Huo Yuhao's squad was severely wounded and brought back to the town by Zhang Lexuan.
Ma Xiaotao, Wu Ming, Hua Yao, Xiao Xiao, and Meng Hongchen—the five girls—were all injured to varying degrees from the shockwave of the Corpse Explosion technique.
Fortunately, they were not weaklings themselves. Since Huo Yuhao and Ling Luocheng had been the primary targets of the explosion, the girls weren't hurt too seriously, and their foundations remained intact.
Even with healing-type soul masters assisting them, it would still take about half a month for them to fully recover.
Ling Luocheng, due to being in a Martial Soul Fusion state with Huo Yuhao, was largely shielded from the explosion's impact. Her only issue was severe soul power depletion, which would take at least three days to recover from.
This was primarily due to the extremely soul-power-consuming nature of their Fusion Technique.
Only Huo Yuhao, having taken the brunt of the Corpse Explosion, was gravely injured. Fortunately, his strength was formidable enough to keep the injuries under control.
However, he wouldn't be able to fight at full strength for at least a month and would need between six months to a year for full recovery.
With this, Huo Yuhao had achieved his goal.
The true purpose of this ambush was to create a legitimate excuse for Huo Yuhao and the girls to withdraw from the battlefield, effectively weakening the upper-tier fighting strength of the Investigation Corps.
Especially since Huo Yuhao had no intention of continuing to fight.
He was genuinely afraid that Zhang Lexuan, in a sudden bout of madness, might try to form an elite squad and charge into Lingdou City to investigate.
It wasn't paranoia—Zhang Lexuan had indeed discussed such an idea with him and had even started preparing for it.
Rather than dealing with an endless zombie army, it would be more effective to decapitate the chain of command and end the crisis faster.
No doubt, if an elite team were assembled, Huo Yuhao would be a core member and the main force.
Huo Yuhao's injury made Zhang Lexuan completely abandon the plan. Not only did he need an extended recovery, but she also feared that the Death God Envoy might detonate all the corpses in Lingdou City.
The risk was simply too great—the plan had to be scrapped.
Thus, the Investigation Corps' operations were stalled.
Zhang Lexuan had no choice but to send word to the Academy and await further instructions or reinforcements.
Had Xuan Zii still been at the Academy, he would definitely have come to personally hunt the Death God Envoy—after all, the messenger was Xuan Zii's greatest regret.
Sacrificing a titled Douluo-level zombie dragon and a horde of lesser zombies was no big deal for Huo Yuhao.
As long as the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie completed its evolution, everything would be worth it.
Moreover, there was an unexpected bonus from this operation.
Huo Yuhao and his team remained in the town to recover and did not return to the Academy or continue zombie extermination missions.
Three nights later...
A surprise visitor arrived at Huo Yuhao's room.
"Hua Yao, what brings you here?" Huo Yuhao asked, puzzled as he welcomed her into his room.
While closing the door, he cast a thoughtful glance toward a dark corner outside—he had sensed someone following Hua Yao, but it was someone familiar.
Once inside, Hua Yao shut the door behind her.
This made Huo Yuhao even more confused.
To be honest, he had been planning to keep a low profile lately.
After the door closed, Hua Yao took a deep breath, stared straight into his eyes, and asked bluntly:
"Huo Yuhao, what secret are you hiding?"
Huo Yuhao: "…Huh???"
It's the middle of the night, and you're here to perform Victoria's Secret?
Did she discover something?
Should he silence her?
Huo Yuhao started seriously considering it.
Thankfully, Hua Yao didn't play the riddle game and quickly revealed her thoughts, saving herself.
"I've been watching you for a long time!"
"Dean Xian and Dean Cai are tight-lipped about your situation. Ma Xiaotao and Luocheng, before they lost their memories, also kept secrets regarding you."
"But I still noticed something strange. Ma Xiaotao and Luocheng's power levels started skyrocketing after meeting you. Once they lost their memories, their growth returned to normal."
"And not just them—Vina and the members of the Hao Alliance also have unnatural power growth."
"So I boldly deduced—you have some way to rapidly boost people's strength, don't you?!"
"I'm guessing Dean Xian's breakthrough to Super Douluo also has something to do with you!"
Huo Yuhao stayed silent in response.
Girl, stop asking questions… there's hell ahead.
But Hua Yao suddenly bowed deeply and said sincerely,
"Huo Yuhao, Leader Huo, please help me! I want power—I want to take revenge with my own hands! Even if I have to pay everything, I won't regret it!"
Huo Yuhao quickly stepped aside.
"Hua Yao-senpai, please don't… This is… difficult to explain. You should just go back."
But she didn't straighten up.
Maintaining her bowed posture, she continued,
"I don't want to stay weak anymore. It was because of my recklessness and weakness that we nearly died to the Death God Envoy."
"I don't want to live through the pain of watching my comrades die and being powerless to stop it. I understand clearly now—only you can help me gain the strength to protect those I care about!"
"Are you really going to let me remain helpless when my friends are in danger again?"
Having lost someone she loved, Hua Yao now cherished her companions even more. To protect them, she was willing to pay any price.
"This…"
Huo Yuhao looked helpless.
Hua Yao had used honorifics, laid out both noble purpose and personal feelings—what could he do?
At last, Huo Yuhao sighed and turned his back to her.
In a low voice, he said,
"Alright. I'll tell you. My body has a special constitution—it allows me to help females I'm close to rapidly increase their strength and even trigger Martial Soul evolution."
"What?!" Hua Yao shot upright, eyes wide in shock. She hadn't expected that answer.
It was surprising, yet made perfect sense.
After all, the ones who benefited were all close to Huo Yuhao—no wonder he could openly maintain a harem at Shrek Academy.
With her intelligence, Hua Yao immediately grasped how valuable this ability would be to any power or faction.
But then she thought of the many girls in the Hao Alliance who had all experienced rapid growth…
Did that mean they had that kind of relationship with Huo Yuhao too?
So that's the price for power?
"Sigh." Huo Yuhao sighed again, still facing away.
"My special constitution isn't something everyone can handle. If it ever got out, I could be in danger—and it would damage both my reputation and the Academy's."
"So please, Hua Yao-senpai, go back. I just hope you can keep this a secret."
But before he finished speaking, a sweet fragrance wafted toward him, and a soft body leaned against his firm back.
Hua Yao was still a virgin girl—though she'd made a bold move, her body stiffened with nervousness, unsure what to do next.
Yet her mind was clear.
"The best way to keep a secret… is to become part of it. Huo Yuhao, I don't ask for anything—just power."
"If you can help others, why not help me? I'm not that bad, right?"
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao was at a loss.
He felt like he had met a true master of persuasion this time.
Huo Yuhao: "Hua Yao, please don't…"
Suddenly, his room door was pushed open from the outside.
Wu Ming barged in, full of fury.
She had been tailing Hua Yao earlier.
Just as Hua Yao was about to explain and defend Huo Yuhao...
Wu Ming pointed at him and barked:
"Huo Yuhao, what the hell? One isn't enough? You aiming for a threesome?"
Then she flopped down onto Huo Yuhao's bed.
"Let's do it. For Yao Yao's sake, I don't mind!"
Hua Yao: "???"
Huo Yuhao: Another master?!
The sun had climbed high in the sky.
Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and gently pushed away two delicate arms draped over him—one on his left, one on his right.
But they didn't belong to the same person.
Looking to the left, then to the right, he saw Wu Ming and Hua Yao, both clearly awake yet pretending to sleep. However, the blush on their cheeks betrayed their current emotions.
Last night, Huo Yuhao had tried to refuse. But since he was "injured" and "too weak to resist," the two women ended up overpowering him.
At the time, Huo Yuhao really wanted to ask them, "Do you two realize this is a crime?" But unfortunately, a kiss had silenced him.
With a sigh, Huo Yuhao sat up, dressed quietly, and stepped outside.
Just before leaving, he glanced back at the two women, sighed again, and finally pushed open the door to leave completely.
It was only long after his departure that Wu Ming and Hua Yao overcame their embarrassment and opened their eyes. As their gazes met, awkwardness filled the air.
Not a trace of their wildness from the night before remained.
"…Why did you get involved last night?" Hua Yao spoke first. "You didn't have to be part of it."
Wu Ming glared and shot back angrily, "I was just curious about what you were up to, but then I overheard your conversation with him—and you set the mood too well! I acted on impulse, alright?"
"Besides, I want to get stronger so I can protect everyone too!"
"And let's be honest, no one wants me. He's strong enough to handle me. Probably only someone like him could."
Despite her tough and fiery nature, Wu Ming wasn't immune to longing. But her temper and dominant personality often scared off men.
Even in the original story, Chu Qingtian only accepted her because she took the initiative, and he knew he wouldn't die from it.
Now, after this reckless night, Wu Ming admitted she was satisfied with Huo Yuhao. But knowing she wasn't his only woman still made her feel bitter.
Sensing Wu Ming's shift in mood, Hua Yao pulled her into a comforting hug.
The two sat in silence for a while.
"…Let's check our cultivation progress first," Hua Yao suggested.
"Yeah." Wu Ming perked up, putting on a fierce expression. "If he lied to us, I'll fight him to the death!"
But they weren't disappointed.
Moments later, both women opened their eyes in shock—they had each gained an entire level overnight!
"One level in one night… That means, in a week, we could both…" Wu Ming suddenly had a daring thought.
Thankfully, Hua Yao stopped her. "There's a price to pay. Our bodies probably can't handle… that frequently."
She sighed. "If we want another chance, we should apologize to him properly."
"He wouldn't dare refuse!" Wu Ming said in disbelief—until Hua Yao shot her a look. She muttered, "With that many girls around him, adding us two won't make a difference. Besides, we just wanted to get stronger, it's not like we're asking for anything else."
Hua Yao was silent.
Last night, maybe they truly had only been after power. But today, things were no longer that simple.
Soon after, both women dressed and decided not to linger in Huo Yuhao's room.
Before leaving, they took the two "plum blossoms" left on the bedsheet—though they couldn't tell whose was whose, taking one each seemed fair.
"Don't tell anyone about this, Mingming. Understand?" Hua Yao reminded her.
Wu Ming nodded seriously. "Got it, Yaoyao."
Supporting each other, they quietly slipped out of Huo Yuhao's room, carefully avoiding passersby as they hurried back to their own.
———
"Yuhao, I want to help you with your cultivation."
Ling Luochen said this to Huo Yuhao.
He was sipping tea leisurely when she suddenly dropped that line. His hand trembled mid-sip.
Wait, shouldn't I be the one saying that line?
Did we just switch roles?
Setting down his cup, Huo Yuhao looked at her suspiciously.
After Wu Ming and Hua Yao had left, Huo Yuhao returned to his room. The two women, at least, had the decency to clean up the mess—though they did leave two holes in his bedsheet.
Luckily, supplies were plentiful, and Huo Yuhao had picked up a new sheet from logistics.
Then, Ling Luochen showed up and said she wanted to "help him cultivate."
"Speak." Huo Yuhao responded.
Ling Luochen sat across from him and explained softly.
She had fully recovered her energy. Remembering how Huo Yuhao had been seriously injured protecting them, she wanted to do something for him in return.
She read in the academy library that soul masters with martial soul fusion techniques could cultivate together to speed up soul power growth—and even help with injury recovery.
So, she wanted to give it a try with him.
Huo Yuhao looked speechless.
He had read that same book before.
And yeah, joint cultivation did accelerate soul power growth. But injury recovery? That only worked if one partner had healing or life-related attributes.
The book conveniently left that part out.
Huo Yuhao had discovered the truth the hard way.
And the reason no one had caught the mistake? Because that book was locked in the inner court's library, which few disciples could even enter—let alone test its claims with an actual fusion partner.
As for who wrote that book… let's just say: those who know, know.
The inner court's original collection was personally curated by the Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang from ten thousand years ago. The rest was added by others later.
But since Ling Luochen was already here—why not try it?
Besides, it had been a while since he cultivated with her. Though accidents during cultivation were rare… they weren't impossible.
So, during their session, the ice element went out of control. To suppress the backlash, Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen were forced to take things to the next level.
Unexpectedly, it rekindled a sense of innocence Huo Yuhao hadn't felt in a long time.
When Ling Luochen left his place, her cheeks were flushed, her steps unsteady, and her clothes completely changed.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao also changed and headed to logistics for another new bedsheet.
Regular sheets simply couldn't handle the power of Ultimate Ice.
The logistics junior eyeing him had a very odd expression.
After all, at Shrek Academy, everyone knew—this Pavilion Master's luck with women was just as legendary as his cultivation speed.
Given Huo Yuhao's talent, strength, looks, and personality… even a straight junior might occasionally think:
Life is short—why not give it a try?
"Huo Yuhao, you and Luo Chen did this behind my back… It's just cultivation and healing, isn't it? I also share a Martial Soul Fusion Technique with you—so why can't I do it with you?"
"Cut the crap! Huo Yuhao, are you even a man? I'm not scared, so what are you afraid of?"
"Move it, get in the room with me!"
Ma Xiaotao, though late, finally arrived.
Naturally, the incident of Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen losing control of their ice attributes couldn't be hidden from everyone, so Huo Yuhao admitted that they had used a Martial Soul Fusion Technique to heal.
And that news soon reached Ma Xiaotao.
Wanting to recover from her injuries quickly as well, she barged in and dragged Huo Yuhao into the room, demanding they begin cultivating.
With Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao didn't even need to do much—
Ling Luochen, who had heard the news, arrived shortly after.
She activated her external soul bone—Serpent's Kiss. The thin, coiling serpent tongue gave her a snake-like aura, wrapping around like a python.
After that night, there was no big argument. Instead, both Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen came to a realization—
Ling Luochen had already suspected it last time but hadn't dared to bring it up herself.
In the end, the two women concluded that before they lost their memories, their relationships with Huo Yuhao had already been anything but simple.
Ma Xiaotao was particularly frustrated. She couldn't understand why her past self would agree to share a man with other women.
Ling Luochen, while embarrassed, was also deeply curious about their past.
So, both women left afterward, intending to ask others who knew them well to learn more about their histories with Huo Yuhao—
Especially those who had also lost their memories.
If all of them had a similar relationship with Huo Yuhao… they didn't even want to imagine what that meant.
At the very least, Ma Xiaotao now looked at Huo Yuhao like he was some kind of scumbag.
Still, the existence of the Martial Soul Fusion Techniques kept their ties to Huo Yuhao intact—no matter how emotional they got, they wouldn't sever the connection so easily.
For the third time, Huo Yuhao visited the logistics department. His younger schoolmates gazed at him with awe.
Then, not two days later, Han Ruoruo came looking for him to relax.
In truth, Han Ruoruo was trying to avoid Wang Yan.
When she returned from a mission, Wang Yan was the first to find Huo Yuhao.
Due to his limited strength, Wang Yan had stayed back in the small town as a strategist, coordinating missions and providing valuable plans, earning recognition from the monitoring squad.
Facing Wang Yan, Han Ruoruo could only brush him off, using exhaustion as an excuse to be alone.
She didn't know how to face him anymore. She wanted to break off the engagement but didn't know how to bring it up—so she kept delaying, hoping for a better opportunity.
Avoiding Wang Yan and not seeing him at all was the best option for now.
Wang Yan didn't suspect anything.
He even thoughtfully made Han Ruoruo a meal and then left quietly, believing he was guarding her with love.
For someone insecure in a relationship, this was enough to feel valuable.
But the meal he made only went cold on Han Ruoruo's table—
Because right after he left, Han Ruoruo headed straight for Huo Yuhao's room.
After their intense time together, Han Ruoruo nestled in Huo Yuhao's arms, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
"Ruoruo, I'll go to Teacher Wang Yan's family myself and explain everything. That way, you won't have to suffer anymore," said Huo Yuhao.
Han Ruoruo sat up slightly and gently pressed a finger to his lips, shaking her head.
"You can't do that. This is my mistake. I won't let this tarnish your name or the Academy's reputation," she said.
If the first time was an accident, her return to him now was an intentional betrayal.
"But…" Huo Yuhao tried to speak.
Han Ruoruo interrupted him,
"Let this be my punishment. I don't want to think about anything else right now. I just want to enjoy this time with you, Yuhao… Love me~"
That night, Han Ruoruo completely let go, pouring out all her emotions.
So Huo Yuhao went to the logistics department again—for another bedsheet.
Which earned him a new title: "The Bedsheet Destroyer."
He didn't expect to find someone already in his room when he returned with the sheet.
It was Zhang Lexuan!
Her expression was icy—she had clearly come to confront him.
"Senior Sister?" Huo Yuhao tested the waters.
"Please call me Captain," she said coldly.
"Uh… Captain Zhang? What brings you here?"
"Do you really want me to say it out loud?" she snapped. "A Titled Douluo's movements might deceive others, but not me."
Huo Yuhao realized she had caught Han Ruoruo sneaking over—and understood what was happening between them.
Maybe she already knew about Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Hua Yao, Wu Ming too.
She was the town's guardian—nothing could escape her perception.
The others were single and willingly involved with Huo Yuhao, so she had said nothing.
After all, he was a famous figure in Shrek Academy, always surrounded by girls—even after losing his memories.
But Han Ruoruo was different. She was engaged.
Zhang Lexuan knew that if this got out, it could seriously damage the Academy's reputation.
Then Huo Yuhao suddenly wondered—was Zhang Lexuan spying on him again?
"Shouldn't you explain yourself, Lord Pavilion Master?" she demanded. "You don't feel ashamed at all?"
Her words pulled Huo Yuhao back to reality. He tried to reply,
"There are complicated reasons for this..."
But before he could explain further, four figures suddenly appeared in the room—four maids, surrounding them.
"What are you doing here?" Zhang Lexuan frowned. She hadn't summoned them. Their hidden presence disturbed her.
Even more, she hadn't sensed them at all—something was off.
Jin'er smiled: "Captain—no, Holy Maiden, we just noticed you were visiting Yuhao and decided to stop by. We accidentally overheard some things."
"Holy Maiden?" Zhang Lexuan frowned at the unfamiliar title.
Mu'er, hands clasped at her chest: "Actually, Holy Maiden, you've misunderstood Yuhao. He's not that kind of person."
Shui'er nodded: "Yeah! And we used to have that kind of relationship with him too!"
Zhang Lexuan's eyes widened in shock.
Huo'er added cheerfully: "Holy Maiden, you said your cultivation's been stuck lately, right? And that your body feels uncomfortable during training? Well, now that we're all here—why not let us prove your relationship with Yuhao!"
"What… are you talking about? Who are you people?!" Zhang Lexuan grew wary and ready to fight.
But then her expression stiffened—
Her soul core began to resonate strangely, reacting to Huo Yuhao's presence.
He feigned confusion too, as if affected himself—his eyes starting to glaze over.
The four maids exchanged knowing glances, then smiled—
Together, they laid out the sheet, isolated the room with soul power—
And another night of indulgence began.
At dawn, Zhang Lexuan and the four maids left together.
From their mouths, Zhang Lexuan learned more about her and Huo Yuhao's past.
She was overwhelmed—too confused to even think about last night. She just wanted peace, and to go consult the Sea God Pavilion Elders for answers.
Only Huo Yuhao was left, cleaning up the mess.
He picked up another bedsheet from logistics—
And on the way back, he ran into Xiao Xiao and Meng Hongchen, out for a morning walk.
"Yuhao, wanna… take a walk with us?" Xiao Xiao asked shyly.
Meng Hongchen eyed the sheet in his arms curiously.
Why did this guy change sheets so often?
But then she remembered how her brother Xiao Hongchen sometimes brought home "secret good stuff" and changed his sheets the next day too…
Too bad he never let her see it.
Could Yuhao be doing the same?
Huo Yuhao: So, Xiao Xiao… have you finally found your track?
And so, in the small town, Huo Yuhao began a life of diligently helping others cultivate.
To avoid continuously ruining the bedsheets, Huo Yuhao kept changing his cultivation locations.
Was cultivation supposed to be such a disruptive thing?
The common thread: everyone was addicted to cultivation and couldn't extricate themselves.
In this bliss, thoughts of Shrek were forgotten.
The Golden Ancient Tree Accelerator was just for fun—if there was a real cheat code, it was Huo Yuhao himself.
Currently, those publicly cultivating hard included Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Hua Yao, Wu Ming, Han Ruoruo, Zhang Lexuan, and four maidservants.
In secret, there were also Huo Alliance girls like Lan Luoluo, Lan Susu, and Cui Yajie.
Among them, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Zhang Lexuan had all undergone the divine baptism of the Love God. Their physiques and spiritual power were enhanced, and they shared true Martial Soul Fusion Techniques with Huo Yuhao, giving them greater benefits and improved results from cultivation.
Zhang Lexuan even broke through her bottleneck, reaching level 95 and officially becoming a Super Douluo.
Everyone else also made progress.
Of course, Huo Yuhao reaped benefits too, primarily in the area of attribute power cultivation.
Wu Ming and Hua Yao were also planted with attribute seeds by Huo Yuhao—Wu Ming was clearly fire-aligned, while Hua Yao was more compatible with the kindness attribute.
After an unexpected incident, Huo Yuhao discovered that Zhang Lexuan, aligned with the evil attribute, and Hua Yao, aligned with kindness, had particularly outstanding cultivation results with him.
Despite the number of girls he helped, Huo Yuhao still had time for himself.
For example, he'd go on dates and shopping trips with Xiao Xiao and Meng Hongchen.
Or he would secretly help other girls cultivate on the side for some extra income.
Huo Yuhao felt he was frighteningly strong—he proudly called himself the "Working Emperor."
Of course, all the girls understood moderation—mainly because their bodies couldn't withstand the impact of such rapid growth.
And due to the nature of this cultivation method, at Zhang Lexuan's suggestion, the girls chose to keep it a secret—maintaining their normal relationships with Huo Yuhao.
Part of it was to protect Huo Yuhao's physique-related secrets, and part was about preserving Shrek Academy's reputation.
Before becoming the Sea God Pavilion Master, Huo Yuhao could do as he liked—but after that, he represented the Pavilion and the Academy itself, so he had to be cautious.
To maximize cultivation benefits, Zhang Lexuan even created a detailed "schedule," assigning each girl specific times and frequencies to cultivate with Huo Yuhao, and reorganized the cultivation pairings based on observed effectiveness.
For instance: Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen formed a group; Zhang Lexuan and Hua Yao another; Wu Ming and Han Ruoruo a third; the four maids made up the last group. They'd even swap occasionally.
It was the most optimized lineup determined through experiments.
One could say it was more meticulously calculated than managing daily active users.
Zhang Lexuan's original words were:
"The Academy is facing enormous challenges—we must seize every opportunity to improve ourselves! This is for the sake of the Academy!"
Knowing the situation, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but think—Zhang Lexuan's affinity with the evil attribute made sense.
She was what you'd call a "sinister white moonlight."
Of course, Huo Yuhao never stopped cultivating himself—he was always working hard.
But when he cultivated, he would enter either the Realm of Wisdom or the Rakshasa Realm.
Partly because his cultivation caused too much disturbance, partly because the secret realms offered greater benefits.
In the Realm of Wisdom:
He trained alongside his companions like the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion and Skydream Iceworm, under the guidance of the Holy Feathered Serpent and Electrolux—further developing his abilities and researching new techniques.
It could be considered a "meeting of minds." Huo Yuhao also generously shared the Pudu Cihang inheritance and much of his experience.
This helped everyone make progress.
Skydream and the others developed divine abilities; the Holy Feathered Serpent and Electrolux refined their paths. Huo Yuhao himself deepened his understanding of his various abilities and created new techniques.
The Pudu Cihang legacy was powerful, but stagnation would lead to ruin. To carve his own path, Huo Yuhao needed to forge his own unique cultivation road.
The creation of the "Demonic Soul Method" was one such attempt.
As a side note: the Holy Feathered Serpent began cultivating the Demonic Soul Method with Huo Yuhao.
With Huo Yuhao acting as a personal accelerator, how could it pass up the opportunity? It wanted to quickly regain its strength.
Skydream and the others were green with envy.
Without physical bodies, they could only cultivate their souls or convert to ghost cultivators. Rebuilding their physical forms would require Huo Yuhao's journey to the Divine Realm.
Gods could indeed rebuild bodies for souls—but not from thin air. They needed materials and divine power as support.
During his cultivation, Huo Yuhao also continued researching methods to counter the Sea God—and made new progress. This time, the results were laser-focused and no longer misdirected.
As for dealing with the Asura God, he drew inspiration from Rakshasa powers—emphasizing devouring techniques, useful for stealing the Asura position via the Rakshasa God's authority.
Now that Huo Yuhao controlled the divine consciousness and power of both the Sea God and Asura God, if he followed the Holy Feathered Serpent's plans, he had a good chance of dragging Tang San down from his godhood.
Speaking of the Rakshasa God, that brings us to Bibi Dong.
Huo Yuhao's cultivation in the Rakshasa Realm was... intense.
But highly effective.
Bibi Dong provided massive quantities of evil attribute power—just like her "ample bosom," it was abundant and satisfying.
And under Huo Yuhao's relentless efforts, she gradually succumbed to the influence of the Seed of Corruption—her pride crumbling bit by bit.
Now, Huo Yuhao could even bring in Cain and pit the two generations of Rakshasa Gods against each other—thoroughly inspecting their differences inside and out.
Yet even now, Bibi Dong had never revealed anything about the Angel God.
Perhaps the memory of Qian Renxue was the last sacred place in her heart.
But Huo Yuhao wasn't in a hurry. In Shrek Academy's inner library, he had found detailed records about the old Spirit Hall and Spirit City—including maps. Visiting those ruins might turn up something valuable.
As for Ziji, she had completely fallen—from a proud dragon to a shameless swine.
She was now Huo Yuhao's most devoted believer, more fanatical than any zealot.
When pleasure becomes an addiction, people lose their sense of self—becoming slaves to desire.
"The power of bliss is terrifying," Huo Yuhao sighed.
After dealing with them, the immortal herbs imprisoned with them naturally couldn't be spared.
But for now, Huo Yuhao hadn't touched the herbs.
He was letting them prepare to take human form.
Naturally, they'd all become his furnaces.
Huo Yuhao planned to use their essence in the future to make a breakthrough to First-Class God.
Aside from the two secret realms, Huo Yuhao often cultivated inside the Hao Emperor Banner—his life-bound treasure, which greatly boosted his efforts.
And when tired of training, he could also relax a bit.
The fifth level: a world of ice and snow.
Huo Yuhao arrived.
Snow Empress and Ice Empress sensed what was coming.
That day... had finally arrived!
Though they had mentally prepared, they still felt nervous when the moment truly came.
Snow Empress made up her mind and stood in front of Ice Empress, facing Huo Yuhao.
"Let me take Ice's place."
But as sisters, Ice Empress couldn't bear to let Snow Empress suffer alone.
She pushed Snow Empress aside.
"Snow is innocent. If anything, take it out on me!"
Huo Yuhao sneered,
"A snow spirit and a scorpion, speaking so boldly? You must really not take me seriously!"
Boom!
While Huo Yuhao was recuperating in the Dou Ling Empire, the situation on the continent did not calm down just because of his temporary peace.
Instead, war broke out in full force.
With the high-level members of Shrek Academy delayed by the Sun Moon Empire's diplomatic mission, and the inspection team held back by the zombie legions, the Sun Moon Empire launched an all-out assault on both the Star Luo Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire.
The battles were fierce and quickly spiraled out of control.
Surprisingly, the Sun Moon Empire didn't even deploy the Beast King Legion. With just the Ten Directions Army, they managed to breach the borders of both the Star Luo and Heavenly Soul Empires.
The Heavenly Soul Empire fared a bit better. Since they weren't the main target and had the support of the Body Sect, the Sun Moon Empire halted their deeper invasion, and their troops remained stationed in the barren northwest.
But for the Star Luo Empire, the main target of the assault, the situation was dire.
The troops stationed at the Mingdou Mountain Range were quickly overrun by the Sun Moon Empire. The reason for this defeat was simple: the enemy was strong, and they were weak.
The disappearance of Dai Hao caused instability within the Star Luo frontlines. Though the White Tiger Duke's manor tried to restore order and even Dai Huabin joined the military to help stabilize morale, the damage had already been done.
Internal power struggles within the White Tiger Duke's manor and their deteriorating relationship with the royal family further weakened the frontlines.
Once Dai Hao was gone, his soldiers became targets for various factions vying for control.
Even the White Tiger Duke's manor couldn't hold on to all of them.
Although the Star Luo Empire had prepared for conflict by sending many powerful soul masters to guard the borders after the Dou Ling incident, the Sun Moon Empire had their own aces up their sleeve.
Though they had lost the Mingde Hall's soul tool arsenal, the Worship Hall still had several Super Douluo—all groomed by Xu Tianchen himself.
In addition to the Ten Directions Army, Xu Tianchen deployed the newly formed Imperial Reverse Scale Special Soul Master Corps—his own elite unit.
This fifty-member elite force contained over ten Title Douluo and every other member was at least a Soul Douluo, each equipped with a full set of advanced soul tools.
Their combat strength was terrifying.
They were capable of even slaying Super Douluo.
By pairing the Worship Hall's Super Douluo with the Reverse Scale unit, they executed a series of decapitation strikes on the Star Luo Empire's frontline leadership. The result: a complete collapse of command.
Then, the Ten Directions Army launched an overwhelming offensive.
Without commanders, how could the troops mount any effective resistance?
The frontline Star Luo troops were routed.
Only a few escaped—mostly private forces of nobles. The rest were either killed or wounded.
This time, the Sun Moon Empire didn't go for a massacre. After killing around 30% of the soldiers, the remaining troops surrendered. Over 60% of the Star Luo soldiers were captured.
Less than 10% managed to escape, and most of them were noble private armies.
The fact that 30% had to be killed before the rest surrendered was surprising in itself—usually killing 10%, maybe 20%, is enough to break the enemy.
People think soldiers are all loyal to the death? Please. Most are just trying to make a living. Winning is fine, but when losing, no one wants to stick around.
One thing was clear: the soldiers trained by Dai Hao had substance.
The Tiger King may have fallen, but his legacy remained.
However, this time the elite soldiers were all gone. Those who remained had lost the will to fight. Even if they returned to battle, they wouldn't be stronger than average troops.
This defeat was far more devastating than in the original story. At least in the original, the Star Luo Empire could retreat while fighting and shrink their defenses. Dai Hao also didn't go missing.
This time, they didn't even have the chance to regroup.
The gates of the Star Luo Empire were now wide open to the Sun Moon Empire.
The captured soldiers were detained separately. Those with potential or notable identities were sent to Mingdu for Xu Tianchen to decide their fate.
Before the war began, Xu Tianchen made one thing very clear—human talent is the most valuable asset.
Not all soldiers in the Douluo Continent's armies were ordinary men—many were soul masters, including a good number of women.
And among them, many were of exceptional quality.
At the Sun Moon Empire's Frontline Headquarters
The supreme commander, Imperial Grand General and Right Prime Minister—Juzi—sat behind her desk, managing military operations and other matters.
She reviewed reports from the frontlines.
Most were victories.
But there were still some flaws.
"Most of the White Tiger Duke's manor members have been eliminated. However, the successor Dai Huabin escaped with the help of his guards. His whereabouts are currently unknown."
Juzi's eyes glinted with cold light.
"Lucky he ran fast."
"Dai Hao, I can't take revenge on you—but now that I have the Empire's support, I'll destroy the Star Luo Empire and kill Dai Huabin with my own hands. Your son will pay your debt!"
Huo Yuhao had fulfilled his promise to Juzi, making her the highest commander on the frontlines and bestowing upon her the title of Grand General. She now had the power to exact her revenge.
Clad in red armor, she was valiant and heroic—gone was the cute, naïve girl of the past. Protected by the Fire Phoenix Soul Tool Corps and holding high authority in the empire, she had become one of the most powerful women on the continent.
Perhaps this was Juzi's true form.
The innocent girl she once was belonged to a lost childhood. The cold, calculating general was a product of her vengeance.
War took her father, destroyed her family, and forced her into exile in the Sun Moon Empire.
Juzi no longer cared who was right or wrong—all she knew was that Dai Hao's war caused her tragedy.
Just as Juzi was devising a new assault plan for the Star Luo Empire, a female guard from the Fire Phoenix Corps arrived outside her tent with news:
"Grand General, an envoy from the Star Luo Empire has arrived with a personal letter from the emperor."
Juzi raised an eyebrow, then said, "Let him in."
The envoy—a civilian official who was also an agility-type soul master—entered respectfully, bowing low without raising his head. He quickly presented the letter from Emperor Xu Jiawei.
The female guard checked it first, then handed it to Juzi.
The letter was straightforward—not angry condemnation, but a plea for peace. The Star Luo Empire was willing to make concessions, even cede territory.
Juzi smirked.
"Looks like they were scared by what happened in the Dou Ling Empire."
This peace request may not reflect Xu Jiawei's true intentions, but many Star Luo nobles clearly wanted it.
Why sacrifice the whole empire when they could save their own interests? That was the logic of aristocrats and great families.
Juzi had expected this.
But her goal this time was total annihilation.
"Still… this might be useful."
She smiled slightly and told the envoy:
"I will inform His Majesty. Return and await a reply."
Her tone was proud—fitting for the situation.
The envoy didn't dare say more, only expressing his gratitude and leaving respectfully.
Being allowed to return alive—he was beyond grateful.
After the envoy left, Juzi immediately gave orders to notify the Shrek Academy delegation, instructing them to divert to Star Luo City and negotiate with Star Luo leadership.
As for informing Xu Tianchen and letting him make a decision—Juzi didn't even consider it.
"What a joke. Xu Tianchen's barely managed anything in the empire—it's always been me and Tang Ya running the show."
"I swear on my 'two big Juzi' that Xu Tianchen is still busy messing around in the harem."
"And yet he still became an Ultimate Douluo—where's the justice in that?!"