After Huo Yuhao finished the preliminary refinement of the pill, another half-hour passed, and it was time to switch shifts.
The second person assigned to keep watch was Ma Xiaotao.
But Huo Yuhao had no intention of waking her. Was it out of sudden concern?
No! He was using this time to refine a magical artifact!
The artifact, forged from a blood-colored flagpole and the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife, was nearly complete. It took the form of a blood-red short spear, its blade razor-sharp, exuding an ominous aura. Ghostly wails seemed to linger around it, and mysterious patterns had naturally formed on the blood-colored handle, radiating an eerie, sinister vibe. Staring at the patterns gave one the unsettling feeling that their soul might be pulled away.
Huo Yuhao knew this was due to the unique materials used, which were about to give the artifact a special ability, prolonging its refinement time.
Once this ability fully manifested, the artifact would be complete!
But Huo Yuhao was still debating whether to add a weapon spirit to the spear in its final moments.
A manually added spirit versus a naturally born one each had pros and cons.
A manually added spirit could be stronger and bring more unique powers but risked compatibility issues.
A naturally born spirit would be perfectly suited but with unpredictable strength.
"If I could get a powerful or unique soul as the spear's spirit, it would make the spear stronger, with immediate growth and greater potential than letting it develop its own soul," Huo Yuhao mused, envisioning the ideal scenario.
Unfortunately, his Ghost Banner martial soul currently lacked a suitable ghost.
To meet his standards, it would need at least a 100,000-year soul beast, with attributes that didn't clash with the spear's innate properties.
At that moment, Ma Xiaotao emerged from the tent, ready to take her shift.
Huo Yuhao noticed the sound immediately.
As he turned to face her, the short spear vanished silently, and he reverted to his usual gentle demeanor.
This gentle facade, a blend of Mu En and Beibei's temperaments, was meticulously crafted for maximum charm and approachability.
"Little Peach, why not rest a bit longer?" Huo Yuhao asked with feigned concern.
But from Ma Xiaotao's appearance, he could tell why she'd come out early.
Her face was flushed, her eyes brimming with allure. The flames within her were clearly on the verge of erupting, and she'd come out to cool off—or to seek Huo Yuhao's help.
With Zhang Lexuan nearby these past few days, Ma Xiaotao had been suppressing her instincts, but such urges couldn't be extinguished by willpower alone.
Her only options were to vent through combat or to fully exhaust them through *another* kind of battle.
Having just eaten the meat of a 50,000-year soul beast, replenishing her energy, and rested well, Ma Xiaotao was primed.
Her hunger had shifted entirely to desire.
She was burning up, unable to sleep in the tent!
Normally, Ma Xiaotao's tolerance limit was about a week.
But now, traveling from Shrek Academy to the Far North, with a day's stop in Heaven Dou City, had taken over half a month.
Her original evil fire wouldn't have flared up in just half a month.
Her condition seemed "cured," but in reality, it had worsened.
Now, it was a desire fire stronger than the evil fire, and having tasted its pleasures, Ma Xiaotao's dam of restraint, once broken, could never be rebuilt.
"Yuhao~"
Ma Xiaotao called softly, her voice sultry, melting the bones of anyone who heard it.
With no one else around and desire clouding her mind, she threw herself into Huo Yuhao's arms, offering her lips for a direct, primal exchange, rubbing against him incessantly.
Huo Yuhao, naturally, didn't refuse.
Unfortunately, the situation didn't allow for more. He didn't mind the outdoors, but the freezing cold wasn't exactly inviting~
He quietly transferred some icy breath and a portion of pseudo-Buddhist light into Ma Xiaotao's mouth, forcing her to calm down.
Huo Yuhao's ultimate fire and pseudo-Buddhist light could handle her desire fire—not by suppressing it, but by purifying it!
It would gradually make her more detached, but Huo Yuhao didn't fully purify it.
He needed Ma Xiaotao's desire to influence those around her.
It took a full fifteen minutes for Ma Xiaotao to calm down. Looking at Huo Yuhao, who held her close, she showed no shame. Instead, she seductively licked his lips, as if trying to meld her body into his.
Her charm was on full display.
Huo Yuhao's pseudo-Buddhist light subtly invaded her body, sensing her state.
In his perception, Ma Xiaotao's Blazing Phoenix martial soul was singing joyfully, eagerly anticipating his closeness, its flames burning ever brighter.
From her body to her martial soul, Ma Xiaotao was gradually taking on Huo Yuhao's "shape."
Having mastered ultimate fire, Huo Yuhao could keenly sense that her Blazing Phoenix flames were approaching ultimate fire.
But breaking through was immensely difficult.
Unless… Huo Yuhao shared some of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's ultimate fire essence with her or gave her rare heavenly treasures to refine her flames.
Otherwise, for Ma Xiaotao to elevate her flames to ultimate fire on her own was nearly impossible.
"I could extract some of her Blazing Phoenix flames and infuse them into my artifact. It might add new properties," Huo Yuhao thought, suddenly intrigued.
But there was no rush.
After lingering a bit longer, Huo Yuhao held Ma Xiaotao close and whispered in her ear, "Be good, Senior Lexuan is still here."
At the mention of Zhang Lexuan's name, Ma Xiaotao sobered up considerably. She clearly respected Zhang Lexuan and said reluctantly, "Fine, Yuhao, but you owe me when we get back."
"That depends on your performance."
"I won't disappoint you~"
Reluctantly, Ma Xiaotao let go, and Huo Yuhao headed toward the tent.
There was little need for secrecy among them; they slept fully clothed in the tent for temporary rest.
Entering the tent, Huo Yuhao's gaze paused, sweeping over Ling Luochen and Weina, a slight smirk forming.
Neither was asleep.
Weina's face was flushed, clearly reacting to the sounds she'd overheard.
Ma Xiaotao's desire fire subtly radiated outward, affecting those nearby. Though Weina wasn't as intense as Ma Xiaotao, she was still influenced.
Zhang Lexuan appeared normal, seemingly in peaceful slumber.
But Huo Yuhao's mental detection revealed she was using her soul power to suppress her rising blood.
She, too, was affected by Ma Xiaotao's desire fire. However, never having "tasted the meat" and with her cold personality, she was better at enduring it.
But, like Ling Luochen, the longer desire was suppressed, the more explosive its eventual release!
Huo Yuhao showed no signs of abnormality, instead adopting a cautious demeanor as he quietly lay down beside Weina.
The blanket wasn't cold, thanks to a heated mat underneath.
Originally, the three in the tent were positioned as Zhang Lexuan-Ma Xiaotao-Weina.
Now, it was Zhang Lexuan-empty-Weina-Huo Yuhao.
Ma Xiaotao's spot was left vacant.
The spacious, warm tent could comfortably fit four people.
This allowed Zhang Lexuan to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
She was genuinely worried Huo Yuhao might sleep next to her. While it wasn't a big deal, having overheard his interaction with Ma Xiaotao, she couldn't help but feel a peculiar sensation.
After all, she was still a maiden!
"Just kissing, and it made *that* much noise?" Zhang Lexuan couldn't comprehend it, but she was deeply shocked.
Her cool-headed nature led her to hide her feelings to avoid embarrassment.
Key point: the tent was thick but not soundproof.
This was a tent for wilderness camping, where soul beasts roamed. Making it too soundproof would mean missing teammates' shouts, leaving you unaware of a soul beast creeping up—purely asking to be trapped!
How many lives did you have to be so reckless?
Got a few Titled Douluos by your side?
In less harsh environments than the Far North, most soul masters wouldn't even set up tents unless they were in a large group or exceptionally strong.
Huo Yuhao's group was already indulging in luxury.
Even with a tent, Zhang Lexuan didn't dare sleep deeply, staying vigilant.
After Huo Yuhao lay down, the tent fell quiet again, filled only with the steady breathing of the three.
This let Zhang Lexuan relax again, preparing to rest a bit more.
But her thoughts wandered. "I've long suspected Huo Yuhao, Weina, and Little Peach had some special relationship. I didn't expect it to be true—Huo Yuhao and Little Peach are really together. But their statuses… sigh, what a tangled fate. It's not my place to interfere."
"But what's going on with Weina? Is Huo Yuhao two-timing? Is he secretly pursuing Weina too?"
This made Zhang Lexuan frown slightly.
Then, something even more frown-worthy happened.
Rustling sounds reached her ears, coming unmistakably from Huo Yuhao and Weina's direction!
Weina's breathing grew heavier.
Zhang Lexuan's heart chilled. "Is Huo Yuhao making a move on Weina? He just did *that* with Little Peach, and now he's hitting on Weina? What does he take Little Peach for?"
But just as she was about to open her eyes, an unexpected conversation unfolded.
"Weina, what are you doing?" Huo Yuhao whispered urgently, sounding nervous.
"Yuhao, you already did *that* with Sister Peach. I want to…" Weina replied in a hushed, gentle voice, tinged with suppressed urgency.
"But Senior Lexuan is right here."
"It's fine. I checked—she's asleep."
Zhang Lexuan: *?!*
She wanted to glue her eyelids shut. She hadn't expected *Weina* to take the initiative!
"What's going on with these three? And why does Weina think a Soul Douluo like me would sleep that soundly?"
Zhang Lexuan's mind was in chaos.
Sure enough, Huo Yuhao raised an objection. "Senior Lexuan is a Soul Douluo. She could wake up any moment."
"But… I can't hold back. It's always the three of us with Little Peach, but this time, I want it to be just you and me… Yuhao, help me."
Zhang Lexuan: *???*
What did I just hear?
The three of them?
Could it be… they actually do it together… no way!
Is that allowed?
Even with her cool-headed nature, Zhang Lexuan's mind buzzed, needing a moment to process.
But by the time she snapped out of it, ready to open her eyes and stop them, it was too late.
Under Weina's insistent urging, Huo Yuhao was "forced" to help her address her needs.
Weina's suppressed moans, a mix of pain and pleasure, echoed like a thousand cats clawing at Zhang Lexuan's heart.
Good news: Huo Yuhao and Weina weren't actually going all the way. He was helping her relieve her urges in another way.
Bad news: To avoid exposing them and causing embarrassment, Zhang Lexuan had to keep pretending to sleep, doubling down on suppressing her surging blood to maintain the facade of slumber.
Huo Yuhao hadn't expected Weina to be so bold.
She didn't wait for Ma Xiaotao because she wanted a "duo" with Huo Yuhao, not a "trio" with Ma Xiaotao.
"Such a greedy little kitten," Huo Yuhao thought. He could've refused, but sensing Zhang Lexuan's increasingly erratic mental fluctuations, he decisively accepted the invitation.
It was just a matter of moving his fingers.
And, perhaps it was his imagination, but Weina seemed even more intense this time.
"So, Zhang Lexuan's become part of the play, huh?" Huo Yuhao hadn't expected Weina to crave such thrills.
A quarter-hour passed.
It was torture for both Weina and Zhang Lexuan, both stifling any noise to avoid disturbing the other.
Finally, Weina's body tensed, shuddering repeatedly. It took several minutes for her to recover from the afterglow.
This time, Weina was satisfied.
She didn't glance at Zhang Lexuan, instead burrowing into Huo Yuhao's blanket, nestling into his arms, and falling into a deep sleep with a crystalline trace at the corner of her smiling lips.
Having had her fill, she cared little for anything else.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his hand, held Weina close, and glanced at Zhang Lexuan.
After a moment's thought, he refrained from using other methods.
The special scent from a soul bone would leave traces, whereas Ma Xiaotao's intangible desire fire was far more effective.
Huo Yuhao then closed his eyes, holding Weina, and slipped into a quiet slumber.
Once she sensed both Huo Yuhao and Weina were asleep, Zhang Lexuan didn't open her eyes, but her hands beneath the blanket clenched into fists, knuckles white.
That quarter-hour was the most agonizing of her life, worse than absorbing her eighth soul ring.
Absorbing a soul ring brought only pain.
This time, it came with a pang of guilt!
Overhearing others' private moments, even if Huo Yuhao and Weina had exposed themselves, filled Zhang Lexuan with shame.
Her upbringing instilled a strong sense of morality.
"I should've opened my eyes and stopped them, or pretended I knew nothing and left. I shouldn't have kept pretending to sleep. But what's going on with them and Little Peach?"
Lost in chaotic thoughts, Zhang Lexuan lost all desire to sleep.
It wasn't until she realized it was time for her watch that she jolted awake, stunned that so much time had passed.
Moments later, Zhang Lexuan watched Ma Xiaotao return to the tent and seal it. Staring at the tent, her gaze grew complex, and she let out a deep sigh.
Then, she chose a watch post farther from the tent.
The grueling break finally ended.
When Huo Yuhao and his two companions stepped out of the tent again, Zhang Lexuan took a good look at them.
Huo Yuhao still wore his usual gentle expression. At a glance, it was obvious he was Elder Mu's disciple—his demeanor was very similar to Elder Mu's.
Besides that, there was something in him that resembled Bei Bei, which made Zhang Lexuan feel momentarily dazed.
But she quickly pulled herself together, assuming she had just imagined it.
Next was Ma Xiaotao. She seemed to be in high spirits—her smile was even brighter than before, with a trace of allure.
As for Wei Na, Zhang Lexuan's careful observation revealed a clear change. Wei Na appeared completely refreshed, as though all the fatigue from days of travel had vanished.
However, the three of them were still wearing the same outer clothes. As for the inner garments—who could say?
Zhang Lexuan chose to remain silent.
After tidying up, the four resumed their journey and soon reached the Thorn Forest.
The Thorn Forest was one of the habitats of the Thorn Ice Centipede, and the largest known one at that. It was the most likely place to hide a Thorn Ice Centipede over fifty thousand years old.
As the name suggested, the forest was filled with special thorny plants, many of which were frost-resistant and had even become soul beasts themselves.
Another soul beast that lived there was one Huo Yuhao was very familiar with—the Coldthorn Poison Spider, from which he obtained his second soul ring.
Other soul beasts included avian types, small beasts living in the forest, and various transient ones either passing through or temporarily residing in the forest.
The numbers were decent, and the variety was quite rich.
But powerful individuals were limited.
With Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao's experience leading the way, the four quickly locked onto the Thorn Ice Centipede tribe's territory and began planning their soul beast hunt.
If Huo Yuhao had come alone, he would've gone full berserker mode, wiping out the entire forest.
Even though the forest was large, it didn't hide any 100,000-year soul beasts. There was no major safety concern. The strongest known soul beast was only a roughly 70,000-year-old hawk-like creature.
Soul beasts under 100,000 years no longer held much appeal to Huo Yuhao. Only those over 50,000 years would make him even slightly interested.
He could only make up for quality with quantity.
But since he wasn't alone, Huo Yuhao behaved obediently. Whatever "big sister" said, he would follow.
Standing on the edge of the Thorn Ice Centipede tribe's territory, Huo Yuhao observed the clan's fortune and confirmed that indeed, there was a centipede over 50,000 years old.
It was a Thorn Ice Centipede just shy of 60,000 years.
Perfect.
As for the alternate target—the Ice Spike Snake—Huo Yuhao had actually found three along the way. But the strongest was only about 40,000 years.
Too low.
Moreover, Ice Spike Snakes weren't top-tier soul beasts. Unlike other species, a 40,000-year Ice Spike Snake wasn't comparable to a 60–70,000-year beast. While slightly superior in talent to the centipede, the difference was minimal.
All things considered, Huo Yuhao still chose the Thorn Ice Centipede.
Centipedes just felt more "familiar" to him.
The battle plan was quickly formulated—and it was fairly straightforward and brutal:
Ma Xiaotao would strike first, attacking the Thorn Ice Centipede tribe and drawing out the high-age centipede.
Then Zhang Lexuan would step in, subduing the individual best suited for Huo Yuhao.
After that, they would retreat.
Huo Yuhao and Wei Na were in charge of support.
If they encountered a beast over 80,000 years old, they were to retreat immediately.
Zhang Lexuan, with a 100,000-year soul ring, wasn't afraid of most soul beasts under 80,000 years.
Soul masters of this era had significantly improved combat power and could challenge higher-tier soul beasts.
If she went all out, Zhang Lexuan could possibly even hold her own against a basic 100,000-year soul beast.
A mutual takedown wasn't out of the question.
And so, the battle began.
The Thorn Ice Centipede tribe was going about life as usual in their territory.
They hadn't been affected much by the beast tide. One reason was their rational leader, who didn't participate in the tide. Another was that with so many centipedes grouped together, they formed a hard target. Even soul beasts caught in the beast tide tended to avoid their territory.
The Thorn Forest had thus remained mostly untouched.
But that tranquility was shattered by a sudden burst of fire.
"Second soul skill—Phoenix Flame Baptism!"
"First soul skill—Phoenix Fire Line!"
Ma Xiaotao unleashed her first and second soul skills in succession, spewing searing fire beams from her mouth into the centipede territory. The attacks exploded on impact, flames spreading rapidly.
Many low-age centipedes were instantly incinerated.
Even in the cold climate, Ma Xiaotao's flames still packed serious firepower.
"Her flames have become even hotter," Zhang Lexuan remarked. "And it seems they've changed in some way."
It was the first time she had seen Ma Xiaotao unleash her full power after resolving her "Evil Fire" problem.
Overall—satisfying.
The changes in Ma Xiaotao's flames included a parasitic-like effect—they clung to targets like maggots on bones, burning bone and marrow, corrupting the spirit.
Her flames now dealt willpower and mental damage.
As a passive effect, they also stoked the desires of her targets, pushing them toward madness.
This evolution gave all her soul skills new dimensions.
The sudden attack threw the centipede colony into chaos and panic. Fortunately, the tribe leader emerged and exuded a powerful aura, calming the clan and warning off invaders.
That leader was the very Thorn Ice Centipede over 50,000 years old—almost 60,000.
Its act of calming the tribe also exposed its location, causing Zhang Lexuan's eyes to light up.
"The Thorn Ice Centipede's head grows an ice horn every 10,000 years. That one has five full horns and one budding horn. That means it's over 50,000 years, but not quite 60,000. Perfect for Junior Brother Yuhao!"
"Lexuan-senior, I'll count on you!" Huo Yuhao replied politely.
Zhang Lexuan nodded lightly and dashed out, charging straight for the centipede leader.
The centipede sensed the danger and tried to resist.
But a full moon rose above.
Two yellow, two purple, three black, and one red soul ring radiated dazzling light.
Moonlight descended, suppressing the creature instantly.
The battle? Nothing worth describing. It was a one-sided massacre. A mere 50,000-year soul beast stood no chance against Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan together.
Huo Yuhao didn't even need to act.
Instead, he quietly collected the souls of many fallen centipedes.
Neither Zhang Lexuan nor Ma Xiaotao pushed the slaughter too far. After capturing the leader, they grabbed it and left with Huo Yuhao and Wei Na.
Was the crisis over?
No.
It had just begun.
Soon after the group left, two Centipede Foot Avatars emerged from underground and infiltrated the Thorn Ice Centipede territory—launching a full-blown massacre.
Since they were all one family—might as well finish the job.
Today, the people of Shrek have brought your clan suffering. Tomorrow, Brother Hao will lead your kind to destroy Shrek Academy! The 50,000-year-old Thorned Ice Centipede King originally had a striking appearance—its entire body snow-white, over five meters long, with twenty pairs of legs, covered in thorn-like barbs, five intersecting horns on its head, and one newly grown small horn. It had extremely strong defensive abilities, and its barbs were laced with poison, possessing both poison and ice attributes.
However, after being double-teamed by Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao, the centipede king now looked utterly miserable.
All twenty pairs of legs had been severed, the horns on its head broken off, and the barbs on its body entirely removed. Even its once-impenetrable carapace was damaged beyond recognition, with most of it destroyed. Blue blood stained its entire body.
Tortured and severely injured like this, the centipede king was now barely clinging to life. Left alone, it wouldn't survive much longer.
Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao both admitted they might've gone a little overboard.
Especially Ma Xiaotao.
Never underestimate a woman who's... frustrated!
In fact, they hit so hard because the centipede king was too wild and unruly. Even after being critically wounded, it continued to resist madly.
To be safe, they had no choice but to go all out.
As for why it was so "wild," Huo Yuhao could only say—it wasn't exactly wild, more like... driven crazy.
Once Ma Xiaotao's flames ignited it, the centipede king's instincts kicked in. As everyone knows, animals in heat become violent and aggressive. Soul beasts are no exception.
Fortunately, the centipede king was successfully captured alive.
The group arrived at a safe location, preparing for Huo Yuhao to absorb the soul ring.
Huo Yuhao also expressed his gratitude to Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao.
"Uncle Yuhao, hurry up or it'll die soon," Ma Xiaotao urged impatiently.
"Alright, Xiaotao." Huo Yuhao smiled and drew a level-four close-combat soul tool—a small sword—and finished off the centipede king.
This little sword was a gift from Qian Duoduo to Huo Yuhao.
As the centipede king died, a pitch-black soul ring rapidly formed and slowly rose.
Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao sat down cross-legged. His Ice Centipede Armor activated, and he began absorbing the soul ring.
To onlookers, it looked just like a variant Ice Centipede Martial Soul absorbing a soul ring.
None of the girls noticed anything odd.
But in reality, the one absorbing the soul ring... was He Caitou's Cigar Martial Soul!
He Caitou was currently merged with Huo Yuhao, secretly absorbing his sixth soul ring. Huo Yuhao was curious what soul skill the Thorned Ice Centipede King would bring to the cigar martial soul.
The fifth soul skill—"Poisonous Snow Cigar"—was already a fantastic cultivation aid for poison-type soul masters. Huo Yuhao would smoke one after every training session.
A post-session smoke—better than being a god.
Ahem.
While absorbing the soul ring, the centipede king's resentful soul naturally attempted to lash out at the absorber.
But it found its target wasn't Huo Yuhao... it was a massive black figure inside Huo Yuhao.
What the heck?
Doesn't matter—charge!
Just as it tried to rampage, Huo Yuhao casually slapped it twice, sending it straight into the Ghost Banner Martial Soul family.
Crisis averted.
Outside, Zhang Lexuan observed Huo Yuhao, her expression a little surprised.
"Senior Sister, is something wrong?" Ma Xiaotao noticed her reaction.
Zhang Lexuan didn't hide it. "Not really. I just felt that Yuhao's soul ring absorption seemed too easy. It looks like a 50,000-year ring isn't even close to his limit. And the soul beast's mental attack doesn't seem to have affected him much either."
"Haha, you're underestimating Uncle Yuhao," Ma Xiaotao laughed. "His soul ring absorption limit should be above 60,000 years. His physique is already strong, and once he activates the Ice Centipede Armor, it enhances his physical strength even more. So a 50,000-year ring is no big deal."
Zhang Lexuan nodded slightly.
Ma Xiaotao continued, this time offering a guess. "As for the mental attack—maybe it's because his Ice Centipede Martial Soul has innate spiritual properties, making him more resistant."
"Spiritual properties?" Zhang Lexuan was surprised. "Isn't his martial soul ice and poison dual attribute?"
Ma Xiaotao smiled. "That's where you're mistaken, Senior Sister. Uncle Yuhao's martial soul can evolve! By absorbing dragon-type soul bones or soul rings with different attributes, he has a chance to gain new powers. For example, he gained his light attribute by absorbing a light-element dragon soul bone."
"There's such a thing?" Zhang Lexuan's eyes widened. She realized she didn't know Huo Yuhao as well as she thought.
Huo Yuhao wasn't just some prodigy student.
He had immense untapped potential!
"As for the spiritual attribute, Uncle Yuhao awakened it on his own. The teacher and Grandmaster think it's because his martial soul inherited some ancestral power. Apparently, one of his ancestors absorbed a powerful spirit-type dragon soul ring, leaving a spiritual imprint in the martial soul, which can be passed down. That's how Yuhao awakened it."
"There's still much about his martial soul that's unknown and undeveloped. The teachers believe it holds enormous potential—it's an extremely rare ultimate-attribute martial soul."
"After all, Uncle Yuhao said his martial soul is an inheritable ultimate martial soul!" Ma Xiaotao finished proudly.
Wei Na, who had been silent, blushed slightly, thinking: If she and Huo Yuhao had kids, they'd probably inherit that ultimate martial soul. Just imagining it made her feel giddy and shy.
Zhang Lexuan now looked at Huo Yuhao with renewed seriousness—and a hint of curiosity.
Everything Ma Xiaotao had explained reflected the current understanding of Huo Yuhao's situation among the upper ranks of Shrek Academy.
It all made sense, but when pieced together—it was rather ridiculous.
Luckily, this ridiculous prodigy was on their side.
Loyal to Shrek Academy!
And since Huo Yuhao could enhance his martial soul's dragon bloodline through dragon-type soul bones, they no longer needed to worry about choosing soul rings based on dragon heritage.
Huo Yuhao could pick soul rings freely now.
Because Mu En planned to give Huo Yuhao a full set of dragon-type soul bones!
As for the source? Naturally, it would be the very bones from Mu En's own body.
Some of them were over 50,000 years old, and might even help the Ice Centipede Martial Soul grow a third pair of wings and gain a third attribute.
Also, Mu En's soul bones had been nourished by his light attribute for years, making them even more suitable for Huo Yuhao, who also had light attributes.
To be fair, in some ways, Mu En was incredibly selfless.
But all of this generosity was based on one thing—
Huo Yuhao's loyalty to Shrek Academy, and his willingness to dedicate his future to its strength and glory!
Huo Yuhao naturally heard the conversation between Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan.
The reason he didn't show signs of soul shock pain was because he had just absorbed a skull bone—a 70,000-year-old spiritual-type soul bone—which Mu En was aware of.
If Huo Yuhao had shown signs of being affected by soul shock, that would've been suspicious.
However, Ma Xiaotao was still unaware that Huo Yuhao had absorbed a soul bone.
Even so, her analysis wasn't wrong. Spiritual-type attributes can indeed resist soul shock.
The soul ring absorption process went smoothly, and no clueless soul beasts came to interrupt.
But during the absorption, Huo Yuhao suddenly sensed something unusual—a special force traveled through the soul ring, trying to merge with He Caitou. But because He Caitou didn't have a physical body, that force entered Huo Yuhao instead.
Huo Yuhao looked down in surprise. "This is… an external soul bone?"
A soul bone actually dropped!
Generally, only exceptionally powerful soul beasts under special circumstances can leave behind a soul bone after death.
The 50,000-year-old Thorned Snow Centipede leader was indeed powerful.
As for special circumstances… tortured to death during estrus—that definitely counts as special.
In any case, Huo Yuhao obtained a soul bone.
And since it was absorbed along with the soul ring, it was without a doubt a rare external soul bone!
Just when Huo Yuhao thought he was going to gain another external soul bone, something unexpected happened to the Frost Centipede Armor he was wearing.
The external soul bone, which had not yet fully merged with his body, was being drawn toward the armor, gradually fusing into it.
Huo Yuhao didn't resist.
At the same time, within the karmic projection of his Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul, the second golden dot—symbolizing potential—silently shattered.
The second potential of the Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul had awakened!
As the Thorned Snow Centipede's external soul bone merged with the Frost Centipede Armor, the armor on Huo Yuhao began to transform.
This scene also caught the attention of the three girls: Zhang Lexuan and the others.
Only now did Zhang Lexuan understand what "undeveloped potential" really meant. She hadn't expected to witness a transformation of Huo Yuhao's martial soul with her own eyes.
But… why?
The three of them couldn't figure it out.
Huo Yuhao was also puzzled.
"I've absorbed external soul bones before, but nothing like this has ever happened. I've never unlocked a second potential either. Why did it work this time?" He realized there must be special conditions involved.
"Is it a matter of matching attributes? Or bloodline requirements?"
"Could it be… centipede bloodline?"
Huo Yuhao fell into deep thought.
Regardless, awakening the second potential was a good thing. He could figure out the rest later.
As the external soul bone fused into the armor, the Frost Centipede Armor grew stronger, and its appearance began to change.
Its lines became more streamlined, yet beneath that sleek design, countless sharp, dense barbs emerged, giving off a dangerous aura.
By absorbing the Thorned Snow Centipede's external soul bone, the Frost Centipede Armor gained a new trait:
Name: Thorned Rebound
Effect: Enemies who physically strike the armor will suffer mirrored damage and become poisoned.
"The thorns are active now!" Huo Yuhao commented. "This ability is quite similar to the Thorned Snow Centipede's racial trait."
After all, the Thorned Snow Centipede's species naturally came with a thorned armor ability—and poisonous thorns at that.
An hour later...
He Caitou finally finished absorbing his soul ring. His soul power surged, breaking through to the Soul Emperor level and soaring all the way to Rank 65.
This significant rise was due to benefits he gained during a previous opportunity, some of which hadn't yet been fully absorbed.
The latent benefits were naturally converted into soul power as he broke through.
The time it took to absorb the soul ring also included the power conversion process.
On the outside, Huo Yuhao mimicked the soul power breakthrough fluctuations, "breaking through" to Rank 65 as well.
Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao were once again shocked.
It was their first time seeing someone like Huo Yuhao jump five levels right after absorbing a soul ring.
Even if he was absorbing a soul ring of a higher rank, Huo Yuhao was already a Soul Emperor. As someone with the Ultimate Ice attribute, even gaining three levels at once would already be a lot.
"Is this… normal?" Ma Xiaotao asked doubtfully.
Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes and smiled, "Of course it's normal. Little Peach, don't forget—I've absorbed a celestial herb before."
"Celestial herb! Right!" Ma Xiaotao suddenly remembered.
Weina gasped. "Yuhao, you absorbed that celestial herb? No wonder you advanced so quickly! Tell me, what did it taste like?"
As a princess, she had tasted all kinds of delicacies, but never a celestial herb!
"It didn't taste good. Burned my throat, and had tons of sugar—hahaha~" Huo Yuhao laughed.
"Sweet and burns the throat? How's that possible?" Weina tilted her head, confused.
Zhang Lexuan was also stunned. "A celestial herb?"
She had been away from the academy, and then distracted by Beibei's issues, so she wasn't up to date.
Ma Xiaotao explained the situation to her.
Upon hearing that the herb Huo Yuhao absorbed could only be used by poison-type soul masters, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but marvel at Huo Yuhao's extraordinary fortune.
Then her thoughts turned to Beibei again, and sorrow returned to her expression.
"If only Beibei had such a fortunate opportunity, he wouldn't have faced so many hardships. Beibei… where are you?"
Sensing Zhang Lexuan's gloom, Weina quickly changed the subject and asked Huo Yuhao, "Yuhao, what's your sixth soul skill like?"
Everyone present was an ally, so there was no need for secrecy.
Huo Yuhao revealed his newly invented soul skill.
Black, purple, black, black, black, black!
His sixth soul ring, which should've been red, was disguised as black—blending in as if it had just been absorbed.
Even so, the six-ring configuration still shocked Zhang Lexuan all over again.
"Sixth Soul Skill: Frost Centipede Thorn Transformation!"
The sixth soul ring flashed, and in the next instant, a powerful aura burst from Huo Yuhao.
He explained, "My sixth soul skill is a buff-type ability that enhances my ice and poison attributes, and boosts my defense."
"During soul ring absorption, my Frost Centipede Martial Soul and Armor also gained a thorned retaliation effect, similar to the Thorned Snow Centipede's racial trait. Combined with the increased defense from the soul skill, the retaliation power is greatly boosted."
The soul skill he described was actually a watered-down version of the Frost Centipede Overlord Transformation. He hadn't even truly activated a soul skill—just faked it.
But the effects were real enough.
And this also explained why the Frost Centipede Armor had transformed.
The three girls didn't doubt him.
The soul ring lit up, the effects were evident, and the aura increased—what else could it be but a soul skill?
"This skill is quite good," Zhang Lexuan commented. "It suits close combat—enhances strength and gives your martial soul the Thorned Snow Centipede's trait. Is it because the soul beast and martial soul share the same centipede lineage?"
"Maybe~" Huo Yuhao replied vaguely.