It was another ordinary night.
Huo Yuhao returned once again to the Evil Dragon Arena, but this time not for battle. Now that he had joined the Duskwater Alliance, continuing to fight matches just to earn prize money would seem a bit inappropriate. That said, it wasn't as if Huo Yuhao got nothing out of it.
From now on, whenever he needed anything, he could simply hand a list to the Duskwater Alliance, and they would provide the requested items. That was the deal they had struck.
In return, Huo Yuhao would carry out missions for the Alliance.
And today, he was also here to receive a ninth-grade soul tool.
Ninth-grade soul tools were no small matter, but they were still obtainable within the Sun Moon Empire—though ninth-grade fixed-installation soul tools were a different story. In any case, it was Ye Xishui who possessed such a tool, not the Duskwater Alliance.
Soul tools of different grades typically required soul masters of corresponding strength to use them. In theory, a Soul Sage shouldn't be able to fully unleash the power of a ninth-grade soul tool. But whether or not Huo Yuhao could use it, the fact that the Duskwater Alliance was even willing to offer one showed enormous sincerity.
Of course, the more the Duskwater Alliance invested in him now, the more they were likely expecting from him in the future.
Soul tools were generally divided into the following types: melee, ranged, fixed-installation, storage, support, flight, and defense.
In the end, Huo Yuhao chose a support-type ninth-grade soul tool.
Support-type tools were rare, given their complexity and the variety of functions they offered. The most famous among them was the spirit-replenishing bottle—and they often carried a higher price tag.
"This is a ninth-grade support-type soul tool called the Orb of Sanctuary. It's made from a pearl produced by a certain shell-type soul beast. Once activated, it can block or dispel negative effects," said Nangong Xishui in the private room as he handed Huo Yuhao a box. Inside was a smooth, fist-sized orb.
Truthfully, Nangong Xishui was a bit reluctant. He didn't even have a ninth-grade soul tool himself. But this was a direct order from the Blue Silver Saintess, so he had no choice but to comply.
The orb had originally been a stock item in the Duskwater Alliance's warehouse. Nangong had plans for it—but now, it had to go to Huo Yuhao.
What puzzled Nangong Xishui was: Why was this man worth such a large investment? Just for the strength he'd shown so far?
Initially, Tang Ya had merely intended to rope Huo Yuhao in. Though her strength at Shrek Academy had been unremarkable, her discerning eye had been honed to a fine point—she could tell that Huo Yuhao's power was far from ordinary.
When she later learned that he came from Shrek Academy and was a close friend of Beibei, she decided she absolutely couldn't let him slip away.
"Thank you, Alliance Master," Huo Yuhao accepted the soul tool without visibly checking it. In reality, his spiritual power had already scanned the item, confirming there were no issues.
Nangong Xishui smiled faintly, accepting the thanks. Then, with a somewhat joking tone, he said, "Your Highness, actually, the women here in the Duskwater Alliance's territory are no worse than those from the Common Alliance. Rather than spending your gold soul coins on their women, why not support our own?"
As he spoke, he gave Huo Yuhao a meaningful look—one that every man would understand.
Huo Yuhao knew he was subtly criticizing him for frequently visiting the Common Alliance's turf. There was a hint of dissatisfaction in his words.
Yet Huo Yuhao remained unfazed. "Before I came to Ghost Street, I'd only ever heard that if you wanted women, you went to the Common Alliance. Their alliance master is said to be an exceptional beauty. Since you say your women are just as good, I'll definitely have to take a look next time."
Nangong Xishui looked at Huo Yuhao for a moment, trying to read him, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then he said, "Anytime you want—just say the word. I'll arrange the best for you."
"My thanks, Alliance Master," Huo Yuhao nodded politely.
He then brought up that he would be leaving for a while soon, without giving a reason.
Nangong Xishui hesitated briefly, then agreed—he even offered assistance, which Huo Yuhao politely declined.
After saying his goodbyes, Huo Yuhao casually wandered around the Duskwater Alliance's territory, appearing to simply be killing time.
And, in fact, he was killing time.
He needed to return to base and rest that night. The next day, he would be helping four maidservants obtain soul rings. If they successfully broke through to Soul Sage, their combined strength could rival a Soul Douluo—making them a considerable force.
It was only because Zhang Lexuan saw the four as her own that she'd begun training them.
Huo Yuhao didn't have time tonight to search for new Furnaces (cultivation partners), so he figured he'd just stroll the streets and see if he could find any surprises.
And in truth, Huo Yuhao loved walking around like this.
What delighted him wasn't the act of shopping—it was the thrill of finding hidden treasures.
You understand how powerful the trait called Destiny is?
In just ten days of exploring Ghost Street, Huo Yuhao had scored quite a few hidden gems—minerals with hidden internal space, rare materials misidentified as lower-grade, and even soul tools with undiscovered abilities.
He didn't let a single one slip by.
After all: When Heaven grants and you do not take, you'll suffer for it.
Among his finds, the most valuable had been a damaged ninth-grade soul tool core.
That core had come from some ancient ruin. Though damaged, it was still functional—just significantly weakened. It had been sold as a sixth-grade core. When injected with soul power, it emitted a peculiar sound that could influence others' minds.
A ninth-grade soul tool core—damaged or not—was extraordinarily rare. Yet it had ended up on the black market, mistaken for a sixth-grade item, and Huo Yuhao had snatched it up.
If he could repair it, he could assemble a powerful ninth-grade soul tool—and in doing so, learn advanced soul tool array techniques.
Though he hadn't chosen the path of a Soul Engineer, with the experiences of the Third Prince in mind, Huo Yuhao knew that such high-grade cores were made from rare materials that could be refined into magical artifacts, enhancing both their value and functionality.
Coincidentally, Huo Yuhao had previously refined a Beauty Bone—a special item that still required further refinement. If he fused this core into it, it might produce wondrous results.
Just as he was passing by a street corner, he suddenly sensed something whizzing through the air above him. He raised a hand and caught it instinctively.
It was a soul tool core, likely only third-grade, and not even fully carved—clearly a failed attempt.
Huo Yuhao looked up.
He saw a pure-looking young girl peering anxiously out of a window.
But what he saw more clearly was this: her aura contained a ghostly Dark Blue Silver Grass martial soul projection, wreathed in sinister black mist.
It was obvious—the girl was Tang Ya in disguise. Though it looked like coincidence, the whole encounter reeked of manipulation.
"This scene feels oddly familiar…" Huo Yuhao thought, puzzled.
Still, he didn't let any emotion show. When his gaze briefly met Tang Ya's, he quickly looked away, feigning disinterest. Then, casually tossing the core back, he walked away at a brisk pace.
After he left, Tang Ya dropped the fake anxious look on her face and watched his figure recede. Her eyes were unreadable, and her lips curled into a faint smile.
"How interesting. Just as I expected—he came prepared."
Huo Yuhao didn't approach Tang Ya rashly—sometimes, the more distant you are, the more one longs for you.
After circling around Ghost Street, he returned to the stronghold for the night. Early the next morning, Huo Yuhao and his party quietly left Mingdu via the underground tunnel.
You really had to admit, this tunnel was incredibly convenient. Whether Mingdu had city walls or not, it couldn't stop them.
This time, Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan were jointly leading the team to help four of the handmaidens obtain their seventh soul rings. The target: the Jingyang Mountain Range.
Generally, a Soul Master's seventh ring falls within the 30,000–50,000-year range. In this era, Soul Masters tend to have soul rings with a slightly higher average age than those from ten thousand years ago.
Soul Masters with powerful physiques could even absorb soul rings exceeding 50,000 years, or even 100,000-year soul rings—but such cases were rare.
On the other hand, Soul Engineers and Soul Masters who relied heavily on medicinal boosts often had weaker physiques, sometimes only able to absorb soul rings below 30,000 years.
Still, since the seventh soul ring only provides one fixed ability—True Martial Soul Form—some Soul Masters with only basic theoretical knowledge don't really care what kind of soul ring they get, as long as it doesn't clash with their martial soul.
In reality, however, there is theoretical research behind the seventh soul ring.
Shrek Academy naturally archived such research.
The seventh soul ring represents a key metamorphosis for a martial soul. If one can absorb a soul ring that is both powerful and appropriate, it might trigger martial soul evolution. Conversely, absorbing an unsuitable ring can actually suppress a martial soul's potential, cause negative side effects, or even create bottlenecks in future cultivation.
This theory is the result of countless real-world cases.
The seventh and ninth soul rings are the two most likely to trigger changes in a martial soul.
Only truly elite Soul Masters with superior martial souls—or ultimate martial soul users like Huo Yuhao—can absorb seventh soul rings freely without suffering any drawbacks. In their case, a powerful martial soul can even assimilate the soul ring, transforming its ability to better suit the Soul Master.
The higher the quality of the martial soul, the lower the requirements for a compatible seventh ring.
Still, it's always best to absorb soul rings with the same attribute and type as the martial soul. The ideal case is absorbing a ring from the same species of soul beast as the martial soul.
The Jingyang Mountain Range was rich in soul beast species, making it an excellent hunting ground for the four handmaidens.
After some travel, the group successfully entered the Jingyang Mountains.
Then, Huo Yuhao pulled out a map.
They weren't unprepared—he had purchased a detailed map of the outer and some inner areas of the Jingyang Mountains back in Ghost Street, along with some intelligence on local soul beasts.
Some Soul Masters specialized in this business. They would secretly venture into soul beast territories, gather information, and mark areas dominated by powerful beasts. They would then sell these reports to Soul Masters on soul ring hunts, helping them save time.
The job was high-risk, but also high-reward.
Having intel on soul beasts was essential. If you wandered around like a headless chicken, you might waste months—or worse, stumble into a deadly predator.
Of course, since soul beasts aren't static like video game monsters and tend to roam, fresher and more specific intel costs more. And none of it comes with guarantees.
Reputation is everything for these sellers.
Actually, the map and intel in Huo Yuhao's hands hadn't cost him a single cent. He had just picked them up.
But he didn't say that.
So the four handmaidens believed he had spent a fortune on their behalf and were deeply touched. If Zhang Lexuan weren't present, they would've given him quite the "reward."
Even Zhang Lexuan silently acknowledged that Huo Yuhao was indeed capable of feeling emotion—he clearly valued the four handmaidens.
Ignoring what the women thought, Huo Yuhao quickly identified four suitable soul beasts for the four based on their martial souls and the intel.
They set out to find them according to the map. Along the way, Huo Yuhao also collected plenty of resources—herbs, ores, and more. Though the Jingyang Mountains couldn't compare to the Star Dou Great Forest, it was still rich in wild resources.
It also held abundant mineral deposits—rare in the original three empires of the Douluo continent. Huo Yuhao didn't try to mine anything but did collect some rare minerals.
He also marked the locations of the mineral veins he discovered, planning to let his Mutant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul devour them later to enhance his body.
The deeper they went into the inner region of the mountain range, the richer and rarer the resources became.
The handmaidens' soul rings needed to be at least over 30,000 years old, which required inner-circle soul beasts. Thanks to the White Lotus Cultivation Technique, the women had physiques no weaker than Shrek's core disciples.
Soon, they found their first target.
In a shaded mountain ravine lay an exposed vein of purple ore.
On the exposed minerals, purple spiders of varying sizes crawled. Their bodies sparkled like gems, and all of them were soul beasts.
"Purple Crystal Spiders—their bodies appear crystalline but are actually coated in a metallic essence. They feed on Purple Cloud Iron Ore, usually living in such veins. They are metal-type, carnivorous, non-poisonous, excel in speed and melee combat. Their webs are extremely tough. Both their silk and metallic essence are excellent materials for soul tools."
"According to the intel, this vein houses a Purple Crystal Spider Emperor over 40,000 years old—perfect for Sister Jin'er's seventh soul ring," Huo Yuhao explained while gazing into the ravine.
Jin'er smiled, "Since it's the one you picked, little brother Yuhao, I trust it's perfect for me. I just wonder if that Spider Emperor is still around."
The Purple Crystal Spider Emperor was definitely still there—Huo Yuhao had already sensed its destiny aura.
However, they still needed to deal with the entire Purple Crystal Spider colony. So Zhang Lexuan took action herself.
With a barrage of moonlight, the spider colony suffered heavy losses. The Spider Emperor soon emerged.
Then Zhang Lexuan beat it within an inch of its life, Huo Yuhao froze it, and finally, Jin'er finished it off.
Everything went smoothly.
Several hours later, around midnight, Jin'er successfully absorbed the soul ring.
Her martial soul was a metal-type called Golden Scale Python—gold-colored, combining flexibility and defense. Though snake-like, it wasn't a dragon-species soul. Perhaps due to the martial soul's influence, Jin'er specialized in devouring.
After absorbing the soul ring, her Golden Scale Python didn't evolve—but it did change. Purple markings appeared on its golden scales, giving it a more regal appearance. Her metal-element powers also strengthened.
Unfortunately, she didn't acquire an external soul bone—something Spider Emperors are especially prone to drop.
The overall shape of the Jingyang Mountain Range resembled a giant spider or perhaps an octopus. The central range spanned a vast area, and eight branch ranges extended outward like legs in different directions. These branches coiled around and guarded the central mountain. Based on proximity to the central range, the mountains were divided into inner and outer zones, with Jingyang Peak at the center designated as a core forbidden zone — similar to how the Star Dou Forest was categorized.
Although Jingyang wasn't as powerful a soul beast territory as the Star Dou Forest, it still ranked among the top five on the continent — not to be underestimated.
Because of this, even though the Jingyang Mountains were rich in mineral resources, the Sun-Moon Empire only dared to mine the outer regions. This policy was both for ecological protection and to preserve vital soul beast resources.
Of course, another reason was that the empire couldn't be sure it could withstand the backlash from the powerful soul beasts in the core zone.
Each part of the mountain range hosted different types of soul beasts. Though the branch ranges housed fewer beasts, their mineral resources were equally rich. Yet even in sparsely populated regions, formidable creatures still existed.
To monitor the area, prevent soul beast uprisings, and control soul masters by banning private mining, the Sun-Moon Empire always stationed at least one detachment of the Six-Faction Legion in the Jingyang Mountains — a state secret.
Huo Yuhao had only learned of this through the Third Prince.
During their soul ring hunt, they had to avoid areas with military presence. Stumbling into such zones — even by accident — meant interrogation at best, conflict at worst.
Meanwhile, as Huo Yuhao's team hunted for soul rings, someone else was also in the Jingyang Mountains, hunting soul beasts while avoiding the military zones.
That person was Xu Tiannan, who had escaped alone from the southern provinces.
Now, Xu Tiannan sat in a floating wheelchair, bombarding soul beasts below with a soul cannon. His wheelchair was, in fact, a special flying-type soul device. The Ming King Artifact was strapped to its back.
Despite its size, the artifact was surprisingly lightweight and easily carried by the wheelchair soul device.
However, Xu Tiannan appeared disheveled — even haggard. His unkempt hair and sallow face gave him the look of a vagrant.
This was the result of days of rapid escape from the south. He dared not enter cities or stop to rest — afraid the Third Prince might ambush or pursue him. The Ming King Artifact, being too conspicuous and unable to be stored in a soul device, made him an easy target.
Thus, Xu Tiannan traveled through the wilderness at top speed, leading to his bedraggled appearance.
This grudge, he carved deep into his heart — aimed at the Third Prince.
Yet, his journey wasn't fruitless. The time spent with the artifact revealed its proper use. Xu Tiannan began to believe this was, in fact, a true divine artifact.
During one hunt, he noticed the artifact seemed attracted to the blood of soul beasts.
When he boldly smeared the blood on the artifact, he uncovered its secret: the Ming King Artifact was activated through blood sacrifice. Offering sufficient blood allowed him to glean cultivation techniques and even produce blood pills that enhanced cultivation.
After several rituals, Xu Tiannan gained access to death-related arts like corpse refining and corpse control — powers once used by the Death Messenger. He also inherited the sinister "Claw of Shadows" once used by the Third Prince. These seemed like spiritual echoes left within the artifact, readily accessible to its wielder.
After trying a blood pill just once, Xu Tiannan understood why the Third Prince's power had surged so rapidly — with this divine tool, advancing to Super Douluo wasn't difficult. He could do it too.
Originally, Xu Tiannan planned to return to Mingdu, lay low, and use the Crown Prince's influence to obtain large amounts of blood and power up quickly.
But after a major blood ritual near the Jingyang Mountains, he changed his mind.
During that sacrifice, he unlocked a unique cultivation method: by absorbing massive amounts of blood, he could regrow severed limbs — a true bodily transformation!
And most importantly: he wouldn't become an evil soul master.
The Third Prince also used dark methods, but as long as he didn't fight publicly, no one could tell he was one.
This technique struck Xu Tiannan like fate itself. He gave up returning to Mingdu and instead ventured deeper into the Jingyang Mountains to hunt and cultivate. Until he restored his body and broke through to Titled Douluo, he would not leave.
Xu Tiannan trusted no one with something as important as his lower body. He trusted only himself.
Once he reached Titled Douluo, he would return — a king reborn — to take his revenge on the Third Prince.
With the Ming King Artifact in hand, Xu Tiannan was confident he'd surpass the Third Prince. He even believed he could reach Limit Douluo, and with overwhelming strength crush him.
More than that — if this truly was a divine artifact, then perhaps… just perhaps…
he might one day glimpse the fabled realm of gods.
And wouldn't that make him nobler than any mere emperor?
RUMBLE—
The latest round of bombardment ended.
Xu Tiannan had just slaughtered another soul beast group. He descended to the ground and began the blood ritual.
Watching the Ming King Artifact greedily absorb the blood, Xu Tiannan's expression turned mad.
"Drink it all! Feast on blood… and become my power!"
Buzz—
The artifact vibrated and shot out a dozen crimson rays. Xu Tiannan quickly caught them — each was a condensed blood pill, rich with essence.
He inhaled deeply, intoxicated by their scent.
What he didn't realize was that a faint golden light now shimmered in the depths of his eyes.
Once the blood was fully absorbed, Xu Tiannan swiftly retreated to a safe spot and began cultivating with the blood pills.
And then — when dawn broke…
A surge of soul power erupted from his body.
He had reached level 90 — a quasi-Titled Douluo!
After a night's rest, the next morning Huo Yuhao's team moved on to their next target.
Because of the mountain range's rich mineral deposits, many soul beasts had adapted to live near specific ore veins. As a result, different regions hosted different types of beasts.
Their second destination was a fire-type mineral zone, home to a fire-element dragon beast over 40,000 years old — ideal for Huo Yuhao's teammate, Huo'er. It was also the closest location to the Amethyst Spider Emperor.
However, before they reached the target area, they unexpectedly encountered a group of gremlins.
Zhang Lexuan and Huo Yuhao had never seen gremlins before. But thanks to the information Huo Yuhao had "purchased," he knew what they were.
Gremlins were soul beasts unique to the Sun-Moon continent — humanoid in shape, but never taller than a human child. They weren't particularly strong, and rarely produced even 10,000-year soul beasts. But they were adept at mining, capable of using tools in battle, and lived in groups.
A single gremlin was easy to handle, but a whole tribe required significant strength to overcome.
After facing bandits and worse, gremlins no longer seemed so hard to deal with.
Douluo Continent was merely one of the subordinate planes under the Divine Realm, and these planes were somewhat interconnected. Naturally, similar types of creatures existed across them.
Since the Douluo plane could house elves and behemoths, why not goblins?
"According to the intel, this goblin tribe numbers around ten thousand. They have a symbiotic relationship with a dragon-type soul beast within the mine. The goblins serve as its food, and in return, the dragon protects the goblin tribe," Huo Yuhao explained what he had learned on Ghost Street.
Zhang Lexuan gently nodded—this was new knowledge to her.
The four maids, however, weren't surprised; they had known this for a while.
Each of them came from noble families. Even if they hadn't been devoted to cultivation in the past, they hadn't slacked on their studies. In fact, they were each skilled in various arts.
After all, their families weren't especially powerful and couldn't afford for them to ignore everything else. If they wanted to avoid being pawned off in political marriages—especially to subpar candidates—they had to work harder to elevate themselves, with the hope of marrying into more powerful noble families. Their families supported this ambition.
Regardless of talent or appearance, there was one absolute requirement: they couldn't afford to be dumb. Knowledge acquisition was a must.
Their diligence eventually paid off. After joining the White Lotus Sect, they were chosen to become Zhang Lexuan's maids and even climbed into Huo Yuhao's bed.
"So, if we kill the goblins, that fire dragon will appear?" Zhang Lexuan asked.
"Exactly," Huo Yuhao nodded. "Senior Sister, let me kill the goblins. Once the fire dragon shows up, you can take it down with a surprise attack."
"Alright." Zhang Lexuan nodded.
Having a high-ranking Soul Douluo ambush a mere 40,000-year-old fire dragon might be considered underhanded—but it was simple, efficient, and left no reason to refuse.
"We'll help too,"
The four maids volunteered in unison.
Jin'er was particularly eager, as she had sensed that her martial soul had grown stronger. She wanted to test it in battle.
The five of them charged out.
The goblins quickly noticed the intruders and surged forward to resist. They wielded primitive, crude weapons—clubs, wooden spears, stone axes, and the like.
The four maids took the lead, summoning their martial souls. While their spirits weren't top-tier, they were at least of mid-grade quality.
Jin'er's martial soul, the Golden Scale Python, possessed her. Her lower body transformed into a snake tail, while gold-colored scales emerged on her exposed skin—her arms, the back of her hands, her cheeks, and neck. Key areas like her chest and abdomen were also covered in scales, offering protection without impeding her movements.
Don't ask how Huo Yuhao knew that.
Compared to before, her golden scales now shimmered with a hint of purple, exuding a more noble aura.
While her martial soul hadn't evolved, it had clearly strengthened, and the chances of future evolution had increased.
Faced with the charging goblins, Jin'er smirked. Her fourth soul ring lit up, and her snake tail extended to over ten meters. With a whip-like strike of her lower body, she exploded dozens of goblins in one swing.
After attacking, Jin'er said excitedly, "I feel like my strength, flexibility, and defense have all improved!"
Even if the goblins were individually weak, she was certain she wouldn't have been able to kill so many at once before.
"Congratulations, Sister," Mu'er landed beside her and offered sincere congratulations before flying back into the air to continue slaughtering goblins. Her efficiency was even higher.
Mu'er's martial soul was the Wood Charm Falcon—a plant-controlling avian type, categorized as a control-type martial soul with the rare bonus of flight, though not particularly fast. After possession, green streaks appeared in her hair, soft wings sprouted from her back, and her body grew slightly taller—otherwise, not much changed.
However, she could carry others in flight, opening the door to many… possibilities. Huo Yuhao had tested them personally.
In battle, Mu'er flew above the forest, manipulating surrounding plants to attack the goblins. Her efficiency in killing was unmatched. Her soul skills enhanced and accelerated plant growth, making her extremely powerful in forested terrain. Without a forest, she would have to grow plants using soul power alone, reducing her effectiveness.
Of course, as soul engineers of the Sun-Moon Empire, they naturally used soul tools too. Mu'er pulled out a level-6 long-range soul tool, resembling a sniper rifle, for precise strikes. It had superior penetration and destructive power, ideal for picking off goblins who slipped past her plant control.
After testing her martial soul, Jin'er also took out her own soul tool: a level-6 hand cannon. It wasn't long-range, but it complemented her melee style. Its shots carried a poison effect.
Below level-7, soul tools that could imbue non-native elemental effects—like poison—were particularly valuable.
Huo'er was the most excited, as this battle was for her to acquire her seventh soul ring.
Her martial soul was the Fire Qilin Beast, a four-legged, fire-elemental, dragon-blooded beast resembling a horse. After possession, small horns sprouted from her head, and her fiery red hair flowed like flames. She grew taller, more voluptuous, and more mature-looking.
Her weapon of choice was a level-6 flamethrower that could channel fire-type soul power, unleashing intense flames. The heat increased drastically.
Many goblins swarming her were instantly roasted. Even ten-thousand-year goblins were badly burned; weaker ones were carbonized.
"Hahaha, burn them all!" Huo'er laughed with delight.
Anyone using a flamethrower as their main weapon clearly had a fiery personality.
"Huo'er, be careful not to set the forest on fire," Shui'er quickly reminded her.
"Got it! Don't worry~" Huo'er replied cheerily.
As Huo'er's closest friend, Shui'er supported her while also making sure the fire didn't spread and alert nearby forces. They were similar in age and had excellent teamwork—something Huo Yuhao made sure they practiced.
Shui'er's martial soul was the Azure Water Turtle. She didn't possess it directly but summoned it independently using a special technique, allowing it to fight on its own.
The one-meter-tall turtle had smooth skin and a rounded shell, quite cute—perfect as a mount.
As a pure support-type soul master, Shui'er had no offensive skills. But she wielded a level-6 soul cannon for ranged attacks.
While the turtle sprayed water to douse burning trees, Shui'er used her cannon to bomb goblins, killing dozens with each blast.
Before Huo Yuhao even lifted a finger, the four maids had already decimated the goblin tribe, inflicting massive casualties.
The goblins finally felt fear. They roared, summoning the fire dragon from the mine.
At last, a roar echoed from within, and a flame-cloaked earth dragon emerged.
Then… nothing.
It only saw a silver moon—before falling into baby-like slumber.
Instant kill upon appearance!
A Hell Lesser Dragon with over forty thousand years of cultivation had just emerged when Zhang Lexuan immediately knocked it unconscious and brought it back for Huo'er to use as a spirit ring.
Although it shared the "Hell" title, the Hell Lesser Dragon actually had nothing to do with the Hell Demon Dragon. The Lesser Dragon earned its name solely because of its fearsome appearance. It didn't even have wings and couldn't fly. However, the flames it spewed were quite powerful—hot enough to melt metal—allowing it to thrive in mineral-rich areas.
With the death of the Hell Lesser Dragon leader, the remaining goblins had no power to resist.
Eventually, this goblin tribe was completely wiped out.
Goblins were a highly prolific type of soul beast. No one knew how many such tribes existed in the Jingyang Mountains, so the loss of one tribe meant little in the grand scheme.
Huo'er found a safe spot, far from the blood-drenched battlefield, and cheerfully began absorbing the spirit ring. Though the Hell Lesser Dragon was only a "lesser" dragon, it was still a dragon-type soul beast, and its spirit ring quality wouldn't be low.
While Huo'er absorbed the ring, Huo Yuhao led Jin'er and the others to clean up the battlefield. This large group of goblins had dropped quite a few good things.
First, there were spirit bones. With the entire goblin tribe wiped out, two spirit bones dropped: a ten-thousand-year goblin left leg bone and a twenty-thousand-year goblin left arm bone. Since the goblins had been so underwhelming in battle, none of the girls were eager to claim them. It was unlikely that these bones would produce powerful soul skills.
In the end, Huo Yuhao kept them to sell later at Ghost Street or trade for other resources.
Next came the mineral resources stored in the goblin tribe's lair. Goblins were excellent miners, and their lair naturally contained various ores. Most were fire-attributed ores from the Hell Lesser Dragon's vein. These ores were periodically sent to the dragon's lair for it to consume.
Ores were also useful for soul beasts, who could absorb the energy within to strengthen themselves. The Hell Lesser Dragon's flames could melt ores, making it easier to absorb their power.
Aside from ores, there were also some herbs and even fragments of soul tools—clearly scavenged items of limited value.
All valuable items were packed up and taken away.
Finally, Huo Yuhao had resources all to himself: the goblins' souls, blood, and spirit rings.
Their souls were absorbed by the centipede-foot avatar underground using the ghost banner martial soul. The blood could be stored for the centipede-foot avatar as well, and the leftover spirit rings would be used for crafting secret-soul external spirit bones.
Once the visible resources were collected, Huo Yuhao and the girls returned to Huo'er's location to protect her during her absorption process.
It was, of course, unwise to absorb a spirit ring on the battlefield, given the heavy stench of blood—it could easily attract other soul beasts.
Meanwhile, after Huo Yuhao and the group had left, a while later, a small goblin staggered out of a hidden cellar. This goblin had clearly just been born and was only at the hundred-year level in power.
What was unusual was its red hair and the fire-elemental aura it emitted. This was clearly a mutated goblin with fire-attributed powers.
The mutated goblin emerged, saw the slaughtered remnants of its tribe, and big tears rolled down its face. It tilted its head back and howled in anguish, its cries filled with hatred.
Mutated Goblin: This vengeance must be avenged!
Then, two shadows loomed over it. The goblin froze and looked up—two centipede-foot avatars were staring straight at it.
Centipede-foot Avatar: What's up, little brother?
Far away...
Huo Yuhao, who had been meditating with eyes closed, suddenly opened them, a slight smile playing on his lips. He had already discovered the mutated goblin and had deliberately left it alive.
After all, the crafting of the secret-soul external spirit bone needed a high-quality core vessel. No ordinary goblin could compare to that mutated one.
Once the avatars finished collecting the blood, Huo Yuhao remotely possessed one and began crafting the secret-soul external spirit bone using the goblin spirit rings and the mutated goblin.
His main body simply sat quietly, waiting for Huo'er to finish absorbing her ring.
There were no issues with Huo'er's absorption. Several hours later, she opened her eyes. She immediately summoned her martial soul, and a wave of intense heat radiated from her.
"So hot! Huo'er, your flame's temperature rose?" Shui'er was the first to sense the change.
"Hahaha, my martial soul's flame has evolved! From now on, my flames shall be called Hellfire!" Huo'er laughed and raised her hand to summon a flame.
The flame in her hand now had a black hue at its core—not evil, but deeply destructive.
Jin'er's martial soul had gained purple scales, a visible change. But Huo'er's flame had evolved—a real breakthrough.
Zhang Lexuan glanced at the girls, her gaze flickering. Huo'er was only a few years older than Huo Yuhao and was already a Soul Saint—a prodigy rivaling Huo Yuhao himself, far surpassing the so-called elites of Shrek Academy.
Still, Zhang Lexuan knew the real reason behind the girls' rapid growth wasn't talent—it was due to the special techniques of the White Lotus Sect.
Pity that the White Lotus techniques had their flaws. Otherwise, if they could be spread within Shrek Academy, they would have produced many talented soul masters.
But if Huo Yuhao could tie these four attendants closely to Shrek Academy, the academy would gain four prodigious soul masters—its future secured.
They didn't linger long.
It was already afternoon, but there was still time. If they moved quickly, they could get another spirit ring for one of the girls.
After all, the soul beasts Huo Yuhao had chosen were all located relatively close to one another.
Next stop: a forested mountainside.
"According to the intel, there's a group of tree spirits living in this forest, several of which are over forty thousand years old. Perfect for Muer-jiejie," Huo Yuhao reported.
Mu'er nodded. Her family had long studied soul ring combinations for the Wood Charm Falcon martial soul, and tree spirits were one of the optimal choices.
"Another soul beast tribe to wipe out?" Huo'er asked excitedly—she was itching to burn something again.
"Not necessary," Mu'er replied. She was well-informed about tree spirits. "Although tree spirits live in groups, they don't have a tribe-like hierarchy. We just need to capture the right one—no need to fear retaliation."
To capture a forty-thousand-year tree spirit from the forest, Zhang Lexuan—undoubtedly the strongest—would need to act.
Without hesitation, Zhang Lexuan dashed into the forest.
After a brief investigation, she locked onto a forty-thousand-year tree spirit, captured it, and swiftly exited the forest.
As expected, the other tree spirits did not pursue.
"Thank you, Saintess!" Mu'er quickly expressed her gratitude.
"It's nothing. Go ahead and absorb it," Zhang Lexuan replied calmly.
Mu'er nodded, drew a soul tool long sword, and prepared to finish off the tree spirit. Tree spirits resembled large trees and could disguise themselves to ambush prey. The one Zhang Lexuan brought back was already half-dead. Mu'er drove her sword into its core and easily ended it.
The tree spirit decayed into dry wood before their eyes.
Then, Mu'er began absorbing its spirit ring.
Huo Yuhao's expression suddenly shifted as he stared at the decaying wood. He raised a hand and blasted the wood apart—revealing a soul bone.
"A soul bone drop?" the girls exclaimed.
"Forty-thousand-year tree spirit left arm bone," Huo Yuhao confirmed.
The three attendants all held their breath. This wasn't like the junk goblin soul bones—they could all sense this one's true value.
But soon, all three looked to Zhang Lexuan.
It was up to her to decide what would become of the soul bone.