"Huo Yuhao?!"
Wang Xian'er exclaimed in shock. She never imagined that the evil soul master attacking them would turn out to be the disciple of the Dragon God Douluo — the once gentle and kind Huo Yuhao!
But very quickly, Wang Xian'er regained her composure and shook her head in denial, questioning, "No, your martial soul…"
Before she could finish, Huo Yuhao summoned his mutant Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul, instantly silencing her. She stammered, "Dual martial souls?!"
"No," Huo Yuhao replied with a sunny smile. "Triple martial souls!"
The Ghost Banner martial soul floated out, surrounded by four predominantly gray soul rings. As it emerged, it unleashed dual domains, sealing off the environment to prevent any aura leakage that might attract unwanted attention during what was about to happen.
"The Sun martial soul you saw earlier was actually an ability of this Ghost Banner martial soul. I killed a royal member of the Sun Moon Empire and imprisoned his soul, so I can use his martial soul now," Huo Yuhao explained casually.
Working in tandem with the ghost of He Caitou, he summoned the Sun martial soul again.
His Evil Eye martial soul lit up in his pupils, transforming into the classic heterochromatic eyes of the Dai Clan. A golden one-million-year soul ring shimmered beside him.
Finally, Huo Yuhao raised his left hand and revealed the martial soul imprint on his palm. The mutant Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul revealed its true soul ring count and colors — seven soul rings, three of which were the awe-inspiring hundred-thousand-year level.
The Ice Scorpion Domain activated and merged with the Devouring Domain and Blood Fiend Domain, completely sealing the area.
Using domains to lock down an area is a lesser-known trick — not to seal space, but to block soul power fluctuations and aura, preventing any trace from escaping.
Wang Xian'er, seeing the three martial soul imprints, was utterly stunned. What Huo Yuhao displayed had already gone beyond her understanding. She was at a loss for words.
Triple martial souls!
Unheard of. Unimaginable.
What's more, both the Ghost Banner and Ice Scorpion martial souls possessed domains — proof that they were extremely high-level martial souls. And Huo Yuhao was actually a Soul Sage, with three hundred-thousand-year rings. The golden and gray rings were also extraordinary.
How old was he?
How did he achieve all of this?
Meanwhile, Dai Hao was fixated on what Huo Yuhao had just called him. "You said I'm your father?"
Dai Hao asked skeptically, staring into Huo Yuhao's eyes. He didn't see the White Tiger martial soul in Huo Yuhao, only a pair of eyes eerily similar to his own.
"My real name is Dai Yuhao, given to me by my mother. But when I left the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, I abandoned that surname and took my mother's instead. Dai Hao, does that ring a bell?" Huo Yuhao asked with a smile.
"Huo? Huo… Yun'er? You're the child of me and Yun'er?!" Dai Hao's emotions surged. As he studied Huo Yuhao's face more closely, he saw traces of Huo Yun'er's beauty — even more refined.
Huo Yuhao beamed.
He didn't actually harbor much hatred toward Dai Hao. After all, do you hate your food?
In fact, Huo Yuhao was more inclined to be thankful for the meal.
Revealing his identity now served two purposes:
Since he was using the original host's body, he was in a good mood and figured it wouldn't hurt to mentally torment this "father" a little for the original.
If the "ingredient" (Dai Hao) experienced strong emotional fluctuations, it might make him more flavorful.
For an evil cultivator, emotions were also a source of power.
Some even specialize in torturing targets to extract powerful negative emotions before finishing them off.
Dai Hao was the key to Huo Yuhao's next breakthrough. A proper "preparation" was necessary.
Of course, all this was based on the condition that the environment was absolutely secure.
It was nearly midnight, and no threats were nearby. The surroundings were safe.
With three domains active, there was no way anything could go wrong.
If something did, it would only mean that great one had intervened.
"Child? You're my child?" Dai Hao was utterly shocked. He was now nearly certain of Huo Yuhao's identity. But his mood quickly shifted to fury. His eyes filled with killing intent as he shouted, "Bastard! I, Dai Hao, have no evil soul master for a son!"
"Evil soul master?" Huo Yuhao chuckled — truly amused. "Hahaha…"
"What are you laughing at?" Dai Hao yelled angrily.
"I just find it funny," Huo Yuhao replied calmly, his lips curled into a smile. "Dai Hao, I have no desire to recognize you as my father. I was merely stating a fact. Besides, haven't you figured out why I chose this path?"
Dai Hao looked confused but sneered, "Don't tell me you're trying to say it's all because of revenge? Yun'er was so kind — she would never raise our child to become an evil soul master! You bastard, don't you dare blame your sins on me or Yun'er!"
Unbothered, Huo Yuhao casually took out the White Tiger Dagger and tossed it in front of the kneeling Dai Hao.
"Huo Yun'er is already dead, and the ones I seek to destroy are not just you — but the entire White Tiger Duke's Mansion and even the Star Luo Empire."
These calm words made Dai Hao and Wang Xian'er's pupils shrink in terror.
The Healing Angel martial soul turned to Huo Yuhao, and Wang Xian'er's voice emerged from it, demanding, "Why do you want to destroy the Star Luo Empire?"
She was panicked.
With a triple martial soul talent like Huo Yuhao's, if he was allowed to grow any further, he could easily destroy the Star Luo Empire.
That would plunge the continent into chaos and unimaginable suffering.
Dai Hao hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to come for the White Tiger Duke's Mansion as well. Sadly, Huo Yuhao already had the power to wipe it out.
The Duke's House was doomed.
"You can't do this!" Dai Hao gritted his teeth. His tone softened a bit.
But Huo Yuhao didn't answer. He simply grabbed the Healing Angel and said in a calm voice, "Let me tell you a story."
While preparing to handle the Healing Angel, he began narrating the life of a boy named Yuhao — every experience and hardship since his earliest memories.
A naive, innocent boy and his mother were forced into a shabby shack. Though he was the son of a duke, he lived a life worse than a servant's.
Bullied by servants, mistreated, underfed, poorly clothed.
But the boy never complained. He had a mother who loved him, and to him, that made everything bearable.
He was mature for his age, always helping his mother with chores. Every bit he did meant less burden for her.
His mother, meanwhile, still waited in vain for the man she once trusted. The boy never met this man, but he knew what to call him — father.
Huo Yuhao: Time to give my trash father a little emotional devastation!
Huo Yuhao narrated the story in a calm tone—neither flat nor boring. Clearly, he employed some storyteller's techniques.
After all, this wasn't a personal experience of Huo Yuhao, but a memory deeply imprinted in the mind of a boy named Yuhao. Though hazy, the memory was unforgettable. Even after that person was gone, it remained within the body's mind.
Huo Yuhao did feel sympathy for the boy Yuhao's suffering—but only sympathy.
Every tragedy can ultimately be attributed to a lack of capability on the part of the one who suffered.
You can't expect everyone to be strong. Therefore, those who enable ordinary people to live good lives are truly great and deserve to be praised! Those who slander them are enemies!
But on the Douluo Continent, such people do not exist. Instead, despicable people rise to high positions, dress respectably, speak righteously, and deceive the ignorant masses.
Tragedies never decrease—only grow in number.
There were many people like the boy Yuhao. However, this time, the one they provoked was no longer a soft target.
Huo Yuhao didn't dream of building a new world. He just didn't want to become a tragedy himself—and that was enough.
While telling the story, Huo Yuhao didn't stop working on processing the Healing Angel. The method was simple:
Refining her through Fate Energy!
High-quality ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods!
Huo Yuhao intended to refine the Healing Angel entirely into his puppet. This would make future use much more convenient. Although this consumed a lot of Fate Energy, Huo Yuhao could afford it—and the gains would be immense.
Fate Energy surged into flames, burning the Healing Angel's body. At first, Wang Xian'er was terrified. But soon, she realized the flames didn't harm her. On the contrary, they felt somewhat soothing.
This greatly confused Wang Xian'er. Still, she remained silent and couldn't resist anyway. Besides, she had become engrossed in Yuhao's story—filled with deep concern and sorrow for the boy.
Even though she knew well: The boy in the story was currently dealing with her.
Huo Yuhao never stopped telling his tale.
In the story, the boy didn't awaken the inherited White Tiger martial soul of the Duke's mansion but instead a top-tier mutated martial soul—Spirit Eyes. However, due to malnutrition and weakness, it only awakened with a mere Level 1 soul power.
That said, given such dire circumstances, even awakening at Level 1 was a feat. The Spirit Eyes martial soul had done its best.
Even the famous Master, despite family support, only awakened a pig martial soul—with a mere half a level of soul power.
Later, the boy's "father" had another son who brought thugs to suppress the boy and his mother. After a so-called "punishment," the mother never got out of bed again—her life began its countdown.
The boy never smiled again.
In her final moments, the mother still reminisced about her long-lost love. All she could do was leave the token of that love—a White Tiger Dagger—to her son...
Eventually, the boy buried his mother and left the White Tiger Duke's Mansion to begin his own life journey.
(No, Little Huo didn't step in to power-level him.)
From there, Huo Yuhao's own experiences became an unresolved mystery to Wang Xian'er, who was deeply intrigued. But Huo Yuhao didn't elaborate further.
At that point, Dai Hao asked in disbelief,
"You're saying you were younger than Huabin? And you only had one martial soul at the start?"
"There are ways to gain more martial souls," Huo Yuhao replied casually, adding more fuel to the fire refining the Healing Angel.
"You mean—!" Dai Hao's eyes widened in shock. He seemed to understand something and quickly pleaded,
"Yuhao, stop this! Let it end here! Come back to the Duke's Mansion with me. I'll compensate you and your mother—I'll seek justice for you!"
After hearing Huo Yuhao's story, Dai Hao realized the severity of the situation and tried to resolve Yuhao's hatred—to bring him back into the Duke's fold.
Even though Yuhao had killed the Starshatter Douluo and was now targeting Wang Xian'er, as long as everything was handled cleanly, the Star Luo Royal Family wouldn't link it back to the Duke's Mansion.
There would be enough time for Huo Yuhao to grow.
And once he grew strong, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion could rise again!
As for the slaughtered town and those thousand cavalry—if Huo Yuhao could be won back, it would all be worth it.
"How will you seek justice? By killing the Duchess and Dai Huabin?" Huo Yuhao asked with curiosity.
"Huabin is your brother, after all," Dai Hao tried to persuade him sincerely.
Huo Yuhao looked at him oddly, "You haven't said a word about the Duchess~"
Dai Hao fell silent.
If he had already prepared to offend the Star Luo Royal Family, then abandoning the Duchess wasn't unthinkable. Her recent actions had even caused trouble for the Duke's Mansion.
For the sake of the Mansion's interests—anything could be sacrificed.
Including the Duchess. Even Dai Huabin.
"As long as you return to the Mansion—both the Duchess and Huabin will be left to you to deal with!" Dai Hao said grimly, as though making a difficult but firm decision.
Whether or not he could actually follow through—the words needed to be said.
Then Dai Hao looked at Huo Yuhao, eyes brimming with tears,
"Yuhao, my son! I wronged your mother, I failed you both! I know words aren't enough, but I only ask to see your mother one last time. I'll bring her back to the Mansion, enshrine her in the family hall, and give her the honor she deserves. If you want to kill me afterward, I'll die with no regrets!"
Having said that, Dai Hao bowed and kowtowed to Huo Yuhao.
A father kowtowing to his own son!
Even Wang Xian'er looked at Dai Hao with complicated emotions.
There was no doubt—Dai Hao bore heavy responsibility for today's events. He was a failure of a father, an irresponsible man, infuriatingly so.
But his actions at this moment… were undeniably moving.
Still, Wang Xian'er knew the truth: Whether Dai Hao lived or not—she wouldn't survive today.
She hesitated to speak but ultimately closed her mouth and eyes, accepting her fate.
Because of Starshatter Douluo's death—she would never beg for mercy.
Huo Yuhao looked at Dai Hao and simply felt… awkward.
A son who is an evil soul master? Not acceptable.
A talented evil soul master son? Acceptable!
"What if I say no?" Huo Yuhao smiled and stepped toward Dai Hao.
The Healing Angel could now be refined autonomously—no need to watch closely.
Dai Hao raised his tearful eyes again, pleading,
"Yuhao, our White Tiger Duke's Mansion is backed by gods—not just one, but several!"
Gods!
Dai Hao suspected that Huo Yuhao's martial soul was god-given. There were relevant records in the Mansion. That divine power was likely his trump card. The only thing he might fear would be other gods!
Huo Yuhao smiled.
He squatted in front of Dai Hao, lifted a finger, and a blue light appeared at its tip.
Dai Hao sensed a force beyond soul power in that blue light. His eyes widened slightly.
Could it be…?
"This is divine power~" Huo Yuhao said with a grin,
"Specifically, Sea God's divine power~"
"Guess why I have Sea God's power? Why I joined Shrek Academy?"
Dai Hao's pupils shrank violently.
Huo Yuhao: It was all that adult's plan! The end of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion has arrived!
After playing with Dai Hao a bit, Huo Yuhao would finish him off—just like a cat toying with a mouse before the kill.
Dai Hao had a bad hunch but immediately denied it.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"His Majesty the Sea God and the War God Ancestor were like brothers. How could he do something like this? You must've stolen the Sea God's power!"
Huo Yuhao: This old fool actually guessed it right!
But of course, Huo Yuhao showed no reaction and instead chuckled lightly.
"Like brothers? Really? A mere second-class god, worthy of calling a God King his brother? Lord White Tiger Duke, would you drink at the same table with a lowly baron?"
"That man laid out a ten-thousand-year plan on the Douluo Continent. But the only ones who can help him fulfill it are the Star Luo Empire, not the White Tiger Duke's estate! Without the imperial title of the Star Luo royal family, your White Tiger bloodline is doomed!"
"Once I eliminate both the White Tiger Duke and the Star Luo royal family, I will take control of the Star Luo Empire and aid that man in completing his grand plan!"
Ironically, the Tang God King truly did need second-class gods to help him fight the other god kings.
Think about it—it's absurd. God kings fighting and needing second-class gods to intervene?
Teamwork before becoming gods, teamwork after becoming gods… Then what's the point of becoming a god?
God kings compared to saints of the Great Desolation?
Ask yourself—how many half-saints dared meddle in battles between saints?
Not a single one!
They wouldn't even be capable of assisting!
Dai Hao suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Huo Yuhao, you can't fool me! You must not know this—but gods can't interfere with the lower realms! How could they have a ten-thousand-year plan? Everything you're saying is made up!"
He was no longer pretending, not even calling him "good son" anymore. Instead, he laughed in anger.
But in return, Huo Yuhao only looked at him like he was an idiot.
"How did you even become the White Tiger Duke?" Huo Yuhao asked, then suddenly understood. "Ah, I forgot—being the Duke only requires strength and talent, not brains."
He then asked rhetorically:
"Would you believe a lawmaker would restrict themselves with their own laws? Can any law really bind the emperor who made it?"
Dai Hao's face visibly stiffened before he started yelling again.
"I don't believe it! You're lying! The Sea God is pure, selfless, and noble…"
"Ah yes, yes, sure~"
Huo Yuhao could tell—Dai Hao was panicking.
If Huo Yuhao were just an ordinary man seeking revenge, then the White Tiger Duke's house might still have hope. But if a god was after them, then they truly had no future left.
Just like what happened to the Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago.
Not a single one of the Qian clan's main bloodline survived.
And Huo Yuhao? He aimed for total extinction. Whether the White Tiger Spirit would even exist on the continent after this was now uncertain.
"Believe it or not~" Huo Yuhao said with an indifferent expression.
Yet he clearly sensed the despair and negative emotion growing in Dai Hao.
Which made him quite pleased.
This was like simmering meat—the flavor was starting to seep in.
Then Huo Yuhao casually said,
"So rather than just kill all of you, why not turn you into nourishment for my growth? After all, we share blood. No reason to waste resources. Consuming you will benefit me more."
"An evil soul master… Right! How could the Sea God possibly choose an evil soul master as his agent?" Dai Hao clung to this idea like a drowning man grasping at straws.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Huo Yuhao sneered, "You probably don't know. The second divine position the Sea God acquired ten thousand years ago came from the evil soul masters' gathering place—Slaughter City. He is their god."
Huo Yuhao began arranging a formation around Dai Hao as he spoke.
Even as he finished the formation, Dai Hao remained silent, though his face twisted with complex expressions.
Instinctively, he didn't want to believe. But Huo Yuhao's words were just so convincing.
In the end, Dai Hao denied everything from the root.
"You almost fooled me! You can't prove that the power you just released came from the Sea God!"
"How do you think an evil soul master like me grew up right under Mu En's nose? How do you explain me killing a Titled Douluo while I only had seven rings?" Huo Yuhao asked with a smile.
Dai Hao's expression froze.
Wang Xian'er fell into contemplation.
But Huo Yuhao had no interest in continuing the debate.
Just planting the seed was enough—he never expected Dai Hao to believe it. Plus, Dai Hao didn't realize that his negative emotions were growing like mold, thriving on despair.
No tricks—just skills.
These were emotion-triggering setups and basic curse-type spells.
With Huo Yuhao's advancement in cultivation, he could now use more powerful methods more easily and effectively.
Once the preparations were done, Huo Yuhao smiled as he saw Dai Hao torn apart internally by his own despair.
"Bring me the final catalyst~"
"Yes, sir~"
A cold wind blew through as Eunuch Gao appeared, holding a tray with a special pouch designed to hold living things.
Dai Hao was stunned when he saw him and recognized him.
"Eunuch Gao?!"
How could he not recognize him—the eunuch who always served the duchess? Seeing his current state, Dai Hao realized what had become of him.
He also remembered the incident with Zhou Yi's death. Suddenly, it all clicked, and he glared at Huo Yuhao with fury.
"It was you! You killed the Shrek Academy teacher and framed the White Tiger Duke's house!"
"Mhm, that's right~" Huo Yuhao said airily.
Then, he took the pouch from Eunuch Gao and began retrieving the "catalyst" inside.
Hearts.
Hundreds of human hearts.
Eunuch Gao stood respectfully behind him and explained:
"Brother Hao, there are 999 hearts here, all from soul masters of at least Soul Elder level. Freshly harvested tonight."
Eunuch Gao now called Huo Yuhao "Brother Hao" as a sign of camaraderie. Once you joined the team, you were all family.
Though… he always added a Beijing-style diminutive at the end—"哥儿."
Dai Hao, hearing the eunuch speak so clearly, was once again shocked.
"You still have your own will? You… betrayed the White Tiger Duke's house?!"
Finally, Eunuch Gao looked at him and gave a creepy chuckle.
"Oh ho ho, isn't this the Duke himself? A few months gone and you've ended up like this? So pathetic? Taking a stroll in the woods, no need to kneel~"
"You—!"
Dai Hao was furious, his chest heaving, glaring at the eunuch like a tiger about to pounce, as if he wanted to rip him to pieces.
But Eunuch Gao continued:
"This isn't betrayal, Your Grace. I simply chose to follow Brother Hao. After all, only he can help me reach greater heights."
Huo Yuhao ignored their exchange. Eunuch Gao's mocking tone only helped stimulate Dai Hao's emotional collapse.
While they talked, Huo Yuhao quietly arranged all the hearts around Dai Hao in a specific formation.
Eunuch Gao added:
"Your Grace, take a guess—where do you think these hearts came from? Every single one belonged to a soul master of at least Soul Elder strength."
Eunuch Gao: Oh ho ho, isn't this the wobbling Duke Dai? Just a few days apart, and look how pathetic you've become?
Gongbei Town simply couldn't produce a thousand Soul Elders.
In an era where even the awakening of Martial Souls for commoners couldn't be guaranteed, most soldiers were just ordinary people, some even without Martial Souls at all.
So, the origin of these freshly harvested Soul Elder hearts tonight was now clear as day—they came from the elite thousand-strong cavalry brought by Dai Hao!
Dai Hao's eyes widened with fury, tiger-like eyes filled with tears as he roared,
"Eunuch Gao, you beast! Some of them were even acquaintances of yours!"
This elite cavalry force of a thousand men had been personally raised by Dai Hao. Most of them came from the White Tiger Duke's household or noble families close to it.
Some had even been placed by the Duchess herself, making them naturally familiar—even friendly—with Eunuch Gao.
Before Dai Hao's relationship with the Duchess had soured, she had strongly supported him.
In other words, most members of this cavalry had not only solid backgrounds but also talent and strength. Some had even awakened high-level Martial Souls, with innate soul power above level six. Achieving Soul Sage or even Soul Douluo in the future was not out of the question.
Though technically not his personal guard, this force was closely tied to Dai Hao and obeyed only him. In name, they were the Empire's cavalry, but in reality, they were an extension of the White Tiger Duke's power.
But now—they were all gone!
The loss of his comrades devastated Dai Hao, but the obliteration of his elite cavalry cut even deeper.
Huo Yuhao suddenly noticed that Dai Hao's negative emotions were swelling rapidly.
And with the array and incantations pushing it further, Dai Hao was now fully engulfed in a tide of dark emotion.
"Nice~" Huo Yuhao chuckled and gave a thumbs-up to Eunuch Gao.
Eunuch Gao replied with a modest smile.
At this point, Huo Yuhao had finished arranging all the hearts—it was time to begin the ritual.
"Beasts! Damn you all! Evil traitors! Treacherous scum!"
Dai Hao cursed with bloodshot eyes, his grief and rage overwhelming him, driving him into madness under the influence of negative emotions.
Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, hummed a tune, calmly activating his Blood Fiend Domain to begin the process.
With the domain's support, his task became much easier—relaxed enough to sing while performing the ritual.
In a forest clearing, 999 fresh hearts were arranged around Dai Hao, who knelt at the center, shouting obscenities.
As the power of the Blood Fiend Domain merged into the formation, the hearts began to emit a faint red glow—not blinding, but eerie—illuminating Dai Hao in a sinister hue.
Under the influence of the domain, the once lifeless hearts began to pulse again. Then, all at once, they floated into the air, rotating slowly around Dai Hao.
The surreal sight left Wang Xian'er visibly shaken.
Even Eunuch Gao narrowed his eyes in surprise.
Although Wang Xian'er was still being refined by the Flame of Fate, she felt no pain. While she knew this was no good thing, she could only observe in silence.
This also allowed her to notice something odd about Dai Hao's state.
To others, it may have seemed like Dai Hao was simply provoked by Huo Yuhao's accusations. But Wang Xian'er realized Dai Hao wouldn't have flown into such a rage over words lacking direct proof.
So she guessed that some external power was manipulating Dai Hao's emotions.
Such soul abilities weren't uncommon.
She also noticed Huo Yuhao's lips moving in a quiet chant.
Once the ritual fully activated, she confirmed her suspicions.
Despite the bizarre scene unfolding, Dai Hao didn't stop his curses—in fact, he grew even more furious, his kneeling body beginning to struggle violently.
If not for the restrictions placed on him by Huo Yuhao, he would've erupted in violence.
His condition rapidly deteriorated.
Bathed in red light, visible black resentment began leaking from Dai Hao's body. This aura, usually associated with vengeful spirits, now gushed from his living flesh.
The backlash was severe.
Dai Hao's eyes turned blood-red. Then tears of blood flowed, followed by blood from his nose, mouth, and ears…
He had become a ghastly image of bleeding from all seven orifices!
A miserable and terrifying sight.
Yet even so, Dai Hao kept roaring in rage, his voice now hoarse and broken—no longer able to form coherent words, it sounded like a shattered bellows struggling to function.
Huo Yuhao leaned in slightly, feigning attentiveness.
"Perfect timing," he murmured, closely observing the formation, his demeanor turning serious.
Unlike how he handled Dai Yaoheng, Huo Yuhao wasn't planning to just absorb Dai Hao's bloodline directly.
Back then, it had been a matter of necessity. Now that he had the proper setup, he intended to do it right.
No more casting pearls before swine.
"With the hearts of 999 Soul Elders, I can forge a new heart for Dai Hao—one worthy of a Soul Douluo. That'll refine his White Tiger bloodline to be even sweeter and more nourishing."
This method stemmed from dark cultivation—"Reinforcing with Like."
Traditional medicine has "replenish form with form," while dark cultivators created "supplement part with part."
If you're going to supplement something, why not be direct? Use someone else's body parts to enhance your own. Isn't that more efficient?
And it worked.
It was the opposite of "Replace with Like."
Both methods addressed issues with specific body parts—whether damaged or unsatisfactory.
If, for example, your arm was crippled or your brain too dull, "Replace with Like" would swap in better parts to improve performance. But this came at the cost of altered personality—too many swaps, and you'd become someone else.
"Reinforcing with Like," by contrast, used others' identical parts to sacrifice and empower your own—strengthening you without personality changes. However, it created dependency.
The reinforcement wasn't permanent. Sometimes the effect diminished over time, forcing you to keep supplementing. Worse, the desire for more power could become addictive, leading to endless consumption.
In short: Devourer builds make players addicted.
Huo Yuhao fixed his gaze on Dai Hao, clapped his hands together—
"Condense!"
The hearts orbiting Dai Hao darted toward him like birds returning to their nest. One by one, they burrowed into his body—through his scalp, face, neck, chest, back, arms, and so on.
Dai Hao's body began to deform, even swell grotesquely.
Naturally, it was agonizing. He finally stopped cursing and started screaming in pain.
"Aaaahhhh!!!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes flashed coldly as he shouted:
"Endure it! If you don't suffer, how can you rise above the rest? This is all for your own good!"
"You think I had Eunuch Gao work all night ripping out hearts for fun? I did it for YOU!"
"I'm your good son! Would I ever hurt you?"
Huo Yuhao: Dai Hao, you're a disobedient father!
When all the hearts were completely fused into Dai Hao's body, he could no longer scream—his throat was torn apart, and his vocal cords had completely snapped.
But he did not lose consciousness!
Huo Yuhao was proud of him.
"Only by fusing in a conscious state can the effect be optimal."
However, Dai Hao gradually lost his sanity, as thick resentment engulfed him. Even top cultivators would struggle to withstand such a torrent of resentment—let alone Dai Hao, who was only a Spirit Douluo.
Losing his sanity was inevitable.
Even if Dai Hao regained the ability to move, he was no different from a living corpse, driven only by the hatred rooted deep within his soul.
His body had also undergone massive distortion. There wasn't a single patch of intact skin—his flesh had burst apart as if his body were clothing torn from within, exposing muscle tissue and even bone.
What should have been fresh flesh began to rot due to the corruption of resentment. The color turned a sickly, ominous dark red.
But even that wasn't the most terrifying part. The true horror was centered on Dai Hao's chest—a half-human-sized heart had burst through his ribs, covered only by a thin layer of membrane. The heartbeat within it was clearly visible.
Each beat of this massive heart sent tremors through Dai Hao's entire body.
Its weight forced him to lean backward, unable to sit upright. Even his kneeling legs had collapsed into a grotesque tangle of thigh and calf. His legs were so twisted they no longer resembled human limbs.
"Using matter to replenish matter" could indeed repair the damaged.
But like with traditional medicine, there's such a thing as overdosing—and Dai Hao had taken far too much.
Yet this achieved Huo Yuhao's goal perfectly.
Dai Hao's bloodline had been cultivated into something far stronger!
It had reached the activity level of a Title Douluo's, even surpassing it by a large margin.
Normally, when a Spirit Master reached the level of Spirit Sage or Title Douluo, their bloodline would evolve, allowing their martial spirit to reveal its true power—sometimes even mutating and growing stronger.
This colossal heart now granted Dai Hao incredibly potent vitality. You could see it—his body was barely able to contain the flood of blood and energy within!
Huo Yuhao smiled.
Eunuch Gao paused, then flattered him with an exaggerated look of astonishment, "Truly eye-opening, absolutely eye-opening!"
Wang Xian'er, on the other hand, was terrified.
She couldn't say a word. Her entire body felt exhausted, as if she could fall asleep then and there.
But she knew this wasn't true fatigue—her consciousness was dissolving in the flames.
Her memories, legacy, everything was being absorbed into her Healing Angel martial spirit, which was becoming more vibrant and alive.
Like a frog slowly boiled in warm water, she had no strength left to resist—only to wait quietly for death.
This wasn't just simple death—it was a sacrifice of her life.
What comforted Wang Xian'er was that at least she wouldn't suffer Dai Hao's torment. She would pass away peacefully, like falling asleep in her most beautiful form.
With her final trace of awareness, Wang Xian'er quietly watched the scene before her. Her emotions had grown calm and detached, incapable of further thought.
Huo Yuhao stepped toward Dai Hao.
Dai Hao had become a twisted monster, his entire body radiating resentment, yet alive—enduring a painful, distorted existence thanks to his powerful life force.
"Father, I'm here to release you from this."
Huo Yuhao smiled gently as he raised a hand like a blade over his head.
In response to Huo Yuhao's voice, Dai Hao's bulging eyes trembled—he reacted!
That grotesque, swollen arm tried to lift itself toward Huo Yuhao but failed. Only a few disfigured fingers twitched.
Huo Yuhao's hand came down, flashing with cold light—it sliced open the thin membrane, exposing the massive heart.
Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao ripped the heart out from Dai Hao's chest.
Splat—
Blood gushed like a fountain, soaking Huo Yuhao and drenching the ground. But Huo Yuhao didn't mind.
The next second—
Dai Hao's still-living body began to violently convulse. All the resentment and blood covering him surged into the air, seemingly drawn toward the heart, fusing with it.
Before their eyes, Dai Hao's body dried up and crumbled to the ground—a lifeless husk.
The once mighty and towering man, after death, weighed less than half a pound.
Meanwhile, the heart in Huo Yuhao's hand became shrouded in resentment, pulsing even harder, as if it had come alive.
Suddenly—
A ghostly face appeared on the heart, resembling a cross between a tiger and Dai Hao himself. It opened its mouth wide to bite Huo Yuhao.
A furious roar echoed:
"Huo Yuhao, die!"
The heart had become a demonic creature!
And this demon… was Dai Hao!
But a golden light burst from Huo Yuhao's body, suppressing the ghost face. It let out a screech and retreated into the heart.
The heart stopped beating.
Not because it had lost its vitality—but because it was playing dead.
Eunuch Gao stared in shock and asked urgently, "Brother Hao, Dai Hao isn't dead?"
Huo Yuhao smiled knowingly, completely unfazed.
"I told you, I did this for his own good. His body may be dead, but his essence of life has evolved. I gave him a new way to live."
"Isn't being a demon better than a Spirit Master?"
Angering Dai Hao wasn't just to make him snap—it was to build enough resentment. Huo Yuhao even used other tricks to help.
Only with enough hatred could Dai Hao transform from human to demon.
And that massive heart, filled with Dai Hao's bloodline, was now his most suitable new body.
Huo Yuhao inspected the current state of Dai Hao:
About fifty pounds, and very healthy.
More accurately—Dai Hao had become a demon.
Freshly transformed, but with immense potential. His body held a massive amount of blood energy. He just needed time for his demon core to fully form.
At most three or four months.
At that point, Huo Yuhao could extract the demon core and use it to break through his own bloodline limits.
But you think that's the end?
Even after the core was removed, the now-demonic Dai Hao wouldn't die. In fact, if properly fed, he could continuously produce White Tiger bloodline energy—becoming Huo Yuhao's personal fuel station.
When the time came to confront the White Tiger Duke's estate, Dai Hao the Demon could help absorb their bloodline powers.
A one-time feast or endless meals—Huo Yuhao had made his choice.
Huo Yuhao:
"Time, please slow down.
Don't let you grow old so fast.
I would give up everything,
Just to make your years last.
You've always been strong, Dad.
What can I do for you?
Take this little gesture—
My deepest thanks to you.
You gave us your all,
Held our home together with care.
Always gave me the best—
Were you proud of me out there?
The child you worry for…
Has finally grown up."