The continuation of the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent race wasn't merely a matter of bloodline—it was also a continuation of intelligence and personality.
The last Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent and the first one were essentially no different, except the former possessed more knowledge and wisdom.
The reason this species could ascend to become the God of Wisdom was precisely because of this unique inheritance method, allowing them to pass down unfathomable knowledge and wisdom from generation to generation.
"So you're saying… if I use your bloodline, I'll also be assimilated into the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent race?" Huo Yuhao asked in surprise.
"No, to be precise, you'll join us and become a new type of existence. The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent race will completely vanish. However, your personality and thought patterns will indeed be influenced by our race. A complete rebirth of your talent is inevitable," the serpent replied calmly. "Bloodlines always reach an end someday. What can be passed on forever is only knowledge and wisdom."
Huo Yuhao fell into thought, then decided to stop thinking altogether—after all, he'd already hatched the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent.
"So, as a reborn being with inherited memories… what do you plan to do now?" Huo Yuhao asked about its intentions. "Although I'll say this up front—you can forget about reclaiming the God of Wisdom position."
"I'm not greedy for a divine seat. It's merely a means to an end. In fact, for a true powerhouse, a divine seat is merely a constraint," the serpent responded in its usual unhurried tone. "I know you've left some kind of restriction inside me. Given my current strength, I can't break free of it."
"I'm still very weak now and need the protection of the strong. Even if that means being enslaved by you, my safety and growth are guaranteed—so it's not a grievance for me."
"Besides, I can tell—you possess special potential. You're no ordinary fish in the pond. Assisting you might even allow me to witness, or surpass, the heights once reached by the Dragon God."
Huo Yuhao hadn't expected the serpent to be so open-minded—and so optimistic about him. He just wasn't sure how much of that was genuine.
He looked at the serpent playfully. "So you really don't have anything you want to do? Like some unfulfilled ambition before your previous death?"
From the divine techniques passed down by the previous Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, it was obvious the former one wasn't content with mediocrity. That ambition might've been inherited by the new serpent as well.
The serpent nodded. "At this point… let's eat first."
"...Huh?"
"I've just been born, I'm still weak, I need food to grow. Is that a problem?"
"...No problem."
"Don't worry about my diet—I can eat normal food. I'm omnivorous."
"...Fine."
Huo Yuhao didn't mistreat it. He prepared some delicious roasted soul beast meat and laid it out in front of the serpent, even tearing it into smaller chunks.
The serpent manipulated wind elements to lift the meat to its mouth, swallowing it like a typical snake. Larger chunks were sliced into smaller pieces with wind blades before being consumed.
It seemed to lack the ability to change size—still very tiny, nibbling away in small bites.
But the appetite? Huge.
Its mouth never stopped moving.
"You're purely a spiritual-type creature, right? Yet you're already manipulating wind elements so skillfully—is that thanks to the inherited wisdom and abilities?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"Indeed," came the response in his mind—the serpent was using spiritual transmission, since its mouth was too busy eating.
From the serpent's simple display, it was clear that its spiritual abilities were extraordinary—subtle and refined. It easily replicated the effect of the Spirit Sharing soul skill from the Skydream Iceworm.
Its control over wind elements was precise and fluid—clearly a sign of strong spiritual power.
Pure inherited wisdom wouldn't grant such immediate mastery. This also proved the serpent's own innate talent was exceptional.
While mentally linked with it, Huo Yuhao could sense clearly: despite its small size, the newborn serpent's spiritual strength already exceeded that of most Title Douluo. With the boost from its ultimate attribute, its combat ability wasn't far off from a Limit Douluo. With its knowledge and techniques, it might even be able to kill a Limit Douluo.
And this was basically a "blank slate" version.
"I can sense your suspicion, your wariness. You're probably wondering if I harbor ambitions I shouldn't have—based on the inherited memories from my previous self," the serpent continued in his mind.
Its crystal-clear eyes seemed to see right through Huo Yuhao.
Standing before it, Huo Yuhao felt like a child unable to hide anything.
He smiled brightly. "What? No way. I hatched you myself, of course I trust you."
The serpent wasn't fazed by the feigned innocence. "You don't need to worry. For us Holy Spirit Feathered Serpents, power struggles and dominance aren't our ambitions. What we truly seek is to explore all the truths and secrets of this world—to obtain all knowledge in existence."
"That's quite an impressive ambition," Huo Yuhao replied with a grin.
"You're impressive too. You also possess tremendous ambition. In fact, your greed may surpass ours," the serpent observed. "What you want isn't just knowledge—you want everything."
"We'll make fine collaborators. But let me remind you—the more you desire, the closer you'll come to touching taboos. Eventually, you'll face the risk of destruction. Just like the Dragon God once did."
"What exactly happened to the Dragon God? What was the truth behind his fall?" Huo Yuhao asked suddenly.
If he wanted to surpass the Dragon God, he'd have to walk the same path—and likely face the same fate.
This time, the serpent fell silent for a moment before answering.
"The will of the universe turned against him."
"That was the previous me's speculation. I don't know the full truth. After all, when I died last time, I was only a First-Class God. Within the Dragon God's dominion—the Dragon God Realm—I could only understand so much."
The Dragon God Realm was the predecessor of the current God Realm. It was founded by the Dragon God, who later allowed other beings to attain godhood there. After the Dragon God fell, it came under the control of the five God Kings and was governed through a central system—becoming today's Douluo God Realm.
Huo Yuhao didn't fully believe the serpent's answer—but neither did he fully doubt it. After all, the serpent had no reason to lie. It was likely close to the truth.
From there, the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent continued eating while communicating with Huo Yuhao via spiritual link—answering numerous questions.
It explained common knowledge about god-level cultivation, secrets of the God Realm, and various aspects of cultivation.
It was clear now: as the former God of Wisdom, the serpent's knowledge was far more comprehensive and valuable than the inheritance materials of the Wisdom God.
Even Huo Yuhao gained a great deal from the exchange—sparking many new ideas for his future cultivation.
"One last question today," Huo Yuhao said. "Do you have a gender?"
For the second time—after the Dragon God question—the serpent paused. After three seconds, it replied calmly:
"Gender is not a limitation. I possess the ability to change gender at will."
"If you're curious about reproductive behaviors across species, I can describe them to you in detail. I have conducted extensive research on various races. Occasionally, I would even attach my spiritual power to other races to understand their reproductive customs."
"After all, our Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent race has no reproductive inheritance—we've always relied solely on bloodline transmission."
Huo Yuhao: "…"
So… this is what god-level entities are into?
Or is this just the divine version of getting weird with it?
There was no doubt—having a wise and knowledgeable Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent by his side would be of tremendous help to Huo Yuhao's future cultivation and growth.
The serpent could even assist with many of Huo Yuhao's upcoming plans.
When Huo Yuhao confided in the serpent about his intention to challenge the Tang God King, the serpent immediately responded:
"The God King is not invincible. As long as the conditions are met, even a mortal can slay a god."
Huo Yuhao's reaction: "Yeah, sure... You eat a bit of meat and suddenly you're talking big, huh?"
But the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent merely replied that Huo Yuhao was still too young.
"The God King you speak of is the current ruler of the Douluo Divine Realm, which was once the Divine Realm of the Dragon God. Under the rules of the divine realm, the current God King and the former God Kings are essentially the same—they are all gods born from faith."
"The five enforcers of the Douluo Divine Realm do indeed have original god positions, ones that were not acquired through worship. This is because their godhoods were born directly from the belief system of the divine realm itself."
"This ties back to the origin of the Dragon God Divine Realm. Its rise wasn't merely because of the Dragon God's power, but because it encompassed multiple star systems, forcibly absorbing their faith. It invited the strong of all races to join and become deities, thereby boosting the realm's strength. Everything born from that realm has connections to faith—faith is its foundation."
"But before the Dragon God Divine Realm existed, becoming a god—or even a God King—did not require the power of belief. It relied purely on strength. Many deities of all races entered the Dragon God Divine Realm and ascended by leveraging its faith-based systems."
"There are other divine realms beyond the Dragon God's, though it is the most powerful."
"You could think of it this way: deities who attain godhood without relying on faith are like honorary titles, while those who ascend using faith within a divine realm are like officials holding office. The former are freer, while the latter are more bound."
"And since it is something tangible, it can be targeted and attacked."
"To defeat a faith god, you either overwhelm them with sheer power—or target their god position and pull them down from the divine pedestal."
After this long-winded explanation, Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes.
"Easy for you to say. What am I supposed to do—cut off the Sea God's worship?"
"Not quite," the serpent replied, eyes narrowing. "Cutting off faith only stops the god's advancement. The existing faith still stabilizes their god position. What I'm talking about is targeting the god position itself—either by stealing it or destroying it!"
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent didn't keep any secrets.
"To steal a god position, one must use the corresponding divine power and divine sense to seize its authority."
"To destroy a god position, one must corrupt it—altering its nature until it shatters on its own."
"God positions usually reside within divine cores—or symbolic artifacts. In your world, that often means martial souls."
"Both stealing and destroying god positions are actions that mortals can undertake—provided the conditions are right. I can teach you."
Huo Yuhao rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He recalled that god positions had indeed been shattered before—most notably by the Angel God, Qian Renxue.
In order to save Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue burned both her god position and life force. Her six-winged angel martial soul was utterly destroyed, symbolizing the complete collapse of the Angel God position.
Although she ultimately survived, she lost both her martial soul and divinity, becoming a true mortal, unable to cultivate again.
In contrast, Bibi Dong, the deceased Rakshasa God, had only died—her god position had not shattered. The Rakshasa God's position still theoretically existed, but its legacy couldn't be passed on since the location of its inheritance realm was lost and no one was left to guide a successor.
"Can a shattered god position be restored?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"If the divine token remains, and a suitable successor is found, it's possible to use massive amounts of belief or divine power to reshape it into a new—but fundamentally different—god position," the serpent explained. "To restore the original, you'd need to start from scratch, using the corresponding belief."
That sparked a bold idea in Huo Yuhao's mind.
"Maybe the shattered Angel God position wasn't entirely without remnants. And perhaps there are still clues about the Rakshasa God's inheritance realm."
After all, many Angel martial soul inheritors still existed, as did the mysterious Douling Clan—proof that the Angel God's legacy hadn't entirely died out. With enough investigation, something could surely be found.
As for the Rakshasa God, Huo Yuhao remembered that Bibi Dong encountered its inheritance in the Slaughter City. Though the city had been destroyed, its ruins remained buried underground.
"Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent—no, Ling'er~" Huo Yuhao said with a teasing grin, "Once we've dealt with Tang Dog and stormed the divine realm, I'll grant you a God King position. All knowledge will be yours to access and study."
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent fell silent for a third time.
They hadn't even started the mission yet, and Huo Yuhao was already making grand promises.
Still, Huo Yuhao was currently her only option. The serpent could only resign herself to following him, hoping to grow stronger fast enough so she wouldn't be used up and discarded.
Of course, all the strategies she shared to target the Tang God King were also promises of her own—a kind of "dream" she was selling to Huo Yuhao.
The more Huo Yuhao gained, the more she could benefit too.
"Yuhao, what've you been up to lately?"
One day, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao approached Huo Yuhao in the cafeteria.
Wait—correction. It was now Wang Dong'er.
Wang Dong'er had switched to wearing female clothing and dropped her disguise. Her breathtaking beauty made most women feel inferior by comparison.
Even Jiang Nannan—known for being all-round exceptional except in looks—couldn't compare. Only the once-famous Jin Qiu'er might rival her.
Since Huo Yuhao had been spending most of his time sparring and training with Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er, he hadn't been out much. It had been a while since Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao last saw him, so they came looking.
In fact, it was Wang Dong'er's idea. She wasn't even sure why, but not seeing Huo Yuhao for a few days made her miss him. Still too shy to go alone, she dragged Xiao Xiao along.
Xiao Xiao genuinely wanted to see Huo Yuhao. The look she gave him now was the same as how she once looked at Wang Dong.
Even Lan Yin, the third leader of their Winter Alliance, was worried about the two girls' emotional states.
"I've been busy cultivating," Huo Yuhao replied seriously.
"As expected of our captain—always working hard!" Xiao Xiao quickly praised.
"Hmph! I've been working hard too!" Wang Dong'er added, not wanting to be left behind.
Xiao Xiao then got to the point. "Captain, we're planning to go on a training expedition over the break. Want to come?"
"A training expedition?" Huo Yuhao echoed, seeming to consider whether he had time.
"Yeah, just the three of us," Wang Dong'er said cheerfully. "We can also visit my clan, the Clear Sky Sect! It used to be the top sect on the continent!"
Trying to tempt him with her sect's prestige.
Golden light flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes as he smiled. "Sounds good. I was planning a trip during the break anyway. Teaming up would be even better."
Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao were both thrilled.
They hadn't expected the cultivation-obsessed Huo Yuhao to actually agree to "go out and play"—err, train—with them.
Sure enough, the only thing that could lure someone like him was something related to cultivation.
For Huo Yuhao, the Clear Sky Sect was one of his goals.
After all, no place was more connected to the Tang God King than the Clear Sky Sect!
Most importantly, a trace of the Tang God King's divine sense still lingered within Wang Dong'er.
Huo Yuhao needed more intel on the Tang God King and the Sea God to target the Sea God's divine position.
To carry out the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent's great mission: Slay a god!
"Brother Hao, are you really planning to go to the Clear Sky Sect? That place is practically the personal domain of the God King Tang. The methods he left behind there might be far beyond what was shown in the original story."
In the sea of consciousness, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm spoke to Huo Yuhao with deep concern in his voice.
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao smiled faintly.
"Brother Tianmeng, don't worry. Don't you know me by now? I've got more than just tricks up my sleeve—I've got backups too. Even if the God King Tang shows up himself, I have ways to escape. As long as I'm not killed instantly, I always have room to fight back."
"And if I can obtain more things related to the Sea God or even the Asura God at the Clear Sky Sect, I'll be better prepared in the future when facing Tang. It will greatly improve my chances of winning."
"Big Bug, just trust Yuhao. He's no longer the weakling who had to hide and run every time he faced an enemy."
Electrolux also joined the conversation. He had witnessed Huo Yuhao's growth every step of the way.
"I believe in Brother Hao! I will be his strongest shield!"
The Golden Xuanwu was the first to voice his support.
"Me too! We'll fight our way into the Clear Sky Sect, storm the God Realm, and one day Brother Hao will rule the heavens!"
Next up was the Ice Radiance Dragon, A Hui.
"I heard there's a Titan Giant Ape in the Clear Sky Sect. I wonder how it compares to me?"
The Titan Snow Demon King said, already eager to throw fists.
"Perhaps… there might be clues or inheritance related to the Blue Silver Emperor there."
The Blue Silver Empress had already learned about the Blue Silver Emperor from ten thousand years ago and was interested in exploring the lineage further.
"Brother Hao says fight, I fight!"
In the Evil Emperor's eyes, only one word could be seen—Loyalty!
The spiritual ocean boiled with wild surges of power from the White Tiger, Xuanwu, Heavenly Dragon, and Phoenix—his four great spirit projections. It mirrored the raging determination in Huo Yuhao's heart.
"From now on, every step I take determines not only our future, but also the fate of the entire continent! I will not let the continent become the God King Tang's private garden. For freedom and the future of all life on this land, I will make each move count—until Tang is slain!"
Huo Yuhao's fighting spirit soared.
"If it weren't for the black smoke coming out of your martial soul, I might've actually believed you."
The newly arrived Holy Feathered Serpent cut in bluntly.
Huo Yuhao nearly jumped in frustration.
"That's slander! That's clearly the Emperor's Aura being too dense—it just looks black!"
"New guy, you better show some respect to Brother Hao! Or when they start dividing lotus platforms in the God Realm, you won't even get a drop of juice!"
The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm chimed in.
"Yeah yeah, sure..."
The Holy Feathered Serpent could only sigh inwardly. This team was full of dreams and ideals, but... they didn't really look like good guys.
Then again, what did it care? The Holy Feathered Serpent had no real loyalties. As long as it could acquire more knowledge, even slaughtering the entire world wasn't out of the question.
There was still some time before the holidays, so there was no rush to head to the Clear Sky Sect.
Meanwhile, the academy had finished its internal observation and confirmed that those who had returned from the Sun Moon Empire had no residual issues. They were allowed to go out and no longer had to remain confined to the academy.
Life seemed to return to normal.
Though the continent was still turbulent and unpredictable, none of that touched Shrek Academy. It had become a sort of utopian refuge in the midst of chaos.
In truth, though, Shrek Academy had a hand in nearly every major event on the continent. Representatives from the Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling Empires were stationed in Shrek City to exchange information and discuss strategies with the academy.
The Elders of Sea God's Pavilion had also become more active, keeping minor villains in check.
Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er stayed at the academy. Apart from joining Huo Yuhao in practicing firearms, they were busy managing the academy's affairs.
All the work of both the Martial Soul and Soul Tool departments fell on their shoulders. Department heads Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo were out of commission—one seriously injured, the other unconscious—leaving them unable to perform their duties.
The Martial Soul Department still had Du Weilun, the Dean of Instruction, to help share the burden. But the Soul Tool Department had lost Fan Yu, a core leader, which slowed their development.
Fortunately, Xuan Ziwen remained. Due to his friend Fan Yu's death, he threw himself even deeper into soul tool research—either to numb his grief or to grow strong enough to prevent further tragedy.
Meng Hongchen also joined the Soul Tool Department. Shrek Academy treated her well, offering her resources and support, but she hadn't been invited into the core decision-making circle. That would take time.
The academy's decision to take her in was a calculated one—perhaps it could later win over support from the Hongchen Clan.
Due to their mounting responsibilities, Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er had less time to train with Huo Yuhao. This actually made Elder Song breathe a sigh of relief.
Now, Huo Yuhao's training partners became Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, and Jiang Nannan.
Yes, Elder Song had also assigned Jiang Nannan. She didn't think much of it herself—only that training with strong companions was a path to self-improvement.
Outside the academy, Zhang Lexuan frequently led Jin, Mu, Shui, Huo (Gold, Wood, Water, Fire) maidservants along with Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Hua Yao, and Wu Ming to carry out Inspector Team missions.
The seven reserve members of the Jade Seven also paired up to perform similar missions.
Due to the rise of the Holy Spirit Sect, dark soul masters across the continent had grown restless. Their numbers surged in other empires, causing multiple incidents.
More accurately, many once-hidden dark soul masters were beginning to act openly. Many were headed toward the Sun Moon Empire to join the Holy Spirit Sect.
Hunting them down became the top priority.
They had to stop dark soul masters from swelling the Holy Spirit Sect's ranks. Otherwise, it would pose a huge threat in the future.
As the newly appointed head of the Inspector Team, Zhang Lexuan had to manage all members and coordinate missions, which kept her extremely busy.
Sea God Island became noticeably quieter.
Some inner courtyard students had gone on missions, while others were dispatched to the outer courtyard to help manage various academy affairs.
When the Death God Envoy led an undead army against Shrek, it had cost the academy many of its key members. Now, new people were needed to fill those roles.
Han Ruoruo became Vice Dean of the Martial Soul Department. Cui Yajie and Lulu were appointed assistant instructors in the outer courtyard.
During the zombie invasion, these three protected the three Beast Kings, which caught the Beast Kings' attention. They were offered a sacrificial opportunity and each broke through to either the ninth or seventh ring. Most notably, they all received 100,000-year soul rings and soul bones.
Thus, they were given key positions in the academy.
As for Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu, who had also been present during the attack, they too became assistant instructors. Though they hadn't received 100,000-year soul rings or bones, their potential remained high.
Meanwhile, Wei Na left Shrek Academy and returned to the Heavenly Soul Empire. Since she had lost all memories of Huo Yuhao, there was no longer any reason for her to stay.
Her memory loss also meant that the joint plan between the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Body Sect had effectively failed.
But upon her return, Wei Na had already advanced to Soul Sage and acquired a full set of soul bones. Her power and talent remained impressive. The Heavenly Soul Empire decided not to dwell on her past and designated her as a core seed for cultivation.
Barring any mishaps, Wei Na would become a Titled Douluo—or perhaps even a Super Douluo—in the future.
The Body Sect also welcomed her back, helping her train her second martial soul. They guaranteed that her Snow Lotus Martial Soul's eighth and ninth soul rings would both be 100,000-year ones.
A new day dawned at Shrek Academy.
At the academy gates, two identical and stunningly beautiful young girls stood side by side, whispering softly to each other and occasionally breaking into silvery laughter—youth at its most radiant.
Such a sight naturally drew the attention of many passing male students.
A young man's figure emerged from within the academy and approached the two girls with a smile.
"I'm not late, am I?" he said.
The two girls turned at the same time and exclaimed in delight,
"YuhaO!" ×2
The newcomer was none other than Huo Yuhao, and the two girls were the twin sisters Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu.
In the next moment, the sisters each latched onto one of Huo Yuhao's arms, pressing their full chests generously against him, clearly showing their affection.
Huo Yuhao flushed red with innocence and embarrassment, trying to wriggle free, only to find that the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. In the end, he could only stiffen awkwardly as the sisters clung to him.
"Since you're here, let's get going."
"We've got a lot of time ahead of us to enjoy."
"We'll be counting on you this time, Yuhao~"
"And later, we'll be sure to thank you very thoroughly~"
Their words, whispered one after the other into his ear, were laced with flirtation and teasing, making the scene brimming with suggestive charm.
With that, Huo Yuhao was led off into the distance by the twin beauties—leaving a trail of dazed and stunned students in their wake.
"Who is that senior? How does he get to enjoy the love of those god-tier twins?!"
"If I'm not mistaken, those are the Lan sisters from the Inner Court. They're currently serving as teaching assistants in the Outer Court. I can't believe they're both willing to be with one man… damn, I'm so jealous!"
"You guys must be new. You don't even recognize Senior Yuhao?"
Some students did recognize Huo Yuhao.
When it came to Huo Yuhao…
"Hmph, plenty of girls are after Senior Yuhao. The Lan sisters will have to get in line."
"Huh? Why though? What's so special about him? He's just good-looking, right?"
"If you could break through to Soul Douluo before twenty, were as handsome as him, and happened to be the Deputy Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, you'd be popular too!"
"…"
The other Inner Court disciples were all busy with their duties, and naturally, Huo Yuhao couldn't stay idle. His training time was cut down as he got involved in many of the academy's affairs.
This included, but wasn't limited to:
coordinating with representatives from other three nations
handling academy administration
helping train new students
and even assisting others with soul beast hunting.
This time, Huo Yuhao was accompanying the Lan sisters on a soul beast hunting mission.
Though the sisters hadn't received the sacrifice of a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast before, they were talented cultivators. With Huo Yuhao's cultivation techniques and their ability to train together and amplify their speed, they had finally broken through to level 70, needing only one more soul ring to become Soul Sages.
Hunting for the seventh soul ring is a high-level and dangerous endeavor. Usually, large teams prepare extensively before such a mission.
However, Shrek Academy wasn't in a position to send large teams into the Great Star Dou Forest, nor did it have enough strong experts to spare. So instead, a smaller, more elite team was dispatched—led by none other than Huo Yuhao.
The trio ventured into the Great Star Dou Forest.
Sunset.
Inside a secluded cave…
The Lan sisters were in the midst of absorbing their seventh soul rings—each one a crimson-hued hundred-thousand-year-old soul ring!
They had received these rings through the sacrifice of powerful soul beasts: the Four-Horned Overlord Deer and the Rainbow Dragon Sheep, both of whom had appeared during a previous beast tide.
Back then, alongside the Six-Winged Demon Tiger, these beasts had been under Bi Ji's command.
The Six-Winged Demon Tiger had its spine broken and later became a resource in Shrek's beast garden, where it was eventually sacrificed to Han Ruoruo during the zombie invasion.
The other two—Overlord Deer and Dragon Sheep—returned to the forest with the beast tide and resumed their duties after Bi Ji's return to the core region.
Today, they had been found by Huo Yuhao, using his manipulation over fate. Their minds were dominated by him and they were turned into offerings for the Lan sisters' soul ring advancement.
As for how the sisters would understand or remember this?
Well, there was no need to explain.
Once they entered the forest, Huo Yuhao had already controlled their minds. Everything they remembered after that was fabricated.
In their memory, the three of them had engaged in a thrilling soul hunting adventure, during which they encountered evil soul masters who were targeting the two beast kings and their tribes. In the chaos, Huo Yuhao valiantly saved the day.
Though the evil soul masters were defeated, the two beast kings were mortally wounded.
As a gesture of gratitude for saving their kind, the beast kings willingly sacrificed themselves, becoming the Lan sisters' seventh soul rings.
What a heroic and righteous story, right?
But the truth?
To Huo Yuhao, hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts were mere playthings, to be bent and used at will.
"By giving them hundred-thousand-year-old soul rings and bones, I'll increase their potential and raise their status in the academy. I've already controlled Han Ruoruo through her soul ring, and now with the Lan sisters, Cui Yajie, and Lulu, they'll form the backbone of Shrek Academy's next generation of leadership."
"But they're not just tools to help me take over the academy and manipulate its destiny…"
The value they'd return to Huo Yuhao in the future would far surpass what was spent on them now.
Meanwhile, another person was absorbing a soul ring—He Caitou, within the Hao Emperor Banner.
Huo Yuhao had cultivated He Caitou to level 90. All his resources prioritized the souls within the banner.
Originally, Yuhao had planned to save the Overlord Deer and Dragon Sheep for He Caitou's ninth soul ring, but now he had a better option.
This time, Huo Yuhao used a God-bestowed soul ring, infused with divine power, greatly enhancing its effects. It became He Caitou's ninth soul ring.
The three began their soul ring absorption simultaneously, but He Caitou finished first—partly due to his superior strength, and partly because he didn't need to absorb a soul bone.
With the soul ring absorbed, He Caitou broke through to Titled Douluo. His figure materialized behind Huo Yuhao. Though his appearance remained that of his younger self when he died, his body was now tall and muscular, exuding a powerful and dangerous aura.
Smoke curled from his soul body, flickering with firelight. He looked more like a ghostly deity emerging from the mist than anything else.
Compared to Xu Sanshi, He Caitou looked much more like a true defensive-type battle soul master.
His intelligence had also returned to that of a normal human. Still, he remained silent and stared at Huo Yuhao, not speaking a word.
As for memories—he had recovered some, but he was no longer the fleeing prince of old. Now, he was He Caitou, the primary soul of the Hao Emperor Banner.
"Let me see your ninth soul skill," Huo Yuhao said.
He Caitou nodded and summoned his Cigar Martial Soul. Nine soul rings surrounded it—two yellow, two purple, two black, and three red.
His divine bestowal ninth soul ring was 600,000 years old. More importantly, the divine power infused into it meant its age could continue to grow on its own.
In fact, the rest of He Caitou's soul rings could now be upgraded too. Before, all the resources had gone into pushing him to level 90, but now, efforts could shift to increasing his ring ages.
The ninth ring flared brightly. He Caitou spoke in a rumbling voice:
"Swallow the cosmos, inhale creation. One puff to touch the divine, one puff to reveal the saint—Sacred Cigar of Creation and Cosmos!"
A radiant, seven-colored glowing cigar appeared in his hand.
Immediately after, He Caitou collapsed limply to the ground.
It had taken all the soul power in his body to create just one cigar!
God-bestowed soul rings only provide a single soul skill, but it's the most suitable skill for one's martial soul. Thus, He Caitou's ninth soul ring could only create one type of cigar.
However, this ninth soul skill consumed an immense amount of energy. From this, it was clear that the resulting cigar was no ordinary item. After using his soul skill, He Caitou completely exhausted his soul power and collapsed weakly to the ground, looking pitiful and delicate…
Well, seeing a big burly man striking a frail pose with a hand over his heart, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but find it a bit eye-searing.
"Just lie down properly. Don't act like you're dying in a drama."
He Caitou obediently lay down flat.
Huo Yuhao squatted and picked up the fallen Sacred Heaven and Earth Creation Snow Cigar. The moment he touched it, he sensed how extraordinary it was. Just holding it made his soul power stir actively, and an enticing aroma filled his nose, making him subconsciously swallow a mouthful of saliva.
"Interesting. He Caitou, what's this new cigar do?"
Staring at the sky, He Caitou slowly replied, "The Sacred Heaven and Earth Creation Snow Cigar has different effects depending on how many times it's used."
"On the first use, the soul master is reborn—enhancing innate soul power, with a small chance to awaken a second martial soul. On the second use, it stimulates potential, with a chance to mutate or evolve the martial soul. The third use helps break through bottlenecks—any bottleneck under my soul power level can be shattered. From the fourth use onwards, it provides three consistent effects: rapid soul power recovery, boosted cultivation speed, and healing—each with a 50% amplification."
After listening, Huo Yuhao was stunned. Such a soul skill was terrifying in its utility.
"Heaven and Earth Creation, indeed!"
And the diminishing returns with repeated use closely mirrored the constraints of many rare treasures of heaven and earth.
"Could it be due to divine power?" Huo Yuhao speculated.
Then suddenly, he noticed his hand holding the cigar was wet.
Looking down, he saw Jin Qiu'er drooling as she stared at the cigar in his hand—her saliva had even dripped onto it.
Looking disgusted, Huo Yuhao tossed the cigar to her.
"Here, take it."
"Knew you'd see reason~"
Honestly, whenever there's trouble she's nowhere to be found, but she's always first to show up when there's food involved.
Ever since she was freed from being the Emperor Auspicious Beast, no longer burdened with reviving soul beasts or rigorous cultivation, Jin Qiu'er had completely let herself go. She'd become a total slacker, only interested in eating, drinking, and having fun.
Holding the cigar joyfully, she squatted off to the side and began puffing away blissfully.
From how expertly she lit and smoked the cigar, it was obvious this wasn't her first time.
Within the Hao Emperor Banner, Jin Qiu'er and He Caitou were neighbors, so she often came to bum cigars off him.
And these cigars weren't like ordinary cigarettes that harm the body. Instead, they had unique flavors and were even beneficial in moderation.
While she smoked, Huo Yuhao secretly infused some of his stored luck into her, amplifying her fortune.
He then started observing her.
With food-type soul skills, the effect couldn't be fully determined just by soul skill feedback—it needed real-world testing. Since Jin Qiu'er had volunteered herself, he might as well use her as a guinea pig.
Just as she finished smoking the entire cigar and looked completely satisfied, her body began to glow in brilliant seven-colored light and slowly levitated.
"Eh? What's going on? Why does it feel like something's about to come out of me? Am I... giving birth?!" she exclaimed in shock, clutching her stomach.
What emerged, of course, wasn't a child—but her second martial soul awakening.
When luck is abundant, rare events become inevitable.
The projection of her Golden Dragon Martial Soul appeared on her right side.
On her left side, however, a brand-new martial soul was slowly taking shape.
It wasn't her true body—the Emperor Auspicious Beast—but a weapon-type martial soul shaped like a spear.
Not the Golden Dragon Spear, either—that was in the hands of another Jin Qiu'er.
Although it was golden like the Golden Dragon Spear, its form was more noble and ceremonial than fierce—less a weapon of war and more a symbol of status. Red light streamed through its golden body like molten lava.
Her second martial soul had finished awakening.
The Golden Dragon Martial Soul reentered her body, completing the martial soul possession, and seven red soul rings appeared one after another. The spear-like martial soul materialized and dropped into her hand.
Only then did she descend, now capable of using both martial souls simultaneously.
But Jin Qiu'er didn't pay attention to any of that. She stared blankly at the spear in her hand, softly murmuring its name:
"Spear of Destiny…"
"Spear of Destiny? That's your second martial soul?" Huo Yuhao walked over smiling. "I thought you'd awaken your true form, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, as your second martial soul."
Jin Qiu'er's expression grew complicated, as if recalling something painful. She looked at Huo Yuhao and said, "I couldn't awaken the Three-Eyed Golden Lion because I'm incomplete—I'm missing pieces of myself! Part of my power is still with the thief who stole it. So only my power of fate condensed into the Spear of Destiny as my second martial soul."
By the end, she was practically growling with fury.
Huo Yuhao cautiously asked, "Wait… that face you just made—did you forget you were incomplete until just now?"
"Huo Yuhao, shut up!" Jin Qiu'er snapped like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
Huo Yuhao: "…"
Well, that settles it. This version of the Emperor Auspicious Beast had clearly reached the "Life is good, why bother with revenge" stage.
A comfortable life had made her forget her grudges.
As for the Spear of Destiny, Huo Yuhao could understand it. Incomplete power led to changes in her martial soul—from beast to weapon type. It wasn't unusual.
If things went as expected, once Jin Qiu'er regained her lost power, the Spear of Destiny would evolve into the complete Emperor Auspicious Beast.
After all, in Soul Land III, two weapon-type martial souls—the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger—had fused to become the beast-type Time-Space Dragon Martial Soul.
"Help me get revenge, Huo Yuhao!" Jin Qiu'er shouted, leaping onto his shoulders, wrapping her powerful legs around his head.
"Get off me! Fine, I'll help you—but not now. The Silver Dragon King in the core zone and Tang Godking in the heavens won't let me kill another version of you just yet!"
While struggling to pry her off, he quickly explained.
Maybe it was due to her incompleteness, but Jin Qiu'er's thinking could be quite erratic at times.
"Fine…" she muttered, climbing down, clearly annoyed. "Damn Silver Dragon King… Damn Tang Godking… Just wait till I'm strong enough. I'll make sure they pay in juice!"
"Then go train hard. Right now, you've fallen behind He Caitou in soul power." Huo Yuhao sighed.
From her seven red soul rings, it was clear that most of the resources he gave her were used to enhance the age of her soul rings.
Not a bad move—Jin Qiu'er possessed an ultimate-element martial soul. Even with only seven rings, she could overpower He Caitou, a nine-ring powerhouse.
Still, if she's going to be scatterbrained, a bit of tough love was necessary.
Sure enough, Jin Qiu'er's fighting spirit reignited and she dove back into the Hao Emperor Banner to cultivate hard.
How long her enthusiasm would last, though… who could say?