Jin Qiu'er and the others had left with smiles but returned gritting their teeth.
This left the people chatting in the conference room looking puzzled.
Huo Yuhao, Wei Na, Ma Xiaotao, and Ling Luochén were relaxing and chatting around a table scattered with hotel-provided snacks.
"What happened to you all?" Ling Luochén asked with concern, worried that something had gone wrong again.
Could it be that last night's incident was only the beginning? Was someone continuing to target Shrek Academy?
"Well…" Xu Sanshi's expression turned conflicted. He hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"Senior sister, let's talk about it later." Wang Dong diverted the conversation and turned in surprise toward Ma Xiaotao. "Captain, you're awake?"
The others also turned to notice Ma Xiaotao.
She was wearing loungewear, her complexion still pale, but her energy seemed decent. She leaned lazily against the chair, gazing at the returning group.
"Sorry to make everyone worry," Ma Xiaotao nodded with a smile, an expression that stirred sympathy.
"Captain, what about your strength now?" Jiang Nannan asked curiously.
Ma Xiaotao shook her head and sighed. "That battle drained me immensely. For the next month, I won't be able to fight at full strength or use my Martial Soul True Body. At most, I can only use about 30% of my power."
"But don't worry, I'll find a way to recover as soon as possible," she added reassuringly.
Even 30% of a Soul Sage's strength—without the Martial Soul True Body—was still above what most Soul Kings could match.
However, in the Soul Master Tournament, that wasn't quite enough.
Shrek Academy's real opponents were teams with Soul Emperors and multiple Soul Kings.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Ma Xiaotao broke the silence, picking up where Ling Luochén had left off. "So what happened exactly? Speak up. Even if I can't use my full power, we still have Uncle Yuhao. Shrek's honor must not be insulted!"
"That's right. I'll help you get justice!" Huo Yuhao nodded seriously.
Under the intense gazes of the four,
Xiao Xiao couldn't hold it in. She burst out with anguish, "Captain, Class Leader… it's about the Mingdou Mountains!"
"For some reason, the incident at the Mingdou Mountains has been leaked. Everyone knows about it now. That Shrek Academy's main team, even under the protection of a Title Douluo, was counterattacked by a Soul King who killed four of us and captured one. Now everyone's talking about it. They're saying…" Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth, her voice carrying grievance, "They're saying Shrek Academy is all about false fame, rotten inside, and that it treats its students' lives as nothing. That it's already on the decline."
Bang!
Ma Xiaotao slammed the table, her phoenix eyes narrowing in fury. "How dare they!"
Huo Yuhao's face was cold too, though he muttered inwardly, "Honestly… the insults aren't even harsh enough."
They were too tame.
Still, that was partly because Huo Yuhao had performed exceptionally well in recent days, keeping gossipers from going too far.
Many still believed Shrek Academy remained formidable.
But the incident involving the main team was indisputable.
To Ma Xiaotao and the others, using their fallen teammates' deaths to slander Shrek was like looking for crap with a lantern in a toilet—beyond offensive.
They couldn't tolerate it.
Though Ling Luochén didn't speak, a chilling aura was radiating from her.
Wang Dong and the others no longer held back either, faces full of righteous anger.
"The seniors died protecting them, and yet they dare slander the Academy like this. The Academy should never have saved them!" Wang Dong vented.
"It's just too heartbreaking," Jiang Nannan added with grievance.
Huo Yuhao's goal had been achieved.
The key wasn't what outsiders said, but what Shrek Academy believed.
Once this matter reached Shrek, the Academy would never allow such a stain on its name to spread.
If those present couldn't stand it, what about the elite forces at the Academy who regarded its honor as their life?
"But the speed at which this news spread seems suspiciously fast. From what Xiao Xiao said, it's already widely known. Yet Douluo Continent doesn't have Weibo or trending topics, and Mingdou Mountains aren't like Zhan Chun Mountain, which could be exposed overnight. Plus, this whole thing sounds so outrageous it shouldn't be easily believed. Unless… there's someone pushing it from behind the scenes!"
Clearly, no world is without its black-hearted trolls.
Originally, Huo Yuhao only wanted the story to spread a bit, let the bullet fly for a while—it would later become the straw that broke the camel's back.
Unexpectedly, it hit the camel right in the eye the next day, catching it completely off guard.
The events of last night were managed in time by the Star Luo Empire, so they were contained.
But public opinion spreading among the populace? That was another matter. Could the Star Luo Empire still suppress it? The news had been out for over a day already.
If they couldn't control it, tensions between Shrek Academy and the Star Luo Empire would only worsen.
Wei Na was the only one not visibly angry. Even she thought the whole thing was ridiculous and laughable—being insulted like that was getting off easy.
Thankfully, she didn't show her real thoughts and played her role convincingly.
From a bystander's perspective, she noticed some clues and offered her analysis, "The Mingdou incident should've only been known internally."
The implication was obvious. Ma Xiaotao narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the others.
Her gaze and tone were clearly accusatory, though she didn't think too deeply.
Xu Sanshi trembled and quickly said, "Captain, you know me—I've always followed Nannan closely. I had no time or chance!"
Jiang Nannan frowned at how he addressed her but didn't correct him. She earnestly added, "Captain, you know me—Shrek's glory is my glory!"
Wang Dong: "Captain, you know me—my Haotian Clan and Shrek Academy are of one heart!"
Xiao Xiao: "Captain, you know me—I wouldn't dare!"
Jin Qiu'er: "Little Tao, you know me. If I wanted to take down Shrek, I wouldn't stoop to petty schemes."
Huh?
Everyone paused.
Everyone else was defending themselves from suspicion. Why was she talking about wanting to attack Shrek?
But knowing Jin Qiu'er's character—bold and upfront, disdaining underhanded tricks or lies—it sort of made sense.
Just then, Ling Luochén spoke up. "No, besides us here, there are others who knew."
"Who?" Ma Xiaotao asked gravely.
"The escaped Death God Envoy… and the deceased Teacher Zhou Yi," Ling Luochén said.
Huo Yuhao: "..."
"It can't be Zhou Yi. She may not have seemed strong, but she was a Shrek teacher—she would never betray the Academy," Ma Xiaotao dismissed the correct answer.
"Then it must be the Death God Envoy!" Wang Dong exclaimed angrily, making the same guess as the Duchess.
"Very likely!" Xu Sanshi slapped his thigh. "He must be trying to gain fame by stepping on Shrek!"
"That damn guy, he's even in Star Luo City?! I swear I'll burn him to ashes!" Ma Xiaotao sprang up, ready to hunt him down.
But Huo Yuhao stopped her.
"Little Tao, calm down! We don't even know where the Death God Envoy is hiding. And just us few—how many places could we search?"
Ma Xiaotao listened. She had long been convinced by Huo Yuhao's leadership, and despite her fury, she sat back down.
Huo Yuhao then looked at the others and said seriously, "This matter is beyond us. We'll need to report it to the Academy when we return. But I'll try contacting the Star Luo Royal Family to ask them to help track the Death God Envoy. With their resources, we'll have a better shot than investigating alone."
"Alright…"
Everyone agreed with his plan.
Huo Yuhao (thinking): Now the bullet can keep flying. Plus, the Star Luo Royal Family will learn of Shrek's scandal. Maybe they'll even find out who's really pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Did he not know whether the Death God Envoy did this?
Of course he did.
The Death God Envoy had only just returned to the Mingdou Mountains recently.
When Huo Yuhao came knocking, requesting the Star Luo Empire's help in tracking down the Death God's Envoy, Xu Jiawei felt like he was falling apart inside.
He had heard the rumors. At first, he dismissed them as nonsense—but now you're telling him they're true?
If it had been just rumors, that would've been fine. Shrek Academy likely wouldn't have made a big deal out of it. But if it is true, and the rumors have already spread… now that's a serious problem.
Lies don't hurt—truth is the sharp blade.
If Shrek Academy decides to go all out, then the Star Luo Empire is going to be in serious trouble.
The biggest problem? Huo Yuhao wasn't asking them to contain the rumors—he wanted the Death God's Envoy hunted down.
Xu Jiawei tried to hint to Huo Yuhao, hoping he would ask them to help stop the rumor's spread. That way, when Shrek Academy came back with questions, he could say they were acting under Shrek's orders. If things went wrong later, it would be Shrek's fault for not acting sooner, not theirs.
But Huo Yuhao—whether out of cleverness or stupidity—refused to budge. He simply insisted: The rumors don't matter. The Death God's Envoy must die. We must honor our fallen senior brothers and sisters.
And then he said nothing more.
Xu Jiawei was utterly dumbfounded.
If they didn't send people to investigate the Death God's Envoy, it would look like they didn't value Shrek Academy. If they did, they'd be validating the rumors.
It was a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation.
But he couldn't ignore it either.
Especially since, after what happened the previous night, Shrek Academy was in the right.
The White Tiger Duke's estate still hadn't given any explanation or reparations. He didn't know how his royal sister managed it, but somehow the old guards of the White Tiger Duke's estate were still protecting her.
If the Duke's estate didn't offer compensation, Xu Jiawei couldn't just hand Shrek Academy anything either—or it would set a precedent, placing all the blame squarely on the Star Luo royal family.
When Xu Jiawei later discovered that it was the White Tiger Duke's estate and the Sun Moon Empire's academies fanning the flames of rumor, his head just throbbed.
He wasn't trying to target Shrek Academy—he was stuck in the middle!
He couldn't offend Shrek Academy. He couldn't pressure the White Tiger Duke's estate. And he especially couldn't easily go after the Sun Moon Empire's academies.
But Xu Jiawei was the emperor, after all.
So he split his efforts and made a two-pronged plan.
Business as usual on the outside.
Then he said:
"Jiujiu, your royal brother has a mission for you—win over Huo Yuhao!"
Xu Jiujiu: "Huh? Me?"
Of course, by "win over," he meant build a good relationship with Huo Yuhao.
If the logic can't be worked out, then at least the social bonds should be.
This whole mess had left Xu Jiawei harboring resentment—toward both Shrek Academy and the White Tiger Duke's estate.
As for the Sun Moon Empire, they were already enemies. This incident was, in comparison, a small matter.
Ming Dou Mountain Range
In a forest somewhere…
The Death God's Envoy sat cross-legged beside a freshly-killed, just-over-ten-thousand-year-old carrion vulture, absorbing its spirit ring.
At last, the Death God's Envoy finished. His body trembled—he had broken through. His spirit power had reached level 61, and he now had his first ten-thousand-year spirit ring!
Three yellow, two purple, and one black—six spirit rings hovered around him.
His foundation was weak, so even his sixth ring was just barely over ten thousand years.
Nearby, Beibei sat under the shade of a tree, expression blank.
His face was pale, clearly still recovering from severe injuries. After a grueling five- or six-day trek, all he wanted to do was sit. He barely had energy left to think.
Not that he dared move anyway—not with two corpse puppets standing watch nearby.
The Death God's Envoy had a total of ten corpse puppets, but five were lost in his recent battle with the carrion vulture.
"Kekekeke! I've finally broken through!" he cackled, his voice harsh and eerie, like wind through a broken bellows.
Lifting his head slightly, a pair of unnaturally glowing red-and-blue eyes peeked out from beneath his black robes.
In truth, the Death God's Envoy's memories were distorted. In his version of events, he had escaped Ming Dou Mountain Range with Beibei, only returning after Shrek's investigative team had left.
He believed this feat was what allowed him to break through to level 60.
But the real reason was the feedback from the eyes Huo Yuhao had installed in him.
In his twisted memory, though, he believed those eyes were his own innate power.
As for the ten-thousand-year carrion vulture—it had long been marked as his sixth ring. Back when he'd been hiding in Ming Dou with his bandit crew, he'd scoped out all the suitable spirit beasts in the area.
Truthfully, Huo Yuhao had given the Death God's Envoy this opportunity not just because of his actions, but because he had potential.
His Corpse Explosion technique alone made him a formidable presence in the Douluo Continent.
More impressively, he was already working on transforming himself into a true Necromancer—a corpse sorcerer.
Unlike the Evil Soul Masters from the Holy Spirit Cult who were still bound to the soul master system, this guy had jumped several versions ahead—he was playing with undead magic now.
He had even managed to escape under Xuanzi's pressure during their last battle.
His spirit rings were his only real weakness—but even then, not a simple one.
Though his rings were three yellow and two purple, their sequence was yellow-yellow-purple-yellow-purple.
From his memories, Huo Yuhao could tell the first five rings, while not high in age, were perfectly suited to him.
For soul masters, suitability often trumped raw years.
And his soul skills were top-tier.
He had used them to control corpse puppets and escape from Xuanzi—all without even having a single ten-thousand-year skill yet.
But the real monster skill—Corpse Explosion—was one he had developed himself.
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but be amazed after seeing it in his memories.
Naturally, he learned it on the spot.
Now, his newly gained sixth skill followed suit:
"Sixth Soul Skill: Decay Transformation!"
He raised a hand, releasing a gray, decaying energy onto the vulture's corpse.
It began rotting rapidly before their eyes—but it didn't disintegrate.
Instead, it moved again—it had become a zombie vulture!
Then, the zombie vulture took flight.
Decay Transformation: Accelerates corpse decay and, using the user's power, transforms corpses directly into zombies.
Zombies could be used as medium for Corpse Explosion.
More importantly, with the right methods, this soul skill had huge support potential—such as…
Forging zombies!
In his memory, after narrowly escaping death, the Death God's Envoy found an inheritance on his way back to Ming Dou.
It contained necromancy techniques—and the method for creating zombies.
Yes, all courtesy of Huo Yuhao.
"Zombies may not be as strong as corpse puppets, but they can move, making them excellent Corpse Explosion mediums."
"But the real value of this skill is in helping me craft zombies! If the inheritance is right, zombies will become stronger than corpse puppets!"
The thought left him trembling with excitement.
He was even planning to turn himself into an immortal zombie.
No, not just a zombie—a Zombie King!
But relying on himself alone would be slow—and he had to watch for pursuers.
So he planned to join a bigger force.
"The Sun Moon Empire… the Holy Spirit Cult… both are perfect places for me to grow!"
He recalled all his corpse puppets.
Under his control, the zombie vulture dove down. He leapt onto it.
Then the vulture scooped up Beibei.
Beibei remained expressionless, too drained to resist.
He didn't even know who to hate anymore.
Xuanzi's incompetence? His own carelessness?
"Xiaoya… Brother Huo… I hope you both find a better life. Don't grieve for me…"
Meanwhile, the Death God's Envoy was thinking:
"With a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit master as my offering, access to the Holy Spirit Cult's resources, and the inheritance I gained, I will soar to the heavens! Kekekeke!"
"Shrek Academy… White Tiger Duke Dai Hao… I will return!"
There was still one day left before the next round of the competition.
However, the atmosphere within the Shrek Academy team was heavy.
Naturally, it was due to the rumors circulating outside. Everyone was holding back their frustration, vowing to catch the Death God Envoy.
Xu Jiawei had indeed dispatched personnel to begin investigating the whereabouts of the Death God Envoy, especially within Star Luo City, where the investigation was particularly strict.
Allowing an evil soul master capable of mass destruction—and even escaping from a Titled Douluo—to roam freely in a city as densely populated as Star Luo City was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous situation.
Just the thought of it sent chills down people's spines.
No matter what Xu Jiawei thought personally, he could not allow a more serious incident to occur in Star Luo City at this critical moment.
Jin Qiu'er and the others also joined the investigation team.
Of course, they were each accompanied by guards assigned by Xu Jiawei—every one of them a powerful Soul Douluo-level expert.
Xu Sanshi, worried about Jiang Nannan, did not choose to stay at the hotel and recover from his injuries. Like Ling Luochen, he was unlikely to recover fully before the finals, and thus fell into a sort of despair.
But even if he was injured, he still wanted to protect Jiang Nannan—at the very least, he could take one fatal blow for her.
He even declared that if he died and his body could be recovered, they should cremate him and have Jiang Nannan carry his ashes into battle—so his remains could obscure the enemy's vision and protect her one last time.
Jiang Nannan wasn't moved by this; instead, she felt a wave of discomfort.
She wasn't an evil soul master—what would she want with ashes?
Besides, if she carried Xu Sanshi's ashes around, wouldn't the Xuanming Sect come after her for it?
Huo Yuhao could only sigh: Simping can be terrifying.
Huo Yuhao also joined the search party, supposedly to investigate the Death God Envoy's trail—but in truth, he was secretly studying the feng shui and qi flow of Star Luo City, while quietly absorbing unclaimed luck scattered throughout the city.
By analyzing the feng shui layout and qi flow patterns, along with principles from ancient architectural aesthetics, he could deduce a great deal—for instance, the location of the royal tombs of the Star Luo royal family.
Though it seemed mystical and unscientific, there were patterns to follow.
All these seemingly mystical practices were originally derived from observed patterns.
Huo Yuhao wasn't certain what lay within the royal tombs—but he knew one thing: he had to see them for himself.
The day passed quickly, and naturally, nothing was found.
Night fell.
Exhausted from the day, everyone returned to their rooms to rest and prepare for tomorrow's match.
After refining the Soul Devouring Engraving Knife for a while, Huo Yuhao received two unexpected guests.
It was the ever-hungry Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na.
The two bumped into each other in Huo Yuhao's room, exchanged glances, and blushed—but in the end, they agreed to enjoy the food together.
They had long since learned how to share one sausage together.
The night passed uneventfully, with ice-fire body tempering, and snow lotus as aid.
Meanwhile, Ling Luochen, restless and agitated, stepped out of her room.
She had not joined the search for the Death God Envoy during the day; instead, she had stayed in the hotel to recuperate. She hadn't given up hope.
But she also knew her injuries were unlikely to heal before the finals.
A whole day of cultivation yielded no significant progress in healing, which only added to her frustration.
She wasn't sure why she left her room while feeling this way—perhaps she was hoping to find something, anything, to release her stress.
Her gaze drifted toward Huo Yuhao's room—and to her surprise, his door wasn't fully closed.
A mix of delight, guilt, and fear surged within her.
That narrow crack seemed like a bottomless abyss, pulling Ling Luochen in.
It was as though a hidden eye on the other side of the abyss was silently watching her.
Driven by a surge of longing and impulse, Ling Luochen stepped forward and pressed her eye to the crack.
Then her pupils shrank sharply.
"Xiaotao, Wei Na, Yuhao… I'm sorry. This will be the last time…"
As the snow lotus dripped and the phoenix cried out—
The room fell into silence.
Trembling, Ling Luochen tried to retreat quietly.
But just then, voices from inside the room drew her attention again.
"Yuhao, I feel like my injuries actually healed! What's going on?"
"Uh… Xiaotao-jie, could it be… that just now… helped? Can this kind of thing really have a healing effect?"
"Maybe it really does! Wei Na and I have a Martial Soul Fusion Technique, and our soul power can fuse. Theoretically, that amplifies our martial soul traits. Since Wei Na's a healing-type soul master, if her healing was channeled through me, the effects could be greatly enhanced!"
"But isn't that too amazing? I mean, your fusion technique is supposed to be for offense, right? And now it's healing even a Soul Sage like me?"
"No, our technique is multi-functional—it can attack and heal."
"Still… even with your help, I doubt I'll fully recover before the finals. If only I were weaker, then maybe I'd stand a chance."
"Don't worry, Xiaotao-jie. I'll help Yuhao."
"You little minx, are you bragging?"
"No, of course not! Xiaotao-jie, you misunderstood."
"Take this!"
"Ah!"
"At your age, you've got such… volume? Shameless! Fine, once more! If quality won't do, I'll make up for it with quantity!"
"Xiaotao… can you handle that?"
"Hmph, I've got more than one entrance!"
"..."
The room grew lively again.
Outside the door, Ling Luochen clenched her fists—her urge to leave paused mid-step.
"It actually… heals injuries? It might be limited for Xiaotao, but if it were me… Sorry…"
Ling Luochen once again leaned closer to the door crack.
For the honor of Shrek Academy, she wanted to take a closer look.
The burning fire of desire, mixed with the scent of youth and temptation, slowly corroded her body and sanity.
The third round of the round-robin tournament began.
This time, their opponents were a team from the Heavenly Soul Empire—who, notably, did not attempt any provocation.
The match format was two-two-three.
Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er each handled one match, securing easy victories.
Huo Yuhao didn't use poison this time—instead, clad in armor, he defeated his opponent head-on, showing the gentlemanly conduct he'd displayed in the elimination rounds. This earned him the friendship of the Heavenly Soul team.
And it put other teams at ease.
They had all been terrified that Huo Yuhao would start poisoning people again.
The brutal fate of the Tianming team had been plain for all to see.
Tianming had even withdrawn from the competition.
All their main members were down—none of them would recover for at least a month. What else could they do but quit?
As long as Huo Yuhao didn't use poison, everyone was still happy to be friends.
At this point, none of the academies felt he was out of line. If anything, they thought Tianming had brought it on themselves.
Because Huo Yuhao was strong enough!
And Shrek Academy's background was vast enough!
As for the rumors about the Mingdou Mountains—
They had heard those, too.
They couldn't figure out how the Death God Envoy had done it—
But no one mocked Huo Yuhao.
They had also heard that Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao weren't even present during the incident.
As for Shrek Academy itself… well, that was up to individual interpretation.
After the match.
Jin Qiu'er wanted to lead another mission to hunt down the Death God Envoy.
Though to many, it seemed more like she wanted to go sightseeing.
There was no reason to stop her.
Huo Yuhao, however, returned to the hotel with Ling Luochen.
Ling Luochen stole glances at Huo Yuhao, clearly hesitant to speak.
Then—an unexpected figure suddenly blocked their path.
Huo Yuhao blinked in surprise. "Zhu Lu?"
"Yuhao…" Zhu Lu spoke nervously, "Can we talk? Just the two of us?"
Inside a private room at the restaurant.
Zhu Lu had ordered a luxurious feast to entertain Huo Yuhao.
Ling Luochen hadn't come along.
It was apparent that Zhu Lu had arranged to meet Huo Yuhao privately, as he noticed she hadn't brought any guards, nor was there any sign of Dai Huabin.
Seated in the chair, Huo Yuhao remained silent. He didn't touch the food, merely stared quietly at Zhu Lu, waiting for her to speak first.
Zhu Lu was indeed a rare beauty. The women of the Zhu family truly lived up to their past and future reputation as "exclusive consorts of the royal family."
She had a graceful yet curvaceous figure, not skinny but brimming with a vibrant allure, with a touch of seduction. Her eyebrows carried a cat-like laziness and pride, which only enhanced her unique charm.
What drew the most attention was her impressive bust—on par with Wei Na's—yet she was noticeably younger. In contrast, her waist was slender enough to be held with one hand, flowing smoothly like water, while her hips were round and full. She was the very image of "delicate branch bearing bountiful fruit."
A strong air of fortune surrounded her.
Unfortunately, since the Dai family was no longer royal, she no longer possessed "dragon aura." Otherwise, as a true counterpart to the Dai bloodline, she would have naturally held "phoenix aura."
As for the future, if Dai Hao were to reclaim the throne, it would be through plot-driven deus ex machina, not due to fate's arrangement.
But even a forced return without dragon aura would not secure the throne—it would lead to turmoil.
Only when the future descendants regain the dragon aura will the Dai family's rule stabilize, and then the women of the Zhu family will once again bear phoenix aura.
Zhu Lu herself had three fate attributes—[Devoted Spirit Cat], [Twin Birds in the Forest], and [Nether Fate]!
Her [Nether Fate] and Dai Huabin's [White Tiger Fate] together formed the Netherworld White Tiger.
[Twin Birds in the Forest] fluctuated in tandem with Dai Huabin's fate attribute.
But [Devoted Spirit Cat] was a particularly intriguing one.
"For love I give my life, the spirit cat never regrets."
Huo Yuhao remained calm outwardly, but thoughts began to stir within.
Fate attributes generally came in two forms—those that affected oneself and those that affected others, which could be either beneficial or harmful.
For example, Deathgod Douluo's [Punishing Restraint] affected others harmfully.
The [Devoted Spirit Cat], however, affected others positively.
This type of attribute was inherently that of a top-tier vessel, one of the best cauldrons for cultivation—a single vessel stronger than six ordinary ones combined.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, childhood friends, were meant to follow a predestined path, destined for a heaven-matched union.
But unfortunately, they met Huo Yuhao.
Upon their arrival at Shrek Academy, their fortunes were disrupted repeatedly by Huo Yuhao, and this naturally affected their romantic fate as well. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao formed a spiritual connection with Zhu Lu.
Coupled with some poor decisions on Dai Huabin's part...
Zhu Lu's feelings for him weren't as deep as in the original story.
Instead, she developed a strong curiosity and certain special thoughts toward Huo Yuhao.
As the saying goes—childhood love cannot compete with one that falls from the sky.
After a long silence, Zhu Lu finally spoke: "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Huo Yuhao asked with some confusion.
"For Huabin… I couldn't stop him," she said softly.
Couldn't stop him? Not that she was complicit?
Huo Yuhao mused silently, but outwardly he smiled slightly. "It's alright. Don't worry. Whatever grievances exist between us won't affect anyone else. I understand the principle of not implicating the innocent."
"I'm not his wife," Zhu Lu firmly denied, then added, "Just his fiancée."
"No problem." Huo Yuhao smiled. "If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
As he spoke, he began to stand.
"Wait!" Zhu Lu suddenly leaned forward and grabbed his wrist.
Huo Yuhao looked at her, puzzled.
Zhu Lu bit her lip and said, "Huo Yuhao, you've sensed it too, haven't you—our martial souls?"
As she spoke, she activated her martial soul and released her soul power toward Huo Yuhao from a close distance.
With her martial soul activated, her body became even more alluring and elegant. A pair of black cat ears appeared on her head, and a long black tail extended behind her—she had transformed into a true cat-girl.
As Zhu Lu released her soul power toward Huo Yuhao, his Evil Eye martial soul stirred.
This time, Huo Yuhao didn't suppress the reaction.
For the first time, in front of someone else, he activated his Spiritual Eye martial soul.
Since Zhu Lu had offered herself up, there was no reason to hold back.
When Zhu Lu saw the marks of martial souls glowing in both of Huo Yuhao's eyes, she was shocked, her eyes wide. "Twin martial souls?!"
The corners of Huo Yuhao's lips curled into a slightly wicked smile, and his aura shifted entirely from his usual calm and warm demeanor.
Then Zhu Lu felt it—a powerful force pulling her toward him.
This feeling was familiar to Zhu Lu: a martial soul fusion technique!
But this time, she wasn't the one initiating it. She was being pulled into it forcefully, with no prior harmonization between them.
Huo Yuhao's forceful dominance didn't give her a good experience.
Her first time... was painful.
"Myaa—" Zhu Lu cried out in a soft moan.
The next moment, her body transformed into a stream of black light and merged into Huo Yuhao's body.
A second later, Huo Yuhao looked like he had undergone beast martial soul possession—his body became taller and more muscular, his pupils turned into heterochromatic evil eyes of red and blue, both vertical slits like those of a feline.
Black-and-white striped tiger ears and a tail appeared on his body.
Clearly a cute beast-eared youth, yet exuding a fierce, commanding presence. The contrast only made him even more magnetic.
At the same time, Huo Yuhao felt a surge of power welling up inside him.
"So this is the power of the Netherworld White Tiger?" he murmured, sensing the transformation.
He looked like someone possessed by the Dai family's White Tiger, but in truth, this was—
Possession by the Netherworld White Tiger!
This was a martial soul fusion technique with Huo Yuhao as the dominant core. It greatly enhanced his body, doubling all of his enhancements and amplifications thereafter.
He could also use Zhu Lu's soul skills, and her soul rings were temporarily considered his own.
In other words, if Huo Yuhao activated his Evil Eye's amplification in this state, he would possess a 26x boost!
(Evil Eye 1 ring + Frost Centipede 6 rings + Ghost Banner 3 rings + Zhu Lu's 3 rings) × 2 = 26x boost!
The power of the Netherworld White Tiger would also grant his soul skills and attacks overwhelming might.
Huo Yuhao believed that in this state, he could solo a Super Douluo!
On his forehead, a light began to shimmer.
But it wasn't just light—it was an eye.
An eye not yet fully open.
It appeared because of the fusion technique, but due to his insufficient White Tiger bloodline and lack of dragon aura, it couldn't open completely.
Even so, Huo Yuhao could feel the immense power sealed within that third eye.
"So this is what a true martial soul fusion technique is like? Absolutely terrifying! No wonder it's the strongest technique in all of Douluo Continent!"
Just as he was immersed in the power—
Zhu Lu's voice suddenly echoed in his mind, full of shock:
"You really have twin martial souls?! Why would our fusion technique produce the Netherworld White Tiger?! What's your connection to the Duke of White Tiger's mansion?!"
Faced with her barrage of questions, Huo Yuhao grinned, revealing beast-like fangs.
His crimson tongue licked the sharp tips of his teeth.
"Little kitty… you know too much…"
And wild cats—need to be tamed.
Ling Luocheng stood expressionlessly outside the private room, waiting for Huo Yuhao.
She didn't leave on her own because she was worried that the Zhu and Dai families behind Zhu Zhu might bring harm to Huo Yuhao.
After all, Huo Yuhao wasn't just her teammate—he was also her hope for recovering from her injuries.
It was just that she hadn't fully made up her mind yet.
But for the honor of Shrek, sacrificing something might not be unacceptable. At worst, she would live the rest of her life alone...
What a pity the private room didn't leave any gap at the door. Otherwise, Ling Luocheng really wanted to peek inside and see what was happening.
The girl's odd little fetish had just grown.
Inside the private room.
Huo Yuhao sat casually in the chair, flipping through Zhu Zhu's memories.
Interestingly, once the two activated their Spirit Fusion Technique, everything about Zhu Zhu fell under Huo Yuhao's control—including her memories and secrets.
This wasn't a trait of a standard Spirit Fusion Technique, but merely the leverage Huo Yuhao used to make his move on Zhu Zhu. It was actually a cultivator's method!
As long as he didn't expend soul power in combat, he could maintain the Spirit Fusion Technique for a very long time.
Though Zhu Zhu was technically inside Huo Yuhao's body, she felt as if he had completely seen through her—and she had no power to resist.
"What... what are you doing to me?" Zhu Zhu asked in panic. A woman's intuition told her that Huo Yuhao was definitely up to no good.
"Of course, I'm getting to know you better... Zhu Zhu. No—'sister-in-law' is more accurate," Huo Yuhao murmured.
"Sister-in-law?" Zhu Zhu was stunned.
Huo Yuhao projected part of his original memories to Zhu Zhu—letting her see how Dai Huabin and the Duchess had once oppressed the original Huo Yuhao and Huo Yuner.
Naturally, the memories ended at Huo Yuner's death; nothing beyond that was revealed.
If he didn't let Zhu Zhu know his true identity, how could she fully play her part?
Huo Yuhao simply making a move on Zhu Zhu? That was ordinary.
But if Dai Huabin's younger brother made a move on his "sister-in-law"?
Now that's spicy.
"You're actually the illegitimate son of the White Tiger Duke?!" Zhu Zhu was utterly shocked.
Huo Yuhao gave her time to react while he quickly scanned through the rest of her memories.
Before coming to Shrek Academy, Zhu Zhu's life had been quite simple:
Receiving elite education from her family, deepening her bond with Dai Huabin, attending noble gatherings of the Star Luo Empire... Just the standard life of a noble heiress.
Unlike Dai Huabin, Zhu Zhu had no rivals within her clan.
As the only one of her generation who could use a Spirit Fusion Technique with a member of the Dai family, her status in the Zhu family was unquestionable. While not a formal heir, the resources and treatment she received were equal to one.
Zhu Zhu was a key link between the Zhu and Dai families.
And a unique one at that.
Her natural talent was decent, born with rank 8 soul power. With adequate resources and steady cultivation, reaching Titled Douluo level was very achievable.
She was also poised to inherit the title of "Nether Douluo."
Similarly, Dai Huabin was set to inherit the title of "White Tiger Douluo."
These legacy titles were prepared for disciples who met their family's requirements.
If she wasn't already expected to marry into the Dai family, Zhu Zhu might have become her own family's heir.
She was content with the life arranged for her. Dai Huabin had top-tier talent and looks. He would lead her to become one of the most noble people in the Empire.
What was there to complain about?
She had accepted Dai Huabin, believing them to be destined lovers.
This had always been the arrangement between the Dai and Zhu families.
Dai Huabin attended Shrek Academy to deepen ties between the White Tiger Duke's household and the Academy.
Zhu Zhu came along to strengthen the connection between the Zhu and Dai families.
However, such high gains always carried high risks.
Now, with the strained relationship between the White Tiger Duke's house and Shrek Academy, Dai Huabin's status as heir was becoming dangerously unstable.
As a result, Zhu Zhu's status in the Zhu family was also impacted.
Luckily, she hadn't made any stupid mistakes. Her father, the clan leader, could still maintain her original level of treatment.
But she was no longer the Zhu family's only bet.
The Zhu family had begun letting girls from other branches interact with suitable men from the Dai family—not to find another Spirit Fusion pair, but to diversify their investments.
When a premium stock shows risk, you manage the portfolio to minimize losses.
No matter who eventually inherits the White Tiger Duke title, the Zhu family wouldn't lose.
It was like the aristocratic families of the Three Kingdoms period—sending their youths to serve different warlords to hedge their bets.
Zhuge Liang followed Liu Bei into Shu, but the Zhuge family also had members in Wei and Wu.
Whoever won, the Zhuge family would survive.
Of course, if they could form a second "Nether White Tiger" pair, that would be perfect.
The Zhu family didn't need to interfere in politics—but if anyone did, it had to be someone from the Zhu family.
Dai Hao's generation had married a royal princess, which was a show of respect to the royal family—but also a dangerous precedent.
The next generation couldn't continue that trend.
Otherwise, if the royal family and White Tiger Duke's household continued strengthening ties, the Zhu family would become mere pawns—powerless to act, and sacrificed when convenient.
In the past, the Dai family was the royal family, so the Zhu family answered only to them.
Now, the Dai family wasn't royalty anymore. Their decline dragged the Zhu family down too.
A subordinate's subordinate isn't your subordinate. The Zhu family understood this well. They couldn't guarantee the royal family wouldn't turn on them to cut off Dai Hao's escape route.
No sense of security at all~
Zhu Zhu may not have considered all this, but she knew her position was threatened!
She had to act.
Still, as long as Dai Huabin hadn't completely fallen, she wouldn't switch allegiance. Her family had also warned her to keep some distance from him.
Zhu Zhu considered herself loyal—and both her family and the Dai family wouldn't allow betrayal.
So, she approached Huo Yuhao with hopes that their Spirit Fusion Technique could ease tensions between him and Dai Huabin.
If she could help them reconcile...
Dai Huabin's status would stabilize, he could inherit the Duke's title, and her own position would be secure.
The rift between the Duke's house and Shrek would also be resolved.
Huo Yuhao would gain friendship from both the White Tiger Duke's house and the Zhu family.
Everyone would win!
But what Zhu Zhu didn't expect was that the hatred between Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin was utterly irreconcilable.
In fact, Huo Yuhao had deep-rooted enmity against the entire White Tiger Duke's house.
His mother had been killed—how could he not take revenge?
After learning this secret, Zhu Zhu made many connections in her mind—and began to feel fear.
If Huo Yuhao one day came to rule Shrek Academy, what would he do to the Duke's household?
"Huo Yuhao, please... let me go. I won't tell anyone about this," Zhu Zhu said softly, trying to reason with him.
Huo Yuhao chuckled. "Sister-in-law, that's not very sincere of you."
"Sincerity? What do you want? I don't have that much money..."
"So vulgar!" Huo Yuhao grinned devilishly. "Sister-in-law, your promise is too flimsy. I'll have to use something real to shut your mouth!"