Outside the towering gates of the Hao Tian Sect, mist and clouds swirled around a massive stone tablet standing tall. Characters were carved upon it with dragon-like vigor and phoenix-like grace, faintly radiating boundless spiritual pressure and profound martial soul true meaning.
This was precisely the handiwork left behind by Sea God Tang San in days past.
The moment Huo Yuhao saw this tablet, he was instantly captivated by the profound meaning contained within it. He involuntarily immersed himself in it, entering a rare state of sudden enlightenment.
Gu La, however, remained vigilant in his heart, guarding against any hidden schemes or spiritual suggestions Tang San might have left on the stone tablet.
He carefully observed the tablet, indeed sensing its vast power and exquisite martial understanding, but ultimately it was merely a lifeless object.
Fortunately, he had no connection whatsoever to Tang Wutong. Tang San's schemes would likely not fall upon him.
After this period of observation, he gained new insights into the condensation of power and the application of martial souls. The "sword" within his will seemed to become even more refined, taking another small step toward that mysterious "Sword God" realm.
He finished his enlightenment earlier and quietly waited for Huo Yuhao to conclude his own.
Soon, the heavy gates of the Hao Tian Sect slowly opened. A resonant voice came from within: "Xiao Qi, bring your friends inside."
Wang Dong responded and led the three into the Hao Tian Sect. Along the way, they encountered many clan disciples who respectfully bowed to Wang Dong, addressing her as "Young Clan Master."
Xiao Xiao secretly winked at Gu La, who naturally understood her meaning—Wang Dong was actually the Young Clan Master of the Hao Tian Sect.
However, compared to her true identity as the "Daughter of the Sea God," this position as Young Clan Master seemed insignificant in comparison.
Wang Dong introduced the three to two men whose auras were as heavy as mountain ranges: "Big Dad, Second Dad, these are my classmates and friends. This is Huo Yuhao, this is Gu La, this is Xiao Xiao."
Gu La and the other two greeted them politely: "Uncle, hello."
Niu Tian and Tai Tan's gazes swept over the three, lingering particularly on Huo Yuhao—who was unusually close to Wang Dong—and on Gu La, who was astonishingly handsome and possessed an extraordinary aura.
Gu La keenly noticed these "elders'" scrutinizing gazes. After a brief thought, he understood their concerns, and inwardly felt speechless: "Sometimes being too handsome can also be troublesome…"
Due to the long journey, Wang Dong first arranged for the three to rest.
She specifically assigned Huo Yuhao to the room containing the "Ten Thousand-Year Cold Ice Jade Bed," with good intentions hoping it would aid his cultivation.
What she didn't know was that this extreme cold was like a lit fuse for Huo Yuhao, whose body contained the sealed origin of the Snow Empress.
Gu La was assigned to a nearby room. He knew exactly what was about to happen and waited quietly.
Just as Wang Dong finished arranging everything and was about to rest, Niu Tian called her: "Xiao Qi, what do you really know about your two male classmates?"
"Big Dad~" Wang Dong dragged out the words. How could she not understand Niu Tian's meaning? "I know Yuhao very well. Don't do anything reckless!"
Tai Tan snorted coldly: "Know him? Then do you also know about the four hundred thousand-year soul ring aura on him?"
Wang Dong was surprised: "Four hundred thousand-year soul ring? How could Yuhao possibly have one?"
Tai Tan said gravely: "That means he's hiding things from you! He might have ulterior motives. We must investigate his true background thoroughly! And that other boy called Gu La—he contains an extremely powerful yet inwardly restrained force that envelops his entire body."
"He's merely a Soul Emperor, yet he gives me a more dangerous feeling than an ordinary Titled Douluo. This is absolutely not ordinary—it's very likely… a complete set of soul bones!"
They had obviously mistaken the perfectly integrated Battle Armor within Gu La's body for the legendary complete set of inherited soul bones.
Wang Dong was even more shocked. She hadn't expected that not only did Huo Yuhao have secrets, but Gu La also concealed his true strength.
She wasn't particularly concerned about Gu La, but worried that Gu La might harm Huo Yuhao. She hurriedly asked: "Second Dad, doesn't a complete set of soul bones require matching cultivation years and attributes? Isn't that only possible through divine inheritance?"
Niu Tian nodded: "Indeed. Therefore, Gu La's origins must be extremely extraordinary. The light and sacred aura on him is very similar to that Angel God from ten thousand years ago… If I didn't know for certain that the Angel God's divine position had shattered and the inheritance broken, I would almost think I had encountered her successor."
Niu Tian and Tai Tan exchanged glances, both agreeing they must probe Gu La's background.
Otherwise, allowing such a mysterious and powerful existence to remain beside "Xiao Qi" could have disastrous consequences if he was connected to the Angel God and had malicious intentions when Xiao Qi's true identity was revealed.
While they were discussing, Huo Yuhao in the neighboring room had already begun cultivating.
The cold energy of the Ten Thousand-Year Cold Ice Jade Bed initially greatly promoted his cultivation, with his soul power growing rapidly.
But as large amounts of extreme cold energy flowed into his body, the Snow Empress's origin sealed within him by Electrolux was finally completely triggered and went berserk!
"Not good! The Snow Empress's origin has been stimulated and is about to lose control and explode!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and Ice Empress shouted in panic within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea.
Though the Snow Empress's consciousness had been awakened, her soul was extremely unstable and completely unable to control that violent origin power.
Electrolux sighed and made his decision: "Big Worm, Little Scorpion, lend your strength to this old man… For this final journey, let this old man accompany him…"
He began his final instructions, telling Huo Yuhao to properly inherit the Necromancy Magic he had left behind.
Gu La instantly sensed that terrifying extreme cold energy capable of leveling the entire Hao Tian Peak, along with that pure yet heroic death aura within it—Electrolux was burning his divine consciousness.
"Now!"
With a thought, a clone of Gu La silently appeared, going to Xiao Xiao's room to take her away. Another clone, holding the seed of the Flower of the Netherworld, lurked outside Huo Yuhao's room, preparing to absorb the precious energy that would soon be released.
His main body instantly distanced itself from the Hao Tian Sect's core area to avoid being detected by Niu Tian and Tai Tan.
The clone quickly took the still somewhat confused Xiao Xiao to a safe area outside the clan gates. Xiao Xiao looked back and forth at the two identical Gu Las before her, surprised: "T-two… two Gu Las?"
Wang Dong also sensed the terrifying fluctuations coming from Huo Yuhao's room and wanted to rush over excitedly:
"Gu La! Yuhao is in the room next to yours! Did you see him? What happened to him?"
Gu La shook his head, his expression grave: "That terrifying power is emanating from his room. I've already sent a clone to check. The situation is unclear now."
"No! I must go find Yuhao!"
Wang Dong was burning with anxiety and wanted to rush inside, but was firmly stopped by Hao Tian Sect elders who arrived upon hearing the news. Knowing her temperament well, the elder had no choice but to knock her unconscious and take her away from the dangerous area.
At this moment, Gu La's clone stood outside Huo Yuhao's room.
He felt the energy storm within that froze everything yet contained strange fluctuations of light and death. He took out the pitch-black Flower of the Netherworld seed.
"Let me see what kind of existence can be born from destruction born of this Ultimate Ice, with the purest death from a demi-god's divine consciousness extinction as its source…"
The clone murmured softly, fully activating his Celebi martial soul. He released the soul skill stored in the Forest Sea demi-plane, channeling soul power into the seed while frantically absorbing the Snow Empress's origin power and the pure Death aura from Electrolux's burning divine consciousness that leaked through the door cracks.
The Flower of the Netherworld seed acted like a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing these two vast and strange forces. Its pitch-black surface became even deeper, with faint gray-white and ice-blue luster flowing within.
Inside the room, Electrolux, who was fully focused on sealing the Snow Empress and transforming her into a spirit, clearly felt an external suction force seizing his dissipating divine consciousness power and the Snow Empress's origin. But he had no attention to spare. He could only give Huo Yuhao a final warning: "Be careful of the outside world…" before continuing to focus on the ritual before him.
The clone persisted until the energy storm in Huo Yuhao's room gradually subsided and the energy needed for the avatar was fully absorbed. He did not let the avatar emerge immediately. Instead, he quickly retrieved the seed filled with massive energy back into the Forest Sea demi-plane, waiting for subsequent nurturing.
Soon after, Huo Yuhao, having experienced great sorrow and preliminarily adapted to his new internal situation—the Snow Empress becoming a spirit embryo, Electrolux disappearing—opened the door with a pale face.
He saw Gu La's clone standing outside the door and was stunned: "Gu La? Just now… were you outside?"
Gu La nodded, explaining calmly: "I'm a clone. I sensed abnormal energy from your room earlier and sent a clone to check."
"I sensed a large amount of pure but death-related strange energy bursting out inside. My martial soul has some resonance with it, so I collected some of the dissipating energy, planning to research it later."
He cleverly attributed his purpose to researching necromantic energy.
Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, wanting to ask if it was related to Electrolux, but thinking that it was only dissipating energy after all—not Electrolux's core inheritance—and considering Gu La had an Angel martial soul, he sighed and said:
"Alright… I hope you can make good use of it."
He obviously didn't know that Gu La's true purpose was to use that energy and the seed to nurture a powerful avatar.
The two walked out of the Hao Tian Sect. Gu La explained to the anxious crowd waiting outside, mainly to Wang Dong after she woke up, that Huo Yuhao had encountered some complications during cultivation but was now out of danger.
Seeing the crisis resolved, the Hao Tian Sect members also breathed sighs of relief and returned to the clan to handle the aftermath.
Meanwhile, in Gu La's Forest Sea demi-plane, the Flower of the Netherworld seed that had absorbed the Snow Empress's origin power and Electrolux's divine consciousness fragments floated quietly, nurturing unknown and powerful changes within.
Even Gu La couldn't fully predict the final outcome at this moment.
Gu La returned to the guest room arranged for him by the Hao Tian Sect. With a wave of his hand, he set up several soul power barriers to block detection. Then his mind sank into the Forest Sea demi-plane.
At the center of the semi-dimensional realm, the Flower of the Netherworld seed that had absorbed the Snow Empress's origin power and Electrolux's divine consciousness fragments had already undergone a great transformation.
It was no longer a seed, but had transformed into a swirling vortex of gray-white and ice-blue dual-colored mist, radiating strange yet powerful energy fluctuations—both the stillness of extreme cold and a profound connection to the cycle of life and death.
Gu La quietly watched the vortex. He could sense that a completely new existence was being nurtured within it—one connected to his origin yet possessing unique characteristics.
Finally, the vortex's rotation gradually stopped, and the light slowly receded.
A graceful figure stepped out from the dissipating energy mist.
Gu La's eyes instantly flashed with illusory images of the "experiences" formed by the law fragments and energy traits fused during this new avatar's nurturing process.
At the same time, he confirmed one thing—after Qing Liuli, he now had a second female avatar.
She was tall and slender, her skin so pale it was nearly transparent, as if crystallized from ice.
Most striking was her gradient-colored long hair—the roots were ash-gray like death's ashes, while the tips gradually changed to ice-blue like ten thousand-year dark ice. The luster flowed like crystal, splendid and translucent.
Her face was exquisitely perfect yet carried an inhuman indifference and mystery. Her most captivating feature was her two differently colored pupils.
Her left eye was warm, with a silver-glowing hourglass shape, containing gentle power capable of reversing time and healing wounds. Her right eye was deep, like a gray-blue vortex leading to the abyss of the netherworld, radiating a cold aura that deprived life force, controlled death, and emitted ultimate ice-level coldness.
Her martial soul manifested on its own—not a specific object or beast form, but a huge vertical pupil phantom floating behind her, faint yet distinct. Within the pupil seemed to reflect the law trajectories of life and death cycles.
This was the personification of Netherworld law power—the Netherworld's Eye.
"The left eye governs time reversal and life healing, the right eye governs life deprivation and death's cold aura…"
Gu La felt the information fed back from the avatar and nodded. "Fused with the Snow Empress's Ultimate Ice and Electrolux's death divine consciousness traits, yet formed a unique law eye… excellent."
Looking at the newly born avatar, he said: "In that case, you shall be called Ming Baixue."
Ming Baixue nodded slightly, accepting the name.
Gu La carefully sensed her and found her cultivation stabilized at the Soul Emperor level.
"It's not that the overflowing power of the Snow Empress and Electrolux was insufficient to support higher cultivation—it's that I deliberately suppressed it," Gu La murmured to himself.
In his plan, all avatars' seventh soul rings must be at the hundred-thousand-year level. This required careful preparation and massive energy—no hasty condensation.
Even so, starting at Soul Emperor level was already the highest among all his avatars.
"So, where do you think you should go?" Gu La asked as if questioning the avatar, yet also as if asking himself. "The Peerless Tang Sect timeline has too many divine gazes watching—it's not suitable for causing trouble. If an avatar dies, though I can resurrect it, the wasted time and opportunities cannot be recovered."
Ming Baixue's indifferent face suddenly revealed an extremely subtle yet playful smile, forming a strange contrast with her icy temperament. With an ethereal voice tinged with coldness, she said:
"I have an idea. Original body, besides needing to research Du An's faith in the Douluo One timeline, we avatars happen to number exactly seven."
"Why not form a team together and participate in the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament? Give the people of Douluo Continent a little 'surprise.'"
Hearing this, Gu La first froze in surprise, then his eyes suddenly lit up, his lips curling upward uncontrollably:
"A seven-person team… all 'Gu La'… hahahaha! Brilliant! Truly brilliant idea! No wonder you're my avatar—when you're bad… you truly understand my heart!"
This idea was simply crazy yet thrilling. A team completely composed of himself and his avatars sweeping through the soul master tournament? Just imagining the scene made him look forward to it with anticipation.
"Good! It's settled!"
Gu La immediately decided. "The next tournament is still almost two years away. Ming Baixue, your first task is to secure the competition qualifications! Register everyone, preferably under the name of some sect. The background must be clean and reasonable, able to withstand scrutiny by the Sun Moon Empire."
Ming Baixue bowed slightly. The netherworld vortex in her right eye seemed to swirl: "No problem. However, I need time to design and forge Battle Armor suitable for me."
"Original body, I need you to send a clone to follow me. This will facilitate communication through the Forest Sea demi-plane at any time and assist me with miscellaneous matters. I'll focus on the Battle Armor and identity arrangements."
"Agreed." Gu La didn't hesitate. With a thought, a clone possessing part of his combat consciousness and knowledge condensed, standing by to await orders.
Next, Gu La issued instructions through the soul link to another clone far away at Shrek Academy, disguised as an ordinary student.
That clone immediately quietly found an unoccupied corner and opened a miniature Forest Sea demi-plane channel.
Gu La nodded to Ming Baixue.
Without hesitation, Ming Baixue and the auxiliary clone he dispatched stepped into the emerald green vortex that suddenly appeared in the room.
The channel quickly closed. The room returned to calm, as if nothing had ever happened.
Gu La stood alone in the room, a smile of anticipation and mischief on his face.
He had already begun imagining the sensation and chaos that would erupt when a strange team of seven super genius fighters appeared on the tournament stage.
"Truly… something to look forward to."
He murmured softly to himself, his gaze seeming to pierce through time and space, already seeing that destined extraordinary arena two years in the future.
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