"Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"
"Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!"
The crowd once again erupted in cheers.
But this time, Huo Yuhao's name came first!
He stood tall on the arena stage, amidst a sea of flowers. He gave a slight bow—graceful and dignified.
Screams of excitement burst from countless young women and even some older ones, wave after wave, echoing across the stadium.
It was as if every movement Huo Yuhao made struck a chord in their hearts, sending them into a frenzy of emotion.
Some even passed out from lack of oxygen due to excessive screaming and cheering.
Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that as his popularity and fame soared, a massive surge of fate energy (气运) was converging toward him from all directions, slowly merging into his own.
Some of this fate energy came from his fans, and some from free-floating, ownerless streams of fate that were drawn to him by his presence.
However, this gathering of fate was only temporary.
Once the hype died down, everything would return to normal.
Still, Huo Yuhao would gain from this surge—a tangible growth.
But it wasn't enough.
He wanted more.
"This feels just like cultivating through the path of incense and divine worship..."
"In this world, to become a god, one truly can't separate from the power of belief…"
"It is only natural that I should enlighten the masses, gather their faith, and attain the divine fruit of the Dao!"
To break past level 100 in soul power was essential.
With a certain God-King in existence, Huo Yuhao didn't need to worry about inheriting someone else's god position.
So he would have to forge his own!
But like the Sea God and Angel God of old, it might take a thousand years to gather enough belief to ascend.
That was too slow.
It wasn't just the difficulty of reaching the divine realm—it was their inefficient way of collecting faith, relying solely on voluntary devotion.
There were even some they had defeated who never believed in them afterward.
So, their collection efficiency and total yield were far from optimal.
If he combined this with the Path of Incense Worship, Huo Yuhao might forge a path uniquely his own.
In that instant, Huo Yuhao had a realization.
Slowly, he closed his eyes and entered a deep state of enlightenment.
"I vow to save all beings, love all people. Through my benevolence, may none fall ill or suffer disaster, may none fall to evil or die in vain. Let all witness bodhi and attain true enlightenment."
A great vow stirred within him, and in that moment, Huo Yuhao attained enlightenment.
There was no grand spectacle, no dramatic transformation. It lasted only a brief moment.
But when he opened his eyes again, his gaze had become serene and calm. It seemed to shine with inner light, as if he could see through all illusions and gaze upon the future.
If one sees the Tathāgata, why wait ten thousand years?
A single moment is enough to realize one's true heart.
In that fleeting instant, Huo Yuhao's cultivation level advanced significantly.
Most importantly, he had clarified his path.
His spiritual cultivation system had begun to influence the soul master system.
Two parallel systems were starting to intersect!
Only beings like the Skydream Iceworm, who were closely tied to Huo Yuhao, noticed anything. They sensed his aura becoming more complete and whole.
In his spiritual sea, the visualizations of the White Tiger and the Black Tortoise raised their heads, exuding powerful auras.
Their strength had increased alongside Huo Yuhao's breakthrough.
His ghost banner martial soul, as his life-bound artifact, also began to undergo subtle transformations, seemingly evolving toward his Dao weapon.
"I still need a divine ability to prove my Dao. Brother Tianmeng, I now know how to use your molted shell," Huo Yuhao whispered to himself.
Naturally, a Dao-proving ability must be cultivated with the finest materials!
Tianmeng Iceworm: "Huh?!"
In that moment, Huo Yuhao had undergone profound change—but to outsiders, there was no visible shift.
They only saw him stand silently with his eyes closed for a few seconds, then open them again.
He seemed different, but also somehow unchanged.
This was a level of advancement the average person couldn't comprehend.
The soul shield on the arena had been raised.
The mentor and other members of the Douling Battle Team rushed onto the stage, anxiously checking on all their teammates.
Thankfully, they discovered that everyone was merely unconscious from depleted soul power—not seriously hurt. With a day of rest, their combat strength could mostly recover.
But even with full recovery, their mentor didn't believe they could defeat Huo Yuhao.
"If we can't beat him with a group, how could we win one-on-one?"
Still, the Douling team's mentor developed a deep respect for Huo Yuhao.
"Huo Yuhao truly is a gentleman. If possible, he's worth befriending," they all thought.
Huo Yuhao melted the ice and recalled all his blood roses.
The soul power those roses had absorbed was useless to him, but he could use it to nurture soul bones.
As for the dragon aura on Guzu Jian, Huo Yuhao had claimed it and merged it with his White Tiger visualization. Now the "王" symbol on the tiger's forehead radiated even greater majesty.
But if he wanted to awaken the White Tiger's full potential, he still needed much more dragon aura. He was far from done.
He nodded to the Douling team members, who responded with a smile.
Both sides then left the stage—poised and graceful.
However, referee Huang Jinxu was left utterly shocked.
When Huo Yuhao had finally revealed a glimpse of his true power, Huang realized something astonishing:
"It's… Ultimate Ice?! Another ultimate attribute soul master? How can Shrek Academy's current generation produce two of them?!"
Worse yet, both Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er were disciples of Dragon God Douluo. No other faction could possibly win them over.
Huang Jinxu was filled with complicated feelings.
"Is it really so unfair that Shrek Academy holds so many geniuses and continues its eternal reign?"
"Sigh… I'll have to report this to His Majesty and let him decide."
Xu Jiawei and the Star Luo Empire had already been wary of Shrek Academy. Even if Xu Jiawei still admired them, they might have to take action.
But with Shrek's students displaying such astounding talent… did the Star Luo Empire really still have a chance?
Shrek Academy secured another victory. Everyone was thrilled—
Except for Jin Qiu'er.
She kept her head low, deep in thought, and remained silent the entire way back to the hotel.
After arriving at Starlight Grand Hotel, most people went straight to rest—today's battle had drained them.
Huo Yuhao returned to his room to cultivate.
He was expecting a late-night visit from Ma Xiaotao, Wei Na, and Ling Luocheng.
It was a night worth celebrating.
But when the clock struck midnight and someone knocked on his door—
Huo Yuhao opened it and saw an unexpected figure.
"Jin Qiu'er? What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.
Jin Qiu'er didn't answer.
Instead, she strode straight into the room and locked the door behind her.
Startled, Huo Yuhao jumped onto the bed, afraid that Jin Qiu'er might be possessed by a god-king, plotting something against him!
Fortunately, her aura hadn't changed.
But her next words stunned him completely.
Jin Qiu'er: "Huo Yuhao, I want you to help me cultivate!"
Huo Yuhao: "…Huh?!"
Huo Yuhao was indeed prepared to make a move on Jin Qiu'er.
But he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Even more surprising was that Jin Qiu'er came to him on her own.
And in the middle of the night, no less!
She sure knew how to pick her timing!
However, it was clear that Jin Qiu'er had her own motives for visiting him so late at night.
Looking at Huo Yuhao sitting on the bed, meek and seemingly easy to push around, Jin Qiu'er cut straight to the point:
"Huo Yuhao, you've felt it too, haven't you? The soul resonance between us! That's the sign of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
"…Well…" Huo Yuhao hesitated for two seconds, then nodded. "That's true, I've felt it. But… is there a problem?"
"Exactly!" Jin Qiu'er slightly lifted her chin, continuing confidently, "According to the books, when two people share a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, cultivating together can greatly speed up their progress. In battle, fighting as one also significantly increases their combat power. With a strong fusion skill, the two can unleash power far beyond their individual limits!"
"So, Huo Yuhao, I want you to help me cultivate faster—and become my power!"
…
Jin Qiu'er had made the decision to seek Huo Yuhao out after much deliberation following today's match.
In truth, she had long sensed the resonance between their martial souls.
Undoubtedly, it was the feeling of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
But Jin Qiu'er had always been hesitant to go through with it.
The main reason? Huo Yuhao was constantly surrounded by a bunch of girls and came off as a total playboy. According to the books, when unrelated opposite-sex individuals form a fusion skill, they often end up as a couple.
That thought repulsed Jin Qiu'er—she absolutely refused to marry a womanizer and "share" him with others!
She couldn't explain the feeling, but she didn't reject it either.
Originally, she had hoped to use the Martial Soul Fusion Skill to attract Huo Yuhao. If he gave up other girls, came to her, and promised his loyalty, she might have forgiven him and completed the fusion skill together.
Just like how a thousand years ago, the White Tiger Douluo Dai Mubai reformed his ways and won back the Ghost Douluo Zhu Zhuqing's forgiveness.
However, Jin Qiu'er realized that she wasn't Huo Yuhao's only compatible fusion partner.
So nothing ever progressed between them.
At first, she didn't care. She had talent and power—she didn't need a man.
But as time passed, it was as if a voice kept urging her.
Until her defeat in today's match finally pushed her to make a decision.
She realized she needed greater power.
Jin Qiu'er came to Huo Yuhao not for his heart, but purely in pursuit of strength.
Also, because of what happened today, she found Huo Yuhao… not as detestable as before.
She believed the Martial Soul Fusion Skill was the fastest and simplest way to greatly increase her combat power in a short time.
Had she possessed a powerful fusion skill during today's match, she wouldn't have needed Huo Yuhao to step in—she could've led the fusion herself and wiped the floor with her opponents!
Huo Yuhao would've just been an accessory.
Jin Qiu'er would've remained undefeated on the battlefield!
Yes, she was confident that the fusion skill between them would be led by her.
After all, Huo Yuhao's fusion with Wei Na was led by Wei Na—so their fusion should follow the same pattern, with him in a supporting role.
She didn't believe she was inferior to Wei Na in any way.
Technically, fusion dominance is usually determined by the stronger bloodline or martial soul.
But that's not always the case—it can vary depending on the specific fusion.
There are also fusion skills where both partners share equal control.
As for becoming a couple—Jin Qiu'er was adamant she'd never fall for Huo Yuhao. If anything, he should be the one falling for her.
After hearing Jin Qiu'er's demand, Huo Yuhao thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"We can give it a try—for Shrek's honor!"
He didn't refuse.
After all, it was a golden opportunity.
Thanks to his deep research into the fusion skills of the Lan sisters and his own experience with Zhu Lu, Huo Yuhao now had a solid understanding of how Martial Soul Fusion Skills worked.
He had already come up with several strategies to use during fusion.
"So, what should I do?" Huo Yuhao asked directly.
Jin Qiu'er kicked off her shoes and climbed into Huo Yuhao's bed, stretching out her unclean hands.
"Come on, lift the blanket—let me see!"
…
Jin Qiu'er had no experience with Martial Soul Fusion Skills.
Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, did.
Still, Jin Qiu'er insisted on figuring it out herself.
She refused to take a backseat.
Even on Huo Yuhao's bed—she had to be the one on top.
(This refers to their meditative positioning during cultivation.)
The two of them sat facing each other.
Jin Qiu'er sat higher up, on top of Huo Yuhao's blanket and pillow.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao sealed away most of his powers, leaving only his Ultimate Ice soul power and his Variant Ice Jade Centipede martial soul active.
He didn't want Jin Qiu'er to uncover his secrets.
"Raise your hands!" Jin Qiu'er instructed him.
Then, the two pressed their palms together. Their soul power flowed back and forth through their hands and into each other's bodies.
There wasn't the slightest resistance.
Their soul power fused instantly—smooth and seamless.
As if it had always been meant to be. As if they were born for this—me in you, you in me.
As their soul power merged, both felt it—their cultivation speed had increased!
"Start cultivating now!" Jin Qiu'er urged.
Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er closed their eyes and entered soul cultivation.
They could both clearly feel it—their cultivation speed had doubled.
A 100% fusion compatibility effect.
That's right—Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er were perfectly matched. Even without any development from Huo Yuhao's side, Jin Qiu'er had already been tailored by a certain God King to be the ideal partner for him.
While cultivating, Huo Yuhao split part of his consciousness to stabilize his fate and hide his secrets.
Because he sensed something strange—during their joint cultivation, something from Jin Qiu'er was siphoning away his fate.
This wasn't Jin Qiu'er's doing—at least not consciously.
It was a method planted on her by a certain God King.
"So, you dare steal my fate? You little rat—you've chosen your death."
A flash of killing intent flickered through Huo Yuhao's mind.
But now was not the time for reckoning.
"Old Yi!"
Huo Yuhao called out to Electrolux in his mind.
Electrolux was ready.
"Everything's prepared. You can begin."
"Good." Huo Yuhao didn't hesitate—he began the fusion technique.
If even cultivation with Jin Qiu'er carried the risk of his fate being drained, using a Martial Soul Fusion Skill was even riskier.
Yet Huo Yuhao didn't hesitate.
Being cautious might ensure safety—but taking risks brought breakthroughs. His enemies wouldn't give him time to grow.
"The greater the storm, the higher the reward."
The God King's tricks on Jin Qiu'er weren't enough to threaten his life—so if it wasn't certain death, then it was a risk worth taking.
Huo Yuhao recalled the feeling of fusing with Zhu Lu and summoned his Variant Ice Jade Centipede.
As expected, it triggered Jin Qiu'er's Golden Dragon martial soul. She didn't resist.
The two martial souls appeared behind them, radiating golden and icy blue light that filled the room.
In the next instant, the martial soul projections converged.
Spinning and merging—
They enveloped Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er.
Inside the swirling light, the two disappeared.
In their place, a single female figure emerged—
A stunning beauty, aloof and peerless, with an ethereal presence and graceful curves, emanating chilling majesty.
It was Jin Qiu'er—as an adult, around 20 years old.
Her golden hair had subtly turned blue-gold, and her eyes now glowed the same color.
She wore a set of intricately crafted dragon-scale ice armor, with a golden cape flowing behind.
A Golden Dragon Spear appeared in her hand.
She radiated power and nobility.
This was Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er's Martial Soul Fusion Skill—
Birth of Extremity – The Golden Dragon's Roar!
As expected, the Martial Soul Fusion Technique was led by Jin Qiu'er, with Huo Yuhao transforming into the dragon-scale ice armor on her body.
When the power of Ultimate Strength and Ultimate Ice—two ultimate attributes—merged, the result was an incomparably powerful force!
Even as armor, Huo Yuhao could clearly feel this overwhelming strength.
With the completion of the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, the powerful burst of soul power surged through Huo Yuhao's entire room.
Centered around Jin Qiu'er, a large spread of frost froze both the floor and the ceiling.
All the decorations in the room were shattered by the erupting soul power.
The four-person bed beneath Jin Qiu'er's feet collapsed with a loud crash, turning into a pile of ice shards.
After all, the bed had already been frozen solid!
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao hadn't left any important items in the room.
He had also set up protective measures in advance to prevent disturbing others.
Jin Qiu'er didn't care about any of that. She was overwhelmed with excitement and surprise at the power she now possessed.
"So strong! This is incredible! I'm invincible!!!"
Huo Yuhao was just as excited.
"Oh, this feeling… is this the power of fate?"
At this moment, Jin Qiu'er had no defenses against Huo Yuhao—or rather, she couldn't defend herself.
This allowed Huo Yuhao to practically do whatever he wanted to her.
Thus, Huo Yuhao effortlessly came into contact with Jin Qiu'er's source power and saw through her completely.
Naturally, the God King Tang had left his own methods on Jin Qiu'er to conceal her secrets and guard against Huo Yuhao. However, with Electrolux's divine soul present, Tang's concealment methods were far from foolproof.
In the state of Martial Soul Fusion, Huo Yuhao's luck was being forcibly siphoned by the trap left behind by Tang God King on Jin Qiu'er.
However, the visualization of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise helped Huo Yuhao stabilize his fortune, so despite the siphoning, not a single bit was lost.
Tang God King had his tricks, but Huo Yuhao's skills were superior.
After all, the Xuantian Record doesn't include any methods related to manipulating fate. Tang God King's methods were simply crude techniques developed through divine force.
Effective, yes—but ineffective against true expertise.
"You invited me in yourself, you know～ So don't blame me for not holding back!" Huo Yuhao grinned.
They thought it was a trap for the prey—but didn't realize they had invited a wolf into the house.
Huo Yuhao no longer hesitated, and shouted inwardly: "Old Yi, activate!"
Electrolux made his move.
As long as they didn't directly provoke the mechanisms left by Tang God King, Huo Yuhao and Electrolux could act as they pleased.
"This little girl has two souls—one primary and one secondary. Based on your description and the text, the main soul is the original—the soul of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. The secondary soul was forcibly implanted: a remnant of Tang Wutong's soul. But because it carries divine power, it's gradually overtaking and devouring the main soul to eventually take over the body and inherit all of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's power—fulfilling that God King's ultimate plan," Electrolux explained.
Then he added, "Very crude methods. But straightforward."
Huo Yuhao nodded and began analyzing as well.
"To devour and possess a target's soul to obtain their fate and destiny—that's a typical demonic cultivator method."
"And for transmigrators, especially those who transmigrate via soul, this is a common pattern. Like me."
"It's just that the soul used for devouring is a remnant soul. If it can't be completed in the future, the devouring and possession will eventually lead to death. Jin Qiu'er's remaining soul fragment won't allow her to live past twenty-five. The same goes for Wang Dong—even worse, in fact. Her remnant soul already began to exist independently long ago, consuming even more power. Her condition is worse than Jin Qiu'er's."
As for soul completion—that's a whole different story.
If completed, the resulting soul wouldn't be the original soul of the God King's daughter anymore.
Unless the missing parts of Tang Wutong's soul—i.e., those within Wang Dong and Jin Qiu'er—are fused, the original soul and memory can't be restored.
But to Huo Yuhao, that wasn't important.
"Yuhao, we can begin. I'm ready!" Electrolux said seriously.
But Huo Yuhao suddenly changed the plan.
"Old Yi, forget the remnant soul. Our new target is the soul of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!"
Electrolux: "Huh?"
Why the sudden change?
Still, this choice… wasn't a bad one.
Electrolux had initially intended to seize Tang Wutong's remnant soul—something they could later use to threaten Tang God King. The soul fragment still carried a trace of divine will—quite valuable.
But after thinking it over, Huo Yuhao chose the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's soul.
It wasn't that the remnant soul of the God King's daughter lacked value—but the complete soul of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had a far better cost-performance ratio.
Tang God King's backup methods could be handled by Huo Yuhao and Electrolux easily. After all, it was just a soul fragment.
But now that Huo Yuhao could see through fate, he found a better option.
Neither Jin Qiu'er nor Wang Dong could escape him—but he couldn't let Jin Qiu'er disappear from his room tonight.
And so, the two began the operation.
Electrolux led the procedure; Huo Yuhao assisted from the side.
The Skydream Primordial Spirit and the White Tiger/Black Tortoise visualizations guarded Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea and stabilized his fate.
Jin Qiu'er was still enjoying the overwhelming strength of the Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
Then, in the next second, her soul trembled, her eyes rolled back—and she collapsed onto the icy floor.
She fainted on the scattered ice shards.
Yet the Fusion Technique remained intact.
Jin Qiu'er's expression turned agonized—her beautiful face contorted in pain, but she couldn't wake from the torment.
Because the soul of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was being carefully extracted, bit by bit, by Electrolux and Huo Yuhao.
To preserve the quality of the soul, Huo Yuhao even cut off portions of it that were entangled with Tang Wutong's remnant soul.
As long as the core structure of the soul remained, the missing parts could regenerate over time.
And once placed within the Ghost Banner Martial Soul, regeneration would be even faster.
Besides, even if the procedure failed and produced a remnant soul—so what?
Remnant souls were still usable.
Electrolux was a remnant soul himself, wasn't he?
Of course, divine remnant souls and ordinary ones weren't the same—Electrolux retained wisdom, but the Three-Eyed Golden Lion might become mentally impaired.
No big deal.
As long as it's usable.
Their operation didn't alert the soul fragment of Tang God King.
Because they were professionals.
As time passed, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's soul was gradually drawn out of Jin Qiu'er's body…
And immediately sealed into Huo Yuhao's Ghost Banner Martial Soul.
What seemed like a simple task had required extreme care and concentration from both Electrolux and Huo Yuhao.
But the result was perfect.
"Success!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed, full of joy.
But as soon as the soul was removed, an unexpected phenomenon occurred.
The fate power of the imperial auspicious beast was split in two—the majority followed the extracted soul into the Ghost Banner, while a smaller portion merged with Tang Wutong's remnant soul.
This infusion allowed Tang Wutong's remnant soul to further occupy Jin Qiu'er's body.
It also reduced the soul's consumption rate, giving it more time to survive.
Jin Qiu'er's fate also changed accordingly.
Several of the seven major fate patterns had changed—
Twin Souls Conjoined!
Auspicious Beast Body!
Born Noble!
Peerless Prodigy!
Cursed Beauty!
Golden Fate!
Puppet Person!
"Jin Qiuer's fate patterns are so similar to Wang Dong's, with four overlapping. As expected of her other half, huh? But clearly, Jin Qiuer's half-soul isn't as valued as Wang Dong's. She lacks any fate pattern tied to the God King, only having this [Puppet Person] pattern," Huo Yuhao remarked with a tsk.
Though both were "descendants," one could sit at the table, while the other was left to squat with the dogs.
The changes in Jin Qiuer's fate were easy to understand.
After all, the soul of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the interfering factor, was gone.
The division of destiny's power was also straightforward.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was the true Auspicious Beast. This body was merely its transformed shell, mimicking the Golden Dragon bloodline, so it could only retain a portion of the destiny power.
The body was that of an Auspicious Beast, but the soul and fate patterns were different.
Destiny and fate patterns primarily followed the soul.
Only a transmigrator like Huo Yuhao, who replaced the original body's role in the world's framework, could inherit the previous owner's fate patterns.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion hadn't died—it was merely captured.
However, since Tang Wutong's remnant soul had coexisted with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's soul for years, Jin Qiuer's memories remained intact despite the loss of the lion's soul.
Jin Qiuer wouldn't face significant issues just because she was left with only Tang Wutong's remnant soul.
In scientific terms, her memories were still stored in her brain.
Huo Yuhao then dispelled the martial soul fusion technique with Jin Qiuer.
The pain on her face had vanished, but she was drenched in cold sweat, her clothes clinging to her curvaceous figure, accentuating her graceful form.
By estimation, Jin Qiuer's "assets" were larger than Wang Dong's.
Looking at the still-unconscious Jin Qiuer lying on the ground, a golden glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes, tinged with a hint of malevolence.
"I wonder if I can claim both her bloodline and her primordial yin…"
Huo Yuhao reached out toward the unconscious Jin Qiuer.
But at the final step, he recoiled as if shocked, his face darkening as he snorted coldly.
"God King Tang, you dare stop me from tasting the 'abalone'? You're courting death!"
Jin Qiuer, oblivious, continued sleeping soundly.
With the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's soul extracted, she felt an unprecedented lightness, sleeping even more peacefully.
Her body even reacted pleasurably to the recent contact, showing obvious physiological responses.
Though he couldn't take the final step, Huo Yuhao could still savor other "flavors," though it felt like scratching an itch through a boot.
Just then, his door was knocked on again.
Ma Xiaotao and the others had come.
"Hmph, I'm not short on options. I'll have that piece of meat in my mouth eventually!"
After a final forceful "bite," Huo Yuhao straightened Jin Qiuer's clothes and carried her out of the room.
Ma Xiaotao, Wei Na, and Ling Luochen were shocked to see Huo Yuhao emerge with Jin Qiuer, who was drenched in sweat, flushed, and unconscious.
Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na gave Huo Yuhao knowing, suggestive looks.
Ling Luochen's gaze was more complex, worried about the growing number of women around Huo Yuhao.
Would there still be a place for her in his future?
Her "poisoning" wasn't as deep as the others'.
Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na were different. At night, they transformed, becoming even more debased than brothel women, turning into creatures driven by desire, devoid of morals.
It was a stark contrast to their dignified, elegant daytime selves.
By day, they might feel jealous, but at night, they only craved pleasure.
Far from being displeased by Jin Qiuer's presence, they wanted to pull her in to taste a new "flavor."
Huo Yuhao considered it and decided to bring Jin Qiuer along.
Though the final step was off-limits, she could still be part of the fun, adding some spice.
Besides, as Jin Qiuer became more influenced by Tang Wutong's remnant soul, she'd be harder to manipulate.
Tang Wutong's personality, from the original story, was far from easygoing—she was quite difficult.
Huo Yuhao had no interest in romancing or slowly winning her over. If it came to it, he'd have to take the hard approach.
Tonight would be a rehearsal.
Since his room was ruined, they moved to another.
Under Huo Yuhao's methods, Jin Qiuer remained unconscious.
Her fortune was gradually siphoned as he toyed with her.
"Discovered another way to plunder fortune!"
When Ma Xiaotao and the others left, Huo Yuhao had them take Jin Qiuer, clean her up, and return her to her room.
Meanwhile, he began manipulating the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's soul.
Its soul carried its own fate patterns and fortune, which had also changed—
Blessed by Destiny!
Auspicious Beast Soul!
Born Noble!
Peerless Prodigy!
Fate's Favor!
Imperial Destiny!
Golden Fate!
The negative fate patterns had shifted.
"Excellent. The key fate patterns remain unchanged. In that case… this soul is destined to be the fourth soul ring for my Ghost Banner martial soul!"
Huo Yuhao began absorbing the soul ring.
The groggy, still-unconscious Three-Eyed Golden Lion soul gradually became the fourth soul ring of his Ghost Banner martial soul.
A golden-gray soul ring formed, faintly shimmering with noble gold.
Ghost Banner martial soul, fourth soul ring—Three-Eyed Golden Lion!
Everything belonging to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion became Huo Yuhao's nourishment.
Its destiny power enveloped him, amplifying his own.
Huo Yuhao's body trembled—not from pain, but from exhilaration!
Under this blessing, everything about him improved—cultivation became smoother, fortune favored him, his mind grew sharper, and his combat prowess soared.
Techniques he wanted to master came effortlessly.
This would become his new normal!
With this soul ring, the Ghost Banner martial soul officially became a treasure capable of suppressing fortune!
Utterly absurd.
As Huo Yuhao adjusted to his new state, a sudden realization hit him. Looking up, he was shocked to see his core fate patterns had changed—
Blessed by Destiny! → Destiny Itself!
Child of Fate! → Child of the Plane!
Godly Potential! → God King Potential!
Dragon in the Field! → Dragon Soaring in the Heavens!
Jade Hidden in Stone! → Stone-Shattering Shock!
…
…
A torrent of fortune surged toward Huo Yuhao, even siphoning the Star Luo Empire's own fortune, unreasonably draining it.
The mighty Star Luo Empire's fortune began to wane!
Yet no one could sense it.
*Boom!*
A thunderclap roared, as if warning of something, carrying a mournful tone.
Only Xu Jiawei, the emperor, awoke from his sleep, overcome with uncontrollable rage, like a wounded beast.
As thunder roared and the window shattered, lightning illuminated Huo Yuhao's face.
Bathed in an ocean of fortune, Huo Yuhao laughed wildly, unrestrained.
"I am… Destiny Itself!"
"Munch munch~ slurp~"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was fast asleep within the soul ring space.
Interestingly, even though she was now a ghost, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion could still drool.
Moreover, her fluffy body felt incredibly soft to the touch, giving off a warm sensation.
Even more surprising was that the two elemental properties—Ultimate Light and Ultimate Fire—that she possessed before death had reappeared and didn't vanish with her transformation into a ghost!
This meant that Huo Yuhao could once again use the powers of two ultimate elements!
"So this is an Emperor Auspicious Beast... This is my first time seeing one." Ah Hui said with astonishment. Despite having traveled the continent in his youth, he'd never had the chance or ability to witness the majesty of an Emperor Auspicious Beast.
"This kid's got a big heart," Electrolux muttered with a touch of speechlessness. "After falling unconscious, she didn't even wake up, just went right on sleeping."
"Doesn't seem very bright," Tianmeng Iceworm said, stroking his chin.
The Golden Tortoise nodded thoughtfully and analyzed, "It makes sense. After all, the Emperor Auspicious Beast is revered and has always lived in an environment free of danger. So her instincts and crisis awareness aren't very sharp."
He Caitou didn't come along because he was still doing homework.
Huo Yuhao raised his hand and delivered a loud smack.
Pia~
He directly slapped the sleeping Three-Eyed Golden Lion awake.
Before dawn, Huo Yuhao intended to tame the lion, so she could better assist him.
Electrolux and the others were his support system.
Board first, buy the ticket later—that was his way of doing things.
To family members who joined his little "household," Huo Yuhao always showed extra kindness.
"Who?! Who hit me?! Are you looking for death?!" the Three-Eyed Golden Lion jumped up, baring her fangs as she scanned her surroundings.
Though she was only a ten-thousand-year soul beast, as an Emperor Auspicious Beast, she retained her intelligence after becoming a ghost and had become a main soul, allowing her strength to continue growing.
Because she still had consciousness, her soul ring space had instinctively transformed into the place where she felt safest—
The Lake of Life in the core area of the Star Dou Forest.
Then she saw Huo Yuhao, and immediately complained, "Huo Yuhao, you dared to hit me?! Believe it or not, I'll bite you to death!"
"Three-Eyed Golden Lion, you've been exposed," Huo Yuhao said, squinting his eyes.
"What?" She jumped in fright and stumbled backward in a panic. "What are you saying? I'm not the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!"
With a flick of his hand, Huo Yuhao summoned a mirror and held it in front of her, revealing that she had reverted to her original beast form.
"No way! How could this be? I was supposed to be…" she panicked completely.
I'm done for, BBQed!
"No! I can't sit here and wait to die! I'll strike first!"
Just as the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was about to make her move, Huo Yuhao shouted:
"Sit!"
Her body instantly obeyed and sat down involuntarily.
"Eh?!"
"Raise your paw!"
She obediently raised a paw and placed it in Huo Yuhao's hand.
"What soul skill did you use on me?! Let me go!"
"Scratch your chin~"
She lifted her chin, letting Huo Yuhao scratch her.
"You dare humiliate me like this, Huo Yuhao?! I swear I'll… mmhmm… that feels kinda nice…"
"Good girl, good girl~"
The chin scratches unexpectedly felt wonderful, and she even squinted her eyes in comfort, nearly getting addicted.
But then—
"Wait! Something's wrong!"
She suddenly snapped out of it, regained control of her body, and quickly shook off Huo Yuhao's hand, backing away in horror.
"What the hell did you do to me?!"
"What did I do?" Huo Yuhao grinned mysteriously. "Please watch the VCR~"
He then replayed everything for her—the moment she was ambushed during the martial soul fusion technique, how he and Electrolux extracted her from Jin Qiu'er's body…
…And how he turned her soul into a soul ring.
"So in short, you are now my soul ring—or rather, welcome to the family!" Huo Yuhao said with a smile.
Electrolux and the others appeared, greeting the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and explaining the benefits of joining the family:
Ah Hui: "With a family comes power! No more bullying!"
Tortoise: "You'll survive! No more fear of death!"
Tianmeng Iceworm: "I'll help you become a god! Deal?"
Electrolux: "Your tragic fate has already been reversed."
But clearly, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion wasn't touched.
"Damn you, Huo Yuhao!" she roared. "You dared to trick me?! The Emperor Auspicious Beast will never be a slave!"
"Oh really?"
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes.
He had always been kind to family—but as the old saying goes:
"A filial daughter emerges from the rod!"
Half an hour later…
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion lay flat on the ground, covering her rear end. Using the last of her strength, she muttered:
"Fine… I believe everything you said. I'll follow you from now on. But you must feed me well and help me grow stronger!"
"Of course," Huo Yuhao said, tossing away the rod he had conjured. He smiled as he explained, "This soul ring space can transform the environment and even food by consuming spiritual power. The cost is minimal. Like this…"
He raised his hand and instantly conjured up a mountain of delicious food.
The food buried the lion alive.
She hurriedly poked her head out from the pile, barely avoiding being drowned in delicacies.
"How's that? Satisfied now?" Huo Yuhao asked, smiling.
"Hmph!" She turned away, clutching a chicken leg.
Huo Yuhao knew she only submitted on the surface—deep down, she was still defiant.
But that didn't matter.
Once inside the Ghost Banner Martial Soul, her life and death were no longer her own.
Winning her heart would take time—and fate.
Besides, he could even use her to deal with the ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Forest.
But Huo Yuhao didn't expect her to persuade those beasts or get someone like Di Tian to protect him like in the original novel.
He didn't need a protector anymore.
Those so-called mighty soul beasts—were just brutes showing off on Douluo Continent. They wouldn't dare oppose the Divine Realm.
Unless the Silver Dragon King took action.
But would she dare?
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion could still boost Huo Yuhao's fate and destiny, while those useless soul beasts were only fit to be rations.
Only the Silver Dragon King, with her bloodline and talent, was worthy of becoming the other main soul of the Ghost Banner Martial Soul.
At that time, she could help him ascend to godhood and challenge the Divine Realm!
Suddenly, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion flashed with golden light, transforming into Jin Qiu'er. She conjured a dining table and chairs, making it easier to enjoy her feast.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow.
"Two forms?"
He could feel that when she turned into Jin Qiu'er, her martial soul had changed to a Golden Dragon Martial Soul, and her attribute had become Ultimate Power!
"Now this is interesting~"
But Huo Yuhao didn't act further. He simply exited the soul ring space.
Dawn was approaching.
He left Electrolux and the others to bond with Jin Qiu'er and help build team chemistry.
Her personality was simple—she'd be easy to win over.