Concealing Fortune was a high-level technique used only by those with immense fortune and strong fate.
It could block all external probing—regardless of form or method.
Of course, for individuals with a particularly unique fate, the concealment would trigger automatically, turning an active skill into a passive effect.
Those with weak fortune or unremarkable destiny couldn't properly use this technique. Even if they managed to activate it, it would only form a paper-thin veil—like a courtesan's silk—more enticing than concealing.
To onlookers, such attempts at hiding were like waving a red flag: "Oh, you must be hiding a treasure."
Naturally, they'd feel compelled to say, "Let me take a look."
And by the time you're curled up in a corner hugging your blanket, you'd be full of regret.
Right now, Huo Yuhao perfectly matched the conditions to use this technique.
Even when Mu En probed him from close range, he found nothing.
But the cost? It consumed his fortune rapidly.
When not being probed, the consumption was minimal. But once someone tried to investigate, the fortune drained fast.
Though Huo Yuhao could afford it at the moment, he still felt heartache over the loss.
Still, the current situation didn't allow for hesitation. He had to endure it and behave as usual.
But this grudge—Huo Yuhao had taken it to heart.
Once confirming Huo Yuhao was clean, Mu En breathed a sigh of relief and said with a kind smile:
"Xiao Tao, Yuhao, tell me about the tournament."
For now, Jin Qiu'er's situation had to be set aside.
Mu En wanted to hear firsthand what had occurred during the competition.
Although he had heard some details from Xuan Zi, hearing it from the participants themselves would be more vivid and accurate.
Yan Shaozhe was also full of curiosity.
Ma Xiaotao exchanged a glance with Huo Yuhao before beginning:
"Elder Mu, here's what happened..."
Outside the Sea God's Pavilion
Ling Luochen and the others waited patiently.
They were being cared for, staying in a villa where doctors visited to check their conditions.
Ling Luochen's injuries were healed—she was in good health.
Wei Na was also doing well.
Jiang Nannan looked a bit tired.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were the same—worn out.
Only Xu Sanshi was in serious condition. His injuries were layered upon each other. Without proper care, he risked permanent damage.
Fortunately, thanks to Wei Na's continuous healing, his condition had stayed stable. If not for that punch from Yu Tao on the way back, he wouldn't have worsened.
After the check-up, Xu Sanshi was forcibly taken for treatment.
Still, he kept casting longing looks at Jiang Nannan.
Jiang Nannan wasn't touched—she just felt creeped out.
Under Ling Luochen's guidance, the rest of the group sat cross-legged together.
She gave a brief introduction to the Sea God's Pavilion and Sea God's Island, while urging everyone to begin cultivating.
"Cultivating within the range of the Golden Ancient Tree brings exceptional results. Don't miss this opportunity."
"Understood, Senior Ling!"
Wei Na was curious about Sea God's Island and the Pavilion. She had only seen vague references in the secret texts of the Heavenly Soul Imperial Palace.
As for Jiang Nannan, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao—they were visibly thrilled. For most Shrek Outer Court students, entering Sea God's Island was the ultimate dream.
Though this was only temporary, they believed in their talents—they were confident they'd officially join the island as Inner Court students one day.
After the initial excitement, they all began cultivating—Wei Na included.
As expected, the moment they started, they felt it. The cultivation speed here far exceeded that of the Outer Court.
Ling Luochen didn't rush to cultivate. She had regular access to such resources and instead chose to stand guard for the others.
As she kept watch, she sat by the window, gazing out with a calm expression, her thoughts drifting.
Looking at the familiar scenery of Sea God's Island, old memories flooded back—she saw visions of herself training and fighting alongside her former teammates.
But time had passed. Of the original team, only she and Ma Xiaotao remained.
They had trained together for five years!
The current main team members had all once been backup team members—growing up side by side.
Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted. Her eyes focused sharply.
A figure had entered her field of view.
It was a young woman—about 25 or 26 years old. Her long black hair flowed to her waist. Her face was flawless and fair, dressed in a pale moon-white gown. She looked like a fairy walking out of the Moon Palace, exuding serenity and grace—unforgettable at first glance.
But in her eyes—there was a faint sorrow.
A sorrowful fairy makes others' hearts ache.
"Senior Sister…" Ling Luochen murmured.
It was none other than Zhang Lexuan, the senior-most Inner Court student!
The strongest genius of Sea God's Pavilion in three thousand years—she had rewritten Shrek's history and was being groomed as the Pavilion Master's successor.
Any one of her titles would leave others in awe.
But now, Zhang Lexuan's expression was sorrowful and distant—as though she had suffered a great loss.
Ling Luochen recognized that look.
It was the look of someone who had lost someone irreplaceable.
Back when her own teammates died, she had worn the same expression.
Her heart tightened.
She immediately ran out of the villa to speak to Zhang Lexuan.
But by the time she got outside, Zhang Lexuan had already vanished—no trace of her remained.
Only a patch of grass swayed gently in the breeze.
Ling Luochen stood there alone, in the very spot where Zhang Lexuan had just stood, silent for a long time.
In the end, all she could do was sigh deeply.
Half a day later
Yan Shaozhe arrived and personally led Ling Luochen and the others into the Sea God's Pavilion. Even Xu Sanshi was brought back from the infirmary.
The group was even more excited.
It felt like Bronze Saints entering Athena's temple—
Solemn and sacred, bathed in ultimate glory.
The moment they entered, the entire Pavilion lit up. A golden glow enveloped their bodies.
Mu En had activated the power of the Golden Ancient Tree—a great boon for Soul Masters. Huo Yuhao, Ma Xiaotao, and even the unconscious Jin Qiu'er were included.
Only those who had made great contributions to Shrek Academy could receive this treatment.
Bathed in the gentle golden light, everyone felt an overwhelming sense of peace.
All fatigue vanished.
Even Xu Sanshi's injuries improved, and the Black Tortoise bloodline within him was stirred, enhancing his foundation.
Each person experienced something unique.
All gained immensely.
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, sensing the benefits.
His Golden Heart-Guard Mirror and Ice Jade Left Arm Bone resonated with the golden energy, cloaking him in dazzling light.
Wang Dong, who also had light-based powers, experienced something similar.
The two of them gained the most—both saw their soul power rise significantly. Wang Dong even gained a whole level on the spot.
Unfortunately, the "trial session" ended quickly.
When everyone opened their eyes again, joy filled their faces.
And Huo Yuhao's longing for the Golden Ancient Tree only deepened.
"Come in," came Mu En's aged voice from within the room.
Yan Shaozhe led Ling Luochen and the others inside.
The room was spacious, and even with several people entering, it didn't feel crowded.
Ling Luochen and the rest also saw Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao again.
Inside the room, Yan Shaozhe and Huo Yuhao stood on either side behind Mu En.
Ma Xiaotao stood next to Yan Shaozhe.
Xuan Zi was on the opposite side of Huo Yuhao.
Although Ling Luochen had only met Mu En a few times, she could tell that he had aged significantly.
"Elder Mu!" Ling Luochen quickly bowed respectfully.
"Luochen, thank you for your hard work." Mu En nodded with a smile.
The others, upon seeing Mu En, looked shocked and even forgot to bow—they had all seen him before!
"Isn't this the old man at the gate?" Xu Sanshi was stunned.
That old man who basked in the sun downstairs every day... was actually part of the academy's leadership?
Seeing how even Huo Yuhao and Yan Shaozhe were only standing beside Mu En, Wang Dong and the others instantly realized—Mu En's identity was definitely extraordinary.
Huo Yuhao smiled and began introducing him to Weina and the others. "This is my and Qiu'er's teacher, and also Xiaotao's grandmaster—Dragon God Douluo."
Xiao Xiao: "Class monitor's teacher?"
Wang Dong: "The gatekeeper is actually a Titled Douluo?!"
Weina: "Dragon God Douluo? The legendary one who dominated an entire era?!"
Xu Sanshi: "Holy crap!"
Everyone had different reactions.
"Greetings, Senior!" Jiang Nannan said nervously.
But Mu En didn't mind their reactions. He said kindly, "You may address me the same way Luochen does—just call me Elder Mu."
Everyone quickly and respectfully bowed.
"Greetings, Elder Mu!"
"No need to be so formal," Mu En said seriously. "It is I who should thank you all—for protecting Shrek's honor…"
His words left Ling Luochen and the others feeling overwhelmed.
And for those meeting Mu En for the first time, they immediately developed a good impression of both him and Shrek Academy.
What followed was a set of rewards that left everyone overjoyed.
This time, there were only rewards—unlike the original story, where punishments were issued before rewards.
Because most of those deserving punishment were already dead.
If anyone should be punished, it would only be Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, for failing to adequately protect the younger students.
But punishing them was pointless now.
Besides, Xuan Zi had already disciplined them earlier.
Mu En wasn't senile.
The rewards were divided into three categories:
First, honorary rewards—the least "valuable" but still prestigious.
Huo Yuhao, Jin Qiu'er, Weina, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao were all granted the lifelong title of Shrek Seven Devils and confirmed as members of the next generation's official team.
Even though Jin Qiu'er hadn't awakened yet, Mu En believed she eventually would.
Everyone except Huo Yuhao was visibly thrilled—even Weina, a princess, was excited.
After all, this was a massive honor, inherited from the original Shrek Seven Devils!
Mu En nodded approvingly at Huo Yuhao's calm reaction—it showed growth in character.
Second, material rewards.
In addition to the three soul bones they had won as champions, the academy would provide six more, ensuring each person received one.
Jin Qiu'er's soul bone would be set aside for her to claim upon awakening.
Ling Luochen received the most precious one: a 70,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone. Because of its rarity, she would owe the academy some mission quotas in return.
Ling Luochen had no complaints.
Everyone else received bones below 50,000 years in age—even Huo Yuhao. Hers was the most suitable and rare.
It also symbolized her complete commitment to Shrek Academy—a commitment she had already been prepared for.
Soul bones were incredibly rare and valuable.
Most were immediately absorbed upon being acquired. Otherwise, they were just lifeless bones gathering dust.
However, powerful factions like Shrek Academy and the major empires always kept some in reserve—unclaimed bones from deceased seniors.
These were used for emergencies or to attract talent.
Using money (gold soul coins) to recruit talent? Too crude!
They weren't amateurs.
And if they didn't have such stockpiles, how could they reward or entice strong individuals without chopping bones from others?
This reward strategy worked wonders. If goodwill could be quantified, everyone except Huo Yuhao and Weina would be maxed out.
Even Weina's favorability toward the academy had clearly increased.
Some of them now had two soul bones from this tournament alone!
Enough to make countless people—even top-tier powerhouses—envious.
Lastly, there were special rewards for exceptional performance.
Not everyone received this—only Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er.
No one objected. Their victory was largely thanks to those two.
Ma Xiaotao was powerful, but she'd been injured and couldn't fight.
Jin Qiu'er's reward was postponed.
As for Huo Yuhao, his special reward was given privately by Mu En and not announced.
Everyone else left the room.
Only Huo Yuhao stayed, helping Mu En walk deeper into the Sea God Pavilion.
As they walked, Mu En casually explained the origin of his back injury—it was from a fight with another powerful figure.
His purpose was to warn Huo Yuhao: don't become arrogant. Even someone like him could be left crippled.
Soon, they arrived at a special chamber—not the golden tree room from the original story, but a secret room.
Huo Yuhao helped Mu En inside.
They were alone in the chamber.
Once the door was sealed, Mu En's expression turned serious.
"Yuhao, do you know the story of the original Shrek Seven Devils?"
"I've heard a bit, Master," Huo Yuhao replied.
Mu En nodded. "Then do you know why they became gods?"
Because they were overpowered cheats…
Huo Yuhao scoffed inwardly.
But of course, he couldn't say that out loud.
"Because… they were geniuses?" he ventured.
Mu En shook his head with a smile. "No. If we compare their abilities at your current age, they were far inferior to you."
"What?" Huo Yuhao put on a shocked expression.
(Huo Yuhao: If they were better than me, I'd bark like a dog on the spot.)
Still, he played along—first confused, then contemplative, then shocked.
Mu En, seeing the theatrical three-stage reaction, didn't find it strange—he actually smiled.
"So, you've already guessed. That's right—it was because of the immortal herbs."
"Master, I'm not worthy…" Huo Yuhao lowered his head.
To Mu En, this humility confirmed his guess: that Huo Yuhao had realized he would receive the Bi Lin Nine-Death Immortal Herb.
"What a good child," Mu En thought.
Even when facing such a treasure, he showed no greed—just cautious humility.
Such a pure heart was rare.
And it strengthened Mu En's desire to further cultivate him.
"Yuhao, don't belittle yourself. You are now worthy of an immortal herb!"
"Besides… didn't you already form a bond with it long ago?" Mu En said with a chuckle.
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Mu En took out the Bi Phosphor Nine-Leaf Immortal Herb and placed it in front of Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, absorb the herb. I'll protect you here," said Mu En.
The bluish-green Bi Phosphor Nine-Leaf Immortal Herb had nine leaves shaped like human fingers, glowing with the unique radiance of a treasured item.
The leaves gently swayed, as if waving or perhaps seducing Huo Yuhao.
"Teacher, I can't… This is far too precious. I haven't contributed much to Shrek yet—it feels wrong to accept this!"
Yuhao's face was full of resistance, trying to make a final stand.
"You can repay the Academy in the future. Besides, according to the records, the earlier the herb is used, the better the effects," Mu En replied with a smile.
"..."
With a sigh in his heart, Huo Yuhao accepted the herb.
To keep refusing would be impolite—
And would likely make Mu En suspicious.
"Luckily, I rehearsed the possibility of being forced to take the herb and prepared in advance. Otherwise, I'd really have to swallow this filthy thing," Yuhao thought silently, a serious look flashing in his eyes like facing a great enemy.
"Brother Tianmeng, Elder Yi—help me!"
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was itching to act:
"Leave it to me! With my million-year spiritual power, that guy's tricks will be completely exposed!"
Electrolux smiled faintly:
"Relax. That person can't control you outright. At most, he'll use some minor tricks. And anything involving divine aura won't escape my or the bug's detection. Most importantly, he can't do too much with the herb itself, or it'll be too obvious."
The others were ready as well.
Golden Tortoise:
"Even though I'm not much help in combat, I can reinforce the Meditative Xuanwu and strengthen its ability to guard your spiritual sea."
Three-Eyed Golden Lion also spoke up:
"So that guy's targeting me, huh? Hmph! I'm not that easy to mess with! Huo Yuhao, crush him for me!"
The golden lion was already aware of the mysterious adult's schemes. Huo Yuhao had even shown her "her script," making her exclaim:
"Impossible! Absolutely not!"
Her first reaction was to think Yuhao was scamming her.
But then she saw another Jin Qiu'er using her body, fighting alongside Huo Yuhao on the battlefield with a martial soul fusion skill, basking in glory—and she couldn't hold back anymore.
After persuasion from the Ice Silkworm and Golden Tortoise, she finally agreed to help Yuhao.
Calling it "pledging loyalty" was unacceptable to her.
But "joining the cause, becoming a god together, and securing a future for soul beasts"—that, she could accept.
She also demanded Yuhao properly teach a lesson to the person occupying her body.
As long as Jin Qiu'er stayed unconscious, the golden lion was satisfied.
Seeing someone parade around in her body was revolting and unbearable.
Even Ah Hui wanted to pledge allegiance—but suddenly realized he was too weak to be of use. He could only say:
"Do your best, everyone. I'll cheer you on!"
Feeling downcast, Ah Hui muttered,
"When did a hundred-thousand-year dragon soul become the weakest of the bunch?"
Under Mu En's watchful eyes, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Bi Phosphor Nine-Leaf Immortal Herb.
First, he infused it with soul power again to establish ownership of the herb.
Just like last time, nothing went wrong.
Next came consuming all nine leaves in succession—each one containing a different deadly poison to temper his body. Only after this trial could the herb be properly absorbed.
This was an extremely dangerous step, so Mu En stood guard, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.
Huo Yuhao picked the first leaf.
He immediately sensed a strange poison attempting to invade his body.
Fortunately, his physique was strong enough to barely resist the toxin for now.
"No idea what tricks were left in this thing. I need to be extra cautious. But to directly swallow this herb…"
"What a waste!"
Like a cow munching on peonies—or a pig eating fine bran!
Unfortunately, in the Douluo Continent, there was no advanced method for utilizing herbs, nor an alchemical mindset.
Shrek Academy even promoted the idea that alchemy was inferior, and improving strength through medicine wasn't righteous.
But at the end of the day, aren't immortal herbs just medicinal ingredients?
And aren't pills made by refining those same ingredients?
Taking pills? Bad.
Eating raw herbs? Good.
Yuhao had studied this. Pills with side effects usually had two causes: bad formulas and poor refining technique.
Instead of improving technique, people simply dismissed the whole idea. Utterly baffling.
But that didn't matter to Yuhao.
Under Mu En's eyes, Yuhao showed no hesitation as he placed the leaf into his mouth.
It melted instantly, becoming a stream of pure energy and potent poison that flowed into his body.
Yuhao closed his eyes, legs folded in meditation, simultaneously operating his Demon Buddha Technique and soul cultivation method to guide the invading energy—
Toward his heart!
The hundred-thousand-year snow lotus had long been awaiting this moment.
Its roots wrapped around Yuhao's heart began to stir, absorbing the toxic and energetic contents of the leaf—not to integrate them, but to condense a new snow lotus seed.
Direct absorption was impossible, so he had to fake it—just pretend to eat the herb.
After all, Mu En didn't know what actual changes should happen from consuming such an herb.
To put on a show, Yuhao manipulated his internal poison to flow throughout his body while circulating soul power, making it seem like his power and poison traits were being enhanced.
As expected, Mu En wasn't suspicious, and instead watched him anxiously, worried something might go wrong.
Meanwhile, part of Yuhao's mind—along with Electrolux and the Ice Silkworm—focused on the snow lotus absorbing the herb's power.
At first, the process went smoothly.
Until—
A streak of blue light suddenly veered off course and rushed into Yuhao's soul power!
"There it is!" Electrolux shouted.
"That's divine power!"
"Just a scrap of divine power dares act up?" The Ice Silkworm snorted and deployed his spiritual power to chase it down.
The divine power was fast, but it was still inside Yuhao—so it couldn't escape the Ice Silkworm's tracking.
Yuhao immediately used the Demon Buddha Technique to intercept it.
The divine energy trying to fuse with Yuhao's soul power was suddenly repelled—
Blocked successfully by his technique!
This was only possible because the Demon Buddha power was already merging with Yuhao's soul power, allowing him to hold back the divine force with ease.
Yuhao: "Sorry, this room is full!"
With the pseudo-Buddha light converging, and the Ice Silkworm's lock-on help, they captured the divine force instantly.
It stopped struggling and went quiet.
Electrolux used his divine soul to inspect it carefully, and soon spoke:
"Yuhao, there's no divine will inside this power. It only instinctively wants to fuse with your soul power."
"Fuse with mine?" Yuhao paused, then suddenly understood:
"So that was a lie—the real goal was to change the nature of my soul power!"
This technique—Huo Yuhao knew it well!
He had used this exact method to scheme against the Zhu family before.
The cultivation technique given to Zhu Lu could transform the nature of a cultivator's soul power. In the future, Huo Yuhao—who possessed a counteracting technique—would have soul power that perfectly restrained those who practiced it.
He could even control members of the Zhu family who cultivated that technique!
The deeper the Zhu family members delved into the technique, the easier they would fall under Huo Yuhao's control!
If Huo Yuhao's soul power was transformed by this divine energy, it was obvious what would happen: even if he reached the level of a god, or even a God King, he would still be restrained by the soul power of that mysterious figure.
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao had captured that divine power.
The good news—it didn't seem to possess divine consciousness. Once caught, it stopped struggling. Otherwise, Huo Yuhao would have had to activate Electrolux and... eliminate Mu En, the witness, in advance.
Meanwhile, the hundred-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus had nearly finished absorbing the energy and toxins from the first leaf, condensing it into a white lotus seed.
Huo Yuhao didn't stop and picked up the second leaf to begin absorbing it.
Then the third, the fourth...
Mu En harbored no suspicions. In fact, he was quite pleased with how smoothly Huo Yuhao was absorbing everything.
After all, the increase in Huo Yuhao's soul power fluctuations was undeniable.
Eventually, all nine leaves were absorbed into Huo Yuhao's body.
The Bi Lin Nine-Extreme Immortal Herb was completely consumed—nothing was left behind. As the last leaf was plucked, the roots in the pot withered on their own.
This left Mu En somewhat regretful. He had hoped that if they preserved the roots, Shrek Academy might be able to cultivate more immortal herbs.
But there wasn't much to be disappointed about.
"Immortal herbs truly are extraordinary. Being able to use one is already a blessing from the ancestors."
Mu En then looked expectantly at Huo Yuhao, growing increasingly nervous.
According to legend, the fusion of nine types of extreme poison would create a supremely deadly toxin.
Though Huo Yuhao had successfully absorbed all nine leaves, this also meant the most dangerous stage was just beginning.
Sure enough, in the next moment, the poison within Huo Yuhao's body erupted—turning into a massive wave of ice-blue toxic liquid that engulfed him. The toxic wave nearly corroded the entire secret chamber.
However, the chamber was made from the trunk of an ancient golden tree—how could it be corroded by mere poison?
If it had been an ultimate poison, maybe it would have been possible.
Mu En intervened, stopping the poison from spreading further. But after sensing it closely, he regretfully noted that Huo Yuhao's poison still hadn't evolved into an ultimate-level toxin.
Still, Huo Yuhao's soul power had risen to Level 60.
"Seems like the immortal herb can't push the poison nature to the ultimate level," Mu En said with some disappointment. "But reaching Level 60 isn't bad. After absorbing a soul ring, he might even go up a few more levels."
All in all, not a bad outcome.
It met expectations.
After all, historical records showed that even the original Shrek Seven Devils didn't instantly achieve ultimate attributes after taking immortal herbs.
The real value was in the boost to soul power and the transformation of their potential.
But actually, this was only a part of Huo Yuhao's power.
All of the immortal herb's nutrients were condensed in the core of the hundred-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus.
The lotus seed now glowed with nine colors: white, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and black.
In addition, there were nine strands of captured sea-blue divine power, restrained by the power of the Evil Buddha Technique.
How to secretly handle this divine power from the Sea God—that was the real problem.
Just then, the hundred-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus began moving again. Following its instincts as a plant-type soul beast in pursuit of high-quality energy, it extended nine root tendrils that broke through the restraints of the Evil Buddha Technique and pierced into the nine strands of divine energy.
To be precise, the Evil Buddha Technique's power couldn't block the Snow Lotus at all—because it was Huo Yuhao's life-bound spiritual herb. As time went on, their bond had grown even deeper, and their energies had become increasingly alike.
The Evil Buddha Technique didn't trigger any rejection toward the Snow Lotus.
Thus, the Snow Lotus obtained what it sought with ease.
Snow Lotus: Begin absorption!
"No! That stuff is filthy—spit it out!" Huo Yuhao panicked.
But Electrolux noticed something interesting and quickly said, "Yuhao, look closely—it's not fusing!"
"Hm?" Huo Yuhao examined it carefully and was stunned to discover—the Snow Lotus wasn't merging with the divine power.
It was absorbing it as nourishment—digesting the divine energy and converting it into nutrients for itself.
The nine strands of Sea God's power gradually faded away.
And a beautiful blue-gold hue appeared on the Snow Lotus's ice-blue petals, making it bloom more vibrantly than ever.
"The Snow Lotus… evolved?" Huo Yuhao's eyes sparkled.
He had thought it would need to absorb more Phoenix Qi to evolve, but surprisingly, absorbing divine energy had triggered its transformation.
"No, this isn't a normal evolution—it's a mutation! Or rather, it's become a variant!" Huo Yuhao continued to examine it and made a new discovery.
Not evolution, but mutation!
And it had gained some special abilities in the process.
The Snow Lotus gently swayed its petals, releasing dense soul power that spread through Huo Yuhao's entire body like ocean waves.
"Tsssss!!!" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. The sensation was so refreshing, it made every hair on his body stand up.
Not just the hairs—other things stood up too.
And this wave didn't just remain inside him—it extended outward.
Mu En, who had been observing him closely, immediately sensed something was off. But before he could investigate, he saw the energy spreading from Huo Yuhao into the golden ancient tree, radiating through its entire form.
BOOM—BOOM—
The golden tree suddenly began to glow with golden light, its life and light attributes fully activated.
At the same time, a hidden sea-blue energy emerged from nowhere and turned into a pillar of light, pouring into the ancient tree.
To be precise, this wasn't caused by the Snow Lotus's power—but by the lingering Sea God's aura!
The Sea God's aura triggered hidden divine power, awakening the ancient golden tree.
Outside.
On Sea God Island, and even in the outer courtyard, everyone saw a golden-blue pillar of light shooting into the sky.
The light carried an ancient, vast power—like a boundless ocean, full of the vitality of the forest.
Countless strong individuals from Shrek Academy flew from their residences in shock.
"That direction—is that Sea God Island?!"
Immediately, all the top experts rushed toward the island.
Back in the chamber, Mu En—who had been with Huo Yuhao this entire time—saw everything clearly. The golden and blue powers penetrated the golden ancient tree and entered Huo Yuhao's body, dyeing him entirely in blue-gold.
"This is… has the Sea God manifested?!" Mu En exclaimed in rare astonishment.
Bathed in the blue-gold radiance, Huo Yuhao felt utterly relaxed and refreshed.
He did not seize the opportunity of the Snow Lotus for himself, instead allowing the external forces to passively strengthen his body.
In truth, most of the energy was greedily absorbed by the Snow Lotus at his heart.
As its connection with Huo Yuhao deepened, the Snow Lotus began to evolve down a path that did not belong to soul beasts.
Simply put, it was undergoing demonification!
Just as in ancient legends where beasts became demons by listening to Buddhist chants, this Snow Lotus was now being nurtured day and night by the powers of demonic and Buddhist laws, transforming in the process.
In fact, the Snow Lotus had long accumulated sufficient cultivation—what it lacked was a proper catalyst.
This time, its active absorption of divine power and transformation marked the arrival of that catalyst, allowing it to ascend in one swift motion.
Objects with great potential often undergo dramatic changes when they transform into demons, developing mysterious new abilities.
Such was the case with the Snow Lotus.
The power from the golden ancient tree and the Sea God's divine energy that it absorbed was completely transformed into its own, shedding any trace of its original source, and adopting the hue of the Snow Lotus.
Nourished by vast amounts of energy, the Snow Lotus completed a full metamorphosis—transcending the ordinary category of Snow Lotuses and advancing to a higher level.
Huo Yuhao focused most of his attention on the Snow Lotus, closely observing its transformation.
First, the seed of Rainbow Dragon blood stored within it dissolved in the radiance and merged with the Snow Lotus.
The icy blue lotus, now laced with blue-gold veins, took on a seven-colored glow.
The power of the Rainbow Dragon bloodline transformed into a radiant Seven-Colored Lotus Light, greatly enhancing the Snow Lotus's support and healing abilities.
A vital aura emerged from this rainbow light—it was the attribute of Life itself!
By absorbing the life-attributed energy of the golden ancient tree, the Snow Lotus fully awakened its own life attribute.
Its medicinal aura also evolved, becoming life-attributed soul power.
Unfortunately, the nine-colored poisonous seeds were not absorbed along with everything else.
It was as if the Snow Lotus had deliberately left the seeds behind for Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao was moved to tears.
Then, the Snow Lotus continued to strengthen. Its roots rapidly grew and spread throughout Huo Yuhao's body, penetrating his veins and bones, even burrowing into his bone marrow.
Huo Yuhao felt a tingling sensation all over—painful and itchy at once—but did not resist. Instead, he calmly accepted it and endured the sensation.
Because the Snow Lotus needed this.
This deepened their bond even further.
When it first bonded with Huo Yuhao, it had transformed his physique into a special constitution—the Ice Spirit Body.
Now, the Snow Lotus was taking it further.
No, not turning him into a literal plant…
Rather, it began strengthening his internal organs.
First and foremost: his heart.
Huo Yuhao's Heart Flame was ignited, shifting from illusion to reality, gradually taking form at the heart of the lotus—blazing intensely.
His expression changed.
This was no ordinary fire—this was Heart Flame, also known as the "Monarch Fire," one of the Three Internal Fires of the human body.
To the living, these three internal fires are crucial.
"Within the mortal body, the fires are the Monarch Fire (from the heart), Minister Fire (from the kidneys), and Commoner Fire (from the bladder). These fires are rooted in primordial yang, which gives rise to true qi. When true qi is strong, one thrives; when it weakens, one falls ill. If true qi is exhausted and primordial yang lost, the soul departs the body—this is death."
In essence, the three fires are foundational to a cultivator's vitality and cultivation, a direct manifestation of life force.
The Monarch Fire arises from the heart, Minister Fire from the kidneys, and Commoner Fire from the bladder.
During cultivation, these fires grow naturally and remain in balance, tempering the cultivator's mind and refining their power.
But now, Huo Yuhao's Heart Flame was burning too brightly, completely overwhelming the others—obviously out of balance.
At best, this leads to inner demons and madness. At worst, spontaneous combustion or death by deviation.
But the Snow Lotus would never let him come to harm.
It trembled slightly, releasing a blue energy that merged into the colorless Heart Flame, turning it blue and lowering its intense heat.
Balance among the three fires was restored.
"It added water attributes to the Heart Flame? It became some kind of special flame? What kind of flame is this?"
The Sea God's power brought water attributes, and the Heart Flame served as the foundation… a special flame…
He understood now.
This was the legendary Sea Heart Flame.
Which is why he exclaimed:
"Mu En must die—there's no way around it!"
A moment of self-amused dramatics—but there was no denying the power of this flame and how much it helped him.
With the birth of this special flame, it became a new core within Huo Yuhao, separate from his existing golden core.
He had considered forming a second core before. Whether he could form one was uncertain.
He even thought of breaking the core and forming a nascent soul, unsure of whether it would succeed.
But he never expected to gain a dual-core setup this way!
The Heart Flame and Golden Core resonated together, circulating soul power in tandem, refining it further—and it began to transform into divine power!
The process was slow, but astonishing.
This meant that, even if his Demonic-Buddhist Law cultivation did not advance, just with his soul power alone, Huo Yuhao might still challenge the gods!
The gap between mortals and gods is vast, but at its heart lies this: the type of energy they wield.
Gods use divine power, which absolutely suppresses soul power.
"With help like this, the day I face a God-King head-on is coming sooner than I thought!"
Overjoyed, Huo Yuhao almost wanted to hug and kiss the Snow Lotus.
He had not expected this ten-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus to bring him such a massive gift!
With the Golden Core and Heart Flame jointly circulating his soul power, Huo Yuhao was being comprehensively strengthened.
Even his three martial spirits underwent changes.
Lastly, the light-attribute energy from the golden ancient tree was absorbed by the Snow Lotus, which retained it through resonance with Huo Yuhao's own light attribute.
This made Huo Yuhao feel even more closely connected to the Snow Lotus.
If the Snow Lotus could take human form, then surely the two of them could use a light-attribute Martial Soul Fusion Technique!
The transformation didn't take long.
Soon, the Snow Lotus stopped absorbing external energy. The golden ancient tree's residual energy began to disperse, and Huo Yuhao hurriedly resumed cultivation to absorb what remained.
Every last bit counted.
As for the Sea God's divine power, the Snow Lotus absorbed and purified part of it—but not all, as it didn't yet have the capacity.
The transformed Snow Lotus now quietly resided in Huo Yuhao's heart—
No longer merely a pure and aloof bloom, it now radiated divinity. Its icy-blue petals and leaves were veined with blue-gold, flowing with stolen Sea God power. Around it shone seven-colored lotus light, brilliant and dazzling. Above it burned the special Heart Flame that Huo Yuhao and the Snow Lotus created together. The nine-colored poison seeds remained stored in the lotus heart.
Its attributes had evolved from mere ice and healing, to include:
Ice and snow
Life
Light
Water (from the Sea God)
The Snow Lotus needed a new name. Perhaps—
Seven-Colored Sea Heart Snow Lotus!
A faint, newborn consciousness began to awaken within the Seven-Colored Sea Heart Snow Lotus.
In the Divine Realm
Sea God Temple
Tang God-King sensed the Sea God power within the golden ancient tree, now residing in Huo Yuhao.
"The blessing has been received by the child of destiny. He's even more exceptional than I imagined… Yet, why do I feel such unease?"
With a furrowed brow, Tang God-King felt no joy in his success.
Troubled, he tried once more to perceive Huo Yuhao through the divine power he had left in the golden ancient tree—yet sensed nothing.
Eventually, he convinced himself it was all in his head.
Above Huo Yuhao's head, the Destiny fate-star shone brilliantly.
How could fate be so easily unraveled?
Back in the golden ancient tree
Once all the golden power had dispersed, Huo Yuhao finally opened his eyes, reluctant for it to end—only to be filled with the excitement befitting a youth.
Looking at the eagerly waiting Mu En before him—
Huo Yuhao laughed with excitement, "Teacher, I did it!"
Mu En, sensing his level-60 soul power, was just as thrilled. "Good! Good! Good! Sea God bless!"
"Mm! Sea God bless! Thank you, Lord Sea God!"
This time, Huo Yuhao's thanks were somewhat sincere—though not entirely.