Self Will Gu resembles a scorpion—compact, as if folded from white paper. Its shape is rather peculiar.
And its uses are just as strange.
By using the Self Will Gu to cleanse one's body, one can partially circumvent the control of the world's will over the user.
Providence can be considered the consciousness of the plane.
As for Self Will Gu, it grants the user the right to remain unaffected by the world's consciousness, like introducing new variables into a predetermined future.
One could say it exists beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements.
However, for Huo Yuhao—an otherworldly demon—his destiny had already shifted the moment he arrived on Douluo Continent.
Thus, Huo Yuhao has no intention of hastily using the Self Will Gu.
After all, Rank Five Gu worms, which are single-use and expendable, are extremely rare for him now.
It's not that he can't use Gu worms—it's just that killing moves are more cost-effective!
Besides, Douluo Continent's plane consciousness is actually on Huo Yuhao's side.
Even if it has an effect, it's a good one.
Not long ago, Huo Yuhao relied on the Eat Strength Immortal Gu to harvest a great deal from the Golden Ancient Tree, where the plane consciousness resides.
One could say his relationship with the plane consciousness is in its honeymoon phase.
Unlike the Reverend Insanity, where the Heavenly Will could manipulate fate through the Fate Gu, dictating the world's predetermined course…
Douluo Continent's Heavenly Will is far weaker.
It's already on the brink of collapse.
Because God King Tang San has long sought to bring Douluo Continent under his control, he's been secretly infiltrating it using his divine authority.
Controlling the Son of Destiny, Huo Yuhao, was only the first step.
Later, Tang San abandoned subtlety and directly acted against the plane consciousness itself.
This is evident from the events of Douluo 3 in the original work. By then, the plane's master was already Tang Hao, and Ah Yin had replaced the plane consciousness, residing within the Golden Ancient Tree.
Douluo Continent had completely become the Tang Family Continent.
Though in his past life, Huo Yuhao had always joked that Douluo Continent was a low-tier fantasy world, now that he was truly here, he could deeply feel the chasm between gods and mortals.
If you don't become a god, you're just an ant—powerless to control your own fate.
Fortunately, the absurd mechanics of Immortal Gu exist. Otherwise, Huo Yuhao would have much more to worry about.
…
"Yuhao… do you think Ma Xiaotao isn't good at that?"
Fresh from her bath, Ling Luochen sat wrapped in a robe, combing her hair before the mirror, her tone casual.
"Huh?"
Huo Yuhao hadn't expected such a question. He glanced up, puzzled.
'Something's off… Where's my usual cold-but-warm sister?'
Noticing his confusion through the mirror, Ling Luochen pursed her lips and explained:
"Didn't I tell you before? The reason Ma Xiaotao and I switched dorms yesterday was because she said she couldn't satisfy you alone. And honestly… I could see she was exhausted back then..."
As she spoke, a faint blush crept onto her glacier-like beauty of a face.
After a pause, she continued, "But I feel… quite fine. It wasn't as strenuous as she made it seem."
Huo Yuhao fell silent.
After a long internal debate, he still couldn't bring himself to explain the truth bluntly.
How could he say that because it was her first time, he held back to avoid traumatizing her?
Besides, the reason Ma Xiaotao struggled wasn't due to ordinary exertion—it was because their sessions doubled as training.
And training was far more intense than casual encounters.
Both in frequency and intensity.
Though this cultivation method was somewhat unorthodox, compared to dull meditation, it was undeniably far more engaging.
The fusion of ice and fire brought many benefits. Combined with the residual divine power of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings within Huo Yuhao, it subtly enhanced both their martial souls and bloodlines.
Huo Yuhao even felt tempted to create a technique based on it.
'This kind of thing… needs to be taken step by step.'
In the end, Huo Yuhao chose a diplomatic answer.
"I see."
Ling Luochen murmured, then asked softly, "Ma Xiaotao's martial soul has reached the level of Ultimate Fire, right? So her Evil Fire issue should be resolved now?"
"The uncontrollable Evil Fire has indeed been completely purged..."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
But what he didn't mention was—
Perhaps due to some lingering obsession, with the help of the Fire Dragon King's divinity, Ma Xiaotao's latent Fire Phoenix bloodline had gradually awakened.
Though her martial soul hadn't evolved further, it had unlocked an ultimate talent—generating special flames, including Evil Fire and even Lust Fire.
"Then… can you come to me more often from now on?" Ling Luochen finally got to the point.
Realizing how forward she sounded, she quickly added, "It's just to accelerate my Ultimate Ice advancement! And our martial souls' attributes are more compatible anyway..."
Even hours after their last battle, the lingering pleasure—so intense it felt like her soul had left her body—still left Ling Luochen's legs weak.
This method was far faster and more enjoyable than the hugs Huo Yuhao used to help her before.
The difference was like heaven and earth.
Moreover, unlike her first time, Huo Yuhao had been exceedingly gentle, making the experience so blissful she nearly fainted.
With benefits like boosting soul power, advancing toward Ultimate Ice, and unparalleled pleasure, Ling Luochen felt like she'd hit the jackpot.
'If only she'd known sooner!'
They say haste makes waste, but right now, Ling Luochen only wished she could speed things up.
'It's never too late to wake up to happiness!'
"Mhm."
Though Huo Yuhao understood her implications, his expression remained composed.
'This was just the beginner's grace period. She'd learn his true strength soon enough.'
Besides, yesterday's focus had been on helping her advance. He hadn't even used his full repertoire.
"Even with the Deep Ice Marrow, reaching Ultimate Ice in a short time requires our joint efforts. I'll visit you tonight—rest well for now."
Huo Yuhao planned to prioritize Ling Luochen's training.
'Once you start something, you might as well finish it properly.'
"Then… it's settled."
Ling Luochen's lips curled slightly. Though her voice was soft, her excitement was unmistakable.
After being overshadowed by Ma Xiaotao for so long, it was finally her turn to shine!
…
Originally, without dual cultivation, Huo Yuhao's occasional infusions of Ultimate Ice origin energy would've taken years to elevate Ling Luochen's martial soul.
But with the Deep Ice Marrow, that timeframe could be drastically shortened.
However, given Ling Luochen's current Soul King strength and martial soul quality, absorbing the essence alone—like the Snow Empress—would take at least a year.
Advancing to an Ultimate martial soul was no simple feat.
The scarcity of such soul masters on the continent stemmed from one key factor: bloodline limits.
A soul master's bloodline determined their martial soul's upper potential.
This was why nobility and commoners were so starkly divided on Douluo Continent.
'Some are born in Rome—others are born as beasts of burden.'
Of course, some powerful bloodlines lay dormant, only awakening under specific conditions.
Talent was intrinsic to a soul master's bloodline.
The stronger the bloodline, the stronger the martial soul—and the higher the innate soul power.
This was why even the same martial soul could have varying starting strengths.
Take Mu En, for example. His Light Holy Dragon was a top-tier martial soul. Yet his descendant, Beibei, only inherited a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon with traces of holy blood.
Still, thanks to his latent potential, Beibei could forcibly awaken his bloodline and evolve his martial soul.
Now, with enough strength, he'd stabilized it as the Radiant Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
Similarly, Ma Xiaotao's rapid rise to Ultimate Fire wasn't just due to the 100,000-Year Infernal Delicate Apricot.
Her bloodline—descended from the First Generation Phoenix Douluo's Fire Phoenix—played a crucial role.
For those without strong bloodlines, bridging that gap required heaven-defying treasures like immortal herbs.
'How can hard work alone compare to the legacy of ancestors?'
Of course, cheaters like Huo Yuhao didn't count.
Even in the original timeline, Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes mutated into a top-tier spiritual martial soul thanks to his Evil-Eyed White Tiger lineage.
Later, fusing with the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion (courtesy of the million-year soul beast Skydream Iceworm) and wielding Ultimate Ice, he rose to prominence.
Ling Luochen's ice-attribute martial soul, however, was a classic case of insufficient bloodline.
…
"Knock knock knock."
A crisp rapping at the door interrupted their conversation.
"Come in," Huo Yuhao called.
The door swung open, revealing a flash of fiery red.
Ma Xiaotao froze mid-step, staring at the perfectly energetic Ling Luochen in disbelief.
"Why are you still moving?!"
She'd come expecting to tease a wrecked Ling Luochen.
Instead, her rival looked radiant—no trace of exhaustion, her demeanor completely transformed from girl to woman.
But Ma Xiaotao had underestimated Huo Yuhao's… restraint.
"I'm not like someone who couldn't get out of bed for three days."
Ling Luochen, still riding high from earlier, felt a surge of pride.
'Maybe I'm just naturally gifted at this?'
After always being outclassed by Ma Xiaotao in cultivation and talent, she couldn't resist a jab:
"Without Evil Fire, Ma Xiaotao… you're nothing special!"
Huo Yuhao stiffened at the sudden tension.
'Are you two really sisters?'
Before he could mediate, Ma Xiaotao—never one to back down—marched to the bed and declared: "Fine! Let's settle this now. I'll show you what real endurance looks like!"
'Don't forget whose dorm this is!'
'I generously gave you a chance yesterday, and this is how you repay me?'
Ma Xiaotao quickly pieced it together.
Just like before her Ultimate Fire awakening, Huo Yuhao had held back during their sessions.
And yesterday, he'd treated Ling Luochen with kid gloves—she hadn't experienced true cultivation brutality yet!
Ma Xiaotao couldn't wait to see Ling Luochen's inevitable collapse.
"Uh… how about breakfast first?"
Though dawn hadn't broken, Huo Yuhao sensed the brewing storm and tried to defuse it.
"NO!"
Both girls shut him down instantly.
"If you want a fight, Ma Xiaotao, bring it on! Let's see who lasts longer!"
Ling Luochen refused to yield.
She'd hesitated before, letting Ma Xiaotao take the lead.
'Not this time.'
Ling Luochen: "The weak me from before is dead!"
With that, she coolly took a seat beside Huo Yuhao.
"Sister Luochen, this isn't appropriate. We just—"
Huo Yuhao gave her a meaningful look, urging her to stand down.
But Ling Luochen met his gaze firmly, then stated bluntly:
"Yuhao, remember how we first met near Ma Xiaotao's dorm? At first, I only approached you because your ice-attribute martial soul was stronger than mine. But…"
She hesitated briefly, then steeled herself: "But the more time we spent together, the more I fell for you!"
Ma Xiaotao's eyes blazed.
'So you've had designs on him from the start?!'
'I thought you grew feelings over time, but you were scheming all along!'
'Luckily, I made the first move—or this older-woman-snatching-fresh-meat might've stolen him!'
"Hmph! When it comes to loving Yuhao, I won't lose to anyone!" Ma Xiaotao shot back.
"Besides, I was here first."
Their argument over who loved Huo Yuhao more escalated.
Huo Yuhao, overwhelmed by their affection, finally sighed.
"Alright, alright… I understand."
Skill Activated: You Are All My Wings!
With a few strategic strokes, both girls quieted, their earlier hostility melting away.
Ling Luochen, now docile, agreed to a temporary truce—resuming their contest that evening.
Huo Yuhao, ever the diplomat, suggested: "Sister Luochen, after Sister Xiaotao and I finish cultivating, we'll head to the cafeteria. Want to join us?"
"…Mhm. I'll go." Ling Luochen's cheeks flushed pink again.
…
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