When Huo Yuhao arrived at Du Weilun's office, Xie Huanyue and Lulu were already there.
"Yuhao."
"Brother Hao."
The two greeted him respectively, and Huo Yuhao responded with a friendly smile.
It was clear that both Xie Huanyue and Lulu were quite excited. They had a good guess as to why they were called here—some kind of special reward.
However, they didn't know the reward was a soul bone.
Seeing the three students gathered, Du Weilun smiled slightly. Without any small talk, he directly revealed the mysterious reward.
A flash of light burst from the large ruby ring on his right hand, and a pouch appeared in his hand.
The pouch was also a soul tool. Its brown leather surface was decorated with dark patterns, and upon closer inspection, one could sense faint soul power fluctuations from it.
Du Weilun said, "Children, due to your outstanding performance, the academy has decided to grant you a reward beyond the standard protocol. Although there is only one item, and you must decide among yourselves who will receive it, this is by far the most valuable reward the academy has given out during a freshman assessment in the past 300 years. Go ahead and open it."
As he spoke, he handed the pouch to Huo Yuhao.
In the original storyline, this special reward was given to Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao for consecutively defeating three Soul Elder teams—largely due to the presence of two twin martial souls and a martial soul fusion skill in their team.
But now, the reward had clearly been prepared especially for Huo Yuhao!
Xie Huanyue and Lulu watched with curiosity.
Huo Yuhao opened the pouch directly. A burst of blue light floated out, revealing a small, palm-sized piece of bone. The intense soul power it radiated made the air in the office seem almost viscous.
Lulu was still in a daze.
Xie Huanyue, already breathless, gasped, "A soul bone!"
"What? It's actually a soul bone?!" Lulu exclaimed, her face filled with shock.
Both Xie Huanyue and Lulu were stunned by the generosity of Shrek Academy.
Du Weilun was quite pleased by their reactions. As for Huo Yuhao's calm demeanor, he thought to himself, As expected of Dean Yan's disciple. To remain composed even in the face of a soul bone—what a firm disposition!
At this point, Du Weilun was still unaware that Huo Yuhao had already been "poached."
Du Weilun then proceeded to introduce the soul bone.
"This is a soul bone I selected specifically for you: the Twenty-Thousand-Year Bihai Danxin Left Arm Bone. It's water-attributed. Once fused, it accelerates soul power recovery and also grants a defensive soul skill…"
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow.
In the original story, the soul bone was a Ten-Thousand-Year Void Bright Demon Leopard Left Leg Bone, which was eventually given to Xiao Xiao.
Now it had been replaced with a twenty-thousand-year soul bone.
And truth be told, all three of them could use this one well.
The soul power recovery bonus was great for Lulu.
The defensive skill suited Xie Huanyue.
But in terms of elemental compatibility, it was best for Huo Yuhao.
In the world of Douluo Dalu, water and ice attributes are closely related—ice-type soul masters can also absorb water-type soul rings.
After finishing his explanation, Du Weilun gave a few serious warnings, reminding them not to flaunt their wealth. He didn't want this soul bone to cause tension among them.
Then he let the three of them leave to divide the reward amongst themselves.
Outside the office…
Seeing no one around…
It was the perfect time to discuss the soul bone's distribution.
Suppressing his inner desire, Xie Huanyue spoke first: "I'll withdraw. Even though the defensive skill suits me, I won't lack defensive skills in the future. Besides, we won the championship thanks to Yuhao."
Soul bones were indeed precious, but given Xie Huanyue's background, a twenty-thousand-year soul bone wasn't worth risking a rift with Huo Yuhao.
On the contrary, yielding here in exchange for goodwill from his teammates—especially Huo Yuhao—was a smart move.
Lulu hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "I'll withdraw too. I didn't contribute much during the competition. It was Brother Hao's efforts that secured us the win."
Lulu didn't come from a notable family—just a minor noble line. Her martial soul was support-type, and owning a soul bone of this level could actually bring more trouble than benefit to her family.
"In that case, I won't hold back," Huo Yuhao said, without the slightest intention to decline.
But of course, Brother Hao wouldn't let his friends walk away empty-handed.
"I owe you both a favor. If I get the chance in the future, I'll help each of you obtain a soul bone."
Secret Technique: Verbal IOU!
Douluo Dalu wasn't a cultivation world where karma dictated outcomes. Huo Yuhao's promise came without a second thought.
As for actually helping them get soul bones… Brother Hao's principle was simple: If there's food, everyone eats—but only after Brother Hao is full.
However, Xie Huanyue and Lulu didn't read into it too deeply. They smiled happily.
"In that case, I'll thank you in advance, Yuhao," Xie Huanyue said with a grin.
"Mhm, Brother Hao is the best," Lulu nodded repeatedly.
Huo Yuhao smiled as well.
They didn't get anything, and yet they were thanking him.
Ah, another day of being such an upstanding guy~
Nighttime.
Dormitory.
The lights remained off.
Ever since he began practicing the Demon-Buddha Technique and the demonic cultivation path, Huo Yuhao had grown fond of the dark.
Don't ask why. It just fits the vibe.
"Today I not only became a core disciple of the outer courtyard but also Mu En's student. A big day for good fortune,"
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on his bed, reviewing the day's gains.
The harvest today practically matched everything he'd accumulated since transmigrating. Truly, the saying holds: A horse doesn't grow fat without night grazing; a man doesn't get rich without windfall fortune!
And all that fortune had piled up in the White Tiger visualization, to the point where the White Tiger was practically turning into a pig. Huo Yuhao had to manually operate things to help it digest the excess luck.
Closing his eyes and meditating—
In the sea of his spirit—
Golden Buddha light shone everywhere.
But within that Buddha light was a hint of demonic strangeness, lacking the usual fierce heat that should have come with true Buddhist radiance.
More precisely, this was the false Buddha light cultivated from the Demon-Buddha Technique!
With the aid of the false Buddha light, the accumulated fortune was channeled bit by bit into the body of the White Tiger.
The visualized White Tiger fell into deep sleep, its body slowly enlarging—growing from a small cub into a mighty three-meter-long tiger. Though its eyes were closed, it already radiated overwhelming kingly dominance!
Huo Yuhao could feel that as the White Tiger grew, the dormant power within his bloodline was slowly awakening.
However, the maturing White Tiger's appearance began to diverge from the standard White Tiger martial soul.
Huo Yuhao had based his visualization on the White Tiger martial soul, since that matched his bloodline. But the effect of the Demon-Buddha Technique wasn't just awakening—it was transformation!
Two fleshy lumps appeared on the back of the visualized White Tiger, and as fortune continued to pour in, the lumps swelled visibly.
Finally—
Whoosh—
A pair of snow-white wings tore through the lumps, unfolding behind the White Tiger. Each wing stretched five meters wide—longer than the tiger's own body!
In the outside world, a phantom image of wings briefly flickered across Huo Yuhao's back as well.
The next moment, both Huo Yuhao in the real world and the White Tiger in his spirit sea opened their eyes simultaneously.
Their eyes radiated red and blue light. On closer inspection, one would see that each eye contained two pupils—one red, one blue!
And above Huo Yuhao's head, within his accumulated fortune—
A white light spot in his Spirit Eye martial soul silently vanished.
A new ability was beginning to form inside the Spirit Eye.
The wings behind Huo Yuhao shattered like an illusion.
The wings behind Huo Yuhao shattered like an illusion.
Those wings weren't some special ability but a manifestation of his fully awakened bloodline, symbolizing its origin.
If Huo Yuhao hadn't awakened his martial soul yet, awakening one now would undoubtedly yield a White Tiger martial soul—and an exceptionally high-quality one!
Unfortunately, Huo Yuhao had already awakened his mutated Spirit Eyes martial soul, so this bloodline awakening could only enhance his body and martial soul.
The bloodline awakening granted Huo Yuhao two major enhancements.
First, his physique, closely tied to the bloodline, was strengthened.
Huo Yuhao's physical strength increased significantly. If his body hadn't already been tempered by the power of a 100,000-year Snow Lotus, the surge might've bulked him into a burly, bear-like figure.
As it stood, his physique remained unchanged, but his strength and durability had risen several tiers, matching the physical prowess of top-tier beast martial soul masters.
This also boosted the body-refining effects of the *Blood Medicine Technique*, accelerating its circulation and, in turn, Huo Yuhao's soul power cultivation speed. After all, the technique's progress was tied to physical strength.
The second enhancement was to his Spirit Eyes martial soul.
"As expected, the Dai family's White Tiger bloodline has a unique talent in the eyes!"
Huo Yuhao activated his Spirit Eyes, sensing the changes, and couldn't help but marvel.
The red and blue glow in his eyes had faded, but they remained in a double-pupil state.
Each eye now bore two pupils—one red, one blue!
With mental energy swirling around him, Huo Yuhao saw his reflection clearly. "The Spirit Eyes have transformed into this. They've got a bit of an evil vibe, enough to intimidate foes. This isn't the Spirit Eyes anymore—it's the Evil Eyes martial soul!"
The Evil Eyes were the hidden power within the White Tiger's eyes!
The former Spirit Eyes were merely a fragment of the Evil Eyes.
The red and blue pupils corresponded to distinct abilities.
The blue pupil retained the Spirit Eyes' original powers: exceptional insight and dynamic vision.
The red pupil, the hidden power, enhanced the user's strength!
Like a berserker's red-eyed rage.
Activating the red pupil doubled Huo Yuhao's overall strength.
The multiplier would grow with his level.
Each additional soul ring would increase the boost by one multiple.
By the time Huo Yuhao reached the three-ring Soul Elder stage, the enhancement would triple.
"The White Tiger is already a top-tier assault beast martial soul. With the complete Evil Eyes White Tiger, paired with eyes that combine insight and enhancement, its potential rivals an ultimate martial soul!" Huo Yuhao thought, awestruck.
If an Evil Eyes White Tiger soul master reached level 90, gaining a ninefold boost, they'd have the terrifying combat power to rival a Super Douluo as a fresh Titled Douluo, possibly even capable of killing one!
The good news? Those eyes were now Huo Yuhao's.
"If I use just the Evil Eyes martial soul, could I double as an assault battle soul master?" Huo Yuhao wondered.
However, while the Spirit Eyes had evolved into Evil Eyes, the martial soul's attribute remained mental power.
Other attributes and powers in the White Tiger bloodline required further bloodline awakening or… supplementing it with more White Tiger bloodline!
This martial soul evolution also consumed another portion of the hidden potential in the original Spirit Eyes, depleting one potential "white dot." A new special ability was brewing within the Evil Eyes martial soul.
It might birth a skill no weaker than Zero Degree Freeze.
The Evil Eyes' evolution was only part of Huo Yuhao's gains.
In his spiritual sea, the Visualized White Tiger, now grown to adulthood, stretched its body, wings flapping as if ready to soar.
The tiger's growth reflected Huo Yuhao's progress in Buddhist cultivation.
He had now stepped into the Mage realm!
His cultivation had officially entered a new phase!
…
Huo Yuhao retracted his Evil Eyes martial soul. The menacing eyes reverted to their original icy blue, with faint snowflake patterns glimmering in their depths.
The change in his eyes altered his aura. The sinister少年 vanished, replaced by a serene, aloof one.
Certified contact lens warrior.
At that moment, the Variant Frost Centipede martial soul, keeping watch outside, scuttled to Huo Yuhao's side, fawning, "Congrats, Hao-ge! Big congrats! You're unstoppable, with boundless power!"
Shockingly, the Variant Frost Centipede spoke human words!
Not mental transmission—actual speech!
It had officially become a demon!
Speaking was just a basic demon ability.
"Haha, thanks, Tianmeng-ge! Congrats on becoming a demon too!" Huo Yuhao laughed.
"No big deal," Tianmeng Ice Silkworm said modestly, though it was already striking a pose with its many legs on its hips.
The dozen-plus centipede legs posing together looked a bit comical.
"Tianmeng-ge, what's changed with the Variant Frost Centipede martial soul after becoming a demon?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
In Pudu Cihang's memories, spirits turning into demons often brought changes, possibly awakening special abilities or discovering new cultivation paths.
"Of course, Hao-ge!" Tianmeng affirmed. "After becoming a demon, I've gained deeper insight into the Variant Frost Centipede's bloodline. I've got good news and bad news. Which one first?"
"Hit me with the bad news first."
Huo Yuhao smiled, unfazed.
With a realm breakthrough, Hao-ge could face issues calmly.
"Alright, Hao-ge," Tianmeng nodded. "The bad news is, the Variant Frost Centipede's growth has hit its limit. It can only increase in years, not evolve further."
"How so?" Huo Yuhao asked.
Tianmeng: "The Variant Frost Centipede does have dragon blood, but it's unique and needs growth. That growth comes from absorbing other dragon bloodlines."
"After 10,000 years, its cultivation requires devouring dragon blood to stimulate its own, growing more wings. To break past 100,000 years, it needs at least three pairs of wings. Without enough bloodline density, it'll be stuck at 99,999 years forever."
"The big Variant Frost Centipede we met only had one pair of wings because it lacked enough dragon blood. After hitting its limit, it chose to reproduce, passing its cultivation and hopes to its offspring."
Huo Yuhao had consumed that big centipede's flesh, so its achievements set the limit for his Variant Frost Centipede martial soul's potential.
Still, potential was just potential. The martial soul's inability to grow more wings wouldn't necessarily stop it from reaching Titled Douluo.
"Got it. No big deal."
Huo Yuhao assured Tianmeng to focus on cultivation—he'd handle the bloodline issue.
Pure-blood dragons were rare outside the Far North, but mixed-blood sub-dragons were plentiful.
Worst case, he'd refine them. Quantity could spark quality.
If soul beasts weren't enough, there were soul masters.
"Don't worry, I'd never shortchange my brother!" Huo Yuhao declared boldly.
"Hao-ge, you're the best!" Tianmeng was touched.
Huo Yuhao had a dragon-related crystal with a dormant dragon soul, but it lacked dragon blood.
For the Variant Frost Centipede's growth, he'd need to hunt lesser dragons.
Big dragons? He wasn't ready for those yet.
The Variant Frost Centipede could cultivate the Luck-Seizing Dragon Transformation Technique to bypass bloodline issues.
But—
Hao-ge hunting lesser dragons? Fine!
Stealing Hao-ge's luck? No way!
"What's the good news?" Huo Yuhao asked with a smile.
Tianmeng grinned mysteriously. "Check this out, Hao-ge!"
The Variant Frost Centipede's wings spread, mental energy fluctuations rippling across them.
"Each pair of wings the Variant Frost Centipede grows grants a new attribute, tied to the dragon blood it consumed before sprouting them."
"I've inherited the big centipede's awakened attribute—mental power!"
"With this, the Variant Frost Centipede martial soul suits me perfectly! I can even imprint mental soul skills I couldn't pass to you onto it."
Huo Yuhao's smile faded.
He slapped his thigh. "No wonder! That's why the little centipede had mental defenses. The big one had a mental attribute hidden in its core!"
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have been so reckless. We could've taken the little one too!"
Tianmeng: "…"
Hao-ge, shouldn't you be praising my awesomeness? Why're you thinking about the little centipede?!
Hanging with me but dreaming of another beast?!
*The Evil Eyes are inspired by the appearance of the Evil Eyes Saint King from the manga.*
*Mage realm reached—Hao-ge can start crafting artifacts. Time to refine some figurines.*
On the second day after the class division—
Huo Yuhao went straight to the Soul Tool Department.
The teaching building of the Soul Tool Department was gray and took up a full third of the outer courtyard's teaching area. The remaining two-thirds belonged to the Martial Soul Department.
With the token that Qian Duoduo had given him, Huo Yuhao quickly met up with Qian Duoduo.
"Ah, little Yuhao, you're here~" Qian Duoduo greeted him with great enthusiasm.
"Uncle Qian, sorry to bother you," Huo Yuhao replied obediently. "I'm here to learn more about soul tools. After all, I don't have much combat strength on my own and need to rely on soul tools to protect myself."
Huo Yuhao: That's right, I'm a mutated Martial Soul user, and I don't have much power on my own.
Actually, he was here to scrounge for resources—he intended to pick up some crafting materials from the Soul Tool Department.
Now that he had reached the Mage level, he could begin refining tools and pills. It was time to start making his own magical gear.
Without a good weapon, it was hard to feel secure.
"Don't worry, little Yuhao, your uncle here has already thought everything through for you," Qian Duoduo said with a dazzling smile. "Come on, let's go test your body parameters first, so we can customize your personal soul tools."
Qian Duoduo led Huo Yuhao to a building behind the Soul Tool Department's main facility.
This was a large rectangular gray building, much bigger than the department's teaching building. Its total size was comparable to the dormitories of the Martial Soul Department.
The gray structure looked incredibly solid. It wasn't just made from stone—many parts of its exterior shimmered with a metallic luster. Deep rumbling noises echoed from within, and the vibration could be felt even from outside.
A sign stood next to the building:
[Soul Tool Testing Area]
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. This place was the Enlightenment Dragon Field from the original novel!
"Follow me," Qian Duoduo said, taking the lead into the building.
Huo Yuhao quickly followed.
Under Qian Duoduo's guidance, Huo Yuhao entered a testing room.
Qian Duoduo personally measured his body data. But unlike the cutting-edge technology of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, Shrek Academy's testing methods had evolved into something that reminded Huo Yuhao of his past life—they were about as sophisticated as an elementary school checkup!
Only three things were tested:
Physical dimensions
Soul power level
Soul power attribute
The body measurements were taken manually. When Qian Duoduo pulled out a tape measure and started taking measurements on Huo Yuhao, he almost couldn't resist punching the guy.
Fortunately, Qian Duoduo didn't try anything funny.
After the test, Qian Duoduo patted Huo Yuhao's chest. "You're pretty solid, kid."
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Thankfully, Qian Duoduo didn't suggest showing him the results like a proud coach.
"Soul power level: Rank 29. Soul attribute: Ice—and not just any ice, but Ultimate Ice," Qian Duoduo said, holding up Huo Yuhao's "checkup report." It matched the information he'd already gathered.
In fact, Qian Duoduo had already made up his mind on how to arm Huo Yuhao. The body testing was just to help tailor the gear more precisely.
A soul master with the Ultimate Ice attribute absolutely deserved a set of custom soul tools.
And if Huo Yuhao could make a name for himself, it would reflect well on the Soul Tool Department—this was an important opportunity for them!
Then Qian Duoduo brought Huo Yuhao into the testing area.
Inside, many soul engineers were busy crafting and testing soul tools.
As they walked, Qian Duoduo explained his plan:
"In my view, little Yuhao, you currently need two kinds of soul tools. First, a defensive soul tool for protection. Second, a long-range soul cannon. In battle, your Martial Soul will be engaged with the enemy up close. You need to be able to defend yourself while providing ranged support for your Martial Soul. That's how you'll maximize your strength. What do you think?"
"Yes, yes! I'll leave it all to you, Uncle Qian," Huo Yuhao nodded eagerly.
"Great! In that case, I'll take you to meet an eighth-level soul engineer. He'll be in charge of designing your personal soul tools. Once you reach the Soul King level, I'll personally handle the next set myself," Qian Duoduo said with high spirits.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Uncle Qian."
"No trouble at all!"
According to soul engineer theory, a soul master should use soul tools that correspond to the number of their soul rings. Even though Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice attribute was powerful, Qian Duoduo believed he could only handle up to fourth-level soul tools.
For mid-to-low level soul tools like that, Qian Duoduo wouldn't personally get involved.
But he also didn't want to randomly assign someone, so he decided to introduce Huo Yuhao to the most talented hammer-wielder in the department—er, soul engineer.
Fan Yu, Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department!
In the testing field, Qian Duoduo brought Huo Yuhao over to where Fan Yu was working on a soul tool experiment.
"Fan Yu!"
"Dean Qian?" Fan Yu, a tall man, looked over in surprise at the approaching Qian Duoduo, unsure of what this was about. "What brings you here?"
Fan Yu was a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man. He wore simple cloth clothes, his thick arms exposed and muscled like granite. His face had sharp features, and his gaze was calm and steady. Just standing there, he gave off the presence of a mountain.
Qian Duoduo's eyes grew a little complicated.
Every time he saw Fan Yu, he thought of Zhou Yi from the new student assessment. No matter how he looked at it, he didn't think Zhou Yi was a good match for Fan Yu. She might even be a burden.
But that was their personal business, and Qian Duoduo wasn't in a position to say anything.
Besides, Yan Shaozhe could target Zhou Yi, but Qian Duoduo couldn't touch Fan Yu.
Zhou Yi was just a minor outer courtyard teacher. Fan Yu, however, was the most promising candidate to become a ninth-level soul engineer and the hope of the Soul Tool Department. Their statuses weren't even close.
"Fan Yu, this is Huo Yuhao, disciple of Elder Mu," Qian Duoduo introduced.
Fan Yu's eyes immediately changed, and he began to seriously examine Huo Yuhao.
He knew about Elder Mu—he was a major power within Shrek Academy.
The identity of being Elder Mu's disciple made Fan Yu tense.
But when he heard Huo Yuhao's name, Fan Yu was surprised. "You're Huo Yuhao?"
Apparently, Fan Yu had heard the name before.
"Greetings, Senior Fan Yu. You've heard of me?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"Uh, yeah, sort of... I heard you were the champion of the new student assessment," Fan Yu replied stiffly.
Fan Yu had actually heard about Huo Yuhao from Zhou Yi's many complaints. She claimed that Huo Yuhao was Yan Shaozhe's disciple and that he had received favoritism in the assessment—it wasn't fair.
Though Fan Yu dared to suppress Du Weilun and cover up the students' complaints about Zhou Yi, he didn't dare challenge Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe's status and strength were far above his own. Besides, Shaozhe had always disliked the Soul Tool Department. He was just waiting for a chance to take a swing at them.
Now, what really shocked Fan Yu was that, according to Qian Duoduo, Huo Yuhao wasn't Shaozhe's disciple, but Mu En's!
That meant Yan Shaozhe was now technically Huo Yuhao's senior brother!
Because of this, Fan Yu didn't dare entertain any other thoughts and asked Qian Duoduo, "Dean Qian, how can I help?"
"Well, here's the thing," Qian Duoduo smiled. "I plan to have you craft two custom soul tools for little Yuhao…"
As Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu talked—
Huo Yuhao's attention shifted to a nearby youth in the testing area.
Judging by the boy's face, he seemed about the same age as Bei Bei, but he was enormous—easily over two meters tall, with shoulders broader than Fan Yu's. His upper body was bare, exposing dark, muscular skin. His head was completely bald, and he was darker than most people. His face looked honest and naive.
Given his looks and proximity to Fan Yu, it was obvious—this was He Caitou, Fan Yu's personal disciple.
The reason Huo Yuhao paid him so much attention was because, in his spiritual Qi Vision, He Caitou was shrouded in a unique energy.
Around He Caitou's body swirled a purple-gold aura, looking noble and majestic, shaped like auspicious clouds. Within those clouds, something seemed to be hidden—unclear but present.
This cloudlike purple-gold energy had a very specific name—Dragon Qi!
And He Caitou's true identity was the former Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire—birth name: Xu He!
He was the legitimate heir to the imperial throne!
Some individuals, due to their unique identities or fates, are born shrouded in a special aura.
The emergence of this aura has nothing to do with strength or ability—it's purely a matter of fate, and it can only be possessed innately.
There are three commonly seen types of aura, classified by color:
Purple-Gold Dragon Aura
Gold-Crimson Phoenix Aura
Radiant-Golden Qilin Aura
All three are of immense rarity and value.
The Purple-Gold Dragon Aura represents the Heaven's Chosen One, someone destined for the throne.
The Gold-Crimson Phoenix Aura represents one fit to rule the world as Empress, found only in women, and is a natural match for someone with the Dragon Aura.
When these two combine, they complement each other and rise together in power and status.
Even if a woman with the Phoenix Aura marries someone else, she can still bring great fortune to her husband.
In simpler terms: she brings prosperity to her man.
Interestingly, the Dragon Aura isn't exclusive to males.
The Radiant-Golden Qilin Aura is more often seen in children or adolescents. Those who possess it are destined for great achievements and are often referred to as "Qilin Children"—they tend to rise as great generals or ministers.
Anyone possessing one of these three auras is immune to evil, capable of turning misfortune into fortune, and will rise with the times, unstoppable.
However, this doesn't guarantee a worry-free life.
Early deaths and trials are not uncommon.
Moreover, multiple people may possess these auras within the same era.
They can also be stolen or taken.
For example, Pudu Cihang once stole a Dragon Aura from an emperor.
Now, He Caitou possesses a Purple-Gold Dragon Aura, signifying he has the destiny to become emperor. Whether that destiny becomes reality depends on his own efforts.
In the original timeline, He Caitou never became emperor. Instead, he rose to the position of a Tang Sect hall master. His aura and luck ended up benefiting the Tang Sect instead.
But now that Huo Yuhao is here, he won't let the original events unfold as before.
Huo Yuhao: "Brother Tianmeng, I feel like eating fish."
…
Soon, Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu finalized the type of Soul Tool equipment they would craft for Huo Yuhao.
As previously discussed:
For defense, they would craft a soul armor type Soul Tool.
For long-range attack, they chose a high-caliber soul-guided cannon.
In addition to these two, they also planned to make several standard auxiliary cannons.
As for flight-type, melee-type, and barrier-type Soul Tools, Qian Duoduo had already gifted those to Huo Yuhao earlier—they were more than enough. These three types aren't considered primary weapons and don't require customized versions.
After finalizing the equipment types, Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu brought Huo Yuhao to select materials—since not all materials could withstand the ultra-low temperatures of Ultimate Ice.
If the material is subpar, the Soul Tool might shatter after just a few uses—embarrassing for the Soul Tool Department and potentially fatal for Yuhao.
It would be a disgrace to the whole department.
The truth is, materials that can withstand Ultimate Ice are extremely expensive and are usually not used for low-level Soul Tools—it would be a waste.
But Yuhao needs them.
So, the final plan was set.
"All of the Soul Tools will take more than a month to complete. It'll be a full set of Grade-4 Soul Tool equipment.
Total cost, rounding off and waiving labor fees—three million gold soul coins."
—Qian Duoduo laid out the total for Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao blinked, stunned. "Huh?"
This wasn't free?
Three million gold soul coins—that's equivalent to the price of a forty to fifty-thousand-year soul bone!
"Most of the cost is in materials. This is the internal discount price for Shrek Academy, and it doesn't even include labor.
Besides, your entire set will be handcrafted by Fan Yu, an eighth-rank Soul Engineer—the quality is guaranteed."
Finally, Qian Duoduo gave a gentle smile:
"Don't worry, Xiao Yuhao. You can just owe it for now. Pay it back when you can."
"After all, you need this equipment to protect yourself, right?"
Yuhao understood.
The wine was not the host's true intention.
Qian Duoduo didn't want money—he wanted a favor from Yuhao!
Just like in the original story, where students were allowed to buy on credit from the Treasure Pavilion.
This not only let students owe a debt of gratitude but also deepened their connections.
As expected of Qian Duoduo!
Saying sweet things to your face while refusing to let you freeload three million!
Tch, shameless!
Even though that's what Yuhao thought inside, outwardly he wore a touched expression:
"Thank you, Uncle Qian. I'll definitely repay it!"
Repay it?
Not repaying is the same as not owing!
"It's fine, no rush," Qian Duoduo said with a smiling squint.
Standing to the side, Fan Yu watched Qian Duoduo work his scheming magic on Yuhao. He wanted to speak, but swallowed his words and eventually fell silent.
With the Soul Tool matters settled, Yuhao just needed to return in a month to collect his gear.
Before leaving, Yuhao "accidentally" showed a strong curiosity toward Soul Tools.
Qian Duoduo was delighted and immediately granted him core disciple access to the outer Soul Tool Department, gifting him:
A high-quality carving knife
A beginner-level Soul Engineer guidebook
A basic textbook
And some practice materials
Yuhao also conveniently purchased a rare metal that could withstand his Ultimate Ice soul power.
Of course, it went on his tab.
Paying? Never going to happen. Not in this lifetime.
Worst case, just give the IOU to Mu En.
Once again:
Not repaying is not owing!
In the end, both Huo Yuhao and Qian Duoduo left satisfied.
Before he departed, Yuhao glanced one last time at He Caitou, still testing Soul Tools on the training field.
No one noticed anything out of the ordinary.
…
Back in the Martial Soul Department, Yuhao didn't dive into Soul Tool studies or soul core carving practice.
He, like the others, continued diligently studying Martial Soul knowledge, attending soul master training, and using his free time to cultivate and read.
In secret, Yan Shaozhe nodded in satisfaction—confirming that Yuhao hadn't been lured away by Qian Duoduo, and affirming Yuhao's work ethic.
But the more outstanding Yuhao appeared, the more it pained Yan Shaozhe.
Such a brilliant student was almost his.
If only he'd been more decisive, a step earlier…
Too bad.
There are no "what ifs" in life.
Time cannot be rewound.
The day passed peacefully.
That evening—
Yuhao returned to his dorm after studying in the library.
The first-year dorm hallway was silent. Most students had gone out to Shrek City or were cultivating or resting in their rooms.
Yuhao was used to this.
During his freshman days, he'd lived this way—keeping to himself outside of class and training, rarely socializing or visiting the city. He'd always seemed aloof.
Even classmates who had spent months with him didn't really know him.
As for the girls who constantly hovered around him—you should be asking how well Yuhao understands them, not the other way around.
Back in his single room.
He took out his toiletries and went to the shared washroom to freshen up.
Then he returned to his room.
Locked the door.
Turned off the lights.
Same routine.
Rustle, rustle...
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede was summoned, crawling onto the windowsill and beginning to absorb moonlight to cultivate.
This time, however, a faint aura of fortune shimmered around it, seeping into its body.
As it cultivated, Yuhao could feel his own spiritual power strengthening.
That's right—Yuhao and the Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul had now formed a true connection. Its cultivation boosted his own!
How did this happen?
Not because the Centipede had transformed into a demon, nor because Yuhao had become a mage.
But because Yuhao had refined the Martial Soul!
Using fortune itself!
Before, there had been a barrier between him and the Ice Jade Centipede —it wasn't complete. It only moved thanks to Tianmeng Ice Silkworm wearing it like a puppet.
But during the award ceremony, when Yuhao passed excess fortune to the Martial Soul to nourish it, he unintentionally refined it.
A cultivator, infusing an object with their energy and imprint—it's nothing else but refinement.
It was just a completely unprecedented way to do it.
Once again: fortune is truly omnipotent!
Even Pudu Cihang's memories held nothing about refining with fortune—too extravagant.
To this day, Yuhao still didn't fully understand how a part of his own soul could be refined like an external object.
He couldn't even tell if it was now a magic weapon or a pet.
But one thing was clear: he now shared a special link with the Martial Soul. When it cultivated, it fed back spiritual growth to him.
Realizing this, Yuhao began channeling more fortune to continue refining it—eager to see what changes might unfold.
If it went well—
Then the Evil Eye Martial Soul would be next in line.
"Sigh, even my Martial Souls are draining fortune now. Feels like I'll never have enough…" Yuhao muttered to himself.
Huo Yuhao: Everything can be refined!
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Huo Yuhao did not begin his usual cultivation today.
Instead, he took out three items from his storage wristband—
The remnant shell of the Skydream Iceworm, the Bishui Danxin left arm bone, and the ore "gifted" to him by Qian Duoduo.
Because today, Huo Yuhao was going to do something big—
He was going to craft his very first magical artifact!
The materials were all ready.
The ore capable of withstanding the power of Ultimate Ice was called Heaven Ice Ore, reportedly purchased from the Sun Moon Empire. Whether that was legal or not… well, best not to ask.
In any case, it wasn't cheap.
It was refined enough to serve as the core of a Grade Seven soul tool.
The small piece in Huo Yuhao's hand alone cost a full 100,000 gold soul coins.
Of the soul tool set designed for him by Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu—valued at a total of 3 million gold soul coins—only a small amount of Heaven Ice Ore was used, yet it accounted for half the cost.
Then—
With the Skydream Iceworm's help, Huo Yuhao carefully peeled off a palm-sized piece from the remnant shell and shaped it into a flag.
The rest of the remnant shell was stored away for future use.
"Now everything's ready," Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction.
He had a very clear idea of the artifact he wanted to create—
A Soul-Nurturing Banner.
The Soul-Nurturing Banner was a classic tool used by dark cultivators to raise spirits.
Of course, righteous cultivators used similar artifacts as well, like Soul-Guiding Banners and Soul-Summoning Banners, typically to deal with ghosts.
They could be used for offense, spiritual nurturing, or soul summoning.
But the way righteous cultivators used these banners was very different from dark cultivators.
Righteous cultivators used them to attract wandering ghosts, then guide them to reincarnation or lead the souls of the dead to rest.
Dark cultivators, on the other hand, used them to trap and raise vengeful spirits and malevolent ghosts.
Any ghost captured inside such a banner would have its fate entirely under the dark cultivator's control—some were even devoured to boost cultivation.
Thus, Soul-Nurturing Banners in the hands of dark cultivators were also called:
Ghost Banners!
And Huo Yuhao was about to craft a Ghost Banner of his own.
Naturally, he chose this type of artifact because it was a perfect match for Electrolux's remnant soul.
The most important part of crafting the artifact was the banner cloth, made from the Skydream remnant.
For the banner pole, Huo Yuhao planned to forge it from the Bishui Danxin left arm bone combined with Heaven Ice Ore.
A soul bone is still a bone, and hanging a ghost banner from a bone? Nothing wrong with that.
Moreover, the Bishui Danxin left arm bone had a water attribute, while the Heaven Ice Ore contained an intense chill—the fusion of the two would greatly enhance the Ghost Banner's function, providing a nurturing environment for spirits captured later.
Typically, dark cultivators used yin-charged woods like locust or willow—or even human bones—as banner poles.
But no one had ever heard of someone using lightning-struck wood for this.
Even though a 20,000-year-old soul bone was a bit on the low end, it didn't matter—the banner pole was detachable and could always be swapped out later for something better.
As for absorbing the soul bone, Huo Yuhao didn't mind—who knew what other weird stuff he'd end up putting into his body in the future anyway?
A mere soul bone was nothing to fuss about.
Just don't bring anything under 100,000 years near him.
…
The artifact crafting method inherited from Pudu Cihang was not particularly complex, nor as flashy as those seen in cultivation novels.
First, Huo Yuhao forced out a drop of heart's blood and wrote the word "鬼" ("ghost") in blood on the center of the banner cloth.
Normal blood would have sufficed, but to be worthy of the Skydream remnant, he used heart's blood—the results were naturally better.
Of course, it wasn't without a cost.
Huo Yuhao's face paled. "Looks like I'll be weakened for another two days… but it's worth it."
Thankfully, he didn't use too much, so aside from the temporary weakness, there was no serious consequence.
After all, overusing heart's blood could damage a cultivator's cultivation base.
Next, he bit his finger and began drawing runes and sigils in blood around the edges, the bottom, and the back of the banner—like scribbling demonic symbols.
To a cultivator, nothing was better for inscription than their own blood.
Well—except the blood of a more powerful cultivator.
With a bit of cinnabar mixed in, that would be ideal.
Under the augmentation of his powerful spiritual energy, Huo Yuhao's inscriptions were flawlessly completed.
Soon, a tiny palm-sized prototype of the banner was complete, and a smile spread across his face.
This was the artifact crafting method passed down from the Pudu Cihang legacy:
Purely hand-crafted!
Next came the long-term process—Huo Yuhao would need to nurture the banner daily with his own power, until it was fully refined and complete.
Don't be fooled by its tiny size—once fully refined, it could easily expand to the height of a full-grown person.
However, with Huo Yuhao's current cultivation, this refining process would normally take two to three years.
But he didn't have that kind of time.
"Fateforce, accelerate!"
If fateforce could refine his mutated Frost Centipede martial soul before, then it could certainly refine this Ghost Banner now.
After refining the banner cloth, Huo Yuhao carefully tucked it close to his body.
Next up was refining the banner pole.
Both the soul bone and the ore were extremely tough, and reshaping and merging them required some special tricks.
Huo Yuhao sliced open his palm, controlled his medicinal aura to prevent the wound from healing, and began smearing his blood onto the two items.
When both were thoroughly coated in his blood—
He withdrew his hand. The wound closed. A few seconds later, color returned to his pale face.
Then he placed the two items together, murmuring incantations under his breath.
A cold Buddhist glow emerged from his body.
The glow detached and entered the soul bone and ore.
The blood smeared on them began to glow red.
This was a dark cultivation artifact-crafting method—
The Blood Refining Technique.
Its sole function was to use one's own blood to alter the form of materials, merge different items, and combine their attributes in a basic way.
Dark cultivators often used this method to make skull necklaces, either for spellcasting or for flair.
The blood on the soul bone and ore began to flow and merge together.
As the blood fused, so did the materials, slowly forming into a palm-sized rod.
Once all the blood had been absorbed, the banner pole's true form was revealed.
A translucent icy-blue rod, with a faint streak of blood inside. Its shape resembled two bones fused together, shimmering with a metallic luster and exuding a biting chill. The dense soul power from the soul bone was now hidden within.
It looked more like a piece of fine art than a weapon.
"Crafting complete!"
Huo Yuhao combined the pole with the banner cloth, and his first palm-sized Ghost Banner artifact was born.
The white banner cloth bore a bloody 鬼 character at its center, surrounded and backed with intricate red sigils. The icy-blue pole radiated cold, perfectly complementing the banner cloth—the aura they gave off was hauntingly harmonious.
From here on, Huo Yuhao would need to refine it continually with fateforce.
Only when fully refined would the Ghost Banner display its true power.
…
And so, more than a month passed.
Huo Yuhao: "Electrolux, you old coot! Jackpot!!"
"Tomorrow, our Ghost Banner welcomes its first resident."