After leaving the imperial palace, Huo Yuhao reunited with his clone in an underground tunnel.
The clone had already completed the remaining two missions. After syncing memories with the clone, Huo Yuhao reviewed the entire process of how those tasks were carried out.
Compared to previous targets, the defensive forces around the other two were indeed stronger. However, they still couldn't stop the clone.
After all, it was an assassination carried out by a demi-god level being—failure would have been the real surprise. Those people could go to their graves with a smile, having died with honor.
Although the clone's methods were a bit rough, leaving some traces behind, it wasn't a major issue.
"I just don't know when Sister Xiaoya will make her move. If she doesn't stop me soon, another few hits and the capital will be in serious trouble," Huo Yuhao said with a grin.
It wasn't because more big shots would be assassinated, but because the clone's sloppy methods would soon get it exposed. At that point, the clone would be forced to purge the entire capital.
In the world of fantasy, there's always one fundamental rule: might makes right. Any problem can ultimately be solved through power and bloodshed.
Soon, Huo Yuhao returned to the base alone, releasing the clone into the wild to live as a free-roaming warrior.
The clone thought for a moment and then decided to return to the capital, bringing back last night's commission and indulging in city life.
Seriously, who in their right mind would choose to go train or take on missions when they have free time as a clone?
Why not enjoy life a bit?
Play the music, and keep dancing!
…
Back at the base, Huo Yuhao disguised his condition.
After carrying out so many "reluctant" assassinations, it wouldn't make sense if he came back totally unchanged. Otherwise, people would either suspect he wasn't a good person to begin with, or that he had some secret.
So, upon returning, he deliberately appeared with bloodshot eyes and a murderous aura.
And it worsened by the day.
This wasn't a good sign.
Zhang Lexuan specially sought out Xian Lin'er, hoping she could help Huo Yuhao, since many evil soul masters had fallen into depravity under similar mental strain.
Though his condition wasn't yet severe, it couldn't be ignored.
Xian Lin'er did offer a solution.
"There are two options," she said after a pause. "One: suspend the plan and use artistic immersion to ease the mental burden." She paused again before continuing, "Two: find a way to vent the inner turmoil."
The plan couldn't be paused, so the first option was out. That left only the second.
"How do we vent it?" Zhang Lexuan asked directly.
Xian Lin'er was quiet for even longer this time before finally replying, "Either battle a powerful opponent to burn off energy, or… use another channel to let it out."
"Another channel?" Zhang Lexuan asked.
"…"
Do you really not know, or are you just pretending?
Looking at Zhang Lexuan's genuinely puzzled expression, Xian Lin'er figured she might actually be clueless. So she spelled it out:
"I mean, find a woman."
Even saying it made Xian Lin'er feel ashamed. She was fundamentally against such behavior.
Huo Yuhao's constant flirting with multiple girls had long irritated her. If it weren't for his inherently good nature—and the fact that he risked his life to head to the Far North for Ling Luochen—she wouldn't even give him the time of day, let alone as the Sea God Pavilion's Young Master.
In the eyes of Xian Lin'er and most elders, Huo Yuhao belonged with Ling Luochen. Veena had ulterior motives, and though he had a decent relationship with Ma Xiaotao, the rest were just superficial admirers.
Originally, only Mu En knew of his relationship with Ma Xiaotao. After Mu En's death, only Zhang Lexuan was left who knew.
Zhang Lexuan actually knew more about Huo Yuhao's "female entanglements" than anyone. But how could she possibly reveal that?
After hearing Xian Lin'er's suggestion, Zhang Lexuan fell silent. But she thought of the four maidservants who had been helping Huo Yuhao. If even with them he was still in this state, the pressure he faced must be unimaginable. It must have been hard on him.
Huo Yuhao also remained quiet. He had expected a profound solution from Xian Lin'er, but this? This was basically telling him to tough it out! It was treating the symptom, not the cause!
Xian Lin'er calmly watched the two, mainly waiting for Huo Yuhao to make his decision.
Finally, Huo Yuhao bowed slightly to Xian Lin'er and said,
"Senior Sister, please assist me!"
Xian Lin'er smiled and nodded, "Very well."
She assumed he meant he wanted to spar. A wise choice.
Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, was thinking: there was never a real choice. If he had picked the other option, Xian Lin'er might have found a woman for him, but it would definitely affect her opinion of him. Once they returned to the academy, who knows what kind of stories she'd spread about him?
Zhang Lexuan took a closer look at Xian Lin'er and suspected Huo Yuhao might've actually wanted the second option. But she quickly shook the thought from her head.
"That must be the will's influence acting up again. I've been having too many dirty thoughts lately! Zhang Lexuan, when did you become so shameless?" she scolded herself inwardly.
And without further delay—
Xian Lin'er and Huo Yuhao left the capital via an underground tunnel and headed to a remote countryside location to duel.
To avoid causing too much noise, they opted to test combat techniques instead, which would also exhaust more stamina and energy.
"With my level-94 Titled Douluo strength, I should be able to help Yuhao fully release his frustration," Xian Lin'er thought confidently.
"Senior Sister, I'm coming!" Huo Yuhao said earnestly.
"Come on! Attack me head-on!" Xian Lin'er stood with one hand behind her back, showing the demeanor of a true master.
Immediately, Huo Yuhao burst forward with Startled Thunder Movement, launching his Frost Centipede Fist.
Xian Lin'er's pupils shrank in shock. She felt like a fierce beast had suddenly charged at her, baring its fangs. Without hesitation, she activated her Blue Flame Dragon Martial Soul and struck back with a powerful punch.
Boom!!
A dull thud echoed, but no major damage occurred to the surroundings—their force was concentrated and didn't spread.
Huo Yuhao was knocked backward several steps but wasn't hurt.
Xian Lin'er didn't move, but her feet had sunk into the ground.
A Soul Saint clashing evenly with a Titled Douluo? Not too over-the-top, since Huo Yuhao had only used physical power. It was just the opening test.
"Are you alright, Senior Sister?" he asked.
"Bring it on!" she beckoned him, still fully in Martial Soul form.
But in her heart, she was shocked.
"Yuhao's body is insane! No wonder he can absorb spirit rings beyond his level. I can't underestimate him… The stronger he becomes, the greater his future potential. I must do everything I can to help him grow!"
"Senior Sister, I'm coming again!" Huo Yuhao warned, charging once more.
But this time, his fist carried a faint, obscure black aura—
He had infused it with a wisp of the Demonic Sovereign Intent.
Since Xian Lin'er delivered herself right to his door… Brother Hao wasn't going to hold back.
"Demonic Dominion Over the World" was derived from the battle technique "Sovereign Dominion Over the World." Both incorporated the power of artistic conception (意境).
While Sovereign Dominion conveyed an aura that made enemies feel fear and submission—so much so that they would be unwilling to fight upon meeting again—Demonic Dominion was focused on controlling others. It was far more complex, unpredictable, and sinister.
The intent used to suppress Zhang Lexuan's emotions had actually been the essence of Demonic Dominion. The tug-of-war between Zhang Lexuan and the conception itself was completely orchestrated by Huo Yuhao.
This demonic conception could directly control a person's will, but doing so would leave noticeable traces. A subtler method was to silently and gradually twist a person's will, leaving behind no signs.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao chose the latter.
During his duel with Xian Lin'er, the conception of Demonic Dominion was silently infused into her body through their clashes. Xian Lin'er didn't notice a thing.
Though Xian Lin'er also had command over conceptional power, her grasp of it paled in comparison to Huo Yuhao's.
The strength of one's conception didn't rely solely on the length of cultivation but was closely tied to one's current mental state. Those with unwavering will and deep ambition had much stronger artistic conceptions.
After Xian Lin'er was invaded by the demonic conception, what awaited her was a slow corruption—her will being twisted until she eventually became a reflection of Huo Yuhao.
As with Zhang Lexuan, Huo Yuhao's goal with Xian Lin'er was not outright control, but a gradual transformation—inside and out—to avoid leaving any evidence.
Armed with the experience from manipulating Zhang Lexuan, Huo Yuhao's influence over Xian Lin'er became even more precise and skillful.
Their battle lasted two full hours before it came to a close. Huo Yuhao's murderous aura had lessened significantly, and he seemed much improved in condition.
Xian Lin'er was equally impressed by Huo Yuhao's strength and performance. She kept up an effortless façade, but her hands, hidden behind her back, were trembling uncontrollably.
"He's a monster!"
Throughout the duel, she suspected that had the battle grown any more intense, her body might not have withstood Huo Yuhao's onslaught.
Still, she had to maintain her image—as both senior sister and vice-dean.
"Yuhao, if you ever need me, you can come to me anytime," Xian Lin'er said with a smile, making a promise. Then, her face turned serious as she continued, "But with the exchange program ending soon, time is short. Please, I leave the matter of finding Beibei to you."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister Xian. I will definitely find Brother Beibei!" Huo Yuhao vowed with unwavering determination in his eyes.
After a brief exchange of battle insights, Huo Yuhao left reluctantly.
Watching his departing back, Xian Lin'er let out a soft sigh.
"I don't know if Yuhao can really find Beibei. But whether he does or not, I just hope he won't put himself in danger. The academy cannot afford to lose him. I must protect him."
"Just suppressing his murderous aura took two full hours. I nearly couldn't hold on… What if it becomes worse in the future? If I can't help him through battle, would I have to…"
"Ugh! What am I even thinking?!"
Her face reddened as she chastised herself, but when she recalled Yuhao's steadfast expression during the fight, her heart stirred.
Truth be told, among all the men she'd met in her life, Huo Yuhao was the most pleasing to the eye—and the most handsome—though still somewhat youthful.
"Men like beauties, and women like handsome men too."
Unfortunately, the age gap between her and Huo Yuhao was considerable—and she was already Qian Duoduo's wife. Though there was no intimacy between them, she still needed to uphold the dignity of being a wife—if only to prove to Yan Shaozhe that she had not betrayed anyone.
Clearing the thoughts from her mind, Xian Lin'er quietly departed, returning to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
With the exchange program nearing its end and Fan Yu immersed in intense studies, she also had to keep an eye on that front—just in case.
Due to the extended two-hour session with Xian Lin'er, the four maids had no chance to meet Huo Yuhao for their usual five-person session, leaving Zhang Lexuan a little disappointed as well.
Night fell once again.
Huo Yuhao took a mission at the Elegant Pavilion (雅阁). As always, Tang Ya showed no interest in making contact. Whether she was plotting something or truly indifferent, Huo Yuhao didn't care.
Regardless of her intentions, he would stick to his original plan. And if Tang Ya never took the initiative…
Then he'd simply have to use force.
Either way, Tang Ya was destined to be conquered by him.
After taking the mission, he sent one of his spiritual clones to complete it. He himself went to check on the Heavenly Dragon Dragon Girls (天龙龙女) at the Common Alliance stronghold.
The three Dragon Girls were growing well—not only in cultivation, but also through actual battle experience.
Shangguan Wei'er was very attentive, allocating resources from the Common Alliance to support their training. She even served as their sparring partner.
Though Wei'er's battle experience was average, her superior strength still allowed her to offer guidance—though only to one girl at a time.
When the three girls joined forces, even Wei'er, a Titled Douluo, struggled to withstand them.
Upon seeing Huo Yuhao, the Dragon Girls became immediately affectionate, even rubbing against his arm awkwardly, indicating that they had only just learned this skill.
Huo Yuhao was surprised, then looked at Shangguan Wei'er—who smiled knowingly.
Clearly, she'd taught them.
Good job, Shangguan Wei'er.
Huo Yuhao then offered guidance to the girls and Wei'er, and even gifted her more Vital Energy Seeds (气血种子) as cultivation resources.
Wei'er understood this wasn't favoritism—it was recognition for her contributions.
Serving Huo Yuhao was harder than serving an emperor. After all, emperors were still human. But the rewards for serving him far surpassed anything an emperor could give.
For example, after cultivating the technique Huo Yuhao gave her, Wei'er was already sensing the possibility of a breakthrough in rank—something she hadn't felt in decades.
Now, it was time for her to take initiative.
"Those beautiful and talented members of the organization… It's time to present them to Lord Yuhao."
"Still, this kind of move would harm the foundation of the organization. I should start preparing an exit strategy."
"But before I go, maybe I should pull off one big job. The Common Alliance owes me at least that much for everything I've done."
As for who would ultimately control the alliance—Wei'er no longer cared. Before leaving, she asked Huo Yuhao if he still needed the Common Alliance. If he did, she'd continue managing it.
Huo Yuhao's answer was short:
"You have at most two months to wrap everything up."
Huo Yuhao didn't linger to guide Shangguan Wei'er or the three dragon maidens, nor did he stay overnight at the Common Alliance. He had plans to visit Consort De's palace in the latter half of the night, where several high-quality palace maids awaited.
Having visited the harem multiple times, Huo Yuhao had grasped its dynamics. The Sun Moon Emperor, due to poor health, hadn't entered the harem in ages.
Only the Empress and Imperial Consort occasionally saw him, but at most, they shared a meal.
Given the emperor's frail condition, intense activities could hasten his death.
Unless driven by reckless lust, he'd exercise restraint. As a usurper who'd murdered his predecessor, the emperor knew his priorities.
Thus, the harem's women had been left alone for ages, ripe for comfort. Huo Yuhao felt duty-bound to step in.
Using people for cultivation sounded unsavory, but framing it as benefiting all made it a noble act.
Consort De surprised him.
In her palace, Huo Yuhao found Consort Shu and Consort Xian alongside her. The three consorts, dressed in different-colored gauze, knelt on the bed, awaiting his arrival.
Consort De had not only learned well but secured hands-on guidance from Consorts Shu and Xian.
"Interesting. Looks like I'll be taking on three heroes tonight~"
For pure cultivation, Huo Yuhao could harvest hundreds in a night, but with ulterior motives, he slowed down.
He decided that alongside harvesting, enjoying the three consorts' services would be delightful.
…
While the main body focused on cultivation, its clone had more to handle.
Tonight, the clone was killing.
"Who are you? Do you know the consequences of this? The empire won't spare you!" the target stammered, trembling as the clone closed in.
The clone's response was a merciless hand, ripping out the target's heart, completing the kill.
All three targets were eliminated tonight.
The clone gathered proof of the mission, then swept the battlefield, collecting all corpses, souls, and hidden resources.
To kill the three, the clone had slaughtered three families and crushed a hidden Titled Douluo and Level 8 mage, reaping rich rewards.
But as it processed corpses in the courtyard, a standing figure appeared amidst the sea of bodies.
A woman.
Clad in black, her gauze skirt swayed in the breeze, like a reaper of the night.
It was Death Douluo, Ye Xishui!
She'd been passing by, noticed the clone's methods, and, intrigued, entered the courtyard, stumbling upon this fascinating scene.
She took an interest in the clone.
Smiling, Ye Xishui spoke, her voice rich with maturity. "Are you the one behind the recent spree of assassinating nobles and officials in Mingdu?"
The clone didn't respond.
Upon seeing Ye Xishui, its first instinct was to touch its face, confirming the mask was on. The clone wore a plain white mask with two round eye holes, simple and slightly comical.
Only then did it assess the situation, narrowing its eyes to study her.
A survivor?
Or a passing powerhouse?
Either way, having seen what she shouldn't, she had to die.
In the next instant, the clone vanished.
Ye Xishui's pupils constricted.
"Such speed!"
For someone of her caliber to find the opponent's speed remarkable indicated no ordinary foe.
"Could it be a Super Douluo specializing in speed?"
As she speculated, Ye Xishui reacted swiftly, raising her hand to meet the clone's attack.
She noted its speed but wasn't overwhelmed.
As one of the continent's few Level 99 Limit Douluos, her combat prowess was formidable.
*Bang!*
When the clone kicked, Ye Xishui blocked with her hand, but the force sent her flying, numbing her arm.
Outmatched in the clash, she grinned, her smile tinged with madness and ferocity.
"Not bad. Time to stretch my legs."
The clone remained silent. It rarely spoke even to Huo Yuhao's main body, let alone an outsider like Ye Xishui.
In a flash, it appeared before her, fist aimed at her head, direct yet profound.
It seemed to merge with the world itself.
Ye Xishui's eyes widened in surprise. "Unity of Heaven and Man?"
The fist struck, piercing her head, bursting into a cloud of blood mist.
But the clone knew this was a blood mist decoy, not the real Ye Xishui.
Her true body had appeared behind the clone, keeping distance, her smile undimmed, now more intrigued. "Are you from the Body Sect?"
Unity of Heaven and Man, a signature Body Sect technique, harnessed the power of heaven and earth. Only the sect's core disciples learned it.
In the original story, Long Aotian had used this technique, even innovating upon it.
Well-versed, Ye Xishui recognized it.
Huo Yuhao had acquired this skill while plundering the Body Sect, and the clone mastered it seamlessly, wielding it with ease.
Still silent, the clone didn't rely solely on the technique. Dense water elements swirled around it, carrying an ancient, desolate aura and a profound weight.
This stemmed from the residual power of ancient soul beast fossils.
It struck again, fist and arm wreathed in potent water fluctuations.
*Ancient Soul Beast Technique: Vast Ocean Waterway Fist!*
A counterpart to the Extreme Frost Centipede Fist, fully unleashed by the clone, its might was like a tsunami, unstoppable.
"Bring it!" Ye Xishui, undaunted, grinned ferociously, summoning her martial soul behind her. She knew countering the clone required her direct intervention—her blood souls couldn't withstand this.
"Blood Soul Technique: Crimson Sea Surge!"
A red blood sea surged, clashing with the incoming tsunami, erupting in a deafening roar!
Blood and seawater mingled, flooding the courtyard, razing surrounding structures. Ye Xishui — Level 99 Power Attack System Ultimate Douluo, twin martial souls: her primary soul being the Blood Soul Demon Puppet, and her secondary the Radiant Phoenix.
As a prodigy on par with Mu En and Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xishui's combat abilities had long surpassed conventional reliance on soul rings and soul skills.
The sea of blood she summoned came from countless blood souls refined and controlled through her Blood Soul Demon Puppet martial soul. This blood sea was also the origin of her power.
The mingling of blood and seawater turned the waters crimson, spreading across the entire manor. All the corpses in the estate were submerged, adding to the gruesome scene.
Ye Xishui and her avatar both floated just above the blood-red surface.
After a fierce clash, the two were evenly matched, causing a momentary standoff — enough for the main body's clone to assess Ye Xishui's current state.
Behind Ye Xishui floated a massive blood-red humanoid silhouette, with twelve pairs of blood-colored wings, radiating an aura of evil and terror. It was her martial soul — the Blood Soul Demon Puppet.
Clad in a black dress and standing in front of that terrifying silhouette, Ye Xishui appeared both enchanting and deadly — a beauty cloaked in death. Known for her looks rivaling Princess Tang, her beauty was indeed well-deserved.
With her martial soul's emergence, nine powerful soul rings appeared around her, emanating terrifying soul power fluctuations.
Six black, three red!
Ye Xishui eyed the main body's clone with a curious, eerie smile.
"You can actually fight me… Who exactly are you? A powerhouse like you shouldn't be unknown on this continent."
She was intrigued. She couldn't recall any powerful water-type soul masters emerging recently.
Still, she wasn't overly wary. There were a few who could exchange blows with her, but only two could defeat her.
Mu En was already crippled — life or death unknown. Long Xiaoyao would never fight her.
It had been a long time since Ye Xishui last fought seriously. She found this mysterious clone amusing — a good opportunity to stretch her limbs.
The main body's clone didn't reply. From their earlier clash, it had gauged her strength — at the edge of 99, nearly stepping beyond it.
Now, the clone would go all out.
If it could bring back her corpse and soul, the main body would surely be pleased.
Buzz—
A formless pressure expanded from the clone, enveloping the courtyard — trapping Ye Xishui.
"A domain?!" Her eyes narrowed.
The next second, she felt immense pressure pressing from all directions, forcing her to unleash her soul power fully to resist.
"Not gravity… this is a pressure-type domain!" she quickly realized.
The domain's effects unfolded across the courtyard. Structures crumbled like toys, crushed by omnidirectional force. The corpses on the ground were flattened into blood mist.
In the blink of an eye, the entire manor was wiped out. The spreading blood water on the ground seemed even darker red now.
This was the clone's domain, inherited from an ancient soul beast fossil:
The Vast Sea Domain!
It replicated deep-sea pressure to suppress enemies. If one's physique wasn't strong enough, they'd be fatally crushed. Even resisting with soul power would drain them constantly and restrict movement.
Meanwhile, the clone thrived inside the domain — not only unaffected, but its water-element attacks gained gravity-based enhancements, making them even more violent and fierce.
The scales were tipped — the clone now had an overwhelming advantage.
Naturally, Ye Xishui wouldn't sit and wait. Pressing her palms together, blood gathered around her, forming a shield that resisted the domain's effects and conserved her energy.
But the clone seized this window and attacked.
Still a simple punch — but this one carried the domain's power.
As the punch struck the blood shield, it roared like rivers bursting forth, disrupting the soul power flow and shattering the shield.
The force behind the punch didn't stop — it drove toward Ye Xishui's head.
The Vast Sea's Chaotic Flow. Unstable soul energy burst forth — devastating soul defenses and disrupting internal energy flow, causing massive damage to soul masters.
Ye Xishui hadn't expected this — but she wasn't weak. She acted just in time.
Originally, she'd hoped to compare hand-to-hand skills. But with pressure affecting her movement, she called upon her blood souls, summoning a towering sea of blood to clash with the clone.
The blood sea lifted her, dodging the strike, and extended into dozens of blood arrows aimed at the clone's vitals.
Though his punch missed, the arrows struck. Yet, to Ye Xishui's shock, they shattered into mist upon contact — unable to pierce the clone's defenses!
It wasn't just a matter of defense — the clone's very body shattered the arrows. A seemingly invisible layer of protection covered him.
In truth, that was pure physical strength.
The clone's body was among the strongest on the continent. Not just Ye Xishui's attacks — even a top-tier Level 9 soul tool wouldn't easily injure him.
Her assault didn't even faze him. As she tried to escape, the clone unleashed a long-range attack.
He raised a finger. From his fingertip emerged a single drop of colorless water, shooting toward her like a bullet.
Floating Between Heaven and Earth — A Drop in the Sea.
This was the clone's precise long-range attack — that drop was condensed from his origin water, a prototype of his elemental essence.
Each drop carried the weight of ten thousand catties.
It shot toward Ye Xishui like a comet — and for the first time, she sensed real danger.
But the clone wasn't done. He pointed again.
Same motion. Same stance. But this time, what flew was a blue-gold scale.
It was the Reverse Scale of the Water Dragon King, given to him by Huo Yuhao to help him understand water attributes and condense origin water.
If the first drop posed a threat, this second strike spelled death.
Two consecutive fingers pushed Ye Xishui to the brink. No time for hesitation, she unleashed everything.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Blood Soul True Form!"
From the Blood Soul Demon Puppet burst countless blood spirits, wrapping around her — transforming her into a massive, blood-red giant.
A moment later, the two attacks struck the giant's chest.
The first water drop was stopped.
But the Reverse Scale punched right through.
Blood Soul True Form — shattered!
The Blood Soul True Body had barely appeared for two seconds before it dispersed again, revealing Ye Xishui's figure.
At this moment, Ye Xishui was clutching her chest, a trickle of blood at the corner of her lips, looking rather disheveled. Yet her eyes were fixed on the main body's clone, no longer wearing that strange smile, now replaced by an expression of icy coldness.
"I'll remember this. Next time, you won't be so lucky!" Ye Xishui said coldly.
At the same time, countless blood souls were summoned by the Blood Soul Demon Puppet to entangle the main body's clone and buy Ye Xishui some time.
Ye Xishui knew this time she had underestimated her opponent. With her martial soul true body shattered and her body injured, she had to retreat for now. Otherwise, there was no guarantee the clone wouldn't pull out other tricks that could threaten her life.
Next time, she would unleash the Death God Tower immediately—no chance would be given.
Just as Ye Xishui was about to leave, she noticed the fallen Water Dragon King's Reverse Scale. She recalled how it had easily pierced through her martial soul true body, clearly not an ordinary item.
Reaching out to seize it—partly as compensation for tonight's encounter and partly to make the clone lose a valuable treasure— Ye Xishui was caught off guard.
As her hand neared the scale, it suddenly emitted a golden glow. A searing, scorching force burned her hand, accompanied by a harsh sizzling sound, making her cry out in pain and pull her hand back immediately.
Looking at her palm, she saw it had been severely burned in an instant. In shock, her gaze locked on the scale as it continued to glow golden.
"A… god…" she muttered under her breath.
At that moment, fear and disbelief welled up inside her.
Just who had she been fighting tonight?!
Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Xishui turned into a mist of blood and escaped. This was one of her escape techniques—costly but effective, ensuring safety and preventing tracking.
By then, the clone had finished off all the blood souls entangling him. He tried to pursue Ye Xishui but found she had already vanished.
He had no choice but to give up.
With a gentle wave, the Water Dragon King's Reverse Scale flew back into his hand and merged into his body.
Then, without emotion, the clone began to clean up the battlefield. Not because he had exceptional mental strength, but because he simply didn't care about anything else.
The main body's mission hadn't yet been completed—that was all that mattered.
Elsewhere:
Ye Xishui didn't flee from Mingdu but instead broke into the Sun Moon Imperial Palace.
In his own chambers, the Sun Moon Emperor was abruptly awakened, barking coldly, "Who is it?!"
"It's me," Ye Xishui replied, her voice cold.
The Emperor saw only a shadow cast on the wall, and his expression shifted subtly.
"Your Majesty, is everything alright?" a guard outside asked.
"Nothing. You may go," the Emperor replied calmly.
"Yes!" The guard respectfully retreated.
These were ordinary palace guards, not the Emperor's loyal elites, so they never questioned his words and would never enter his chambers uninvited.
Once they were gone, the Emperor turned back to the shadow on the wall, lowering his voice slightly, "Why are you here?"
"Deliver these materials to the secret chamber," Ye Xishui's shadow said coldly.
Without waiting for a reply, her shadow disappeared, leaving behind a piece of paper covered in writing that floated down in front of the Emperor.
He caught it.
Strangely, whether by accident or design, the paper was stained with a few drops of blood.
Staring at those drops, the Emperor's expression became unreadable.
"She's injured?" he muttered.
At that moment, a murderous thought stirred in his heart.
Indeed, the Sun Moon Emperor knew Ye Xishui. She had even played a role in his rise to power—he had always maintained secret ties with the Holy Spirit Church.
In exchange for her support, he had agreed to supply her with cultivation resources and materials for soul tools.
He was well aware of her strength and her background.
He even suspected that the strange illness plaguing him—despite being a Titled Douluo in his prime—might have been caused by Ye Xishui herself.
After all, the Holy Spirit Church had grown greedy. They no longer wanted mere influence; they wanted control.
Controlling the Emperor was difficult—but controlling his successor? Much easier.
He had noticed Ye Xishui's increasing ties with Xu Tiannan, but before he could act, Xu Tiannan had mysteriously disappeared at the front lines.
Now, seeing Ye Xishui injured, the Emperor seriously considered killing her.
But he soon dismissed the thought.
Ye Xishui's strength and cunning made her incredibly hard to trap. Without a flawless plan, she would easily escape—and if she did, the royal family would never know peace again.
Besides, maybe these bloodstains were a trap.
Would someone so powerful be so careless as to leave her own blood on a paper?
"Shadow Dragon, deliver this to her. Do not keep Her Excellency waiting," the Emperor commanded, flicking the paper toward a shadow in the corner.
A hand emerged from the darkness, caught the paper, and vanished.
These were the true loyalists of the Sun Moon Emperor—those he trusted with his life.
He no longer felt like resting. Lighting a soul lamp, he narrowed his eyes and watched the flame flicker.
"Third Prince… can you handle the Holy Spirit Church?"
He didn't believe Xu Tiannan was dead. If he were that easy to kill, he wouldn't have stayed Crown Prince so long. The Emperor now suspected that Xu Tiannan had fallen into the Church's hands, to be used as their pawn for the throne.
Despite its strength, the Sun Moon Empire was now walking on a knife's edge.
They could crush the Church in open war, yes—but the Church was skilled in assassinations, making them extremely dangerous.
That night, none of them could sleep.
The Emperor, haunted by suspicion.
Ye Xishui, restless with pain and fear.
And Huo Yuhao, who—well—was also in the palace.
After spending the night "driving the imperial concubine," Huo Yuhao left the harem with a satisfied expression just before dawn.
He found his clone, obtained the mission proof, and synchronized their memories.
Then he stared at the clone in shock.
"You actually fought Ye Xishui?!"
Clone: "???"
"Next time, bring me! Let's finish her for good!"
Clone: "..."
Tang Ya was finally about to make contact with Huo Yuhao.
More accurately, to stop him.
Initially, she only intended to observe what Huo Yuhao and the people behind him could achieve—ideally letting them and the Sun Moon Empire tear each other apart. But now she realized that the people backing Huo Yuhao were even more insane than she was.
Because Tang Ya discovered that if she didn't intervene, Huo Yuhao and his backers were going to turn Mingdu upside down.
Somewhere along the line, each mission stopped with just the target's death—instead, they started exterminating entire families.
It was even rumored that a Titled Douluo had been killed!
In pursuit of speed and efficiency, Huo Yuhao preferred quick kills and immediate retreat. But his main body's clone? It wasn't in a rush. It would slowly, methodically eliminate everyone related to the target.
That clone just loved cleanliness. Might even have a case of OCD.
Thanks to that, anyone commissioning an assassination didn't just get the target killed—they got the whole family taken care of. It was a total win for the client.
Buy one, get the whole family free.
Who could handle that?
As a result, while assassins fled Mingdu to seek refuge and their numbers dropped drastically, assassination requests at Elegant Pavilion actually increased.
Tang Ya realized people might have already become aware of Elegant Pavilion's existence.
Naturally, many young nobles had recently been sent away by their families to escape the turmoil.
Now, the entire city of Mingdu was gripped by fear, as if an invisible, monstrous hand had descended upon it, casting an even darker shadow over its skies.
Even in daylight, the streets were nearly deserted. Unless absolutely necessary, people were avoiding going out altogether.
The Sun Moon Emperor and the nobility were furious. After all, they were the ones being targeted.
So they got mad. And... stayed mad.
They had no way to even catch a glimpse of the assassin. Only recently had they begun to detect faint traces of the killer, but they still couldn't track them down. No one knew what methods were used—but by dawn, not even the sound of battle remained. There was no way to intervene in time.
By the time someone realized what had happened, the entire household was already dead—and not a single corpse could be found.
If this continued, it was only a matter of time before no one dared to live in Mingdu anymore.
To avoid that scenario, the Sun Moon Empire would soon unleash its Soul Engineer legions on Mingdu, determined to hunt down the killer at all costs.
When that storm hit, Mingdu would erupt into chaos. The bigger the chaos, the more valuable the "fish" Tang Ya could catch.
The problem? Before the chaos arrived, the Empire was likely to purge the underground factions first.
They had already cracked down once before. Now they were preparing for a full-blown cleansing.
A caged rat could be a pet—but once it started biting, it was a pest.
Tang Ya figured the only reason Elegant Pavilion hadn't been targeted yet was that they wanted to capture the actual killer. Even if Elegant Pavilion was destroyed, the assassin might continue the killings elsewhere.
Although Elder Sleep Demon was stationed in Duskwater Alliance, he wouldn't risk revealing himself for Elegant Pavilion. He couldn't even defeat the Empire's forces. If things escalated, Elegant Pavilion and Duskwater Alliance would simply be wiped out.
As lucrative as the future might be, Tang Ya didn't want to lose her cash cow. So she decided to stop Huo Yuhao.
Problem is, some things aren't yours to stop—because the one doing the killing now wasn't Huo Yuhao anymore.
It was his clone.
...
Huo Yuhao, as usual, arrived at Elegant Pavilion's underground base to take on a new mission. The place was now eerily quiet. Not a single other person came for missions. Even on other floors, people were scarce—coming and going in a hurry.
But Huo Yuhao didn't care. He reached for the mission manual on the counter—only to find a soft, pale hand pressing it down firmly before he could touch it.
"?" Huo Yuhao looked up, puzzled, to see who it belonged to.
It was the disguised Tang Ya.
She wore a sulky expression, cheeks puffed in anger. "You're still trying to take missions? Do you have any idea how much chaos you've caused lately?"
"Is there a problem?" Huo Yuhao asked indifferently. "I accept missions. I complete them. Isn't that the standard process? I haven't broken any of the Elegant Pavilion's rules."
"But your methods..." Tang Ya bit her lip, clearly frustrated but also somewhat adorably furious.
It really proved the saying—good-looking people still look good, even when angry.
"I've completed the missions well. You only need to confirm that. As for the rest, that's my concern," Huo Yuhao replied coolly, seeming totally unfazed by the chaos outside.
But instead of withdrawing his hand, he increased the pressure—trying to take the mission manual from her.
Tang Ya felt his strength and realized she couldn't physically stop him. But she'd come prepared.
"If you're so into danger, I've got a new mission. Interested?" Her tone suddenly changed, a smile playing on her lips.
"A new mission?" Huo Yuhao was intrigued.
Tang Ya nodded, not keeping him in suspense. " Elegant Pavilion has received a special request—one that involves infiltrating Mingde Hall to retrieve an item. Are you—"
"No killing? Not interested," Huo Yuhao cut her off.
Almost had me there. After all the killing, not a trace of murderous intent from him. Did he even do it himself?
"..." Tang Ya was silent for two seconds. She took a deep breath, forced another smile, and coaxed, "Don't worry. If you dare break into Mingde Hall, there'll be no shortage of fighting."
Huo Yuhao didn't reply. Instead, he stared at Tang Ya with a strange expression that left her confused.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Do I look like an idiot to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"How many doses of rat poison does one meal need? Who'd be dumb enough to go solo into Mingde Hall?"
"..."
Wasn't this guy supposed to be all cold and distant? Why's he talking like an old lady—layer after layer of sarcasm?
Fortunately, Tang Ya held her composure. She quickly added, "Don't worry, you won't be going alone. Elegant Pavilion already has a team. Given your strength, we want to invite you to join. If you do, regardless of success or failure, you'll become a core member of the Duskwater Alliance and receive a reward that'll satisfy you. At the very least, you'll get to choose a Grade 9 soul tool."
"Not enough," Huo Yuhao said, fixing her with a penetrating gaze. "I don't trust you. I can't confirm if what you're saying is true."
"Relax. I'll be on the mission too. If anything goes wrong, you can kill me and leave on your own," she said with a grin.
Huo Yuhao hadn't said "no"—just "not enough"—which meant he was interested.
"Deal!" Huo Yuhao nodded firmly. "I want both the core member status and the Grade 9 soul tool."
"Then I hope you'll give it your all," Tang Ya smiled.
But inwardly, she was thinking: Just as I suspected—you're here for the Duskwater Alliance!