The rain stopped, and the clouds dispersed.
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen helped Huo Yuhao clean up.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao leaned back on the sofa, enjoying the soft sensations in both hands, while also feeling the fruits of their dual cultivation.
The result was... decent.
With the help of the dual-core cauldron and the cultivation boost from the Golden Ancient Tree, Huo Yuhao's cultivation speed had improved once again.
"Unfortunately… even with the increase in cultivation speed, I'm no longer who I used to be. As my strength grows, this bit of improvement is no longer enough."
"The cauldrons aren't enough anymore. Dual cultivation is becoming less effective for me."
Unless Huo Yuhao practiced the Dao of Yin and Yang, dual cultivation couldn't bring him much more benefit.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a suitable technique.
The dual cultivation and harvesting methods Huo Yuhao currently possessed were just average — not enough for him to truly enter the Dao.
While he could attempt to create his own technique, to develop one that directly led to the Yin-Yang Dao was almost impossible — like asking him to dig out his own eyes.
He simply didn't have the time to waste on developing such a technique.
He could afford to wait — but could the God Kings?
Was he not afraid the Trident would strike down from the heavens?
In the end, Huo Yuhao could only use the inheritance of Universal Compassion (普度慈航), and from that plus his own insights, create his own path and techniques.
After all, what serious cultivator ever uses one technique for life without modifying it into a version that better suits themselves?
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao already had a new cultivation plan.
He squinted and enjoyed the moment. After cleaning up, Ma Xiaotao snuggled directly into Huo Yuhao's arms with a clingy smile.
Ling Luochen, on the other hand, wiped her enticing pink lips, stood up, and said to Huo Yuhao, "Yuhao, I'm ready to absorb the spirit bone."
"Hm?" Huo Yuhao looked at her in surprise. "So suddenly?"
"Mhm," Ling Luochen nodded slightly and explained, "I can feel my soul power is incredibly active lately. I'm in great condition, and this is the perfect time to use the spirit bone to break through! I might even gain two levels and reach level 60!"
A 70,000-year-old spirit bone could indeed allow a Spirit King to break through two levels.
Especially since it was a top-tier ice attribute spirit bone, perfectly suited for Ling Luochen.
Assuming she could absorb it.
Huo Yuhao gave a slight nod.
He had already planned to let Ling Luochen attempt to absorb the bone in the next few days, while he'd act in the background to simulate an accident and claim the spirit bone.
"Let's rest today," Huo Yuhao said with a warm smile. "Tomorrow, I'll help you with the spirit bone absorption."
Ling Luochen blushed.
Her body was truly sore right now — back pain, leg pain, mouth pain, throat pain, pain in the front... and the back too...
And all thanks to Huo Yuhao.
Ma Xiaotao giggled at Ling Luochen, "Oh my, Luochen, you're blushing? You were so skillful just now~"
"Don't say it!" Ling Luochen yelled, diving into Huo Yuhao's arms too, starting to playfully wrestle with Ma Xiaotao.
Watching the two women flirt and bicker in his arms, Huo Yuhao could only say:
"I love watching girls fight~"
The next day.
The three of them, now fully dressed, went to find Mu En and informed him about Ling Luochen's plan to absorb the spirit bone.
Mu En summoned Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe to act as guardians for Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen.
Neither of them objected.
They had heard Huo Yuhao explain before — the true attribute of the Ice Jade Scorpion was the Ultimate Ice.
Thus, the spirit bone must also contain Ultimate Ice!
There was risk in absorbing such a bone, so guardians were necessary. But if successful, Ling Luochen might become a Spirit Master of the Ultimate Ice.
This was a big deal.
Not only could it mean another Ultimate Attribute Spirit Master for Shrek Academy, but it could prove the possibility of cultivating Ultimate Attribute users after birth!
After Huo Yuhao explained the significance to Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, they finally understood how important this spirit bone absorption was.
Only then did Ling Luochen realize the great gift she had received.
If Huo Yuhao didn't already have a left arm bone, this spirit bone might never have come to her.
Several Sea God's Pavilion members also came upon hearing the news, wanting to witness the event personally.
Among them were Qian Duoduo, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Mei'er.
Elder Song and Elder Zhuang also arrived.
Elder Song came because she supported Huo Yuhao and cared about his progress.
Elder Zhuang was brought because of his powerful healing abilities, just in case something went wrong.
No one had ever absorbed an Ultimate Attribute spirit bone without already being an Ultimate Attribute user — no one knew what risks this posed.
It was better to be cautious.
Finally, in a quiet open space, Ling Luochen prepared for the spirit bone absorption.
But truthfully, being watched by a bunch of powerful elders made her feel nervous.
Sensing this, Huo Yuhao gently held her small hand and reassured her in a soft voice, "Luochen, don't worry. I'm here."
Ling Luochen froze for a moment, then gave him a happy smile and nodded, "Mhm."
Her nervousness melted away.
Right now, Ling Luochen felt as if Huo Yuhao had filled her completely — not just her body, but her heart.
Although she felt it was a bit strange to be sharing Huo Yuhao with others, she had been so thoroughly "filled" by him that she no longer questioned it — she just felt happy.
After all, having multiple wives was a privilege of the strong.
Ling Luochen had long become used to cooperating with Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na.
Seeing this harmony between the women, Mu En's hand trembled slightly.
"What's going on? Isn't Yuhao with Xiaotao? Then what's with Ling Luochen?"
But when Mu En sneakily looked over at Ma Xiaotao, he found her completely calm, not upset at all.
"This... kids these days really are something else." Mu En realized the situation and thought Huo Yuhao was even more capable than he had been in his youth.
Standing on two boats without tipping was skilled.
Commanding three boats at once — that was the mark of a true expert!
"No, wait — it's three boats. There's still Wei Na in the outer courtyard... and what about Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao? They're all beauties. Could it be that Yuhao… hiss!!"
Mu En felt this whole situation was way too exciting for an old man.
Others also noticed what was going on — everyone except Xuan Zi.
Yan Shaozhe glanced at Ma Xiaotao and, seeing no jealousy in her expression, sighed quietly.
"Looks like Xiaotao and Yuhao are out of the picture."
He had thought they were a good match, but Ma Xiaotao hadn't seized the opportunity, and her good friend Ling Luochen took her place.
Qian Duoduo was a bit envious. In his youth, he had loved someone without return — he had never experienced sweet love.
Even now, though he had the person by his side, he could only watch.
It wasn't that Xian Lin'er was the problem — it was that Qian Duoduo didn't dare take that step. He saw that restraint as respect and love.
Everyone else thought the scene looked beautiful.
Ling Luochen had the talent, strength, status, and looks to match Huo Yuhao.
They even looked more compatible than Bei Bei and Tang Ya.
Only Xuan Zi was still munching on his giant chicken leg. After finishing one, he saw that Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen hadn't started yet, and broke the mood:
"Hey, Yuhao, Luochen, are you gonna absorb that spirit bone or not?"
Everyone: "..."
Ling Luochén's face flushed with embarrassment. Sitting cross-legged on the grass, she took some time to calm herself down before taking out the soul bone to begin absorbing it.
Huo Yuhao also sat cross-legged behind Ling Luochén, placing his hand on her back to establish a soul power connection.
There were indeed methods to assist in absorbing soul bones—typically a stronger soul master aiding a weaker one to reduce the strain and pain of fusion.
In this case, Huo Yuhao was lending his Ultimate Ice attribute to help Ling Luochén integrate the Ultimate Ice from the soul bone.
It sounded easy. But in reality... success was impossible.
Because Huo Yuhao was there.
If it did succeed, now that would be truly awkward.
"Don't worry. I'm here," Huo Yuhao said aloud.
"Mm, I know," Ling Luochén replied simply, trusting him unconditionally.
Then, she steadied her mind and began absorbing the soul bone.
Sensing the icy soul power waves, Elder Song nodded. "It really is the Ultimate Ice attribute."
Xuanzi smiled proudly. "That Starlight Auction House failed to identify the soul bone's true attribute, letting us pick up a bargain. If the auction house or others had known, this soul bone would've gone for several times the price."
The others nodded in agreement.
At the time, the sum in Gold Soul Coins seemed high, but in reality, it was quite cheap.
After all, this was Ultimate Ice!
What soul master wouldn't want an ultimate attribute?
Mu En, however, recalled what Huo Yuhao had once told him about this soul bone:
"Teacher, I think this should count as an auction accident! The auction house didn't check the item properly, so they can't guarantee it won't harm the user!"
"An auction accident?" Mu En murmured to himself, then warned seriously, "Everyone, be alert. Ultimate attributes aren't easy to handle. Even with Yuhao helping, Luochén may still run into trouble. No one can predict what might happen."
Upon hearing this, everyone grew serious.
They focused all their attention on the two absorbing the soul bone.
A bluish glow connected Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochén, while the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone was already affixed to her left arm.
As the soul bone began to merge, Ling Luochén felt a surge of powerful ice-element force pouring into her body, causing her own soul power to churn violently, as if she were about to level up at any moment.
With the overwhelming soul power came unbearable pressure and pain, focused entirely on her left arm, making her feel like it might split apart.
Sweat began to bead on her forehead.
Fortunately, an external stream of soul power supported her and helped share the burden, allowing her to continue the fusion attempt.
That soul power came from Huo Yuhao, flowing through his left arm into her body.
Though it seemed like Huo Yuhao was simply helping to guide her soul power, in reality, he was secretly linking with the soul bone and absorbing its Ultimate Ice attribute to enhance his own!
The soul bone hidden in Huo Yuhao's left arm trembled slightly.
Ah Hui, the Bone Spirit, quietly aided Huo Yuhao in devouring the soul bone's source energy.
This was an alternate use of the Bone Fusion Secret Art:
Directly fusing the bone's origin power.
It did cause some waste—
—but in this situation, that waste and the remnants of the soul bone would serve as a distraction and a way to mislead others.
Time ticked by.
Two full hours passed.
All the powerful figures on site had tense, grim faces, ready to act at any moment.
Elder Zhuang had already summoned his martial soul.
Ma Xiaotao looked on anxiously.
Everyone sensed something was wrong.
The fusion was taking far too long.
Even Huo Yuhao was drenched in sweat, his face contorted in pain.
Ling Luochén looked even worse—deathly pale, bloodless lips, and her left arm covered in tiny beads of blood, a terrifying sight.
The blood was seeping from beneath her skin.
And that… was only the beginning.
Rip—
A sudden tearing sound rang out as several gashes appeared on Ling Luochén's arm!
The previously localized damage on her left arm began spreading across her body. Her training robe, white with icy patterns, was rapidly stained with blood.
The soul power of both Ling Luochén and Huo Yuhao suddenly spiraled out of control!
"Not good!" Yan Shaozhe and the others turned pale.
Elder Zhuang sprang into action.
"Eighth Soul Skill—Life Radiance Infusion!"
Taking no chances, he unleashed his eighth soul skill.
A verdant glow infused with powerful life energy erupted from his Tree of Life martial soul and enveloped both Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochén.
But in that very instant, the 70,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone exploded!
The explosion engulfed both Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochén. Ling Luochén, closest to the blast, faced complete destruction of her arm.
At that critical moment, Huo Yuhao shouted, ignoring his own safety, and unleashed his left arm soul bone skill with all his strength.
A brilliant golden light burst from Huo Yuhao's left arm, swiftly wrapping around Ling Luochén's arm. His Ultimate Ice power froze the area solid, barely saving her arm.
Still, the explosive force affected both of them, sending them flying.
Ling Luochén used her own soul power to protect herself, barely holding on.
But Huo Yuhao, who hadn't used his power to defend himself, vomited two massive mouthfuls of blood.
Thankfully, Elder Zhuang's soul skill arrived just in time to protect them.
"Yuhao!!"
"Luochén!!"
The two were caught midair—Huo Yuhao by Yan Shaozhe, Ling Luochén by Xian Lin'er.
The wild surge of Ultimate Ice spreading from the exploded soul bone was suppressed by the furious Xuanzi, who contained it within a set range.
Even so, the residual cold made everyone shiver.
Yan Shaozhe checked Huo Yuhao and sighed in relief. "He's okay. Just grazed by the explosion. His body's strong—only minor injuries."
But things weren't as optimistic on Xian Lin'er's side.
Her expression was grim. "Luochén's injuries are severe. Fortunately, her meridians are intact and just need rest. But her left arm... may be crippled!"
"What?!"
Everyone was horrified.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes instantly turned red.
Elder Song urged, "Elder Zhuang, go take a look—quick!"
As a support-type Titled Douluo and a skilled healer, Elder Zhuang was the best hope.
He immediately flashed to Xian Lin'er's side and examined Ling Luochén.
His eyes widened in shock.
Ling Luochén's left arm was encased in Ultimate Ice, a layer of light-attribute energy shielding it. But within the ice, her arm was ripped apart.
When Elder Zhuang used spiritual power to probe the frozen limb, he was stunned to discover:
Her arm bones were completely shattered.
"This… this..." Elder Zhuang was speechless.
Everyone's hearts sank.
The fact that he couldn't give an immediate diagnosis meant one of two things—either the injury was incredibly difficult to treat, or it was incurable.
For a genius to lose an arm—it often meant the end of their path to Titled Douluo, even the end of their future.
What kind of psychological blow would this deal to Ling Luochén?
And how would it affect Huo Yuhao?
Was the tragedy that had befallen Bei Bei going to repeat itself with Huo Yuhao?
Was the heavens truly so unfair? Was Shrek Academy cursed?
Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochén, both having exhausted themselves, fell unconscious.
At last, all eyes turned to Mu En.
His expression icy, Mu En growled, "Xuanzi. Take the soul bone fragments. Go to Star Luo City. Make the Starlight Auction House give Shrek Academy an explanation!"
Close the door—Release Xuanzi!
Three days later.
Star Luo City, Starlight Auction House.
Star Luo City remained bustling, the excitement from the Soul Master Tournament seemingly yet to fade. The Starlight Auction House was still in full swing, welcoming nobles, powerful soul masters, and many mysterious figures passing through its grand doors.
In such a place, every conversation hinted at wealth and influence—there were no commoners in sight.
But suddenly, a disheveled figure quietly appeared at the main entrance of the Starlight Auction House, blocking the door. He was completely out of place, drawing the attention of many.
The nobles frowned at the shabby man, thinking, Where did this beggar come from? How dare he block the entrance to the Starlight Auction House looking for a handout?
"Guards, throw him out!" a noble commanded arrogantly.
Suddenly, a clean-picked chicken bone was flung from the disheveled figure and struck the shouting noble in the face, knocking him flying and shattering half of his face.
The noble didn't die but was severely injured and lost consciousness.
The surrounding crowd was stunned—clearly something was wrong.
The next moment—
BOOM—
Before anyone could react, an overwhelming aura of a Super Douluo erupted from the disheveled figure, enveloping the entire auction house and sweeping across the crowd without discrimination.
Nobles, so-called strong fighters, even members of the imperial family—no one could remain calm under such terrifying pressure.
Some, unable to bear the force, collapsed to the ground in terror.
People quickly realized: Someone had come to cause trouble at the Starlight Auction House!
The timid ones fled immediately; the bold chose to stay and watch the drama unfold.
This overwhelming pressure also alarmed the royal city. Several powerful soul masters noticed it, and a Titled Douluo from the imperial palace rushed to the auction house.
At the same time, a Titled Douluo-level aura rose from within the auction house itself—clearly the stationed guardian. But compared to the Super Douluo's strength, it could only barely resist the soul power suppression.
The Starlight Auction House dealt with many treasures and high-status individuals, so of course a powerful guardian had to be stationed there.
This hidden Titled Douluo now stepped forward and spoke respectfully, "May I ask which esteemed guest has arrived? Would you care to come inside and speak?"
Lacking the strength to challenge him, the auction house could only bow its head, even if the other party was being unreasonable.
Spending money to avoid disaster and maintaining harmony was key.
However, the disheveled figure wasn't here for money.
Even with such a respectful invitation, he responded with a thunderous strike.
A giant chicken leg, formed from earthen-yellow soul power, materialized in the air and came crashing down toward the auction house—completely disregarding face, collateral damage, or any nearby innocents.
The auction house's Titled Douluo turned pale. "Madman!" he cursed, quickly striking out to intercept the falling chicken leg.
If he did nothing and let it land, even as a Titled Douluo, he'd be forced to flee the empire in shame.
But a Super Douluo's furious blow wasn't something easily blocked.
"HAAAH!" he roared, unleashing his full power and successfully shattered the descending chicken leg—but not without consequence.
He was smashed into the ground, forming a deep crater. The auction house's soul-powered defenses quickly activated to shield it.
"Who dares attack the Starlight Auction House?! Do you take the Star Luo Empire for a joke?" the Titled Douluo shouted furiously, his face filled with anger and killing intent.
Clearly, this was no time for diplomacy.
The figure soared into the air, revealing his full appearance under the flare of his soul power—it was Xuan Zi.
With a voice even colder and more furious than his expression, he gritted his teeth and declared:
"The Starlight Auction House sold a defective soul bone, causing a top inner-court disciple of Shrek Academy to lose an arm. If Shrek Academy doesn't get an explanation today, then this auction house no longer deserves to exist!"
Xuan Zi's booming voice echoed across the entire city—he wanted everyone to hear, to expose the filth behind the Starlight Auction House.
The crowd reacted with shock.
"What?!"
"Shrek Academy again?"
"Wait—what do you mean 'again'?!"
"Is the Star Luo Empire really going to go head-to-head with Shrek?!"
Some were shocked. Some watched with excitement. Others rejoiced in the misfortune.
The Titled Douluo's fury instantly vanished, replaced by a look of disbelief.
"The auction house sold a faulty soul bone? And it cost a Shrek Academy student an arm? This is a disaster!!"
Inside the palace.
Xu Jiawei, hearing Xuan Zi's voice, sprang from his seat in disbelief.
"Impossible!"
His younger brother Xu Jiu rushed in and reported urgently:
"Brother, the only soul bone recently sold to Shrek Academy was that 70,000-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone!"
Back at Shrek Academy.
Under the waterfall.
Huo Yuhao sat silently beneath the cascading water, facing a stone wall. A deathly still aura surrounded him.
Mu En and Yan Shaozhe watched from the riverbank, both sighing.
"Master, Yuhao has been sitting there for three days," Yan Shaozhe said solemnly.
After Ling Luochen's failed absorption of the soul bone…
When Huo Yuhao woke and learned she had lost her arm, he came here alone to meditate, facing the wall under the waterfall for three days without moving.
Everyone was deeply worried.
Ling Luochen had already been crippled—Huo Yuhao must not fall next.
"Yuhao is too sentimental," Mu En sighed. "But don't worry—his body can handle it. Perhaps this is the only way for him to cope."
In their eyes, Yuhao was burdened with guilt, unable to face Ling Luochen.
But he wasn't to blame—it was the Starlight Auction House that sold the defective soul bone.
In fact, if it hadn't been for Yuhao's desperate efforts, Ling Luochen might have lost more than just an arm.
Moreover, Elder Zhuang had found that Yuhao's light attribute and extreme ice power preserved a thread of life in her arm. With a top-tier healing-type soul master, there might still be hope.
A final glimmer of hope remained.
Ling Luochen was extremely talented. If her arm was lost forever, it would be a huge blow to Shrek Academy.
She had not yet awakened.
Ma Xiaotao was taking care of her.
"The Star Luo Empire and Starlight Auction House have gone too far!" Yan Shaozhe growled.
Others might not know who was behind the auction house, but Shrek Academy certainly did.
With a name like that, they may as well have stamped "Imperial Property" on the sign.
This time, Mu En did not rebuke him. He simply replied with a quiet "Hmm" and narrowed his eyes.
"I remember… The Star Luo Empire once had a Medical Immortal Douluo—someone from my era. Her healing skills surpassed even Elder Zhuang's. He spoke of her with great admiration."
"Send someone to contact Xuan Zi. If that Medical Immortal Douluo is still alive, bring her to Shrek Academy no matter the cost. If she has passed on…"
"Then retrieve her legacy. We must find a way to heal Luochen!"
Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up. "I'll take care of it immediately!"
And with that, he rushed off.
"Medical Immortal Douluo, Wang Xian'er, huh?"
"A Martial Soul of the Healing Angel… I wonder if she has some special connection with the Angel Clan."
Huo Yuhao murmured to himself.
Though he appeared lifeless, in reality, he was always paying attention to the outside world.
The reason he acted so guilt-ridden was simple: the more guilty he appeared, the more the senior members of Shrek Academy would grow to resent the Star Luo Empire.
It might not be enough to make Shrek Academy completely sever ties with Star Luo, but it could attract certain special talents—and gain him more benefits.
See? Wang Xian'er is coming, isn't she?
And once she comes… she's not leaving.
As for Ling Luochen's arm—so long as Huo Yuhao was around, it would not be crippled. After all, Ling Luochen was also a fine furnace vessel, and when paired with Ma Xiaotao, the combination would create a thrilling ice-and-fire experience.
These three days, Huo Yuhao wasn't just sitting idle.
He absorbed the origin power extracted from the 70,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone and fused it into his Ice Radiance Left Arm Bone.
The Ice Radiance Arm Bone evolved to a 150,000-year level!
Its attached soul skills also changed.
The Dragon Transformation soul skill remained unchanged.
However, the Ice Radiance Dragon Strike soul skill gained a new effect—after punching out with a mix of light and ice attributes, it could now detonate those energies, dealing a second round of damage.
This was thanks to the integration of Ice Explosion Technique, with additional developments.
It could now cause both light and ice explosions—enhancing the brilliance of the Dragon Strike soul skill.
Moreover, through studying the Death God's Corpse Explosion Technique, Huo Yuhao also developed Poison Explosion Technique.
"Ice Explosion, Light Explosion, Corpse Explosion, Poison Explosion… I've got four types of explosion skills now. What am I, some kind of Demolition Man in training?"
Of course, the greatest gain from absorbing the Scorpion's origin wasn't just enhancing the soul bone, but the strengthening of Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice attribute.
It didn't take long to absorb and refine the origin.
The rest of the time, Huo Yuhao immersed himself in cultivation.
He trained his soul power, studied techniques, and… mastered Sovereign's Dominion (Jun Lin Tianxia)!
Every day, he had one chance to fully use the Eye of All Arts, boosting his learning. Just sitting there, Huo Yuhao managed to grasp Sovereign's Dominion.
The move was certainly advanced, but Huo Yuhao had the thousand-year cultivation foundation of Universal Mercy backing him—even a small leak of insight pushed his progress by leaps and bounds.
"Three days… it's about time," Huo Yuhao muttered.
He slowly opened his eyes, light gradually glowing from his body.
Muen had been watching him and was about to leave, but at that moment, his expression changed dramatically as he looked at Huo Yuhao in shock.
He saw an aura of colorless light envelop Huo Yuhao's entire body, pulsing with waves of spiritual energy.
Then, under Muen's stunned gaze, all of this spiritual energy fused into Huo Yuhao, making him appear unremarkable on the outside—yet his eyes glowed with a dark golden light full of overwhelming majesty.
Muen could see it clearly: Huo Yuhao had just mastered the battle technique he taught him—Sovereign's Dominion!
The dark golden light wasn't from his Evil Eye Martial Soul—but the outward manifestation of willpower.
Then, with a roar, Huo Yuhao raised his fist and struck upward—a punch like a golden dragon rising from the sea.
Even though the punch had no soul power, it parted the waterfall vertically, surging several meters upward!
Huo Yuhao (internally): I was holding back!
After punching through the waterfall, Huo Yuhao flipped and landed back on the riverbank stone, his feet stamping deep imprints into the rock. An aura of unchallenged domination radiated from him—pure sovereign might.
"He really did it! Such talent…" Muen murmured.
Too fast!
From the moment Huo Yuhao encountered Sovereign's Dominion until now—it had been less than a week!
Yet Huo Yuhao had fully mastered it!
After his shock came joy. Muen hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to comprehend the move under pressure—let alone complete it.
"This makes Yuhao the sole inheritor of Sovereign's Dominion," Muen thought proudly.
Yes—the only true inheritor!
Others, like Yan Shaozhe, had also learned versions of it from Muen, but they had fused their own concepts, creating different abilities.
Impressive, sure.
But they diverged from the core of Sovereign's Dominion, which was absolute supremacy.
Only Huo Yuhao's version mirrored Muen's own.
As Huo Yuhao let the aura of Sovereign's Dominion fade, his majestic demeanor dissipated—but he didn't return to his usual sunny self. Instead, a gloom hovered over him, like a bright sun hidden behind clouds.
And no trace of joy at having mastered the technique.
Then he noticed Muen, quickly stepping forward to bow respectfully. "Teacher… Sorry to have worried you."
Muen's joy slowly subsided. He raised his hand to ruffle Huo Yuhao's hair, sighed, and said, "Don't worry, Yuhao. I'll make sure you get justice."
With those words, Huo Yuhao could no longer hold back. His tough facade crumbled. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his voice choked, "Teacher…"
"There, there. Don't be sad. I'm here. Go check on Luochen. And let Xiao Zhuang take a look at you—you've suffered these past three days too," Muen said gently, his smile kind as he sighed inwardly, Yuhao is still just a child.
"Yes…" Huo Yuhao replied in a low voice.
As Muen watched him walk away, cloaked in a heavy atmosphere, he looked up at the sky and murmured, "This tragedy must not repeat. This time—I will make the right choice!"
What had deepened Muen's resolve?
Perhaps it was guilt toward Beibei.
Perhaps it was the regret of his youth.
Or perhaps it was the extraordinary talent Huo Yuhao had shown.
Ling Luochen was being treated inside the Golden Tree, its power protecting her. Though still unconscious, her injuries had not worsened.
When Huo Yuhao arrived, he found Ma Xiaotao tending to her. Two other women were also in the room.
They both looked about twenty years old, wearing the red uniforms of Shrek Academy's inner court. Both had exceptional looks.
One had a golden crow floating in her aura.
The other had a lotus flower above her head.
The conversation among the three paused when Huo Yuhao entered.
"Yuhao." Ma Xiaotao's emotions surged at the sight of him. She abandoned the other two and threw herself into his arms.
It was clear she'd been deeply worried about him and Luochen over the past three days.
The other two girls glanced at each other.
They had clearly heard what Ma Xiaotao called him—
"Yuhao?" Could it be…?
They looked at Luochen, then at Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao hugging—and their expressions grew complicated.
There's gossip!
"Don't worry. Teacher promised me—Luochen will be fine," Huo Yuhao said, comforting her.
Only then did Ma Xiaotao wipe her eyes and step back from his embrace, visibly relieved.
Then, realizing there were others in the room, her face flushed red.
She quickly turned and explained, "Don't get the wrong idea! We're just friends! Cough, I'm just worried about Yuhao. He's… he's my martial uncle."
Wu Ming: "Yeah, yeah."
Hua Yao: "Sure, sure."
Huo Yuhao didn't let the atmosphere turn awkward. He acted naturally, as if nothing had ever happened between him and Ma Xiaotao.
Don't ask—just pure friendship!
This left Wu Ming and Hua Yao unsure of their judgment.
Seizing the initiative, Huo Yuhao curiously sized them up and asked, "Little Peach, who are they?"
Ma Xiaotao regained her composure and introduced them to Huo Yuhao.
"Little Master-Uncle, these are two senior sisters from the inner courtyard, good friends of mine and Luochen. This is Golden Crow Saintess, Senior Wu Ming, and Lotus Fairy, Senior Hua Yao."
From the martial soul projections in their fortunes, Huo Yuhao had already guessed their identities. In Douluo Continent, a martial soul is one's identity card.
Both were characters from the original story, older single women from the inner courtyard.
Most importantly, Huo Yuhao's keen senses told him they were still virgins!
This made him noticeably warmer toward them.
Huo Yuhao always valued high-quality "talents."
Though both appeared in their mid-twenties, they were nearly thirty and both Soul Saints.
Ripe for the picking.
Wu Ming, nicknamed Golden Crow Saintess, had a Golden Crow martial soul. She looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, not as stunning as Jiang Nannan but still strikingly beautiful.
Her inability to find a partner stemmed from being one of the inner courtyard's "two volcanoes" alongside the former Ma Xiaotao. Her Golden Crow True Fire was as intense as Ma Xiaotao's former evil fire.
Subduing her required at least Soul Douluo-level strength, which no male student in the inner courtyard currently possessed.
Those who reached Soul Douluo typically completed enough missions to graduate, either returning home or taking up faculty roles, leaving little time to interact with inner courtyard students.
Hua Yao, nicknamed Lotus Fairy, had a Lotus martial soul. She appeared twenty-seven or twenty-eight, older than Wu Ming. Her looks weren't exceptionally beautiful, but her soft facial features gave her an approachable charm.
Unlike Wu Ming, Hua Yao exuded a refined, unstained elegance, like a lotus rising from mud.
Though her martial soul was floral like Weina's, Hua Yao followed a control-type path.
Her single status, from the original story, likely stemmed from her affection for a male inner courtyard student named Gu Fan, also a Soul Saint. His martial soul wasn't specified in the original story, and Huo Yuhao didn't know it.
Despite living on Sea God Island for a while, Huo Yuhao knew little about the inner courtyard students.
They were either cultivating or on missions, rarely seen unless summoned.
The Supervisory Corps missions were a major hurdle for inner courtyard students to graduate, often requiring relentless task endurance.
Many entered the inner courtyard at eighteen or nineteen but still hadn't graduated by thirty.
Wu Ming and Hua Yao were prime examples.
Even five years later, at the Sea God Lake blind date event, they were over thirty and still ungraduated.
Graduation required completing numerous Supervisory Corps missions while balancing cultivation.
Given Douluo Continent's productivity and travel methods, missions took months, involving clue investigation, intelligence gathering, and target pursuit.
After missions, students rested in cities to unwind, which consumed more time.
Even past thirty, many felt missions hindered cultivation but persevered for graduation.
Quitting was seen as shameful, an escape.
Some never made it to graduation, dying on missions.
Like most of Shrek Academy's main team members.
Yet Shrek Academy deemed this honorable, a "noble sacrifice."
Quite intriguing.
Huo Yuhao didn't comment; he just observed.
…
Various thoughts swirled in Huo Yuhao's mind, but he remained courteous, greeting them proactively.
"Greetings, Senior Sisters."
This made Wu Ming and Hua Yao's eyes flicker.
By seniority, Huo Yuhao, as Ma Xiaotao's master-uncle, was their elder, on par with Elder Xuan!
Yet he addressed them as seniors with impeccable manners.
This won them over, and their attitudes softened, becoming friendlier and less reserved.
Huo Yuhao: *Special treatment for talents, beauties~*
"Is this Luochen's little boyfriend?" Wu Ming, outgoing by nature, teased while curiously eyeing Huo Yuhao.
"B-Boyfriend?" Huo Yuhao feigned embarrassment, as if a secret had been exposed, and hurriedly said, "Not yet, not yet."
He even repeated himself.
Wu Ming smirked, barely restraining a "Really? I don't believe you."
Hua Yao smiled gently, covering her mouth. Her refined demeanor marked her as a true lady.
Both noticed that when they teased Huo Yuhao about Ling Luochen, Ma Xiaotao showed no reaction, instead smirking as if finding it amusing.
This dispelled their earlier suspicions. They'd overthought it—Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, no matter how close, wouldn't share a man.
Wu Ming and Hua Yao didn't stay long. They'd come to check on Ling Luochen and, confirming her condition, left.
Staying longer would've been pointless beyond offering comfort to Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao.
With Huo Yuhao back, lingering would be impolite.
After they left, Ma Xiaotao followed Huo Yuhao to stand by Ling Luochen's bedside.
Ling Luochen, in a moon-white gown, lay with the fabric gently draped over her curvaceous form. Her injuries were healed, but her face remained pale, brows furrowed. Her left arm was encased in ice, revealing the shattered limb within.
It gave her a tragic, broken beauty.
Seeing her like this, Ma Xiaotao's earlier ease faded, replaced by heartache. She asked sadly, "Yuhao, can Luochen's arm really be saved?"
"Don't worry, it definitely can!" Huo Yuhao said earnestly.
In Douluo Continent's conditions, saving Ling Luochen's arm was feasible.
Huo Yuhao thought of three methods.
First, find a powerful healing soul master capable of regenerating flesh and bone to reconstruct her arm.
Second, find a left arm soul bone suited for Ling Luochen to replace the damaged bone, with a top-tier healing soul master's assistance.
Third, use an immortal-grade herb… though that was nearly impossible.
Of course, there was always the deus ex machina of divine intervention, but that was wishful thinking.
Mu En planned to invite Wang Xian'er, so Huo Yuhao guessed the second method would likely be chosen.
The first method, even if Wang Xian'er could do it, would likely cost her life.
She wouldn't sacrifice herself for this.
After confirming Ling Luochen's condition was stable, Huo Yuhao took Ma Xiaotao's hand, showing concern for another "cauldron."
"Little Peach, you've worked hard."
"Yuhao, it's my duty. After all, we're…" Ma Xiaotao's face flushed mid-sentence, her legs rubbing together instinctively. She leaned close and whispered, "Yuhao, I've been holding back for three days. I can't take it anymore."
When her desire flared, Ma Xiaotao's rationality scattered, leading her to do things she shouldn't, casting aside morals and ethics.
But her desire was under Huo Yuhao's control.
It only surged when she faced him.
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly. "Little Peach, this is a trial~"