After placing a restriction on Dai Hao, ensuring it wouldn't hinder his formation of a demon core but would still prevent him from causing trouble, Huo Yuhao gently stored Dai Haoyao alone in a brocade pouch.
"Dai Hao, I'll come visit you often~" Huo Yuhao said with a smile.
After dealing with Dai Hao, Huo Yuhao returned to the Healing Angel. With the infusion of a large amount of fate energy, the refining process was progressing rapidly and was nearly complete.
Wang Xian'er's life had entered its final countdown. Her spirit had become increasingly weak, and her emotions were nearly gone.
Yet the Healing Angel's expression was peaceful, and Wang Xian'er showed no signs of pain. After all, the refining method used had previously been applied to the Frost Centipede Spirit Beast, and it didn't harm the spirit but instead benefited it.
The refining process would strengthen the spirit and eliminate any internal disharmony.
And Wang Xian'er's spirit and personality were precisely the disharmony.
Her spirit was on the verge of being extinguished, only clinging to existence by sheer will. Her personality remained intact merely because of this last burst of consciousness.
Huo Yuhao did nothing more—he simply waited quietly for the moment the Healing Angel's refinement would be completed, which would also mark the moment of Wang Xian'er's final disappearance.
But then, just as her spirit was nearly gone, Wang Xian'er suddenly stirred and spoke again.
"Huo Yuhao, what is your true goal?" she asked. Her voice was calm, devoid of anger—because her emotions had mostly faded, leaving behind only curiosity.
Huo Yuhao raised his brows, about to repeat what he had previously said.
However, Wang Xian'er interrupted him, "Don't repeat what you said before—I know that wasn't your true intention. That stuff about the Sea God—it's fake, isn't it?"
"Oh? What made you think that?" Huo Yuhao asked with interest. "You're not trying to trick me, are you?"
"Just a feeling," Wang Xian'er replied calmly. "I'm nearing my end. Perhaps standing on the border between life and death lets me sense things more acutely."
"I see," Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. "It's like some kind of clairvoyance."
"What's your real goal?" Wang Xian'er asked again. "Considering I'm about to die, I hope you'll give me a real answer."
She wanted to die with understanding.
Huo Yuhao paused to think carefully before replying solemnly, "My goal is to lead the Douluo Continent to a brighter future! Senior Xian, can you tell if I'm telling the truth?"
His tone at the end was unusually respectful.
What shook Wang Xian'er was that her instincts told her—he was telling the truth!
Wang Xian'er fell silent. She didn't answer Huo Yuhao's question. She thought she must be hallucinating.
She no longer understood this world.
So…
She gave up!
When Wang Xian'er stopped resisting, her spirit and personality dissipated before his eyes. In just a few seconds, she was completely gone.
Only the Healing Angel remained.
A bright green light shone from the Healing Angel's body.
Huo Yuhao suddenly felt a pang of emotion and shouted loudly, "Senior Xian, may you rest in peace!"
Then, he increased the fate fire to complete the final refining process.
The Healing Angel had fully transcended the category of spirit—it had been refined into a puppet, but it looked alive, brimming with life energy. Its eyes were closed, arms crossed, wings slightly spread behind it, floating in the roaring flames of fate like a reborn celestial being.
The nine soul rings that originally belonged to Wang Xian'er appeared one by one, then began to shatter starting from the first—faster and faster.
But with every ring that shattered, its power was absorbed into the Healing Angel, making it even stronger and more vital.
Not just the soul rings—Wang Xian'er's soul bones, her flesh, and even her soul were all fused into the Healing Angel.
Eventually, as the ninth soul ring shattered, the Healing Angel's aura surged upward—reaching a completely new realm.
It had entered the Limit Realm—the same level as Mu En!
Huo Yuhao's eyes glinted.
This scene felt familiar.
Wasn't this the process of ring detonation?
Except this time, it was permanent. The Healing Angel had lost all soul skills, but gained immense strength.
This exchange was more than worthwhile.
The rise in strength to the Limit Realm was just the beginning.
Buzz—
Suddenly, a special wave of life energy burst from the Healing Angel. The halo above its head became even brighter.
The domain that Wang Xian'er had failed to complete during life now fully materialized within the Healing Angel.
The Life Domain was born!
Bathed in this domain, Huo Yuhao felt a gentle breeze and a sense of deep comfort.
Even High Eunuch Gao, a ghost, felt his soul tremble—refreshed and energized.
This Life Domain even worked on ghosts!
Despite both being derived from life energy, the Life Domain and the Devouring Life Domain had completely different effects.
The Devouring Life Domain absorbs life to feed the user.
The Life Domain bestows life to nurture others!
Life Domain: Within the area of the domain, as long as the user's life force and soul power haven't run out, no target will die. Any injuries can be healed by consuming life energy. The user's own life force and soul power also regenerate rapidly within the domain.
As the domain was fully formed, the Healing Angel's six wings spread out. She opened her eyes—eyes full of newborn purity, a healer's compassion, and the spirit of life.
The fate fire faded slowly.
Huo Yuhao stared at the Healing Angel.
The Healing Angel lowered her head and met his gaze.
In her eyes, there was a sense of intimacy. Then she smiled and turned into a stream of green light, flying into Huo Yuhao's right hand.
He felt a sharp sting in his palm.
When the green glow vanished, the Healing Angel had disappeared. Only a Healing Angel spirit mark remained in the center of Huo Yuhao's palm.
"Huh? Wait a second—why did the Healing Angel become my spirit?" Huo Yuhao was stunned. This was completely unexpected.
He had intended to create a puppet, not gain a new spirit.
Refining the Healing Angel had been an experiment—a way to preserve life force for emergency use. If he faced a powerful foe, he could sacrifice her life energy to trigger a power-up.
Just like with Dai Hao before—once injected with life force, he came back with vigor.
But this time, an unexpected outcome occurred.
Still…
"The result is pretty good. The Healing Angel is now mine. And now that she's my spirit, I can reuse her," Huo Yuhao said, sensing the dormant Healing Angel spirit mark.
More accurately, she was a Healing Angel Puppet Spirit.
Yet she retained her own consciousness…
And showed clear affection toward Huo Yuhao.
And she came with an exceptional domain.
"Have I just acquired a fourth spirit?" Huo Yuhao mused.
"If this refining method works on all spirits, could I collect even more?"
A sudden spark of interest ignited in him.
Maybe he could research a way to unlock the full potential of top-tier spirits!
Huo Yuhao was traveling at full speed.
By noon the next day, he had returned to Shrek Academy.
With the Healing Angel Puppet as his fourth martial soul, Huo Yuhao felt more vigorous than ever. The energy within him had become livelier, significantly accelerating his cultivation speed.
Even rushing at full speed didn't tire him.
Moreover, the power of the Healing Angel Puppet also promoted the growth of the Snow Lotus. Perhaps because they both shared healing properties and life attributes, even though neither had high intelligence, they had become unusually close. They often interwove their soul power within Huo Yuhao's body like close friends playing together—like besties on a shopping spree.
It made Huo Yuhao feel both pain and joy.
Life energy benefited his body, but having two streams of soul power simultaneously coursing through him—even with his resilient meridians—made him feel bloated.
Fortunately, most of the time, the soul powers flowed within the secondary root meridian network laid down by the Snow Lotus and only occasionally passed through his original meridians, so the effect was infrequent.
This time, Huo Yuhao had been away from Shrek Academy for several days.
But he wasn't worried about being exposed.
During his absence, his centipede leg clone used Tianmeng's illusion ability to disguise itself as Huo Yuhao and remained in closed-door cultivation.
When Huo Yuhao returned, he seamlessly swapped places with the clone.
The main body emerged from "closed-door" training.
As far as others were concerned, Huo Yuhao had just come out of secluded cultivation, now one level stronger—reaching level 66.
The reason given was the lingering power of the celestial herbs.
After this, however, the residual power of the herbs would largely be exhausted. Huo Yuhao's growth rate would no longer be so outrageous. It was estimated that by the time he reached level 70, the medicinal effects would be fully absorbed.
This was the understanding of the entire Shrek Academy leadership regarding Huo Yuhao.
They had watched him grow step by step, with each stage traceable. Even his soul rings and soul bones were arranged by the Academy.
It could be said that Huo Yuhao had essentially become the embodiment of Shrek Academy itself.
Mu En was quite satisfied. He believed that Huo Yuhao was now capable of shouldering some of the Academy's responsibilities. Even if he were to die immediately, Huo Yuhao would be able to carry on the Academy's legacy.
No one noticed anything unusual. No one discovered that Huo Yuhao had slipped away for a few days.
Life went on as usual: raising lambs, harvesting "wool," and deepening relationships with Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and others.
But outside of Shrek Academy, things were far from peaceful.
At the time Huo Yuhao returned to the Academy, someone had just discovered that Gongbei Town had vanished.
One day later, the news reached Xingluo City, raising the alert of the Star Luo Empire.
Two days later, Xu Jiawei and the high command realized that Dai Hao, the Fragmented Star Douluo, and Wang Xian'er were out of contact and suspected missing. An investigation began, and the information was sealed off.
Three days later, scouts from the Star Luo Empire reported the incident to Shrek Academy, which expressed concern.
Seven days later, the situation escalated. It was basically confirmed that Dai Hao, Fragmented Star Douluo, Wang Xian'er, and a thousand cavalrymen were most likely dead. The wiped-out Gongbei Town was the battlefield.
Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire was enraged.
The Heavenfiend Douluo Huang Jinxu and the Nebula Douluo Man Yi accompanied Princess Xu Jiujiu north to investigate and visited Shrek Academy.
The White Tiger Duke's household also joined the investigation.
After the Princess's visit, Shrek Academy formed an internal investigation team of ten Inner Court disciples to assist the Star Luo Empire, led by Xuanzi and Elder Song.
However, Huo Yuhao, Ma Xiaotao, and Ling Luochen were not included due to tensions between them and the White Tiger Duke's household. Even though Mu En and Dai Hao had previously eased the relationship, Dai Hao's disappearance had reignited hostilities.
Naturally, suspicion also fell on Shrek Academy.
Investigations at the former site of Gongbei Town suggested the attacker used powerful lightning-type soul power or soul tools. Traces of evil soul masters were also found.
The northern border of the Star Luo Empire became tense, with the north and west secretly placed under martial law.
Half a month later, someone finally found the desolate forest where Huo Yuhao had refined Dai Hao and Wang Xian'er. The forest, located deep in the Starfall Forest and rarely visited, had been completely corrupted by ghostly energy. It became a dead zone, even breeding mutated soul beasts.
These mutated beasts, though weak and unintelligent, were fiercely aggressive and born solely to kill. Fortunately, only small, low-level beasts were affected. Most soul beasts with a sense of danger stayed away and avoided corruption.
The corrupted forest and mutated beasts increased suspicion of evil soul master activity.
To prevent the spread of the ghostly energy, the forest was thoroughly searched and then destroyed. Even the topsoil was overturned, and hidden beasts beneath were hunted down.
No useful clues were found, and the Star Luo Empire had no choice but to raze the crime scene.
The Heavenly Soul and Sun Moon Empires noticed the military movement and began investigating the Star Luo Empire's turmoil.
Within the White Tiger Duke's household, the Duchess began attempting to seize control, clashing with other branches of the family.
One month later, the Sun Moon Empire activated spies embedded in the Star Luo Empire for years and learned of Dai Hao's likely death. The high command of the Sun Moon Empire was overjoyed.
They began massing troops at the Mingdou Mountains, seemingly preparing to attack, which greatly alarmed the Star Luo Empire.
This diverted Star Luo's resources, delaying their investigation into Dai Hao's disappearance.
In response, Xu Jiawei intensified efforts to root out traitors. A significant purge followed. The most prominent traitor caught was a count—one of the Sun Moon Empire's top spies.
Over the next two weeks, numerous traitors and their families were executed. Blood dyed the Star Luo capital's moat red.
Fear gripped Star Luo City.
The entire Star Luo Empire grew tense.
The Sun Moon Empire wasn't ready for war with Shrek Academy and the original Douluo factions, but still used the situation to test Star Luo's responses.
The Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires, not yet entangled, chose to sit back and watch.
Shrek Academy recalled the investigation team and withdrew from the situation.
Back at the White Tiger Duke's household, the Duchess' conflict with other family branches intensified. However, with secret support from the royal family, she gradually tightened her grip on power.
Two months later—
The news that "Dai Hao is missing, presumed dead" spread across the Douluo Continent.
Border skirmishes between the Sun Moon and Star Luo Empires increased, escalating into local conflicts.
The entire Douluo Continent's political atmosphere grew heavy.
Unlike the relatively unknown Fragmented Star Douluo and Medical Immortal Douluo, Dai Hao—White Tiger Duke and supreme commander of Star Luo's military—was a national pillar. His disappearance struck a severe blow to morale.
Once the news broke, the border troops' morale plummeted, and defenses weakened.
To stabilize the front, the White Tiger household sent personnel to the border. Dai Huabin took up the mantle as a young general and led forces to the front lines.
Only then did the Star Luo Empire's defenses stabilize.
Meanwhile, back at Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao was practicing his devastating "One Spear vs. Three Heroes" technique.
Huo Yuhao: Fight! Fight! I want to see rivers of blood!
In just two months, the tension between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire had grown palpable.
It felt as if war could break out at any moment.
And if it did, it would surely be a world war!
But such worries were mostly held by the middle and lower classes and commoners. The higher-ups of both nations knew this war wouldn't happen.
Because Shrek Academy still stood!
Though Shrek Academy had recalled its students and showed no intent to meddle in the conflict, its mere existence and the presence of its elite forces were enough to deter the Sun Moon Empire from launching a full-scale attack on the Star Luo Empire.
At most, the Sun Moon Empire would probe and skirmish, like hyenas trying to tear off chunks of meat from the Star Luo Empire's hide.
The Star Luo Empire only needed to stay prepared.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire were content to watch the drama unfold.
Amid the external unrest, Shrek City remained vibrant and prosperous.
Residents of Shrek City, backed by the formidable Shrek Academy, had the confidence to face any continental turmoil.
If not for the strict vetting process and high standards required to settle in Shrek City—standards even most nobles couldn't meet—masses of commoners and aristocrats would have flocked there for safety.
The continental situation's only impact on Shrek City was the rising prices of goods from the Star Luo and Sun Moon Empires.
This created opportunities for merchants from the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires, who seized the chance to capture market share from Star Luo merchants in Shrek City.
The Earth Dragon Sect hitched a ride on this wave, successfully establishing some of its businesses in Shrek City.
As for high-grade soul tools and resources smuggled from the Sun Moon Empire, it wasn't just a matter of price hikes—they were becoming scarce, with demand far outstripping supply.
Smuggling had grown increasingly difficult.
For instance, materials essential for crafting advanced soul tools, unique to the Sun Moon Empire, were now nearly impossible to smuggle out due to tightened controls.
The Sun Moon Empire's soul tool development thrived thanks to the rich resources of the Sun Moon Continent—minerals, herbs, soul beasts, and more. Anything exclusive to the Sun Moon Continent was considered a strategic resource.
Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department was affected as well.
When Huo Yuhao visited the department to "scrounge," he often saw Qian Duoduo shaking his head and sighing.
The exchange program to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was delayed, with its continuation now uncertain.
Fan Yu locked himself in his lab daily, hammering away to pass the time, as if trying to drown out his pain.
But with limited resources, even if he had an epiphany, breaking through to a Rank 9 soul engineer was nearly impossible.
Forging a divine artifact from common iron was a nice fantasy. Ordinary materials couldn't produce a Rank 9 soul tool, and if the spark of inspiration wasn't seized, it would fade.
Moreover, soul engineers from the original Douluo Continent were inherently half a rank, or even a full rank, below those from the Sun Moon Empire.
Seeing Fan Yu's heartbroken state, Huo Yuhao didn't know how to console him. He could only tend to Zhou Yi's soul daily, helping Fan Yu care for her.
Zhou Yi's soul hadn't been turned into a ghost or absorbed into the Ghost Banner martial soul, so it still had growth potential.
Recently, under Huo Yuhao's nurturing, her soul had become much more vibrant. Given time, Zhou Yi could gradually recall everything.
…
On this day, Huo Yuhao didn't stay on Sea God Island to cultivate. Instead, he went to Shrek City, ostensibly to relax and check on the pharmacy he co-owned with Ouyang Zhen.
But after inspecting the pharmacy, he quietly slipped into a room at a hotel.
A figure awaited him, cloaked in a black robe that concealed their appearance and figure, clearly intent on hiding their identity.
Huo Yuhao's arrival didn't alarm the figure, as if they'd expected him.
Closing the door casually, Huo Yuhao wore a playful smile. Instead of approaching the figure, he lounged on the soft bed, leaning back lazily.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's nonchalant attitude, the black-robed figure couldn't keep up the act. She yanked off her hood, glaring at him with icy anger. "Huo Yuhao! You finally showed up!"
Beneath the hood was a young but alluringly beautiful face.
It was none other than Huo Yuhao's long-absent "sister-in-law," Zhu Lu!
Compared to a few months ago, Zhu Lu was even more captivating. Her appearance had subtly changed—her hair was darker, her pupils faintly tinged with a blood-red hue, and she exuded a serene, almost ethereal aura. Like a dark elf under moonlight, she was both dangerous and enticing.
Moreover, Huo Yuhao could sense that, with her increased strength, Zhu Lu's "fragrance" had become even more delectable.
The "cauldron" was brimming with sweet nectar once again.
Huo Yuhao lay on his side, head tilted, eyeing Zhu Lu with interest.
"Didn't sister-in-law summon me? Should I leave then?"
"You!" Zhu Lu gritted her teeth, clearly provoked, and activated her martial soul possession.
The black robe was blown off by soul power, revealing a tall girl in a tight black leather outfit.
In an instant, the girl transformed into a cat-eared woman, her appearance maturing slightly and growing more alluring. Her figure became taller, her chest more pronounced, even tearing a gap in the leather at her bust. A playful black tail extended from the outfit, curling slightly.
Interestingly, Huo Yuhao noted the tail curved into a subtle question mark.
Two yellow and two purple soul rings rose from Zhu Lu's body, and a denser Nether attribute aura rippled from her, lowering her presence and adding to her mysterious allure.
In just a few months, the girl had grown from a three-ring Soul Elder to a four-ring Soul Ancestor, reaching the peak at Level 49!
Her Nether Spirit Cat martial soul's Nether attribute had also strengthened, yet she showed no signs or aura of an evil soul master.
Zhu Lu glared at Huo Yuhao, frustrated by his impervious attitude.
After what he'd done to her before, he still acted like this!
While waiting, Zhu Lu had imagined Huo Yuhao, true to his nature, might immediately get handsy. She'd fantasized about rejecting him harshly to reclaim her dignity.
But when he arrived and did nothing, she felt wronged.
All her worry and torment these past months were because of him!
Couldn't he take some responsibility?!
Her tone grew cold. "Huo Yuhao! There's a problem with the technique you gave me!"
"I know~" Huo Yuhao replied casually.
"Tell me how to fix it!" Zhu Lu revealed her true intent, though her metaphorical "Yan Kingdom map" was a bit short.
Huo Yuhao eyed her up and down, not hiding his desire. "Want something? You'll need to pay a price."
Zhu Lu's face flared with anger. "Huo Yuhao, don't go too far!"
"Oh? Too far? Your raised tail doesn't seem to agree~"
Zhu Lu whipped her head around, realizing her tail had risen unnoticed, exposing her rear.
**Huo Yuhao: Brother Hao's Mini-Lesson! Teaching Everyone How to Read Cat Body Language!**
- **Tail tip curved like a question mark**: When a cat's tail is upright with a curved tip, like a question mark, it means they're in a great mood and ready to play!
- **Tail straight up, even showing their 'little chrysanthemum'**: This means they're thrilled to see you, a sign of extreme happiness!
- **Tail slowly swishing side to side**: This indicates they're feeling love, whether for a person or another cat!
For the past two months, Zhu Lu had been living in pain—one could even say torment—plagued by anxiety and urgency.
She not only had to deal with Dai Huabin's expressions of affection but also constantly worried about the issues with her cultivation technique.
Perhaps that night had led Dai Huabin to misunderstand something, or maybe he was trying to win over the Zhu family to help the Duchess seize control of the White Tiger Duke's estate. Either way, over the past two months—even though Zhu Lu claimed to be in seclusion—Dai Huabin still frequently came to visit her.
To outsiders, this looked like a sign of a close relationship between the two.
But for Zhu Lu, she desperately needed to cultivate in order to discover the problem with her technique and then seek out Huo Yuhao for a solution. Only then could she secure her position.
Dai Huabin's visits were a waste of her time. Yet, because of the alliance between their families and her status as his fiancée, she couldn't refuse him.
It was sheer torment on both fronts.
As a result, although Dai Huabin was affectionate and caring, Zhu Lu couldn't feel any joy from it.
At first, out of guilt for having betrayed Dai Huabin, she forced herself to smile and gave him simple responses.
However, as time went on and her pressure mounted, she began to find him annoying—interfering with her cultivation.
Even the usual social niceties became revolting.
Thus, her feelings toward Dai Huabin shifted from guilt to aversion.
Zhu Lu even began to think that her loss of innocence to Huo Yuhao was all Dai Huabin's fault. If only he were stronger… if only he hadn't gone after Huo Yuhao… if only his mother hadn't offended Huo Yuhao… Maybe then, she wouldn't be in this situation.
Not everyone responds to adversity with resilience. Many blame others—especially when there is some truth to those connections.
Even knowing that complaining won't help, one sometimes does so anyway, because it offers a bit of relief—just enough to endure the pain.
Clearly, Dai Huabin hadn't noticed the change in Zhu Lu. He failed to provide her with the sense of security she needed. Their relationship, which seemed normal on the surface, was in fact crumbling.
When Zhu Lu's cultivation reached the 49th level and she realized her technique was flawed, she immediately and secretly traveled to Shrek City to find Huo Yuhao.
This brought her unexpected relief—and even a bit of joy.
It's not the beginning or end that tortures people the most, but the process.
Now that she knew Huo Yuhao could help her, she found herself somewhat eager, even excited.
Zhu Lu discovered the issue upon reaching level 49: her cultivation had become completely stagnant. Even with normal methods, she couldn't make any further progress!
She panicked.
She couldn't be stuck at level 49 forever!
…
Now, with her little scheme seen through by Huo Yuhao, Zhu Lu was filled with shame and anger.
Coming to see Huo Yuhao had indeed relaxed her.
And now, Huo Yuhao's attitude clearly implied he wanted her to offer herself again. Zhu Lu knew she should be disgusted by this, but instead, she felt a secret thrill.
Because it meant—after all these months—she still held an attraction for Huo Yuhao.
She wasn't just a toy to him.
Moreover, they shared a Martial Soul Fusion Technique...
Without realizing it, Zhu Lu had started to view Huo Yuhao as a new source of support—yet she herself remained unaware of this shift.
Still, she was not entirely resigned.
She didn't want to be completely under his thumb.
In terms of cultivation, he already held her life in his hands. Did she really have to be bound to him in every other way too?
Biting her lip, Zhu Lu looked unwilling and remained silent for a long time.
The kitty had a little mood swing.
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly, activating the Yin-Yang Golden Flower Technique, which corresponded to Zhu Lu's Nethergold Flower Technique. A special kind of attraction began emanating from his body.
Still caught in her inner struggle, Zhu Lu suddenly felt her soul power surge and her body begin to stir restlessly.
"What is this...?" Zhu Lu wrapped her arms around herself, sensing the change within her.
Her Nether Spirit Cat Martial Soul was craving Huo Yuhao more than ever. Even in Martial Soul Possession state, she was being overwhelmed by this desire.
"What did you do to me?" she demanded, startled, though deep down she knew this was Huo Yuhao's doing.
He just smiled, leaning back on the bed without replying—only patting his thigh.
And Zhu Lu, as if bewitched, stared at him with burning desire and took a step forward.
"This is all for the family… This is all Dai Huabin's fault. I'll just think of this as repaying Dai Huabin's debt as his sister-in-law…"
Meow~!
…
As Zhu Lu soared to the clouds and lost herself, Huo Yuhao quietly guided her to reveal the current situation of the Zhu family.
Huo Yuhao wasn't just interested in Zhu Lu—he wanted the entire Zhu family.
Every single Spirit Cat.
He had to keep a close eye on his prey.
From Zhu Lu, he learned that over the past two months, under the direction of her father (the Zhu clan patriarch), she had secretly been cultivating the Nethergold Flower Technique within the family. They had more than enough soul beast flesh below the 5,000-year level.
To outsiders, it was said she had returned home to train hard in order to catch up to Dai Huabin's power.
After all, Dai Huabin had indeed surpassed her significantly in strength at that time.
No one suspected anything.
Dai Huabin was even moved by her determination.
The technique's effectiveness soon became apparent.
In just half a month, Zhu Lu had gained several levels, breaking through to level 40 and successfully acquiring a new soul ring. There were no signs of being a Dark Soul Master, and her foundation remained stable.
This thrilled her father—but he didn't immediately share the technique with the whole family. Instead, he selected members of different age groups to further test it.
These chosen members were those who struggled to improve their strength:
Those with low innate soul power,
Elders stuck at bottlenecks due to age,
Those injured or disabled,
And those with defective Martial Souls due to mutation.
For a major clan, it wasn't hard to find people in such conditions.
Her father hoped the technique would prove widely effective. After all, the Zhu clan had no shortage of mutated Martial Souls.
If successful, it would solidify his position as clan leader and earn him greater authority among the elders. Zhu Lu, too, would gain prestige within the clan.
Even if she married into the White Tiger Duke's estate, her prestige could benefit her brothers, helping one of them succeed as clan leader.
The Zhu family, like the White Tiger Duke's household, had multiple branches with internal competition—but it wasn't as fierce.
And like the White Tiger Duke's family, the Zhu clan had suffered great losses in the war with the Sun-Moon Empire. Few direct blood relatives remained.
However, unlike the White Tiger family, the Zhu clan was more united. Even mutated or low-talent members weren't easily cast out or mistreated.
After all, they weren't fighting for a throne, and their situation left no room for disunity.
Huo Yuhao: "Disobedient kitties must be eaten by their master~"
The experimental results of Zhu Lu's father on the cultivation technique were promising, and through controlled experiments, he gained a deeper understanding of its mechanics.
The experiments revealed that only soul masters with cat-type martial souls could cultivate this technique; non-cat martial soul users couldn't.
However, the effectiveness varied.
Soul masters with Nether Spirit Cat bloodline had the best results, followed by those with cat martial souls possessing attributes similar to Nether, then most other cat martial soul users. The least effective were cat soul masters with attributes opposing Nether, such as fire or light attributes.
Don't ask how many soul masters Zhu Lu's father tested or how many non-family members were "dealt with" for these experiments.
For the family and a deeper understanding of the technique, such sacrifices were deemed necessary.
Of course, not all Nether Spirit Cat bloodline soul masters experienced the same results.
The worst were those with mutated martial souls, especially mutations with attributes opposing Nether, whose results were only slightly better than ordinary cat martial soul users.
Above them were male soul masters with pure Nether Spirit Cat martial souls.
Higher still were female soul masters with pure Nether Spirit Cat martial souls, whose results were twice as effective as males.
This technique favored women.
But in truth, Zhu Lu alone achieved the best results, as the technique was crafted by Huo Yuhao specifically for her body, perfectly tailored to her.
Zhu Lu's cultivation speed was double that of other female Nether Spirit Cat soul masters!
However, base effectiveness didn't equate to actual results.
The technique's true impact depended on the quality of the blood and flesh used during cultivation.
Yet the technique undeniably allowed Zhu family members stuck at bottlenecks to advance, breaking through their limits.
This boosted Zhu Lu's reputation and status, granting her access to the blood and flesh of soul beasts over 5,000 years old, even 10,000-year ones, enabling her to reach Level 49 in just two months.
Then she discovered the technique's flaw.
Only Zhu Lu knew of this issue.
This was because she clung to a sliver of hope and was reluctant to relinquish her newfound status and the promise of a brighter future.
Having tasted the benefits, she wasn't willing to let go and wanted even more.
Zhu Lu was loyal to her family but refused to be its slave. Born into the Zhu family, she knew she could only rely on herself.
Only by growing stronger and seizing more benefits could she face any turmoil with confidence.
Neither the Zhu family nor the White Tiger Duke's Mansion was stable.
When Zhu Lu uncovered the technique's specific flaw, her emotions were complex.
Good news: the flaw wasn't severe and didn't cause soul masters to fall into corruption. Despite the technique's cultivation method resembling that of evil soul masters, it wasn't damning.
Even if the family discovered the flaw, Zhu Lu wouldn't face punishment.
The Zhu soul masters who tested the technique were those with no hope of breaking through, and the technique genuinely improved their strength. The flaw caused no loss to the Zhu family.
In fact, it confirmed the technique's value. It was ideal for Zhu soul masters at their limits, allowing them to push further and break through, even if only to absorb one more soul ring. For any soul master, this was invaluable.
Especially for those stuck at Level 89.
While Zhu family members rarely reached Titled Douluo, some did hit Level 89.
This technique could even be passed down as a clan treasure!
Bad news: soul masters who practiced it could no longer cultivate normally, their cultivation permanently capped.
And Zhu Lu had already practiced it!
If she couldn't fix this, she might be stuck at Level 49 for life, unable to progress.
Despite her current glory, Zhu Lu knew without strength, no matter her talent or contributions, she couldn't control her fate.
Even if she married into the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, she couldn't become the main wife. The White Tiger Duke's wife couldn't be a mere Level 49 Soul Ancestor.
But as a concubine, how tragic would her fate be?
Huo Yun'er and Dai Luoli's mother were stark warnings.
Would her family still support her?
More likely, if she lost her strength, to prevent leaks, the Zhu family might arrange for their daughter, destined for marriage, to "accidentally perish."
She might not live to see her wedding day.
The White Tiger Duke's Mansion wouldn't break the engagement, nor could the Zhu family, so they'd eliminate Zhu Lu.
Imagining these possible futures nearly broke Zhu Lu.
She *had* to keep growing stronger!
That's why she decisively sought out Huo Yuhao.
Even if it meant being under his control.
At least he could help her grow stronger, which was better than losing her life.
And she had little left to lose.
When she faced Huo Yuhao, her martial soul's craving shattered her already wavering resolve, fully releasing her body's restraint.
…
Past noon, in the hotel room, on the soft bed, Zhu Lu stared blankly at the ceiling, her consciousness still adrift in the clouds.
Huo Yuhao was also satisfied with this dual cultivation session. Summing up the sensations, he had one thought:
"No wonder she's a natural cauldron!"
Of course, Zhu Lu benefited too. Her soul power broke through to Level 50; with one soul ring, she'd become a Soul King.
At that moment, the hotel room's door was suddenly opened.
In this era, hotel doors had soul tool locks, only openable from outside by those with a soul tool key.
The sudden intrusion snapped Zhu Lu back to reality. She gasped, diving under the covers to hide her face.
Her gaze sharpened, radiating faint killing intent. No matter who entered or whether they saw her clearly, they couldn't leave alive.
Unless they were too strong.
But Huo Yuhao remained calm, not a hint of panic, not even bothering to cover himself.
The intruder locked the door behind them, then, as if on a pilgrimage, knelt and crawled toward the bed.
Zhu Lu, hidden in the covers, monitored the situation but heard no scolding or sounds of combat from Huo Yuhao. Instead, she caught embarrassing noises.
Shocked, she threw off the covers and saw Huo Yuhao being "attended" by a beautiful woman.
It was Nan Shuishui!
Recently, Nan Shuishui had come to Shrek City to manage Earth Dragon Sect affairs. Huo Yuhao had summoned her to join in the fun and to let the experienced Nan Shuishui guide Zhu Lu.
To help Zhu Lu break through her limits.
Once certain barriers were crossed, they couldn't be rebuilt.
"You! You! You!"
Seeing Huo Yuhao and Nan Shuishui's display, Zhu Lu was furious and humiliated, ready to leap up.
She could offer herself to Huo Yuhao for benefits, but she refused to serve him alongside another woman.
Did he take her for a brothel girl?
Huo Yuhao signaled Nan Shuishui with a glance.
Understanding, Nan Shuishui acted, pressing Zhu Lu back onto the bed.
"Let me go!" Zhu Lu struggled fiercely.
"Sister, why rush off? Let's have fun together. Don't you want to?" Nan Shuishui pinned Zhu Lu down with her fuller figure, leaving her unable to break free.
Against a near-Titled Douluo, how could a near-Soul King resist?
Yes, near-Titled Douluo!
With the technique and resources, Nan Shuishui had broken through to Level 90!
But that wasn't the focus now.
Watching Zhu Lu struggle and curse, Huo Yuhao's interest was reignited.
Her reaction was far more entertaining than her first time.
**Huo Yuhao: Good sister-in-law, your brother's here to aid your cultivation.**