Although Xian Lin'er and the others had forgotten the incident, Cai Mei'er remembered everything clearly.
After returning to Shrek Academy, Cai Mei'er first issued a gag order to everyone else and then quietly informed a few top-level leaders—Xuan Zi, Elder Zhuang, and Elder Song—about the situation in the Sea God Pavilion.
She didn't even tell Yan Shaozhe.
Although she had her disagreements with Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er wasn't someone who would gossip about others' private matters to ruin reputations—she wasn't that petty.
Otherwise, even if Cai Mei'er was skilled and manipulative, there was no way Yan Shaozhe would've ended up with her. After all, while Yan Shaozhe might be tempted by beauty, his teacher Mu En would thoroughly vet any partner Yan chose. Yan was eligible to become the next Sea God Pavilion Master and couldn't afford to be influenced by someone disreputable.
The revelations shocked Xuan Zi and the others deeply.
Especially Elder Song—being Xian Lin'er's mother, she was utterly ashamed and felt guilty toward Qian Duoduo.
It turned out that Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo were only married in name, never truly a couple. Yet Qian Duoduo still cared deeply for her, silently endured everything, and even put his own future on hold for her.
Now Qian Duoduo lay dormant in the Sea God Pavilion, his fate uncertain. Elder Song's guilt only deepened.
And in the end, Xian Lin'er betrayed Qian Duoduo and got together with Huo Yuhao. Let's not even mention how inappropriate it was for her to approach someone so much younger.
All in all, Xian Lin'er did not come off as a decent person in any way!
Elder Song could only sigh over her failure in raising her daughter.
To the high-ranking members of the Sea God Pavilion, there was no one purer and more sincere than Huo Yuhao.
He built a harem because they were all true love—too many admirers weren't a problem, especially on the Douluo Continent, where polygamy wasn't uncommon.
They were convinced Xian Lin'er had made the first move!
If she hadn't lost her memory, Elder Song would've definitely stepped in to teach her daughter a lesson.
That said—
Xian Lin'er being with Huo Yuhao wasn't without benefits. At the very least, she gained the opportunity to break through to Super Douluo because of it and had now succeeded—bringing a powerful new force to Shrek Academy.
Those few who knew of Huo Yuhao's special physique now had a deeper understanding of its incredible power and value.
They also finally realized—too late—why so many female students had been making insane leaps in power, turning into monsters, practically.
Like the inner court's Lan Luoluo, Lan Susu, Cui Yajie, and Lulu.
They were completely ordinary when they entered, and then suddenly, it was like they were reborn and took off like rockets.
It turned out—they were all connected to Huo Yuhao!
Thinking about the many genius girls in the Huo Alliance as well, the upper echelons collectively drew in sharp breaths. Their first reaction?
Worrying whether Huo Yuhao's kidneys could handle the pressure.
Once they understood the situation, the next step was figuring out how to handle the aftermath.
Eventually, after discussion among the elders, they decided to publicly claim that Huo Yuhao and the others had experienced a crisis and lost their memories.
They also renewed gag orders for those who retained their memories and started secretly monitoring them.
As for Huo Yuhao's future romantic entanglements—aside from Xian Lin'er—he could rekindle any relationship. But absolutely no more with Xian Lin'er.
Everything else remained the same.
Naturally, they would also try to help Huo Yuhao and the others recover their memories.
Because no one could be sure whether the missing memories would affect their cultivation progress.
Unfortunately, there had been no breakthroughs yet.
After watching Huo Yuhao leave to train in his private cultivation grounds, Xuan Zi and the other two elders finally shifted their attention elsewhere, though satisfaction still lingered on their faces.
Calm, humble, steadily progressing.
"Huo Yuhao is such a good kid," Xuan Zi sighed, then turned to Elder Song. "Let Jiang Nannan spend more time with Yuhao if there's a chance."
Elder Song's expression changed slightly. "Elder Xuan, are you trying to set them up?"
Xuan Zi nodded and explained, "Jiang Nannan completing the divine trial and becoming a god isn't going to be easy. We need to give her as much support as possible."
"Besides, the new Emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire also appears to be undergoing a divine trial. If he completes it first, the continent will face unimaginable devastation. Jiang Nannan doesn't have much time left."
"So, whether it's a proper method or not, as long as it helps Jiang Nannan, it's worth trying. She's talented, but her martial soul and potential still fall short compared to true monsters."
Elder Zhuang chimed in, "But what about Le Xuan and the others?"
Xuan Zi fell silent for a moment, then said, "Let things take their course—or sever the ties completely. For the future of the continent, any sacrifice is worthwhile."
Elder Zhuang had nothing to say to that.
Given the pressure from the Sun-Moon Empire, Xuan Zi's reasoning was very sound.
The other three nations had already allied with Shrek Academy and established representatives in Shrek City. Yet they still hadn't launched a full-scale offensive against the Sun-Moon Empire—mainly due to fear of their Ultimate Douluo and the Emperor, who likely inherited divine powers.
The excuse Cai Mei'er and Xian Lin'er had come up with to mislead other powers… now seemed to be a very real possibility.
Judging by Jiang Nannan's inheritance of the Goddess of Love's divine power, it was clear that divine inheritances did exist on the Sun-Moon Continent—possibly more than one.
Elder Song finally understood and nodded slightly. "I understand. I'll do my best to make the arrangements."
Xuan Zi sighed.
"With the rise of the Sun-Moon Empire and the return of divine inheritances, the continent may soon face a catastrophe like the one ten thousand years ago."
"Let's hope the children can grow up fast enough."
"Sea God bless us."
Meanwhile, when Huo Yuhao arrived at his personal training ground in the outer court, he found someone already there.
That person was practicing with a dragon spear—a dangerous-looking spear technique that, in her hands, became elegant and mesmerizing.
When the routine ended, she stood tall and commanding with her spear.
"Dean Xian?" Huo Yuhao hurried over and greeted her respectfully.
Yes, it was Xian Lin'er.
She looked at him and smiled slightly, a rare expression. "Just call me Senior Sister. Yuhao, how's my spear technique? Interested in learning?"
"Huh?" Huo Yuhao was stunned, not quite grasping what she meant.
But Xian Lin'er patiently explained, "Shrek Academy has other spear-wielding soul masters, but when it comes to technique, I dare say no one surpasses me."
"Your martial soul can also form a dragon spear. That means your condition is similar to mine—you're likely well-suited to my techniques."
"As your senior sister, I'd like to pass them down to you. What do you think?"
Her eyes held a bit of anticipation—and curiosity.
Today, she hadn't just come to teach him spear skills. She also wanted to investigate the strange resonance she'd felt between her soul power and Huo Yuhao's.
She wanted to confirm whether… they might share a Martial Soul Fusion Technique!
Martial Soul Fusion Skill — one of the ultimate dreams of soul masters, ranking just below hundred-thousand-year soul rings and soul bones.
Any soul master who discovers even a slight possibility of unleashing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with someone else would never give up exploring it.
Many even believe that the fusion skill is a sign of destiny.
Naturally, Xian Lin'er was no exception. Although she had forgotten Huo Yuhao and lost all memories related to him, through the data provided by the Academy, she learned that Huo Yuhao was the next heir to the Sea God's Pavilion, the most talented youth in Shrek Academy, and also shared the same teacher, Mu En, making him her junior brother.
Because of this, she instinctively felt a sense of closeness to Huo Yuhao.
Add in the potential for a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and her view of Huo Yuhao became even more favorable.
It wasn't that she had developed romantic feelings; rather, she felt that she and Huo Yuhao were connected by fate—maybe she could even look after him like a son.
Since there was no concrete clue about the fusion skill yet, Xian Lin'er hadn't mentioned it to anyone. She decided to privately approach Huo Yuhao and give it a try before making any decisions.
Her offer to teach Huo Yuhao spear techniques, however, was completely sincere.
With the continent's situation becoming unstable, any method to improve strength should be used without hesitation—especially since Huo Yuhao was her junior brother.
Now that Mu En was gone, Xian Lin'er felt it was her duty to pass on their master's teachings.
Faced with her offer, Huo Yuhao naturally accepted.
"Thank you, Senior Sister," Huo Yuhao said excitedly.
Xian Lin'er smiled gently, her face glowing with a maternal warmth.
Huo Yuhao then summoned his Dragon Spear and began learning spear techniques from the beginning under her guidance.
In fact, at this point, Huo Yuhao didn't have much to do at Shrek Academy. Other than his routine cultivation, he was mostly waiting for fate to move again.
The path of the mortal world had reached its end—only the Gate of Heaven awaited to be opened.
To others, his cultivation might just look like a way to kill time.
After returning to the Academy, the memory loss incident was described merely as a consequence of encountering danger. The Academy promised to help restore memories and issued everyone profiles of others for mutual understanding.
They did not reveal Huo Yuhao's previous relationships with the girls, and a gag order was issued.
So, for now, Huo Yuhao's relationships with the girls remained "pure."
However, girls like Lan Luoluo, Lan Susu, and the young women of the Hao Alliance—whose memories hadn't been lost—often came to visit Huo Yuhao. They wanted to rekindle their feelings and weave new memories of love with him.
But Huo Yuhao played it cool, acting like an innocent boy and "sticking to vegetarianism." Their relationships stayed in a flirtatious gray area.
More than friends, less than lovers.
After all, in his current understanding, Huo Yuhao was still supposed to be a pure-hearted virgin~
Even the girls who had retained their memories now harbored selfish thoughts—some wanted to monopolize Huo Yuhao. This led to increasing competition among them, threatening the unity of their sisterhood.
What could Huo Yuhao do?
He could only enjoy it~
Don't initiate, don't refuse, don't commit~
Aside from those girls, even Wang Dong—who had recently returned to her female identity—and Xiao Xiao often looked at Huo Yuhao strangely and came to cultivate with him.
…
Xian Lin'er witnessed firsthand what it meant to be Shrek Academy's number one genius—and why the Elders had chosen Huo Yuhao as the Sea God Pavilion's next heir in advance.
There had never been a "Young Pavilion Master" title at the Sea God Pavilion until Huo Yuhao appeared.
The spear techniques Xian Lin'er taught were quickly grasped by Huo Yuhao. He used them proficiently, and his mastery progressed at a visibly astonishing rate.
"Yuhao, have I taught you my spear techniques before?" Xian Lin'er asked, full of doubt.
Huo Yuhao shook his head with a blank look. "I don't know. I don't have any memory of that. But I feel like this is the first time I've learned your spear techniques, Senior Sister. When I started, it felt unfamiliar—no muscle memory at all."
Xian Lin'er: "…"
You say it felt unfamiliar, and yet you picked it up after one look?
"Have you always had such talent?" she couldn't help asking.
"I'm not sure. But when I learned Command the World from our teacher, I picked it up after just one demonstration," Huo Yuhao recalled.
Xian Lin'er was suddenly at peace.
"Haha, if he could learn Command the World after one try, what are my spear techniques in comparison? So it wasn't my problem—Huo Yuhao really is a monster!"
She remembered her own struggles training under the waterfall with Mu En, shedding sweat and tears while learning Command the World.
Now that she knew of Huo Yuhao's talent, she was even more motivated and valued him more deeply.
She felt it was time to ramp up the intensity.
"Come, Yuhao! Fight me!" Xian Lin'er said seriously, holding her Dragon Spear, eyes blazing with battle intent.
"That might not be a good idea…" Huo Yuhao hesitated.
"It's fine. We won't use our full power—just soul power and spear techniques. It won't cause much commotion," she reassured him.
Huo Yuhao finally nodded. "Alright then. Forgive me, Senior Sister."
"Here I come!"
"Come on then—let's see if your spear is as sharp as your talent!"
In the next moment, the two charged at each other, unleashing identical spear techniques that clashed mid-air.
It was clear that Xian Lin'er's spear skills were still superior, with fewer flaws, but she could see that Huo Yuhao only lacked practice.
To be honest, it was hard for Huo Yuhao to pretend to be inexperienced.
His body and mind were fighting each other.
Brain: Act like a rookie!
Body: Screw that!
As the duel continued, Huo Yuhao's spear technique visibly improved.
While feeding him moves, Xian Lin'er suddenly sensed something: a perfect synergy between their spears—like twin dragons intertwining.
Her eyes lit up with surprise, but she didn't back away. Instead, she focused entirely on the sensations flowing between them.
Sure enough, she quickly realized the reason: their soul power was slowly beginning to merge.
"This is it! I was right! Our Dragon Spears are extensions of our martial souls. If this is happening, it means our martial souls are compatible! This is the prelude to a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Joy filled Xian Lin'er's eyes. Seeing that Huo Yuhao was immersed in the moment, she didn't interrupt, but instead coordinated with his spearplay completely.
A blue and a green Dragon Spear danced like twin dragons.
Unseen by them, behind them appeared the soul shadows of the Azure Flame Dragon and the Variant Ice Jade Centipede.
Blue and green soul power collided—not repelling each other, but intertwining and fusing—eventually turning into a golden-red power.
The golden-red energy surged, enveloping Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er completely. The soul shadows of the Azure Flame Dragon and the Ice Scorpion also merged into the golden glow.
In the next second, a majestic and dominating dragon's roar erupted from the light.
Martial Soul Fusion Skill, activated!
Golden gales and flames swirled into a fiery dragon tornado, shooting straight into the sky. When the tornado dissipated, what emerged was a golden dragon with six cicada-like wings, soaring through the sky. The dragon's body was over twenty meters long!
Its golden scales reflected the sunlight, making it appear as if it was radiating golden light. The aura it exuded was that of a predator at the top of the food chain—domineering and cruel. Its gaze upon everything below was like viewing all lifeforms as ants.
The might it radiated was no weaker than what Zhongli Wu had once possessed!
As soon as the spirit fusion technique manifested, it alarmed many of the academy's powerful figures.
Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier, who were busy working in the outer courtyard, immediately rushed out of their office and headed toward the source of the spirit fusion technique. When they realized it was coming from Huo Yuhao's training grounds, they grew even more anxious and picked up the pace.
To give Huo Yuhao enough space and to avoid disturbing others or being disturbed, his training ground had been set in a relatively remote area.
Yan Shaozhe, despite his injuries, pushed his soul power to its limits.
Gong Changlong also flew to the top of the beast arena, warily eyeing the direction of the spirit fusion technique, his brows furrowed. Below, all the soul beasts caged within the arena had gone berserk due to the overwhelming aura. Whether out of fear or dread, they thrashed about in their enclosures, desperate to escape, nearly going mad.
The outer courtyard's head instructor, Du Weilun, felt his heart jump into his throat. He quickly organized teachers to evacuate the students. Clearly, this was a rehearsed drill, carried out with heartbreaking efficiency.
At the same time, strong figures from the Sea God's Island in the inner courtyard burst out.
Xuan Zi and Elder Song were at the forefront.
"Quick, support the outer courtyard! The intruder's aura is only a step away from becoming an Ultimate Douluo!" Xuan Zi said anxiously.
Elder Song gritted her teeth and dashed toward the outer courtyard at full speed.
For such a powerful presence to suddenly appear in the academy and release their power so recklessly—this couldn't possibly be a simple matter.
Hopefully, the outer courtyard wouldn't face another catastrophe.
The first to arrive on the scene were Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier. Upon seeing the golden dragon in the sky, they felt both relieved and shocked.
Relieved to find out it was a spirit fusion technique. Seventeen soul rings were orbiting the golden dragon.
Shocked at when such a powerful fusion technique appeared in the academy.
Given that this was Huo Yuhao's training area, a terrifying suspicion began to form in their minds.
"Could it be… related to Yuhao again?"
The golden dragon also noticed the two's arrival. Just a single glance downward exerted such immense pressure on Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier that Yan, already injured, let out a muffled groan and nearly collapsed—saved only by Cai Meier's timely support.
The dragon quickly retracted its aura and put on a cautious demeanor.
Then, Huo Yuhao's apologetic voice came from the dragon's mouth:
"Sorry, Senior Brother Yan, Dean Cai. I'm still not very skilled at controlling this fusion technique—I didn't mean to scare you."
"You're really Yuhao's spirit fusion technique? Yuhao, who did you pair with for this technique?" Yan Shaozhe asked, stunned.
Cai Meier was also deeply suspicious. The golden dragon was surrounded by seventeen soul rings. Since Huo Yuhao had eight rings, that meant the partner had to be a Titled Douluo.
Was there even a Titled Douluo at Shrek Academy that matched with Yuhao?
Before the two could think further, a familiar female voice came from the dragon's mouth.
"It's me."
Xian Lin'er's voice carried unmistakable pride and joy.
Yan Shaozhe: "Lin'er?!"
Cai Meier: "Xian Lin'er?!"
Yan Shaozhe was utterly shocked. He never imagined Xian Lin'er and Huo Yuhao could perform a spirit fusion technique. That shock quickly turned into immense excitement and joy—because he realized what this meant for the academy.
Fantastic—it was a fusion technique between Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er. The academy was saved!
However, Cai Meier, after the initial shock, became even more confused and at a loss.
This was bad. Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er had used a fusion technique again—were they getting entangled once more?
Even though it was "just" a fusion technique, who could guarantee they wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past?
After all, when men and women use a spirit fusion technique together—unless they're related by blood—it almost always leads to romantic relationships.
"This... this is really Yuhao and Lin'er's fusion technique?" came an incredulous voice behind Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier.
The two turned quickly and saw Xuan Zi and Elder Song, who had just arrived. With their sharp hearing, they'd already caught the gist of what was happening.
Their expressions turned as colorful as Cai Meier's.
Then, Xuan Zi, Elder Song, and Cai Meier exchanged glances. They saw the same concern in each other's eyes and understood exactly what the others were worried about—but thankfully, none of them panicked.
Only Yan Shaozhe, completely unaware of the deeper implications, was still grinning with joy. Xuan Zi looked at him like he was a complete fool.
"Leave this to me," Elder Song said solemnly as she stepped forward.
As Xian Lin'er's mother, she knew it was her responsibility to step in.
Xuan Zi hesitated but then said, "This fusion technique is very powerful—it might be the academy's trump card."
Elder Song paused, then nodded. She understood what Xuan Zi meant: this technique was too valuable to be wasted due to personal concerns.
Xuan Zi then waved off Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier.
"Shaozhe, Meier, go calm the outer courtyard's teachers and students. Tell the others to return. But don't mention the fusion technique for now."
Yan Shaozhe clearly wanted to stay—he was curious about the technique as Mu En's eldest disciple and mentor to both Yuhao and Lin'er. But since Xuan Zi had given the order, he had no choice but to leave.
Cai Meier, on the other hand, had no intention of staying—this was a family matter now, and it wouldn't be polite to remain.
After they left, Xuan Zi used soul power to seal the training grounds. Now only Elder Song, Xuan Zi, and the golden dragon remained.
"Alright, tell us about this spirit fusion technique," Elder Song sighed. "Explain in full detail how you formed it—don't leave anything out."
Inside the golden dragon, Huo Yuhao sensed confusion coming from Xian Lin'er.
In the fusion state, they could sense each other's emotions and thoughts almost completely.
Of course, given a significant power difference, Huo Yuhao could filter or fake what Lin'er sensed.
Xian Lin'er's confusion was understandable—ever since returning to the academy, her mother hadn't shown any joy over her breakthrough. Even now, after acquiring such a powerful spirit fusion technique, there was no excitement—just sighs and strange looks.
She had every reason to suspect her mother might be... developing early-onset dementia.
The two maintained their Martial Soul Fusion Technique state, though they had landed on the ground. They weren't fighting, so the fusion state could last quite a while.
Huo Yuhao was in charge of explaining the details of their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, while Xian Lin'er supplemented the explanation from the side, as the technique was primarily centered around Huo Yuhao.
"Our Martial Soul Fusion Technique enhances the dragon bloodline within our Martial Souls, fusing our two draconic-type souls into a True Dragon. The resulting dragon embodies the strongest traits of both our Martial Souls."
"It inherits the three pairs of wings and corresponding elemental attributes of my Frost Jade Scorpion soul, including the hidden Ultimate Ice attribute. And Senior Sister Lin'er's Azure Flame Dragon soul provides wind attributes, which manifests as golden flames."
"Also, since our Martial Souls are both very powerful on their own, the resulting fusion form is overwhelmingly strong in all aspects."
Xuan Zi and Elder Song now understood why Huo Yuhao was the dominant party in the fusion. Clearly, most of the power came from his side, while Xian Lin'er seemed more like the catalyst for evolution.
Although to be precise, it was more of a fusion evolution.
Xian Lin'er added, "Besides the combined elemental powers, I can sense that our fusion technique, like the Netherworld White Tiger, has a unique explosive soul skill that can only be used in the fusion state. It's a move that blends internal Ultimate Ice with external golden flames."
"Should we give a demonstration?" Huo Yuhao suggested.
Xian Lin'er was visibly tempted and eager to try.
But Xuan Zi and Elder Song quickly waved their hands, saying they understood and that there was no need to demonstrate.
A soul skill combining Ultimate Ice and golden flames clearly wouldn't be a simple move. One misstep could affect the entire outer courtyard.
They could save the demonstration for another time.
"As for anything else, I haven't discovered more for now," Huo Yuhao concluded.
"Same here," Xian Lin'er echoed.
"In that case, you two can dissolve the Martial Soul Fusion state. We'll discuss the rest later," Elder Song said.
The golden dragon nodded and dissolved into golden light, revealing two figures — Xian Lin'er was holding Huo Yuhao bridal-style as they landed on the ground.
Xian Lin'er looked at Huo Yuhao tenderly, while his face turned beet red, clearly embarrassed by the closeness and the pose.
The scene nearly made Elder Song's blood pressure spike.
Fortunately, Xuan Zi quickly intervened and pulled Huo Yuhao from Xian Lin'er's arms, eyeing him curiously. He was becoming increasingly convinced: "It must've always been Lin'er making moves on Yuhao. So she's into this type, huh! No wonder she never showed much interest in Duoduo."
"Watch your behavior, Xian Lin'er! You're a married woman now!" Elder Song finally couldn't hold back and gave a stern reminder.
Seeing her daughter favoring "large car crushing small horse" relationships was very embarrassing as a mother.
Xian Lin'er dramatically rolled her eyes. "Mom, what are you even talking about? Should we have Elder Zhuang check you out? You're just rambling nonsense now! I only treat Yuhao as a junior."
She clearly implied that if she weren't in such a good mood today, she would've had a serious talk with her mother.
Elder Song: "…"
You sure weren't acting like that just now!
"Ahem," Xuan Zi cleared his throat. "Alright, there's still a lot to research about this fusion technique. Let's return to Sea God's Pavilion and have Elder Zhuang check for any side effects."
The topic change was a bit forced.
After all, no proper Martial Soul Fusion Technique should leave behind side effects.
Still, Xuan Zi was being sincere — he doubted that Yuhao and Lin'er's fusion technique was entirely "proper."
They had trained together before, yet no fusion technique had emerged back then.
The truth was, the fusion technique was linked to the compatibility of spirit power granted by the Love God's reward. But with all the other shocking developments, even Cai Meier hadn't noticed every detail, and the Pavilion elders had simply overlooked the compatibility aspect.
…
After returning to the Sea God's Pavilion, Elder Zhuang checked both of them and confirmed there were no side effects.
Xuan Zi finally felt at ease.
As for the exact reason why the fusion technique manifested, he wasn't going to dig too deeply — he was just a Limit Douluo, after all, and divine rewards weren't in his wheelhouse.
Still, Xuan Zi began to suspect that the others who received rewards alongside Yuhao might also undergo certain changes.
Ever since he stopped indulging in desire, his mind seemed to have escaped from his gut, and his intelligence was finally back online.
After that, Xian Lin'er recounted how she discovered the possibility of a fusion technique with Yuhao, and how they tested it today.
The entire process was flawless.
The problem was just… the people involved.
Martial Soul Fusion Techniques require training to increase compatibility and strengthen the fusion.
Yet Xuan Zi and Elder Song had just been discussing keeping Lin'er and Yuhao apart, and now the two had gone and fused directly.
So now, they couldn't be kept apart even if they wanted to.
As a result, Xuan Zi pulled Elder Zhuang and Elder Song aside for a three-person emergency meeting.
"Better to divert than suppress — we shouldn't kill the opportunity over caution. I propose we assign someone to monitor them, or rather, someone who knows the situation to keep an eye on them," Xuan Zi suggested.
"That could work. What about Nannan?" Elder Song's eyes lit up.
"Maybe not. If we're trying to set up Yuhao with Nannan, sending her could backfire… like tossing meat to a dog… cough, excuse the analogy, but you get it," Elder Zhuang sighed.
Xuan Zi nodded. "Right, we don't want Nannan to fall in too. After all, Yuhao's specialty seems to be building harems."
Elder Song was speechless.
Elder Zhuang continued, "We need someone who won't fall for Yuhao, has the strength to keep them apart, and won't let things escalate."
"What, are you saying I should go?" Elder Song joked. She met all the criteria.
"No way — your appearance alone would make Lin'er and Yuhao suspicious. So I propose…" Xuan Zi paused, then suddenly lit up, "Let's send Meier."
"Meier knows everything. She's married. Plus, she doesn't get along with Lin'er. Most importantly, Lin'er and Yuhao bond through spear training, and Meier's Martial Soul is also a spear, so she has an excuse to be involved."
Xuan Zi grew more excited as he spoke.
Elder Song agreed — this could work.
But Elder Zhuang frowned. "The problem is, Shaozhe is injured. The academy still needs Meier and him to handle many affairs. And Duoduo is still unconscious, so she can't help."
"Then Shaozhe will have to tough it out a bit. I believe he'll understand," Xuan Zi said. "After all, Yuhao and Lin'er won't train every day. Meier just needs to monitor them regularly."
"True. That works for me," Elder Zhuang agreed in the end.
…
The fact that Yuhao and Lin'er had developed a fusion technique was only known to a few within the academy.
From that day on, Yuhao's training plan included daily spear practice with Lin'er to raise their fusion compatibility.
And every time they trained, Cai Meier would join under the pretense of training together.
Lin'er was very suspicious. She never knew Meier to be such a training enthusiast.
But with no valid excuse to send her away — as long as Meier didn't interfere — she let it go.
As for the name of their fusion technique, after discussion, Yuhao and Lin'er dubbed it True Dragon's Descent, since the essence of their technique was the merging of dragon bloodlines into a True Dragon.
Of course, all of this was based on the depth of Huo Yuhao's bloodline.
With his current strength, if he didn't want to share, even in a fusion state, no one could extract any secrets from him.
Often, the people you think are closest to you… are actually the ones you know the least.
Master Huo finished his cultivation tasks for the day and headed to his herbal garden, as if preparing to stay up late studying herbal lore.
Currently, Huo Yuhao had three exclusive areas within Shrek Academy:
First, a small villa on Sea God Island—standard for inner court disciples and considered personal property. The villa served as a private domain.
Second, a private training field in a remote area of the outer court, specially built by the Academy for Huo Yuhao. The area was quite large.
Third, this very herb garden.
The garden was within the beast zone, surrounded by natural terrain, and rarely visited by outsiders.
On one hand, people knew Huo Yuhao raised many centipede-type soul beasts here—it also served as his exclusive simulated cultivation area.
On the other hand, he had planted numerous medicinal and poisonous herbs around the perimeter. Anyone unfamiliar with toxins could easily get poisoned just by walking through.
Soul masters who studied herbs and poisons typically maintained gardens or plots like this, but Huo Yuhao's was clearly on another level.
His herbs were rarer, and their effects far superior.
At the center of the garden stood a modest, unassuming wooden cabin. Inside, besides simple furniture, the space was filled with all manner of bizarre bottles and jars.
This was where Huo Yuhao experimented with various poisons and medicinal herbs. Occasionally, he'd produce by-products that, when auctioned through the Treasure Pavilion, became hot items.
Especially popular were his kidney-boosting and virility-enhancing pills—highly favored by noble lords.
Lately, he had also begun to release pills that could speed up cultivation, sparking a frenzy. But for Huo Yuhao, it was a trivial matter.
If not for concerns about being too shocking and arousing suspicion from Tang San, the God King of the Douluo Continent, he could casually produce even better pills.
After all, only when the soul masters of the continent collectively grew stronger could Brother Hao feed better in the future.
So for now, everything was handled step by step.
Because Huo Yuhao continuously produced valuable products that benefited both Shrek Academy and the Treasure Pavilion, the Academy fully supported his herb garden—going so far as to task the Pavilion with searching the continent for rare herbs and poisons.
Most of the surrounding flora came through this effort.
Lifting the meditation cushion on the floor, Huo Yuhao opened a passage to an underground chamber and jumped down without hesitation.
Below was his breeding chamber for centipede-type soul beasts—or more accurately, a demon lair.
Currently, all his "demon sons and grandsons" were out at sea training and hunting.
Yet the demon lair was far from empty.
The young ones would often bring back treasures or strange curiosities from the ocean, leaving them for Huo Yuhao to play with.
Some newborn centipedes were also brought back to be cared for until they were strong enough to return to the battlefield via secret passages.
But today, Huo Yuhao wasn't here to inspect their progress—he was here because an egg was about to hatch.
As soon as he landed, the sound of countless scurrying bugs filled the darkness. Centipedes of all shapes and sizes swarmed toward him.
"Shoo, shoo—go play somewhere else~" Huo Yuhao waved them away.
The lair had become overcrowded because many of the newer centipedes were ordinary. His "demon descendants" had lowered recruitment standards to expand their forces.
Still, even ordinary centipedes, when nurtured by demonic energy, gained some intelligence. Those unfit for battle stayed behind to serve their "ancestor" or care for the next generation.
Seeing that Huo Yuhao didn't need them, the centipedes retreated like a tide, returning to their places to cultivate in peace.
Then Huo Yuhao entered his private cave within the lair.
He had remodeled this area heavily, layering it with countless formations deep underground—precautions against prying eyes.
Activating his formations, he sat cross-legged on a stone bed and began channeling his power.
Suddenly, he opened his mouth, and a glowing seven-colored egg flew out. Upon contact with air, it expanded to its original size and landed in his hands.
It was the egg of the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent!
Previously, he had hidden it within his body to conveniently infuse it with spiritual power to aid its hatching.
Today, the egg had begun emitting radiant light—a sign that the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent was about to emerge!
Even now, Huo Yuhao continued pouring spiritual energy into the egg to assist the creature's birth.
For some time now, a portion of his spiritual power had been dedicated to hatching the serpent, gradually increasing to 70%.
If not for his immense mental strength and meditative visualizations of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise to aid in recovery, he'd probably be a dark-eyed mess by now.
He didn't have to wait long.
A crisp crack sounded from the egg.
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. He intensified the spiritual input, staring unblinkingly.
Cracks spread.
A moment later, brilliant multicolored light burst from the egg, catching Huo Yuhao by surprise—his Holy Eyes Martial Soul instinctively activated.
The shattered shell dissolved in his hands.
Using his Holy Eyes, he pierced through the brilliance and saw the newborn serpent.
Despite hatching from an egg the size of a fist, the creature was only as big as a child's pinky finger. It curled tightly, covered not in scales but in radiant, multicolored feathers, gently glowing and suspended in midair by its own spiritual energy—floating between Huo Yuhao's cupped hands.
Though newly born, there was no sticky fluid—this little Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent appeared as a pure, divine being.
Thump-thump-thump—
Huo Yuhao's heart began to race.
It wasn't excitement—it was a reaction triggered by his Hao Divine Armor, which had incorporated the feathers of the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent.
Without resistance, the divine armor materialized on his body.
A sacred glow radiated from him.
Sensing its kin, the tiny serpent stirred. It slowly unfurled and opened its eyes to behold the new world…
But its serpent eyes were far from naive.
A genderless voice suddenly echoed in Huo Yuhao's mind.
"Newborn god, thank you for hatching me."
"You're the former God of Wisdom?!" Huo Yuhao instantly grew alert.
He had thought he was hatching a cute pet—but it turned out to be a reincarnated ancient monster.
Thinking back to when he obtained the serpent's bloodline—how there was a seemingly innocuous "use" option—Huo Yuhao's eyes gleamed with cold light. Was it really fate, or a setup for possession and rebirth?
"Old geezer, if you've plotted against me, you've already asked for death!"
Then Huo Yuhao smirked devilishly.
"You think Brother Hao is some softie?"
He had anticipated this possibility and planted safeguards in the egg during incubation. The newborn serpent already bore his imprint.
No matter how divine its past life, in its current weakest state—it would still dance to his tune!
The little Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent noticed Huo Yuhao's expression, but didn't mind. It spoke again:
"I am not the former God of Wisdom, but I am also the former God of Wisdom. Through the bloodline, I inherited all of their memories and was assimilated."
"But don't worry—this is a special trait of our race. Every new Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent inherits the memories of all its predecessors. It's normal to be assimilated."
"So I can be me, my mother, or even my grandmother."
Huo Yuhao: "…"
Let's switch to Douluo-speak for now, thanks.