Evening fell.
The storm had passed.
Nan Shuishui devotedly attended to Huo Yuhao, letting him bask in leisurely bliss.
Zhu Lu, unable to match their stamina, lay unconscious nearby, still asleep, her body covered in marks, tear stains at the corners of her eyes.
Huo Yuhao admitted he'd been a bit wild earlier.
Nan Shuishui, however, was in much better shape.
Unlike the other girls, Nan Shuishui was directly manipulated by Huo Yuhao, her cognition warped. She was far more obedient, viewing him as a divine figure, her sole devotion, willing to sacrifice everything for him.
She was currently his strongest "cauldron," just one soul ring away from breaking through to Titled Douluo.
"In a while, I'll head out and secure a 100,000-year soul ring for you as your ninth," Huo Yuhao said casually to Nan Shuishui, squinting as if 100,000-year soul beasts were as common as wild vegetables.
And in truth, they were to him.
His centipede-footed clones, scouting abroad, hadn't found suitable 200,000-year ferocious beasts but had tracked several 100,000-year soul beasts. For ordinary 100,000-year soul beasts, Huo Yuhao could easily kill them without even using his martial soul.
Among the discovered 100,000-year soul beasts, a few weren't suitable for him but could be given to Nan Shuishui. With her talent and strength, she was worth his investment.
Suitability aside, for most soul masters, a 100,000-year soul ring—unless it clashed with their martial soul—could elevate their strength by several tiers.
Strengthening Nan Shuishui would also allow her to assist Huo Yuhao with more tasks, like targeting the Heavenly Dragon Sect!
The Heavenly Dragon Sect had plenty of soul masters with true dragon bloodlines, including some with particularly "sweet" ones.
Nan Shuishui, already devotedly serving, grew even more excited at Huo Yuhao's words. "Thank you, Lord Ming Wang!"
Her efforts redoubled.
Her cognition was warped, but her common sense remained intact.
For soul masters, a 100,000-year soul ring was a rare, coveted treasure, a lifelong boon.
Some soul masters who exhausted their potential upon reaching Titled Douluo could, with a 100,000-year ninth soul ring, gain a shot at becoming a Super Douluo.
In this era, while Titled Douluos had become more common, 100,000-year soul beasts hadn't increased. In fact, their numbers had dwindled due to millennia of hunting.
The perception of more 100,000-year soul beasts stemmed from humans exploring more regions, uncovering hidden ones.
But successfully hunting them was another matter.
…
It wasn't until the next morning that Zhu Lu opened her eyes, feeling refreshed.
Nan Shuishui had cleaned her body, but Huo Yuhao deliberately left some purplish marks.
Without marks, how could the experience be proven?
Zhu Lu sat up dazedly, her mind still foggy. After a while, she recalled the previous day's events, her expression shifting rapidly. But she ultimately chose silence.
In that ecstasy, she'd lost consciousness, almost becoming a different person.
But she quickly pushed those thoughts aside. She wasn't that fragile.
She felt some shame but could suppress it.
This was likely a side effect of her Nether attribute. The stronger the Nether attribute in a Nether Spirit Cat soul master, the colder they appeared, giving an impression of emotional detachment.
But Huo Yuhao guaranteed that the colder the Nether Spirit Cat soul master, the more vibrant and warm they were inside!
Referring to emotions, of course.
Zhu Lu surveyed the room, noting Nan Shuishui's absence. Only Huo Yuhao remained, lying beside her, arms behind his head. When she woke, he opened his eyes, smiling as he studied her.
Under his gaze, Zhu Lu instinctively clamped her legs, as if feeling phantom pain, clearly traumatized.
Yet she didn't display any coy, girlish behavior or ask about Nan Shuishui. What had happened had happened, and she focused on her gains.
Just like the day Huo Yuhao took her purity in that alley, she'd walked out coldly, with no one noticing anything amiss.
Zhu Lu checked her condition.
"Broke through to Level 50?!" Her tone was complex.
Joy, confusion, shame, anger…
She suddenly realized what the solution to the technique's flaw was.
"Shameless!" she cursed at Huo Yuhao.
"Didn't you enjoy it?" Huo Yuhao pulled her into his arms. Zhu Lu struggled briefly, but not fiercely, eventually slumping into his embrace as if giving up.
Her mouth, however, didn't relent. She mocked, "Huo Yuhao, if the men in my family discover the technique's flaw, are you going to do *this* with them too?"
"You're overthinking~" Huo Yuhao playfully swatted her rear.
He wasn't practicing some yang-harvesting technique!
Well, the method Zhu Lu mentioned existed, but Huo Yuhao wasn't at his wits' end. He preferred yin-yang harmony.
Relieved by his denial, Zhu Lu didn't want him to be *that* kind of person.
But she pressed, "Then what about the others in my family who practice the technique? For the women, you're not going to…"
Huo Yuhao, stroking the "kitty," explained the technique's true nature in detail.
Zhu Lu's expression shifted dramatically, a vivid display.
She finally realized Huo Yuhao's target was her entire family!
"You'd scheme against my family with this technique for *that*?! You're a lustful fiend! Are you going to target the grandmothers too? Or the girls under ten?" Zhu Lu sneered, her tone harsh, unaware of dual cultivation concepts.
Yet she didn't leave his embrace, knowing she couldn't resist him and wasn't his only option.
He even had multiple martial soul fusion partners.
She only hoped for a decent outcome.
"Hahaha…" Huo Yuhao laughed. "What you call *that* is part of my cultivation, immensely beneficial to me. Especially maidens with their primordial yin—they're even more valuable!"
"As for your concerns, I've considered them." He locked eyes with Zhu Lu. "Next, I'll teach you a technique. It won't boost your strength, but it'll let you share the complementary true qi you gain from me with others, helping female soul masters break bottlenecks without coming to me."
"But in exchange, your complementary true qi will be consumed, causing you to hit bottlenecks earlier. You'll need to come back to me to break through. And your body can only hold so much true qi—you can't help everyone. Choose wisely."
"As for the old and faded, I'll leave them to you. Their vitality is too low; I'm not interested."
As for the unattractive, Huo Yuhao had cosmetic solutions.
And the young? Zhu Lu wouldn't let them fall into the tiger's jaws—she had her limits.
Zhu Lu glared at him, furious that he was still scheming against her with such grand ambitions.
But his next words quelled her anger.
"Zhu Lu, this technique will let you control the women of the Zhu family~ Don't you want more power within the family?"
Zhu Lu's heart stirred.
Such an ethically dubious act, yet she began seriously considering it.
Huo Yuhao gave her time to think.
A vast family like the Zhu needed a manager to aid him, and Zhu Lu was a fitting choice.
As the patriarch's daughter, she had ample talent.
Most importantly, she was ambitious and had gradually been molded into Huo Yuhao's "shape."
**Huo Yuhao: Tame the lead sheep, and you control the whole flock.**
( Mu En's arc is close. Soon, we'll send him )
Zhu Lu ultimately accepted her fate. She could no longer turn back, and ahead of her lay even more tempting fruit.
After another indulgent session with Huo Yuhao, Zhu Lu staggered away. Though this time Huo Yuhao hadn't used any special tricks, Zhu Lu had become much more proactive—perhaps even bold.
Seeing Zhu Lu so cooperative, Huo Yuhao taught her a disguise technique. It wasn't the magical kind that cultivators use, but rather a mundane makeup-based disguise method suitable for ordinary people.
Even so, for Zhu Lu, it was a very useful skill.
With the disguise technique, she no longer needed to shroud herself in black robes and sneak around. That suspicious look would immediately make people think she was hiding something.
Zhu Lu, however, remarked that Huo Yuhao had clearly taught her this so they could meet in secret more conveniently in the future.
The main point being—he wanted her to come to him willingly!
But what could she do?
She chose to accept it.
During their last encounter, Zhu Lu brought up Dai Huabin—not for thrills, but to share what she had learned about the White Tiger Duke's household with Huo Yuhao.
Since Dai Hao's disappearance, the White Tiger Duke's household had grown tense and paranoid.
There was only one heir left in the main line—Dai Huabin. But he was too young and weak, lacking both the strength and the qualifications to inherit the title of Duke. He also couldn't convince the branch families to follow him.
As a result, some of the branch families started to have ideas about the dukedom.
However, Dai Huabin's mother—the Duchess—wasn't someone easy to deal with.
She began using her own methods: either drawing in or suppressing various branches of the family.
These were bits of information Dai Huabin had inadvertently revealed while visiting Zhu Lu. Due to the Duchess's machinations, Dai Huabin's position in the White Tiger Duke household actually became more stable after his father's disappearance.
With her assistance, Dai Huabin's succession became more secure, and the Duchess herself gained more control over the household.
Yet Zhu family's secret investigations uncovered something else: the imperial family may be secretly supporting the Duchess.
Despite previous tensions between the two sides, they had found mutual benefits, and thus resumed cooperation. After all, the Duchess still held the status of an imperial princess.
The Duchess wanted to control the White Tiger Duke household and ensure Dai Huabin inherited the title.
The royal family wanted to use this opportunity to interfere in the affairs of the White Tiger Duke household and gain influence over it.
Given the Duke's household's special position—not only former imperial royalty, but also holders of significant military power—they posed a potential threat to the imperial family. If they couldn't be eliminated, they needed to be controlled. Turning the tiger into a tame housecat was the only way to put the royals at ease.
Dai Huabin's rank as a young general might well be part of this political transaction.
Otherwise, how could someone of his reputation and strength earn such a title?
It wasn't Dai Huabin alone who stabilized the frontlines—it was multiple representatives from the White Tiger Duke's household. But all the credit was given to Dai Huabin, just to build up his prestige.
In the end, both the Duchess and the imperial family got what they wanted.
As for the Zhu family, even though they uncovered the truth, they didn't get involved—and even pretended not to know.
Because the Zhu family now had enough strength to ride out future storms. If everything went smoothly, they would soon have their own Titled Douluo!
They had none before, but several of their elders were already stuck at Rank 89.
The Zhu family also sent some members to join the Duke's representatives on the frontlines against the Sun Moon Empire—still outwardly loyal to the Star Luo Empire, as always.
But in truth, they were buying time to grow.
Still, the Zhu family remained cautious. Once they realized that the royal family was trying to control the White Tiger Duke's household and make Dai Huabin and the Duchess their puppets, they began urging Zhu Lu to distance herself.
Unless her father wanted to lose his position as family head, Zhu Lu—as his daughter—could not grow too close to the Duke's household, lest she drag the Zhu family into trouble.
So, this time, when Dai Huabin went to the front, Zhu Lu didn't go along. She took the opportunity to visit Huo Yuhao instead.
Her reason for leaving was still supposedly to focus on cultivation. In the public eye, her strength remained that of a Soul Elder (three rings).
Thanks to the Zhu family now possessing proper cultivation techniques, they no longer cared much about spirit fusion abilities with the Dai family.
Zhu Lu quietly slipped away without anyone noticing. Her fifth soul ring was, of course, arranged by her family, to ensure the best possible match.
…
After Zhu Lu's departure, Huo Yuhao tidied up and returned to Shrek Academy.
His absence overnight didn't attract much attention. Only Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luocheng, and Wei Na noticed—but Huo Yuhao brushed it off, claiming he had been in town sorting herbs and making pills.
In truth, his centipede-legs clone did most of the pill-making. It didn't even require proper alchemy skills.
In town, certain pills still needed Huo Yuhao's personal touch—his own pills were more effective, and he held exclusive recipes for a few.
Those pills served two purposes only: libido enhancement and kidney strengthening.
Crude or not, they sold fast. Not only men but even women came to buy them.
Rumor had it that some merchants bought them in bulk to sell in entertainment venues in other cities to attract customers.
Ironically, the buyers didn't know that the man behind the pills, Huo Yuhao himself, never used them.
Thanks to his body's constitution and powerful blood energy, he didn't need them at all. Even without drugs, Ma Xiaotao and the others often had to team up to withstand him, and usually ended up completely exhausted. If he ever did take one? Who knows what kind of torment they'd face.
So Huo Yuhao never took the pills. Whether they had side effects or not—he didn't care, as long as nothing too obvious happened.
Still, Huo Yuhao paid close attention to pill sales.
Why?
Because he was planning to mix in a little "snack" with the pills—like adorable little gu insects.
As the pills spread, so would their influence. Those powerful soul masters and wealthy nobles who could afford the higher-end pills were people with status across many empires.
If one day, these people all encountered problems at the same time—well, that would be very entertaining.
After returning to Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao headed to his personal Centipede Garden.
Normally, no one came near it—it was essentially his private base.
He maintained it well, lush and vibrant, though damp and gloomy—conditions the centipedes liked.
Now, the soul beast centipedes in the garden were evolving into monsters. Many had already gained sentience and started walking on two legs. Those that had become yao (spirit monsters) continued training, hoping to take human form.
Even the ordinary centipedes were trying. Some accidentally evolved into soul beasts—albeit only ten-year-level ones.
When Huo Yuhao returned, the centipedes greeted him with respect and affection, as if he were their beloved king.
Deep inside the garden was a small grass hut—his resting place.
Inside, he deployed a technique to block all outside perception. Then he lifted the wooden bed and pried up the floorboards.
Beneath the bed, a sealed passage was hidden!
Huo Yuhao: "One pill to refresh your mind. Two for endless stamina. Three and you'll never tire. Four—and you'll live forever!"
Beneath the passageway was a hidden chamber filled with jars. Faint rustling sounds could be heard from inside the jars, as if countless insects were crawling within.
Inside the chamber, Huo Yuhao began fiddling with the jars. As he opened them one by one, it became clear that they indeed contained all kinds of insects!
There were scorpions, centipedes, spiders, butterflies, and even toads and lizards.
These were all "bugs", but more precisely, Gu insects.
In the world of Gu, "bugs" have a broad definition.
Originally, the creatures in the jars were just ordinary lifeforms. But now, each of them had undergone various degrees of mutation, making them fundamentally different from normal animals—though they hadn't become spirit beasts or magical creatures.
The techniques to refine Gu insects were part of the Pudu Cihang's inherited memories, though not particularly advanced or specialized.
After all, many of the tasks Gu insects can perform could be accomplished by higher-tier methods, which Pudu Cihang already possessed. Gu Masters were considered a non-mainstream profession, often practiced as a side path by dark cultivators. Without proper inheritance or mentorship, it was difficult to achieve mastery.
Some Gu insects even required generations of effort to create.
True Gu Masters could mostly be found in Miao Territory, where there were abundant "bugs" for refining Gu, and the traditions were well-preserved. Over time, they even produced Gu Kings capable of threatening cultivators at the Zen Master level.
But Pudu Cihang lacked a complete and powerful Gu technique inheritance—not because he didn't want to learn, but because he dared not go to the Southern Border.
Let's not forget, his true form was a centipede, which also falls under the "bug" category.
In his youth, he lacked both strength and courage. By the time he had matured, he no longer needed Gu techniques.
As a result, the methods Pudu Cihang passed to Huo Yuhao could only help create some basic Gu insects. They weren't very powerful, but sufficient to harm ordinary people.
But Huo Yuhao wasn't content with that. He began conducting independent research into Gu techniques. He wasn't aiming for overwhelming power—just enough secrecy to hide the Gu inside pills, allowing them to be ingested unknowingly.
Of course, he didn't obsess over Gu refinement—only practicing occasionally. After all, Gu insects needed time to grow and evolve.
And besides, planting Gu in pills was merely a side strategy.
The insects used were all common species, not rare or exotic.
For Huo Yuhao, refining Gu was a relaxing pastime outside of cultivation.
"These Gu insects have started taking form, but they're not quite what I had in mind… I need to keep developing…"
Huo Yuhao instinctively activated his Eye of All Laws.
New inspirations floated into his mind.
"I wonder… can I create a Gu insect that's like a ghost?"
Time passed quickly.
Finally, Ling Luochen's injuries were fully healed.
And it was time for Huo Yuhao to tackle another task—
Helping Wei Na and Ling Luochen obtain their spirit rings!
Ling Luochen was level 60, and Wei Na level 50. They had both been stuck at their respective levels for over three months. Although their soul power had increased thanks to soul bones, after three months of cultivation and Huo Yuhao's assistance, their foundations were now solid enough to acquire spirit rings.
Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao were in charge of the team.
The team's strength was more than enough to help the two girls obtain their spirit rings. As long as they didn't encounter a 100,000-year soul beast, they could retreat safely from most dangers.
Even the academy leaders weren't worried and didn't send hidden escorts.
Once prepared, the four of them set off together for the Star Dou Great Forest.
Unbeknownst to them, Nan Shuishui was secretly following them—
Because Huo Yuhao was also planning to help Nan Shuishui obtain a 100,000-year spirit ring.
After leaving Shrek City and entering the Star Dou Great Forest, the girls no longer held back, becoming increasingly affectionate with Huo Yuhao—practically clinging to him as they traveled.
But duty came first.
"Let's hunt for the spirit rings first."
"There aren't many suitable soul beasts here for Luochen and Wei Na, but they're not impossible to find. My teacher also pointed out some potential targets," said Huo Yuhao, pulling out a parchment scroll.
It was a soul beast distribution map of the forest. Although the details were vague, it was far more complete than the one they had for the Extreme North.
This map was based on the collective experience of spirit masters who had explored the forest, so while not 100% accurate, it provided a good reference.
With the map, they would save themselves a lot of trouble.
"Both Wei Na and Luochen can absorb ice-type spirit rings. But for Wei Na, plant-type soul beasts with healing abilities are ideal. For Luochen, ice-type control spirit rings are best, followed by water-type ones."
"Let's explore the southeast—according to the map, ice-type soul beasts can be found there."
Huo Yuhao made the decision, and the others had no objections.
Indeed, ice-type soul beasts did exist in the Star Dou Great Forest—just in smaller numbers, and high-year ones were rare. Most were hybrids with ice as a secondary attribute.
Ling Luochen had absorbed a soul bone that strengthened her constitution, so she could handle a 20,000 to 25,000-year-old soul ring for her sixth one.
Finding such a beast in the forest was possible.
If not, they could always head to the Extreme North afterward—no pressure.
Their journey was relaxed. Huo Yuhao used his variant Frost Centipede martial soul and spiritual detection to scan their surroundings and remain alert.
At least in Ma Xiaotao and the other girls' eyes, everything seemed perfectly safe.
Huo Yuhao called the shots, and they followed.
Which made the girls act even more boldly—flirtatiously teasing Huo Yuhao all the way. Clearly, they were truly enjoying themselves.
At night, Huo Yuhao left his Frost Centipede martial soul to keep watch outside while he and the girls… engaged in a "wild duel" inside the tent.
The centipede spirit, newly awakened and still somewhat innocent, didn't understand what they were doing—but obediently stayed on a nearby tree, alert and not peeking.
The next morning…
Refreshed and energetic, Huo Yuhao led the way. The three girls, clearly exhausted, only began to recover around noon.
At midday, Huo Yuhao discovered a plant-type soul beast suitable for Wei Na. It wasn't marked on the map—a lucky surprise.
He only found it through spiritual detection.
It was a 13,000-year-old Five-Clawed Split-Palm Banyan. Its leaves resembled dragon claws—sharp and dangerous-looking. But in reality, it possessed healing properties.
Normal Split-Palm Banyan roots were a known herb called Five-Finger Hairy Peach, useful for strengthening the spleen and lungs, aiding digestion, and relieving pain.
If this one hadn't mutated too much, it would have enhanced healing properties as a soul beast.
And thanks to her soul bone, Wei Na could handle this level of spirit ring.
However, the trouble with plant-type healing soul beasts wasn't the beast itself, but the other soul beasts that guarded it.
Huo Yuhao: "Star Dou Great Forest… the master of the hunt has returned!"
The Five-Clawed Cracking Palm Banyan also had a soul beast guarding it.
Huo Yuhao didn't recklessly approach the banyan with the three girls. Instead, he used spiritual detection to thoroughly scout the area. Eventually, he sensed soul power fluctuations underground.
Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao had his Mutated Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul dig down. In the blink of an eye, it burrowed into the earth.
After only two minutes, the ground suddenly burst open—the soul beast came back up, biting down on another soul beast. This one was still alive, writhing violently.
It looked like a massive earthworm—its size comparable to a forest boa, even thicker—with a golden stripe down its back.
"Golden-Striped Earth Dragon?!" Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.
The Golden-Striped Earth Dragon, carrying a trace of dragon blood, wasn't a particularly high-level soul beast. It lived underground, fed on plant roots, and had few natural enemies. It was classified by age: white stripes at ten years, silver at a thousand, gold at ten thousand.
Judging by its size, this Earth Dragon was around twenty thousand years old.
More importantly, when dried and processed, Earth Dragons became a medicinal material—used to unblock meridians, promote blood circulation, and dissolve blood stasis. Combined with other herbs, it could be used in body-strengthening medicine baths.
What Huo Yuhao wasn't sure of was whether such effects remained after it had become a soul beast.
No matter—he collected it anyway.
The Mutated Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul unleashed a strike of Ultimate Ice, instantly silencing the still-struggling Earth Dragon. The guardian of the Five-Clawed Cracking Palm Banyan had been slain.
Huo Yuhao then handled the harvest while Wei Na absorbed the soul ring.
Both the Earth Dragon's body and the banyan's roots were useful medicinal materials. Even the leftovers held value.
Wei Na's absorption of the soul ring went smoothly, too.
Since the banyan hadn't developed spiritual intelligence, there was no soul-based backlash.
In the end, her soul ring pulsed—Wei Na had successfully absorbed it.
Her soul power jumped to level 52.
The soul skill she gained was excellent—it not only enhanced her healing effects but also added body-nourishing benefits.
As a pure healing-type Martial Soul, the Snow Lotus greatly benefited from this kind of soul skill.
It could be used not only in battle but also in everyday medical practice.
Typically, healing-type soul masters also acted as physicians.
Such a smooth start to the soul hunt gave Ling Luocheng some hopeful anticipation.
However, she didn't notice the thoughtful look Huo Yuhao gave her, as if he were planning something.
Night fell again.
Wei Na, now stronger, thought she could challenge Huo Yuhao—but was once again defeated by his spear.
In the end, she had to call on Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng for help. The "Three Heroines" fought Huo Yuhao together—but still were utterly defeated, left trembling and unable to stand.
Meanwhile, outside the tent, the Mutated Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul sent out centipede-leg clones to move stealthily.
Day Three
The group continued exploring, seeking a suitable soul beast for Ling Luocheng.
They didn't venture too deep, instead skirting the core region and searching within the mixed zone.
The Star Dou Forest was enormous, connected to vast mountain ranges. Fully exploring even the mixed zone would take months.
For Huo Yuhao, as long as they didn't directly march into the core zone, there typically wasn't much danger.
While powerful soul beasts—including ten-thousand-year ones—hid in the mixed zone, unless they exceeded the 300,000-year mark, they were the ones in danger if they encountered him.
With his current strength, Huo Yuhao could even mess around in the core region when the fierce beasts weren't paying attention.
But now was not the time to provoke those beasts—or reveal himself to them.
By late afternoon, after trekking for most of the day, the four arrived at a remote valley flanked by mountains.
Huo Yuhao noticed the valley was vibrant and lively with birds and flowers—but oddly devoid of large soul beasts. The temperature was also chilly—not due to the sunset, but something else.
Something was causing this cold.
"According to the map," Huo Yuhao said while consulting it, "there's a cave in this valley. If we pass through it, we'll enter an underground cavern system—home to ice-type soul beasts."
In truth, his spiritual detection had already pinpointed the cave entrance. His centipede-leg clone had even gone ahead and infiltrated the caverns to make arrangements.
As dusk fell, they didn't immediately enter the cave. Instead, they chose to rest for the night in the valley and explore the cavern the next morning.
If everything went smoothly, they could return in a day.
To rest and conserve energy, the three girls kicked Huo Yuhao out of the tent.
Huo Yuhao didn't mind in the slightest.
After all, elsewhere in the woods, a beautiful woman awaited him eagerly—already burning with desire.
But the night wasn't quiet.
While the group hadn't entered the cave, something crawled out of it.
These were strange soul beasts resembling lizards—but with only front limbs, a long tail, scales covering their bodies, and shrunken eyes. They couldn't see—instead, like snakes, they relied on their long, flicking tongues to sense the world. A chilling aura radiated from them.
Three of them emerged from the cave—each a ten-thousand-year-level beast, likely mutated.
Their tongues quickly picked up the presence of Ma Xiaotao, Wei Na, and Ling Luocheng—as well as Huo Yuhao and Nan Shuishui.
They didn't hesitate, immediately initiating a hunt—targeting the "weaker" females.
But before they got close to the tent, the Mutated Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul intercepted them.
The clouds parted, moonlight draping the flying blue-white centipede in silver.
A moment later, it dove.
The three mutated soul beasts were slain and devoured—without a ripple of disturbance.
Thus, a night that could have been terrifying passed peacefully.
After consuming the beasts, the Mutated Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul gained a new ability: scent detection.
It could now glean information and track prey from lingering or drifting scents.
The three souls were also drawn away—absorbed by the swaying Ghost Banner Martial Soul.
Day Four
At first light, the group prepared to enter the underground cavern. Thanks to Huo Yuhao's earlier cleanup, the girls noticed nothing unusual.
The cave entrance was on the side of the valley—not hard to find.
As they approached, Ma Xiaotao and the others grew more serious.
The shape of the entrance made it clear it was naturally formed.
Cold air flowed steadily from within. It was the cave's presence that had chilled the entire valley.
Sparse vegetation around the cave had withered from the cold—making it easy to spot the tracks of crawling creatures on the ground.
Wind whooshed from the cave like a lurking monster, waiting for intruders.
But the three girls were experienced soul masters—and they had Huo Yuhao with them.
Taking out a light-emitting soul tool, Huo Yuhao led the girls into the cave.
Thus began their soul-hunting adventure in the underground cavern.
Huo Yuhao: I am the storm!
The formation of the cave is the result of long-term underground water erosion in limestone areas. The insoluble calcium carbonate in limestone can be transformed into soluble calcium bicarbonate under the influence of water and carbon dioxide.
Due to the varying limestone content in different parts of the rock layers, the extent of erosion differs, gradually dissolving and dividing the limestone into independent, uniquely shaped, steep and beautiful peaks and the strange scenic landscapes within the cave.
Simply put, although the cave appears cold and dangerous, the scenery inside is actually quite stunning.
It's just a bit chilly.
It was the first time the three girls had seen cave scenery, and they were all amazed. However, they remained vigilant — after all, this was an unfamiliar environment.
None of them had experience fighting in an underground cave.
They had to be extremely cautious.
Each person used their soul power to ensure their body temperature wouldn't drop too quickly.
The Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul led the way, responsible for pathfinding, with two flashlight-like soul tools attached to its head, sweeping around like searchlights.
Aside from the cave's scenery, no soul beasts had been spotted yet.
But thanks to the scent perception ability gained last night, the Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul could sense that many soul beasts were lurking in the cave.
Because of the aura it emitted, soul beasts below the ten-thousand-year level didn't dare appear, hiding in their own dens. The more powerful ones, over ten thousand years old, were even deeper within the cave.
Soon, the Mutant Frost Centipede caught a distinctive scent — the same as the three unusual soul beasts that had climbed out of the cave the previous night.
But Huo Yuhao didn't raise the alarm and simply continued forward.
Those strange soul beasts weren't their current target.
At least not for now.
Besides, those creatures lived deeper in the cave — there was no need to deliberately hunt them.
His Spiritual Detection had long since scanned the depths of the cave. The advance centipede leg clones had already finished setting things up, and Huo Yuhao had already detected it.
As they progressed, the path was difficult, but the group, being soul masters, wasn't hindered.
While they continued forward, they also delved deeper underground. Yet no signs of suffocation appeared — clearly, the cave had ventilation. The number of soul beasts living here also suggested there weren't any harmful gases accumulating.
As they delved deeper, the scene ahead suddenly changed — from a single path to several branching tunnels.
But Huo Yuhao knew that in the depths of this cave was an underground maze-like area, partly naturally formed, and partly reshaped by soul beast activity.
In fact, ever since entering the cave, Huo Yuhao had been pondering something:
On the Douluo Continent, soul beasts are usually either land-based or ocean-based — but could there also be a group of soul beasts that lived underground?
Like a subterranean world — another soul beast ecosystem hidden in the depths of the continent.
What a fascinating possibility~
But now wasn't the time to research that.
Ma Xiaotao and the other two girls turned to look at Huo Yuhao, awaiting his decision. They had been following the results of the Mutant Frost Centipede's Spiritual Detection all along, and so far, nothing had gone wrong.
So the three girls had complete faith in its detection ability.
Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul: That's right — I'm the one doing the scanning!
Huo Yuhao pretended to sense the different branches, and seemingly after getting results, he led the group down the middle path.
The unsuspecting girls were thus led right into the setup.
There may not have been dangerous gases in the cave — but that doesn't mean someone hadn't left behind other nasty surprises.
...
As they continued onward, soul beasts occasionally appeared, but none attacked. Upon sensing the Mutant Frost Centipede's intimidating aura, they all retreated.
The three girls were amazed and remarked how the soul beasts in the cave seemed smarter than those in the forests — they actually knew how to avoid danger.
Which made sense.
The cave environment was harsh. Soul beasts without some instinct for avoiding danger wouldn't survive, let alone thrive and reproduce.
Most importantly, territorial instincts weren't as strong among cave-dwelling soul beasts.
Under the guidance of the Mutant Frost Centipede, the four finally arrived at an underground chamber — about the size of a football field, with a height of around ten meters. The special thing about this space was a lake that occupied most of it.
To be precise, it was a lake formed from an underground river. The surface appeared calm, but underneath, strong currents surged.
There were no other branching paths — this looked like the end of the cave.
"No more paths?" Viena asked in surprise.
"There aren't any soul beasts here either," Ma Xiaotao noted with confusion.
Ling Luochen frowned slightly and gazed at the lake. As an ice-type soul master, she immediately sensed her ice-type soul power becoming more active upon entering the space.
This place was ideal for ice-type soul masters to cultivate — or for ice-type soul beasts to dwell!
Sure enough, Huo Yuhao pointed to the calm lake and said, "My Mutant Frost Centipede told me there's an ice-type soul beast hiding in there!"
An Ultimate Ice martial soul sensing ice-type soul beasts? Makes perfect sense!
"So that's it — hiding in the lake? How sneaky!" Ma Xiaotao immediately labeled it as such, without the slightest awareness that they were the ones who had intruded.
"No wonder there aren't any soul beasts here — it's because that one's hiding. For it to occupy such a large cave, it must either be very strong, or part of a group," Viena analyzed.
"Whether it's a powerful individual or a group — let's force it out and see!"
Ma Xiaotao took to the air, ignited her Phoenix Flame, and launched a blast at the lake.
Boom—
With a loud rumble, the lake surged, and water splashed everywhere.
Some splashes hit the stone walls, instantly freezing them in a layer of frost.
Ling Luochen's expression changed. "That water is freezing cold!"
She quickly warned, "Xiaotao, don't let the water hit you!"
"Got it!" Ma Xiaotao replied casually. She had sensed the cold, but wasn't afraid — the lake hadn't reached Ultimate Ice levels, and her flames were just a step away from Ultimate Fire.
"If you don't come out, I'll evaporate the lake!" Ma Xiaotao shouted, and continued her barrage.
The soul beast hiding in the lake, now thoroughly enraged, could no longer hold back.
With a violent splash, a massive serpentine soul beast burst from the lake, rearing up and lunging toward Ma Xiaotao.
She didn't flinch — her flames ignited as she met it head-on.
In the firelight, Huo Yuhao and the others got a clear look at the creature.
Jet black scales covered its body. It was covered in fine, tight armor. The visible part of its body was at least three meters long. It exuded a bone-chilling cold. Its back bore two icy-blue stripes, and a pair of dragon-like horns protruded from its head.
This was the Ice Soul Profound Serpent — a true water-ice attribute soul beast!
Although Huo Yuhao and the others didn't recognize the species, judging by its aura, they could tell it had just broken through the 20,000-year mark — the perfect fit for Ling Luochen.
Huo Yuhao: "No danger? I show up, and suddenly there's danger!"