Seeing Juzi challenge Xu Qiudi to a soul duel, both Luanfeng and Lion King Douluo watched intently through the barrier, becoming alert.
"If I'm not mistaken, your Grand Marshal has only recently broken through to become a Titled Douluo, right? And her martial soul… is of the food type?" Lion King Douluo was the first to speak.
Luanfeng rolled her beautiful eyes. "Our Sun Moon Empire soul masters never rely on martial souls alone. We fight using soul tools!"
Lion King Douluo nodded in agreement. "True. A soul engineer's strength comes entirely from their soul tools. They may still struggle against Super Douluos, but against someone of equal rank, they hold their own."
Luanfeng: "…Are you just here to argue?"
Lion King Douluo: "The debate between soul masters and soul engineers is as old as time. Even if the Duchess loses, it's only due to inferior equipment. There's honor in that."
Luanfeng: "Want to duel me and find out?"
Lion King Douluo: "You think I'd be afraid of you?"
As they continued bickering, what happened next stunned them both.
Juzi retracted her original martial soul—and unexpectedly summoned a second one.
"A twin martial soul?!"
Whether it was the onlookers Luanfeng and Lion King Douluo in the sky, or Xu Qiudi on the ground, all were visibly shocked.
Seeing Luanfeng's reaction, Lion King Douluo asked, "You didn't know either?"
Irritated, Luanfeng replied, "What's wrong with not knowing? We all thought the Marshal rose to power because of her looks and figure! But she is tactically brilliant—your Star Luo Empire's defensive line was broken under her command. If it weren't for Xu Jiujiu's usurpation, we'd already be blitzing Star Luo City under her lead."
Lion King Douluo: "Let's not talk about that if we still want to be friends."
Luanfeng: "You old geezer, who wants to be your friend?"
Juzi's second martial soul was a weapon soul—a majestic and powerful battle blade in rose-gold, exuding overwhelming presence.
Juzi introduced it: "My second martial soul is called the Tiger-Slaying Blade, and it is one of only two soul tool martial souls on the continent!"
"Tiger-Slaying Blade? A soul tool martial soul?" Xu Qiudi's expression changed slightly.
The name "Tiger-Slaying Blade" was clearly aimed at the White Tiger Duke's House.
But the concept of a "soul tool martial soul" was entirely new to her. Being described as one of only two implied this wasn't the first of its kind.
Xu Qiudi tried to recall everything she had learned about martial souls but came up empty. This only made her more wary.
A "soul tool martial soul" was, as the name suggested, a martial soul derived from a soul tool.
Juzi's Tiger-Slaying Blade was originally a Grade-9 soul tool. Through refining it as her natal artifact and with the help of the Divine Creation Holy Cigar, she succeeded in transforming it into her second martial soul.
Why was it called one of two? Because the only other known soul tool martial soul belonged to Xu Tianchen—his Demonic God Ballista.
Huo Yuhao's Imperial Banner was a divine artifact with soul tool capabilities, but it wasn't a soul tool per se—it simply integrated soul tool components into its structure, thus inheriting their arrays.
The emergence of soul tool martial souls required luck. Though Huo Yuhao had tried helping others develop them, most failed. Juzi's success was sheer fortune.
Huo Yuhao had long spread knowledge about crafting natal artifacts, and those who practiced cultivation methods often used them to enhance their strength.
The blade had originally been a Grade-8 soul tool, with a 50,000-year-old soul bone integrated into it. In terms of power, it rivaled Grade-9 tools and had potential for further advancement.
Its quality made it suitable for transformation into a natal artifact.
Juzi had planned to personally upgrade the blade after becoming a Grade-9 soul engineer—but it unexpectedly became her martial soul. Its quality would now rise naturally with her cultivation and added soul rings. Having reached Rank 90, the blade's quality was no less than a Grade-9 soul tool.
When Juzi grasped the Tiger-Slaying Blade, a soft golden glow enveloped her and her martial soul.
This glow was the effect of the Golden-Peel Orange—Juzi's eighth soul skill from a 100,000-year soul ring. It could double her combat power for 15 minutes and granted the Undying Golden Body effect.
The Undying Golden Body was similar to the Invincible Golden Body, both protecting against lethal damage.
But where the Invincible version gave short-term immunity, Undying could block one fatal attack during a longer period.
Juzi then took the offensive.
Though her Tiger-Slaying Blade martial soul had no added soul rings, it didn't mean it lacked power.
Its soul tool capabilities were perfectly inherited by the martial soul.
As Juzi slashed, a blade wave shot forth—its sharpness made Xu Qiudi's skin sting.
Xu Qiudi countered immediately with her Star Crown martial soul, launching brilliant starlight—but it shattered like eggshells against a rock.
The blade wave was eventually blocked by her defensive soul tool, but still sent her flying.
The relentless barrage continued, and Xu Qiudi was forced onto the defensive, unable to retaliate.
Eventually, with her last defensive soul tool destroyed, the blade wave ceased—and the Tiger-Slaying Blade hovered at her pale neck.
Terrified, Xu Qiudi clenched her jaw and attempted suicide on the blade.
But Juzi stopped her just in time.
"My feud with the White Tiger Duke's House isn't over. This won't be your final fate."
Juzi said coldly—then smirked darkly.
"I just had an interesting idea."
She grabbed Xu Qiudi and flew toward the ancestral hall of the White Tiger Duke's House.
Outside the barrier.
Luanfeng and Lion King Douluo looked at each other in disbelief.
From start to finish, the battle didn't last even fifteen minutes—and ended in total domination.
Xu Qiudi had fought like an NPC.
"This is what the Star Luo Empire's soul masters amount to? Hah." Luanfeng scoffed.
Lion King Douluo averted his gaze, sighed, and closed his eyes.
Seeing Xu Qiudi taken away did stir unease in him, robbing him of the will to argue.
Maybe, if he hadn't lost his courage, he might have acted.
But in the face of such despair—there was no "if."
Meanwhile, inside the White Tiger Duke's estate, the fighting had mostly ended. All unrelated persons were slaughtered, and the core members captured. They were brought to the ancestral hall, forced to kneel in rows.
Huo Yuhao sat calmly in a grand chair, sipping tea. Zhu Lu and Zhu Yuwen stood beside him, massaging his shoulders and legs.
When Juzi arrived, she threw the bound Duchess to the ground. The Duchess stared coldly, saying nothing.
Juzi scanned the core members—most defiant, though a few begged for mercy, only to be rebuked by the others.
The White Tiger Duke's family showed more backbone than most noble clans.
Unfortunately for them, Juzi had no intention of showing mercy.
She drew the Tiger-Slaying Blade and began executing them—one by one.
Each strike was a tribute to her tragic past—and her murdered father.
Juzi: "My father is dead. Right or wrong no longer matters to me."
Blood had drenched the ground outside the White Tiger Ancestral Hall.
The Tiger-Slaying Blade had drunk deeply of the White Tiger lineage's blood, their resentment wrapping around its blade, lingering and undispersed.
Betrayed by the Empire, betrayed by Shrek, slaughtered by enemies—how could the Duke of the White Tiger's household not be filled with resentment?
Not only did resentment exist—it soared to the heavens!
As a result, the once-glorious rose-gold blade of Ju zi's martial soul gradually turned blood-red, appearing incomparably sinister.
Influenced by her martial soul, a strange blood-colored hue appeared in Ju Zi's eyes as well.
Xu Qiudi sat coldly on the steps of the ancestral hall, indifferently watching everything unfold. In victory or defeat, she had not lost her pride or elegance. At worst, death awaited.
When Xu Qiudi saw the changes in the Tiger-Slaying Blade, she sneered, "Your martial soul is stained with the blood of my White Tiger Duke's house. It will never be clean again. From this day on, your only fate is to fall and become an evil soul master! I'll be waiting for you in hell—every last one of you!"
As she spoke, Xu Qiudi suddenly coughed up blood. Her face turned deathly pale, her breath weak and fading.
Zhu Lu furrowed her brows and flashed to Xu Qiudi's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. She used soul power to examine Xu Qiudi's body, and her expression became particularly shocked. "Her body is severely depleted, as if she used something that consumed her life force. And this isn't something recent—it's been going on for a while."
Huo Yuhao had already figured it out.
He rose from the grandmaster chair, walked over to Xu Qiudi, looked down at her, and slowly said, "Our duchess has clearly been gravely ill for a long time, probably with an incurable condition. To support the White Tiger Duke's household and protect Dai Huabin, she must have used some forbidden medicine to forcefully draw on her life force in hopes of breaking through."
"Clearly, she gambled correctly. She succeeded in breaking through to Titled Douluo, extending her life and suppressing her illness. But her body was hollowed out and has endured excruciating pain every day."
"Even if the White Tiger Duke's house hadn't been destroyed, she probably only had a few years left. Now that it's fallen and her will is broken, the suppressed illness has flared up, and her life force is rapidly draining away."
Xu Qiudi stared at Huo Yuhao. She hadn't expected him to analyze her condition so precisely after just a few glances.
But as she looked at his face, a strange familiarity struck her. She couldn't help but ask, "Your face... Why does it feel familiar?"
Huo Yuhao was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Xu Qiudi to recognize him. Though his appearance had changed significantly, he still retained traces of Huo Yun'er's beauty.
Huo Yun'er's looks had once been famed as peerless.
Dai Hao couldn't recognize him—but Xu Qiudi could.
Was this the connection shared by love rivals?
Huo Yuhao didn't conceal anything. "My mother's name was Huo Yun'er. My real name is Dai Yuhao. I am the third young master of the White Tiger Duke's household."
In an instant, aside from Zhu Lu, everyone—Ju Zi and Zhu Yuwen included—looked at Huo Yuhao in shock.
Xu Qiudi's eyes widened, utterly incredulous.
Huo Yuhao continued, "My mother, Huo Yun'er, was injured by Dai Huabin and his lackeys and later died after continuous oppression. If anyone should have taken revenge on the White Tiger Duke's house, it should've been me."
"No, that's not right! That woman's bastard awakened a martial soul based on eyes. You're lying!" Xu Qiudi refused to believe it.
So Huo Yuhao revealed his Holy Eye martial soul to others for the first time.
"Twin martial souls?!" Xu Qiudi was stunned.
Huo Yuhao explained, "My first martial soul is my body's martial soul—Spirit Eye. But after its second and third awakenings, it is now called Holy Eye."
Xu Qiudi suddenly burst into laughter. "One is a centipede martial soul, the other is a body martial soul. You don't have the White Tiger martial soul! You're just a mongrel!"
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly and did not argue. Instead, he revealed his White Tiger bloodline.
With a roar, a White Tiger phantom appeared behind him and then merged into his body. Huo Yuhao seemed as if possessed by a martial soul—the same form as the White Tiger martial soul of the Dai clan, even more divine and domineering.
Xu Qiudi's lips trembled. She didn't know what to say anymore.
What was going on? How was this possible? Why did he have a third martial soul?
In truth, it wasn't a third martial soul—it was the White Tiger Transformation granted by the White Tiger bloodline, a result of a bloodline soul ring. It allowed Huo Yuhao to transform into a White Tiger and imitate a martial soul possession.
"Martial souls are amazing, aren't they? Your two sons can't compare to me." Huo Yuhao smiled, his expression making Xu Qiudi shudder. He went on, "As for why I didn't take revenge on the White Tiger Duke's house personally, it's because Dai Hao and Dai Yaoheng were both killed by me."
Xu Qiudi finally went mad.
"You beast! You killed your own father! Dai Hao was your father! And what did Yaoheng ever do to you?! Why did you kill him?!"
"I see now—you're Compassionate Demon! You're also an evil soul master!!!"
Huo Yuhao shrugged casually.
If he harbored any hatred, it was distant now. Killing them was just part of his cultivation.
What did the original host's suffering have to do with him, "Hao-ge"?
Huo Yuhao had said all this only to provoke Xu Qiudi—so she would burn with rage and resentment. If she remained so calm, she'd be a problem.
So many in the White Tiger Duke's house had died—how could he not arrange something for them?
At this moment, Ju Zi suddenly realized something and said coldly, "Something's off—where's Dai Huabin?!"
As the son of Dai Hao, Dai Huabin was closely watched. There was no way the elite Fire Phoenix Legion would overlook him. Since his body wasn't among the corpses, he likely wasn't in the Duke's mansion at all—he had probably escaped!
Xu Qiudi immediately went silent—clearly she knew about Dai Huabin's situation.
Sensing the crisis, Xu Qiudi had already instructed Dai Huabin and several loyal followers to escape through a hidden underground tunnel.
It had been a stroke of luck that paid off.
Ju Zi gripped the Tiger-Slaying Blade and stepped forward to force an answer, but Huo Yuhao waved his hand. "It's fine. I have someone planted beside Dai Huabin. He won't escape."
Xu Qiudi looked at him in shock. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Huo Yuhao crouched down in front of her, smiling. "Madam, let's not talk about that now. Let's discuss how to deal with you."
Ju Zi put away the Tiger-Slaying Blade and grinned at Huo Yuhao. "Third Young Master Dai, would you like to sample the Duchess?"
Huo Yuhao: "???"
Ju Zi: "I can help you. Oh, and my people found the Duchess's wedding dress in her room."
This Ju Zi—truly rotten to the core.
Zhu Lu licked her lips, suddenly intrigued. "Come to think of it, the Duchess would be my mother-in-law, wouldn't she~?"
Zhu Yuwen chimed in, "I'd like to learn from the Duchess too—how she captured the White Tiger Duke's heart."
Xu Qiudi: "No, no—you can't! I won't betray Dai Hao! Beasts! You beasts!!!"
Huo Yuhao: Why is this Ju Zi rotten inside? Oh, right—I broke her. That's fine, then~
The flames died down, leaving only the ruins of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. No residual heat remained—only chilling winds swept through the debris, carrying away the last traces of warmth. It felt as if lingering spirits still wandered above the ruins.
The only structure left intact was the ancestral White Tiger Shrine.
Outside the shrine, darkened blood had defiled the ancient bluestone bricks, and the soil of the flowerbeds had turned into a foul swamp.
Beneath that swamp lay countless buried corpses. Flowers sprouting from the bones were just beginning to bloom—eerily enchanting.
Inside the shrine:
The ancestral tablets still stood on the altar, but now they looked sinister and terrifying. The names inscribed seemed drawn in fresh blood—or weeping blood, as if the tablets themselves mourned.
On the altar were not the usual offerings of fruit and delicacies, but instead human organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys—and the shriveled corpse of Dai Hao.
Dai Hao was thoroughly dead. His shriveled face still bore a twisted expression of pain and despair.
His blood had flowed from his body, down the altar, and covered the shrine's floor—viscous like syrup.
Suspended from the central beam of the shrine was a female corpse in a bright red wedding dress.
It was none other than Duchess Xu Qiudi.
Xu Qiudi wore the red wedding dress and shoes from her wedding day—beautiful and captivating. But on the exposed parts of her body were unmistakable signs of brutality and violation.
Her slender ankles were bound by a red rope, with a White Tiger Dagger hanging from it—as if to bind her soul and keep her from leaving.
On her face was bridal makeup—but it had been painted after her death. Her red lips were parted, eyes wide open, her head tilted back toward the sky.
As if she had died unavenged, crying out to the heavens, asking why they treated her so cruelly.
Gradually, a mist rose, shrouding the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
Within that mist, lights and voices quietly emerged—echoes of the mansion's past bustle, as if time itself were rewinding.
Now, the Duke, the Duchess, and their eldest son Dai Yaoheng had all returned, preparing for a grand feast to welcome guests.
Back in the real world:
Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze from his Pot-Heaven Subspace.
He was quite pleased with the transformation of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. He had invested all of its resources—and Dai Hao himself—into this.
Dai Hao was no longer of much use to Huo Yuhao. This was merely recycling waste, giving it a second life.
He could sense that Xu Qiudi's resentment was immense. Once she fully awakened, the kind of power she could gain would be unimaginable.
But Huo Yuhao wasn't worried about her revenge—she would never escape his control. Her rebirth would only strengthen him.
In the end, she would only become his plaything, for him to manipulate at will.
And what's "inhuman" about this? Cultivation requires many steps—this is just one of them.
Besides, Dai Hao, having escaped the state of a "demon body," became a resentful soul once again, regaining some freedom. Dai Yaoheng also regained his consciousness and potential in the new White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
All this for just a small price.
Indeed, Yuhao is merciful.
To prevent outside interference with the mansion's transformation, Huo Yuhao placed the entire estate into his Pot-Heaven Subspace.
Now, anyone who passed the original site would only find a deep crater—as if a giant hand had scooped the entire mansion and its land away.
This became another unsolved mystery in the Star Luo Empire.
Some said it was destroyed by a powerful figure.
Others claimed the White Tiger Duke's family had been taken to the Divine Realm to enjoy eternal blessings.
As for the escaped Dai Huabin:
He had fled several days earlier, but Huo Yuhao knew his whereabouts the moment he moved.
Did people really think only the Lion King Douluo was watching the estate?
Of course Huo Yuhao had other preparations in place.
And Dai Huabin was one of his primary targets.
The guards escorting him and the children loyal to the White Tiger Duke couldn't prevent themselves from becoming possessed by spirits.
Dai Huabin's movements were constantly under surveillance.
He couldn't remain in the Star Luo Empire. The Dou Ling Empire was already in shambles. The Sun Moon Empire was out of the question. So if they weren't going overseas, their only option left was the Heaven Soul Empire.
Shrek Academy wasn't on the list. Dai Huabin had been expelled from Shrek Academy years ago—a stain on his pride. His ego wouldn't allow him to seek refuge there.
Huo Yuhao let him go on purpose, because the Heaven Soul Empire had the largest number of believers—including the powerful Body Sect.
Dai Huabin was walking straight into a trap.
Soon, Huo Yuhao wouldn't even need to go to the Heaven Soul Empire himself—his believers there would do the job of subjugating the empire for him.
All he had to do now was wait for news.
In the meantime, he was focused on his cultivation. His subspace was not far from transforming into a divine realm.
Meanwhile...
In the Ice Sea region:
Ditian and Xuan Zi came together to investigate. They indeed encountered the so-called "demons"—monsters radiating ominous energy, with no clear forms, even more terrifying than Evil Soul Masters or Dark Soul Beasts.
They didn't see any of the rumored Demon Kings, but they fought several powerful demons.
They confirmed that the northern seas, especially the Ice Sea, had no more Sea Soul Beasts. The entire territory had been overtaken by demons.
These demons were cunning—never alone, always choosing to flee when threatened, and had multiple escape methods. Once they dived into the ocean, Ditian and Xuan Zi were helpless—not being aquatic specialists.
Though they didn't gain much, they weren't about to retreat.
If they couldn't catch small fry, then they would dive deeper into the Ice Sea.
With their strength, they had the confidence to face anything.
They successfully descended into the depths.
But what they encountered there shocked them:
Not the so-called Great Sage of the Seas.
Not any legendary demon.
But... the Sea Princess!
More accurately, it was the Rakshasa Sea Princess—a mermaid who had undergone a complete transformation in the Rakshasa Secret Realm.
She had surpassed the 800,000-year level.
In the ocean, her power was unmatched. Even when Ditian and Xuan Zi teamed up, they couldn't defeat her in a normal fight.
Left with no choice, Ditian used his Dragon God Claw—and still couldn't overpower her. The best they could manage was a draw.
However, the Rakshasa Sea Princess had revealed a key detail—
Ditian sensed the aura of the Rakshasa God within her, and his expression turned grim.
"Xuan Zi, we're in trouble," Ditian said darkly.
Xuan Zi glanced at the rising curtain of water surrounding them and snapped, "You think I don't know?!"
The Sea Princess couldn't defeat them easily either. So she used the ocean's power to trap them, engaging in a war of attrition.
And so, Ditian and Xuan Zi—two top-tier combatants—got banned.
Huo Yuhao:
"Dai Huabin, if Brother Hao says you're [expletive], then you're [expletive]!"
Since the disappearance of the White Tiger Duke's household, the Sun Moon Empire's assault on the Douluo Continent had gradually subsided.
Though the Sun Moon Empire retained the territories it had invaded and occupied, it no longer pressed its advance.
It seemed as though peace and stability had once again returned to the continent.
At some point, rumors even began to circulate that the four great empires were preparing to sign a peace agreement.
Trade and diplomatic relations resumed among the Sun Moon Empire, Star Luo Empire, and Dou Ling Empire. Only the Heaven Soul Empire remained indecisive, though it had also opened part of its borders for commerce.
Amidst this environment—
Huo Yuhao returned to Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy, like a utopia isolated from the world, remained largely untouched by the continent's upheavals. Many people who had once taken refuge in Shrek City had now begun returning to their hometowns as peace was restored.
The first thing Huo Yuhao did upon returning to Shrek Academy was, of course, enter the Sea God's Pavilion to report on the affairs of the Dou Ling Empire and the Star Luo Empire to the academy's upper echelon.
"You're saying the real power in the Dou Ling Empire now rests with the new sect leader of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian? And because Ning Tian studied at Shrek Academy, he maintains friendly relations with us?"
"The change of throne in the Star Luo Empire wasn't abdication, but rather a long-orchestrated coup by Xu Jiujiu. However, Xu Jiujiu secured support from the empire's guardian spirit, the Zhu family, as well as many nobles, royal family members, and officials?"
"The Sun Moon Empire halted its invasion due to suspected internal turmoil? That Emperor Xu Tiancheng and the Holy Spirit Sect's leader might be at odds? This intelligence came from the Star Luo Empire's spies?"
"And finally, you say you have no idea what caused the White Tiger Duke's disappearance?"
Faced with the elders' questions, Huo Yuhao nodded repeatedly.
Huo Yuhao: Yep, that's exactly right!
The elders didn't doubt him. In fact, the information seemed quite reasonable—some details were even more thorough than what Shrek Academy had obtained.
"Yuhao, you've worked hard. Your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Rest and recover here in the Sea God's Pavilion," Elder Zhuang said with a smile.
The elders were not only uncritical of Huo Yuhao's recent performance—they were quite pleased. They believed he could start taking on real responsibilities.
He had already done his utmost regarding the two empires' matters.
After all, Shrek Academy couldn't openly meddle in the affairs of other empires.
Fortunately, the rulers of both empires—Ning Tian and Xu Jiujiu—had close ties with Huo Yuhao. Especially Ning Tian, who had once been his lover.
That relationship was extremely valuable.
As long as it was maintained, Shrek Academy's position on the continent would remain secure for at least several decades—provided no major upheaval occurred.
Huo Yuhao had passed the scrutiny with ease.
Much of what he said was based on personal experience and true events, though he had embellished a bit.
As for the supposed conflict between Xu Tiancheng and Zhongli Wu, that was completely fabricated—but there was growing tension between the two. Xu Tiancheng had noticed that Zhongli Wu had recently been consuming massive resources and seemed to have grown bolder in his defiance—Xu Tiancheng even sensed a vague threat from him.
Xu Tiancheng had started to think: Zhongli Wu was walking a path of destruction!
The Sea God's Pavilion was indeed a great place for cultivation.
The Golden Ancient Tree was particularly helpful for cultivation, even assisting Huo Yuhao in advancing his half-plane.
As a natural world core, the Golden Ancient Tree possessed unique properties. While refining it, Huo Yuhao gained many insights that could be applied to the development of his half-plane.
Now, he was considering whether to transplant the Golden Ancient Tree into his divine realm as its core once he successfully created it.
Moreover, cultivating in Shrek Academy also allowed him to benefit from the academy's karmic fortune, which enhanced his insight and provided a powerful boost.
Huo Yuhao was constantly refining and improving his half-plane.
He discovered that as he infused his cultivation insights and power into it, the half-plane was evolving toward a divine kingdom—and his connection with it grew stronger.
It was no longer just a summonable space; it was becoming an extension of his perception and strength.
In addition, his understanding of the powers he injected into the half-plane was becoming increasingly refined.
All the details he once ignored during cultivation were now coming into sharp focus, granting him new realizations.
The benefits were immense—his foundation became much more solid, and only with a solid foundation could one walk steadily.
This stability extended across all aspects—spiritual power, soul power, and even physical strength were being refined to near perfection.
Regarding the level of a Second-Class God, Huo Yuhao now had a far clearer understanding. It was no longer about brute-forcing through levels like in the Third-Class God or Divine Officer stages.
In his half-plane, there was no longer just the White Tiger Duke's estate. It now also contained the two empresses of the Star Luo and Dou Ling Empires, along with numerous concubines, princesses, and noblewomen.
Included were young and beautiful women from fallen noble families, officials, clans, and sects of both empires.
They were all Huo Yuhao's cauldrons.
He even constructed residences for them within the half-plane.
There, they were forcibly indoctrinated with Huo Yuhao's power and trained in special cultivation methods designed by him. They became living tools he could summon at any time.
So even though the half-plane was newly created, it was bustling with activity.
Aside from these people, the space remained plain and unimpressive in appearance.
But as Huo Yuhao continued enhancing the half-plane, mystical lights and hazy mists began to emerge.
Even the cauldrons within were quickly growing stronger—as if their strength increased in step with the half-plane's advancement.
It was as if they had developed a subordinate bond with the half-plane itself.
During his cultivation, Huo Yuhao's clones were also progressing.
The Death God Envoy was Huo Yuhao's consciousness inhabiting a zombie body.
Lately, in Lingdou City, the Death God Envoy had been drooling toward the imperial palace, sensing the ever-growing potential of the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie—he was itching to switch bodies.
That zombie was nearing its evolution, and soon the transformation would be complete. It was the best time to make the switch.
The only hesitation was whether the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie could continue evolving peacefully, or if advancing further would attract a heavenly tribulation.
Still, it was a gamble worth taking.
Meanwhile, his main clone, born from Huo Yuhao's consciousness, had rudimentary self-awareness, though its behavior was governed by Huo Yuhao's core logic.
Its cultivation was purely focused on power comprehension. As for breakthroughs in realm, it remained synchronized with the main body.
The main limitation was its non-human body.
Forged from the corpse of an ancient soul beast, it was inherently classified as a soul beast—drawing scrutiny from the Divine Realm.
Before reaching godhood, this wasn't a major issue—it still counted as a fierce beast. But after that point, it would be considered a Beast God, triggering divine suppression.
During the earlier battle in the Ice Sea, this clone sensed danger, and thus refrained from unleashing its full power—keeping it below god-level.
Moreover, the ancient soul beast body had limited potential.
Before godhood, it was strong—but beyond that, it became a burden.
Based on the Sacred Spirit Feather Serpent's analysis, the residual bloodline in that corpse only had the potential to reach Third-Class God at most.
So the one most in need of a new body was the main clone.
Huo Yuhao: The Golden Ancient Tree is gonna belong to Big Brother Hao. How can that be called abusing public property for private gain?
Finally, it came down to Xu Tiancheng.
As the Emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire, Xu Tiancheng actually led a rather relaxed life—he was perhaps the only emperor known for giving away power so freely.
And he was never worried about being overthrown.
Absolute strength is the ultimate authority.
So, even though Xu Tiancheng was hands-off, with Juzi leading military campaigns and Tang Ya managing court affairs, Tang Ya wouldn't dare overstep. There were no discordant voices in court either.
Everything progressed according to Xu Tiancheng's plans—caring for the people, cultivating Soul Masters, emphasizing education and scientific research.
The Sun and Moon Empire was growing stronger, and its future gains would be greater.
Thanks to these policies and recent military victories, Xu Tiancheng's reputation continued to rise—from a "wise ruler" to a "sacred ruler."
Currently, Xu Tiancheng only cared about three things:
First, a command from his original body: track down Ye Xishui. But Ye Xishui was too cautious, only ever appearing as a blood soul clone. Xu Tiancheng had yet to find her real trace.
Second, the situation with Zhongli Wu, whom Xu only began to take seriously after sensing a threat from him. But for now, Xu hadn't taken any action—Zhongli Wu had gone into hiding, possibly with secrets of his own. Also, Xu was preoccupied with something more important.
Third, and most critical—breaking through Level 100!
As a manifestation of Huo Yuhao's desires, Xu Tiancheng could naturally resonate with Huo Yuhao's insights. However, his physical body had become a limiting factor.
If he could break through Level 100, he could quickly accumulate divine power via those insights and catch up with his original body.
To achieve this, Xu Tiancheng cultivated harder than ever.
In addition to his original concubines, many high-quality "furnaces" (dual cultivation partners) seized from the Star Luo Empire during the recent war had been added to his harem. He trained diligently with them.
Using human resources would be faster, but as the embodiment of Huo Yuhao's desires, how could he not "cherish fragrant jade"?
At this point, Xu Tiancheng had accumulated over 10,000 furnaces in his harem.
Through this intense cultivation, he was finally ready to attempt his breakthrough.
In a remote mountain wilderness, Xu Tiancheng adjusted his state:
"Soul power is at its peak. First martial soul, Sun, is fully comprehended. Spiritual power has evolved into primordial spirit. My body's condition is flawless.
Plus, I have divine power from the original body as support.
Today, I will break through Level 100!"
He stopped suppressing his power and crushed the divine power left behind by Huo Yuhao, injecting it into his body to tackle the Level 100 barrier.
First Martial Soul—Sun, manifest!
The Sun martial soul materialized over his head. Its extreme fire burned so hot that the surrounding forest was reduced to ashes, rocks melted into magma—but no life was harmed.
He had already absorbed all surrounding lifeforms into himself to prevent them from suffering.
As his power surged and he neared Level 100—drawing even the attention of the God Realm—
Xu Tiancheng suddenly struck his own dantian with a palm—abolishing his cultivation.
Had he gone mad?
No—this was his way to break through to the fifth layer of the Nine Deaths Divine Art.
Unlike the earlier four layers, from the fifth layer onward, each required "destruction before rebirth" and must be done alone—no outside help allowed.
The first step was abolishing one's own cultivation.
What followed were successive stages of destruction and rebirth: soul, body, origin, and true spirit.
"Break the dantian at the critical moment, then reconstruct it and break through at top speed."
Sounds idiotic, right?
Earlier layers had at least some basis in evil cultivation techniques, but the later ones sounded like pure fiction.
In stories, dantian destruction followed by miraculous recovery is common.
In reality? A miracle that might happen once every few centuries—and only with immense luck.
The remaining four aspects (soul, body, origin, true spirit)? Never heard of.
But the version of the Nine Deaths Divine Art he obtained from Pudu Cihang's memory seemed to be an original—this was how it was written.
Most cultivators never got past the third layer—it already made them strong enough to dominate an era. The rest? Didn't matter.
The myth that completing all nine layers led to immortality was just that—a myth.
After all, many other cultivation methods could lead to immortality. Who would pick this risky mess?
Those who did were usually in it for power—often for revenge.
Xu Tiancheng decided to take the risk. After all, he still had Huo Yuhao's divine power to fall back on.
His dantian shattered, soul power leaked uncontrollably, and even the solidified Sun martial soul began to fade.
But Xu Tiancheng only grinned wickedly.
"Reform!"
Huo Yuhao's divine power flowed through him, arriving at the dantian, restoring it rapidly. A golden glow emerged—he now had a divine dantian, like a miniature world with a soul core spinning at the center.
He inhaled deeply, reabsorbing his dissipated soul power and absorbing vast quantities of world energy to refill his dantian.
The Sun martial soul became solid again. The dantian filled with soul power like a galaxy.
Xu Tiancheng began circulating the fifth-layer technique of the Nine Deaths Divine Art.
Then—his face froze.
"Nothing? How can there be no effect?"
Yes, the fifth layer's cultivation method did nothing. It looked elaborate, but it just… circulated energy meaninglessly.
No breakthrough. Level 100 was still out of reach.
Oh—there was one effect:
He shivered—the technique's side effects were gone. That constant "cultivate or die" pressure disappeared.
The benefits of the earlier layers had now merged and solidified into his body, creating a nearly perfect vessel. Conflicting powers now obeyed him. Even incompatible martial souls could coexist and be cultivated together.
"This…"
He stood frozen for three minutes, while the surrounding mountains melted into a sea of lava.
"F*ck! It's a scam!"
"This Nine Deaths Divine Art doesn't have nine layers—it has five!
The first four are breakthroughs, the fifth removes all limitations, and the rest are just nonsense!"
He tested the sixth through ninth layers—they could run even without fulfilling conditions, and did absolutely nothing.
Clearly, the one who created such elaborate yet useless techniques must have been a genius.
But why would a genius waste time with this?
Xu Tiancheng suddenly realized—maybe it wasn't about power. Maybe it was a test:
Only someone bold enough to follow such insane steps could succeed. Courage was the real requirement.
Even if it couldn't make one immortal, Xu Tiancheng could feel his body had evolved—especially his ability to contain conflicting energies. Not even many innate spiritual bodies had that.
The strength he'd gained was real and substantial.
"This…" His expression was complicated.
Embarrassing? Yes. Disappointing? Not entirely.
Even with Huo Yuhao's backup, he couldn't be sure he'd survive the later "rebirth" stages anyway.
Now, he could only say:
"Beware of cultivation scams!"
Just as he was about to withdraw his martial soul and return to the palace to enjoy some time with his beauties and soothe his wounded pride—
A scorching divine light pierced through space and slammed into his skull.
Even with his divine soul reacting in time, his body couldn't dodge—the difference in power was too great.
A burning imprint appeared on his forehead.
A divine voice echoed in his mind:
"The Fire God's Divine Trial has descended!"
Xu Tiancheng: "..."
Had he just been selected by the Fire God?
His earlier breakthrough attempt had drawn the God Realm's attention.
Although he ultimately failed to ascend, his destruction and rebirth of the dantian, along with his exceptional potential, caught the attention of some gods.
Not all gods wanted to stay in the divine realm.
Without interference from the divine kings, one of the Seven Elemental Gods, the First-Rank Fire God, sent down his divine trial—
The very same Fire God seat that Ma Hongjun once failed to inherit!
Fire God: Finally found a successor. You made me wait so long!
Xu Tiancheng: Beware of telecom, mobile, and divine fraud…