkish lights flashed inside this box. It was given to him by the Delicate Silk Immortal, and it was one of the two valuable treasures needed to save Tang Ya. However, the only problem was that the Bluesilver Emperor had yet to surface until now.
1689
1690Xiao Ya, where are you? How are you doing?
1691
1692Bei Bei’s expression turned gentler as he thought of her. However, he was deeply worried. It had already been so long since he had received any news of Tang Ya. Without a doubt, she must have been completely influenced by those evil soul masters and lost her awareness.
1693
1694Bei Bei really wanted to risk everything to find her. He had already secretly decided in his heart that he was going to leave the Tang Sect to find her after the three soul engineer legions were fully equipped. No matter what price he had to pay, he had to bring her back safely even if he couldn’t find the Bluesilver Emperor.
1695
1696Huo Yuhao quickly went to Shrek Academy after leaving the Tang Sect. The academy was considered to be in the inner city now. Although Shrek City had expanded, Shrek Academy hadn’t. They only added an extra experimental ground outside of the Soul Tool Department.
1697
1698Now that war had begun on the continent, even Shrek Academy wasn’t completely safe. Apart from the students who were already in the academy, the number of new students was decreasing. If Shrek Academy was already like that, there was no point talking about other academies.
1699
1700Huo Yuhao went straight to Sea God’s Island after entering the academy. When he was outside the Sea God’s Pavilion, he first kowtowed to the Golden Tree before going in to find Elder Xuan.
1701
1702Elder Xuan looked much better than he had the last time they had met. He directly brought Huo Yuhao to his room to talk to him.
1703
1704“Elder Xuan.” Huo Yuhao was delighted as he rushed in front of Elder Xuan. “My experiments have succeeded. We can start manufacturing low-tier Class 4 stationary soul cannon shells now. If we make them in batches, we should be able to surprise the Sun Moon Empire.”
1705
1706Elder Xuan was in awe as he said, “Oh? You’ve actually succeeded? You’re indeed a genius!” It’s only been a few days, but Yuhao has already completed such crucial research. It’s even something the Sun Moon Empire can’t replicate.
1707
1708After Huo Yuhao started researching, Bei Bei had already reported his idea to Elder Xuan during their regular meetings at the Sea God’s Pavilion.
1709
1710Shrek Academy was no longer peaceful after the war started. The Conference of the Sea God’s Pavilion was meant to be annual, but it was now changed to regular monthly meetings. If there were other special situations, more of such meetings had to be organized.
1711
1712
1713
1714
1715
1716Chapter 458.1: Soul Core
1717
1718
1719“Don’t tire yourself out, Yuhao. You look so worn out.” Elder Xuan smacked the dust off his shoulders and said concernedly.
1720
1721Huo Yuhao laughed in embarrassment. Bei Bei’s warning fell on deaf ears. He was excited after completing his experiments, and was eager to tell Elder Xuan everything about the mysteries of soul power.
1722
1723“Elder Xuan, wasn’t I possessed by the Beast God Di Tian when I was resisting Elder Ye Xishui? Then, the Beast God poured in his strength into my body from afar through spatial power. He descended using my body. Even though my passageways were damaged following that, I managed to understand some certain traits of Di Tian’s soul power. When I did my research after that, I found out something strange.”
1724
1725Huo Yuhao recounted his discoveries, along with the details of his experiments to Elder Xuan.
1726
1727Elder Xuan was still smiling when he first started, and nodding his head from time to time. He was very pleased with Huo Yuhao’s curiosity. However, his expression slowly changed as he continued to listen.
1728
1729He performed high-pressure compression on his soul power and controlled it outside his body, creating a spatial distortion and allowing him to imitate Di Tian’s black hole soul power.
1730
1731This kid is too brazen.
1732
1733“…Elder Xuan, whatever knowledge the academy taught before only applies to Soul Douluo and below. There’s no other knowledge beyond Soul Douluo. When one becomes a Titled Douluo, what kind of changes will happen to his soul power? Is Di Tian’s black hole soul power only applicable for Ultimate Douluo? In other words, is he the only one with knowledge of it? Although they are both Ultimate Douluo, Di Tian was evidently stronger than Elder Ye Xishui. If Ye Xishui doesn’t use the Death God, she won’t be Di Tian’s match in a direct confrontation.”
1734
1735Elder Xuan silently nodded. He sighed before saying, “I didn’t expect you to reach this level so quickly. Since you’ve asked, I guess it’s fine that I tell you.”
1736
1737“You aren’t wrong. When a soul master becomes a Titled Douluo, his soul power will transform from its original fluid state to a solid state. That’s the Rank 90 bottleneck, and the soul master will obtain his ninth soul ring to become a Titled Douluo. This is a very difficult bottleneck to break through for most soul masters. This is why there are so many Soul Douluo, but a scarcity of Titled Douluo.”
1738
1739“There’s a very big problem when one’s soul power changes from a fluid state to a solid state. It’s very difficult to cultivate soul power in the solid state. Let’s not talk about those Soul Douluo who can’t transform to become a Titled Douluo. Let’s only talk about Titled Douluo. You’ve already sparred with many Titled Douluo. Have you ever realized that even Titled Douluo of the same rank can actually differ a lot in their abilities?”
1740
1741Huo Yuhao immediately nodded and said, “Yes! I’ve discovered this point. Isn’t this because of one’s martial soul?”
1742
1743Elder Xuan smiled and said, “That’s right. It has some relation to one’s martial soul. The stronger one’s martial soul is, the better he is able to unleash the strength of it when he combines it with his soul power. However, you might know about something. The stronger one’s martial soul is, the greater the amount of soul power during cultivation. This is because one’s martial soul can contain a part of his soul power. The stronger a martial soul, the greater the amount of soul power it can store.”
1744
1745“One can store a portion of his soul power in his martial soul?” Huo Yuhao was astonished. He really did not know about this.
1746
1747Elder Xuan smiled and said, “Yes. You should be realizing it now. A soul master can unleash his Martial Soul True Body if he’s at least a Soul Sage. His Martial Soul True Body can help him to store some of his soul power. You’ll only learn such knowledge in the academy if you’re at least a Soul Sage. You didn’t realize it because the amount of soul power you have is already greater than other soul masters of the same rank. Don’t forget, you have twin martial souls.”
1748
1749Huo Yuhao pondered, then asked, “Does this mean that it is very difficult for a Titled Douluo to improve further when his soul power reaches a solid state?”
1750
1751Elder Xuan smiled and nodded lightly, “That’s right, you’re correct. The reason is also very simple. If your soul power is in the gaseous or liquid state, it can flow inside your body. Now, let me ask you, can your soul power still flow if it’s in a solid state?”
1752
1753Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously shook his head. Yes! How can one’s soul power flow inside his body if it’s in a solid state?
1754
1755Elder Xuan said, “Your research is going in the right direction. In fact, the situation that you’ve laid out is exactly the soul core that only appears for Titled Douluo. It refers to the core of soul power, the foundation of a Titled Douluo. Soul power is compressed from a fluid state to a solid state, which is then immersed in the dantian of a soul master. That is the soul core. The soul core revolves continuously, and will absorb external soul power through the soul master for the soul master to use. Whether it is in terms of fighting strength or recovery ability, the soul master will be stronger than before.”
1756
1757“However, it is much more difficult to improve once one’s soul power solidifies compared to when it’s in the fluid or gaseous state. This is because a human can’t possibly circulate solid soul power through his body. This is why a human can only dissect the solid soul power in his body into beads before controlling the circulation of his soul power in the gaseous or fluid state. Not only is this process difficult, but it is also very dangerous. As a result, some soul masters who didn’t think that they were talented would give up on further improvements after they became Titled Douluo. They would remain at Rank 91. This is very safe for them.”
1758
1759It's actually so complicated? Huo Yuhao was shocked when he heard that.
1760
1761Elder Xuan continued, saying, “However, it’s not entirely true that soul power can’t circulate in one’s body in the solid state. If a soul master’s spiritual power is strong enough that he can control the beads of soul power to appear in the gaseous or fluid state, he can naturally circulate his soul power. Given this, solid, fluid and gaseous states could possibly exist together. To control one’s soul power at this level, one can only be a Transcendent Douluo. As a result, after becoming a Transcendent Douluo, cultivation might actually become easier. At least there’s a correct cultivation method.”
1762
1763“Of course, Transcendent Douluo would still find it difficult to improve. There’s a limit to how much soul power a human body can handle. It can still be compressed in the gaseous or fluid state, and it is already highly compressed in the solid state. It can no longer be further compressed. In order to allow one’s body to handle more soul power, it comes down to the question that you asked earlier – why does Di Tian’s soul power contain such strong spatial power?”
1764
1765“Di Tian has an eight hundred thousand year cultivation. Although he has not lived in this world for eight hundred thousand years, he has still lived much longer than us. Throughout his entire life, he has been understanding the mysteries of space and time, granting him his current cultivation. No one on the continent can compare to him in this aspect. His soul power, which is every little black hole that you saw, contains an immense amount of compressed soul power. It is stored in his body using time and spatial power, which enables him to handle it. Once a fight breaks out, he can unleash immense fighting strength by controlling his soul power.”
1766
1767“My current soul power is Rank 98. All these years, I’ve been troubled by how to control that spatial power and stabilize it after compressing my soul power. I can perform some simple control of spatial power. Come, take a look.”
1768
1769As he spoke, Elder Xuan stretched out his hand, and a ball of yellow light appeared out of nothing in his palm. It was a yellow ball of light, which looked very real. There were thin spatial cracks around it.
1770
1771Earth-type soul power! This was clearly Elder Xuan’s solidified soul power!
1772
1773Elder Xuan’s eyes brightened. Suddenly, the spatial cracks that surrounded the ball started to widen, and the ball started to collapse inward. A small black hole was formed. A terrifying suction force dragged Huo Yuhao toward it, and he almost knocked into Elder Xuan.
1774
1775After that black hole formed, it started to revolve at high speed. The origin energy in the air started to be sucked into the black hole.
1776
1777The yellow light on Elder Xuan’s body became more intense. The little black hole stabilized as it was surrounded by a layer of gentle yellow light. It stopped spinning faster, but revolved at a constant speed.
1778
1779“This is roughly how it is in Di Tian’s body. He uses his own soul power to cause a collapse in space, forming a black hole that can devour origin energy. Theoretically speaking, this black hole can continuously devour origin energy. However, there would be instability if I can’t control it, which would eventually lead to an explosion. I heard Elder Mu mention that if an Ultimate Douluo can complete a black hole and maintain it at a limit that he can handle, the black hole would be able to remain indefinitely. In that case, this black hole can even devour our entire continent.”
1780
1781“Of course. Such a possibility is very rare. Elder Mu was only making deductions too. Such a black hole soul power would require immense spiritual power to be controlled. After it’s controlled, it can be absorbed into one’s body. I can complete such a process, but I can’t transform my soul power in that way like Di Tian. Currently, there’s only one black hole of soul power in my body right now. It’s my soul core. The soul power that’s flowing in my body is still existing in three states.”
1782
1783“If I can transform one-tenth of the soul power in my body into a black hole, I can create a second black hole soul core, possibly in my chest or brow, thereby becoming an Ultimate Douluo. However, it’s not easy! I’ve already tried many times, but I’ve always missed by a bit. Compared to substituting my soul power, creating a second soul core is easier. Elder Mu and Long Xiaoyao both took this path. I think Ye Xishui did the same too. Only Di Tian took a different path. This is why he is much stronger than most ordinary Ultimate Douluo.
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789Chapter 458.2: Soul Core
1790
1791
1792“Furthermore, I suspect that Di Tian has a second soul core. His abilities are already close to that of a god. If he were human, he might have been accepted by the Godly Realm already.”
1793
1794Huo Yuhao listened very seriously. To him, such knowledge was simply too important. This has also allowed him to clearly see his future path of development.
1795
1796Elder Xuan smiled and said, “Yuhao, it’s much easier for you to become an Ultimate Douluo compared to us. This is because you have twin martial souls. Remember, you must aim to achieve double soul cores the moment you become a Titled Douluo. As long as you can form black holes with those two soul cores, you can easily overcome the barrier to becoming an Ultimate Douluo. Haih, it’s a pity that time is not on our side. If you had another thirty years to become an Ultimate Douluo, why would we be afraid of Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao? An Ultimate Douluo with twin martial souls would be much stronger than both of them. You could even possibly challenge Di Tian.”
1797
1798Huo Yuhao said, “Elder Xuan, how can soul power be stabilized as it transforms into a black hole? In my experiments, I found myself losing control before the revolution of my soul power had generated sufficient spatial power. The key lies in my fear. I feared that I would suffer some kind of backlash once I lost control. This is why I don’t even know what my limit is.”
1799
1800Elder Xuan laughed and said, “Fool, don’t be too ambitious! You’re only a Soul Sage right now. Even though you have twin martial souls, you’re still a Soul Sage. You can’t possibly form a soul core right now. However, you have a very great advantage over other soul masters. Because of this advantage, I’m confident that you can directly form double soul cores when you become a Titled Douluo.”
1801
1802“Are you talking about my spiritual power?” Huo Yuhao immediately understood what Elder Xuan meant.
1803
1804Elder Xuan nodded and replied, “That’s right, it’s your spiritual power. Your spiritual power is greater than most other ordinary soul masters, comparable to a Titled Douluo. There are very few spiritual-type soul masters, but a spiritual-type Titled Douluo will most certainly become a Transcendent Douluo. This is because spiritual-type soul masters have greater control than most ordinary soul masters. It’s fine for you to carry out such experiments right now. At least you’ll get to accumulate experience. However, don’t be too fixated on it. You can’t help it if your abilities aren’t up to par. As your soul power is insufficient, you can’t possibly compress all your soul power inside your soul core when you change it from the fluid to the solid state. The bigger the soul core, the stronger the Titled Douluo.”
1805
1806Huo Yuhao was moved, and asked, “Elder Xuan. If I try to form a soul core right now, what might happen?”
1807
1808Elder Xuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “First, it’s almost impossible. While your control might be strong, it’s very difficult to control spatial power. If things go wrong, you’ll be courting your own death. During the process of carrying out soul power compression, the demands on a soul master’s physical tenacity are very great. One’s body is like a container that stores soul power, whereas the transformation of soul power from a fluid to a solid state will generate immense energy. If your body isn’t strong enough, you’ll blow apart and die. This is why you can’t just try for fun.”
1809
1810“Assuming you really succeed, your future cultivation is bound to increase significantly. A solid soul core absorbs origin energy at a much faster speed than your meditation right now. However, what will happen when you reach Rank 90? You already have one soul core and you can’t possibly compress all your soul power inside it. When you reach Rank 90, you’ll need to attempt the compression of your second soul core. It’s only in this way that you’ll become a Titled Douluo. However, your soul core will definitely appear in your dantian. There’s a very high possibility that your first soul core will form in your dantian as well. There’s also a possibility that you can form two at the same time. However, if there’s already one soul core in your dantian, you’ll have to take a look at my condition if you want to form a second soul core somewhere else.”
1811
1812Elder Xuan was a little helpless as he pointed to himself.
1813
1814Huo Yuhao understood what he meant. According to Elder Xuan, assuming that he did the impossible and formed a first soul core, it would be as difficult for him to form a second soul core as it was to become an Ultimate Douluo from a Rank 98 Transcendent Douluo.
1815
1816“I understand. Thank you.”
1817
1818Huo Yuhao nodded gently.
1819
1820Elder Xuan said, “Didn’t you say you wanted to challenge your limits earlier? You can try. I’ll watch over you. I would also like to see how good your control is. I suggest you try with one-tenth of your soul power. When your soul power reaches the solid state and continues to increase until you feel like you can’t control it anymore, I’ll be here. Don’t worry. I’ll ensure your safety.”
1821
1822Huo Yuhao was delighted, “Thanks Elder Xuan. Shall I start now?”
1823
1824“Yes, you can start now.”
1825
1826Huo Yuhao first calmed himself down and adjusted his state of mind. He shut his eyes, and his spiritual power started to flow. He also checked his soul power in his body.
1827
1828Elder Xuan stood by one side and silently nodded. This kid is still as composed as ever. He’s not lost his cool at all.
1829
1830When Huo Yuhao opened his eyes again, his eyes were already covered with a layer of gold. He slowly lifted his right hand, and his milky-white soul power started to flow out.
1831
1832As his soul power was in the fluid state, it looked like a puddle of milk in his palm. None of his soul power seeped out of his hand as he controlled it using his spiritual power.
1833
1834More and more of his soul power started to appear and drift above Huo Yuhao’s palm. It was slowly revolving. This time, Huo Yuhao had poured out more soul power than he did the previous two times in his experiments. With Elder Xuan protecting him, he naturally didn’t need to worry too much.
1835
1836Under his control, the circulation of his soul power started to increase in speed. At the same time, it also started to slowly compress. During the process of compression, Huo Yuhao slowly increased the input of his soul power.
1837
1838His fluid soul power started to become viscous, but its speed kept on increasing under Huo Yuhao’s intentional control. There was a layer of gold surrounding his white soul power. It was this layer of gold that protected his soul power from seeping away.
1839
1840If it were any other seven-ringed soul master, his soul power would quickly vaporize if he let his soul power out of his body just like that without using any soul skills. After vaporizing, his soul power would then vanish into the air.
1841
1842Elder Xuan nodded in approval as he watched Huo Yuhao’s control of his spiritual power. Even though this didn’t drain too much of his spiritual power, there was a very great demand on detail. It wasn’t easy for Huo Yuhao to do something like this.
1843
1844His soul power was slowly transforming from the fluid to the solid state. Huo Yuhao’s expression also started to turn serious. However, his soul power didn’t shift in the slightest under his control. It continued to constantly revolve.
1845
1846It had finally transformed into the solid state. It was very difficult to imagine a Soul Sage doing this! Elder Xuan was in awe, and also became more focused. He was ready to react to any situation.
1847
1848Huo Yuhao’s soul power kept on compressing and revolving.
1849
1850Slowly, his solid soul power took form. The little funnel that Huo Yuhao was familiar with appeared. As he had poured more soul power into it this time, the appearance of the funnel caused a greater suction of origin energy from outside compared to before. The terrifying suction force directly spread outward. Inside the Sea God’s Pavilion, origin energy was in abundance. Suddenly, Huo Yuhao felt as if the energy from this little whirlpool had increased at a rate that was at least twice as quick compared to the previous two experiments.
1851
1852Distorted lights around his solid soul power started to become more and more evident. The intense suction force didn’t just suck in origin energy. It was also absorbing Huo Yuhao’s own soul power. Huo Yuhao had no choice but to continuously pour his soul power into it to enhance the strength of his solid soul power.
1853
1854“Very good, continue. Don’t worry. Let me see what standard you can reach.” Elder Xuan’s voice sounded in Huo Yuhao’s ears, alleviating his worries. However, he didn’t immediately increase the output of his soul power. Rather, he allowed his soul power to absorb the soul power in his body. At the same time, he kept on strengthening the control of his spiritual power in a bid to maintain the stability of his solid soul power.
1855
1856Elder Xuan had mentioned before that he had to maintain the stability of his solid soul power if he wanted to make it his soul core. Once stability was lost, a huge explosion would ensue. That would be very perilous.
1857
1858Under Huo Yuhao’s intentional control, his solid soul power started to stabilize, as well as continuing to strengthen. The surge of origin energy also became faster and faster. Huo Yuhao even saw dim gold appearing on the walls in the room. The Golden Tree was absorbing origin energy from the outside world just as it was pouring out origin energy. This went to show that Huo Yuhao’s solid soul power was absorbing origin energy at an immensely quick rate.
1859
1860Elder Xuan’s body lit up with a layer of dim golden light, isolating him from the outside world. This was because Huo Yuhao’s solid soul power was already starting to absorb his own soul power. However, Elder Xuan was able to isolate it, given that there was a huge difference in their cultivations.
1861
1862A mysterious look slowly appeared across Huo Yuhao’s face. On his forehead, his Eye of Destiny had already slowly opened. He increased the output of his spiritual power once again and continued to control the revolution of his solid soul power with stability.
1863
1864Seconds passed, and more than half of Huo Yuhao’s soul power had already fused into this solid soul power. He also started to feel that he was slowly losing control of the revolution of this solid soul power. His spiritual control was still maintaining its stability. However, it was impossible for him to stop it anymore. If he did so, there would only be one result: an explosion!
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870Chapter 458.3: Soul Core
1871
1872
1873Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power didn’t weaken in the slightest as he continued to pour out his soul power. Elder Xuan was stunned to discover that the spiritual power surrounding the solid soul power was getting stronger and stronger. It had even turned from the original gold to rose-gold. It was as if a layer of solid spiritual power existed and perfectly maintained the stability of the solid soul power.
1874
1875His spiritual power is really strong. It seems like I have underestimated the strength of his spiritual power. It is much stronger than I expected. Perhaps this kid’s spiritual cultivation has improved recently.
1876
1877Elder Xuan was right. After experiencing the war between the Star Luo Empire and Sun Moon Empire, Huo Yuhao was even personally involved in a fight between Ultimate Douluo. His body had suffered critical injuries, but he had developed a deeper understanding of spiritual aspects. After all, the spiritual power of two Ultimate Douluo was stronger than his. Under the kind of pressure that he faced, his spiritual power naturally grew as it was stimulated.
1878
1879At this tier, even a minor increase in his spiritual power was still considered a huge improvement.
1880
1881The terrifying soul power undulations continued, and Huo Yuhao started to find it a little overwhelming. He could still hold on in terms of his spiritual power, but the solid soul power was absorbing his soul power at a faster speed, just as the amount of soul power in his body was less than that in the form of the solid soul power. Huo Yuhao only felt as if the soul power in his body was rushing out, whereas the revolution of the solid soul power had reached a speed that he couldn’t see properly even with his Spirit Eyes.
1882
1883Fifty percent, sixty percent, seventy percent. When more than seventy percent of his soul power had been absorbed from his body, Huo Yuhao already couldn’t control the output of his soul power. What he couldn’t see was that the entire Sea God’s Pavilion had already let out dim golden light. Above the Sea God’s Pavilion, origin energy had already formed clouds in the air. Immense origin energy continuously gathered in the direction of the Golden Tree.
1884
1885Some of the elders in the Sea God’s Pavilion were awakened from their cultivation at this moment. How could they possibly not notice such a great disturbance in the pavilion?
1886
1887Is someone trying to become a Transcendent Douluo? This was their immediate reaction. This was because something as strange as this only appeared when someone was trying to form a soul core.
1888
1889After this, they discovered that the core of all the soul power undulations came from Elder Xuan’s room. To them, this wasn’t considered a very impressive level of soul power undulations. Instead, they thought that the undulations were a little weak. There should be a greater disturbance if it was a Titled Douluo trying to become a Transcendent Douluo.
1890
1891However, they weren’t worried, since everything was happening in Elder Xuan’s room. After observing for a while, they all returned to meditate. The concentrated origin energy in the air was also very beneficial to their cultivation. However, the prerequisite was that they had to create a barrier around themselves to prevent their soul power from being sucked away.
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897Eighty percent! More than eighty percent of Huo Yuhao’s soul power had already been devoured. Right now, he needed to use a portion of his spiritual power to control his entire body so that his soul power would leak out at a slower speed. Perspiration had already drenched his forehead, and he started to look paler and paler.
1898
1899However, Elder Xuan was very impressed that Huo Yuhao was still able to stabilize and control the solid soul power even under such conditions. He didn’t let it shift at all.
1900
1901At this moment, something strange happened. The original milky-white solid soul power started to change color – it turned a dim gold. Furthermore, this golden color was intensifying.
1902
1903After seeing this, Elder Xuan was astonished. He lifted his head to look at Huo Yuhao. Although Huo Yuhao was already finding it very tough right now, he was still trying his best to hold on.
1904
1905“Yuhao, hang on. Your solid soul power is starting to develop elemental characteristics. Perhaps you can really construct a soul core. Your situation is different. If you manage to construct a soul core right now, you might actually reach the Rank 89 bottleneck in a much shorter period of time. Although it’s still difficult to become a Titled Douluo, this might be your opportunity. Hang on.”
1906
1907After hearing Elder Xuan’s words, Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned. He continued to use his spiritual power to control the remaining soul power in his body from being sucked out too quickly. This was because the solid soul power was not just absorbing his soul power; it was also absorbing the origin energy in the air. If it sucked less soul power from him, it could absorb more of the origin energy in the air.
1908
1909In addition, Huo Yuhao had the deepest sense of this solid soul power since he was the one who had created it. He could clearly feel that the development of elemental characteristics was on the spiritual level. This meant that this solid soul power contained the spiritual power of his Spirit Eyes. It was fusing with his first martial soul.
1910
1911His spiritual power kept on growing. His soul power couldn’t compare to a Titled Douluo, but his spiritual power could. Under the effect of his Eye of Destiny, he continued to let out more spiritual power from his body. His Eye of Destiny also turned rose-gold. An aura of destiny also started to appear as he let out his spiritual power.
1912
1913The revolution of his solid soul power continued to speed up. It was slowly turning golden. Apart from the immense soul power undulations, there were also decently strong undulations of spiritual power that appeared. The spiritual power that Huo Yuhao unleashed to protect the solid soul power had even stuck to it and started to be devoured.
1914
1915At this moment, the solid soul power slowed down in its suction of origin energy from the air and Huo Yuhao’s soul power. This gave Huo Yuhao an opportunity to catch his breath.
1916
1917I must hang on.
1918
1919Huo Yuhao recognized that his abilities were lacking as he faced off against stronger individuals. He was clearly aware that his current cultivation was still not good enough to challenge individuals of higher cultivations. He had to work hard in his cultivation and increase his abilities right now. Elder Xuan had mentioned that this was a great opportunity, which was also what he had thought earlier.
1920
1921As for a future, second soul core, it wasn’t impossible for him to form it even if it was difficult. In addition, he had another thought. If he could hang on and wait until his solid soul power formed a soul core, it might even be a stepping stone for him to form a second soul core in the future.
1922
1923The golden color turned more and more intense. The aura of his Spirit Eyes had already completely immersed into his solid soul power. However, Huo Yuhao’s soul power had already been drained such that there was only a little left over. He gritted his teeth and hung on. However, he couldn’t just hold on because of the void in his body. He was trembling slightly. Without some soul power to support his body, his ability to let out spiritual power would also be affected!
1924
1925Elder Xuan furrowed his brow. He couldn’t help Huo Yuhao in the formation of his soul core. It could only be completed by the soul master himself. It seems like Yuhao won’t be able to hang on! After all, his cultivation is too weak. Even if he has twin martial souls, his soul power is still not at the level of a Titled Douluo. Haih, it seems like pure spiritual power is still insufficient to complete the formation of a soul core.
1926
1927However, he should be proud of himself for what he’s achieved. After all, I was Rank 88 when I reached his standard in the past. He’s only Rank 70 or so right now.
1928
1929The yellow light that Elder Xuan released was getting stronger and stronger. He was ready to intervene. When Huo Yuhao couldn’t hang on anymore, he would use his soul power to cage in Huo Yuhao’s solid soul power before sending it high up into the air and detonating it. In this way, there shouldn’t be much danger. However, Huo Yuhao would need a few days to recover after this experience. The drainage of his soul and spiritual power wasn’t something that he could easily recover from.
1930
1931Huo Yuhao’s body was already shaking tremendously by now. He was now relying on his willpower to hang on. The immense suction force kept on pulling his body forward. Once he couldn’t hang on anymore, he might even be sucked in.
1932
1933A soul master couldn’t possibly carry out such an experiment on his own. This was because the end result was death. This was why a soul master needed someone strong to protect him. A Soul Douluo had some ability to protect himself since his soul power had already reached a certain standard. Even so, there were many cases of Soul Douluo getting critically hurt as they tried to become a Titled Douluo.
1934
1935Just as Elder Xuan was ready to intervene, a beam of golden light shone behind Huo Yuhao’s back. Following this, a ball of milky-white light drilled out from his back. At the same time, a circular barrier appeared in front of him. It helped to isolate the suction force of the solid soul power.
1936
1937Life Reflection Shield!
1938
1939The ball of milky-white light that appeared slowly took form and transformed into a huge iceworm. Rings of golden light patterns subtly appeared.
1940
1941The moment it appeared, a wave of pure soul power was poured into Huo Yuhao’s body, stabilizing him.
1942
1943Brother Skydream! Huo Yuhao naturally knew the origin of this force.
1944
1945The Skydream Iceworm’s voice sounded in his head, “Continue. I’m here.”
1946
1947The moment his voice was heard, the Life Reflection Shield disappeared, and the suction force was felt again, but with the support of the Skydream Iceworm, Huo Yuhao managed to recover slightly. The soul power that the Skydream Iceworm poured into his body contained concentrated spiritual power. As it was released, the solid soul power’s color intensified even more quickly. The gold turned bright gold. Spatial cracks also started to appear around it.
1948
1949The light coming from the Skydream Iceworm’s body became stronger and stronger. Streaks of milky-white light separated from his body and entered Huo Yuhao’s body.
1950
1951There was a comforted look in the Skydream Iceworm’s eyes. However, what Huo Yuhao didn’t know was that the Skydream Iceworm had poured in most of his remaining origin strength from his million-year cultivation into his body.
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957Chapter 459.1: Fusion of Soul Cores
1958
1959
1960Even the Beast God Di Tian wanted this strength back in the Great Star Dou Forest. The Skydream Iceworm was far too valuable, and this origin power wasn’t something that Di Tian could take without the Skydream Iceworm’s consent. Therefore, the Beast God had gathered other savage beasts to absorb the Skydream Iceworm’s soul power that he had obtained after so many years.
1961
1962In the beginning, the Skydream Iceworm took his own origin power into Huo Yuhao’s body when he had first fused with him. Huo Yuhao’s cultivation had thus been able to improve continuously, and his spiritual power’s exponential qualitative change all had to do with the Skydream Iceworm’s origin power. Otherwise, how could his body transform so smoothly?
1963
1964However, the Skydream Iceworm didn’t give all his origin power to Huo Yuhao, because his body’s capacity was far from enough.
1965
1966There was another more important thing that Huo Yuhao didn’t know. As long as the Skydream Iceworm maintained his origin power and kept it from dissipating, then the Skydream Iceworm could still choose another human to merge with even if Huo Yuhao passed away.
1967
1968In this moment, when the Skydream Iceworm decided to fuse his most valuable possession into Huo Yuhao’s body, Huo Yuhao and he could no longer be separated. Either Huo Yuhao finally stepped onto the path of becoming a God, or he would live and die with him.
1969
1970The truth was, the Skydream Iceworm had long contemplated fusing his origin power with Huo Yuhao when Huo Yuhao had interacted with the God Realm a long time ago. How much Huo Yuhao’s body could bear was sufficient. However, the Ice Empress had stopped him. The Skydream Iceworm should wait until a crucial moment, and give his origin power to he when Huo Yuhao was breaking through. That would be much more effective.
1971
1972Wasn’t this the important opportunity they were waiting for? The Skydream Iceworm didn’t expect this moment to arrive so quickly.
1973
1974Soul beasts cultivated differently from humans. Therefore, they couldn’t guide Huo Yuhao in this respect. However, both the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress were some of the strongest people in the world, and they all possessed incredibly strong abilities within their domains. Of course, they could see that this moment was an incredible opportunity for improvement to Huo Yuhao. An opportunity like that only came once in a blue moon – at least, such opportunities were considerably rare. It would be a pity to miss it.
1975
1976The Skydream Iceworm’s origin power was incredibly strong because his was a pure and perfect fusion between spiritual power and soul power. The Skydream Iceworm had completely discarded his element of ice when he was helping Huo Yuhao construct his second martial soul. The Skydream Iceworm only had pure soul power and spiritual power at this moment. This was the reason why he was most suitable for helping Huo Yuhao form his first soul core.
1977
1978Elder Xuan’s eyes were wide with astonishment. Huo Yuhao was already almost overcome with weakness, but the enormous Iceworm’s appearance behind his back enabled his spirit to swiftly recover, while his soul power was being unleashed at an exponentially quicker rate, and continuously as well. It didn’t take long before the volume of the solid-state soul power he had created was comparable to that of a Soul Douluo.
1979
1980That was just unbelievable – it was the first time that Elder Xuan had seen such a thing!
1981
1982Even though a powerful martial soul can help soul masters store a certain amount of soul power, Huo Yuhao is storing far more than he should be able to. Furthermore, his two martial souls are the Spirit Eyes and the Ice Empress Jade Scorpion. What is with this huge worm? Does this mean that Spirits can help soul masters store even more soul power?
1983
1984Elder Xuan shook his head exasperatedly. Prodigies and geniuses cultivate in a different fashion from what is the norm after all. I’ll just wait and see to what stage he can reach.
1985
1986The cracks around the funnel-shaped soul power began to turn gold, while the black hues that belonged to spatial cracks began to appear within the golden colors.
1987
1988Huo Yuhao realized to his surprise that when his spiritual power reached a certain level inside the solid-state soul power, it was just as the fusion of soul power and spiritual power was like inside his own body. The state of his soul power was very similar to when he was unleashing his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills, while the only difference was that his soul power was now solid instead of liquid.
1989
1990It seems like solid-state soul power is still a reflection of my own ability after all!
1991
1992However, Huo Yuhao realized some even stranger things right at this moment. The solid soul power was still absorbing his soul power and spiritual power, while Huo Yuhao could still hang on with the Skydream Iceworm replenishing him. This solid soul power was starting to absorb more than just those two things – it was actually gradually absorbing the spatial power contained within the cracks in space.
1993
1994Is this where the secrets of creating the combination lie? Huo Yuhao widened his eyes, and was working hard to control everything while observing closely at the same time.
1995
1996Yes, it’s like that. The solid soul power was clearly swallowing the spatial power contained within the cracks in space. It was very strange – the cracks in space became increasingly larger as their spatial power was absorbed, while even more spatial power filled them. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was being expended at an exponentially faster rate, while the wild and violent spatial power was tearing at his spiritual power. Huo Yuhao wouldn’t have been able to hang on if not for his Eye of Destiny.
1997
1998Time continued to pass. The Skydream Iceworm that was almost material behind his back also became increasingly illusory. The Iceworm’s origin power had already integrated into the solid soul power through Huo Yuhao’s body. Even if his experiment ultimately ended in failure, the origin energy of heaven and earth would be very beneficial for him, especially with respect to his fusion of soul power and spiritual power. The Skydream Iceworm would truly become his Spirit after everything ended, and they would be inseparable, just like the Snow Empress.
1999
2000The Skydream Iceworm’s origin power that was coming from behind him became increasingly weak. Huo Yuhao could feel his body descending into weakness once more, and he gritted his teeth as he tried his best to hang on. Even though he didn’t know what kind of price the Skydream Iceworm was paying, Huo Yuhao could still feel his weakness. Brother Skydream has given so much to help me – I have to hold on, no matter what!
2001
2002He gritted his teeth and continued releasing more spiritual power. There was nothing he could do about his soul power, so he could only keep working through spiritual power. The spiritual power in his spiritual sea flowed as if it were limitless, and even more strangely, the aura of destiny within his Eye of Destiny seemed to become stronger. A faint shadow of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion actually surfaced behind his back and enveloped his entire being in a layer of rose-gold colors.
2003
2004Huo Yuhao was giving his all in this moment. If he failed at compressing his soul core, he would be severely injured, and this could possibly end in worse injuries than when all his passageways were shattered. In the end, he even used all of his own origin power that he could control.
2005
2006The cracks in space became increasingly strong. The contortions and ripples in space, along with that strange sensation, were all deeply imprinted into Huo Yuhao’s mind.
2007
2008It wasn’t easy to sense spatial undulations from day to day. One could create those cracks in space with forceful attacks, but those cracks would only appear for an instant before disappearing again, so sensing and studying them would be impossible. However, those spatial undulations were appearing around his compressed solid-state soul power continuously and finely. They were closely related to his soul power and spiritual power, so studying and sensing them became very easy.
2009
2010Beads of sweat began to appear on Elder Xuan’s forehead because he was nervous. Elder Xuan could tell that Huo Yuhao was continuously releasing soul power and spiritual power, and every possible strength in his body was reaching their respective limits. Elder Xuan also understood that he would inflict heavy damage to Huo Yuhao if he interrupted him at such a moment.
2011
2012But fusing with the mixture wasn’t as simple as creating it. The individual’s body had to be able to bear the mixture! Huo Yuhao had only recently become a Soul Sage, and he had just sustained severe injuries. Could he really absorb the soul core into his body?
2013
2014The cracks in space on the surface of the solid soul power became closely woven like a web. Black cracks appeared continuously, and the solid-state soul power’s absorption and rotation speed were nearing their absolute limits. All space was being completely distorted around it, and all Huo Yuhao could see was a ball of gold, rose-gold and black merged together into a strange sphere, which contained frightening soul power.
2015
2016Come! Collapse! Huo Yuhao roared in his heart, and he transformed the meagre remainder of his spiritual power into Spiritual Shock before he fused that entirely into the solid-state soul power. It was at this time that the Skydream Iceworm behind him gave every last bit of his origin power. The Skydream Iceworm transformed into a beam of flowing light, reintegrated into his body, and vanished.
2017
2018Success would be determined in this exact moment.
2019
2020The solid-state soul power quivered faintly. Huo Yuhao had a strange feeling in this moment that the solid-state soul power, which was rotating ever so quickly, had suddenly stopped – it went from extreme motion to extreme motionlessness. This sudden sensation made him depressed. However, Huo Yuhao felt as if everything had grown blurry around him in the next moment, as if he were now within the starry skies, and only that gentle spatial power was around him.
2021
2022Space suddenly collapsed in that instant, as if everything was collapsing together with his body as the epicenter, while terrifying spatial power immediately tore his body to pieces.
2023
2024However, his body reformed itself after it was torn to pieces, and his consciousness returned. Huo Yuhao saw to his surprise that the solid-state soul power had collapsed into a black hole.
2025
2026Huo Yuhao only took one look before he felt as if his soul were about to be sucked in. There was endless darkness inside the black hole, and there were boundless unknowns, but he couldn’t feel the kind of soul power contained within it at all. However, he could clearly feel a connection that resembled a bridge between the black hole and himself.
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032Chapter 459.2: Fusion of Soul Cores
2033
2034
2035There were fine golden waves rippling continuously around the black hole. These golden waves gradually froze and took shape, and Huo Yuhao discovered to his surprise that they actually took a strange eye-like shape, while the black hole in the middle was the pupil.
2036
2037This… is this my soul core?
2038
2039Elder Xuan was watching him from the beginning to the end. In this moment, he shared the same shock and astonishment.
2040
2041Huo Yuhao had formed his own soul core as a Soul Sage. This was the first time he had heard of such a thing, let alone seen one! He had witnessed a miracle happen with own eyes, and was filled with pleasant surprise.
2042
2043Furthermore, he obtained some inspirations from Huo Yuhao when he was compressing his mixture. Huo Yuhao’s compression method was different from typical soul masters. He was clearly using a lot more spiritual power than soul power, and when his element finally fused with his soul core, his martial soul seemed to become his main guide. This order looked very important. In the instant when the soul core collapsed inward, its soul power undulations were unnaturally stable, and it didn’t need any external strength to control it.
2044
2045The soul core had been formed in this moment, and it no longer absorbed Huo Yuhao’s soul power. It was only gently absorbing the origin energy of heaven and earth in the air. However, the deep darkness within it and the aura of the mixture itself clearly gave Elder Xuan a feeling that this core wasn’t that much different from that of a Transcendent Douluo. The only difference was that it was a little smaller.
2046
2047“Yuhao, try to absorb it. However, you have to be very careful – if you feel like your body can’t take it anymore, release it immediately. You’ll have to risk regressing your cultivation instead of forcing yourself. Otherwise, this soul core can obliterate you with its power. You should feel whether your body can take its power once it enters you. Remember – don’t force yourself. If you feel even a little bit like you’re forcing yourself, don’t try fusing with the soul core.”
2048
2049“Yes,” Huo Yuhao steeled his nerves. He was still very much overcome by surprise, because he realized that soul power was coming back into his body when it was originally empty of it. Furthermore, his soul power was recovering faster than before, and his spiritual power was recovering at a similar speed. Everything seemed connected to his soul core.
2050
2051Huo Yuhao wasn’t overly hasty to absorb the soul core. Instead, he crossed his legs and sat down in front of it. He channeled his soul power quietly as he replenished it while he observed any changes that were happening in the mixture.
2052
2053Elder Xuan was momentarily stunned before he said hurriedly, “Wait for a moment before you absorb it – your soul core seems different from most. It’s far too stable, and it doesn’t seem like it will lose control or become unstable even without your control. If that’s the case, you can try recovering all your soul power and spiritual power before attempting to absorb it. Don’t worry, I will observe from the side, and will immediately warn you if something is wrong with it.”
2054
2055Huo Yuhao nodded toward Elder Xuan. His own feelings were identical to those of Elder Xuan, except this was his first time forming a soul core, so he didn’t know what it was supposed to be like.
2056
2057Elder Xuan drew a cold breath. This was the first time he had seen such a stable soul core that was almost near perfection. Did this mean that soul masters could create a soul core such as this before becoming a Transcendent Douluo, as long as their spiritual power far exceeded their soul power?
2058
2059Typically, Titled Douluo would have to immediately absorb their soul cores after completing them when they were breaking through to become a Transcendent Douluo. Otherwise, if their soul cores became unstable, everything that they had worked for could possibly be for nothing, while the soul core could possibly hurt the Titled Douluo’s own body.
2060
2061Huo Yuhao’s soul core was different from the rest – it was so stable that it was almost like a normal object. Quite a long time had passed since the soul core was formed. However, it was still extremely stable, and the way it absorbed the origin energy of heaven and earth wasn’t as forceful and ferocious as that of a Transcendent Douluo’s soul core. But this kind of stability was even more precious and hard to come by.
2062
2063It seems like Huo Yuhao might have a chance to fuse with his soul core successfully! That was just unimaginable. Elder Xuan was witnessing yet another miracle from Huo Yuhao.
2064
2065Time continued to pass. Huo Yuhao’s soul power and spiritual power were recovering at an astonishing speed, and it took him less than an hour before he reopened his eyes, back to his peak condition.
2066
2067“Can I begin, Elder Xuan?” Huo Yuhao turned toward Elder Xuan.
2068
2069Elder Xuan was astonished. “Your soul power and spiritual power have recovered?”
2070
2071Huo Yuhao nodded.
2072
2073Elder Xuan didn’t ask any further. Instead, he tilted his head and said, “Yes, then you may begin. Remember what I’ve said before – it would be better for you to not complete the fusion than take any risks.”
2074
2075“Yes.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged and turned his gaze toward his soul core.
2076
2077Huo Yuhao could feel a boundless and terrifying existence inside his soul core that could consume everything, just like when he was observing it before. When he stared at it, he immediately felt an incredibly strong attractive force that seemed like it wanted to pull his spirit into it.
2078
2079Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and opened his Eye of Destiny. Rose-gold patterns immediately shone from his Eye of Destiny.
2080
2081Huo Yuhao’s Eye of Destiny gazed at the black hole, and he realized to his surprise that he had a feeling as if his Eye of Destiny was staring at itself, as if the black hole was what it was like after his Eye of Destiny was magnified.
2082
2083Everything was just so unimaginable. Huo Yuhao didn’t have to control it; his Eye of Destiny naturally produced a strange gravitational force that pulled the black hole towards him. The faint golden light around the black hole also began to shrink, and even its original body was contracting.
2084
2085By the time the black hole was several meters in front of Huo Yuhao, it had shrunk to the same size as his Eye of Destiny. Golden light patterns shone from both ends, and it fit itself against his Eye of Destiny as if it was imprinting onto it.
2086
2087Elder Xuan’s eyes widened. He understood what Huo Yuhao wanted to do – he wasn’t just about to fuse with his soul core. The location that he chose wasn’t his dantian, which was a location that was easier for the soul master to absorb his soul core. Instead, he chose the center of his eyebrows, which was the hardest place to accomplish fusion.
2088
2089Typically, even Transcendent Douluo breaking through to become an Ultimate Douluo would choose the chest instead of between the eyebrows when forming their second soul core. The reason was because the space between the eyebrows was too close to the brain, and a single mistake could threaten their life.
2090
2091However, Huo Yuhao’s situation was evidently different from everyone else. Spiritual power was his fate, and in the process of forming his soul core, his spiritual power allowed his soul core to become very stable. His martial soul was Spirit Eyes, while the space between his eyebrows was one of three locations that could absorb soul cores, and it was so close to his martial soul’s location at the same time. Therefore, Huo Yuhao’s idea wasn’t impossible! He would leave his dantian empty so that he could store another soul core there when he was breaking through to become a Titled Douluo. In that case, he could possibly have two soul cores when becoming a Titled Douluo. Elder Xuan thought about his twin martial souls, and felt that this path that Huo Yuhao had chosen was most suitable for him. He exhaled deeply as he remained stunned.
2092
2093For the first time, Elder Xuan felt that he could no longer teach this little fellow in front of him.
2094
2095Golden light pressed together as his soul core slid in. Huo Yuhao’s body quivered vigorously, and two beams of rose-gold light blasted from his eyes as if they were two materialized swords. Elder Xuan wasn’t far from him, and he took a step back subconsciously.
2096
2097His Eye of Destiny shone with light from the center of his eyebrows, and its sun patterns seemed like they were being reinvigorated. They layered together as they glowed and stretched outward from his forehead to the space between his eyebrows. The sun patterns looked like they were growing, and they quickly stretched over his entire forehead. Huo Yuhao’s hair drifted into the air and danced in midair, even though there was no wind.
2098
2099Huo Yuhao felt as if a terrifying and indescribable power had been injected into his spiritual sea. This power was like a sharp cone that was splitting his head apart; as if it were about to suck his spiritual sea dry; as if it were really about to open up another eye on his head. That agonizing feeling made him feel a clear sensation of being shattered.
2100
2101Huo Yuhao’s path could be said to have been forged through pain and agony ever since the day he had fused with the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion.
2102
2103He possessed many abilities that soul masters couldn’t even begin to imagine. However, he had to sustain countless instances of unimaginable pain to gain such abilities!
2104
2105His strength increased after every episode of agony. At the same time, every instance strengthened his spiritual resolve and endurance. His tolerance toward pain was not something that most normal people could match.
2106
2107Towards the end, Dong’er and Qiu’er left him one after another, and he almost broke down because he had suffered too much pain in his heart. He had grown after that – he grew from a young boy to become a young adult, and he was a true warrior.
2108
2109In this moment, Huo Yuhao’s body was still trembling intensely as he was struck by this agonizing pain. His lower body was still stable, and his hands were clenched tightly into fists. However, he was subconsciously channeling his Mysterious Heaven Technique with his full strength. Immense spiritual power swirled within his spiritual sea according to his whim to resist that intense pain.
2110
2111Four large Spirits hovered above his spiritual sea. They knew that everything that was happening was very important to Huo Yuhao. With the exclusion of the Skydream Iceworm, who had sacrificed his origin power, the other three Spirits were all using their consciousnesses to protect his spiritual sea so that it wouldn’t shatter.
2112
2113Golden sun patterns quickly stretched from his forehead over his face, before they went down his neck, his collarbone, his chest, his arms, and his abdomen…
2114
2115Several short minutes passed as Huo Yuhao’s entire body was covered with sun patterns. That wasn’t all – an enormous vertical eye slowly opened behind his back, and this eye was rose-gold as well. It radiated sun patterns, and that frightening suction force appeared once more. It was two times stronger than before, and the origin energy of heaven and earth in the air swiftly and immediately gathered toward Huo Yuhao.
2116
2117
2118
2119
2120
2121Chapter 459.3: Fusion of Soul Cores
2122
2123
2124Huo Yuhao’s clothes almost instantly disintegrated into dust, revealing his body, which was a perfect fusion between energy and beauty.
2125
2126Sun patterns covered his tall and large frame, giving others a feeling of simple mystery.
2127
2128The vertical eye behind him gradually became a black hole as it consumed everything in the air. Even Elder Xuan began to feel that his soul power and spiritual power wanted to leave his body, and he had to release even more soul power to control them.
2129
2130Time continued to pass. Huo Yuhao’s trembling slowly stabilized, and the rose-gold colors in his eyes slowly dimmed as he gradually shut his eyes. However, the Eye of Destiny on his forehead became increasingly bright.
2131
2132The vertical eye contained the endless stars of the night sky, deep whirlpools, and uncountable worlds of radiant colors – as if the black hole contained everything in the world and beyond.
2133
2134Has he succeeded? Elder Xuan was also a little nervous. He was still confident of pulling out the soul core in the first few seconds when Huo Yuhao was fusing with it, but even Elder Xuan couldn’t do anything in this moment. Huo Yuhao’s fusion with his soul core was far too deep, and Elder Xuan couldn’t do anything to separate them. Otherwise, Huo Yuhao’s own life would be at risk.
2135
2136Truly high risk but high reward! Elder Xuan heaved a sigh inside.
2137
2138Far inside the Great Star Dou Forest, not even the Beast God would have expected that his descent into Huo Yuhao’s body had advanced his understanding of strength at that level, and Huo Yuhao was even bravely experimenting with it.
2139
2140The sun patterns began to ebb like tidewater. They receded as quickly as they had appeared, and even Huo Yuhao’s skin faded away with the sun patterns as he shone with faint rose-gold colors. However, it seemed like his entire person was sublimating into itself.
2141
2142Huo Yuhao finally stopped trembling. The Eye of Destiny on his forehead gradually withdrew, and when its glow was extinguished in the end, all that was left was a black whirlpool that swirled continuously.
2143
2144There were fine and delicate rose-gold light patterns around the whirlpool. Every single line flashed and changed shape continuously, as if they were all cracks in space.
2145
2146The black whirlpool was clearly on Huo Yuhao’s forehead, but one would feel that it in fact belonged to another world upon closer inspection. That mystical feeling transfixed Elder Xuan’s gaze.
2147
2148Huo Yuhao’s fusion today had given him inspiration – a lot of inspiration at that.
2149
2150The black whirlpool was becoming smaller as it rotated until it finally disappeared in the end, and Huo Yuhao’s forehead became clean once more.
2151
2152What was even stranger was that Huo Yuhao’s aura vanished entirely along with the black whirlpool. He was sitting there like a rock, but also like clear spring – there wasn’t a single trace of his own aura, as if his entire being had become illusory; as if Huo Yuhao had disappeared along with that black whirlpool into another world.
2153
2154Elder Xuan took a deep breath. He knew that this little fellow had created something entirely new once more. According to his knowledge, nobody amongst human Titled Douluo had ever successfully created a soul core above his dantian. There were three areas – the space between the eyebrows, the chest, and the abdomen. These locations were extremely important for a soul master toward his later years, and a soul master’s soul power could only transform qualitatively by forming a soul core. This was at the core of being a Titled Douluo.
2155
2156Soul beasts had a relatively easier time forming soul cores than soul masters. In the end, soul beasts’ physiques were much stronger than those of humans. Di Tian’s soul power had been completely converted into soul cores, and there was nobody else like him in the world. Therefore, he was the most powerful individual amongst all the Ultimate Douluo.
2157
2158In this moment, Huo Yuhao managed to create his first soul core as a seven-ringed Soul Sage. There was no question that his cultivation would improve at a rate far exceeding typical individuals. This was an unimaginable accomplishment! The only thing Elder Xuan was worried about was whether Huo Yuhao could form his second soul core to become a Titled Douluo after he reached Rank 89.
2159
2160Elder Xuan had been working towards creating his second soul core over all these years, but he was still one step away, even after all this time. It wasn’t hard to imagine how difficult creating two soul cores was. However, Huo Yuhao had already chosen this path, and he could no longer regret his choice.
2161
2162Huo Yuhao seemed to enter a state of deep meditation as he sat there with his legs crossed. He didn’t wake up, and his body was still filled with a feeling of illusion. Only a powerful individual like Elder Xuan could feel the spatial power permeating around them.
2163
2164Having a soul core meant that one’s martial soul could already absorb strength from the space all around them. The soul core wasn’t just absorbing the origin energy of heaven and earth – the power of space was unlimited. This was the reason why the Death God Douluo was so astonished when she discovered that the Beast God had mastered spatial power.
2165
2166They were all Ultimate Douluo. If Ye Xishui and the Darkness Holy Dragon were at the same standard, then Di Tian was at a standard several levels higher than them. The two of them had to rely on external objects to close this gap.
2167
2168Huo Yuhao could no longer feel that intense pain anymore, and in his daze, he felt as if he were entering another world. He was hovering in the darkness within this world, and there was no end to it – all was endless stars and night.
2169
2170He was trying very hard to control himself, but nothing responded to his attempts at all. He could only close the distance between his senses and everything around him when he fully concentrated on the stars above, and only then could he see this starry world.
2171
2172Space and light – this was everything he was feeling in this moment, and he seemed to feel as if everything that he was was being purified.
2173
2174Everything around him was just so surreal. However, all this surrealness seemed to contain the profundities of heaven and earth.
2175
2176This feeling was both magical and painful. Huo Yuhao found himself immersed in those sensations.
2177
2178“Ah? Yuhao is meditating at your place?” Bei Bei stared at Elder Xuan, who had personally arrived at the Tang Sect. Bei Bei found that hard to believe, and he asked nervously, “Is he alright?”
2179
2180Elder Xuan shook his head as he smiled and said, “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. This is quite a big opportunity for him. You guys have to work hard – otherwise, Huo Yuhao will leave everyone in the dust in the not too distant future.”
2181
2182Bei Bei forced a laugh and nodded as he said, “That fellow is truly a prodigy!”
2183
2184Elder Xuan said, “Don’t make it sound like that. He has gone through much more pain and suffering, and he has put in a lot more effort, than you guys have. Talent is one thing, and effort is another. You have too many things to deal with in the Tang Sect; you should quickly share your burden with others so that you don’t overlook your cultivation. You must understand that you have completely inherited Elder Mu’s blood, and your future is boundless, so cultivation is the most important thing. At least, before soul tools can become stronger than an Ultimate Douluo, we have to focus on our cultivation. That’s the core of being a soul master.”
2185
2186“Yes,” Bei Bei said solemnly.
2187
2188Elder Xuan then asked about the Tang Sect’s progress before he left.
2189
2190Bei Bei escorted Elder Xuan, and then returned exasperatedly to where he dealt with the Tang Sect’s administrative items. He muttered under his breath, “I was hoping he could help share my burden – looks like he’s run away once again. Hopefully he can awaken from his meditation as soon as possible.”
2191
2192However, Bei Bei didn’t expect Huo Yuhao to meditate for a much longer time than he thought he would.
2193
2194A month passed in the blink of an eye. There was still no news from Huo Yuhao, and Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi and the others personally went to the Sea God’s Pavilion to visit him. They made sure that he was still meditating before they returned, assured.
2195
2196The others from the Tang Sect didn’t have such an easy time going into the Sea God’s Pavilion. However, there was one person who would discreetly visit the Sea God’s Pavilion, and Elder Xuan didn’t stop her.
2197
2198Tang Wutong stood silently inside the room. She was staring at Huo Yuhao, who was sitting there with his legs crossed and silent like a child. Her eyes were very gentle. She seemed to feel that mystical strength from Huo Yuhao’s body, and this strength was faintly affecting her own soul power undulations.
2199
2200This guy is sublimating. That was Tang Wutong’s judgment.
2201
2202Tang Wutong had gone to the Tang Sect after Huo Yuhao began to meditate for a week. She was there with a task from Elder Xuan, and she was responsible for monitoring the Tang Sect’s soul tool production. She unintentionally discovered that Huo Yuhao was meditating inside the Sea God’s Pavilion, and she went to find Elder Xuan to ask if she could see him.
2203
2204Elder Xuan didn’t stop her, and he saw her figure very often ever since then.
2205
2206Tang Wutong didn’t know what she felt towards Huo Yuhao. She had thought that he was a lecher when they first met, and then believed him to be brave and clever when they were at the Star Luo Empire’s western frontlines, and then she believed him to be affectionate and loyal when he saved her life against the Death God. Even his story with Wang Dong’er made her feelings toward him transform continuously.
2207
2208Huo Yuhao had been sitting there peacefully over the past month, and Tang Wutong had already gotten used to watching his calm silence. Every time she returned after visiting him, she would become exceptionally concentrated when she meditated herself, and her cultivation became more effective than usual. She had gradually formed this habit.
2209
2210She was just standing there quietly, and an hour went by.
2211
2212I think it’s time to leave. Tang Wutong suddenly realized that she didn’t want to leave him behind.
2213
2214But she had to go back in the end. Over this period of time, after she experienced the battle at the Ming Dou Mountain Range, much of her potential had been unleashed, and she was improving very quickly.
2215
2216I should go back. I don’t know when he will wake up, or whether we will come together again in the future. Perhaps we will not. I pray that he finds Dong’er as soon as possible.
2217
2218Those thoughts passed through her head, but she suddenly felt a sour tinge in her thoughts.
2219
2220What… what is happening?
2221
2222Just as she was feeling a little dazed, a strange sensation suddenly appeared on her body. She realized to her surprise that her soul power was starting to circulate even though she didn’t do it deliberately, as a layer of faint purplish-gold light shone from her body.
2223
2224
2225
2226
2227
2228Chapter 460.1: I'm Willing to Never Wake Up
2229
2230
2231The soul power undulations weren’t powerful, but they were definitely there.
2232
2233Tang Wutong felt her heart skip a beat, while that strange feeling immediately disappeared. Losing control of one’s soul power was an extremely frightening thing, and was something that nobody wanted to deal with.
2234
2235Tang Wutong suddenly felt everything light up in front of her in this moment. When she fixed her eyes once more, she witnessed Huo Yuhao’s glowing eyes.
2236
2237What kind of eyes are those?! They seem to contain the endless starry skies, and are so deep that the end cannot be seen. In that instant, Tang Wutong felt like her eyes were transfixed.
2238
2239Huo Yuhao’s eyes weren’t shining with any kind of light. However, the space between him and Tang Wutong still became very bright.
2240
2241This feeling was impossible to describe with words, as if there were an unknown source of light present at that location. Tang Wutong stared at his deep eyes that were like whirlpools, and she felt as if her brain had gone completely blank. The feeling of losing control over her soul power became increasingly evident, but everything seemed to calm down once more in the next moment. Waves of dragon roars resonated through her mind, and they were chiming with joy.
2242
2243“Dong’er…” Huo Yuhao stared blankly at Tang Wutong, who wasn’t far from him, and was just standing there, staring at him in a daze. Huo Yuhao began to levitate from the ground just like that.
2244
2245The air on the Sea God’s Island was very clean, so he was sparkling clean even though he had been meditating there for a month.
2246
2247Tang Wutong was wearing a blue gown today, and this was once Wang Dong’er’s favorite color. Only thoughts of Dong’er resided in Huo Yuhao’s mind in his moment.
2248
2249Huo Yuhao had been in deep meditation for over a month. He had gone back and forth through the brightness within those endless starry skies, but everything seemed to vanish the moment he saw Tang Wutong. In this exact moment, she was the only thing in his eyes – his alluring, familiar, and elegant Goddess!
2250
2251The space around him seemed to change, and neither Huo Yuhao nor Tang Wutong knew how they closed the distance between one another.
2252
2253Huo Yuhao gently stretched out his arms and embraced her.
2254
2255He felt as if he had wrapped his arms around the entire world in that moment, as if he were the dictator of those boundless starry skies.
2256
2257Everything is just wonderful – just so wonderful.
2258
2259Tang Wutong was no longer staring at those bottomless eyes, while her own became agile and sensitive once more as she emerged from her dazed state. But she realized that she had melted into a warm and wide embrace.
2260
2261“Dong’er, Dong’er…” There was a gentle call in her ears, and that voice sounded like a dream. That voice sounded as if it were calling for a spirit from ancient years, and that voice which was so gentle and full of emotion made Tang Wutong a little intoxicated. She realized that she could no longer control herself – except it wasn’t her soul power this time; she had lost control over her body.
2262
2263She raised her hands subconsciously. She was hesitant and jerky, but her hands kept moving forward, and she wrapped them around Huo Yuhao’s broad waist. She closed her eyes in that moment, and all she felt was warmth, security, comfort, and intoxication.
2264
2265They were hugging each other so tightly in that moment, and the entire room seemed to glow.
2266
2267Huo Yuhao muttered under his breath, “Even though we are just in a dream, I am willing to remain in this dream forever. Please allow me to sleep for eternity if this a dream. Dong’er, I miss you – I miss you so much. Did you know? I am but left with an empty vessel in the days that you’ve left my side. You’ve returned, and my spirit has returned. I love you, Dong’er. I am willing to love you with my everything to the end of eternity, and I am willing to burn my own life and soul so that we can be together. That is all I want. If this is a dream, let me remain in deep slumber.”
2268
2269Tang Wutong was momentarily stunned, and her sensations of indulgence and immersion receded instinctively.
2270
2271He’s calling her… her… Wang Dong’er…
2272
2273I am just his dream. I am just a shadow of her.
2274
2275A taste of bitterness appeared at the corner of her lips. She didn’t want to leave this warm embrace, but she had no choice but to gently put down her hands that were tightly wrapped around him, no matter how much yearning she had to be in his arms.
2276
2277“I’m sorry, I am Wutong.”
2278
2279A gentle voice rang out beside Huo Yuhao’s ears. This was like a thunderclap for him, and he subconsciously released his arms and floated backward like a lightning bolt.
2280
2281Tang Wutong no longer had anything to lean on as he shifted, and her elegant frame stumbled forward for a moment before she stabilized herself.
2282
2283Huo Yuhao’s eyes were filled with hope and dreams before this, but they gradually dimmed as he stared at Tang Wutong in front of him.
2284
2285Tang Wutong turned her eyes aside. She seemed to lose her own spirit as he left her arms, and she appeared a little dazed. That empty feeling gave her unimaginable agony deep within her heart, and she felt like she wanted to die.
2286
2287Huo Yuhao’s face was a little pale as he stared at Tang Wutong. “Sorry,” he said with difficulty.
2288
2289“I’m the one who should be sorry. I startled you and woke you up from your dream. But I am not her, and I am sorry for making your sweet dream become a nightmare.”
2290
2291Tang Wutong nodded gently in his direction before she swiftly turned around and glided away. She didn’t give him another look from the beginning to the end.
2292
2293She didn’t dare to look at him. She was afraid that his eyes would hook her spirit once more if that happened. Yes, she didn’t dare.
2294
2295Huo Yuhao was just standing there as he watched her leave with listless eyes. There was an almost hysterical voice in his heart that was calling for him to hold on to her, but he remained standing there in the end, motionless.
2296
2297She’s not her. She is Tang Wutong, and not my Dong’er!
2298
2299But why did our embrace feel so familiar? If she didn’t say it, perhaps I would really have treated her as Dong’er.
2300
2301Where are you, Dong’er?
2302
2303Tears flowed down his cheeks like a waterfall. He clutched his fists tightly as he suddenly turned and stared outside the window.
2304
2305Huo Yuhao could see Tang Wutong, who was dashing away crazily. He could see the radiating purplish-green hues from her body, and an unknown force pulled at his body and his heart. He watched her until she disappeared beyond the horizon, and that figure that was identical to that of Dong’er’s vanished just like that.
2306
2307Dong’er, Dong’er -In the Tang Sect.
2308
2309“Bam!” Nan Qiuqiu began to pout as she kicked away all the stones that were blocking her way. She had been very depressed over the past month.
2310
2311We had an agreement! We were supposed to return to my sect and explore the hidden area. But he didn’t even say anything to me before he went into his closed-door cultivation! And he picked the right time for that as well. Is he deliberately trying to avoid me? We have already agreed on being brothers, so why is he dodging me? What an asshole!
2312
2313Everyone in the Tang Sect had been very busy over the past month. They were either busy with administrative matters or cultivation.
2314
2315Nan Qiuqiu was the same. She wasn’t assigned much work because she had a very irritable and impatient personality. She was tasked to focus more on cultivation. However, cultivating for too long also made her feel frustrated and dull. She was really starting to find this loneliness unbearable.
2316
2317She was still walking forward as a figure blocked her path.
2318
2319“Hey, get out of my way!” Nan Qiuqiu was already in a bad mood, and her hot temper immediately erupted. She didn’t even lift her head as she exploded.
2320
2321“You won’t be able to marry in the future if you keep doing this,” the person blocking her didn’t move away, but instead quipped back at her.
2322
2323“What the fuck does that have to do with you?!” Nan Qiuqiu was furious. She raised her head and looked at the person blocking her way, and her eyes widened as her jaw dropped.
2324
2325Huo Yuhao stared at her with a faint smile on his face, but he sounded like he was chiding as he said, “Don’t curse, you’re a girl.”
2326
2327Nan Qiuqiu’s sizzling fury from before was immediately extinguished. She was just now clearly full of complaints about this guy in front of her, but she now found herself unable to vent her anger when he was standing in front of her.
2328
2329Her voice was a lot lower than before. “It’s true anyway. Why do you care whether I can marry? Hmph, you still know how to come back.”
2330
2331“I’m sorry, Qiuqiu,” Huo Yuhao said apologetically, “I didn’t know this delay would be so long. I’m sorry!”
2332
2333Nan Qiuqiu’s mood was instantly lifted when she heard Huo Yuhao apologize. She looked up at him and said, “Are you still going? I’ve been waiting for you for more than a month.”
2334
2335Huo Yuhao answered, “Yes, of course we’re going. We can leave at any time – I await your instruction!” He even bowed at Nan Qiuqiu as he spoke.
2336
2337Nan Qiuqiu was elated. She placed her hands behind her back and nodded proudly as he said, “Yes, that’s much better. I will forgive you temporarily because of your good attitude, and I will think about how to deal with you according to how you behave later on.”
2338
2339“Alright,” Huo Yuhao stood up straight as he smiled and said, “Let’s go back to the Tang Sect. I will report to eldest senior brother, and then I can leave with you.”
2340
2341“Yes!” Nan Qiuqiu acknowledged as she turned around and pranced back toward the Tang Sect. However, she didn’t notice the faint dash of loneliness deep within Huo Yuhao’s smiling eyes.
2342
2343Huo Yuhao went to find Bei Bei immediately after returning to the Tang Sect.
2344
2345Bei Bei appeared much better than he had one month ago. Xu Sanshi and the others had helped share much of his burdens after they returned, and he finally had time to continue cultivating.
2346
2347“You’re finally awake, little junior brother. How was it? How much have you gained?” Bei Bei spoke with pleasant surprise.
2348
2349Huo Yuhao nodded and answered, “I have gained much. However, I can’t duplicate it for everyone.”
2350
2351Bei Bei shook his head with a smile on his face. “That’s nothing to worry about. Everyone has his or her own path. You have yours, and we have ours. Everyone’s path is different, but we will all reach the same destination in the end, as long as we work hard and find the right direction, and if we don’t take any shortcuts.”
2352
2353Nan Qiuqiu giggled from aside. “Eldest senior brother, your words are starting to sound more and more philosophical. You live up to your name as the Tang Sect’s eldest senior brother!’
2354
2355Bei Bei chuckled and said, “Qiuqiu, are you taking Huo Yuhao back to your sect? We have delayed this matter for quite some time, and I am sorry for that. Do help me apologize to your sect leader.”
2356
2357
2358
2359
2360
2361Chapter 460.2: I'm Willing to Never Wake Up
2362
2363
2364Nan Qiuqiu nodded and said, “It’s fine. I’ve already told my mother, and she said that cultivation is more important, and we can go at any time whenever Yuhao is free. My mother returned to our sect about half a month ago. I’ve heard that Dragon City, where the Earthdragon Sect is located, has been conquered by the Sun Moon Empire, and she wants to go back to deal with some administrative matters. She will withdraw all of the sect’s resources this time and transfer them to Shrek.”
2365
2366Huo Yuhao was momentarily shocked when he heard that the Sun Moon Empire had conquered Dragon City. He turned towards Bei Bei and asked, “How is the war going, eldest senior brother?”
2367
2368One month was quite a long time, and their situation could change in the blink of an eye.
2369
2370Bei Bei said, “Don’t worry, little junior brother. The situation is considered relatively stable. Ever since you guys helped the Star Luo Empire break through the Ming Dou Mountain Range’s defensive perimeter, the Star Luo Empire has unleashed an assault on all fronts against the Sun Moon Empire’s territory. Even though their forward momentum isn’t too quick, they’ve managed to disturb the Sun Moon Empire so that they have no choice but to turn back their soldiers to reinforce their own territory. The pressure on the Heavenly Soul Empire has been reduced. The Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire’s reinforcements have rendezvoused, and they are trying their best to resist the Sun Moon Empire’s pressure. Even though the Sun Moon Empire is still conquering more and more land, their speed has been considerably slowed. This has given us some time.”
2371
2372Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Bei Bei’s words. It seemed like the Star Luo Empire had been reasonably effective.
2373
2374Ultimate Douluo were indeed powerful, but the Death God Douluo couldn’t rely on her own strength to cover the entire battlefield. Before they left back then, the White Tiger Duke had already decided on their direction to divide and conquer so that they could target the locations where the Sun Moon Empire lacked soldiers, and hence destroy all their legions in those areas. They harassed the Sun Moon Empire over large areas with small teams. Ye Xishui’s individual strength was very powerful, but she couldn’t cover every single spot. This should be the battle strategy that was effective in the end.
2375
2376The White Tiger Duke wasn’t inferior to any of the Sun Moon Empire’s commanders in terms of strategy and tactics.
2377
2378Bei Bei said, “Even though you are unlikely to run into the Sun Moon Empire’s main forces on your journey, you guys still have to be careful. You have to help the Earthdragon Sect’s leader return to Shrek City while you explore their mysterious areas. Qiuqiu, don’t be unreasonable or playful with Huo Yuhao, do you understand? Otherwise, I will confine you when you return.”
2379
2380Nan Qiuqiu stuck out her tongue and said, “Understood, eldest senior brother. Can you not see how obedient and lovable I am right now?”
2381
2382Bei Bei stared at her as she attempted to act like she was aggrieved. He couldn’t help but laugh as he said, “You? Obedient and lovable? Heaven pity and protect us! Alright, go and pack up, and then you can leave.”
2383
2384Nan Qiuqiu turned and darted away excitedly. She had been looking forward to going out to play for a long time.
2385
2386Huo Yuhao chose to stay behind. He could tell from Bei Bei’s eyes that his eldest senior brother had something to say to him.
2387
2388“Yuhao, help me look for the Bluesilver Emperor when you go to the Heavenly Soul Empire if it’s possible.” His eyes were full of lament and frustration when he said those words. He knew that their chances of finding the Bluesilver Emperor were very slim. In the end, the Great Star Dou Forest was already very helpful, but they still hadn’t discovered anything yet. All they did was provide a lead that a certain soul beast had seen the Bluesilver Emperor within the Heavenly Soul Empire, and this was the reason why Bei Bei had brought it up to Huo Yuhao.
2389
2390Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “Definitely. Do you have solid leads regarding the Bluesilver Emperor, eldest senior brother?”
2391
2392Bei Bei said, “I don’t have any proper leads. Someone from the Great Star Dou Forest mentioned some soul beasts have seen the Bluesilver Emperor in the Heavenly Soul Empire, but we don’t have any precise leads. Oh, yes – if you have time, you can visit the Setting Sun Forest. I have kept Big Fur and Little Fur there, and it’s been some time. I wonder how they’re like.”
2393
2394Big Fur and Little Fur were the two Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears that Huo Yuhao and Wang Qiu’er had rescued from evil soul masters a long time ago. They had been fed over the past few years, and were a lot larger than before. Bei Bei had left them in the Setting Sun Forest back then before he returned to the Tang Sect to deal with administrative matters.
2395
2396“Alright, I’ll take a look,” Huo Yuhao acknowledged. He couldn’t help but think about Wang Qiu’er, who had sacrificed herself for him, when he thought of Big Fur and Little Fur. Wang Qiu’er was with him when they had rescued Big Fur and Little Fur!
2397
2398Bei Bei glanced at Huo Yuhao and said, “Right, Yuhao. I heard that Tang Wutong has been visiting you very often when you were meditating. Have you seen her? She even found an excuse to come to the Tang Sect not long ago to look for you.”
2399
2400Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned, and the image of Tang Wutong dashing away surfaced in his head. He nodded and said, “I’ve met her already.”
2401
2402Bei Bei contemplated for a moment. He wanted to say something and seemed very hesitant, but he kept his words to himself in the end. “Alright, little junior. Be careful on the road, and return as quickly as possible. If you can’t find the Bluesilver Emperor, then forget it. As for Big Fur and Little Fur, you have to tell them not to destroy the immortal herbs around the Icefire Yin Yang Well.”
2403
2404Huo Yuhao nodded.
2405
2406He was all alone in this world, so there was nothing much for him to pack. He took a shower and changed into some clean clothes before he packed a few extra sets of clean clothes, some rations, and some water. He bid his farewells to his companions, and he went to see Xuan Ziwen at night. Huo Yuhao and Nan Qiuqiu departed the Tang Sect in the morning on the next day, and they went straight toward the Heavenly Soul Empire.
2407
2408Shrek Academy was positioned at the border between all three empires. They were originally within the Heavenly Soul Empire’s borders, while Dragon City, which was where the Earthdragon Sect was located, was in the Heavenly Soul Empire’s northeastern regions. They just had to proceed north from Shrek City to reach Dragon City.
2409
2410Huo Yuhao and Nan Qiuqiu activated their respective flying-type soul tools as they left Shrek City before they rose into the sky and travelled towards the north.
2411
2412Both of them felt very liberated as they left the city. The endless skies were just so clean, and everything flashed by past beneath them.
2413
2414Nan Qiuqiu was flying beside Huo Yuhao, and for some reason, she felt as if there was something different about him. He appeared a little more transcendent than before – of course, that was a good feeling, but Nan Qiuqiu’s heart sunk into a dilemma once again, since she had already given up on her feelings toward him.
2415
2416Can this guy stop being so outstanding?
2417
2418Ye Guyi had gone into closed-door cultivation since they returned the last time, and she wasn’t done yet. Nan Qiuqiu knew that she wanted to keep herself from seeing Huo Yuhao as much as possible so that he couldn’t pull her heart along. Nan Qiuqiu also wanted to go into closed-door cultivation, but she couldn’t stand all that loneliness. Furthermore, she still had to take Huo Yuhao to the Earthdragon Sect. She was still hoping deep within her heart that something would happen between them during their expedition.
2419
2420“Hey. Why are you so taciturn?” Nan Qiuqiu couldn’t control herself anymore after flying for more than an hour.
2421
2422Huo Yuhao still seemed very casual and elegant as he flew in the sky, and he didn’t make a sound.
2423
2424He turned towards her confusedly and said, “Why? What do you want to talk about? Don’t you think the wind is very strong? Talking will waste soul power.”
2425
2426Nan Qiuqiu was infuriated. “Then so be it. We should still chat – it’ll be so boring otherwise.”
2427
2428Huo Yuhao answered, “Alright, let’s chat. About what?”
2429
2430Nan Qiuqiu was momentarily stunned as she said, “What did you gain from your deep meditation? Don’t tell me you’ve had another breakthrough, and you’re already at Rank 80! I will truly be ashamed if that’s the case.”
2431
2432Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, “Of course not. Improving soul power requires continual accumulation. Even though I accumulate soul power relatively quickly, I can’t reach Rank 80 so fast. I still need some time.”
2433
2434Nan Qiuqiu stared at him suspiciously. “Back in the Earthdragon Sect, my seniors all start shaking their heads when they talk about reaching Rank 80 after breaking through Rank 70, as if reaching Rank 80 is very difficult. Why do you sound like your success will come naturally?”
2435
2436Huo Yuhao stared back at her exasperatedly. “With your talent, you will realize my words stand true when you reach my cultivation rank. However, Qiuqiu, I have to remind you that you have to pay attention to your spiritual power. When your strength reaches a certain standard in the future, spiritual power will be extremely important if you want to continue improving. Your strength will halt if you don’t have sufficient spiritual power, and you will find it very difficult to continue breaking through.”
2437
2438This was Huo Yuhao’s greatest takeaway after completing his soul core. His tremendous spiritual power made up for his insufficient soul power. Furthermore, the greatest benefit of having formidable spiritual power was towards the soul core’s stability.
2439
2440Huo Yuhao was just a Soul Sage. Even though he had twin martial souls and was stronger than normal Soul Sages, he was still a Soul Sage in the end. But his spiritual power far exceeded his soul power, and under such circumstances, his ability to control his soul power was far stronger than other soul masters. This was how he managed to unexpectedly create his soul core this time.
2441
2442Huo Yuhao understood very well that he would need even more spiritual power when he fused with his second soul core. Any soul master who wanted to fuse with their soul cores would need spiritual power as a shield to support them, and thus spiritual power was the most crucial component to his future advancements.
2443
2444Why couldn’t Elder Xuan fuse with his second soul core to become a true Ultimate Douluo? A large part of that lay in his lack of spiritual power, in addition to his lack of opportunity and luck. Every attempt ended in complete failure, and at his level, he had to readjust himself for a long time after every failure before he could try again. His confidence would also be affected after experimenting too many times without success, and that was a very terrifying thing for soul masters.
2445
2446Nan Qiuqiu stared at Huo Yuhao’s serious look and mumbled, “How do I train my spiritual power? I’m not a spiritual-type soul master. I can’t just try and control my soul power futilely.”
2447
2448Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “You can’t take shortcuts in cultivation. Actually, there are some methods that you can try to raise your spiritual power.”
2449
2450Nan Qiuqiu’s eyes glowed. “What methods?” She was very interested about becoming stronger, and this was especially so in a place like the Tang Sect. The Tang Sect was full of elites, and anyone could be left behind.
2451
2452
2453
2454
2455
2456Chapter 460.3: I'm Willing to Never Wake Up
2457
2458
2459Huo Yuhao said, “For instance, like this.” He stared at Nan Qiuqiu, and his eyes suddenly became deep and profound. Nan Qiuqiu felt as if there were a black maelstrom in each of his eyes, and she could feel an indescribable and terrifying pressure emanating from his body that locked her body down in an instant.
2460
2461She could feel a tremble that came from her own spirit, and she was terrified as she subconsciously gathered her soul power to resist that pressure. However, she quickly realized that her attempt was futile, because that pressure didn’t come from soul power at all – it was pure spiritual power. Furthermore, that spiritual pressure was so strong that she couldn’t even speak. Her flying-type soul tool became unstable as well, and she teetered in midair and seemed like she was going to plummet.
2462
2463The pressure was suddenly lifted, and Nan Qiuqiu felt as if an enormous mountain had been lifted from her body. She panted in deep breaths as she tried her best to control her flying-type soul tool. She glared at Huo Yuhao and said, “Are you crazy? Are you trying to kill me?”
2464
2465Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “This is the most effective method to train your spiritual power. If, at any moment, you can successfully resist my spiritual pressure, then your own will have reached a certain standard. Such training like this is very hard to come by. Didn’t you feel like you were very bored along the way? Then I will take this chance to help you. We’re not in a hurry anyway.”
2466
2467“I don’t…” She couldn’t even say “want” when the enormous spiritual pressure that had just disappeared descended onto her once more.
2468
2469Even though Nan Qiuqiu was a little more prepared than before, she was caught still off-guard in front of Huo Yuhao’s formidable soul power. This time, she was so badly beaten that she plummeted straight towards the ground.
2470
2471Huo Yuhao grabbed Nan Qiuqiu at an appropriate time in midair, and made sure that she wouldn’t fall to her death. He waited for her to regain control of her body and for her to stabilize herself before the spiritual pressure came back.
2472
2473“I’m not fighting back anymore. Throw me to my death if you dare!” Nan Qiuqiu was furious after this repeated itself a few more times!
2474
2475She felt extremely fatigued after those episodes of immense spiritual pressure. She didn’t even bother to fly as she just allowed herself to drop down.
2476
2477Huo Yuhao had no choice but to catch her and land on the ground.
2478
2479Nan Qiuqiu kicked toward Huo Yuhao as they dropped to the ground. Huo Yuhao dodged lightly towards the side and said, “I’m doing this for your own good, Qiuqiu.”
2480
2481“Psh. You’re trying to take this opportunity to get back at me!” Nan Qiuqiu glared at Huo Yuhao with an indignant look on her face.
2482
2483Huo Yuhao frowned slightly and said, “Looks like I was wrong about you.”
2484
2485Nan Qiuqiu was momentarily stunned. “Wrong about me? What are you wrong about me?”
2486
2487Huo Yuhao continued, “I have always believed you were a very strong lady. If others can’t bear this method of training spiritual power, I’m sure you can. This is very beneficial for you becoming a Titled Douluo in the future. I didn’t expect you not to be able to take it after these few times. You’re no different from a typical little girl. Forget it – I won’t give you any more pressure. Meditate and rest up, and once you’ve rested up, we shall hurry towards the Earthdragon Sect.” He gave her a disappointed expression as he spoke and turned his head to one side.
2488
2489Nan Qiuqiu frowned as he eyebrows went almost vertical. “Who says I can’t take it? I can take it. But… but you’re so evil. Are you targeting me deliberately?”
2490
2491Huo Yuhao snapped back. “I’m not so frivolous. I wouldn’t be willing even if someone else begged me.”
2492
2493Nan Qiuqiu grunted and said, “Alright, then let me recover. Don’t think you can overcome me when I’m prepared.”
2494
2495Huo Yuhao twitched his lips and said, “Prove it.”
2496
2497Nan Qiuqiu crossed her legs and began to recover with a competitive heart.
2498
2499Huo Yuhao smiled faintly as he watched her enter meditation. Provoking this girl is the way to go! She’ll probably be tricked even if she knows I’m trying to bait her.
2500
2501The Earthdragon Sect could be said to have taken out their most important belongings so that they could establish close cooperation with the Tang Sect. Bei Bei had told Huo Yuhao privately that the Tang Sect had to find some way to repay them if possible. The Earthdragon Sect wasn’t considered a top-tier sect amongst the sects on the continent, but they were still considered a very old and powerful sect. The Earthdragon Sect had provided much help to the Tang Sect in terms of resources. Furthermore, with Nan Shuishui’s support, the Tang Sect’s middle to high level strength had been bolstered. The Earthdragon Sect’s several hundred disciples still belonged to the Earthdragon Sect in name, but Nan Shuishui had already expressed generously that the Earthdragon Sect would fully support the Tang Sect if anything happened.
2502
2503Of course, the Tang Sect reciprocated the Earthdragon Sect’s sincerity. Almost a third of the Earthdragon Sect’s disciples had successfully fused with Spirits, which was a very laudable accomplishment amongst the sects. The other sects all looked on with watering mouths, except they didn’t understand the Tang Sect like Nan Shuishui did, and they were just a little hesitant for the moment.
2504
2505Huo Yuhao listened to Nan Qiuqiu as she introduced her sect’s secret grounds. He understood that even though Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu spoke of this as a gift to the Tang Sect, this was equivalent to a gift for him. If there really was a rare ice-type metal inside, then that would be extremely useful for him. He could possibly fix the problem of channeling soul power around his human-shaped soul tool.
2506
2507Human-shaped soul tools didn’t present any problems for the average soul master as long as their rare metals, jewels, and formation arrays were used appropriately. However, he had an Ultimate martial soul, and typical rare metals couldn’t bear his Ultimate Ice once he used it. Even if those rare metals had enough resistance, they didn’t provide any amplification effects. Instead, those rare metals could hinder him instead.
2508
2509Huo Yuhao didn’t want to owe too many favors, and this was especially so when he knew of Nan Qiuqiu’s feelings toward him. Therefore, he wanted to take this opportunity to help her.
2510
2511Nan Qiuqiu’s recovery speed was considerably fast, and she leapt to her feet energetically after an hour.
2512
2513“Are you ready? You can’t say I’m ambushing you this time,” Huo Yuhao placed his hands behind his back and stared at Nan Qiuqiu amusedly.
2514
2515Nan Qiuqiu couldn’t stand his mocking smile. She said proudly, “Come!”
2516
2517“Be careful.” Huo Yuhao warned her as his eyes suddenly became extremely deep and profound. This time, his spiritual power was very gentle as it pressed against Nan Qiuqiu.
2518
2519Nan Qiuqiu sensed that spiritual pressure, and she immediately concentrated to face it. She felt as if this pressure wasn’t that powerful after a few moments, and a proud look immediately appeared on her face. She grunted and said, “I knew it. I was a little panicky in the sky. Otherwise, your spiritual power would have been useless against me, unless you used soul skills.”
2520
2521Huo Yuhao smiled plainly and said, “Pay attention.”
2522
2523His spiritual pressure gradually began to increase as his voice dropped.
2524
2525Nan Qiuqiu was tough in her words, but she knew the gap between Huo Yuhao and herself. Her expression froze as she gathered her strength once more to fend off Huo Yuhao without quarter.
2526
2527Huo Yuhao’s spiritual pressure started to increase bit by bit. This level of increase was small, but it was still happening continuously. Every increase gave Nan Qiuqiu a little more pressure.
2528
2529Beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead, and her face turned a little rosy as her mouth opened slightly. A faint aroma wafted from her body because she was sweating.
2530
2531Huo Yuhao was just standing there. He didn’t even use his eyes to look at her as the pressure unleashed from his body continued to strengthen.
2532
2533Nan Qiuqiu gradually began to see hallucinations appear in front of her eyes as her breathing became very labored. She felt as if there were an enormous and formless mountain that was weighing down on her soul.
2534
2535No – I need to hold on. I can’t let this fellow look down on me.
2536
2537She gritted her teeth before she suddenly shouted to boost her own form as a layer of pinkish light emanated from her body. That was her Rouge Dragon; her martial soul emerged automatically under Huo Yuhao’s formidable spiritual pressure.
2538
2539A pinkish diamond-shaped crystal instantly appeared on Nan Qiuqiu’s forehead as her martial soul appeared. She clearly felt a lift in the pressure as the spiritual power inside her spiritual sea fused with her martial soul and resisted Huo Yuhao’s pressure more effectively.
2540
2541Unfortunately, she couldn’t even catch a breather as Huo Yuhao’s spiritual pressure suddenly increased. That tremendous pressure made her body tremble as the pinkish light around her shone brilliantly.
2542
2543She couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine. Has this guy’s spiritual power really become this powerful?
2544
2545Nan Qiuqiu was very clear that Huo Yuhao hadn’t yet released his martial soul. This meant that he was pressuring her with pure spiritual power, without any amplification from his Spirit Eyes. However, Nan Qiuqiu had unleashed her martial soul. No matter what, I’m still a Soul Emperor! Am I about to crumble against his spiritual pressure?
2546
2547Huo Yuhao still wasn’t looking at her as the spiritual pressure increased continuously.
2548
2549Pinkish dragon scales emerged over Nan Qiuqiu’s body. Her face and eventually her entire body was covered by dragon scales, but these dragon scales couldn’t defend her against Huo Yuhao’s spiritual pressure. Her body started to quiver and sway, and she gritted her teeth as she clenched her fists tightly. However, she was starting to break apart against the tremendous spiritual pressure.
2550
2551No, I can hold on! Nan Qiuqiu’s stubbornness acted up. Just as Huo Yuhao thought, provoking this unbending girl was always the simplest and most effective method.
2552
2553Time continued to pass as Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power continued to increase. Even he was a little surprised in this moment, as he hadn’t expected her to be able to resist his pressure for so long. An hour had passed, while he had already unleashed forty percent of what he could release.
2554
2555This “forty percent” couldn’t be underestimated – this amount was equivalent to the spiritual pressure that an eight-ringed Soul Douluo could unleash. Ever since Huo Yuhao completed his fusion with his soul core, his spiritual power’s overall volume could be compared to that of a Transcendent Douluo, while his recovery speed and effectiveness followed in tandem. It was already quite impressive that Nan Qiuqiu could withstand forty percent of his spiritual pressure.
2556
2557A thread of blood began to appear at the corner of Nan Qiuqiu’s mouth. Her eyes and pupils became a little slack, but her unbending will kept her on her feet.
2558
2559
2560
2561
2562
2563Chapter 461.1: Overt Plot of the Mysterious Marshal
2564
2565
2566Huo Yuhao knew that it was almost time. If he went any further, he would hurt her.
2567
2568He didn’t immediately remove his spiritual pressure. That wouldn’t be good for Nan Qiuqiu. Instead, he slowly lowered the pressure and let her gradually adapt to it. As the pressure decreased, Nan Qiuqiu’s spiritual state of mind also started to weaken.
2569
2570Finally, she collapsed to the ground after Huo Yuhao removed all the pressure.
2571
2572Huo Yuhao came to her side. He lifted his hand and rubbed the perspiration off his forehead. While he only let out at most forty percent of his spiritual power, he was carefully controlling it throughout this one hour. He had to get close to Nan Qiuqiu’s limit without hurting her, which was sort of a test of his control. If this was before he had formed his soul core, he wouldn’t have been able to do it.
2573
2574He squatted down beside Nan Qiuqiu and placed his hand on her brow. After sensing for a brief moment, he was sure that her spiritual sea was undamaged. It was just that she had been overly drained. After this, he nodded satisfactorily.
2575
2576The method of using spiritual pressure to strengthen someone else’s spiritual power was built on the premise that the person possessed immense spiritual power in the first place. Otherwise, the other party might be critically hurt if things went wrong.
2577
2578However, this was undoubtedly the best method, and it was the most effective on the first try. Huo Yuhao estimated that Nan Qiuqiu’s spiritual power would experience a significant increase after this experience.
2579
2580However, she was overly drained, and wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. Huo Yuhao spontaneously opened his spectral demiplane and placed her inside. After unleashing some enchantments, he chased away some specters and protected her inside the demiplane. At the same time, he left behind a streak of his spirit to protect her inside the demiplane. The moment she woke up, he would be aware of it.
2581
2582After finishing all that, he stood up before continuing his journey.
2583
2584Without Nan Qiuqiu slowing him down, Huo Yuhao was as quick as lightning as he flew in the air. This time, he didn’t use any flying-type soul tools. He relied on his soul power to fly.
2585
2586As he flew, Huo Yuhao sensed that his soul power was slowly being drained.
2587
2588After forming his soul core, he hadn’t had time to carefully test it yet. He had only briefly tested it in the Sea God’s Pavilion. After the fusion, his soul power had actually jumped two ranks. He was now at Rank 76. Such an increase left him close to Rank 80. In just a year, he had managed to improve by leaps and bounds.
2589
2590However, Huo Yuhao wasn’t satisfied with his current cultivation. The war might carry on at any time. A seven-ringed Soul Sage was considered pretty high-ranked, but he wouldn’t be of much help if he wanted to affect the situation at the highest tier. He needed greater strength.
2591
2592Due to the rank of his soul power, his soul power was obviously being drained at a slower speed. Huo Yuhao was more astonished with the recovery speed of his soul power.
2593
2594After more than ten percent of his soul power had been drained, he didn’t need to deliberately do anything. On his forehead, the black whirlpool that belonged to a different dimension naturally opened. There was boundless darkness inside this whirlpool. A strong suction force instantaneously appeared and sucked all the origin energy in the air to replenish Huo Yuhao’s body. He recovered as quickly as he was drained. It was as if he wasn’t affected at all.
2595
2596No wonder it was only a Titled Douluo that could possess a soul core! Given this recovery speed, he wasn’t afraid of being drained in the process of flying.
2597
2598Furthermore, Huo Yuhao was stunned to discover that his soul core didn’t just replenish his soul power. It also replenished his spiritual power.
2599
2600To help Nan Qiuqiu earlier, his spiritual sea was revolving in a weird trajectory, but his spiritual power was now recovering too.
2601
2602Simply put, this soul core was like another Huo Yuhao in a different dimension. In this world, Huo Yuhao might be flying. However, he was resting and cultivating in the other dimension. This feeling wasn’t just new; it was fantastic too.
2603
2604Huo Yuhao understood that his cultivation speed had doubled at the very least after obtaining this soul core. Within a year or two, he could become a Soul Douluo.
2605
2606Right now, he was just twenty years old.
2607
2608As he flew and sensed the changes in his soul core, Huo Yuhao’s flying speed kept on increasing. He was like a beam of flowing light in the air. More magically, this beam of flowing light was slowly dimming as it flew. It was as if it were combining with heaven and earth.
2609
2610If Elder Mu could be by Huo Yuhao’s side right now, he would be shocked. He would also tell Huo Yuhao that this was the Unity of Heaven and Man. Even Transcendent Douluo might not reach such a realm. After reaching such a realm, not only would one’s life energy decrease at a slower speed, but his affinity with the origin energy of heaven and earth would also increase. During the process of cultivation and recovery, such a soul master would do better than other soul masters of the same cultivation. In addition, such a soul master would also be better at concealing himself.
2611
2612Huo Yuhao was delayed because he was helping Nan Qiuqiu earlier, but he soon caught up with his astonishing speed. In the evening, he could already see the outline of Dragon City.
2613
2614Dragon City was considered a huge city in the Heavenly Soul Empire, located in its northeast region. Its temperature was comparatively lower than the other regions. Moving north from Dragon City, Huo Yuhao could reach the Extreme North in less than four hours. He could reach the core of the Extreme North in at most eight hours. This clearly showed how low the temperature was in Dragon City.
2615
2616Huo Yuhao could only see ice and snow all around.
2617
2618In fact, he clearly knew why the Sun Moon Empire chose to occupy more than two-thirds of the territory of the Heavenly Soul Empire. They wanted to continue expanding their territory starting from the north.
2619
2620One reason was that it was very difficult for ordinary soldiers to resist the cold in the north. This was even more advantageous for their soul engineer legions. Even the Dou Ling Empire wasn’t able to provide stronger support. Another reason was naturally because of Shrek Academy.
2621
2622If the Sun Moon Empire attacked the south first, they were very likely to face the combined forces of the Star Luo Empire, Heavenly Soul Empire, Dou Ling Empire and Shrek Academy. Just like Huo Yuhao’s second plan, such a situation would lead to a final showdown between the Sun Moon Empire and the rest of the other empires and Shrek Academy.
2623
2624Without the Star Luo Empire’s attack on the Sun Moon Empire’s territories, the Sun Moon Empire might perhaps still choose a final showdown. With the Holy Ghost Church to support them, a few soul engineer legions and two Ultimate Douluo, they were confident of winning.
2625
2626However, if the Sun Moon Empire’s territories were attacked, they would be greatly threatened, and would have no choice but to send troops to protect their own territories. Under such a condition, the situation at the frontlines was bound to be less intense.
2627
2628Invading from the north could at least help them avoid the Star Luo Empire and Shrek Academy. The remaining troops of the Dou Ling and Heavenly Soul Empires would at most delay them, but not stop them. Evidently, attacking from the north instead of the south was more advantageous.
2629
2630At the same time, the Sun Moon Empire needed some buffer time. Although the Heavenly Soul Empire wasn’t as huge as the Star Luo Empire, it was still much bigger than the Dou Ling Empire. Compared to the Sun Moon Empire, it was still two-thirds as large. After occupying the Heavenly Soul Empire, the Sun Moon Empire still needed time to pacify the citizens and strengthen their rule. This was why the Sun Moon Empire had toned down over the past month or so.
2631
2632An invasion couldn’t be pulled off so easily. This was because it wasn’t just an invasion. It was an annexation; the Sun Moon Empire wanted to expand its territory.
2633
2634It was Huo Yuhao’s first time here in Dragon City. Now that the first city in the north of the Heavenly Soul Empire was already occupied, how could one not feel hopeless?
2635
2636The Heavenly Dragon and Earthdragon Sects were the two most representative sects of Dragon City. However, they were still lacking compared to the Sun Moon Empire.
2637
2638The Earthdragon Sect saw it coming, and had already moved more than half of their resources and disciples to Shrek City under Nan Shuishui’s charge. They only had some resources left over, but they weren’t greatly affected. The situation that the Heavenly Dragon Sect was in right now was unknown.
2639
2640Huo Yuhao could still clearly remember how strong the captain of the Earthdragon Sect’s team, Yu Tianlong, was during the Elite Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. His pure Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was extraordinary. Nan Shuishui had also mentioned that the Heavenly Dragon Sect was stronger than the Earth Dragon Sect, whose sect leader was a Titled Douluo. Even though it wasn’t as strong as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect in the past, it was still an elite sect.
2641
2642As he thought, Huo Yuhao was already getting closer and closer to Dragon City. He unleashed his spiritual power in the direction of Dragon City. Just as he had expected, there were already aerial surveillance soul tools over Dragon City.
2643
2644However, there were fewer aerial surveillance soul tools here compared to the Ming Dou Mountain Range. After all, manufacturing aerial surveillance soul tools wasn’t cheap. Unless they were used at particularly important places, there wouldn’t be a congregation of them.
2645
2646At the same time, Huo Yuhao saw that there were no troops stationed outside the city. There were only some guards on the city wall.
2647
2648It seemed like the Sun Moon Empire’s defense of Dragon City wasn’t very strong.
2649
2650Huo Yuhao found a small tree that could conceal him as he descended when he was around eight kilometers from Dragon City. He revealed himself before walking towards the city.
2651
2652Nan Qiuqiu was still in a deep sleep. Huo Yuhao predicted that she would only awaken the next morning. This period of time was particularly important to her. One couldn’t increase their spiritual power under normal conditions. This was why he decided to enter the city and find a place to stay first before going to the Earthdragon Sect after Nan Qiuqiu was awake.
2653
2654He would need some time to walk eight kilometers. However, he wasn’t in a rush, and walked slowly. There wasn’t much security outside the city, and he was only briefly checked before he was allowed to enter.
2655
2656
2657
2658
2659
2660Chapter 461.2: Overt Plot of the Mysterious Marshal
2661
2662
2663After entering Dragon City, Huo Yuhao felt much less cold air blowing against him. With the city wall as a barrier, the temperature inside the city was naturally higher than outside the city.
2664
2665Everything inside the city seemed to be very ordinary. There weren’t any signs of suffering or misery. Although the streets weren’t completely empty, they weren’t bustling with life either. In a city as cold as this, the population was bound to be much less than a city in the south.
2666
2667As Huo Yuhao walked forward, he observed his surroundings and sensed the changes.
2668
2669There was a simple soul formation at the top of the city wall. However, there weren’t many soul engineers stationed there, and they were only accompanied by a few ordinary soldiers.
2670
2671Given such a defense, the Heavenly Soul Empire could possibly overcome it if they could divide their troops and attack the city with one or two regular legions.
2672
2673Shrek Academy didn’t have any information about this city either. Naturally, Huo Yuhao didn’t know anything. In a city, there wasn’t a place more suitable than an inn to find out information. Huo Yuhao decided to find an inn and gather information about the situation in Dragon City before making any plans.
2674
2675It was very easy to find an inn in such a cold city. Drinking could warm one’s body, and this was why many northerners considered it their hobby. Even some ladies shared the same hobby too.
2676
2677Huo Yuhao soon found an inn and entered. The sign board of this inn wasn’t very big. However, Huo Yuhao immediately sensed a bustling atmosphere the moment he entered.
2678
2679A warm feeling swept over him the moment he entered. He felt engulfed by a heatwave, and the coldness he felt in his body immediately disappeared.
2680
2681The size of the inn wasn’t very big, and it was much hotter inside this inn. Some people were even sleeveless as they consumed alcohol.
2682
2683There were four or five tables as well as a bar. There were twenty to thirty people in the inn, which contributed to the rowdy atmosphere. However, the atmosphere also felt very friendly.
2684
2685Huo Yuhao noticed that there were a few scantily-clad ladies behind every table and the bar. However, these ladies weren’t young. They looked to be in their thirties. Although they were scantily-clad, they weren’t very physically attractive. They were all dressed in the same way. Evidently, they belonged to this inn. They were there to drink with the customers, but they didn’t provide any further services. Even though the customers were also drinking and joking with them, they were seated pretty far away. It seemed like this was a culture of inns in Dragon City. Ladies were only there to provide an atmosphere for drinking.
2686
2687“Welcome, sir.” A scantily-clad lady who revealed her shoulders and cleavage walked over and greeted Huo Yuhao, who had just entered. She had a strong northern accent. Her voice was very smooth, but it was slightly nasal. Although her yellow dress was very revealing, it also exuded the elegant style of the Heavenly Soul Empire. It was just that the dress was made of slightly inferior quality.
2688
2689“Hi.” Huo Yuhao nodded slightly to acknowledge her. “Are there still seats?”
2690
2691The lady in yellow said, “There are only seats at the bar. Will that do?”
2692
2693“Yes.” Huo Yuhao nodded again.
2694
2695The lady brought him to a corner of the bar before sitting down. Huo Yuhao was dressed rather lightly. After all, he came directly from Shrek Academy. Naturally, he didn’t need to take off a coat. However, all the customers in the inn were already drunk, and didn’t notice this at all.
2696
2697The lady brought a glass of warm water for Huo Yuhao before asking, “Sir, you must be a foreigner.”
2698
2699Huo Yuhao nodded, “Yes! Dragon City is really cold.”
2700
2701The lady laughed, “You’re right. Seeing the way you’re dressed, you must be feeling very cold. You’ll be fine after having some alcohol. What do you want?”
2702
2703Huo Yuhao said, “Give me something local.”
2704
2705“Alright, wait a minute then.”
2706
2707Not long afterward, a glass of amber alcohol was brought in front of Huo Yuhao. It had a strong alcoholic fragrance.
2708
2709Huo Yuhao lifted his cup and sniffed the alcohol. Suddenly, a strong alcoholic scent swept his nose. Evidently, the alcohol was very strong.
2710
2711As he sniffed the alcohol, he couldn’t help but recall how there was too much origin energy of Ultimate Ice in his body during the tournament in Radiant City, and how he had to rely on distillate to neutralize it. Time had passed so quickly. Wang Dong’er was no longer with him, and he was now in this northern city.
2712
2713After tasting a sip of the alcohol, a malty, acrid taste filled his throat. It warmed his body as it went all the way into his belly. That feeling was indeed refreshing.
2714
2715Huo Yuhao didn’t use his soul power to neutralize the strength of the alcohol. As he sensed the burning stimulation, his face also turned a bit red.
2716
2717Even though he wasn’t the most handsome person, he was still very charming because of his great spiritual power. The lady’s eyes brightened when she saw his flush. “Sir, where are you from?”
2718
2719Huo Yuhao said, “I’m from the south, and I’m here to visit a friend.”
2720
2721The lady smiled and replied, “You must be careful then. It’s wartime now. Don’t go to war-prone places where there’s a lot of fighting.”
2722
2723Huo Yuhao wasn’t moved as he said, “I heard that Dragon City has already…”
2724
2725The lady didn’t hide anything from him and responded to his question. “Yes, Dragon City has already been occupied by the Sun Moon Empire. We were initially very worried, but it seems like things aren’t that bad.”
2726
2727“Oh?” Huo Yuhao was a little astonished as he looked at her. He asked, “How’s the war situation?”
2728
2729She replied, “Ordinary citizens like us wouldn’t know anything. At least the Sun Moon Empire hasn’t done anything to ordinary citizens like us after occupying Dragon City. Instead, they’ve sent out announcements that they won’t plunder from us or kill anyone. They want us to maintain order and not leave our houses easily.”
2730
2731“Just like that?” Huo Yuhao was a little astonished. The Sun Moon Empire had greatly alleviated the suffering that ordinary citizens generally experienced in such cases by not touching them. If this was the case, it was a blessing amongst all the suffering.
2732
2733The lady said, “Yes! They have occupied Dragon City for many days, and only left behind a few soldiers to maintain order. After that, businessmen started to enter the city. The soldiers retreated from the city two days after arriving. You should have seen how there isn’t much damage to the city at all. I only heard that a few soul master sects were forced to temporarily leave Dragon City by the Sun Moon Empire’s troops. However, I’m not sure where they went.”
2734
2735Huo Yuhao furrowed his brow and started to ponder. From the start when Xu Tianran started the war and held many elite talents from the Soul Dueling Tournament captive, he thought that lives were bound to be lost in this war.
2736
2737Furthermore, the Holy Ghost Church aided the Sun Moon Empire. Given such a situation, how was it possible that they spared the citizens? This was something that Huo Yuhao hadn’t expected.
2738
2739Before Huo Yuhao even asked anything else, the lady also got herself a glass of malt alcohol from behind the bar and said, “Those businessmen were also very weird. After entering the city, they didn’t trade. Instead, they were giving out stuff. I heard that they gave many of the nobility in the city weird items. I heard they are related to soul tools. Their empire occupied our city, but they’re giving us stuff. I don’t get what’s going on.”
2740
2741Huo Yuhao was also confused when he heard her words. Why has something like this happened? What is the Sun Moon Empire planning to do?
2742
2743Huo Yuhao only got this information. He didn’t obtain anything useful after speaking to other patrons.
2744
2745After inquiring about the mayor’s house in the city, he left the inn upon finishing his alcohol.
2746
2747Right now, the sky had already turned dark, and the flow of people on the streets had evidently decreased. The temperature had also dropped significantly.
2748
2749To prevent himself from being too conspicuous, Huo Yuhao retrieved a coat from his storage-type soul tool and wore it. He slowly walked the streets.
2750
2751He had originally intended to find a place to stay, and would only go to the Earthdragon Sect after Nan Qiuqiu woke up. However, he had some new ideas now.
2752
2753He was curious. The Sun Moon Empire had not plundered the citizens nor touched them in any way. They even allowed businessmen to enter the city to give them stuff. What were the empire’s intentions here?
2754
2755He went to the mayor’s residence to take a look. At least there were people from the Sun Moon Empire there. Perhaps he could obtain some information.
2756
2757As he thought until here, Huo Yuhao turned into a dark alley and slowly disappeared into the dark under the concealment of his Imitation.
2758
2759The mayor’s residence was located in the city center just like in most other cities. The mayor’s residence looked pretty big, and was visible from afar.
2760
2761There were two soldiers standing at the entrance. They wore thick winter wear. Huo Yuhao jumped up and silently entered the residence. He moved like a falling leaf, and didn’t alarm anyone.
2762
2763The residence was very quiet. It was only after a while that a patrol of troops could be seen passing by. Huo Yuhao snuck in and quickly came to the core structure of the residence.
2764
2765He drifted up towards a second-story room that was lit. At the same time, he unleashed his spiritual power, engulfing the entire residence. He didn’t believe there were any spiritual detectors here.
2766
2767Very soon, he quickly grasped the situation in the residence. There were about a hundred and fifty troopers inside this residence. Of them, twenty were soul engineers. Their cultivations were slightly weak – they were only two or three-ringed soul engineers. In the central room of the residence, there was a six-ringed Soul Emperor. Huo Yuhao could only tell if he was a soul engineer by seeing him directly.
2768
2769He’s only a Soul Emperor, but he’s taking charge of the entire city? The Sun Moon Empire is really throwing caution to the wind.
2770
2771
2772
2773
2774
2775Chapter 461.3: Overt Plot of the Mysterious Marshal
2776
2777
2778As he thought, Huo Yuhao drifted up and charged towards the room where the Soul Emperor was.
2779
2780Very soon, he was outside the door. Given the number of people that were in this residence, he was absolutely confident of defeating all of them by himself. However, he didn’t want to alarm anyone. He remained quiet outside the window. His spiritual power was focused inside the room, and he silently listened and observed.
2781
2782There was a fifty-year-old Soul Emperor reading some documents in the room and nodding occasionally. To only be a Soul Emperor at such an age meant that he had no future. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao also sensed the presence of soul tools in the room. Undoubtedly, he had to be a Class 6 soul engineer.
2783
2784Someone came. Huo Yuhao felt something, and sensed a few people outside the residence. From their dress, it seemed like they were all businessmen instead of military personnel. These people quickly entered the residence after sending word of their arrival before rushing into the room where this Soul Emperor was.
2785
2786“Sir, people from the Sun Moon Chamber of Commerce are here.” A soldier respectfully reported from outside the room.
2787
2788“Alright. Let them in.” The Soul Emperor said calmly.
2789
2790The few businessmen were led into the room under the guidance of the soldier. At the same time, they bowed towards the Soul Emperor.
2791
2792“How is it? How’s the plan going?” The Soul Emperor asked.
2793
2794A lanky businessman replied, “We experienced some difficulty at the start. The nobility of the Heavenly Soul Empire discriminated against us. However, after you sent out instructions not to confiscate their land and wealth, they didn’t dare to openly express their hate towards us even if they secretly hate us. They only resisted our efforts in the shadows. Over these few days, we’ve already demonstrated how magical soul tools can be, which I believe is slowly moving them. This is especially true for our thermal radiators, which I believe they are most interested in. Thermal radiators can greatly conserve costly coal. Every other week, we’ll just need a soul engineer to pour in his soul power. That’ll be sufficient to power a thermal radiator to keep a plot of land not bigger than five hundred square meters warm. We can even avoid the smell of burning coal. They are all very surprised.”
2795
2796The Soul Emperor nodded in satisfaction and responded, “Alright, continue to advertise. Give them everything. Don’t feel heart-ache over that. The marshal has mentioned that even though we’ll experience some temporary monetary losses, they’ll eventually be reliant on us once they adapt to a life of soul tools, and won’t be willing to return to their obsolete lives. After we win over the nobility and convince them to work for us, we’ll then turn our efforts to the citizens. In a few years, we’ll win the hearts of the entire city.”
2797
2798“Yes.” The businessmen nodded respectfully. After this, they carried out a series of reports. They were talking about how to transport soul tools into the city for the noble families and teaching them how to use them. They were also talking about how to move the nobility, as well as who were the ones who had been moved, and who were the ones who were still very stubborn.
2799
2800The entire report lasted roughly an hour before the businessmen left.
2801
2802After sending them to the door, the mayor returned to his room and muttered in awe to himself, “Marshal, you are far-sighted! This method is much better than performing a massacre. The Sun Moon Empire can’t just rely on military power to rule the entire continent. This method to use soul tools to win the hearts of the people is indeed impressive. We’ve lessened the number of troops in the city, making them relax their guard. After that, we used soul tool technology to infiltrate their lives, although we’re the ones who control the core technologies. In the future, there’ll only be the Sun Moon Empire. The funny thing is that the Heavenly Soul Empire, Star Luo Empire and Dou Ling Empire are still trying to resist us. Perhaps they’ll discover in a few years that their citizens in the territories we’ve occupied are no longer loyal to them. Haha, brilliant. This is indeed brilliant. The Marshal is indeed the person I admire the most! Conquering hearts without using force. That’s the most advanced of all strategies.”
2803
2804Huo Yuhao stood outside for two hours and listened to everything. After listening to this point, his expression had already turned slightly pale.
2805
2806Impressive. This ‘Marshal’ that he’s talking about is too impressive.
2807
2808Using soul tool technology as a means of infiltration. What kind of brilliant idea is that?
2809
2810The air outside was extremely cold, but Huo Yuhao was dripping with perspiration. An overt plot, it was a true overt plot! Perhaps he could destroy everything in Dragon City with all his strength. However, if the Sun Moon Empire did the same throughout the entire Heavenly Soul Empire, there was no way he could stop them unless he could drive them out quickly.
2811
2812Who exactly was this marshal? He actually had such a strategy. He was indeed a brilliant strategist.
2813
2814Huo Yuhao had seen Xu Tianran before. He didn’t have a good impression of him. Without a doubt, Xu Tianran was an anti-hero. However, it was perhaps because of his disability that he seemed very sinister and vicious. Right now, the strategy that Huo Yuhao heard of was definitely something that an anti-hero couldn’t have thought up.
2815
2816This was a true overt plot. It was upright, but perhaps only effective in the long-term. However, if it worked, it would be extremely effective! If they succeeded, the Heavenly Soul Empire would find it extremely challenging to regain hold of the territories they had lost.
2817
2818Given the current situation in all the empires, the foundation of every empire was the nobility. The nobility controlled almost all the resources in an empire. The most powerful of the nobility were naturally the imperial families of each empire. This was the foundation of a monarchy.
2819
2820This was why the Sun Moon Empire had a very specific target. First, they chose to penetrate the hearts of the nobility of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Once the nobility slowly sided with the Sun Moon Empire and helped them promote soul tool technology in their own empire, they could only be subjected to manipulation, given that they didn’t possess any core technologies. They would forever be reliant on the Sun Moon Empire.
2821
2822The longer they were under occupation, the more evident this would become. This was too terrifying. The person who came up with this strategy left Huo Yuhao in awe.
2823
2824There weren’t any massacres. It was through pure soul tool technology penetration that the Sun Moon Empire demonstrated their advantage to the fullest. Before today, Huo Yuhao would never have expected the Sun Moon Empire to use such a method of invasion.
2825
2826How should he react to such a strategy?
2827
2828Huo Yuhao silently left the residence and found a hotel to stay the night. He was sleepless the entire night.
2829
2830It was only when the sky had already brightened that Huo Yuhao retracted his thoughts. To him, it was fine that he couldn’t sleep the entire night. It was just that he couldn’t think of a proper way to deal with the Sun Moon Empire’s strategy even though he had been thinking the entire night.
2831
2832What an overt plot! It was an overt plot that one found difficult to counteract.
2833
2834It wasn’t completely foolproof. The simplest way of dealing with it was to quickly reclaim all the lost territories. At the same time, the Sun Moon Empire had to be stopped. It was only through this way that they could possibly hang on.
2835
2836However, what about the long-term?
2837
2838Within the Sun Moon Empire’s borders, the empire had already promoted soul tool technology to ordinary citizens. Furthermore, it was extremely difficult to reclaim the cities that they had taken from the Heavenly Soul Empire. In the area of soul tools, the Sun Moon Empire was simply leading by too much.
2839
2840As time passed, the cities that had fallen to the Sun Moon Empire would likely yield to the Sun Moon Empire even if they didn’t attack, and only maintained the current situation. With more resources and support, the Sun Moon Empire’s soul tool technology would advance faster and faster. This would further the gap between them and the other empires of the original Douluo Continent.
2841
2842The current peak of soul tool technology right now was the Death God. However, the Death God was undoubtedly an exception. It was a soul tool that everyone feared. It could only be operated after killing people. One Death God wasn’t considered too terrifying to Huo Yuhao. Its threat would cease to exist once the soldiers of the Sun Moon Empire couldn’t handle it anymore.
2843
2844However, soul tool technology was continuously improving. As it continued to develop, there would be a day in the future where it could possibly threaten Titled Douluo, and even Ultimate Douluo. If that was the case, the Sun Moon Empire’s rule over the entire continent was bound to happen!
2845
2846Huo Yuhao didn’t reject soul tool technology. He was also a soul engineer. As soul tool technology kept on developing, it represented societal progress. It was an evolution of the entire Douluo Continent. However, he didn’t wish to see the Sun Moon Empire ruling over the entire Douluo Continent. This was something that he couldn’t accept.
2847
2848However, there wasn’t any stopping them. Over the past few thousand years, the three empires of the original Douluo Continent had already told him the answer using the current situation that they were facing – closing their empire and refusing to accept development as a reality, as well as unwilling to learn the qualities of others. The end result was that they were on the verge of becoming obsolete.
2849
2850The three empires of the original Douluo Continent were too huge. All the authority lay in the hands of the nobility. Even if the imperial families wanted to promote soul tool development, it wasn’t something that was effective in the short-term. Most noble families were still discriminative towards soul tools.
2851
2852Perhaps the only hope lay in the academy.
2853
2854Shrek was only a city. It was mainly led by Shrek Academy. Over the past ten years, ever since Elder Mu had recognized the importance of developing soul tools, and after Elder Xuan had taken the reins, Shrek Academy had been continuously developing its Soul Tool Department, and the Tang Sect was established to encourage the speedy development of Shrek City. Furthermore, there weren’t any noble families in Shrek City. Perhaps the future Shrek was the only hope left for the original Douluo Continent.
2855
2856After thinking until here, Huo Yuhao seemed to have thought of something. There was something extra in his head. However, he couldn’t tell what it was yet.
2857
2858Just as he was gradually clearing his thoughts, his spiritual sea moved slightly. Nan Qiuqiu was awake.
2859
2860
2861
2862
2863
2864Chapter 462: The Earthdragon Sect's Secret Base
2865
2866
2867Nan Qiuqiu looked very depressed as she exited his spectral demiplane.
2868
2869Huo Yuhao smiled as he asked, “What’s wrong, Qiuqiu?”
2870
2871Nan Qiuqiu looked at the weather outside and said, “Surely this isn’t the second day already, right?”
2872
2873Huo Yuhao shrugged.
2874
2875Nan Qiuqiu snorted and said, “What’s so impressive about bullying me? Your spiritual power is just a little stronger. There’ll be a day where I’ll surpass you.”
2876
2877When she said that last sentence, she didn’t seem to have any confidence at all.
2878
2879Huo Yuhao didn’t mock her. He only smiled and said, “I’m waiting for that day to come. How’re you feeling? Are you feeling unwell?”
2880
2881Nan Qiuqiu snorted and replied, “No. I’m great. For someone who doesn’t know how to appreciate beauty, hmph!”
2882
2883Huo Yuhao shook his head helplessly. He didn’t try to explain himself either. He believed that Nan Qiuqiu would understand his intentions in the future.
2884
2885“Let’s go. I’ll bring you back to your sect.” After he finished speaking, Nan Qiuqiu started walking out, but Huo Yuhao stopped her and took her somewhere to eat first. After eating, they checked out of the inn and came to the streets of Dragon City.
2886
2887Nan Qiuqiu was very familiar with Dragon City. After making turns within the city, they came to the center of the city that was facing the north. She looked to the street sides and corners of walls. Evidently, she was still displeased with Huo Yuhao, and refused to acknowledge him.
2888
2889Huo Yuhao was very quiet as he followed her.
2890
2891After walking for some time, Nan Qiuqiu’s eyes brightened. She stopped in front of a cloth shop and twisted her head to Huo Yuhao before gesturing towards him.
2892
2893“Quick, come.”
2894
2895Huo Yuhao hurried forward and entered this cloth shop behind Nan Qiuqiu.
2896
2897It was a little empty in the shop. Perhaps it was because it was still morning, and they had just opened shop. There was a shopkeeper at the counter, and there were two workers outside.
2898
2899Seeing Nan Qiuqiu, the shopkeeper evidently appeared to know her. His eyes brightened and he rushed over. After taking a few glances, he whispered, “Young mistress, you’re finally here.”
2900
2901Nan Qiuqiu also lowered her voice and asked, “Where’s my mother?”
2902
2903The shopkeeper answered, “She’s in the back. This is?” He was doubtful as he looked at Huo Yuhao.
2904
2905Nan Qiuqiu replied, “He’s my friend. My mom knows him. Bring us to see her.”
2906
2907“Yes.” The shopkeeper led both of them to a small door and proceeded towards the backyard of the shop.
2908
2909Huo Yuhao thought to himself. The foundation of the Earthdragon Sect is so deep in this city. It’s not easy for the Sun Moon Empire to chase them away.
2910
2911Nan Shuishui had just finished her breakfast, and was basking in the sun in the backyard. Seeing that Huo Yuhao and Nan Qiuqiu had arrived, she was delighted. She smiled as she received them.
2912
2913“Elder Nan.” Huo Yuhao greeted her with a bow.
2914
2915Nan Qiuqiu stood at one side and shouted, “Good kid!”
2916
2917Nan Shuishui glared at her daughter. “How can you take such advantage of him? Don’t be so mischievous.”
2918
2919Nan Qiuqiu laughed cheekily, and her displeasure at Huo Yuhao seemed to disappear.
2920
2921Huo Yuhao lowered his voice and said, “Elder, how is the situation in Dragon City? I heard that the soul master sects in the city have been taken away by the Sun Moon Empire?”
2922
2923Nan Shuishui sighed and said, “It’s too quick. In just a few months, the Sun Moon Empire have already occupied this city. Their powers are beyond our imagination! You’re right. Most of the large sects in Dragon City, apart from us, have been forced outside of Dragon City. The rest have also been taken away. The Sun Moon Empire has performed a clean sweep of the soul master sects in the city. However, it’s fortunate that they’ve not done anything to the people. This is the reason why we’ve been able to preserve some of our resources. I’m sure there are others who are still here, but have yet to reveal themselves.”
2924
2925Huo Yuhao furrowed his brow slightly and said, “I wonder what the Sun Moon Empire is planning by taking away so many of the soul master sects.”
2926
2927Nan Shuishui laughed coldly and said, “What else can they want? They’ll probably tempt them to join them. If it’s not possible, they’ll just kill all of them. There’re only two possibilities. There’ll be those who are cowardly and afraid of death. I heard that the Sun Moon Empire added two more soul engineer legions after occupying the Heavenly Soul Empire’s territories. These two soul engineer legions were divided and sent to the original soul engineer legions. The soul engineers in these legions are equipped with basic soul tools and have become part of their fighting forces. This Sun Moon Empire is really devious. Those who lack backbone also deserve to be killed!”
2928
2929They were fueling the war through what they’d won from the war! After Huo Yuhao listened to Nan Shuishui’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness. After the Sun Moon Empire started its invasion, he felt that their strategy was flawless, and they completely had the upper hand.
2930
2931From the initial feint attack on the Star Luo Empire to restrain them to the massive invasion of the Heavenly Soul Empire to the series of targeted strategies later on, the Sun Moon Empire had achieved the greatest advantage in the shortest period of time.
2932
2933Marshal. Are those strategies devised by that marshal mentioned by the mayor? I didn’t expect Xu Tianran to have such a powerful figure under him. I wonder what kind of clash will occur when we face him on the battlefield in the future.
2934
2935Nan Shuishui said, “Since you’re here, let’s exploit the opportunity that there aren’t many Sun Moon Empire soldiers here right now and get things done. Come on, I’ll bring you there.”
2936
2937“Alright.”
2938
2939Nan Shuishui dressed herself up and put on a bamboo hat with a veil before leading both of them out of the shop. She proceeded in a northerly direction.
2940
2941Nan Qiuqiu whispered to Huo Yuhao beside her, “Before Dragon City was occupied, the Earthdragon Sect occupied the city’s north, and the Heavenly Dragon Sect occupied the city’s south. We’ve never touched each other.”
2942
2943“The Heavenly Dragon Sect is more powerful. Their sect leader is even a Titled Douluo. I’m not sure what their situation is right now either.”
2944
2945Nan Shuishui turned her head to Nan Qiuqiu and said, “Speaking of it, I’m really in awe of Old Tianlong. When the Sun Moon Empire’s troops arrived, that old fellow led his sect to defend the city along with the Dragon City Defense Army. I heard he killed many enemies. After the city was breached, the Heavenly Dragon Sect suffered massive losses, and Old Tianlong died in battle. I heard Yu Tianlong disappeared, but I’m not sure where.”
2946
2947After hearing Nan Shuishui’s words, Huo Yuhao and Nan Qiuqiu were both in awe too. Someone who defended the city until the very last moment deserved massive respect. If Yu Tianlong had run away, it meant that the lineage of the Heavenly Dragon Sect could still be carried on.
2948
2949Nan Shuishui said heavily, “I have been fighting Old Tianlong for my entire life, and have always been restrained by him. I didn’t expect him to die earlier than me. The Heavenly Dragon Sect has been half wiped out, while the remaining ones have been taken away. The hateful thing is that there were a few sects that secretly surrendered to the Sun Moon Empire. If they didn’t open the city gate, things wouldn’t have…”
2950
2951Nan Shuishui turned more and more grim as she spoke until here.
2952
2953Nan Qiuqiu rushed forward a few steps and grabbed her hands. “Mom, we’ll avenge Uncle Heavenly Dragon one day in the future. Your actions were right. We can’t fight the Sun Moon Empire given our strength. It’s only through surviving that we can take revenge in the future. Uncle Tianlong is sometimes too stubborn. If he were willing to listen to you and move to Shrek City, he wouldn’t have…”
2954
2955“Shut up!” Nan Shuishui shouted, and Nan Qiuqiu was stunned in place.
2956
2957Nan Shuishui looked very strict as she said, “He wasn’t being stubborn. He just couldn’t give up the city. Dragon City is the place where the Heavenly Dragon and Earthdragon Sects were established. I couldn’t lead the Earthdragon Sect to fight the enemy along with the Heavenly Dragon Sect, and I’m very guilty over that. Unless I can avenge him one day, the Earthdragon Sect can never lift its head in front of the Heavenly Dragon Sect again. I already regret my decision. If I had known, I would have been willing to fight to the death with the Old Tianlong.”
2958
2959As she spoke until here, her eyes filled with tears and she clenched her fists.
2960
2961Huo Yuhao sighed in his heart when he sensed Nan Shuishui’s deadly aura. Seeing that the city where her sect had been established had been sacrificed, and her old friend and foe had died in battle, Nan Shuishui must be feeling very down.
2962
2963“Elder Nan, we’ll get Dragon City back. Elder Tianlong was a hero of Dragon City, and so are you.” Huo Yuhao said sincerely.
2964
2965Nan Shuishui lowered her head slightly and gently shook it. She didn’t say anything else, and turned around before continuing to walk forward.
2966
2967Nan Qiuqiu stuck out her tongue and looked scared. Her mother was normally very nice to her. She was hardly so strict.
2968
2969After passing streets and alleys, an extremely large courtyard appeared in their vision. After seeing this courtyard, both Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu seemed to be very sad. Undoubtedly, this was the Earthdragon Sect.
2970
2971There were seals all over the gate of the Earthdragon Sect, but no one was guarding it.
2972
2973“Mom, there shouldn’t be too many guards in the city. Why don’t we kill them and snatch Dragon City back?!” Nan Qiuqiu said hatefully.
2974
2975Nan Shuishui glared at her and said, “How is it so simple? If the Sun Moon Empire dared to put so few guards in the city, they must have their reasons. There’s another announcement on the noticeboard at the side. If any soul master dares to revolt, they’ll kill all the soul masters they took from Dragon City. If this wasn’t the case, do you really think I would have waited until now?”
2976
2977“Scoundrel!” Nan Qiuqiu shouted furiously.
2978
2979Nan Shuishui’s eyes turned cold. Seeing that there wasn’t anyone around looking at them, she nodded to the other two before drifting up. She entered the sect first.
2980
2981Huo Yuhao tugged Nan Qiuqiu’s sleeves before they followed Nan Shuishui.
2982
2983It was a mess inside the Earthdragon Sect. Many areas had been damaged. There were broken walls all around. Evidently, the place had been ransacked.
2984
2985Nan Qiuqiu hadn’t returned in a long time. Upon seeing the condition of the place, her eyes turned red, and she wanted to turn around and rush off. Nan Shuishui grabbed hold of her, but it took some effort to restrain her.
2986
2987“We need to take care of business. Yuhao was right. We’ll come back one day.”
2988
2989Nan Shuishui led both of them to the backyard of the Earthdragon Sect. It was a huge garden. Right now, the garden was in ruins. When the Sun Moon Empire’s troops searched the place, the garden was greatly damaged. It would be difficult for it to return to its former look in the future.
2990
2991Nan Shuishui shut her eyes in torment as she saw all this. The Earthdragon Sect’s legacy had been passed down for more than a thousand years, but it died in her generation. Undoubtedly, she was in great pain right now.
2992
2993However, she didn’t stop. She led the two of them to the depths of the backyard, where there was a well.
2994
2995Huo Yuhao was slightly moved as he came closer and closer to the well. He could subtly sense movements from the Ice Empress, and his own Ice Jade Empress Scorpion seemed to want to be released. There seemed to be something very attractive within the well.
2996
2997“It’s here. This is a cold spring. There is concentrated spiritual energy in this spring. It’s very nourishing for soul masters. However, only the sect leaders of the Earthdragon Sect know about this. At the bottom of this spring, there is actually a cave. However, we’ve isolated it from the well using some mechanisms. Inside that cave, there are many exotic mineral stones. It’s just that the temperature inside the cave is too low. Even our ancestors that were Titled Douluo couldn’t stay inside it for long. Our ancestor managed to mine a small mineral stone once. It contained a strong ice-type aura inside it.”
2998
2999“It also seemed to be a metal. This is why our ancestors believed that there is a mine inside this cave – a mine that contains an ice-type metal. As to its standard, we have no clue.”
3000
3001As she spoke until here, Nan Shuishui looked at Huo Yuhao and said, “Yuhao, your martial soul is of Ultimate Ice. You should be able to survive in this cave. If the stones below are of use to you, try to mine them. After all, we won’t be back here anytime soon. Just take it as our contribution to the Tang Sect. The Tang Sect has been very nice to us in Shrek City. I hope we can work together more closely in the future.”
3002
3003“Thank you, elder.” Huo Yuhao didn’t stand on ceremony. Although the ice spring was a barrier, he could clearly sense that the stuff in the cave was indeed useful to him.
3004
3005Nan Shuishui told him how to open the cave in detail before saying, “Go on down. I’ll guard this place with Qiuqiu. Don’t force it. Although you possess an Ultimate Ice martial soul, I almost got frozen when I tried to go down for even just a few seconds. The temperature below is simply too low. It doesn’t seem like a human can handle it.”
3006
3007“Alright.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged her words. Nan Shuishui wouldn’t warn him without reason. Naturally, he wouldn’t be careless.
3008
3009After slightly adjusting his own state, he gestured to both Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu before drifting up and dropping into the well.
3010
3011The moment he entered the well, a sinister cold breeze swept over him. However, the cold could only serve to strengthen Huo Yuhao. Even without unleashing his martial soul, he wasn’t affected at all.
3012
3013However, for safety’s sake, Huo Yuhao still unleashed his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion before entering the well, and used his Ice Empress’ Armor. After a layer of diamond ice crystals covered his body, he sank deep into the spring.
3014
3015
3016
3017
3018
3019Chapter 463.1: Divine Ice Crystal
3020
3021
3022The cold spring was icy-cold. Its temperature was at least in the negatives. However, the strange thing was that it didn’t freeze up. After entering the spring, Huo Yuhao could clearly sense chilly origin energy rippling through the water. Although such ice-type origin energy didn’t affect him, the chilly aura that it possessed was very pure. No wonder Nan Shuishui claimed that this spring could nourish a human’s body.
3023
3024The spring was very deep. Huo Yuhao circulated his soul power and sank down. The deeper he went, the lower the temperature became. If it were any other ordinary soul master here, his soul power would be drained very quickly. However, Huo Yuhao wasn’t affected at all. His martial soul was even being nourished.
3025
3026The lights around also started to dim. However, this didn’t affect Huo Yuhao at all even though the darkness and cold would have greatly affected a soul master of the same rank as him.
3027
3028Although his spiritual power couldn’t reach as far in the water, it was already very strong. Apart from the fact that it extended at a slower speed, Huo Yuhao wasn’t drained much in this aspect either.
3029
3030The deeper he went, the faster his spiritual power extended downward. Even the Earthdragon Sect wasn’t clear on what was going on down below. Of course, Huo Yuhao had to be cautious to keep himself from getting into any trouble.
3031
3032Nan Shuishui had told Huo Yuhao that this spring was around thirty meters deep. At the very bottom, even a Soul Douluo like her wouldn’t be able to resist it. The cave was located at around a depth of between thirty to thirty-five meters.
3033
3034However, Huo Yuhao sensed that the depth of this spring didn’t seem to be only thirty meters. When he was thirty meters down, he felt a very strong surge of cold. It felt as if it were coming the bottom, just below where the strong surge of cold originated from. However, he discovered that the mouth of the spring seemed to be down there at the bottom. The mouth was very large – a person could get through it. Huo Yuhao could sense a strong, deep-blue color using his Spiritual Detection. This showed how cold it was down there.
3035
3036He was very curious about this spring mouth. The colder a place was, the better it was for him to cultivate his Ultimate Ice soul power. To him, it felt very similar to the Icefire Yin Yang Well. This was something that he hadn’t expected at all.
3037
3038However, Huo Yuhao needed to breathe even though he wasn’t affected by the cold and darkness. Even though he could hold his breath for a long time, he couldn’t do it forever.
3039
3040Let me find the cave opening first.
3041
3042As he thought, Huo Yuhao continued to use his soul power to control his body as he dived down.
3043
3044Very soon, he was at a depth of twenty-five meters. His diving speed was much quicker than the ancestors of the Earthdragon Sect. After all, he didn’t have to protect himself from the cold.
3045
3046The walls around the spring were cold and slippery. Touching them was like touching Manifold Mysterious Ice. As Huo Yuhao dived down, he kept on searching for the cave opening.
3047
3048This cave was rumored to exist naturally. It was originally not a well, but the natural mouth of a spring. After the Earthdragon Sect gained control of this place, they built a well specifically for it. This was why they designed mechanisms when they first constructed the well. If one wasn’t the leader of the Earthdragon Sect, it was very difficult to find these mechanisms.
3049
3050Huo Yuhao followed the walls and felt his way to the cave opening. With the help of his spiritual power, he quickly located a bulge. Normally, one would press down on such a bulge when they felt it. However, the Earthdragon Sect designed it in the reverse. Huo Yuhao grabbed hold of that bulge and pulled it up. He used more than forty percent of his soul power before the bulge moved up slightly.
3051
3052After this, he turned around and swam to the wall on the other side. He felt an ordinary dent on it. This dent didn’t exist previously. It only appeared after he meddled with the bulge earlier.
3053
3054He pressed hard on the dent, and a soft ‘za za’ sound was heard. Huo Yuhao returned to the bulge and pressed it down this time. He pressed it all the way down until it disappeared.
3055
3056The entire wall started to shake slightly. Huo Yuhao turned around, and saw a door that could only fit a single person slowly opening.
3057
3058The weird thing was that there was a strong surge of cold as the door slowly opened. Even Huo Yuhao could sense a tinge of chill, though he possessed an Ultimate Ice martial soul.
3059
3060What a low temperature! Huo Yuhao was in great awe, and focused his attention on it.
3061
3062The door slowly opened, and Huo Yuhao rushed forward.
3063
3064It was clearly a cold spring outside. However, this door seemed to possess some magical force. Not a drop of the cold spring water seeped past it. Even as Huo Yuhao entered, the cold spring water was filtered from his body. He instantly became very dry.
3065
3066As he was dried, he felt an extreme sense of chill sweep over him.
3067
3068Gusts of chilly air carried visible icy elements that surged towards Huo Yuhao’s body. However, it was a pity that they were stopped by Huo Yuhao’s Ice Empress’ Armor. Not only did they not cause him any harm, but they even stimulated Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice soul power.
3069
3070Even though Huo Yuhao was using his Ice Empress right now, he could still sense the situation in the cavern using his spiritual power.
3071
3072This cavern couldn’t be considered very large. It was filled with unknown mineral stones, and the temperature was very low. It was similar to the Extreme Chill Icespring. Its temperature was comparable. If Huo Yuhao’s abilities were still at the level they were when he had first encountered the Extreme Chill Icespring, he wouldn’t be able to bear such a low temperature.
3073
3074He didn’t rush to venture in. He only carefully observed his surroundings at the cave opening. At the same time, the Ice Empress started calling out in his spiritual sea.
3075
3076Although it was unknown what kind of ice-type treasure belonged here, it was clear that such an extreme level of cold wouldn’t exist for no reason. Even at the core of the Extreme North, the temperature wasn’t so low!
3077
3078Jade-green lights flashed, brightening their surroundings. The Ice Empress silently appeared beside Huo Yuhao. The light from her body lit up everything around them. Huo Yuhao was immediately stunned.
3079
3080Huo Yuhao wasn’t the only one who was stunned. The Ice Empress was also stunned.
3081
3082The cavern looked extremely beautiful as it was lit up by the Ice Empress’ jade-green light. It almost seemed surreal. The entire cavern was formed using all types of crystals. These crystals were jade-blue, but it was likely that the Ice Empress’ jade-green light had affected their color a little. They should, in fact, be deep-blue in color.
3083
3084These crystals were smooth and transparent. They looked ethereally beautiful under the jade-green light. Their beauty was almost indescribable. It was as if Huo Yuhao and the Ice Empress had entered an immortal realm.
3085
3086The ground, walls and ceiling were filled with such crystals. They varied greatly, and were all glowing brightly. The different intensities of the jade-blue crystals brightened the cavern such that every minor detail could be clearly observed.
3087
3088Huo Yuhao was in awe as he asked, “Ice Empress, what is this?”
3089
3090The Ice Empress was a little stunned as she looked at everything around her. After this, her figure flashed before she drifted away. Although she existed as a Spirit and a spiritual entity, her affinity with the ice element was still very strong. She could sense that the chill in the cavern was surging towards her as she flew out. After this, the chill started to revolve around her.
3091
3092“This, this seems like the legendary Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern. How is this possible? Why is there such a place here? God! This is unbelievable.” The Ice Empress’ voice seemed to have turned hysterical. It was Huo Yuhao’s first time seeing her so shocked.
3093
3094“No, no, this isn’t the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern yet. This is the Divine Ice Crystal that accompanies the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern. There are so many Divine Ice Crystals here. I’m sure the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern exists here. This is too unbelievable. How is it possible that such a place exists in the human world?”
3095
3096The Ice Empress appeared to have gone a little crazy as she kept on dancing in the cavern. The light from her body lit up the entire cavern.
3097
3098The cavern couldn’t be considered very large. It was only thirty meters in length, but Huo Yuhao could sense that there were streaks of light blue mist revolving around the Ice Empress as she flew within the cavern. Even he was in awe of the extremely low temperature of these streaks of mist.
3099
3100Such a low temperature was completely unimaginable.
3101
3102The Ice Empress flew for a good fifteen minutes before she stopped. Huo Yuhao breathed in the cold air and felt as if he had to circulate his Ultimate Ice soul power to dispel the chill. This meant that the cold here even surpassed his Ultimate Ice. It was close to absolute zero.
3103
3104“Yuhao, how did you find this place? How did you find it?” The Ice Empress quickly regained her awareness and returned to Huo Yuhao. She grabbed his shoulders. Apart from the look of excitement on her face, she was also greatly sentimental.
3105
3106“An elder brought me here. It’s the location of their sect. What’s wrong, Ice Empress? What’s the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern? And the Divine Ice Crystal?”
3107
3108The Ice Empress took in a deep breath and tried to calm her emotions. She said, “The Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern is an ice-type ultimate place. Let me give you an example. If the Snow Empress and I could have found the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern before we become your Spirits, we wouldn't have needed to find any way to achieve a breakthrough. Our abilities would have been able to overcome any bottleneck we faced. In the near future, we would have definitely been able to challenge Di Tian.”
3109
3110
3111
3112
3113
3114Chapter 463.2: Divine Ice Crystal
3115
3116
3117“To be more direct, the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern is a treasure ground for ice-type cultivators like us. Why was Di Tian able to overcome eight consecutive bottlenecks and become the god of all beasts, and even invincible? This is because he managed to gain control of a treasure ground – the Lake of Life in the Core Region of the Great Star Dou Forest. He used the immense life energy there to nourish himself, allowing him to achieve what he has today. However, the truth is that the Lake of Life can nourish any soul beast. He’s not the only one who can benefit from it. This is because the Lake of Life is life-type.”
3118
3119“In fact, it isn’t completely compatible with his darkness-type. Even so, he is still able to cultivate to such a level. But the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern is completely compatible with us! It is as valuable as the Lake of Life to us.”
3120
3121After hearing her words, Huo Yuhao was instantly astonished. He had personally seen the Lake of Life before! At the core of the Lake of Life was Life Gold. In addition, it wasn’t even lacking in amount. It was the place that held the lifeline of the entire Great Star Dou Forest. If the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern could compare to the Lake of Life like what the Ice Empress had said, it would be completely unbelievable.
3122
3123“Ice Empress, is there no Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern at the core of the Extreme North?” Huo Yuhao asked.
3124
3125The Ice Empress was in a bit of daze. She seemed to still be struck with disbelief.
3126
3127Another voice sounded at this moment. “Yes, there’s at least another one.” As a light projection flashed, the Skydream Iceworm appeared beside the Ice Empress. He was also as emotional.
3128
3129Huo Yuhao was puzzled as he looked at the Skydream Iceworm. The Ice Empress also glanced at him in the same way, but there was an extra weird look in her eyes.
3130
3131The Skydream Iceworm asked, “Yuhao, did you forget how I managed to survive for so long?”
3132
3133Huo Yuhao’s body shook. “You mentioned that you spent most of your time sleeping, and a million years passed just like that. I remember that you consumed some kind of ice essence and fell into a deep sleep. Don’t tell me…”
3134
3135Skydream nodded. “That’s right. The Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence that I consumed came from the Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern! I discovered that place unintentionally. The essence of an ice cavern lies in the ice essence. I was just an iceworm, but I relied on the benefits of the ice essence to cultivate into a million-year soul beast. Ice also wanted to kill me because of this.”
3136
3137“Hmph.” The Ice Empress snorted, “If you had let me have the ice essence then, the Beast God might not be Di Tian. The Snow Empress would also…”
3138
3139The Skydream Iceworm leisurely replied, “Ice, stop whining. This is called fate and destiny.”
3140
3141“Are you looking for a beating?” The Ice Empress snorted furiously, and the Skydream Iceworm immediately stopped making any sound.
3142
3143The Ice Empress turned to Huo Yuhao and said, “I didn’t expect there to be a second Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern in this world. Your luck is simply too good. Furthermore, this ice cavern is different from the one that Skydream encountered the other time.”
3144
3145Huo Yuhao was delighted. From the Ice Empress’ agitated look, and how the Skydream Iceworm described the situation, he must have had gotten extremely lucky. No matter what the difference was, it should be extremely beneficial to him.
3146
3147The Ice Empress said, “The ice cavern that Skydream was in had a huge amount of Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence. That thing is very nourishing for ice-type soul beasts like us. It’s a real treasure.”
3148
3149“It’s of the same tier as your Life Gold. However, we didn’t see any Divine Ice Crystals.”
3150
3151“A Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern is in fact formed when Mysterious Ice is converted into it under huge pressure after being hidden for more than ten thousand years. Hundreds of thousands of years, and even upwards of a million years might be needed for it to be formed. The right opportunities are also required.”
3152
3153“This ice cavern is filled with so many Divine Ice Crystals. As for how much Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence can be produced, it’s difficult to tell. However, there’s bound to be some. I had a look over there earlier – there isn’t any here. If it’s not here, it should be in the well. It feels like this ice cavern isn’t much smaller than the ice cavern that Skydream saw, even though it’s smaller. If there’s some ice essence here, it would be very useful for the four of us and you.”
3154
3155The Ice Empress revealed yet another heavy look in her eyes when she spoke until here. She really wished that she had encountered this ice cavern before she had given up her body! If that were the case, everything would have been different.
3156
3157The Skydream Iceworm said, “Alright, Ice. Don’t think too much. Honestly speaking, one must be very fortunate to bump into a Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern. I’m not afraid that you’ll dislike my words, but both you and the Snow Empress don’t have such fortune. You are only here because of Yuhao. If you didn’t choose to fuse with Yuhao before, you wouldn’t have been able to experience something as good in your entire life. This is why you shouldn’t look for problems for yourself.”
3158
3159What surprised Huo Yuhao was that the Ice Empress wasn’t furious after hearing the Skydream Iceworm’s words. Instead, she nodded and mocked herself, “Yes! I am indeed finding problems for myself. Let’s not talk about this. Yuhao, you must not give up such a rare opportunity. We must tap the resources here effectively.”
3160
3161Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “Ice Empress, what is this Divine Ice Crystal? What’s its use for us?”
3162
3163The Ice Empress replied, “Divine Ice Crystals might not be as valuable as Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, but they’re still extremely valuable. They are the strongest and toughest ice-type metal. They appear as crystals, but they possess the properties of metals. To put it in human words, a Divine Ice Crystal is a top-grade rare metal. As for how their special characteristics are used, it will depend on the user.”
3164
3165Huo Yuhao was delighted, and said, “It seems like Elder Nan Shuishui was right. The Divine Ice Crystals here are very suitable for me.”
3166
3167As he spoke, he lifted his right hand. His Darkgolden Terrorclaws revealed sharp, dark-golden blades as he swept it towards the Divine Ice Crystals.
3168
3169Piercing sounds resonated, and five streaks of sparks flashed. However, only shallow marks were left on the ice crystals.
3170
3171It was an extremely tough metal!
3172
3173It was pertinent to note that Huo Yuhao would often use his terrorclaws to sculpt his soul tools when he manufactured them. The sharpness and strength of his terrorclaws were great, and they were one of his best offensive weapons. However, they weren’t enough to damage the ice crystals. This showed how tough they were.
3174
3175Huo Yuhao was confused as he looked at the Ice Empress. “The Divine Ice Crystal is so tough. How can we mine it?”
3176
3177The Ice Empress smiled and said, “There are many items that clash with one another, but there’s always something that can overcome another thing. Don’t worry, others might find it difficult to find a way, but it won’t be difficult for us to leave with these crystals. You can’t use your Life Guardian Blade. It’ll destroy the internal structure of the ice crystals.”
3178
3179“This Divine Ice Crystal is in itself one of the best ice-type soul conductors and amplifiers. Try pouring your soul power into it.”
3180
3181“Alright.” Huo Yuhao agreed to her words and retracted his terrorclaws. He put his right hand on the ice crystals beside him.
3182
3183He was stunned that this ice crystal didn’t feel cold even though the cavern was at such a low temperature. It was as if all its cold was contained within it.
3184
3185He slowly poured in his Ultimate Ice soul power. After this, his body shook, and he revealed a shocked look on his face.
3186
3187He could clearly sense an affinity when he poured his soul power into the ice crystal. Yes, it was an affinity.
3188
3189It was clearly a metal, but it seemed to have emotions. It felt very close to his soul power. After this, Huo Yuhao felt the ice crystal in his hand softening a little. He tightened his five fingers and exerted strength as he pulled, and a huge piece of ice crystal was pulled out just like that.
3190
3191Once this piece of ice was separated from the cavern and landed in his hand, his body immediately emitted a deep-blue glow. Lights subtly flashed. It was as if the piece of ice crystal had a life of its own.
3192
3193“You sense it, don’t you?” The Ice Empress asked. “The reason why it’s called the Divine Ice Crystal is because it has evolved into a realm with some life of its own. Animals and plants have their own lives. For minerals and metals, they can exude their own life aura and emotions when they reach a certain quality. It’s just that it’s much more difficult for them compared to animals and plants. What you are sensing is correct. It’s all real. If you want to dig out some ice crystals, there’s only one way – your Ultimate Ice soul power. You, me and the Snow Empress can do it. Skydream can’t do it, and Star Anise is slightly lacking too.”
3194
3195Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “I’m using your power anyway. Why do I feel that it’s no longer hard, but soft, yet resilient? It’s as if…” After speaking to this point, he paused for a moment and thought of a way to describe it before saying, “It’s as if it’s a huge piece of crystal jelly. It’s too magical.”
3196
3197The Ice Empress nodded and replied, “You must try to communicate with the life aura inside with your Ultimate Ice soul power. Such a life aura is also called an ice spirit in the Extreme North. You can only try to retrieve it for now. It’s only when you can fully communicate with it that you can completely own it. Don’t think that just because there’s a lot of ice crystals here, you can retrieve as many ice spirits as you want. Not many of them can nurture ice spirits. The remaining ice crystals can be dug out, but they don’t have ice spirits. This means that there’s a lack of spirit inside. You are in luck. This piece of ice crystal contains a life spirit.”
3198
3199
3200
3201
3202
3203Chapter 463.3: Divine Ice Crystal
3204
3205
3206Seeing the flashing Divine Ice Crystal in his hand, Huo Yuhao’s eyes brightened. He was in awe. “The miracles of this world indeed have to be continuously explored! Ice Empress, what should we do now?”
3207
3208The Ice Empress laughed, “Isn’t it obvious? Whether it’s a Divine Ice Crystal that has nurtured an ice spirit or not, it’s still very valuable. Quickly, leave with them. The temperature of this place cannot be matched by the temperature of the outside world. I can sense that the icy spring has entered a state of deterioration. In another few hundred to few thousand years, the temperature here wouldn’t be sufficient to maintain this Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern. When that happens, everything here will be slowly damaged and destroyed.”
3209
3210“Alright.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged her words and started moving. How could he let go of so much good stuff? As his eyes flashed, a layer of gentle, icy jade-green light was released from his body. It was his Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice.
3211
3212His Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice contained immense Ultimate Ice soul power, and quickly engulfed the entire cavern. Suddenly, the Divine Ice Crystals in the cavern all lit up, and Huo Yuhao started to extract them.
3213
3214Without Ultimate Ice soul power, the price to pay for extracting even a small piece of ice crystal would be huge. Even an Ultimate Douluo wouldn’t be able to operate in such a low temperature. Furthermore, he wouldn’t be able to communicate with the ice spirits. However, Huo Yuhao found it much easier to extract these ice crystals.
3215
3216Pieces of Divine Ice Crystals were pulled out of the walls of the cavern. Not only were they preserved, but it also didn’t take much effort for him to extract them. Without the need for the Ice Empress to remind him, he would differentiate the ice crystals with ice spirits from those that didn’t have ice spirits, and stored them separately in his Starlight Sapphire Ring.
3217
3218Divine Ice Crystals were very special – they contained immense ice-type energy. However, they didn’t feel cold on the surface. They only felt slightly colder than ordinary metals to the touch. However, one could guide the Ultimate Ice origin energy inside them just by pouring in one’s soul power. Without Ultimate Ice soul power controlling the origin energy inside, it would instead be unleashed in an explosive manner.
3219
3220The reason why this cavern was so cold was because there would be times when the ice crystals would become unstable internally, causing a leak of their origin energy. This cavern had been filled with Divine Ice Crystals for a long time. The accumulated cold caused this place to turn into a danger zone.
3221
3222As the pieces of ice crystal disappeared into Huo Yuhao’s storage-type soul tool, the temperature in the cavern rose noticeably. The surrounding walls also contained layers of crystals. They looked like huge pieces of ice sludge, and were also very sturdy. However, they were far inferior compared to the Divine Ice Crystals.
3223
3224Finally, Huo Yuhao placed the last piece of Divine Ice Crystal into his storage-type soul tool. At this moment, he was suddenly jolted by something, and instantly turned around. He only saw a huge current of water surging towards him.
3225
3226Without the magical power of the ice crystals, the spring water finally surged into the cavern, given that the door wasn’t closed either.
3227
3228Huo Yuhao laughed. Both the Skydream Iceworm and Ice Empress fused into his body. He forcefully swam upwards.
3229
3230Outside the well.
3231
3232Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu were already very anxious from waiting.
3233
3234It had been an hour since Huo Yuhao had descended into the well. However, they hadn’t heard anything from the well yet. It had been a long time, and Nan Shuishui doubted that she would be able to hang on for so long if she were the one inside.
3235
3236However, both of them had a similarity – they had absolute confidence in Huo Yuhao’s abilities.
3237
3238They had seen Huo Yuhao fusing with Wang Qiu’er’s abilities before, and witnessed the great improvement in his abilities after he formed his sixth soul ring.
3239
3240Although Nan Shuishui wasn’t completely confident that Huo Yuhao could deal with the extremely low temperature of the ice cavern, she deeply believed that Huo Yuhao wasn’t going to be hurt in any way, given his seven-ringed cultivation.
3241
3242Nan Qiuqiu was slightly worried as she asked, “Mom, why don’t you go down and take a look? It’s been such a long time, but Yuhao still isn’t coming up.”
3243
3244Nan Shuishui smiled slightly and said, “Why? Are you anxious? It seems like my precious daughter really has fallen for someone. No matter how hard you work, you’ll never be his wife. Why don’t you try becoming his concubine?”
3245
3246Nan Qiuqiu was stunned for a moment, then was in disbelief as she stared at Nan Shuishui. After this, she asked, “Mom, are you my biological mother? You’re actually asking me to be someone’s concubine?”
3247
3248Nan Shuishui laughed, “It’s precisely because I’m your mother that I’m giving you this suggestion. At times, you can’t think too highly of yourself. As people always say, it’s difficult for guys to chase girls, but it’s easy for girls to chase guys. There are many ways for a girl to earn the liking of a guy. I’m not literally asking you to be his concubine. I’m saying that if you really like him, you should try your best to chase him. I support you. If I can have such a son-in-law, I’ll laugh even in my sleep.”
3249
3250Nan Qiuqiu’s face turned red, and she replied, “No way. Who’s going to chase him? You don’t know that he’s such a mule in terms of relationships. Apart from Wang Dong’er, he can’t have anyone else in his heart. Didn’t you see what happened with Wang Qiu’er? Qiu’er was so outstanding, but she could only be his sacrifice. She can’t even be with him. This guy is very stubborn once he likes someone. Even a girl who looks like Wang Dong’er can’t catch his eye. What about me? I’m not going to do that to myself.”
3251
3252Nan Shuishui sighed and replied, “I know it’s difficult. Haih, just do as you please. Matters of the heart can’t be forced. However, I’m experienced in this matter. If you really like him too much, you must take the initiative. It’s only then that you’ll have an opportunity. If you choose to give up, you won’t stand a chance at all.”
3253
3254Nan Qiuqiu was silent. She revealed a pensive look in her eyes. After a brief moment, she nodded silently.
3255
3256At this moment, the sound of splashing water could be heard. Following this, a figure flew out from the well.
3257
3258The intense chill caused Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu to stagger backward a few steps. Huo Yuhao slowly revealed himself from the icy fog that covered him.
3259
3260“Yuhao, are you fine?” Nan Qiuqiu asked concernedly.
3261
3262Huo Yuhao shook his head and smiled at the both of them before saying, “I am. I’m very fine. This cavern is indeed a treasure ground. Elder Nan, you were right. There’s indeed a special rare metal contained inside. Take a look.”
3263
3264As he spoke, Huo Yuhao flipped his wrist, and a piece of Divine Ice Crystal that hadn’t nurtured an ice spirit appeared in his palm.
3265
3266The color of the Divine Ice Crystal was clearly evident outside. It was icy-blue, resembling the color of the sky, whereas the glow that it emanated was deep-blue. Under sunlight, even such a small piece of Divine Ice Crystal gave off an ethereal feeling. It was extremely magical.
3267
3268“Wow, it’s beautiful.” Nan Qiuqiu squealed in delight. She wanted to touch it, but she was stopped by Nan Shuishui.
3269
3270Nan Shuishui had entered the cavern on her own before. She didn’t dare to be impulsive with regards to the stuff inside it.
3271
3272Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “Elder Nan, it’s fine. This metal is called a Divine Ice Crystal. It indeed contains immense Ultimate Ice origin energy, but it’s very stable. As long as you don’t pour your soul power into it, things will be fine.” As he spoke, he passed the crystal to Nan Qiuqiu.
3273
3274Nan Qiuqiu received the crystal and looked at it under the sun. Suddenly, the surrounding plot of ground under the crystal was covered by a layer of blurry blue light.
3275
3276Nan Shuishui smiled as she looked at Huo Yuhao and said, “Yuhao, is this ice crystal useful to you? Can it be extracted?”
3277
3278Huo Yuhao nodded and answered, “I can do it. You need to possess Ultimate Ice soul power to extract this Divine Ice Crystal. I’ve already extracted all the crystals from the cavern. This was why I took such a long time. Sorry to have made the both of you wait.”
3279
3280Nan Shuishui smiled, “It’s good as long as it’s useful for you. Quickly, put it away. I hope your abilities will improve much further.”
3281
3282As she spoke, she took the crystal from Nan Qiuqiu’s hand. After taking a look at it for a moment, she returned it to Huo Yuhao.
3283
3284After receiving the crystal, Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment before saying, “Elder, this crystal can only be molded and extracted using Ultimate Ice soul power. Don’t worry, I won’t steal what belongs to the Earthdragon Sect. When I turn them into soul tools, I’ll give a share of the soul tools I produce with it to the Earthdragon Sect. What do you think?”
3285
3286No matter what, this Manifold Mysterious Ice Cavern belonged to the Earthdragon Sect. Although Nan Shuishui mentioned that she was offering it to him, this gift was simply too precious.
3287
3288Nan Shuishui and seemed to be unbothered, “In fact, I wanted to use this place as Qiuqiu’s dowry. However, I discovered you were the most suitable person to take control of this place after working with the Tang Sect. Since I’ve decided to give you this place, you can choose what you want to do with it. You don’t really have to distinguish between the Earthdragon and Tang Sect either. Don’t call me elder either. You’re Qiuqiu’s friend. You can call me ‘Aunty’.”
3289
3290Huo Yuhao could infer the double meaning from Nan Shuishui’s words. However, he could only act stupid, and respectfully replied, “Thanks, Aunty.”
3291
3292He didn’t go into the details of how to allocate these ice crystals. He would definitely compensate the Earthdragon Sect after he turned them into finished products. Actions spoke louder than words.
3293
3294Nan Qiuqiu glanced at her mother before looking at him. She jumped excitedly towards Huo Yuhao and laughed, “Yuhao, I don’t care about others, but I demand to be part of it if you are using such a beautiful treasure to manufacture soul tools.”
3295
3296Huo Yuhao smiled as he nodded and said, “Definitely. When I return, I’ll start researching how to manufacture them.”
3297
3298Nan Shuishui smiled and said, “Alright, let’s go then.”
3299
3300Huo Yuhao replied, “Auntie, give me a moment.”
3301
3302
3303
3304
3305
3306Chapter 464.1: Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence
3307
3308
3309“Eh?” An inquisitive look appeared in Nan Shuishui’s eyes.
3310
3311Huo Yuhao said, “Auntie, when I went down to investigate, I discovered that the there is a mouth of a spring deep within this well. The water within this spring has a very low temperature, but there seems to be something else hidden inside. I went into the cave to investigate, and now I wish to enter that icy spring to see if there’s anything down there. This place can form rare metals that can be considered one of the most precious between heaven and earth, so there must be something that they originate from.”
3312
3313A thought occurred to Nan Shuishui as she said, “There’s such a thing? There aren’t any records in the Earthdragon Sect’s archives about that. The temperature in the icy spring is very low. Will that hurt you?”
3314
3315Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “Don’t worry, auntie. I have Ultimate Ice soul power. I’ll be able to judge if I can’t bear it, but there should be no problem protecting myself.”
3316
3317Huo Yuhao was protected by the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, and he was also supported by the Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass. If he couldn’t enter that icy spring, then nobody else in the world could.
3318
3319“Alright. Go, then. Qiuqiu and I will keep watch for you outside.” Nan Shuishui didn’t advise him further. Huo Yuhao was a very reliable fellow in her eyes, and he was definitely sure of himself if he said he was. The more she looked at Huo Yuhao, the more she liked him – those eyes clearly belonged to that of a mother-in-law gazing upon her son-in-law. Even Huo Yuhao couldn’t take her gaze any longer.
3320
3321Huo Yuhao bowed at Nan Shuishui before he leapt into the well and dove deep into the icy spring.
3322
3323The Ice Empress had mentioned that Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence had to exist here, whether in small or large amounts. The ice essence wasn’t just useful for him – it was also beneficial to different degrees for his four Spirits, and he couldn’t give up on that.
3324
3325Normal soul masters could still use soul tools crafted with Divine Ice Crystals with the help of formation arrays, but only a person with ice-type abilities like Huo Yuhao could use the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence. Furthermore, this was his own discovery, and thus using it wouldn’t weigh on his conscience.
3326
3327Quite a bit of spring water had surged into the cave, and the surface level of the spring had dropped a little.
3328
3329Huo Yuhao swiftly dove deeper than he had reached before, and he continued going down while the water pressure around him began to increase, and the temperature swiftly plummeted.
3330
3331The temperature of the spring water closer to the surface rose a little without the Ice Divine Crystals, but the temperature below didn’t change at all. Huo Yuhao quickly arrived near the mouth of the spring.
3332
3333Such low temperatures! Huo Yuhao was full of admiration even though he had just arrived. He could clearly feel that his soul power was circulating much more slowly due to the low temperature here.
3334
3335He possessed Ultimate Ice soul power, and yet his soul power was being affected. It wasn’t hard to imagine how normal soul masters would be affected after coming to a place like this. Even Titled Douluo could probably only remain here for a few breaths, and even an Ultimate Douluo might not have the courage to investigate deep within this icy spring.
3336
3337Two shadows gradually appeared behind Huo Yuhao’s back – the Ice Empress and the Snow Lady. The Ice Empress pulled the Snow Lady along like an elder sister holding her younger sister. They felt the extreme chill around them, and their faces began to show expressions of enjoyment.
3338
3339Bluish-green and dark blue colors glowed at the same time. These two lights merged together and turned a deep bluish-green, while this light entered Huo Yuhao’s body and formed a layer of protection over his skin.
3340
3341The Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass came out from his shoulder. A layer of faint blue light emerged, and absorbed the chills that were invading Huo Yuhao’s body.
3342
3343Huo Yuhao realized with slight amusement that his soul power wasn’t weakening around this icy spring. Instead, with support from his three Spirits, his soul power was increasing continuously. This situation was similar to when he was in meditation. If he didn’t have to hold his breath in this place, he would truly wish to spend more time cultivating here. His cultivation would be more effective.
3344
3345Things that were most suitable for him were always the best. Perhaps the origin energy of heaven and earth here was inferior to the Lake of Life, but the pure elements of ice were most suitable for his cultivation.
3346
3347Huo Yuhao stopped one meter away from the mouth of the icy spring as he thought.
3348
3349Huo Yuhao would never be blindly optimistic or careless even though he was confident. He had gone through far too many lessons and experiences, and no matter what, he wouldn’t let himself be placed in harm’s way so easily. That was always the best decision.
3350
3351Huo Yuhao gathered spiritual power and transformed it into formless energy as it went through the mouth of the spring. Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was like his eyes, and he would be able to accurately judge the situation as long as he could see inside the mouth of the spring.
3352
3353However, Huo Yuhao was immediately astonished, as his spiritual power felt as if it had entered a sticky swamp. There was great difficulty in pushing it forward, and he would have to expend far too much spiritual power.
3354
3355What…
3356
3357How can elements affect spiritual power? This was the first time Huo Yuhao had encountered something like this.
3358
3359“Pull your spiritual power back, Yuhao. Let me go down and take a look.” The Ice Empress’ voice rang out from behind him.
3360
3361Huo Yuhao turned around to look at her and asked, “Why is this happening, Ice Empress?”
3362
3363The Ice Empress answered, “Energies may be different, but they are all of the same kind once they reach a certain standard. Spiritual power is different from elemental energy, but it is still a form of energy. The elements of ice within this icy spring are as extreme as they can get, and your spiritual power will be affected by it by going inside. That is very evident. You might be able to send your spiritual power inside if you use the power of your soul core, but that will expend too much energy. Furthermore, the situation is unclear, so it’s better not to take this risk. Let me take a look inside. My origin is inside your body, and a thread of my consciousness will have no problem going inside.”
3364
3365“Alright, thank you for your trouble,” Huo Yuhao acknowledged.
3366
3367The Ice Empress transformed into a beam of flowing light and disappeared into the mouth of the spring. Huo Yuhao’s four Spirits were evolving at different rates as he became stronger.
3368
3369Amongst Huo Yuhao’s Spirits, the Skydream Iceworm wasn’t the most intimately related to him – it was the Ice Empress. The Ice Empress was his martial soul after all! What the Ice Empress meant when she said that her origin was inside his body was that she was Huo Yuhao’s martial soul, so damage to a single thread of consciousness wouldn’t cause too much trouble.
3370
3371His other three Spirits all took the true form of Spirits. The Skydream Iceworm and Huo Yuhao were inseparable, and their integration level was comparable to him and the Ice Empress. However, the Skydream Iceworm’s half-spiritual and half-ice abilities were inferior to the Ice Empress in a situation like this.
3372
3373Huo Yuhao waited quietly outside the icy spring. He wasn’t hasty, as he had faith in the Ice Empress’ abilities. Even though only a thread of her consciousness went in, Huo Yuhao still knew far less than the Ice Empress did about the element of ice.
3374
3375It didn’t take long before the Ice Empress emerged from the icy spring. She waved at Huo Yuhao excitedly and said, “Everything is fine, come in.”
3376
3377“Alright,” Huo Yuhao couldn’t hold his breath for much longer. He was starting to feel stifled in his chest, and he passed a message to the Ice Empress with his spiritual power before he activated his soul power and dove in.
3378
3379Huo Yuhao went into the mouth of the icy spring, and he immediately felt an intense wave of cold that invaded his body like millions of steel needles. The temperature of this wave of cold was something that Huo Yuhao had never seen before. From his perspective, this extreme cold exceeded every ice-type energy that he had ever encountered before. He felt as if his entire skeleton were glowing as he was immersed in it.
3380
3381Huo Yuhao had the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion’s skeleton and left arm bone to protect those parts. However, the other parts of his body were clearly feeling a little stiff.
3382
3383The Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass and the Snow Empress displayed their powerful abilities in this moment. They had absorbed a large amount of the elements of ice around them, and now formed a protective layer around his body so that he could continue diving downward, as the Ice Empress took point in front.
3384
3385This icy spring was far deeper than Huo Yuhao had judged. He went thirty meters down, and the chills around him became increasingly strong. Huo Yuhao had to continue channeling soul power to resist the cold. He was starting to fall apart because he had been holding his breath for a long time, and this environment put a lot of pressure on him.
3386
3387A suffocating feeling was starting to appear, and that stifling feeling in his chest was starting to make his inner breathing a little unbalanced.
3388
3389Oh no, problems might occur if this continues! Huo Yuhao was beginning to feel a little hesitant.
3390
3391The Ice Empress clearly felt the changes in his body. She waved her hand at him to show that everything was fine as they continued descending into the depths.
3392
3393The Ice Empress was a part of his body. The Ice Empress couldn’t live by herself if something happened to him, so Huo Yuhao had absolute faith in the Ice Empress as he gritted his teeth and continued downward.
3394
3395Forty meters, forty-five meters, fifty meters…
3396
3397Huo Yuhao almost couldn’t bear it anymore at this depth. His body was starting to tremble as the water pressure increased, and with the agony of the intense chill in addition to the harsh suffocating sensations, his body was starting to reach its limits.
3398
3399Huo Yuhao was like Nan Qiuqiu when she was resisting his spiritual pressure before. He was relying only on his willpower to support his body under that enormous pressure.
3400
3401The Ice Empress paused in front of him at this moment before she suddenly accelerated and continued downward.
3402
3403Huo Yuhao paused for a moment. He still had a chance to return if he went back now, but if he went deeper in and if he couldn’t extricate himself from this situation, then he would probably be in big trouble.
3404
3405Should I trust the Ice Empress, or should I go up and take a breather before I prepare myself to return?
3406
3407Those two thoughts resonated in his mind for but an instant before he made his choice. He gritted his teeth and channeled all his soul power before he pressed his hand backward. Two waves of soul power surged and propelled his body as he suddenly burst forward and went deeper down.
3408
3409
3410
3411
3412
3413Chapter 464.2: Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence
3414
3415
3416In this moment, Huo Yuhao felt as if the icy spring water around him had already reached absolute zero. The extremely low temperatures were starting to make his body go numb. However, the soul power within his body was greedily absorbing that extreme chill.
3417
3418“Whoosh—” Huo Yuhao’s body suddenly lightened, and he suddenly felt the pressure around him plummet as he fell into a small cave.
3419
3420Everything was completely dark inside the cave, but there wasn’t any spring water at all. Huo Yuhao almost subconsciously opened his mouth to breathe.
3421
3422A wave of terrifying and chilly air followed his breath into his body. In that moment, Huo Yuhao felt as if everything – including his own spirit – had frozen. His entire body went stiff as he just stood there, motionless.
3423
3424Huo Yuhao thought that he had a very deep understanding of the element of ice, but only in this moment did he truly understand that everything that he knew was insufficient. At least, he had never believed that ice could cause even spirits to freeze. Was this the true element of ice?
3425
3426His Eye of Destiny opened on his forehead. The deep, profound, and tranquil vertical eye opened as the soul core in his body rotated hysterically. Tremendous spiritual power rippled outward and forcefully helped Huo Yuhao’s spirit struggle out from the icy rigidness.
3427
3428Bluish-green light glowed in front of him at the same time. The Ice Empress hovered in front of him quietly, and Huo Yuhao could finally see everything around him with clarity.
3429
3430He was inside a very small cave. It was only about ten square meters, and about one and a half meters high. Huo Yuhao had to come inside with his body bent down.
3431
3432There were strange pillars of ice inside the cave. There were more than ten of various sizes, some big and some small, and they were all intertwined with each other. Every pillar was white, and they were still white and clean even when the Ice Empress’ bluish-green light shone on them.
3433
3434Liquid seemed to flow within those white, icy pillars. The frightening chill came from these icy pillars.
3435
3436The extreme cold here was different from that contained inside the Divine Ice Crystals. The cold here couldn’t be contained, and even the air seemed to be sticky. The elements of ice were so thick here that even Huo Yuhao couldn’t absorb them, and only the Ice Empress, the Snow Empress, the Star Anise or other Spirits like them wouldn’t be too affected in such an environment. That wasn’t because they were in spiritual form, but because their original bodies were formed from Ultimate Ice.
3437
3438“We are here. This is the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence.” The Ice Empress spoke with much sorrow.
3439
3440The Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence!
3441
3442Huo Yuhao’s spirits were rekindled when he heard those words. Huo Yuhao couldn’t move at all, and his entire body seemed like it was frozen. However, with his soul core helping him, his thoughts and spirit were very normal.
3443
3444The Ice Empress said, “Don’t worry, Yuhao. You’re just not used to the extreme cold in this place. The area here is too small, and there is too much Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, and that’s the reason why the temperature is so low. The temperature here is about five degrees from absolute zero. Even though these five degrees are still calamities, this is the lowest temperature I have ever come across.”
3445
3446Thoughts spun in Huo Yuhao’s head as he turned to the Ice Empress and asked, “Does that mean our Ultimate Ice isn’t absolute zero?”
3447
3448The Ice Empress shook her head and said, “Of course not. Temperatures can be considered at the extremes when they are one hundred and fifty degrees below zero. That is already a range forbidden to life. However, that threshold is still quite far from absolute zero. But this place is different. This place is truly a place with a temperature close to absolute zero! There isn’t as much Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence as the place that the Skydream Iceworm discovered by chance, but the space here is small, and the cold air cannot be released outside. The cold air has been accumulating and trapped here. Therefore, low temperatures such as this are few and far between even in our lives. Don’t do anything now – just stay here quietly, and it will be beneficial for you. We will absorb the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence to reduce the icy air’s thickness, and then you can slowly adapt. Just make sure that your mind remains clear.”
3449
3450“Alright,” Huo Yuhao said nothing more. He understood what the Ice Empress was saying – that he had to feel and experience more of a place like this that hardly ever occurred in the world, if at all. It would be very beneficial for his cultivation with Ultimate Ice.
3451
3452Huo Yuhao concentrated his spiritual power and began to quietly feel everything around him. Even though his body was frozen, there was an icy-blue layer around his body that was protecting him. Huo Yuhao’s martial soul had Ultimate Ice, and he couldn’t be frozen to death. The only problem was that the chilly air here was too strong, and he didn’t know how to deal with it yet.
3453
3454Light flickered as the Skydream Iceworm emerged from Huo Yuhao’s body. Even though the Skydream Iceworm didn’t originally have Ultimate Ice, he was undoubtedly one of the most experienced in dealing with Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence.
3455
3456“What do you plan to do?” The Skydream Iceworm asked the Ice Empress.
3457
3458Their consciousnesses were the most intact amongst Huo Yuhao’s four Spirits. The Star Anise was similar, but it was a plant-type soul beast, and it only had a hundred thousand years of cultivation, so its intelligence was relatively lower. The Snow Empress’ memories were sealed after she became Huo Yuhao’s Spirit, so she couldn’t help them make a decision.
3459
3460The Ice Empress lowered her voice and said, “We are without our bodies. However, the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence is the purest and most valuable treasure for our elements of ice. We may be able to recreate our bodies if we use this ice essence as materials and absorb them through our origin energy. These bodies will still be based on energy, but if our fusion is to be successful, we will be able to leave Yuhao for a certain distance in the future and still be able to live. At the same time, if anything happens to Yuhao, we can still…”
3461
3462She paused here and glanced at Huo Yuhao.
3463
3464Huo Yuhao passed his message with his thoughts. “Can what?”
3465
3466The Ice Empress took a deep breath and spoke with radiating eyes that were trained on him. “We can leave you, and we can find another person who can help us attain eternity. With the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, our spiritual origins can possess a vessel that isn’t so easily dissipated.”
3467
3468Huo Yuhao said, “That’s great! That is a good thing. Hurry up and absorb it.”
3469
3470The Skydream Iceworm’s eyes became a lot deeper than before. “That’s not good.”
3471
3472The Ice Empress stared at him coldly and said, “What’s not good?”
3473
3474The Skydream Iceworm frowned. “I can understand what you are feeling. However, since we have chosen to follow Yuhao from the beginning, we have to give our entire hearts and souls. Everyone has been through life and death struggles so many times – have you forgotten?”
3475
3476The Ice Empress paused momentarily and said, “I just wish to use the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence to strengthen my origin so that my spiritual origin can rely on something. What’s wrong with that?”
3477
3478The Skydream Iceworm shook his head. “No, that’s not all you are thinking of. I understand that you want to try to recreate your physical body with all this Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence. I can tell you two things – first, you can’t possibly do that. This ice essence is a very valuable ice-type treasure, but there isn’t enough here for you to recreate your physical body. How can you recreate your body without any dependence? Secondly, even if you manage to do that, you will no longer be with us. I understand how you feel about seeing all this Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, but I have to stop you. This is not our path. Have you not seen hope in Yuhao? Since we already have hope, why do you have to take this risk?”
3479
3480The Ice Empress retorted defiantly, “I didn’t think of hurting him. I just…”
3481
3482The Skydream Iceworm’s voice suddenly became very severe. “Shut up. I know you never wished to harm him, but why didn’t you tell him that he would have to sustain such enormous pressure in the process of coming in? You didn’t want him to stop you after coming here. Absorbing the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence to strengthen your own body is alright, but I’m afraid that your mentality will become unstable. Don’t take the wrong path!”
3483
3484The Ice Empress fell silent. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, she understood that the Skydream Iceworm was telling the truth.
3485
3486The Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence had caused a ripple in her heart that had always been calm, and she felt as if she had seen hope. She had never fused with a treasure such as this before, but she held onto that tiny thread of hope, that she could use it to try and recreate her physical body. She did see hope by following Huo Yuhao, but she craved freedom more.
3487
3488“Brother Skydream,” Huo Yuhao called out.
3489
3490The Skydream Iceworm turned around and looked at Huo Yuhao with an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry, Yuhao. She didn’t do it intentionally. The Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence is unimaginably alluring to any ice-type soul beast.”
3491
3492“I understand. I don’t blame her,” Huo Yuhao continued, “I understand the value of freedom. Brother Skydream, I called you because I wanted to ask if I can truly help you guys recreate your physical bodies by leveraging the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence – or rather, by using it as the main material. If that’s possible, I am willing to help you. Really. I don’t mind even if you absorb every single inch of the ice essence here.”
3493
3494The Skydream Iceworm frowned even more tightly. “What do you mean, Yuhao?”
3495
3496Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “Brother Skydream, Ice Empress – I’ve always known that you guys have high expectations and hopes on me, and this expectation has been an enormous burden for me! If you guys can recreate your physical bodies, then this burden will naturally disappear. I can do some things that I wish to do with a lightened heart. You guys don’t have to worry about anything – my Spirit Eyes have grown, and even if the Ice Empress leaves me and takes my second martial soul, that’s not a big deal. I am very clear about how valuable freedom is. Therefore, if you have a solution to this, brother Skydream, please help the Ice Empress and yourself. There will be no problem if the Snow Empress can awaken because of this. The original rationale of becoming my Spirits was to live better lives! Since you guys have this opportunity, why are you giving it up?”
3497
3498The Skydream Iceworm’s knotted eyebrows relaxed, but his expression became one of astonishment. He could tell that Huo Yuhao’s words were very sincere, and there wasn’t a single trace of sarcasm.
3499
3500Next Chapter
3501
3502
3503
3504
3505
3506Credits
3507
3508
3509
3510
3511
3512Translator: Wuxiaworld
3513
3514
3515
3516
3517
3518Epub: Estevam / dotNOVEL