While Yan Shaozhe was soaring through the air, fighting off the beast tide, he suddenly heard a furious shout from Huo Yuhao down below on the mountaintop.
"Who's there?!"
Immediately after, an evil aura erupted from the top of the mountain.
Startled, Yan Shaozhe quickly looked down.
There, he saw Huo Yuhao standing protectively in front of Ma Xiaotao, facing off against a black-robed figure.
From the black-robed figure emanated an unmistakable aura of evil—it was clear at a glance that this was no ordinary soul master... He was an evil soul master!
"Impressive. As expected of a disciple of Shrek Academy—you sensed my presence," the figure croaked, his voice old and raspy.
"Evil soul master? What are you trying to do?!" Huo Yuhao's face was a mix of shock and fury.
"Heh, isn't it obvious?" As the black-robed man spoke, evil energy surged from his body, signaling he was about to strike.
In the sky, a cold glint flashed through Yan Shaozhe's eyes.
An evil soul master dared to ambush Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao while he was nearby? Did they think he was already dead?
Then they were walking down the path to death.
"Eighth Soul Skill — Phoenix Cry to the Nine Heavens!"
A sharp, resonant phoenix cry pierced the air. Waves of radiant light-type power surged outward from Yan Shaozhe like ripples in water, sweeping across the battlefield.
The soul beasts attempting to rush up the mountain were flung back, many of the weaker ones—those under ten thousand years old—were left bleeding or dead.
The full force of the soul skill, however, was aimed straight at the black-robed figure, as if to annihilate him on the spot.
His evil aura collapsed rapidly under the onslaught of holy light. Without hesitation, the black-robed man turned to flee.
But he left a threat behind:
"Shrek Academy—this was just a greeting. When the Holy Spirit Cult arrives, we'll wipe you off the map!"
"Holy Spirit Cult?" Yan Shaozhe narrowed his eyes as realization dawned. "Damn it—this beast tide was orchestrated by that evil soul master! He dared set us up!"
Huo Yuhao (quietly): "Ah, yep… makes sense."
Furious, Yan Shaozhe was just about to give chase when—
His expression suddenly changed.
Two powerful auras were rapidly approaching.
Thinking of Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao still below, Yan Shaozhe grit his teeth and abandoned the chase, choosing instead to stand guard beside them.
The black-robed figure vanished in the blink of an eye.
RUMBLE—
The ground trembled as two terrifying soul beasts emerged from the forest and entered their line of sight.
To the right: a hundred-thousand-year variant Gold-Eyed Titan Ant King.
About five meters long, its body was clad in dark-gold chitin, with six thick legs and six golden eyes atop its head, gleaming with radiant light.
Its race: Titan Ant.
Its title: King, the peak of its bloodline.
Normal Titan Ant Kings had eerie green eyes. This one's eyes were golden—it had awakened the full power of its golden bloodline.
Thus, it was dubbed the Gold-Eyed Ant King—its strength now utterly monstrous.
Behind it, the entire Titan Ant swarm followed.
Big brothers don't raid alone—they bring their little brothers too. This was also how ant-type soul beasts survived.
Any creature that stood in their way was ripped apart and devoured in seconds.
To the left: a hundred-thousand-year Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Huo Yuhao sized it up. Compared to the five-meter Ant King, the T-Rex was a colossal monster.
Over eighty meters tall, its hulking body resembled a small mountain. Covered in dense, grey-black scales of irregular shape, its massive head took up nearly a quarter of its body.
Its gaping maw—three-quarters the size of its head—was lined with horrific, serrated fangs like greedy tentacles ready to devour everything.
As it walked through the forest, hundred-meter-tall ancient trees snapped and fell with mere brushes of its bulk.
Two beast kings—both power-type!
Yet even between them, there was clear mutual wariness. Neither attacked right away—they circled each other, watching for openings.
Still, it was clear the Tyrannosaurus was more relaxed—because it was stronger.
Yan Shaozhe's expression grew darker.
He recognized the Ant King, but not the T-Rex. Still, he could tell—neither were enemies to take lightly.
The Gold-Eyed Ant King was weaker alone, but it had a swarm to assist.
The T-Rex was overwhelmingly powerful on its own and seemed to be an Abyssal Dragon-type soul beast. Fighting it would leave no room to face anything else.
If the two teamed up, even Yan Shaozhe would have to retreat.
But then—
He turned and looked behind him, where Ma Xiaotao was nearing the final stage of soul ring absorption.
His gaze grew firm. He had made up his mind.
"Yuhao, protect yourself. Once Xiaotao finishes absorbing the ring, get out of here immediately. Don't worry about me—fly straight back to Shrek and tell the teachers what happened. Don't think, don't hesitate."
If he ran now, Yan Shaozhe was confident he could escape—neither of the beast kings could fly.
But for Ma Xiaotao and Huo Yuhao, the future of Shrek Academy, he would stay and fight!
His survival would be up to fate.
May the Sea God protect me…
His mind was set.
"No, Senior Brother, we leave together!" Huo Yuhao's face was full of grief.
"Yuhao, listen to me!" Yan Shaozhe suddenly smiled. "Shrek Academy will reach its peak under your generation. My life is nothing compared to the honor of the Academy."
"Besides, once you're gone, I'll have no burdens. It'll be easier to escape."
Obviously just comforting words. Huo Yuhao knew full well—Yan Shaozhe stood no chance against both beast kings.
At level 95, Yan Shaozhe might barely hold off the Ant King and its swarm.
But against the T-Rex?
He'd be crushed—literally.
Even a ten-thousand-year T-Rex could challenge most beast kings.
This one was hundred-thousand-year.
It was time… for Huo Yuhao to put on a show.
He instantly summoned his Frost Jade Centipede Armor, gearing up for battle.
"Yuhao?" Yan Shaozhe was stunned.
Huo Yuhao looked sincere and resolute. "Senior Brother, I have no family left. Shrek Academy is my home. You all are my family."
"I was powerless to stop the deaths of my grandfather, my father, and my mother. But not this time—I won't just stand by!"
"I've trained hard for this power—to protect the people I care about!"
All skill. No emotion.
But Yan Shaozhe was moved to tears. "Yuhao… then let's face it together! Support me from the back!"
"No, Senior Brother—let me shield you instead!" Huo Yuhao said firmly.
Yan Shaozhe's face turned ashen.
But it was too late to stop him.
Huo Yuhao's wings unfurled, and he launched into the sky, straight toward the Tyrannosaurus Rex—crashing into it head-on.
"NOOO!!!" Yan Shaozhe cried in anguish.
He hadn't even noticed Huo Yuhao's explosive speed—he had no time to react.
"Extreme Ice Frost Centipede Fist!"
Charging forward, Huo Yuhao raised his fist and slammed it hard—into the Tyrannosaurus Rex's knee.
Where else could he strike—rush into its mouth?
Faced with Huo Yuhao's attack, the T-Rex looked almost dismissive. It didn't even try to dodge.
Bang!
Huo Yuhao's fist struck its knee, releasing the power of Ultimate Ice, freezing the joint.
However, the T-Rex merely moved its leg slightly, then crushed the ice on its knee with brute force. It lowered its head and opened its giant mouth, attempting to swallow Huo Yuhao whole.
With a flick of his insect wings, Huo Yuhao shifted sideways, narrowly dodging the attack. The T-Rex's fangs brushed past him—dangerously close.
Then, the T-Rex's attention locked onto Huo Yuhao.
Although Huo Yuhao had suppressed the aura of the hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus, the rich scent still lingered on him. To the T-Rex, this aura was overwhelmingly enticing.
This little insect has something good on him!
The T-Rex made its judgment instantly.
In contrast, the Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor felt nothing.
However, as Huo Yuhao clashed with the T-Rex, the Ant Emperor and its legion of Mighty Ants began to stir. The Ant Emperor was about to strike too.
Huo Yuhao ascended, giving one last glance toward the mountain peak, then turned and flew straight toward the forest.
Ma Xiaotao was nearly done absorbing her soul ring. That situation no longer required attention. It was time to focus entirely on the T-Rex.
"Roar!!!"
The T-Rex bellowed and gave chase, completely ignoring Yan Shaozhe.
"Yuhao!!!"
Yan Shaozhe tried to call him back—but Huo Yuhao never even glanced back.
Just then, the Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor led its legion in a charge toward the mountain peak.
Though it hadn't sensed Huo Yuhao's aura, it had noticed that the concentration of Snow Lotus aura was strongest at the peak—because Huo Yuhao had stayed there the longest.
The dumb dragon was lured away by that cunning human.
Now, the treasure on the mountaintop would be the Ant Emperor's to devour alone.
Before the dumb dragon could realize it and return, the Ant Emperor had to consume the treasure.
Thus, it led a full charge up the mountain.
Yan Shaozhe had no choice but to fight. His face showed overwhelming anger and sorrow, and murderous intent erupted from him.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul True Body!"
"Self-Created Soul Skill: Monarch's Dominion!"
As Mu En's disciple, Yan Shaozhe had naturally inherited the skill Monarch's Dominion, even developing a realm of intent unique to himself.
Brilliant golden light bloomed across the mountain peak.
The Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor's expression grew grave.
Elsewhere—
Huo Yuhao led the T-Rex through the forest, drawing it far away from Yan Shaozhe and the Ant Emperor's battlefield.
His face, however, showed no tension—in fact, he looked like he was about to laugh.
"The plan's going smoothly~"
The T-Rex, tail swinging, followed him relentlessly.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao was clearly exploiting the fact that the T-Rex couldn't fly.
And he wasn't just running. Along the way, he kept casting soul skills:
First Soul Skill: Frost Centipede Venom!
Fifth Soul Skill: Poison Trail!
The first skill could combine with any other soul skill, enhancing its effects and the potency of its cold poison.
Thus, Huo Yuhao left a toxic trail in his wake.
But the T-Rex, relying on its powerful physique, completely ignored the poison and plowed right through it.
Its legs had already started showing faint icy-blue poison marks.
It was the same area Huo Yuhao had punched earlier.
During that strike, Huo Yuhao had used his Third Soul Skill: Bone-Piercing Frost Venom, injecting the cold poison into the T-Rex's body.
Yet the beast's body was so tough, it showed no signs of discomfort—even after multiple poisonings. It just chased after him more hungrily.
After luring the T-Rex far enough, Huo Yuhao stopped fleeing.
Luring the T-Rex was easy.
Killing it was another story.
A figure in a black robe appeared at his side—the evil soul master who had been seen earlier on the mountain.
The robe was flung aside, revealing the familiar face of Electrolux. Although his divine soul was incomplete, he had used special means to temporarily inhabit a ghostly body for external movement.
"Elder Yi, I'll leave the next part to you," Huo Yuhao said with a smile.
"Yuhao, I'm only here to assist. To kill this beast, you'll have to rely on yourself," Electrolux chuckled.
Then, in the next instant—
"Divine Soul Possession!"
Buzz—
Electrolux transformed into a gray light, merging into Huo Yuhao's body.
Huo Yuhao's eyes turned a terrifying shade of gray—filled with the aura of death.
That gray held ancient, world-weary depth—like it could see through all things.
A terrifying pressure erupted from him.
The T-Rex, chasing madly just moments ago, came to a halt, looking up at Huo Yuhao with uncertainty.
For the first time, it felt threatened—truly threatened.
Electrolux's divine soul possessed absolute suppression over all beings below the divine realm.
Even a hundred-thousand-year T-Rex, with a body rivaling a two-hundred-thousand-year beast, could not ignore the divine pressure.
To face this T-Rex, Huo Yuhao had to invoke Electrolux's power—artificially raising his own level.
At least he didn't have to sacrifice the Iceworm's origin for a pyrrhic victory.
Still, this meant he had to go all-out.
Lighting a cigar, Huo Yuhao calmly said, "It's teamfight time."
His Ghost Banner Martial Soul appeared.
Devour Life Domain—activated!
Blood Fiend Domain—activated!
The Skeletal Tortoise dropped from the sky, attempting to pin the T-Rex.
But the T-Rex swung its head and flung it away.
The Golden Tortoise, breaking free from the concept of Xuanwu, quickly possessed the Skeletal Tortoise, boosting its strength. It clambered back to its feet.
"Damn it, turtle's gonna bite you to death!" the Skeletal Tortoise roared.
That was just the beginning.
Ghosts poured out of the Ghost Banner Martial Soul, surrounding the T-Rex.
Though the T-Rex had immense brute strength, it struggled against the swarm of ghosts.
It was like a lion beset by flies.
Biting, harassing—and worst of all, they couldn't be killed.
Among them were ghostly soul emperors. At Huo Yuhao's command, they all unleashed their full power, activating their Martial Soul True Bodies.
Ghost Spirit Ah Hui appeared in the sky and launched his last two soul skills:
Roar of the Ice Radiance Dragon!
Radiance of the Ice Radiance Dragon!
Ice and light struck the T-Rex in tandem.
The T-Rex lashed out in rage, trying to reach Huo Yuhao and kill him.
But the Skeletal Tortoise held the front line, blocking its advance.
Ah Hui provided ranged support from the rear.
Huo Yuhao, floating midair at the back, sat cross-legged and began chanting:
"Namo, Namo, Amituo… Namo, Namo, Amituo…"
"Lay down your blade, attain Buddhahood on the spot…"
Soul-Reaping Chant—unleashed again!
With Electrolux boosting Huo Yuhao's spirit, this was the perfect moment for it.
The Evil-Eyed Martial Soul awakened.
Eye of All Laws—opened.
The spiritual forms of the Iceworm, White Tiger, and Xuanwu appeared.
Like devout believers, they knelt or bowed before Huo Yuhao, eyes shut, aiding him in the chant.
His Soul-Reaping Chant, empowered to the extreme, became even more fearsome.
Golden Buddhist light slowly enveloped the sky.
Amid that light, the faint image of a Buddha began to appear—radiating divine majesty.
But beneath this holy light lurked a twisted, eerie cadence of chanting—giving the sacred glow a sinister taint.
The light gradually descended upon the T-Rex, still locked in combat with the ghosts.
Then, a vast, solemn voice echoed in the T-Rex's mind:
"Since you have seen the Tathāgata—why do you not bow?"
The Tyrannosaurus Rex's greatest strength was its body, but as a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, its soul and spiritual power were also formidable.
However, its soul and spiritual power were still only at the hundred-thousand-year level.
What it faced, though, was—Huo Yuhao with Title Douluo-level spiritual power; the visualized White Tiger and Black Tortoise that could amplify Huo Yuhao's spiritual force; the divine soul of the million-year spiritual-type soul beast Skydream Iceworm; and even a shard of Electrolux's divine soul.
What could the T-Rex use to resist?
In terms of both quality and quantity, it was completely overpowered.
Did anyone really think Brother Hao would charge in head-on for a brute force showdown with the T-Rex?
Fake combat: eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.
Real combat: use your strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses.
Sneak attacks, picking up scraps, exploiting chaos, kicking the good leg of a cripple, arm wrestling with a centenarian, comparing wits with cavemen...
Only by doing such things can one truly become the strongest being on the surface!
If you have a gun and still choose to fight with fists, how can you become a grandmaster?
The Tyrannosaurus Rex was utterly powerless. In the end, it was mesmerized by the Soul-Claiming Brahma Chant and completely stopped resisting.
The Skeletal Tortoise retreated. From the battle just now, even the defensive specialist was covered in cracks, and its bones were nearly shattered.
This showed just how powerful the T-Rex truly was.
Ah Hui had launched multiple verbal onslaughts at the T-Rex but couldn't break through its defenses.
Even during the fight, the chilling poison of the Frost Centipede's martial soul spread through the T-Rex's body.
"What a terrifying physique. As expected of the Earth Dragon King. Even a true dragon wouldn't have this level of power," Ah Hui sighed.
Had he been alive and taken such an attack, he'd have been dead for sure.
Compared to the T-Rex, his true dragon bloodline felt almost mediocre.
After the Skeletal Tortoise cleared the path, the T-Rex dazedly walked up to Huo Yuhao.
A majestic voice echoed from above.
"Sinful beast, do you wish to convert to my Buddha?"
"I do~" the T-Rex lowered its head reverently.
The Frost Centipede martial soul returned to beast form. The Skydream Iceworm fused into it and flew to the T-Rex's front.
Huo Yuhao spoke:
"Then begin the sacrifice."
"Okay... ROAR—!"
The T-Rex actually obeyed and initiated the sacrificial process to the Frost Centipede.
A blood-red beam shot into the sky.
Electrolux used a method to conceal the sacrificial spectacle.
It wasn't that Huo Yuhao didn't want to kill the T-Rex himself, but to control it, he couldn't afford to be distracted. The others didn't have the ability to kill a beast with such high defense and vitality either.
If they couldn't kill the T-Rex in a single blow, it might counterattack.
And Huo Yuhao couldn't keep using the Soul-Claiming Brahma Chant and Buddha Light at that level for long.
But once the T-Rex started the sacrifice, it couldn't stop—leaving it with no room to resist.
Huo Yuhao had been strengthening his body in preparation to kill hundred-thousand-year soul beasts and harvest soul rings, bones, souls, and flesh.
But unexpectedly, because the T-Rex was so outstanding, it ended up choosing the path of sacrifice.
No soul beast meat this time.
As the T-Rex's body gradually vanished and the blood-red soul ring wrapped around the Frost Centipede, Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction and gradually retracted the Brahma Chant and Buddha Light.
He landed and resumed a seated posture.
Then, exhaustion hit him hard—the Brahma Chant had greatly depleted his spiritual energy.
Electrolux detached from possession and reminded him,
"Yuhao, now's the time to absorb the T-Rex's soul bone. The big bug will help you absorb the soul ring, and I'll subdue the T-Rex's spirit and convert its sacrificed body into a skeletal version. This way, you gain the most benefit!"
"Thank you, Old Electrolux."
Huo Yuhao didn't decline.
Electrolux waved his hand, and a blood-red glow shot from the sacrificial site into Huo Yuhao's hand—it was the soul bone left behind by the T-Rex.
It was a right leg bone.
A soul bone with power comparable to a 200,000-year one—definitely worth absorbing.
And with the Bone Fusion Secret Art Huo Yuhao had now, he could merge better bones in the future.
The pain of bone fusion was no longer a big deal to him.
A tremendous pressure tried to crush Huo Yuhao's right leg. Fortunately, the ten-thousand-year snow lotus promptly released healing energy to help him integrate the soul bone.
After the fusion, a new bloodline entered his body. Though it wasn't pure, it was singular in nature—just too diluted.
Even sacrificing the entire T-Rex didn't provide enough bloodline to help the Frost Centipede gain a third pair of wings. Its armored form changed only slightly—faint golden patterns appeared on the edges.
After all, if the bloodline were any purer, the T-Rex wouldn't be an Earth Dragon—it'd be a true dragon.
But there was no doubt the bloodline was powerful.
Even diluted, it made the T-Rex the king of Earth Dragons.
Upon acquiring it, a terrifying golden dragon shadow briefly flashed through Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea.
It couldn't fully form due to lack of bloodline strength, but in that instant, the aura it gave off was immensely powerful and oddly familiar.
"Destructive and powerful draconic aura... and golden... This is just like the aura on Jin Qiu'er's Golden Dragon and her Golden Dragon Spear. Could it be... this bloodline comes from the Golden Dragon King?!"
Golden Dragons never truly existed. The Golden Dragon martial soul was simulated by the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and derived from the Golden Dragon Spear.
The truth of the spear: it was the 49th rib of the Golden Dragon King.
Huo Yuhao now understood how to strengthen this bloodline in the future.
The soul bone and its bloodline greatly enhanced Huo Yuhao's physique, which in turn boosted the Frost Centipede's stats and cultivation.
Its first core soul ring formally advanced into a blood-red hundred-thousand-year soul ring!
Thus, absorbing the T-Rex's soul ring became much smoother.
After the Brahma Chant ceased, the T-Rex regained clarity. Upon realizing it had just sacrificed itself to Huo Yuhao, it was furious.
"Aaaahhh!!! You despicable human! You tricked me! I'll drag you all down with me!"
However, as a soul, it could no longer resist.
Electrolux whipped it with the Death Whip and dragged it into his Ghost Banner martial soul.
"Nooo!!! You damned old man, noooo!!!"
Electrolux: "Get in there! And look at that butt of yours..."
The T-Rex couldn't serve as the main soul yet, but it could become a bone spirit of the soul bone—though it still needed tempering.
Its sacrificed flesh wasn't wasted either. Electrolux's necromancy summoned an 80-meter-tall skeletal T-Rex and stuffed it into the Golden Tortoise's soul ring.
The Golden Tortoise rarely stayed in its ring anyway.
Within the soul ring, the damaged Skeletal Tortoise slowly repaired itself, while the new Skeletal T-Rex quietly lay beside it.
Half an hour passed.
All was calm.
The Frost Centipede martial soul floated before Huo Yuhao, six soul rings flickering.
Red, black, black, black, black, red!
An absolutely terrifying configuration.
Huo Yuhao could feel his physical power had surged.
Just one T-Rex soul bone boosted his body more than months of effort.
For the seventh soul ring, Huo Yuhao could now absorb any soul ring below 200,000 years without issue.
"If I get a few more bones, maybe I could absorb a 200,000-year soul ring directly..."
With this thought, ambition bloomed.
If you can absorb hundred-thousand-year soul rings, you aim for two hundred. And once you can handle that, why not aim for three hundred?
Note: This refers to direct absorption, not sacrificial gifting.
After absorbing the soul ring, Huo Yuhao's soul power finally broke through again—
He jumped straight to level 68!
This level-up was from accumulation: his first dual cultivation with Ma Xiaotao, harvests from the beast tide, and the essence of three fallen Soul Douluos.
Then came the soul skills.
Sixth Soul Skill 1: Frost Centipede Tyrant Transformation
A boost-type soul skill that enhances all attributes. Ice and poison are especially amplified. The martial soul grows larger, defense and power soar. In armor form, dragon scales overlay the armor, drastically increasing defense and bodily strength.
Sixth Soul Skill 2: Tyrant Roar
A terrifying roar that knocks back all enemies using soundwaves—hard to defend against. Can shatter internal organs with its vibrations.
Both skills were powerful and comprehensive.
And the boost-type skill enhanced the effects of ice and poison in the short term.
Soul Bone Skills:
Tyrant Armor: Greatly boosts defense. Summons armor formed from T-Rex scales. But slows movement.
Tyrant Shock: Greatly boosts strength, unleashes devastating power. Can cause earthquakes by stomping the ground.
The descriptions may be brief, but the skills are explosively violent.
After this power-up, even without ghost possession or the Frost Centipede martial soul, just his Evil-Eyed martial soul was enough to face a Title Douluo.
Still, Hao-ge clearly preferred bullying Soul Douluos—it felt like beating up children.
Finally, Huo Yuhao stood and looked around at the battlefield.
He suddenly lifted his right leg and stomped the ground. The soul bone's power erupted.
"Right leg soul bone skill: Tyrant Shock!"
RUMBLE—
A small earthquake struck. The ground split, mountains crumbled, and all traces of the battle were erased.
As Ma Xiaotao finished absorbing her soul ring and opened her eyes, she immediately saw Yan Shaozhe engaged in a brutal battle with the hundred-thousand-year Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor. All around her lay the corpses of countless Thousand-Jin Ants.
"You humans dare slaughter my entire clan—unforgivable!" the Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor roared toward the heavens in fury.
Hovering in the air, Yan Shaozhe's gaze was cold. "Beast King, if you want someone to blame, blame yourself for attacking me first!"
"What's going on? Where's Little Martial Uncle?"
Ma Xiaotao quickly noticed Huo Yuhao was nowhere to be seen. Her joy at successfully absorbing her soul ring instantly vanished. She anxiously shouted up at Yan Shaozhe, "Teacher, where is Huo Yuhao?!"
"Xiaotao has finished absorbing her ring?" Yan Shaozhe was pleasantly surprised. He quickly unleashed a burst of power to temporarily force the Ant Emperor back, and dropped to Ma Xiaotao's side.
Finally, a moment of relief.
The Ant Emperor's strength had far exceeded Yan Shaozhe's expectations. Even after annihilating the ant horde, he had only managed to hold the Ant Emperor at a stalemate.
Facing Ma Xiaotao's anxious gaze, Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a moment before speaking solemnly, "Xiaotao, we're pulling out. We have to go find Yuhao!"
"What? Yuhao's in trouble?!" Ma Xiaotao immediately picked up on his implication—her eyes turned bloodshot.
Impossible.
How could Little Martial Uncle be in trouble?
Yan Shaozhe, how did you fail to protect us?!
At that moment, the Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor attacked again.
It immediately drew Ma Xiaotao's hatred.
It's all the fault of these soul beasts! They all deserve to die!
My love lost forever, my world in ruins!
You dared harm my wings? I'll destroy your entire world!
Ma Xiaotao shot into the air. Martial soul activated—two yellow, two purple, three black rings appeared together.
The seventh soul ring gleamed.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul True Body!"
Scorching flames burst forth, engulfing everything nearby.
Then, for love, Ma Xiaotao charged straight at the Ant Emperor.
Seeing her lose control, Yan Shaozhe's expression changed dramatically.
"Didn't her evil fire get purified? Why is she still losing control?!"
He immediately flew after her to assist.
A mere Soul Sage—how could she hope to fight the Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor?
One thing was clear: Yan Shaozhe had his hands full again.
Elsewhere—
Huo Yuhao was already humming a tune as he reached the Tyrannosaurus Rex's lair, looting its home with ease.
Hundred-thousand-year soul beast dens often contained good stuff—especially dragon-type dens.
In Douluo Continent, dragons also had a habit of hoarding treasures.
The tyrant dragon's den was in a mountain valley with no other soul beasts nearby. Any that had tried approaching were long eaten.
Bones were piled everywhere in the valley, clearly bearing the dragon's bite marks.
Unfortunately, since they'd been exposed to sunlight, the death aura had been cleansed, making them useless for dark spellcraft—much to Huo Yuhao's regret.
Still, he picked out a few high-aged beast bones. Ground into powder, they could be ingested to strengthen bones and body.
Meanwhile, Spiritual Detection Sharing was activated. Skydream Iceworm helped him scan the surroundings.
His own spiritual power hadn't fully recovered yet, so he relied on Skydream.
They soon made two discoveries.
The first was deeper in the valley—clearly the dragon's usual resting spot.
Here, there were heaps of ore and items, all sparkly and ornate, some high quality, some less so.
No hesitation—since the dragon was now his, so were its belongings.
He packed it all up.
Even scraps are still meat on a mosquito's leg.
While looting, he even unearthed three soul bones.
All were ten-thousand-year grade.
Two of them glowed with golden light, while one had an earthy aura.
His gaze lingered on the two glowing ones.
His newly gained bloodline reacted slightly—clearly, these were soul bones from beasts with golden bloodlines!
There were no beast remnants inside, so they were safe to use as fusion material—particularly for a right leg bone.
"Excellent. Bag them all."
Then he moved to the second discovery.
It was on the left edge of the valley.
To his surprise, he found a flowerbed.
But the flowers weren't exactly "normal."
"Wait... is this... Meaty Nutmeg?" Huo Yuhao exclaimed.
Meaty Nutmeg resembled regular nutmeg, but looked much more like... certain anatomy. It had a very special property:
Aphrodisiac.
Some soul beasts used Meaty Nutmeg to trigger responses in themselves or others, aiding in reproduction.
After all, soul beasts had mating seasons. If they didn't sync up, reproduction was hard.
Only humans could reliably "get in the mood."
Even humans used Meaty Nutmeg sometimes—to spice things up.
Skydream Iceworm had only reported a soul power fluctuation earlier.
Huo Yuhao suddenly realized the fluctuation was from this flowerbed—it meant some of the Meaty Nutmeg had become soul beasts.
That was rare.
Most wild plants got eaten long before they reached that point.
He carefully sensed the energy and found the strongest plant had reached three-thousand-year cultivation—a true rarity.
Clearly, this entire flowerbed had been cultivated by the Tyrant Dragon over time.
So that dragon wasn't exactly the noble type.
Skydream chuckled mischievously on the side. He just wanted to see Huo Yuhao's reaction.
And it was indeed priceless.
"Brother Hao, this flowerbed is very valuable. Thousand-year versions are rare in the wild. Even ten-year ones can stimulate reactions in ten-thousand-year beasts—they're often consumed early. Few reach this age," Skydream explained.
"Dang~" Golden Tortoise Turtle let out a sigh, then nodded. "Brother Hao, true. I've never seen a whole bed like this, let alone thousand-year-grade plants."
Ah Hui nodded as well. "Even the hundred-year ones are enough for dragons to use. Thousand-year ones must be... intense."
"How do you know so much about this?" Huo Yuhao asked, suspicious.
"Of course I've used it!" Ah Hui replied shamelessly. "Dragons have strong... performance... but poor fertility. This plant boosts reproductive odds, so many dragons collect it."
"Sadly, I used up all I collected, and no female dragons ever gave me an egg."
Huo Yuhao: "…"
"Brother Hao, what will you do with it?" Skydream asked, winking—an impressive feat for a worm.
"What are you all talking about?! Me? Use this stuff? I read The Spring and Autumn Annals!" Huo Yuhao declared righteously, face red.
A moment later—
A new external soul bone appeared on him:
Three-Thousand-Year Meaty Nutmeg Lumbar External Soul Bone.
He just happened to have a secret refining method, that's all.
Its effect was simple: 10% soul power amplification.
But as a lumbar bone, it also boosted core strength. It contained the Meaty Nutmeg's residual soul, allowing the release of aphrodisiacal substances.
"Such an evil plant—clearly fated for destruction. I'm just doing the world a favor!" he said, striding out of the valley with pure, untainted aura.
He took to the skies again.
"No need to rush back just yet. Let's do some field work and test the ring-advancing method…"
With Qi-Viewing Technique, he scanned the surroundings for soul beast tribes.
"Hmm? There's a Pink Lady tribe over there… and one of them has become a Pink Empress. There's even a ten-thousand-year Earth King nearby…"
"Perfect! My ghost-banner martial soul's Pink Lady wraiths now have a leader. Plus I can harvest another external soul bone!"
Huo Yuhao flew off.
A moment later, he acquired a new soul bone:
Three-Thousand-Year Pink Empress Cervical External Soul Bone.
Effect: 10% soul power boost, strengthened neck, and the resident wraith could release an excitatory neurotoxin, keeping Huo Yuhao mentally exhilarated.
And thus—
Huo Yuhao's hunt had only just begun.
Yan Shaozhe finally managed to retrieve Ma Xiaotao, and the two began searching for Huo Yuhao.
They searched for an entire day.
As the sun set, Yan Shaozhe, following faint traces, finally brought Ma Xiaotao to where Huo Yuhao was.
When they found Huo Yuhao, he was in a battered state — pale-faced and clearly drained.
Beside him lay a soul beast frozen in ice.
The area was marked with clear signs of a fierce battle.
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged next to the soul beast, five soul rings floating around him!
"Huo Yuhao…" Ma Xiaotao stepped forward with concern.
But Yan Shaozhe stopped her. "Xiaotao, don't disturb him yet. He's at the final stage of absorbing a soul ring. Let's protect him."
Ma Xiaotao nodded.
Yan Shaozhe sighed in relief, thinking to himself, Thankfully, Yuhao is okay. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to face the teachers back at the academy.
And thank goodness for Yuhao's help. If I had faced those two beast kings alone, I might have perished in the Star Dou Forest today. Yuhao is truly a good kid.
But how exactly did he escape from that beast king?
Despite his curiosity, Yan Shaozhe knew this was not the time to ask.
While guarding Huo Yuhao, Yan Shaozhe also observed him — and the frozen soul beast beside him.
Black, purple, black, black, black!
That was the soul ring configuration around Huo Yuhao. It seemed the fifth soul ring was being absorbed successfully.
Yan Shaozhe felt a twinge of regret. Now that Huo Yuhao's first soul ring had grown stronger, that second ring — still just a thousand-year ring — looked glaringly out of place.
Ma Xiaotao, of course, knew about Huo Yuhao's "realistic" soul ring setup and didn't ask questions.
Yan Shaozhe turned his attention to the soul beast encased in ice.
"Yuhao's fifth soul ring comes from this soul beast? This is... a 30,000-year White-Striped Poison Skunk?!"
Yan Shaozhe frowned slightly.
The White-Striped Poison Skunk is a skunk-like soul beast. For every 10,000 years it lives, it gains an additional white stripe on its tail. This one had three.
It was a toxic-type soul beast that emitted foul, poisonous gas — disgusting to most.
Though suitable for poison-type soul masters, it wasn't ideal for Huo Yuhao, who possessed dragon bloodlines.
That's why Yan Shaozhe frowned — he felt Yuhao had acted recklessly.
But Yuhao was almost done absorbing the ring.
At last, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes, completed the absorption, and joyfully saw Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao. He quickly got up.
"Senior Brother, Martial Niece Xiaotao…"
Ma Xiaotao rushed forward, hugged him tightly with a face full of relief and joy, whispering repeated apologies:
"I'm sorry… it's all because of me…"
Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe suddenly smiled.
"Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. This incident actually brought Yuhao and Xiaotao closer. Unexpected, but a welcome outcome."
Once they separated, Yan Shaozhe finally asked what had happened.
Huo Yuhao then recounted the story he had carefully fabricated:
"Originally, I was going to escape using my flight ability. But that beast king used a sonic-type long-range attack and knocked me out of the sky. I lost consciousness."
"When I woke up, I was beside a river. I must have fallen in and been carried downstream, which saved my life."
"But I was badly injured. It was already nighttime, and I tried to find a place to recover — that's when I encountered this 30,000-year White-Striped Poison Skunk."
"I fought hard and killed it, thinking I could absorb its ring to boost my strength and speed up my recovery. Then I'd go look for you…"
He coughed weakly, still pale.
Ma Xiaotao was already in tears.
Ever since her martial soul mutated, she had become more emotional — and increasingly smitten. When no one was around, she gave Yuhao whatever he wanted, almost like a puppet girlfriend.
Just like a cosplay girlfriend.
Yan Shaozhe sighed deeply, overcome with guilt.
If I were more capable, Yuhao could've had better soul rings. Now his fifth ring isn't even as old as his fourth. What a waste of talent.
But not all was lost.
"Yuhao, this soul ring doesn't suit your dragon bloodline. But it's not hopeless. I'll try to get you a 50,000-year dragon-type soul bone," Yan Shaozhe promised seriously.
Previously, when Yuhao fused the Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone, it had awakened his second pair of wings and the light attribute in his martial soul — proving soul bones were valuable to him.
"I'll help too," Ma Xiaotao said earnestly.
"You don't have to… I'm just happy you're both safe," Yuhao replied with a pure smile, showing no greed.
That moved them even more. They were both deeply touched and filled with affection.
"What a good child…" Yan Shaozhe thought once more.
Yuhao was also pleased with their reaction.
While subtly stealing their fortune, he nodded inwardly.
Everything went according to plan.
The soul ring issue was covered up, and he might even get a free soul bone.
"Note this down: Yan Shaozhe owes me a 50,000-year dragon-type soul bone. If he can't repay it, he'll have to offer his wife instead…"
Huo the Skinner opened his mental ledger and added a new debt for "Yan the Freeloader."
As for Ma Xiaotao — she had already been shaped into Yuhao's image. She was in the palm of his hand.
And since Yan Shaozhe didn't have a daughter, his wife would have to do.
Cai Meier, Yan Shaozhe's wife, was quite the charming woman. A titled Douluo, her body and power made her an excellent furnace for cultivation.
Though not very powerful in combat, Yuhao could already solo her now.
The White-Striped Poison Skunk? Already dead long ago, frozen by Yuhao. He had waited for its soul ring to fade before placing the corpse in the search path of Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao — all a prearranged setup.
His Extreme Ice ability could obscure the actual time of death.
Why choose the skunk? Because its soul skill was similar to his "Poisonous Shadow" technique — helpful for stealth and mobility.
This is the benefit of reading extensively.
It teaches you how to forge convincing lies.
Soul skills don't need to match perfectly — similarity is enough. If questioned, just say it mutated.
In Douluo Dalu, "mutation" is a perfect catch-all excuse.
Afterward, Huo Yuhao quietly began his "recovery."
This soul beast hunt had brought him immense gains.
He had wiped out three soul beast tribes and acquired three special external soul bones:
Thousand-Year Eight-Eyed Spider: Left hand ring finger
Thousand-Year Demon Bee: Left hand middle finger
Thousand-Year Wind Baboon: Left hand index finger
Each provided a 10% increase in soul power, stacking to 55% total enhancement.
In addition, he had upgraded the soul rings for his Frost Centipede variant martial soul, perfectly matching his bloodline:
100,000-year first core soul ring
20,000-year second ring (spider)
20,000-year third ring (lizard/dragon)
30,000-year fourth ring (snake)
45,000-year fifth ring (toad)
100,000-year sixth ring (Tyrannosaurus Rex)
In the original story, Huo Yuhao only pretended to be a six-ring Soul Emperor during the soul master tournament.
But now?
Yuhao had become a real six-ring Soul Emperor.
Yuhao plays for real.