"Goose goose goose goose goose—"
Early in the morning, Huo Yuhao was already laughing like a goose.
I, Huo Yuhao, have nothing left to fear!
He quickly stopped himself and rubbed his neck nervously.
Last night, his life-bound artifact, the Soul Banner, transformed into a martial soul and absorbed two main souls—He Caitou and Electrolux. These main souls could possess Huo Yuhao and allow him to use their abilities.
There wasn't much to say about He Caitou—though a three-ring Soul Elder, his combat power was still below Huo Yuhao's. However, being a dual martial soul user, both his spirits had solid potential.
Main souls could grow over time. In the future, Huo Yuhao might very well gain a dedicated Title Douluo-level support soul.
The Sun Martial Soul was also a top-tier martial soul. Once developed, it would provide solid combat capability.
But the real highlight was Electrolux.
Though he was only a remnant soul, he carried divine consciousness!
Even without further abilities, the moment Electrolux became the Soul Banner's main soul, Huo Yuhao could immediately feel the artifact's power skyrocket.
When Electrolux possessed Huo Yuhao, while he didn't become instantly invincible, he gained access to the mental essence of the Skydream Iceworm.
In actual combat, Huo Yuhao could now go head-to-head with a Title Douluo!
Of course, the more spiritual essence he used, the higher the price he'd pay.
Huo Yuhao wouldn't use that kind of power unless it was life or death.
Even so, Electrolux's necromancy and other inheritances were immensely helpful.
Necromancy, in many ways, was more efficient and advanced than many evil cultivation techniques.
When Electrolux possessed him, Huo Yuhao could use various necromantic spells and even manipulate a demi-plane of the undead.
"Old El, you treat me too well!" Huo Yuhao was almost moved to tears.
"I still prefer your arrogant self from last night. Want to go back to that?" Electrolux teased.
Immediately, Huo Yuhao dropped the pretense. He lifted his chin proudly, nostrils flared. "Old fart, gimme the good stuff."
Electrolux: "…"
…
Last night's forced use of mental essence with the Skydream Iceworm had left both of them heavily injured.
Even with the 100,000-year Snow Lotus healing them overnight, Huo Yuhao's body only just returned to health—his spirit was still drained. The Skydream Iceworm was in even worse shape, completely listless.
But it wasn't a big problem.
Huo Yuhao freshened up, put on a clean uniform, then packed two breakfast sets from the cafeteria and waited at the school gate.
The breakfast he held was basic fare from the cheapest window—not top-grade dishes.
After his soul power had broken through rank 30, even the best dishes had less and less impact, since his body now required more potent and fresh nutrition.
This time, while going out to hunt soul beasts, Huo Yuhao planned to bring back some wild game, preferably over 5,000 years old.
He didn't wait long.
Soon, the elegant Bei Bei appeared in view. Anyone who saw him would praise: "A gentleman like jade."
"Brother Bei Bei!" Huo Yuhao greeted him warmly and handed him the breakfast. "I got this for you."
Bei Bei was briefly stunned by the gesture.
Though they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Huo Yuhao's friendly demeanor hadn't changed a bit.
Taking the breakfast, Bei Bei felt a warmth he hadn't experienced since Tang Ya left.
"Thanks, little brother Huo." Bei Bei smiled and began eating—even though he'd already had breakfast.
Even though it was just some flatbread, it tasted especially delicious.
Huo Yuhao smiled quietly as he watched.
Perfect. Lamb #1, who's been neglected for a while, is still in my control.
After quickly finishing the flatbread, Bei Bei smiled. "Alright, little brother Huo, let's go. I've already prepared everything we need for the soul hunt."
"Mm, thank you, Brother Bei Bei."
"Haha, Huo Yuhao, the Grandmaster said your strength now surpasses mine. I'm only here to assist and teach you some field experience. You'll be the main fighter."
"No, I feel much more at ease with you here. Next time you go hunting, I'll return the favor!"
"Alright, I'll remember that. Don't back out when the time comes."
"Don't worry, I won't."
The two youths walked off toward Huo Yuhao's bright future, basking in the morning sun.
…
The map Mu En gave them pointed to a mixed zone of the Great Star Dou Forest.
The venomous marsh drake, near the ten-thousand-year level, could thrive in that area thanks to its dragon bloodline.
Of course, Mu En didn't feel safe letting the two of them go alone.
So, shortly after they entered the forest, the Skydream Iceworm—responsible for scouting—alerted Huo Yuhao: a powerful soul master was following them.
Not just any expert—a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse.
But Huo Yuhao wasn't bothered. It was probably a protective escort sent by Mu En.
Last time, Huo Yuhao had to leave the forest early due to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion approaching. But this time, he wasn't the same rookie.
With his current spiritual cultivation, he could now hide his energy signature, avoiding unnecessary attention.
That meant he could safely use his White Tiger visualization to absorb the unclaimed destiny and luck of the forest.
Meanwhile, Bei Bei shared his experience hunting soul beasts in the wild.
The trip was unusually smooth. No serious dangers.
Occasional soul beasts blocking their path were quickly subdued by the Frost Centipede martial soul, cut down in two swings. But none were killed.
Bei Bei insisted: no senseless killing.
Huo Yuhao agreed.
They were just century-level soul beasts. Even the strongest were barely over a thousand years old—not worth much to him.
Bei Bei was very impressed by the power of Huo Yuhao's mutated Frost Centipede martial soul, especially its extreme ice attribute.
Finally, in the afternoon, they reached the mixed zone of the Great Star Dou Forest.
They found a wetland within the forest.
A wide river ran through it, forming the wet terrain.
"According to the map, the venomous marsh drake should be just ahead. But be careful—the swamp ahead is laced with poisonous gas," Bei Bei warned, pointing forward.
"Mm…" Huo Yuhao nodded distractedly.
His focus was already deep within the swamp.
Using aura vision, he could see how luck and destiny flowed in this area—and thereby track soul beasts.
In his sight…
Deep in the wetland, there was a projection of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
A golden tortoise, glowing with brilliant light and surrounded by rich fortune—but it looked like it was in pain!
Golden Tortoise!
A 100,000-year-old golden tortoise, and weakened at that!
"No way… it can't be that one, right?"
Huo Yuhao was tempted!
Huo Yuhao: Holy shell!
"Brother Huo, be careful. For this soul beast hunt, you'll be the main force. I'll support you from the side."
Standing outside the swamp that was shrouded in toxic mist, Beibei seriously instructed Huo Yuhao.
Beibei himself felt a bit strange.
As a powerful assault-type Battle Soul Master with the top-tier martial soul—Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—he never thought he'd one day play the support role.
"Mm-hmm, I understand, Brother Beibei." Huo Yuhao nodded. He was already fully geared up.
Right now, Huo Yuhao was wearing a specially tailored set of gear.
His upper body was covered in a Level 4 defensive soul tool armor. The armor was light yet strong, offering solid protection.
In his hands, he held a Level 4 piercing soul cannon that resembled a rocket launcher. The barrel was about the size of an adult's fist, capable of firing long-range piercing attacks that could penetrate twice—ideal for armor-breaking against a single target.
On his back was a backpack-like device with two barrels mounted on his shoulders, connected to the pack. This was a Level 4 cluster soul cannon, able to launch a dozen projectiles at once for area bombardment. Though the power of a single shot was relatively weak, it was great for auxiliary attacks.
At his waist hung a Level 4 close-combat soul sword. The scabbard was strapped to his leg for easy drawing—this was a gift from Qian Duoduo.
On his chest was a Level 5 trigger-type defensive soul shield—a fist-sized ring that could attach to the armor. Another gift from Qian Duoduo.
As for the remaining item—a Level 3 flying soul tool from Qian Duoduo—Huo Yuhao didn't bring it since there was no room to wear it, and it wasn't suitable for combat.
All the gear was mainly blue and white, exuding a cold aura. It made Huo Yuhao's slim frame look a lot sturdier.
Though the gear was heavy, it wasn't too much for a Soul Master. Still, one needed a strong body to wear it effectively.
But for Huo Yuhao, this bit of weight was no problem at all.
Wearing this gear, he couldn't help but feel like he was about to join a sci-fi war.
But this is a fantasy world, not science fiction!
Beibei looked at the heavy gear Huo Yuhao wore. Although he was somewhat resistant to soul tools, equipping Huo Yuhao with them had been Elder Mu En's decision—so Beibei couldn't say much.
In fact, before they left, Mu En specifically reminded Beibei to tell Huo Yuhao not to forget to use soul tools to protect himself.
Regarding Huo Yuhao's current appearance, Beibei could only comment, "I don't know what kind of power these soul tools have, but… you do look pretty cool."
Low EQ version: "I hope it's not just for show."
Huo Yuhao gave Beibei a big smile. "Cool? Three million gold soul coins' worth!"
Beibei: "…"
Nope. Not worth it.
This is exactly why Soul Masters shouldn't rely on soul tools!
They cost a fortune, and soul engineers haven't really produced any meaningful results either.
Every major competition is still dominated by traditional Soul Masters.
If these soul tools can't protect little brother Huo, I'll have a serious word with Elder Xuan about the soul tool department when we get back.
Beibei made a silent vow in his heart.
Huo Yuhao didn't explain anything.
This whole set was custom-made—of course it's expensive!
Even Fan Yu had said: if the soul tools get damaged, don't throw them away—bring the fragments back for recycling. The materials could still be used to make new soul tools for Huo Yuhao.
After all, Huo Yuhao hadn't paid a cent for them—the three million gold soul coins were still on the department's tab.
...
After getting ready, Huo Yuhao and Beibei officially began their soul hunt.
Beibei had a simple plan.
It was straightforward:
First, bombard the swamp where the Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon was hiding to force it out. Then lure it to land. At that point, the Variant Ice Jade Centipede martial soul hidden underground would launch a surprise attack using the power of Ultimate Ice to weaken it.
Then they'd slowly take it down.
There was no need to worry about attracting other soul beasts. In the Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon's territory, there wouldn't be a second thousand-year soul beast or any other large beasts.
"The Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon is good at burrowing and releasing toxic mist from a distance. But both of these abilities can be countered by your Ice Jade Centipede martial soul," Beibei explained.
"The only thing you need to watch out for is your soul power consumption. Both your martial soul and your soul tools require soul power, so don't waste it. Got it?"
"I understand, Brother Beibei!"
Huo Yuhao's soul power was already more abundant than others at his level, and he also had the hundred-thousand-year snow lotus to replenish it at any time—so he wasn't worried at all about running out.
"With your help, Brother Beibei, this is definitely going to go smoothly." Huo Yuhao said with a bright smile.
"Haha, you flatter me." Beibei was happy to see Huo Yuhao's trust.
However, Beibei didn't realize—
When Huo Yuhao said "go smoothly," he hadn't specifically meant the soul hunt…
...
Beibei and Huo Yuhao began their operation.
First, Huo Yuhao summoned the Variant Ice Jade Centipede martial soul and had it burrow underground near the swamp to lie in ambush.
Then, he began injecting soul power into the backpack unit. The cluster soul cannon on his shoulders started charging up.
Beibei also activated his martial soul, electricity crackling along his arms.
Then—
The cluster soul cannon fired, bombarding the swamp.
Beibei tensed his body, eyes fixed on the swamp, ready to strike.
Beneath the swamp,
The Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon was asleep, recovering from injuries.
Last night, it had gone out hunting, eating prey and singing songs, when suddenly humans ambushed it. It had been seriously wounded and only barely escaped back to its nest.
So today, it stayed quietly at home to rest and recover.
It never expected its nap to be rudely interrupted by a bombing run on its home.
Fury surged.
The enraged Lizard Dragon opened its eyes—only to see a large ice-blue centipede right in front of it.
It was the Variant Ice Jade Centipede martial soul!
Ambush?
Nope. Full frontal assault!
The martial soul released its pressure as a ten-thousand-year soul beast, with a strong mental shockwave coming from its first pair of wings.
Within the wave, golden light flickered.
A broken chant echoed in the Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon's mind:
"Namo… Namo Amitā…"
The light faded from the Lizard Dragon's eyes.
The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm chuckled, "Kekeke… Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon, our brother Hao just needs a small favor…"
Above the swamp,
Golden faux Buddha Light flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes. Through the connection with the martial soul, he had remotely activated Death Chant.
As he continued releasing the Death Chant, Huo Yuhao's bombardment didn't stop.
But the Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon still didn't appear—
This puzzled Beibei.
"Could it be that the Lizard Dragon isn't home today?"
The next second—
Something lizard-like suddenly burst from beneath Beibei's feet, swallowed him whole in one gulp, leapt back into the swamp, and vanished without a trace.
The entire slick move didn't take more than three seconds.
Huo Yuhao froze for a moment—then screamed, "Brother Beibei!"
He immediately stopped the bombardment and dashed toward the swamp without hesitation.
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede emerged from another side of the swamp to join Huo Yuhao.
"Chase it—now!" Huo Yuhao shouted anxiously.
The martial soul took Huo Yuhao and dove into the swamp.
Two seconds later—
A powerful figure appeared in the air above the swamp.
A middle-aged man radiating the aura of a Soul Douluo. His face was filled with rage and panic.
If anything happened to Beibei and Huo Yuhao, he'd have to flee to the Sun-Moon Continent overnight.
As a mere Soul Douluo, he didn't have Elder Xuan's kind of influence.
"BEAST! COME OUT!"
The Soul Douluo roared, raising his hand to grab at the swamp—intending to flip the entire thing over.
But the swamp was already empty—Huo Yuhao and the Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon were nowhere to be seen.
Huo Yuhao: Poison Marsh Lizard Dragon, kneel—I need a favor.
On the other side of the wetland.
The Golden Tortoise was asleep, hidden deep within a cluster of reed-like plants.
The creature was entirely golden in color, over two meters wide. Unlike ordinary turtles, its head had three ridges, and its overall body shape wasn't oval but somewhat triangular. Several beard-like spines jutted out from its lower jaw.
Its entire head was a dark gold, gradually becoming brighter towards the jaw.
However, the sleeping Golden Tortoise wore a pained expression—its life force was rapidly draining away.
This kind of swift life force loss should never occur within the Golden Tortoise species.
Golden Tortoises are a typical long-living race; even without much effort, living for a hundred thousand years and becoming a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was supposed to be easy.
So for this one to be in such a state, something must have gone wrong.
The loss of life force had drastically weakened the Golden Tortoise's strength. Once a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, it could now only exert the power of a thirty-thousand-year beast.
It could no longer survive in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, forced instead to hide in the mixed region, barely clinging to life.
After all, Golden Tortoises were support-type soul beasts, not good at fighting.
Suddenly, the Golden Tortoise's eyes shot open. It had sensed something. With a cold snort, it stomped on the ground. A wave of earth-attribute power rippled through the soil beneath it.
The ground split open—a Poison Swamp Dragon Lizard crawled out, a fainted young man clenched in its jaws.
"Hm?" The Golden Tortoise was puzzled. "I thought some blind fool was trying to ambush me. Turns out it's just a Poison Swamp Dragon Lizard with a captured prey. It's in such a panic and carrying a human—don't tell me a powerful soul master is chasing it?"
As one of the wise among turtles, the Golden Tortoise quickly assessed the situation and sensed danger.
"This place isn't safe anymore."
The Golden Tortoise prepared to flee.
But the next second—
A giant centipede burst out from beneath it, flinging the tortoise into the air. Sharp centipede legs wrapped tightly around the tortoise, suspending it mid-air.
The two-meter-long Golden Tortoise looked almost tiny compared to the nine-meter-long Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul.
"You damned centipede! Let go of your Grandpa Turtle, or I'll—" the Golden Tortoise shouted furiously.
"Or you'll what?" came a young boy's voice from the centipede's mouth.
To the Golden Tortoise's horror, a young man crawled out of the centipede's mouth and pressed his forehead against the tortoise's face.
The tortoise was so stunned it almost screamed. "You—you—you…"
Even soul beasts would find this scene deeply disturbing.
In that moment of mental collapse, Huo Yuhao met its eyes.
Golden pseudo-Buddha light radiated from Huo Yuhao's eyes.
"Namo… Namo Amitabha… Lay down your blade and find enlighten—…"
Gradually, the Golden Tortoise's struggles slowed. Its gaze became dazed.
But soon, it broke free from the mental control, staring at Huo Yuhao in terror. "You dare try to control my mind?! Let me go!"
It began struggling even harder.
Huo Yuhao, disappointed, ended his Soul Requiem Chant. He climbed onto the Frost Centipede's head, looking down on the trapped Golden Tortoise.
"So it really is the Golden Tortoise."
"Even though its cultivation has fallen to thirty thousand years, it was once a hundred-thousand-year beast king. Its spiritual strength is still formidable. With my current strength, even catching it off guard, I could only daze it for a second."
The Golden Tortoise was alarmed. It looked up at Huo Yuhao, demanding, "You know who I am? Who are you?!"
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is—I can end your suffering."
The Golden Tortoise paused its struggle, cautiously asking, "Really?"
"Really."
"What's the price?"
"Your body. Your soul."
Whoosh—
The Golden Tortoise instantly retreated into its shell, not saying another word.
Golden Tortoise: Just say you want to eat me whole! Why break it into parts?
Huo Yuhao: Because I plan to use the parts separately.
Though the Golden Tortoise lacked offensive capabilities as a support-type beast, its defense was outstanding.
"Brother Hao…" Skydream Iceworm couldn't help but grumble.
He realized the Frost Centipede's power couldn't do anything to the tortoise. Its sharp legs couldn't even leave a mark.
"Poison it," Huo Yuhao said coldly.
A black and purple soul ring appeared around the Frost Centipede.
"First Soul Skill: Frost Centipede's Venom!"
"Second Soul Skill: Hidden Venom!"
A gust of icy mist was sprayed onto the Golden Tortoise, while the centipede legs gripping the shell emitted freezing cold. Poison seeped in through the contact points.
The extreme cold of the Ultimate Ice wasn't something ordinary soul beasts could endure.
Inside the shell, the Golden Tortoise shivered violently and cursed, "So cold! Grandpa Turtle's gonna freeze to death!"
Yet it still refused to come out.
Its cultivation was barely thirty thousand years, its combat power even lower. It couldn't beat the ten-thousand-year Frost Centipede.
But it lived by one rule: endure!
Huo Yuhao calmly watched. Soon, the Golden Tortoise had become a frozen block.
Amazingly, its life force was still strong—it wasn't dead yet.
But if left like this—frozen by Ultimate Ice, invaded by cold poison, and drained by the Life Gold inside its body—it wouldn't survive for long.
The Frost Centipede tossed the ice block to the ground.
Skydream Iceworm was thrilled. "Jackpot! Jackpot!"
"Indeed," Huo Yuhao nodded, and began planning how to use the tortoise.
"Its soul will become a soul ring for the Ghost Banner.
Its body can be used as training material.
The Life Gold inside can enhance the Ghost Banner's quality."
"Unfortunately, unless it willingly sacrifices itself, I can't absorb its hundred-thousand-year soul ring. But as long as its soul becomes the Ghost Banner's soul ring, I'll still effectively have a hundred-thousand-year ring."
"Oh, and there's its soul bone—a perfect first soul bone for me."
The Golden Tortoise, known as an auspicious beast among turtles, was famed for its powerful support abilities. Called the "Auspicious Beast of Turtles," it was the king among turtle-type soul beasts.
Though not as grand as the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, obtaining its soul or soul ring would still greatly benefit Huo Yuhao's fate and fortune.
Now, they just had to wait for the tortoise to die.
It had no strength to negotiate.
Meanwhile—
Huo Yuhao turned to the Poison Swamp Dragon Lizard, which had been standing in a daze the whole time.
With less than ten thousand years of cultivation, this lizard was easy pickings for Huo Yuhao. It had been entranced by the Soul Requiem Chant and just stood there, still holding Bei Bei in its mouth.
Bei Bei was sleeping peacefully, just like back in the Extreme North.
"But still… this lizard is close to ten thousand years old. Choosing just a thousand-year soul ring for my third ring would be a waste…"
After having Skydream Iceworm check the area for safety, Huo Yuhao reached his hand out toward the Poison Swamp Dragon Lizard.
Beibei was placed aside and had fallen into a deep sleep.
Huo Yuhao placed his hand on the Poison Swamp Basilisk Dragon.
Then, the medicinal aura within Huo Yuhao's body flowed through his palm and into the basilisk dragon.
The beast reacted quickly.
In two words: Great tonic!
The Poison Swamp Basilisk Dragon began trembling in pleasure, its aura rapidly increasing and its cultivation age soaring.
As its cultivation rose, the beast's appearance began to change.
True to its name, the Poison Swamp Basilisk Dragon resembled a large lizard, with a dragon horn on its head, dark green skin, a body over three meters long, and a tail about ninety centimeters.
As it advanced, its tail slowly extended, and a bulge formed at its cervical spine, as though something was about to grow out.
But not long after, the pleasurable trembles turned into painful struggles.
Blood began oozing from the dragon's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
"Hm?" Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow. "Over-supplemented?"
Still, he didn't stop injecting the medicinal aura.
The Poison Swamp Basilisk Dragon's cultivation continued climbing—on the verge of breaking through the 10,000-year threshold. The intense pain finally made it regain consciousness, despite being under spiritual control.
But before it could react—
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede Spirit released a few blasts of frigid air, freezing the basilisk dragon's limbs in place, preventing escape. The rampaging medicinal aura inside its body also disrupted its soul power, rendering it unable to unleash any soul skills.
"Brother Hao, I've got it pinned down for you. Keep going~" The cheap-sounding voice of Skydream Iceworm echoed nearby.
Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes.
And continued injecting the medicinal aura.
The basilisk dragon howled in agony, its body convulsing violently. Its eyes, now filled with terror and hatred, glared at Huo Yuhao.
"That look? Brother Hao doesn't like it."
"I've killed people. You think I'll spare a beast like you?"
So Huo Yuhao intensified his efforts.
This time, the dragon's body underwent even more dramatic changes. Blood blisters swelled across its skin, bursting and spraying poisonous blood everywhere.
A pseudo-Buddha's Radiance glowed from Huo Yuhao's body, its defensive properties easily blocking the toxic blood.
At last, the basilisk dragon let out a long roar, its aura exploding into a new level. The bulge on its back split open, revealing a sharp spine.
It had officially stepped into the 10,000-year realm!
And just at its peak—
A flash of blue streaked by. The dragon's head vanished from its neck, and poisonous blood spurted out like a geyser.
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede Spirit had shielded Huo Yuhao from all the toxic blood, still gripping the basilisk dragon's unwilling head in its mouth.
Turns out, during the breakthrough, the dragon had secretly gathered enough soul power to launch a sneak attack on Huo Yuhao.
But it failed.
As the corpse collapsed, the Centipede Spirit stepped aside, shaking off the frozen blood on its body.
That meager poison couldn't harm it at all.
Huo Yuhao now looked upon the basilisk dragon's ruined body. There wasn't a patch of unbroken skin—bones exposed in many areas.
A faint black soul ring slowly formed over its corpse.
Looking at his palm, Huo Yuhao murmured, "Looks like this medicinal aura… isn't just support. It has offensive capabilities too."
Not only damaging—but downright cruel.
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede Spirit then swallowed the dragon's head whole, beginning digestion.
Only then did the Skydream Iceworm speak. "Brother Hao, your medicinal aura… that's scary stuff."
Huo Yuhao could hear the lingering fear in his voice.
"Skydream, what are you afraid of? This stuff doesn't affect soul spirits like you, and the Centipede Spirit's ultimate ice can resist it entirely." Huo Yuhao sighed.
"Hehe, oh right~" Skydream finally realized.
"Skydream, let's absorb the soul ring first."
"Right, right, can't let the body go to waste either. This one has dragon blood!" Skydream sounded excited again.
Then he mumbled, "But this is just a sub-dragon. In the original novel, didn't a Heavenly Dragon Horse with Light Saint Dragon bloodline appear alongside the Golden Tortoise? Its bloodline was said to be extremely pure…"
"If we get a chance, let's go find it," Huo Yuhao chimed in—he had the same thought.
"Hehe, yeah, we're not letting those ones off!"
Soul beasts? Kin?
Back when the fierce beasts saw Skydream as food, no one treated him as kin.
So now that he's eating other soul beasts, what's the big deal?
Skydream Iceworm: I shall make the world taste pain!
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede Spirit mumbled to itself, then sat next to the basilisk dragon's corpse and began absorbing the soul ring—completely on its own, without Huo Yuhao's help.
It even sat down in a meditative pose.
Huo Yuhao, who had just been about to sit down and cultivate, was dumbfounded.
"Spirits absorbing soul rings by themselves… is this another effect of fate-forged cultivation?"
Realizing he wasn't needed, Huo Yuhao went to the basilisk dragon's corpse and summoned the Ghost Banner Martial Spirit.
With a wave, the ghost banner absorbed the basilisk dragon's soul, turning it into a regular ghost.
Using multiple martial spirits at once wasn't impossible—but required advanced technique.
In the original novel, Xiao Xiao could wield two spirits at once.
The key was mental power. The more similar the spirits were, the less mental energy required; the more different, the higher the cost.
Ghost Banner and Variant Ice Jade Centipede weren't exactly alike—far from it.
So Huo Yuhao quickly retracted the Ghost Banner.
Even though his spiritual power far exceeded that of peers, maintaining both spirits simultaneously wasn't sustainable.
Then, Huo Yuhao noticed that the basilisk dragon's body still emitted soul power fluctuations.
"Could it be… a soul bone?"
He stepped forward, sliced the body open with a short blade, and quickly found a soul bone along its spine.
"This is… a 10,000-year Poison Swamp Basilisk Dragon Trunk Bone!"
He was surprised—for the soul bone's sake.
With his current great fortune and the torture he inflicted on the basilisk dragon, it was unexpected but not unreasonable for one to drop.
But as a newly 10,000-year soul bone, it was only fit to be fodder for the Ghost Banner's upgrade.
"Wait, if the Centipede Spirit can absorb soul rings itself, can it also…?"
...
Soon, the spirit finished absorbing the soul ring. As for the soul shock that normally came with 10,000-year rings—it didn't exist. The dragon's soul had already been sucked into the Ghost Banner.
Excitedly, Huo Yuhao pulled Skydream Iceworm over to test whether the Centipede Spirit could also absorb the soul bone.
Turned out, he was overthinking.
Variant Ice Jade Centipede Spirit: I only look like a soul beast. I'm not one, and I'm definitely not a soul master!
In the end, the soul bone was stored away—for later feeding to the Ghost Banner.
"Skydream, what's the third soul skill?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"Hehe, Brother Hao, the third soul skill is called Bone-Piercing Cold. It releases toxic cold air that invades a soul master's body and disperses foreign soul power. As long as that soul power is weaker in quality and intensity than yours, it'll be dispelled."
"It's like Ultimate Ice resisting all foreign powers. And with the cold poison added, it penetrates the skin and chills straight to the bones."
"It's not exactly an offensive skill…" Huo Yuhao was surprised. "Sounds similar to the basilisk dragon's method of spreading poisonous miasma across the swamp. But what exactly does this skill do?"
Dispel foreign soul power from a soul master's body…
Hmm?
"Do support-type buffs cast on a soul master count as foreign power?"
This soul skill… might be more powerful than it looks.
Huo Yuhao was checking on his cultivation after the breakthrough.
"Soul power level: 35."
The ten-thousand-year third soul ring directly pushed Huo Yuhao's soul power level to 35.
The soul ring had provided around four levels of soul power. The remaining level or so came from Huo Yuhao's prior cultivation accumulation.
To absorb a soul ring above one's level and not gain at least two levels would be an insult to the pain endured by the Poisonous Marsh Drake.
"The soul master path is surprisingly well-suited for heretical cultivation," Huo Yuhao couldn't help but muse.
Before reaching level 90, there was no need for profound insights. Simply stacking levels and purifying soul power was enough!
Moreover, to break through, soul masters had to plunder the cultivation of soul beasts—a behavior that was heretical in nature.
But good and evil are relative.
What aligns with logic and the majority is considered good; anything else is evil.
When the world is dark, even white becomes an original sin.
Three soul rings floated around the mutated Frost Centipede martial soul—two black and one purple.
"First soul ring: now 25,000 years. Second soul ring: 2,000 years. Third soul ring: 10,000 years."
The second soul ring's age was underwhelming, but the soul skill it granted was decent.
Huo Yuhao didn't mind; he could find a chance in the future to upgrade it.
Even without any other methods, he still had the Skydream Iceworm's essence to enhance the soul rings.
But if he used that, then his future soul rings would have to be as high in age as possible—the Skydream's origin wasn't unlimited, after all.
Next was his physique and soul power quality improvement.
During the soul ring absorption process, the mutated Frost Centipede passed on energy that strengthened Huo Yuhao's body and the quality of his soul power.
"Physical strength enhanced—reached Soul Emperor level. Soul power quality improved."
After breaking through, Huo Yuhao also felt the well-known saying:
"After level 30, Ultimate Attribute soul masters' cultivation speed slows down significantly."
As it turns out, that wasn't a rumor.
After reaching level 30, Huo Yuhao's soul power flow indeed became sluggish, indicating slower cultivation speed.
Mu En hadn't yet explained to him how Ultimate Attribute soul masters should cultivate after level 30.
Maybe the old man was intentionally holding back a trick or two.
But with Pu Du Cihang's cultivation experience and perspective, Huo Yuhao quickly formed a preliminary judgment about this slowdown.
The cause: Ultimate Attribute soul power was beginning to self-compress and transition into liquid form.
The soul power was automatically increasing in quality, which affected the increase in total quantity.
Huo Yuhao couldn't accept this.
If he wanted to return to his earlier rapid cultivation speed…
It wasn't impossible. In fact, he had two options:
Force the soul power to complete the liquefaction process early.
Pour in more resources to trigger an accelerated cultivation mode.
Huo Yuhao chose both!
The 100,000-year Snow Lotus, as his companion spiritual herb, could help purify and compress his soul power, speeding up its liquefaction.
And heretical cultivation techniques could further accelerate the process.
What? Not fast enough?
Then your cultivation isn't heretical enough!
Huo Yuhao thought of the 90,000-year Wild Ram soul beast corpse hidden in his storage-type soul tool.
"I should now be able to try breaking through Snow Empress's ice seal. The near-100,000-year ram flesh can greatly speed up my cultivation—and it can provide me with a 90,000-year soul bone too."
"But aside from the ram's corpse…"
He turned toward the frozen Golden Tortoise and smiled wickedly.
"There's still the flesh of a 100,000-year soul beast waiting for my 'favor.'"
"And the Life Gold within it—I can't miss out on that either."
The mutated Frost Centipede was tapping its legs on the frozen Golden Tortoise's ice shell, making crisp "ding-ding-ding" sounds, like a message notification.
"Brother Hao, are you going to take action against the Golden Tortoise?" the Skydream Iceworm asked curiously.
"Of course. I just absorbed a soul ring, and my frost poison now has a bone-piercing effect. Let's see if it can affect the tortoise shell," Huo Yuhao nodded.
Unexpectedly, the Skydream Iceworm volunteered,
"Brother Hao, why don't you let me try negotiating with the Golden Tortoise again?"
Failing to persuade the Snow Empress and Ice Empress in the Extreme North had become a thorn in Skydream's heart—and a blow to his image in front of Huo Yuhao.
So he wanted another chance, this time with the Golden Tortoise, to prove himself.
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment, then raised his hand to extend Bei Bei's sleep time by two hours.
"Alright, you're my Skydream bro after all. I'll give the Golden Tortoise five minutes. If it still doesn't know what's good for it, we'll be eating turtle soup tonight!"
"Just watch me, Brother Hao!"
The Skydream Iceworm was thrilled—he could feel Huo Yuhao's trust.
Then he exited the mutated Frost Centipede martial soul, which returned to the soul imprint.
Skydream, in spiritual form, infiltrated the Golden Tortoise's shell with no resistance.
Huo Yuhao extended his perception to listen inside the shell.
He heard—
"Golden Tortoise, I'm here to negotiate!"
"I'll say just three things…"
Having read the original novel, the Skydream Iceworm knew the tortoise's weak spots.
The Golden Tortoise didn't have much time left to live.
First, Skydream assured it that if it followed Huo Yuhao, it wouldn't die; its soul would live on.
He himself was proof.
With Huo Yuhao's potential, becoming a Limit Douluo wasn't a problem—Golden Tortoise could at least live on in soul form for hundreds of years.
Otherwise, it probably wouldn't survive another fifty years.
Second, Skydream emphasized that Huo Yuhao wasn't ordinary—he had the chance to become a god, at the very least a world lord.
Investing in him now would mean divine returns.
Finally, Skydream turned fierce.
He threatened the Golden Tortoise:
"Brother Hao's eating you tonight. Even Di Tian can't save you. I said so!"
Polite words followed by threats—a red date followed by a big stick—and a death threat.
In the end, the Golden Tortoise gave in.
All of this took less than three minutes.
The tortoise was going to die anyway. Skydream had no pressure and gave no room for excuses.
Just one question: Submit or not?
The Golden Tortoise, wanting to live, had no other choice.
Skydream returned to Huo Yuhao's side, happily reporting his success.
"Your bro's got skills—mission accomplished!"
He proudly placed his hands on his hips.
In a million years, he'd never felt this proud.
That's the power of having Brother Hao backing you!
"Yes, yes, Skydream bro is the best," Huo Yuhao praised with a smile, then raised his hand to unfreeze the Golden Tortoise.
The defrosted turtle… the Golden Tortoise, slowly poked its head out from its shell.
Upon seeing Huo Yuhao, who hadn't summoned a martial soul and seemed unguarded…
For a moment, the Golden Tortoise was tempted to act dishonorably.
But it immediately gave up the idea with a sigh.
Even if it escaped this time, it didn't have many years left to live.
"Fine… Grandpa Turtle will just let you have this. I'm gambling on you. If you're all lying to me… I have no way to resist anyway!"
The more it spoke, the closer it was to tears.
Huo Yuhao smiled comfortingly,
"Golden Tortoise, the sooner you die, the sooner you reincarnate. Don't worry."
Golden Tortoise: "…"
Do you even hear what you're saying??
"By the way, I want you to start calling yourself Turtle Turtle. I don't want to call you Grandpa."
Huo Yuhao's smile didn't change, but it carried a hint of danger.
The Golden Tortoise suddenly regretted everything.