A colossal sea beast emerged—an enormous squid over a hundred meters long with more than a hundred tentacles. Judging by the soul power fluctuations and aura, it had clearly surpassed the 200,000-year mark—a true undersea monster.
But beyond its soul power, another type of energy pulsed from its body—demonic aura.
It had clearly become a demon beast!
While most from Shrek Academy didn't recognize demonic energy, the sea princesses did. It was the exact same aura that had annihilated their homeland and tribe!
At once, intense hatred flared in their eyes.
Li Jing shouted furiously, "Are you one of those monsters? Here to hunt us down?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" the giant squid replied with a laugh, then introduced itself. "This king is the Deep Sea Squid King, one of the Twelve Demon Kings under the Great Sage of the Vast Sea. You may call this king—Lord Hundred-Tentacle!"
"Little mermaids, the Great Sage of the Vast Sea is a compassionate elder. He cannot bear to see you separated from your mother, so he sent me here to bring you back and reunite you!"
Huo Yuhao: "…"
Wait, I just wrote a script, where did all these extra plot elements come from?
The original story was simple: the mermaid princess falls into peril, enemies pursue her, and with human help, she survives the crisis.
Sure, there were some details to fill in…
But this whole "Great Sage of the Vast Sea," "Twelve Demon Kings," "Lord Hundred-Tentacle" thing? Definitely not part of the plan!
That so-called Great Sage of the Vast Sea? No need to guess—it was clearly his true body clone.
After all, every move and domain of his true body had "Vast Sea" as a prefix.
But… why call yourself a Great Sage?
Trying to get recruited into the Celestial Court or something?
Still, even as Huo Yuhao silently complained, Lord Hundred-Tentacle had already launched his attack on the sea princesses.
The plan had officially begun.
Tentacle after massive tentacle came crashing down toward the princesses.
Having just been through a fierce battle, the sea princesses were in no shape to resist Lord Hundred-Tentacle. At that critical moment, an extremely cold strike shot toward his head.
The power of Ultimate Ice wrapped around a dragon spear and pierced through the air.
Lord Hundred-Tentacle reacted in time, raising a tentacle to block the blow—but it was instantly frozen solid, and the chilling energy spread rapidly toward his body.
Without hesitation, Lord Hundred-Tentacle severed the frozen tentacle to survive, preventing more serious injury.
Just then, Huo Yuhao and his team descended from the sky, standing protectively in front of the sea princesses.
With a sweep of his hand, his dragon spear flew back into his grip. He stood proud in mid-air, like a deity descending from the heavens.
"A human? You dare attack this king? Are you seeking—death~~?!" Lord Hundred-Tentacle roared in rage. His voice trembled slightly at the final words.
Not from cold—but from fear.
Others might not know who Huo Yuhao truly was, but he did.
The Deep Sea Squid King was just a shell. Right now, it was being controlled by one of Huo Yuhao's own demonic descendants.
That's right—the squid king had been possessed. The creature controlling it was a centipede demon embedded in its brain.
This mutated species of ghost-faced centipede had exceptionally strong mental power and had been taught Heart Seizing Arts by Huo Yuhao himself. It was known as the Heart-Seizing Centipede.
Huo Yuhao had imparted many techniques to his demon offspring. Their training often triggered bloodline mutations, granting them new powers.
With help from his true body clone, the Heart-Seizing Centipede successfully took over the 200,000-year-old Deep Sea Squid King. That was the centipede's power: it could forcibly control beings far stronger than itself.
Furthermore, it could use some of its own techniques through the squid king—hence the eerie, demonic aura around it.
"Seeking death? Heh. Try me if you dare. Either way, Big Squid—these sea princesses are under our protection today!" Huo Yuhao said coldly.
The sea princesses now looked at Huo Yuhao with eyes that shimmered with light.
Though they still harbored some suspicion toward humans, they couldn't help feeling grateful.
Getting shouted at by Huo Yuhao, Lord Hundred-Tentacle suddenly froze like a glitching record—because the Heart-Seizing Centipede forgot its lines out of nerves.
Only after Huo Yuhao secretly gave it a spiritual whack did the centipede come to its senses. Lord Hundred-Tentacle's tentacles began flailing wildly, stirring the ocean in a fit of seemingly uncontrollable rage.
Heart-Seizing Centipede: Forgot the start, forgot the middle, forgot the end—whatever, time to act angry!
Huo Yuhao was speechless.
He really shouldn't expect too much intellect from these centipede demons. Even this one, with its high spiritual power, was basically a brilliant fool.
Fortunately, the main story hadn't derailed.
Lord Hundred-Tentacle's sudden rage attack didn't surprise anyone—most soul beasts, especially savage ones, were hot-tempered and quick to fight.
"Yuhao, let's attack together!" Xian Lin'er shouted.
Activating her Azure Flame Dragon Martial Soul, she charged forward, spear in hand.
Huo Yuhao followed, wearing his Frost Centipede Armor and wielding the Frost Centipede Dragon Spear.
Seeing this, Cai Meier hurried after them, spear in hand—hers infused with the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul.
She had trained extensively with Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er to keep an eye on them, and the result was an unexpectedly perfect synergy.
This shared training had also eased tensions between Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier considerably.
Meanwhile, Han Ruoruo's eyes gleamed with calculation. She and Jiang Nannan, equipped with flight-type soul tools, moved to the sea princesses' side.
"Don't worry, princesses—we'll protect you," Han Ruoruo said gently.
In truth, she was monitoring the princesses, making sure they didn't seize the chance to flee.
Li Jing clearly wanted to escape with her sister and kin, but the sight of Han Ruoruo's nine soul rings, especially the blood-red ninth ring, made her realize resistance was futile. She could only remain on edge, hugging her sister tightly for a sense of safety.
Now, Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier were experiencing firsthand the true might of sea soul beasts—especially when fighting them in the ocean.
The power unleashed by the 200,000-year-old Lord Hundred-Tentacle far exceeded that of the Red King from the Star Dou Forest. Even together, they struggled to hold him off. Fortunately, Huo Yuhao was there to support them.
Land soul beasts didn't always gain advantages on land—but sea soul beasts always had amplifications in the sea.
This was because, long ago, sea soul beasts had together elevated a deity to godhood, earning divine blessings. Even though the Sea God had since changed—or even neglected the ocean—this blessing still lingered in every sea beast and soul master.
Despite their efforts, they still couldn't bring down their foe.
"Yuhao!" Xian Lin'er shouted.
Huo Yuhao understood immediately and charged toward her. "Senior Sister Xian!"
Their dragon spears collided—and from that point, a pink-gold light exploded outward. Azure and ice-blue soul power flared from them both.
Together, they cried: "True Dragon Descent!"
Their soul power merged with the pink-gold radiance, fusing into golden soul energy that enveloped them both.
From the golden light came a dragon's roar.
When the light faded, a golden dragon with six pairs of cicada-like wings stood before everyone.
It was their Martial Soul Fusion Technique—True Dragon Descent: Icefire Divine Dragon!
Heart-Seizing Centipede:
Who dares talk back to me? One more sarcastic line and I might get fired for stepping out with my left foot first!
Cai Meier managed to keep her composure, but for the others, this was the first time they had witnessed Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er perform a Martial Soul Fusion Technique—or rather, it was the first time they even realized the two possessed such a technique.
Jiang Nannan, who knew about Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er's past relationship, was utterly stunned.
"If I remember correctly, using a Martial Soul Fusion Technique requires a deep emotional bond. Don't tell me… they're back together?"
Actually, in this regard, Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er had found a clever workaround. What they shared wasn't an emotional bond, but a mutual understanding of spear techniques. Therefore, they needed to wield their dragon spears to serve as a conduit for the fusion.
Also, to perform the fusion technique, they usually had to fight together using their spear styles for a while as a kind of warm-up.
The Icefire Divine Dragon flapped its cicada-like wings, and fierce gales surrounded it, dramatically boosting its speed. In an instant, it turned into golden light, soaring around the Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord, launching an aerial assault.
The friction from the wind created golden flames, and the combined power of extreme ice was capable of inflicting substantial damage on the Demon Lord.
Due to its massive size, the Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord moved sluggishly and had trouble countering such a high-speed opponent.
Still, it wasn't without recourse—it chose to remain motionless in defense.
The Demon Lord curled up all its tentacles and wrapped them tightly around its body, forming a protective ball. Its enormous size gave it high durability and a massive health pool. Even losing a few tentacles earlier was just minor damage.
Now, the Icefire Divine Dragon struggled to inflict real harm. With the Demon Lord's vital body parts protected, cutting off tentacles meant little—they could regenerate with soul power, and even faster with extra expenditure.
Realizing this, the Icefire Divine Dragon lifted its head and roared. Its soul power surged explosively.
That soul power gathered in the dragon's mouth. The powers of extreme ice and golden flame intertwined and merged with the energy of the wind. The fusion of wind, fire, and ice condensed into a single attack: the dragon's breath.
"True Dragon's Breath: Song of Ice and Fire!" ×2
Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er's voices echoed in unison from within the Icefire Divine Dragon.
The sky filled with ice and fire. Wind howled and raged in all directions.
The dragon's breath, a dazzling tricolored blast of aquamarine, gold, and blue soul power, descended from the heavens like divine judgment, setting the sea ablaze with energy.
BOOM!!!
The Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord was slammed directly into the ocean floor. Everyone clearly saw the moment the dragon's breath struck: countless tentacles were severed as the Demon Lord's defenses were shredded. Finally, the breath pierced cleanly through the Demon Lord's massive body.
A terrifying explosion followed in the depths of the sea, causing a massive undersea depression. Bitter cold spread through the water, freezing large areas into solid ice.
The frozen surface stretched over a kilometer.
Within the sea, Li Jing urgently unleashed her power to shield Li Ya and the other mermaids, barely resisting the extreme chill.
Even the sea princesses, accustomed to the icy waters, were shivering violently. Li Jing and Li Ya quickly realized this was no ordinary ice—it was likely the Ultimate Ice possessed by the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan from the Extreme North!
This one strike was on par with Li Ya's earlier "Curse of the Ocean's Heart"—possibly even more devastating in terms of range.
Everyone was stunned once again.
But the reason "Curse of the Ocean's Heart" was called a super soul skill was because Li Ya could unleash that power even in her incomplete state.
Meanwhile, the "Song of Ice and Fire" was the fusion of two Super Douluos' strength—making it the only technique in the entire Era of the Tang Sect worthy of the title super soul skill.
After defeating the Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord, the Icefire Divine Dragon could no longer sustain itself. Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er were forced to release the fusion.
Drained from the massive soul power expenditure, they had to lean on each other just to stay airborne.
Seeing this, Cai Meier snapped out of her daze. Her heart skipped a beat as she rushed over and pulled Xian Lin'er into her arms.
"Cough… Lin'er, let me support you. Let Yuhao rest."
"What do you mean by that?" Xian Lin'er's eyebrows shot up. "Are you saying I'm heavy?"
Cai Meier: "…"
Was this really about weight?
She wanted to curse. If it weren't for Elder Xuan and Elder Song's request, she wouldn't bother with Xian Lin'er at all!
"If you don't want to fly, I'll toss you down!" Cai Meier grumbled.
Xian Lin'er gave a cold snort but said, "Just hold me steady~"
Honestly, Cai Meier really wanted to throw this old hag down. Who did she think she was ordering around?
Ignoring Cai Meier, Xian Lin'er turned to Huo Yuhao, joy flashing in her eyes.
"Yuhao, can you absorb a 200,000-year soul ring now? What did you think of that Demon Lord just now?"
Immediately, everyone's attention locked onto her words. Their hearts trembled.
A ferocious beast's soul ring!
To this day, no soul master had ever absorbed such a ring. No one even knew what one looked like—not even at Shrek Academy.
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly.
"Senior Sister Xian, my life-bound soul ring has probably already surpassed 200,000 years."
Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier, knowing the special link between Yuhao's soul ring and his endurance limit, instantly lit up with excitement.
Could they be about to make history?
The Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord's attributes didn't conflict with Huo Yuhao's. The only question now was whether the Demon Lord was truly dead or just barely surviving.
Even if it had died, it had fallen to a Martial Soul Fusion Technique—which counted as Huo Yuhao's kill.
Cai Meier immediately dropped Xian Lin'er—almost sending her plummeting—and raised her spear toward the ice below.
"I'm going down to find that beast right now!"
Just then, Li Jing cried out in alarm.
"Watch out—move!"
Everyone turned just in time to see countless tentacles bursting from beneath the ice, lashing toward the sea princesses.
Though Li Jing dodged with Li Ya in tow, the other princesses were not so lucky and were dragged into the sea by the tentacles.
Han Ruoruo, being closest, reacted quickly, but she was too late. Her Soul Tool, the Flickering Gold Rope, only exploded in seawater—failing to intercept the tentacles.
Seeing her people taken, Li Jing and Li Ya's eyes filled with anguish as they rushed to dive after them.
But Han Ruoruo stopped them.
"Don't take the risk! That's the same giant squid's tentacles!"
Everyone else was similarly shocked.
The Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord wasn't dead—and it still had enough strength for a sneak attack!
"Humans, get out of the way! They're our people—not your concern!" Li Jing shouted in panic.
From beneath the waves came the Demon Lord's voice.
"Detestable humans! I will remember this grudge! When the Great Sage leads us sea soul beasts to the land, I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
"Princesses of the sea—if you want to save your kind, come to the Ice Sea. Otherwise, I can't guarantee how long these sweet, delicious sea princesses will live. Jie Jie Jie…"
But the Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord didn't show itself again. It disappeared into the depths as if it had fled entirely.
Li Jing and Li Ya were left in despair.
Huo Yuhao and the others from Shrek Academy, however, wore grave expressions.
Because the idea of sea soul beasts invading the continent—that was no trivial matter.
Li Jing & Li Ya: This is bad! The monster took our people!
"Do you think it's true that sea soul beasts are invading the mainland?" Xian Lin'er asked.
"Logically speaking, sea soul beasts prefer to live in the ocean. There's never been a case of them invading the mainland before," Cai Mei'er responded seriously.
Because of this, almost all mainland soul masters had very limited knowledge of the ocean.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and said, "This is one of those things we should believe might be true, rather than assume it's false. Either way, I've decided to investigate it myself."
"That's right. Rather than make baseless speculations based on what the Hundred-Tentacle Demon Lord said, it's better to go and see the truth with our own eyes," Xian Lin'er agreed with Huo Yuhao. She then turned toward the panicked mermaid sisters, Li Jing and Li Ya. "I imagine they might know more about the situation."
On a deserted island.
By the coastline.
Huo Yuhao and his group, along with the mermaid sisters, had finished their conversation.
Li Jing and Li Ya, half-submerged in the sea, recounted their experiences and everything they knew to Huo Yuhao's group.
The general story was—
At first, no sea soul beast paid much attention to the disaster. It was just a tsunami, a minor skirmish, the extermination of a tribe, chaos in a patch of ocean. But eventually, the disaster affected every sea soul beast.
No one knew exactly when it began, but at some point, the ocean was infiltrated by a group of ghastly monsters. These creatures slaughtered all living beings they saw and devoured the corpses entirely.
Eventually, they reached the Ice Sea. At first, they were repelled by the Sea Princess Tribe. But then, a terrifying being appeared among them. It not only ravaged the Ice Sea but also utterly crushed the Sea Princess Tribe with overwhelming might.
Even the tribe's leader—Li Jing and Li Ya's mother—whose power was equivalent to an Ultimate Douluo within the sea, had no choice but to sacrifice herself to ensure her daughters' escape.
"So you're saying that beyond the bay, and off the coast of the human empires, there's a group of monsters running rampant—slaughtering across the ocean and continuously growing stronger?" Huo Yuhao summarized solemnly.
Li Jing and Li Ya both nodded sorrowfully.
"At least in the northern seas near the Extreme North, that's exactly the case," Li Ya added. "As for invading the mainland—we're hearing that for the first time ourselves."
Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er's expressions became even more serious. They had thought this was just a routine soul beast hunting operation, but it had spiraled into something much more alarming.
This wasn't something Shrek Academy could handle alone.
They needed to inform the Three Empires—perhaps even the Sun-Moon Empire.
But before that, they had to confirm the specific details and verify the accuracy of the information.
For now, there was another matter to settle: how to deal with the mermaid sisters.
Both Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er turned to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao understood their meaning and began assessing the sisters himself.
The mermaid sisters were pitiable and had brought valuable information, but they were still sea soul beasts. Strangers, essentially. Who would let go of two hundred-thousand-year-old soul rings and two hundred-thousand-year-old soul bones?
Especially now, when the sisters were extremely weakened and barely capable of resistance.
Sensitive to spiritual fluctuations, the sisters instantly sensed the danger coming from Huo Yuhao's group. They understood what the others were thinking. In their eyes, fear and sorrow were replaced by grim determination.
Even if they died, they would never let themselves be captured!
But instead, Huo Yuhao gave them a gentle smile and asked,
"Have you ever heard of the Sea God?"
"The Sea God?!"
Li Jing and Li Ya were both startled, and then immediately looked at Huo Yuhao in unison, nodding.
Li Jing said, "The Sea God is the deity of our ocean, the faith of countless sea-dwellers!"
Li Ya added, "Our mother used to be a follower of the Sea God. But he hasn't responded to us in a long time. Otherwise, we wouldn't have…"
She trailed off, her voice turning sorrowful.
Huo Yuhao nodded, as if acknowledging their words. He then said, "The Sea God couldn't respond to you because of the rules of the Divine Realm. But in truth, he's always been watching over the Douluo Continent."
"How do you know that?" Li Jing looked at Huo Yuhao with deep suspicion.
Huo Yuhao straightened up and said, "Because the Sea God is the ancestor of our Shrek Academy. I am his successor. I even received his divine command to eliminate the evil god born on the continent and protect Douluo!"
"Impossible!"
Li Jing shot back immediately.
A god of the sea giving a divine mission to a land-based soul master? Who did he think he was, the Sea God's son?
Huo Yuhao didn't waste time arguing. He directly released the aura of the Asura God. That transcendent, divine power stunned both Li Jing and Li Ya into silence.
"This is the divine intent of the Asura God, granted to me by the Sea God Ancestor!"
Li Jing and Li Ya's expressions turned complicated. They still didn't fully believe him, but even if they didn't—what could they do?
"What are you really trying to say, human?" Li Ya couldn't help but ask.
"Have you heard the story of the Sea God, Tang San?" Huo Yuhao asked again instead.
Not only were Li Jing and Li Ya confused, even Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er looked puzzled.
Weren't they just planning to hunt soul rings?
Why was he suddenly telling stories?
Huo Yuhao continued, "Before Tang San became a god, he accepted the sacrifices of three hundred-thousand-year-old Beast Kings: his wife, the Soft Bone Charm Rabbit Xiao Wu, and her two sworn brothers—the Sky Blue Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape."
This part was mentioned in Shrek Academy's history books, though most of the emphasis was on Tang San and Xiao Wu's romance. The deeper truths weren't widely known.
But that wasn't the focus of what Huo Yuhao wanted to say.
"After Tang San became a god, all three of those Beast Kings were resurrected!" Huo Yuhao dropped a bombshell.
"What? That's impossible!"
Li Jing and Li Ya were shocked that sacrificed Beast Kings could be revived.
The Shrek Academy members, on the other hand, were stunned to learn that the Sky Blue Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape had been resurrected—when did that happen? And how did Huo Yuhao even know?
The tale of Xiao Wu's resurrection had spread, but it was said to have involved immortal herbs and a huge cost from Tang San.
Huo Yuhao explained, "When I visited the Clear Sky Sect recently, I found two elders there with tremendous power. Their soul power sources were clearly derived from the Sky Blue Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape. But as far as I know, these two beast spirits don't even exist in the current era."
Some super soul beast spirits couldn't be inherited by humans due to their overwhelming power—like the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. Humans could only inherit downgraded versions.
The Sky Blue Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape were among these.
"At least in this era, that's how it is," Huo Yuhao added.
"The most important thing is, when I spoke with the two elders, I discovered they not only knew of Tang San but seemed very familiar with him. So I boldly guessed their true identities."
The Shrek members were still reeling.
Characters from millennia-old stories were still alive somewhere on the continent? How could that not shock them?
Li Jing asked again, "Human, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying—why not follow our ancestors' example? In this era, we have the greatest chance of becoming gods!" Huo Yuhao said, pulling Jiang Nannan to his side.
Huo Yuhao: Tang-dog, I just exposed all your secrets!
Before the mermaid sisters, Li Jing and Li Ya, could say anything more, Huo Yuhao pulled Jiang Nannan close and directly revealed their identities and strengths.
"I am Huo Yuhao, not even twenty years old, a Rank 90 Soul Master. I've consumed immortal herbs and possess the Ultimate Ice martial soul—destined to become an Ultimate Douluo. Now, I've even gained the favor of Sea God Tang San, our ancestor."
"She is Jiang Nannan, under thirty, with over seven soul rings. She has already received a divine test."
Jiang Nannan cooperatively revealed the mark of the Love Goddess' divine trial.
Then Huo Yuhao concluded coldly, "I'm only giving you a choice out of respect for your heritage as Sea God's descendants. That doesn't mean we can't take action against you—or imprison you."
The countless rebuttals that the mermaid sisters had on their lips were suddenly stuck in their throats.
In the end, they lowered their heads.
After discussing through spiritual connection, the mermaid sisters both chose to sacrifice themselves willingly.
"We trust in the Sea God's choice. We are willing to follow in the footsteps of the three former Beast Kings. But we demand a vow: once you become gods, you must resurrect us. Even if you can't, you must avenge our clan!" Li Jing's eyes flashed with a trace of hatred as she spoke.
Huo Yuhao and Jiang Nannan naturally had no reason to refuse.
Jiang Nannan was so excited her voice trembled.
Hundred-thousand-year Beast Kings offering themselves in sacrifice?
It was something she had never even dared to imagine!
And to think that a few words from Huo Yuhao made it all happen.
At that moment, Jiang Nannan felt immense gratitude toward Huo Yuhao.
Even Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er couldn't hide their delight.
Though Han Ruoruo had previously accepted a Hundred-thousand-year soul beast sacrifice, that had been a special case.
To have Li Jing and Li Ya agree to sacrifice themselves was entirely thanks to Huo Yuhao.
This not only solved Huo Yuhao's issue of obtaining his ninth soul ring, but also allowed Jiang Nannan to benefit.
Otherwise, she would have had to reach Rank 80 on her own to be qualified to absorb a Hundred-thousand-year soul ring—something that would've required significant time and resources.
More importantly, sacrifices carried no risk.
Theoretically, as long as one had a Titled Douluo's spiritual and physical strength, they could fuse with a Hundred-thousand-year soul ring, but there were always risks involved.
Sacrifice, on the other hand, was different. In theory, any Soul Master could accept a soul beast's sacrifice, regardless of their strength.
Huo Yuhao's approach—benefiting himself while letting others benefit too—won the approval of Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Han Ruoruo.
Now it was time to determine who would receive which sister's sacrifice.
Jiang Nannan voluntarily chose the elder sister, Li Jing, as she could tell Li Jing's strength and potential were lower than Li Ya's.
She and Huo Yuhao had already gained so much—there was no need to be greedy.
After deciding, Huo Yuhao and Jiang Nannan separated to different sides of the island to avoid interfering with each other, each accompanied by one of the mermaid sisters.
Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Han Ruoruo combined their soul powers to seal off the island, ensuring no one would disturb the process.
From a human aesthetic point of view, the mermaid sisters were stunningly beautiful—easily matching Jiang Nannan—with an added exotic allure.
Even after the fierce battle, their weakened forms retained a noble grace, with a vulnerable charm that stirred sympathy.
Their bodies were around three meters long. The upper half was that of a human woman—taller and more elegant—covered only by two shell-like ornaments. From a man's perspective, it was… visually impactful.
The lower half was a massive tail nearly two meters long, covered in smooth, gleaming scales. The tails were adorned with pearls and gemstones that exuded a luxurious aura.
Even more interestingly, these ornaments emitted subtle soul energy fluctuations—clearly not ordinary decorations and possibly of special use.
The mermaid sisters looked nearly identical. Both wore silver crowns with blue gems at the center, indicating their royal status.
The main difference was in their tails.
Li Jing's tail was covered in deep blue scales—breathtaking in appearance.
Li Ya's scales were equally beautiful, but near the base of her tail, they shimmered gold—evidence of her golden bloodline, giving her a more regal presence.
Both sisters still possessed their primordial yin, but now was not the time for dual cultivation. Moreover, to Huo Yuhao, the yin of Hundred-thousand-year soul beasts was no longer very effective.
A trace of melancholy stirred in Huo Yuhao.
"Once a rare treasure… and now I've barely experienced it before it loses value to me. A bit sad."
These days, he only cultivated with others if their destiny, fate, or special constitution made it worthwhile.
Since Li Ya was now sacrificing herself, she'd be surrendering all her fate and energy—making dual cultivation unnecessary.
However, after becoming a spirit, she could still train alongside him.
Li Ya didn't notice anything odd. She looked calmly at Huo Yuhao.
"Human, I hope you keep your promise."
"Don't worry—I always keep my word. Once I break through, I'll head north to the Ice Sea and investigate," Huo Yuhao reaffirmed.
Li Ya nodded and began the sacrifice.
Li Jing, on the other side, began sacrificing to Jiang Nannan.
"Bearer of the Love Goddess' legacy, you aren't strong enough yet to attach a soul ring. So I must use my power to raise your cultivation first. This will reduce the strength boost you'll receive after the breakthrough. Afterward, you'll need to refine your strength carefully to avoid a hollow foundation," Li Jing advised Jiang Nannan.
Though not human, Li Jing had enough cultivation experience to guide Jiang Nannan.
"Understood, Senior. I won't disappoint you!" Jiang Nannan replied respectfully.
She even began addressing Li Jing as "senior" to show respect.
Li Jing nodded silently.
The Sea Princess clan had always been proud. Even when facing the Snow Empress, the former ruler of the extreme north, they had shown only mild respect.
They never imagined they would one day offer sacrifices to humans.
But now, they had no other choice—this was their final gamble.
Two blood-red beams of sacrificial light burst skyward from the island.
Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Han Ruoruo looked on in awe.
"Ruoruo, was it like this when you received a Beast King's sacrifice?" Xian Lin'er asked.
Han Ruoruo shook her head. "I don't remember clearly. After the sacrifice began, I lost consciousness. I vaguely recall seeing a lot of golden light."
Cai Mei'er chuckled. "The Six-Winged Demon Tiger who sacrificed to you had a golden bloodline and possessed three elemental attributes—one of them being light. That might explain the golden light."
Han Ruoruo nodded.
No one thought too deeply about it.
But none of them noticed something was wrong on Huo Yuhao's side.
Li Ya had discovered that the one she was sacrificing to… wasn't Huo Yuhao.
It was a golden-haired girl exuding a noble aura—someone who stirred an irresistible urge to submit.
That girl was none other than Jin Qiu'er, and the target of the sacrifice was her second martial soul: the Spear of Fate!
Huo Yuhao had used spiritual illusion to conceal the truth, so no one else could tell.
By the time Li Ya realized it, the sacrifice was already underway and couldn't be stopped. Given Jin Qiu'er's status, Li Ya had no choice.
"Wh-who… who exactly are you people?" Li Ya asked cautiously before the sacrifice finished.
Huo Yuhao didn't answer.
Jin Qiu'er grinned. "Little mermaid, from now on you're with me. I'll make sure you live the high life."
Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes. "She's older than you, you know."
Jin Qiu'er: "Mind your business."
What could Li Ya do? She could only obediently complete the sacrifice, though her heart was even more uneasy now.
"Don't worry—you'll be reunited with your sister soon," Huo Yuhao said softly.
Meanwhile, at the other sacrifice site...
Li Ya: I'm doomed, guys!!
In a hidden sea region of a secluded bay stood a rarely visited island—more precisely, a massive island formed by clustered coral reefs.
Waves crashed upon the island, producing a steady, rustling sound.
This place was a gathering ground for a specific type of coral-type soul beast. These coral beasts lacked mobility and powerful combat abilities, specializing instead in auxiliary powers of confusion and hallucination.
While individually weak, their combined strength allowed them to conceal the entire colony from detection.
As a result, outsiders had difficulty finding the island. Without prior knowledge, it was almost impossible to reach.
This made the island a well-hidden sanctuary.
Those lucky enough to discover it often schemed to claim it as a perfect natural lair.
Though the island's occupants had changed many times, the coral soul beast colony continued to thrive and grow ever stronger.
Suddenly, the waters near the island split open as the Demonic Tiger Whale King, dragging its battered body, leapt ashore. Blood and entrails spilled from its mouth as it collapsed powerlessly on the ground, critically wounded.
Li Ya's desperate counterattack hadn't managed to kill the Demonic Tiger Whale King outright.
After all, a king of a dominant sea species wasn't so easily slain.
But now, the Demonic Tiger Whale King was close to death. Half its body was gone. Conventional healing methods couldn't save it. Even though it had barely escaped, without effective treatment, death was inevitable.
The longer it lingered, the more pain it would endure.
But the Demonic Tiger Whale King knew—it still had one sliver of hope.
That's why it had come to this island.
The whale king began calling into the depths of the island.
"Lord Demon Empress, I bring… critical intelligence… please, save me…"
The one residing here in seclusion was the shadowy nurturer behind the Demonic Tiger Whale clan—the most powerful being the Demonic Tiger Whale King had ever known.
At last, from the island's depths came a calm, female voice.
Her tone carried inherent authority—rich, mature, and noble.
"What intelligence?"
The Demonic Tiger Whale King dared not show disrespect. Straining to speak, it replied, "I've discovered… traces of the Mermaid Clan…"
"And what about the Devil Soul Great White Shark Clan?" she asked next, unconcerned with the whale king's injuries.
"Still… not found," it answered truthfully, then quickly added, "But please save me! I'll definitely track down the Devil Soul Great White Sharks! The Mermaid Clan once lived near Sea God Island, so they're likely connected!"
Driven by desperation to survive, it managed to speak much more fluently than before.
But its condition resembled a dying flare—one last burst before extinction.
"Useless trash."
The woman's voice cut off the whale king's loyal plea.
"I poured so many resources into your kind… and now your entire force is wiped out in one trip. A disgrace to the bloodline of the Demonic Tiger Whales!"
"There are still others of your blood in the sea. You are not indispensable. And now… you are worthless."
The whale king fell silent, despair washing over its eyes.
The next moment, a beam of purple light shot from the island's depths, striking the whale king's body and knocking it back into the sea.
Its life, already a flickering candle in the wind, was extinguished for good.
Its corpse sank beneath the waves and was quickly devoured by unseen marine creatures. Only streaks of blood floated upward, absorbed by the coral soul beasts on the island.
Even the blood that had splattered onto the island was slowly absorbed, leaving not a trace behind.
Not a single drop was wasted.
Then the woman's voice echoed again across the island and beneath the sea.
"Find the Mermaid Clan and the Devil Soul Great White Shark Clan!"
"And bring back more Demonic Tiger Whales for cultivation."
The Demonic Tiger Whales, natural enemies of the Devil Soul Great White Sharks, were worth raising. With enough numbers, even the Deep Sea Demon Whale wouldn't dare challenge them directly.
As her voice faded, the sea beneath the island erupted with violent turbulence—many fearsome entities had departed.
When the waters calmed again, the island returned to its serene, hidden state.
The coral soul beasts' powers masked the island's existence from the outside world once more.
But the inhabitants didn't notice—far out in the deep sea, a mermaid spirit was dragging the soul of the Demonic Tiger Whale King, fleeing rapidly into the distance.
That mermaid soul belonged to the Sea Princess—killed by the Demonic Tiger Whale King with a single bite.
But now, the tables had turned.
The Sea Princess's soul, infused with the power of the Myriad Soul Douluo, had just transformed into a ghostly form. Even so, it had gained substantial power and had been sent to track the fleeing Demonic Tiger Whale King.
Unexpectedly, she had uncovered critical intelligence.
As she fled, she took the whale king's soul with her. Although the whale king had been stronger in life, its soul was no match for the Sea Princess, whose ghost body had been refined.
Dragged along, the whale king's soul struggled violently—but it had no chance of escape.
…
"That island… it seems something major is hiding there." Huo Yuhao quickly grasped the situation, eyes gleaming with insight.
He had a strong suspicion who was hiding there.
Of all the strong beings left in the sea, only one matched the description—the Demon Empress, wife of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King!
She had every reason to move against the Devil Soul Great White Shark Clan—and had, in fact, wiped them out entirely, leaving only the princess, Bai Xiu Xiu.
Discovering the Demon Empress had been sheer coincidence.
But a fortunate one.
Still, Huo Yuhao didn't have time to confront her right now.
He was currently journeying north to the Frozen Sea with Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Han Ruoruo on an investigation mission.
The sacrificial ritual had concluded.
Huo Yuhao had successfully advanced to Titled Douluo. Thanks to Li Ya's sacrifice, it appeared to the outside world as though he had absorbed her complete essence, ten-thousand-year soul ring, and soul bone, and so he adjusted his soul power aura to Rank 93.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan had reached Rank 82. Li Jing's potential hadn't been as strong as Li Ya's, and much of her power had gone into boosting Jiang Nannan to Rank 80 and enhancing her physical body.
Fortunately, Jiang Nannan's god trial was deemed complete.
The Fifth Trial began.
Its title: "Genesis"—requiring Jiang Nannan to develop a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with another person. The reward: 20% affinity with the Goddess of Love.
This trial left Jiang Nannan completely at a loss.
After all, martial soul fusion skills weren't something one could just develop on command.
But for the sake of her divine trial, she had to try. So Jiang Nannan would return to Shrek Academy to consult with Xuan Zi and others and look up relevant records in the inner court library.
Additionally, she would bring news of the Frozen Sea back to Shrek.
Compared to the others, Jiang Nannan's strength was lacking—so she couldn't afford to take risks.
Truthfully, if circumstances had allowed, Jiang Nannan would've loved to consult Huo Yuhao. He was the only soul master she knew with more than one martial soul fusion skill. He might know some special methods.
But in the end, they had to part ways.
Back at the Ice Sea, his clone had already completed the preparations.