Zhang Lexuan had no greed for this soul bone and quickly said,
"Since Mu'er has absorbed the Tree Spirit's soul ring, she might as well absorb its soul bone too. That way, the gain will be greater."
The three handmaidens immediately became excited and all bowed deeply to Zhang Lexuan in gratitude.
"Jin'er thanks the Saintess on behalf of younger sister Mu'er for your kindness."
"Thank you, Saintess!" ×2
Huo'er and Shui'er also echoed gratefully.
Zhang Lexuan only gently shook her head, indicating that it was no big deal.
"We're all on the same side, no need to be so formal."
But her definition of "the same side" didn't necessarily mean members of the White Lotus Sect.
After several more hours passed and the sun set, Mu'er completed the absorption of her soul ring. Before she could share her joy with her sisters, Huo Yuhao handed her the Tree Spirit's soul bone, signaling her to absorb it as well.
Mu'er's eyes turned red with emotion. She repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan. She didn't stand on ceremony and immediately began absorbing the soul bone.
It's much easier to absorb a soul bone after absorbing a soul ring, and the boost to Mu'er would be even more significant.
Even though they were all absorbing soul bones of forty-thousand years, Mu'er's soul power level became the highest. The other three girls now had to work hard to catch up. Otherwise, their joint attack technique would lose its perfect balance and be unable to unleash its full power.
For their combined technique, the four handmaidens needed to have the same soul power level to cultivate it. Once mastered, differing levels wouldn't prevent its use—but it would still be imperfect and flawed.
As night fell—
The Jingyang Mountain Range became more dangerous. Many soul beasts began their nocturnal hunts.
At the same time, a figure sprang into action.
With the night as his cover, Xu Tianran moved into a sub-range, gazing toward a certain valley, licking his bloodthirsty fangs.
Within that valley lay the soul beast he had chosen as his ninth soul ring, a target he had been eyeing for years.
That valley concealed a 100,000-year-old soul beast!
In the original story, Xu Tianran didn't become a Titled Douluo until he was over thirty. Now, not even thirty yet, he was on the verge of becoming one—many years ahead of schedule.
Still, his ambition remained unchanged.
Arrogant by nature, Xu Tianran naturally sought the best ninth soul ring. Ideally, a high-year dragon-type ring; failing that, a destruction-attribute soul beast. But the best of all—was a 100,000-year soul ring!
For most soul masters, as long as a 100,000-year soul ring didn't conflict with their martial soul, it was the optimal choice.
Because for a soul master, a 100,000-year soul ring wasn't just about age—it was also the threshold to becoming a Super Douluo.
Not all Super Douluo had 100,000-year soul rings, but anyone who had one would definitely become a Super Douluo!
After becoming a Soul Douluo, Xu Tianran had begun secretly searching for his perfect ninth soul ring. He found several 80–90,000-year dragon-type soul beasts. Though rare, high-age dragons were relatively more common. But he never encountered a suitable destruction-attribute soul beast—they were simply too rare.
Until one day, a 100,000-year soul beast was discovered. Xu Tianran made his final decision.
His ninth soul ring had to be that beast!
Though crippled in the legs and physically weak, Xu Tianran had made extensive preparations to absorb a 100,000-year soul ring. He bathed in body-strengthening medicines, and absorbed three soul bones, all over 50,000 years—two in his arms, one in his head—to boost his physical and spiritual power.
His legs didn't count—he didn't have any.
As for the torso, he reserved it for a 100,000-year soul bone to maximize benefits.
Originally, even with all this, his body still couldn't withstand the pressure of a 100,000-year soul ring. But after acquiring a Bright King Artifact and consuming blood pills, his physique improved significantly.
So now, he dared to go after the 100,000-year ring head-on.
Under the moonlight, the valley was calm. The faint sound of insects, and the glow of fireflies created a peaceful scene.
Xu Tianran had no mood to admire it. He knew the reason for this calm was the 100,000-year soul beast's deterrent power. No other beasts dared to intrude.
After ensuring everything was ready, Xu Tianran wasted no time—he struck without hesitation.
An eighth-grade fixed soul cannon shell—
Whoosh—
Incoming mini nuke!
BOOM!!!
The deafening explosion shattered the silence of the night—and obliterated the valley's peace.
It also obliterated the valley itself.
Far away, in another mountain range, Huo Yuhao's group abruptly opened their eyes and looked toward the explosion's source.
Even from a distance, they heard the blast clearly. Everyone instantly became alert.
"What's going on?" asked Huo'er, on guard. She and Shui'er flanked Mu'er, who was still absorbing the soul bone, guarding her.
Jin'er leaped to the treetop and scanned the distance, then called down,
"A battle's broken out over there—I saw a flash of fire from an explosion."
Should they go check it out? Stay put? Or evacuate?
Zhang Lexuan made the call.
"Yuhao, stay here and protect them. I'll go investigate."
They had to be prepared. It was essential to ensure the danger wouldn't affect them before they could relax. If not, they'd need to plan an early retreat.
As the strongest among them, Zhang Lexuan would scout personally. Huo Yuhao didn't object and stayed to guard the four handmaidens, calling out,
"Senior Sister—be careful!"
Zhang Lexuan nodded lightly, didn't respond, and in the blink of an eye, disappeared into the dark mountain forest.
…
The valley was shattered. A miniature sun rose from the ruins.
No—that wasn't a sun. It was a soul beast!
A massive five-meter-tall rodent-type soul beast, round and plump, clearly well-fed. It had snow-white fur, now scorched and damaged from the blast—evidence of the serious injury it had suffered from the fixed soul cannon.
Its eyes blazed with rage and fear, radiating fire-attribute energy. Glowing with red soul light, it resembled a small sun. Clearly, the sneak attack had both enraged and frightened it.
This soul beast was a 100,000-year-old Fire Mouse!
Ordinary fire mice shared the food chain tier with northern ice silkworms—bottom of the forest hierarchy. High-year specimens were extremely rare.
But this world is never short on surprises.
There were million-year ice silkworms—and now a 100,000-year fire mouse.
Though it had a fire attribute, like the ice silkworm, it wasn't particularly strong. It was cowardly by nature and excelled at burrowing and escape.
This one had simply survived long enough to reach 100,000 years.
And now, it had finally been found by a human.
But don't underestimate this fire mouse's century-old escape expertise!
Rudely awakened and bombed out of its den, the fire mouse became extremely angry—
And immediately turned tail and ran.
Fight?
It can't fight at all!
Xu Tianran was briefly stunned—he didn't expect a 100,000-year fire mouse to prioritize escape even at this level.
But he quickly recovered, activating his wheelchair to speed in pursuit, and summoned another eighth-grade fixed soul cannon shell.
Then—
BOOM—
Xu Tianran never imagined that hunting a hundred-thousand-year soul beast would be this easy.
With just two eighth-level stationary soul cannon shells, the hundred-thousand-year Fire Rat was left twitching on the ground.
He had made extensive preparations for this hunt, even specifically choosing to fight at night. According to the Fire Rat's behavior patterns, it was weaker at night—its mental power and combat abilities would both diminish.
But in the end, all that preparation was completely unnecessary.
Had Huo Yuhao been present, he would have told Xu Tianran plainly: soul beasts were simply no match—no matter if they were even million-year ones. Let alone a mere hundred-thousand-year Fire Rat.
The Fire Rat and the Ice Silkworm could both be considered the "Sleeping Dragons and Phoenix Hatchlings" of the Douluo Continent—full of reputation, but little capability.
Xu Tianran had always heard of exceptional soul beasts described as: "a thousand years comparable to ten thousand," or "ten thousand years rivaling a hundred thousand." But this was his first time encountering a hundred-thousand-year soul beast that felt more like a ten-thousand-year one.
What the hell was this?
A hundred-thousand-year beast king's body no better than a small fry?
Now, Xu Tianran had only one thought: he'd wasted two eighth-level stationary soul cannon shells!
A seventh-level—or maybe even sixth-level—shell would probably have done the job just fine.
He even started hesitating whether to absorb the Fire Rat's soul ring at all, worried that its poor quality would drag down his martial soul's potential.
If the Fire Rat had just resisted a little, he wouldn't have had this doubt. But it had been so pathetically weak it made even goblins look tough!
Fortunately, after checking, Xu Tianran confirmed that the Fire Rat's soul power was indeed that of a real hundred-thousand-year soul beast—this couldn't be faked.
Regardless, it was still a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Abandoning it would be too wasteful, so he decided to take it away with him.
He pulled out a previously prepared soul tool:
A ninth-level soul tool—Sealing God Platform!
Yes, the same type of sealing tool used in the original story to trap Snow Empress. It was a special soul tool designed solely for sealing, with no offensive capabilities.
Whether Snow Empress's sealing in the original work was part of some grand plan was unclear, but it was still reasonable that some soul engineers might carry Sealing God Platforms with them.
At this stage of Douluo Continent's history, there were no known methods to store soul rings, which is why soul tools like the Sealing God Platform existed. When soul masters couldn't immediately absorb the soul ring after hunting a beast, they'd seal the beast first, move it to a secure location, and only then kill and absorb it—especially with high-level soul beasts.
After all, no sane person would absorb a soul ring while in the middle of a dense soul beast habitat.
Transporting a live soul beast had too many risks and inconveniences, hence the invention of Sealing God Platforms. These tools used the beast's own soul power to maintain its imprisonment—efficient and secure.
Some nobles would equip their personal soul masters with these tools to bring specific beasts back alive for later harvesting. This not only reduced the danger of soul hunting, but also prevented time loss.
Of course, using a Sealing God Platform was costly—ordinary nobles couldn't afford them.
Due to its high value, they were typically only used for capturing soul beasts above 80,000 years in age—often when nobles were acquiring their eighth or ninth soul ring.
Some soul engineers also used them to capture beasts for research purposes.
Xu Tianran had prepared one just in case his subordinates needed it to catch a soul beast for him.
He hadn't expected that he himself would end up using it—just to transfer a defeated Fire Rat.
Because the previous battle had caused such a commotion, he had to move quickly and take the Fire Rat away to avoid attracting even more dangerous soul beasts.
Just as he finished sealing the Fire Rat, Xu Tianran's expression suddenly changed. He turned sharply and shouted coldly:
"Who's there?!"
Hidden nearby, Zhang Lexuan's eyes narrowed. She hadn't expected Xu Tianran to be so sharp. She had just arrived at the battle site and hadn't even figured out what was happening before being detected.
Without hesitation, Zhang Lexuan turned and fled—she didn't dare face Xu Tianran directly. She didn't recognize him and didn't know what had just happened, but the double explosions from earlier told her clearly: this wasn't someone she should fight head-on.
As she fled, Xu Tianran locked onto her aura and gave immediate chase—his killing intent plain as day.
Truth be told, Xu Tianran's perception wasn't particularly strong. But as Zhang Lexuan approached, he had a strange reaction—one born from the training effects of the Bright King's artifact. The only people who could trigger such a sensation were those related to the artifact.
Which meant—there was no doubt.
She must be from the White Lotus Sect!
Or more precisely—one of the Third Prince's people!
If someone from the White Lotus Sect was here, then the Third Prince's agents had likely arrived too. Xu Tianran was in no position to confront the Third Prince just yet, so he had to eliminate this spy—cut off the information at the source!
In the forest, Xu Tianran began his pursuit. Zhang Lexuan realized she had provoked someone extremely dangerous and immediately activated her Silver Pattern external spirit bone, enhancing her stats and exploding into full speed, fleeing far away.
To avoid endangering Huo Yuhao and the others, she deliberately looped around in a different direction—leading danger away from them.
But unexpectedly, while chasing her, Xu Tianran's face shifted again—he suddenly looked in another direction:
Toward Huo Yuhao's group.
Xu Tianran had sensed a new target!
"She deliberately avoided that direction… does that mean something's hidden there?"
Xu Tianran's eyes narrowed sharply. He instantly changed course and headed toward Huo Yuhao and the others.
If one spy was hiding, there could be more. If he couldn't eliminate them all, at least he had to find out how many from the White Lotus Sect were here before taking further action.
Regardless, since people from the White Lotus Sect had appeared in the Jingyang Mountain Range, there were probably spies in Mingdu as well.
Mingdu could no longer be returned to.
"Old Third… since you insist on forcing me to the brink, then I'll fight you properly!"
A ruthless gleam flickered in Xu Tianran's eyes.
Meanwhile…
Mu'er was still absorbing the soul bone.
Jin'er, Shui'er, and Huo'er kept watch on their surroundings.
Huo Yuhao leaned against a tree, eyes half-lidded, staring in a certain direction.
Naturally, he had sensed Xu Tianran's approach. In truth, Xu Tianran had sensed the four maids—but Huo Yuhao hadn't expected Xu Tianran to take things this far.
Still, since Xu Tianran had delivered himself, Huo Yuhao decided he'd test how well this "free-range pig" had grown.
"Enemy attack!" Huo Yuhao declared.
In an instant, his soul armor activated. He soared into the air.
The next second—Xu Tianran arrived in his wheelchair, colliding midair with Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao struck first:
"Radiant Frost Centipede Fist!"
Light burst forth, dazzling Xu Tianran's eyes.
The radiant flash atop the forest canopy was also seen by Zhang Lexuan in the distance. Realizing something had happened to Huo Yuhao's group, she didn't hesitate any longer—rushing back to assist them.
Xu Tianran approached the target he had sensed, a flash of ruthless delight in his eyes.
"Since you dare to hunt me, you'd better be ready to pay the price! I wonder if the blood of a Soul Master can be used to condense a Blood Pill?"
The very next second, a blinding light suddenly burst out from the forest in front of him, searing his vision into complete white.
It was a flashbang grenade~
Immediately after, a heavy punch smashed into his soul tool shield, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud boom. Several trees were knocked down in the impact, and a deep crater was formed on the forest floor.
Hovering above him, Huo Yuhao looked down at Xu Tianran, not wasting a single word as he attacked again.
To avoid killing Xu Tianran outright, Huo Yuhao restrained his strength—but not too obviously. After all, he currently possessed combat power rivaling that of a Titled Douluo. If he couldn't handle someone like Xu Tianran, who was only nearing that level, it would be hard to explain.
The Ice Pole Dual Sword appeared in his hand. Huo Yuhao chose to use swordsmanship, his weakest style. A single sword thrust, laced with the ultimate chill, fell from above and pierced Xu Tianran's soul tool shield. Cracks instantly spread across the level-nine shield.
This was no ordinary weapon. The Ice Pole Dual Sword carried the ultimate ice attribute, a 700,000-year-old external spirit bone forged like a spiritual weapon, infused with the sword intent of the Snow Empress. How could a mere level-nine soul tool shield possibly block it?
It simply couldn't, got it?
Having just regained his vision, Xu Tianran was chilled to the bone at the sight. He quickly activated his Martial Soul and triggered the flight function of his wheelchair, trying to pull away from Huo Yuhao as fast as possible.
If he took another hit, his soul shield might shatter. At that point, the sword would be unstoppable, and his life would be in serious danger.
It suddenly dawned on Xu Tianran that he may have made a rash decision.
Maybe it was the sting of past failures, maybe it was resentment toward the Third Prince, or perhaps it was the shame he'd suffered recently that made him so impulsive. But charging in without breaking through to Titled Douluo level had exposed him—and now he was in deep trouble.
He should've known. If the Third Prince dared to send people to kill him, why would they be mere cannon fodder?
Xu Tianran wanted to run—but Huo Yuhao had no intention of letting him go. The Ice Pole Dual Sword was like a venomous snake, tracking him unerringly and aiming for his throat, determined to pierce the shield and take his life.
Despite Xu Tianran's desperate retreat and surge of survival instinct, he felt no safety even behind his level-nine shield.
Xu Tianran: "Please don't stab again—my membrane's gonna break!"
Too bad. Huo Yuhao's sword shook, unleashing the Snow Empress's sword intent. The blade seemed to extend by a segment, and in that moment, it pierced through the level-nine soul tool shield. The ultimate chill surged in.
One level-nine soul tool—shattered.
But Xu Tianran had no time to grieve. His pupils shrank—there was nothing now between him and the tip of the sword.
Just in time, a golden invincibility shield activated, stopping the Ice Pole Dual Sword in its tracks.
The two clashed, sending out shockwaves. This time, Huo Yuhao's sword couldn't breach the absolute defense of the invincibility shield, so he pulled back.
In just a few seconds, Xu Tianran had brushed against death. If it weren't for the invincibility shield—one of the best life-saving tools—he would've been decapitated by Huo Yuhao's sword just now.
The near-death experience left him shaken and furious, his expression turning more and more twisted.
He suddenly found himself empathizing with the 100,000-year Fire Rat.
It wasn't that he couldn't fight—it's just that fleeing had a better cost-benefit ratio!
If he hadn't come chasing after that sensed aura, he wouldn't have ended up in this dangerous situation. He could've easily hidden in the depths of the Jingyang Mountains to bide his time. He would've made his comeback eventually—why risk everything for a moment's pride?
But it was too late for regrets. Now he had to think about how to escape.
Only now did Xu Tianran finally look away from the Ice Pole Dual Sword and see Huo Yuhao's face for the first time.
Clad in ice armor, wielding a sword of frost, and possessing peerless looks, Xu Tianran had never seen such a youth before. Unfortunately, he was the enemy—and he was trying to kill him.
A cold light flashed in Xu Tianran's eyes as he burned Huo Yuhao's image into his memory. Huo Yuhao was now on his kill list.
No words were exchanged. After a moment of silent confrontation, they both attacked simultaneously.
Huo Yuhao swung the Ice Pole Dual Sword, sending out waves of chilling sword aura that began to freeze the surrounding forest.
Xu Tianran responded by pulling out a set of level-eight soul tool cannons, mounting them on both himself and his wheelchair, and launched a continuous bombardment at Huo Yuhao, using his soul power without restraint.
Huo Yuhao's sword aura was shattered under the barrage of soul cannon blasts.
At this moment, Xu Tianran looked like he was riding a mobile turret. His wheelchair not only bore soul cannons but also allowed him to fly and maneuver, giving him more flexibility than most soul engineers.
He even had time to sip soul power from a bottle, restoring energy while attacking—firing and recovering at the same time.
Right now, Xu Tianran needed to repel Huo Yuhao and maintain his distance. Only then could he retreat safely. If Huo Yuhao got close again, he wouldn't have enough invincibility shields left to block that deadly sword.
Meanwhile, as Xu Tianran fought fiercely, a beam of moonlight suddenly shot out from the forest behind him.
Zhang Lexuan had returned, launching a sneak attack from the rear!
Amidst the dark woods, a silver moon floated behind her, her body marked with glowing silver lines as she released a powerful lunar attack.
But Xu Tianran seemed to have expected this. Don't forget—his cultivation technique allowed him to sense Zhang Lexuan's location, and he had already detected her approach and guessed her intent.
Just as Zhang Lexuan attacked, Xu Tianran's eyes lit up. He slammed a hidden button on his wheelchair, and with a whoosh, the soul tool under the chair burst into high speed, shifting him sideways in an instant.
Now, nothing stood between Huo Yuhao's sword aura and Zhang Lexuan's moonlight attack.
BOOM!!!
The sword energy and moonlight collided violently, causing a massive explosion.
Using the explosion as cover, Xu Tianran pushed his wheelchair's soul tool to the limit, fleeing at full speed. He seemed to activate a stealth-type soul tool, concealing his presence and vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes.
Back when Xu Tianran stole the Bright King artifact, it was with this sudden acceleration technique—turns out it was a function of his wheelchair all along.
No wonder he'd survived assassination attempts. His escape and survival tools were actually pretty impressive.
Huo Yuhao didn't bother chasing.
Xu Tianran had yet to truly break through to Titled Douluo level, so it wasn't the ideal time to kill him. More importantly, Huo Yuhao had now confirmed Xu Tianran's rate of progress—it was impressive growth, a good return on the investment he had made using all those blood-energy seeds.
Yes, blood-energy seeds.
The reason Xu Tianran could produce so many blood pills with the Bright King artifact and cultivate so rapidly was because the artifact already contained blood-energy seeds planted by Huo Yuhao. These were transformed into blood pills by the artifact and supplied to Xu Tianran for his cultivation.
After all, the faster Xu Tianran grew, the sooner Huo Yuhao could harvest him.
Zhang Lexuan did not pursue Xu Tiannan. Instead, she quickly rushed to Huo Yuhao's side, more concerned about his condition and the others'.
"Yuhao, are you alright?" Zhang Lexuan asked urgently, her worry evident.
Activating her Silver Mark at full strength had once again shaken the emotional suppression imposed by the artifact's domain, allowing Zhang Lexuan to express her emotions once more.
"Senior Sister, I'm fine. Sister Jin and the others are safe too. What about you?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"I'm fine as well. I didn't actually engage in battle with him," Zhang Lexuan replied.
"Senior Sister, who exactly was that guy just now?" Huo Yuhao asked seriously.
"I only know he seemed to be hunting something. I'm not sure of the specifics. But his sensory abilities were strong—he detected us even from a distance," Zhang Lexuan explained.
She wasn't familiar with the God-Sealing Platform, nor did she understand its function, as such Soul Tools didn't exist in the original Three Kingdoms of Douluo.
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly and added, "I see. But when I fought him just now, I noticed that his strength wasn't particularly high. He was likely only at the quasi-Title Douluo level. If he hadn't escaped so fast, I would have taken him down for sure!"
"You..." Zhang Lexuan chuckled, lightly poking Huo Yuhao's forehead. Only Huo Yuhao, a Soul Sage, would dare call a quasi-Title Douluo weak.
Such was the unreasonable nature of geniuses.
To Zhang Lexuan, Huo Yuhao was simply adorable.
Still, she reminded him, "Don't let your guard down. Soul Tools can't be underestimated. Don't forget the Stationary Soul Guidance Cannon Shells—you've seen their power. He likely had seventh- or even eighth-grade ones. I saw him blow up an entire valley. He probably didn't use a big weapon earlier to avoid harming himself."
Huo Yuhao didn't respond right away. Instead, he stared intently at Zhang Lexuan's face.
"Yuhao? What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.
"Senior Sister... it's been a long time since I've seen you smile," Huo Yuhao said with deep emotion.
There wasn't a trace of lust in his expression—only heartfelt sympathy and sorrow.
Zhang Lexuan's gaze darkened slightly. She sighed, "I can only break through the domain's suppression temporarily. Solving this problem completely... I don't know when that will happen."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I will help you resolve it. I promise!" Huo Yuhao assured her sincerely.
"Alright, alright. I believe you," she said with a smile, as if coaxing a child. In her eyes, Huo Yuhao was just a kid. She even treated Beibei like a son—let alone Yuhao, who was even younger.
"From here on... I'll have to ask you to help suppress the side effects of the Silver Mark again," Zhang Lexuan suddenly said in a lower voice. Her ears flushed red, though the night concealed it well.
She was reminded of past ambiguous moments caused by the Silver Mark's effects—and felt shy again.
And a bit guilty.
On one hand, there was the age gap. On the other, Huo Yuhao already had a girlfriend. Most of all, she had secretly spied on him more than once.
But now, the only one who could help her hide her vulnerability was Yuhao. She didn't want anyone else to see her lose control.
Huo Yuhao tensed, becoming a bit flustered, but tried to remain composed. "Senior Sister, I-I will... you can c-count on me."
Seeing Yuhao's nervous stuttering made Zhang Lexuan smile genuinely. His anxiety, in turn, eased hers.
Though he was experienced, he still retained a boyish innocence. That was Huo Yuhao's charm.
The contrast stirred emotions in Zhang Lexuan's heart—but she forcibly suppressed them.
"Yuhao, let's head back."
"Mm."
The two said no more and returned to camp, where they were greeted by Jin'er and the other three women.
Mu'er had already finished absorbing her soul bone and regained consciousness. The four had stayed alert and didn't go outside recklessly.
When they saw Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan return, they sighed in relief and hurried up to check on them.
To the four, both Zhang Lexuan and Huo Yuhao were crucial—one was a spiritual pillar, the other a physical one.
"The enemy has been repelled. But we need to relocate immediately, in case they return to launch a sneak attack," Zhang Lexuan announced.
No one objected.
Moving camp in the middle of the night was risky. They did run into some fierce soul beasts, but with Zhang Lexuan and Huo Yuhao guarding, nothing went wrong.
Zhang Lexuan still had the Silver Mark active—this wasn't the time to let her guard down.
They relocated to another mountain range and set up a new camp. The four maids shared a tent. Huo Yuhao had his own. Zhang Lexuan had her own too.
As for night watch?
Of course—it was the Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul!
The independent Martial Soul could remain outside and release spiritual detection, making it the ideal night guard.
Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul: Yup, yup, that's me!
Some secrets were no longer hidden from the four maids—like Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan being "senior sister and junior brother," or their real Martial Souls. But their connection to Shrek Academy remained top secret.
Then, around midnight...
Zhang Lexuan summoned Huo Yuhao to her tent.
"Senior Sister, should I maybe... wait outside?" Huo Yuhao asked nervously.
Though blushing, Zhang Lexuan shook her head. "Yuhao, I need you to help muffle the sound..." Her voice grew barely audible.
Seeing her insistence, Huo Yuhao could only nod.
Zhang Lexuan took a deep breath and deactivated the Silver Mark external soul bone. Waves of pleasure surged through her, and her body went limp. She grabbed Yuhao's arms and, gritting her teeth, whispered with her last bit of rationality, "Yuhao... help me..."
But in the next second, her mind went blank. She didn't even give Yuhao time to react before unconscious moans began escaping her lips.
Yuhao tried to raise his hand to cover her mouth, but Zhang Lexuan's grip on his arms was too strong—he couldn't break free.
Before he could do anything else, Zhang Lexuan suddenly took the initiative, copying behaviors she'd seen from Jin'er and the others, and began to "assault" Huo Yuhao.
All Huo Yuhao could do was try to fend her off and resist her advances.
Rubbing's fine—just don't go all the way!
It's not harvest time yet!
Inside the dim tent, the two of them rolled together. Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan hadn't learned how to undress someone yet.
The over-the-clothes contact eventually eased Zhang Lexuan's instinctual urges. Her clumsiness prevented her from going further.
Still, the intensity of her desire was obvious—it was clear that her usual secret peeping had taken a toll on her.
Outside the tent, the Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul glanced toward Zhang Lexuan's tent... then turned to quietly gaze at the moon.
Tonight, the full moon seemed to shyly hide behind the clouds.
Dark clouds loom!
Meanwhile—
Xu Tiannan returned to his hideout, where the Bright King Artifact was stashed. Enraged, he wanted to smash something—but couldn't. Everything nearby was too valuable to break.
One Bright King Artifact, one God-Sealing Platform...
Looking again at the God-Sealing Platform in his hand, Xu Tiannan's opinion of the Fire Rat changed.
Maybe... being good at running wasn't completely useless.
A night of turbulence.
At dawn, inside the tent, Zhang Lexuan slowly opened her eyes, still savoring the lingering pleasure in her body.
Then, the memories of last night began to resurface in her mind, causing her pupils to widen slightly. Even though her emotions were being suppressed again, Zhang Lexuan was still clearly shaken, and waves of emotion briefly flickered across her face.
There was no doubt—what happened last night had crossed the line!
And worse yet—it was her who had initiated it!
The curiosity and pent-up desire brought on by secretly observing had pushed her beyond control, turning her into a creature of instinct.
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao had already left the tent, sparing her from figuring out how to deal with the awkwardness.
For now, avoidance was the best strategy.
That was probably the reason Huo Yuhao had left early.
Zhang Lexuan sat up and quickly checked herself. Huo Yuhao hadn't done anything beyond limits, and the signs were still present, confirming she hadn't lost her chastity—this allowed her to let out a sigh of relief.
But then, she noticed something strange—changes that had occurred after she broke through her state of intent (意境).
First, the whispers that used to constantly murmur in her ears and disturb her mind had completely vanished. Normally, she could resist them with her willpower, but during breakthroughs, they always grew louder and more disruptive. This time, however, they were completely gone, giving her rare inner peace.
Second, the state of intent that suppressed her emotions no longer seemed immovable. It was as if she had finally found a way to resist it.
Finally, her strength had increased—just a little, but it was a noticeable improvement.
There was no doubt—all of this was related to Huo Yuhao.
Zhang Lexuan quickly understood the cause.
"So that's it. No wonder the White Lotus Sect enforces celibacy. Intimate contact between men and women can shake their brainwashing methods—and may even directly counteract them. As for the power gain, that's probably due to Yuhao's special constitution. Who would've thought… that even that level of contact could bring benefits?"
She also thought of the four maidens. While they still appeared loyal to the White Lotus Sect, Zhang Lexuan believed that if they had to choose between the sect and Huo Yuhao, they'd undoubtedly choose him.
This meant the White Lotus Sect's control over hearts and minds was beginning to fail.
It was the fundamental reason why she believed the maidens could be swayed.
From a rational standpoint, this was a good thing.
Huo Yuhao could help her counteract the White Lotus Sect's mental manipulation and boost her power. Since the Xishui Alliance contained a Super Douluo, her chances of rescuing Beibei would rise if she could reach the Titled Douluo level quickly.
But on the emotional side, what had happened was a betrayal of Beibei! And now that she had crossed the line, did she still have the right to face him?
Currently, Zhang Lexuan remained in a state where her emotions were suppressed by reason, and she couldn't make a choice.
Or perhaps… she was still waiting for the right trigger.
At that moment, the whispers returned, echoing in her ears and making her frown. Strangely, although she had resisted them before, now they felt unbearable.
It was like someone who had never known light and thus could endure darkness—but once they'd seen the light, every second in darkness became torture.
Zhang Lexuan stayed silent for a long time. Only after a while did she compose herself and walk out of the tent.
Outside, Huo Yuhao was chatting with the four maidens, acting as if nothing had happened at all.
…
Although the group had experienced something major the night before, they didn't plan to leave just yet. One reason was that Shui'er still hadn't acquired her spirit ring. Another was that their enemies likely wouldn't return so soon—at least not during the day.
Still, just in case, they moved further away from the mountain range where the battle had occurred and decided to quickly help Shui'er obtain her ring before leaving the Jingyang Mountains.
As for Xu Tianran, he indeed wouldn't return. Huo Yuhao had sensed that Xu Tianran had already left their area, heading toward the deeper parts of the Jingyang Mountains, closer to the Demonic Forest—clearly going deeper to train, preparing for a triumphant return in the future.
Huo Yuhao's group continued spirit beast hunting.
For Shui'er's seventh spirit ring, they targeted a 40,000-year-old spirit beast: the Water Demon (水妖).
Water Demons resembled three-legged turtles. They had a tongue-like appendage shaped like a crossbow trigger that could shoot water or sand as attacks. Their bodies were blue or green, perfect for stealth in water.
Putting aside their strength, Water Demons were definitely… aesthetically challenging.
They could probably star in a documentary about "water monkeys" (a Chinese mythological creature).
On the surface of a lake, two century-old Water Demons were lazily sunbathing on rocks. But they weren't actually sunbathing—they were bait. The moment another beast or spirit master approached with hostile intent, an entire group of Water Demons hidden beneath the lake would show them the meaning of a sneak attack.
When Shui'er saw these beasts, she visibly frowned with rejection.
"Absorbing a Water Demon ring won't ruin the looks of my Clear Water Turtle, right?"
"Highly unlikely," Huo Yuhao said. "Unless it mutates."
"Shui'er, mutations aren't that easy to trigger~" Huo'er teased from the side.
Shui'er immediately blushed and hid behind Mu'er.
"Well, since we're already here, let's have Lady Saint personally catch a suitable Water Demon so we can see for ourselves," Jin'er said at last.
With the four maidens' request, Zhang Lexuan stepped in personally.
Water Demons live in groups and often hide beneath mountain lakes, ambushing other spirit beasts that come to drink. Some even fish for prey. Clearly, they were fairly intelligent.
After locating the lake they inhabited, Zhang Lexuan unleashed a blast of Moonlight, like dynamite in a fish pond—instantly drawing out dozens of Water Demons.
Unlike Treants, Water Demons were extremely vengeful and held grudges.
After being attacked, the entire tribe charged out to fight Zhang Lexuan head-on. Their opening move was a volley of water streams and a barrage of sand projectiles—surprisingly powerful, akin to a round of soul cannon fire.
But just dozens of Water Demons? Their strongest only had 50,000 years of cultivation—not enough to pose a threat to Zhang Lexuan.
She easily neutralized their attacks and even had enough leisure to fight them while cherry-picking the ideal candidate for Shui'er.
At this point, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. He raised his hand and pointed, shouting,
"Senior Sister! There's a white Water Demon in the back!"
Following his gesture, Zhang Lexuan spotted a white Water Demon among the green and blue ones. It was guarded by two larger 40,000-year Water Demons and clearly held a prominent role in the tribe.
Had Huo Yuhao not pointed it out, Zhang Lexuan might have missed it entirely—those two larger beasts had been blocking its presence.
"A mutated beast!" Zhang Lexuan instantly assessed.
Just like spirit masters could have mutated martial souls, spirit beasts could also have mutations—but the implications were quite different.
For spirit masters, mutations were usually negative.
For spirit beasts, mutated individuals were often stronger, with greater potential!