As for Xu Tiancheng's situation, Huo Yuhao had naturally gained a thorough understanding. About this, he only had one thing to say—
"I suddenly had a bold idea!"
If more deities could descend to bestow their inheritances, and if all the inheritors managed to pass their respective trials, then wouldn't that mean when he finally ascended to the God Realm in the future, most of the gods there would be his people?
At that point, a single call from him could mean an overhaul of the entire realm!
Moreover, with the Divine Creation Holy Cigar in his possession, Huo Yuhao could mass-produce prodigies and powerhouses.
But that was just a thought. If he really did that, the final battle might arrive far too soon.
After all, the gods of the Divine Realm weren't fools. Even if many among them did wish to pass on their god positions and leave the realm, they wouldn't just pick anyone.
Otherwise, those wanting to pass on their divine positions would've already done so long ago. Why wait until Huo Yuhao?
Not to mention, Shrek Academy had previously trained several ultimate attribute soul masters. Were none of them even slightly qualified to meet the standards of divine inheritance trials?
Huo Yuhao suspected that the Douluo Continent might have been deliberately hidden from the other gods—by Tang Dog.
From the perspective of the other gods, it was understandable for Tang Dog, who ascended from Douluo, to "look after" his homeland. Hence, the God Road was cut off.
This time, it was likely because Xu Tiancheng triggered some kind of divine surveillance, attracting the attention of the gods, and thereby catching the eye of the Fire God.
Under Tang Dog's suppression, ordinary people would simply have no chance of gaining a god position.
Xu Tiancheng's case was simply an accident. Next time, once Tang Dog was on guard, no more opportunities would be left for the future generations.
Now, would a sudden explosion of talent on Douluo draw in more divine inheritances? Huo Yuhao didn't know.
But what would definitely happen is that Tang Dog would take early action—investigating the truth behind the scenes and then reeling in his net.
"The key point is: if all those god-tier talents in the Divine Realm pass on their divine positions and flee to the universe... when I go to attack the Divine Realm in the future, won't I be at a massive loss?"
Is it easier to capture gods gathered in one place or scattered across the universe? Hao-ge could clearly see the answer.
Hao-ge never makes a losing deal!
Even if those gods no longer had divine positions, their cultivation and comprehension still existed—they couldn't be let go.
As for the Fire God's Trial:
The trial that Xu Tiancheng received was not the standard "nine trials" format. Because Xu Tiancheng had already proven his excellence, many foundational tests and tempering could be skipped.
Thus, the purpose of the Fire God's trial was reduced to just two main goals:
Increasing compatibility with the Fire God's divine position
Completing the final inheritance
So, there were just three conditions to be met:
Pull out the Heavenly Flame God Rod in the Fire God Secret Realm.
Find a powerful water or ice attribute soul master to achieve harmony between fire and water. This person must reach Titled Douluo level before age 30.
Defeat the Fire Divine Beast in battle.
After fulfilling these three conditions, the divine inheritance would be complete.
To this, Huo Yuhao could only say—someone's being sneaky.
That second condition? It was clearly designed to find a successor for the Water God too!
Don't think Hao-ge doesn't know—the Fire God and Water God are a couple.
This mirrored the maneuver from ten thousand years ago when the previous Food God passed his position to Oscar, and his wife, the Nine-Colored Goddess, chose Ning Rongrong as her successor.
But the water/ice attribute soul master that Xu Tiancheng needed to find didn't have to be female—since the harmony of fire and water didn't involve actual fusion. Moreover, the Water and Fire gods weren't explicitly couple gods in title.
In fact, if he wanted, Huo Yuhao himself could step in—and he'd have a good chance of obtaining the Water God's inheritance.
So, this wasn't just one divine position, but two that were tied to Xu Tiancheng!
As for choosing the Water God's successor, Huo Yuhao didn't interfere—because Xu Tiancheng had his own ideas.
Inheriting the Fire God's position meant inheriting the path and ceiling of the previous Fire God. A first-level god was the limit.
But would Xu Tiancheng be satisfied with that?
No way. He wanted to raise the Fire God's tier even further.
For example—by devouring the god positions of the other seven elemental gods, to achieve the ultimate Elemental God!
So whoever inherited the Water God's position… might just become Xu Tiancheng's fuel.
Xu Tiancheng had yet to comprehend his own path. The Fire God inheritance was suitable for now and still left room for advancement. Otherwise, why would he choose to walk someone else's path—especially one with a limited ceiling?
But make no mistake—the Fire God's trial wasn't easy.
Even the first condition was harder than it looked. Xu Tiancheng had already tried pulling out the Heavenly Flame God Rod in the Fire God Secret Realm. To do so, he had to endure the searing flames of the realm.
During this burning, his compatibility with the Fire God's divine position would slowly increase.
According to the hints he received, he needed to raise his compatibility to at least 70% before he even had a chance of pulling it out.
But just enduring the flames for a full day only increased compatibility by 1%—and the further he progressed, the slower the gains.
So yeah… Xu Tiancheng had his work cut out for him.
Back at Shrek Academy:
A bright, graceful figure sat on a bench at the edge of Sea God Island, gazing out at Sea God Lake with a sigh.
It was Jiang Nannan.
She'd recently run into a problem—specifically, an issue with her divine trial.
That issue? She couldn't find anyone to perform a Martial Soul Fusion Technique with!
She hadn't participated in the mission supporting the Douling Empire because she had been busy testing fusion possibilities with various people. But not only did she not get a glimpse of a fusion technique, she couldn't even find anyone whose soul power could harmonize with hers.
Naturally, the elders of the Sea God Pavilion were also helping her figure it out.
And, they actually came up with something key.
At that moment, Elder Song, Jiang Nannan's teacher, arrived at her side.
Despite leaning on a cane and looking like she needed help walking, Elder Song was actually a speed-type Super Douluo, one of the fastest people in the entire Sea God Pavilion.
Seeing her teacher arrive, Jiang Nannan quickly stood up and rushed forward to support her.
"Teacher, did you come looking for me?" she asked gently.
"Sit first," Elder Song said with a kind smile.
Elder Song was quite satisfied with this disciple. Apart from her martial soul being somewhat average, Jiang Nannan was excellent in every other aspect. She had no bad habits, was of good character, and was respectful and filial—a good child indeed.
Once seated, Elder Song got straight to the point.
"Nannan, are you still troubled about the Martial Soul Fusion Technique?" she asked.
Jiang Nannan nodded gloomily. She was starting to lose hope.
If it were really that easy to perform a Martial Soul Fusion Technique, then all soul masters on the continent would have one. She was beginning to fear her divine trial was doomed to fail—which made her very unwilling to accept it.
"But have you thought about this—if the divine trial contains such a test, doesn't it mean you can complete it?" Elder Song continued. "Divine trials are meant to be difficult, but not impossible. They are tests tailored to the inheritor."
Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up. She leaned in eagerly.
"Teacher, do you mean—?"
"Remember what happened with Yuhao?" Elder Song said. "He and… those girls, under the influence of the Love God's power, all managed to gain Martial Soul Fusion Techniques."
At this, Elder Song's face turned slightly awkward—because one of those girls was her own married daughter.
Jiang Nannan had not lost her memory and knew some of what had happened in the inner court. She understood what Elder Song meant, but still didn't get it.
"But teacher… I still can't use the Love God's power."
"But haven't you already developed compatibility with the Love God's divine position?" Elder Song replied. "Maybe your fusion partner isn't someone you need to find—maybe it's someone you need to choose."
That was the Pavilion's conclusion.
Xu Tiancheng: "Fusion… Fusion is the true path to power!"
Under Elder Song's guidance, Jiang Nannan's eyes grew brighter and brighter. She suddenly stood up, unable to contain her excitement.
"Teacher, I understand now! I'm going to find someone to try it out with right away!"
"Wait, wait." Elder Song quickly stopped her, teasing,
"You really are like a rabbit—so impatient."
Jiang Nannan blushed with embarrassment. "Teacher, I'm just really excited."
Elder Song smiled and shook her head, but soon her expression turned serious.
"Nannan, do you really have a suitable partner to develop a martial soul fusion technique with?"
Jiang Nannan was stunned. With so many talented students in Shrek Academy and several close girlfriends, wouldn't any of them be suitable?
"As I thought," Elder Song sighed. "You haven't truly understood the meaning of the divine test."
She motioned for Jiang Nannan to sit and began to reveal some secrets.
"The original Shrek Seven Devils—Ancestor Tang San and his six companions—ascended to godhood together. They left many records related to deities, as well as some hidden stories from the past."
"Do you know who Xiao Tao's ancestor is?" Elder Song suddenly asked.
"Sister Xiao Tao? Her ancestor is the Phoenix God, Ancestor Ma Hongjun, right?" Jiang Nannan responded instinctively.
Elder Song nodded.
"Among the original Seven Devils, three pairs were lovers. But actually, Ancestor Ma Hongjun also had a lover—Tang San's cousin.
Unfortunately, due to her limited talent, she couldn't become a god. It left a deep regret and caused Ma Hongjun to ascend to the divine realm alone."
Jiang Nannan fell into thought.
Elder Song asked again,
"Do you know what divine thrones Ancestors Oscar and Ning Rongrong inherited?"
Jiang Nannan answered, "The God of Gourmet and the Nine-Colored Goddess."
"Correct. But what you might not know is that these two divine positions are meant to be inherited by a couple.
Their divine thrones are linked, allowing them to unleash a god-level martial soul fusion technique—Light of Resurrection.
This technique played a vital role in the battle against the Spirit Empire."
Suddenly, Jiang Nannan had a revelation. Her expression turned to disbelief.
"Teacher, are you saying that the divine test asking me to develop a martial soul fusion technique with someone… is actually meant to help me choose a life partner?"
"Exactly. You're a quick learner. Now think—what divine position are you inheriting?"
"Love Goddess… I see now… but…" Jiang Nannan frowned, conflicted. After some hesitation, she said decisively,
"I can't accept Xu Sanshi."
This time, it was Elder Song who frowned.
What does this have to do with Xu Sanshi?
…Ah, right. There's a whole backstory between Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan. Fair enough.
But the candidate Elder Song wanted to recommend wasn't Xu Sanshi at all.
She shook her head.
"Xu Sanshi may have talent and a strong martial soul, but he has wasted too much of his potential, and his heart is filled with hatred. He's not the right choice for you."
Jiang Nannan asked doubtfully, "Then… who do you suggest?"
Elder Song smiled again.
"What do you think of Yuhao?"
"Yuhao?!" Jiang Nannan exclaimed, looking even more conflicted.
"But… he already…"
She glanced at Elder Song, hesitating.
Is it really appropriate for you to introduce your daughter's secret lover to someone else?
Elder Song felt slightly offended, but she still shared what she and the other Elders had discussed.
"In this generation, the one most likely to ascend to godhood with you… is Yuhao.
You wouldn't want to ascend alone like Ma Hongjun did, would you?"
"I…" Jiang Nannan was still torn.
She instinctively rejected the idea—Huo Yuhao was surrounded by too many women.
She couldn't accept that, even if others might not mind.
In fact, in this regard, Xu Sanshi seemed better—at least he only liked her.
But Elder Song shook her head.
"Nannan, when it comes to godhood, you should set aside those irrelevant concerns.
Besides, although Yuhao has many admirers, he's genuine with each one.
And once you both ascend, only the two of you will be able to remain together in the divine realm."
Jiang Nannan fell silent.
Elder Song added fuel to the fire. She sighed and gently took Jiang Nannan's hand.
"Nannan, let go of the past with Xu Sanshi.
The things that once caused you pain shouldn't be the shackles that hold you back. You still have the right to choose your own future."
"You are now the inheritor of a divine position—something countless soul masters can only dream of.
You deserve someone better."
"Yuhao may not be perfect, but you've seen what kind of person he is. His sense of responsibility and sincerity are unmatched—that's likely why so many women fall for him."
This time, a ripple formed in Jiang Nannan's heart.
Yes, she had never considered herself "pure" or without flaws.
And while Huo Yuhao was indeed surrounded by women, he was someone you could truly rely on.
To pass the divine test and reach godhood… were those other concerns really worth clinging to?
The temptation to become a god was simply too great.
Even someone like Jiang Nannan couldn't stay completely detached.
She wasn't a saint—she was only human.
"I understand, teacher. I'll go find Yuhao and do my best to try it out with him." Jiang Nannan looked seriously at Elder Song.
Elder Song smiled kindly and nodded in satisfaction.
Letting Jiang Nannan approach Huo Yuhao was partly out of care for her, but the Elders also had a bit of self-interest involved.
Although Huo Yuhao had been recognized by Tang San himself, he still hadn't obtained a divine inheritance.
If he could catch a ride on Jiang Nannan's divine path, his chance of becoming a god would increase significantly.
The golden branches of the Golden Tree swayed, showering the two of them in radiant light, a picture of a teacher's kindness and a student's respect.
Meanwhile…
Huo Yuhao had heard the entire conversation between Elder Song and Jiang Nannan.
As he continued refining the Golden Tree, he had already gained the ability to observe everything happening on Sea God Island through it.
"Didn't expect the Elders to play matchmaker for me and Jiang Nannan~" he thought with a tinge of amusement.
He hadn't been at Sea God Pavilion when the Elders were discussing these matters, so he didn't know at the time.
But their decision—though unexpected—wasn't illogical.
He had no reason to refuse.
He continued refining the Golden Tree, patiently waiting for Jiang Nannan to come to him.
Traditionally, each Sea God Pavilion Master, before their life ended, would offer their soul and power to the Golden Tree, strengthening it so it could continue protecting Shrek Academy.
However, the Golden Tree contained no lingering souls—its internal power remained pure.
That was probably because each Pavilion Master offered themselves willingly.
Also, the Golden Tree's growth didn't require souls. Even if a soul merged into it, it would only linger in the world for a few more years before vanishing.
In fact, inside Mu En's old quarters, Huo Yuhao had found a manual for teaching successors how to wield the power of the Golden Tree.
But he didn't need it.
Why rely on borrowed power when he could just refine it directly?
Elder Song: "Yuhao, do you want a cauldron… or a furnace maiden?"
Before Huo Yuhao could even wait for Jiang Nannan to deliver herself to him, it was the Death God Envoy who first witnessed the completion of the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie's transformation.
Its speed seemed a bit ahead of schedule.
Now, the entire Lingdou City had become a wasteland. All corpses were completely dried out, weathered like rotten wood, as every ounce of nutrients and blood had been drained and gathered into the imperial palace.
Not only that, but the resentment generated from the deaths of the entire city's population had also been drawn in.
The Death God Envoy stepped into the palace.
Contrary to expectations, the palace was not covered in blood. Instead, it was desolate—eerily so.
The Death God Envoy narrowed his eyes.
This meant that all the resentment and blood had been devoured—without a single drop left.
And this revealed two things:
First, the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had an insatiable appetite.
Second, it might not have eaten enough!
He only hoped that the transformation being completed ahead of time wouldn't result in stunted development.
But the Death God Envoy did not retreat. He continued forward and finally, within the palace hall, saw the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie, seated upon the broken imperial throne.
Now even more imposing, the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie stood three meters tall. Sitting on the throne, it made the seat look comically small.
He looked like a true corpse—his chest showed no movement, his eyes were dull and clouded. Though his royal robe was torn to shreds, the exposed body was not shriveled, but muscular and strong like that of a well-trained young man. However, his skin was an ominous grayish-blue, completely hairless.
Zombies evolve differently depending on their growth paths. Clearly, the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie differed from the "hair zombie" type of the Death God Envoy.
Observing the Zombie's flexible knees and wrists, the Death God Envoy smiled with satisfaction.
"Corpse softening. Seems like the growth went well."
He strolled up to the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie, placed a hand on its forehead, and said:
"Come, become mine!"
Just as the Death God Envoy was about to refine the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie—
It suddenly moved on its own, lunging like a hunting leopard. Its left arm shot forward, effortlessly piercing through the Death God Envoy's chest.
The zombie pierced through a defense that even Super Douluos couldn't break!
"Hhhkk—" The Death God Envoy gasped, looking up at the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie in shock.
In that moment, the zombie's once-cloudy eyes suddenly sparkled with life, transforming into glowing golden dragon pupils—blazing with brilliance.
Not only that, its chest began to subtly rise and fall, a breath laced with corpse qi and death qi spraying directly onto the Death God Envoy's face.
The zombie grinned—inhumanly yet with intelligence.
"You… You've gained sentience?!" the Death God Envoy exclaimed.
And not just that—it already knew how to feign weakness and ambush?
That was genius-level!
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie opened its mouth, awkwardly forming words with a hoarse voice:
"Isn't it… obvious?"
"I must thank you. Without you, how could I possibly obtain such great power?"
"With this strength, I shall build an eternal and invincible empire… and become a god in the mortal world!"
Gradually, his speech became smoother.
From the information revealed in his words, it became clear that the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had inherited the memories of the former Douling Emperor.
After all, the Douling Emperor's soul was still in Huo Yuhao's hands. This couldn't be a case of impure reincarnation.
It made sense then that, having inherited those memories, the newly awakened zombie could fake weakness and launch sneak attacks. Perhaps it could do even more.
"As a token of gratitude, I shall bestow upon you the glory of becoming part of my new power. Share in my eternal glory!"
"Offer up your power to me!"
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie didn't give the Death God Envoy a chance to resist. A devouring force surged forth, targeting his body.
In the Death God Envoy's stunned gaze, two soul imprints lit up on the zombie's forehead and right hand. Two new martial souls were summoned forth—not the Douling Emperor's original ones, and all previous soul rings were gone. These were brand new.
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had not only developed self-awareness, but awakened entirely new martial souls!
"Behold! These are my new martial souls—and they are both divine!"
"First martial soul: Divine-level body martial soul—Emperor Zombie!"
"Second martial soul: Divine-level beast martial soul—World-Destroying Swan!"
—Dual divine martial souls!
And the one devouring the Death God Envoy was the Emperor Zombie martial soul.
"My Emperor Zombie martial soul can devour other zombies and transform them into soul rings, thereby acquiring their powers."
"You are the first zombie I have chosen. Feel honored!"
The Death God Envoy was powerless to resist—the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had already reached level 100!
It was only lacking a divine position.
And the fact that it awakened two divine martial souls proved that it had reached the divine realm in essence.
Also, the dual martial soul awakening showed it wasn't being recognized as a soul beast—it was recognized as a soul master.
Which wasn't unreasonable.
Zombies can come back to life—there are two ways: spiritual evolution or resurrection.
Some individuals, nearing the end of their lifespan, would turn themselves into zombies and seal themselves in tombs, awaiting the right time, place, and people to "resurrect" into a second life.
But because zombies are naturally rejected by the world, few succeed. Many are disrupted during the process.
Still, ancient legends speak of zombies and humans transforming back and forth.
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie may not have "resurrected," but it had truly become a new person.
The Death God Envoy was fully devoured—his soul power, body, and soul twisted into the shape of a soul ring, impurities cast out, leaving behind a single black-gold soul ring.
But...
What did the Death God Envoy's demise have to do with me, Huo Yuhao?
At the very moment the Emperor Zombie martial soul was absorbing the ring, Huo Yuhao's divine consciousness invaded the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie's body through that very soul ring.
And Huo Yuhao discovered something interesting:
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie's soul power and body had both reached the level of a deity. But its newly-born soul was extremely weak—it hadn't even evolved into divine consciousness.
Understandable.
Zombies focus on cultivating the body; the soul and awareness are their weaknesses.
"Well, I won't be polite then~ Here I come~"
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie suddenly sensed the intrusion and shouted:
"What is this? Get out!"
But his roar was just a meaningless rage.
Carrying boundless ambition and deep unwillingness, the spark in his eyes slowly faded.
When his eyes lit up again, the golden dragon pupils now shimmered with the peaceful glow of Buddhist light.
Huo Yuhao:
"The Death God Envoy was on the first floor, you were on the third floor, but I… I'm in the atmosphere!"
"So that's how it is. No wonder the transformation ended prematurely. It wasn't that the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had completed its metamorphosis, but rather, that it still lacked one final catalyst."
This "catalyst" was none other than the Death Envoy—or more precisely, the final life breath of the Death Envoy.
After possessing the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie, Huo Yuhao erased its original soul and consciousness. Then, while inspecting the body, he discovered a secret even he hadn't anticipated.
In truth, the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie, although seemingly resurrected, was more accurately in a state of being undead—animated, but not truly alive.
It had absorbed vast amounts of deathly and corpse energy, yet lacked any trace of vitality. Its original life force had been completely depleted. So despite regaining consciousness and gaining a new soul, it was unable to "rise as a corpse"—unable to move freely.
What seemed like sitting regally on a crumbling throne was, in reality, just being physically unable to stand.
Otherwise, with its power, the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie would never have needed to deceive and ambush the Death Envoy. It could've crushed him outright.
Though also undead, the Death Envoy retained a trace of life—a breath of vitality, an aura of living energy.
That was exactly what the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie needed. Just one breath—not much, but enough.
The difference between a zombie and a dead body is precisely this breath of life.
After devouring the Death Envoy, the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie obtained the missing catalyst—one breath of vitality—completing its transformation.
Slowly, the zombie emperor rose from its throne, like a slumbering dragon awakening.
As the crumbling throne shattered, blood and resentment hidden beneath erupted, bathing the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie in the torrent, allowing it to devour freely and enter its final stage of metamorphosis.
A blood-red pillar of light shot skyward from the royal palace, piercing the heavens, visible even from outside Lingdou City.
Outside the city, countless zombies seemed to respond to a call. They instinctively gathered, converging around the city and prostrating themselves toward the red light.
Well—since zombies can't bend their knees, they could only lie flat.
Members of the Inspection Corps, locked in combat with the zombie horde, all sensed something strange. Some risked investigating; others rushed back to report.
Upon hearing the situation, Zhang Lexuan personally led a team of elite inspectors toward Lingdou City. They, too, witnessed the towering blood-red light—and the sky slowly turning crimson.
Dark death energy blotted out the sun, while the dense blood glow tainted the darkness red.
"What in the world is happening?" Han Ruoruo asked with a strained voice.
The answer was clear: the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had completed its transformation.
Its tattered dragon robe fell away, revealing a dazzling golden Dragon Scale Armor, symbolizing imperial identity.
This armor was a result of the Emperor Zombie's martial soul, influenced by dragon energy.
Now standing three meters tall, clad in dragon scale armor, muscular and imposing, the zombie exuded a golden glow from its dragon-like eyes. A dragon crown adorned its head, and its long black hair flowed naturally.
Only its grayish skin, black claws, and the two protruding fangs from its lips revealed its zombie nature.
Huo Yuhao, controlling the zombie's body, felt its power.
Undoubtedly, it possessed level 100 strength, with potential for further growth. The bottleneck had been broken, though it would need more blood and death energy to advance.
His first martial soul, the Zombie Emperor, allowed for long-term possession—one of its many innate abilities.
This God-level martial soul came with several innate talents and even a domain.
These talents included:
Innate immortality and infinite lifespan;
Control over zombies and undead hordes;
A nearly indestructible body;
Manipulation of death energy, corpse qi, and corpse poison;
Ultimate evil elemental affinity;
Control over thunder.
When ultimate evil merges with thunder, it becomes Ultimate Evil Thunder—a force even more terrifying than Bei Bei's Evil Dragon Lightning.
It also had the special ability to devour other zombies as spirit rings, inheriting their power.
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had no obvious weaknesses. To destroy it, one would need overwhelming force to pulverize its body completely.
Huo Yuhao had succeeded in possession only because he exploited a loophole—attacking a newly formed soul, not through head-on confrontation.
But from now on, that weakness no longer existed, because Huo Yuhao's greatest strength was spiritual power.
And he now possessed the Zombie Emperor Domain.
Within this domain, corpse poison, death energy, and corpse qi ran rampant, quickly converting nearby corpses into undead puppets. It could also erode living beings—those unable to resist would die instantly.
The domain also had two divine skills, though both required a horde of zombies to activate.
Its range was immense, capable of encompassing the entire Lingdou City.
Finally, there was the first spirit ring: the Death Envoy's soul ring.
All of the Death Envoy's battle techniques, soul skills, and powers were inherited by the Zombie Emperor—none were wasted.
As for the second martial soul, the Doomsday Swan, it was special—an ethereal, wraith-type martial soul with the attribute of Ultimate death.
Even its wielder could feel a threat of death emanating from it.
Huo Yuhao had a premonition: while summoning or channeling it might be safe, fully activating the Doomsday Swan's power would trigger terrifying consequences.
Meaning—for now—it was beyond his control.
So he refrained from exploring it further.
…
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie picked up the Death Envoy's gear, especially the venomous glove on his left hand. Once refined into his body, it would elevate his corpse poison to the level of Ultimate poison.
"From today onward," he declared, "call me the Corpse God. Reaching level 100—I now qualify as a god!"
"And next... it's time to complete the power of this god!"
His Zombie Emperor martial soul still lacked nine spirit rings.
Conveniently, the Death Envoy's recent "collection" had suitable candidates.
The second ring: the Bronze-Armored General Zombie, crafted from a Doulou Empire general. This ring granted a powerful offensive skill. Its martial soul, the Azure Sky Spear, was a top-tier offense-type tool soul, said to rival even the legendary Soul-Breaking Spear—perhaps even a mutation of it.
The third ring: the Star-Crowned Emperor Zombie, made from the former Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei. This provided control and supportive abilities, plus starlight absorption for cultivation. The Star Crown soul was famed for its combat-ready support abilities.
The fourth ring: the Seven-Treasure Zombie, refined from the former head of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Yutang. It added exceptional support power. Though limited to the Seven Treasures, its performance was superb and complemented the Star Crown's combat-focused support perfectly.
Only these three zombies were deemed worthy by Huo Yuhao to serve as spirit rings for the Zombie Emperor.
Other zombies may have had more raw power, but lacked uniqueness—or their abilities overlapped with these three.
"Looks like I still need to work harder," Huo Yuhao mused. "If I can't even gather all the rings for my Emperor Soul in one go, I'm still too kind."
At the same time, outside Lingdou City.
The members of the Inspection Corps stood in the distance, gazing solemnly toward the city.
Though the ominous blood-red light had dissipated, no one relaxed. Instead, tension grew stronger.
They all knew too well—whatever had just happened inside Lingdou City was beyond their understanding, and now it was far too late to stop it.
This time, Zhang Lexuan had brought twelve people with her, all of whom possessed at least Spirit Douluo-level strength. All the Title Douluos in the nearby town had also joined.
There were four Title Douluos present—Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, and two Elder veterans.
Among them, Zhang Lexuan and the two Elders possessed Super Douluo-level power.
Han Ruoruo was at level 94, and with the support of her 100,000-year spirit ring and soul bone, her strength wasn't far below that of a level 95 Super Douluo.
Soon, an agility-type spirit master returned with troubling news.
"A terrifyingly strong zombie seems to have emerged inside Lingdou City. All zombies of the undead army have gathered outside the city—estimated numbers exceed 100,000!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan and the other elites exchanged glances, their eyes filled with hesitation.
They weren't reckless fools. Charging into danger knowing full well an overwhelming threat awaited them? That would be suicide.
Even just the massive undead horde was far beyond what they could handle. The densely packed zombies were enough to make their scalps tingle just from the sight.
Previously, they had relied on small tactical teams to whittle down smaller zombie squads and prevent the horde from expanding. They had already wiped out tens of thousands of zombies, including over fifty "soul zombies," which were variants enhanced by spirit energy.
But to discover there were still over 100,000 zombies remaining—and who knew how many soul zombies with strength comparable to a Title Douluo—was beyond shocking.
While soul zombies had physical strength on par with a Title Douluo, they couldn't fully utilize martial spirit abilities. In a one-on-one fight, they would still lose to a real Title Douluo.
Coordinated Spirit Douluo teams could kill them, and even Soul Sage teams could prevail—so long as they had fire, lightning, or light attributes.
The problem was: even within the Inspection Corps, they didn't have that many Spirit Douluos or Soul Sages left!
And during the elimination of those tens of thousands of zombies, they had suffered casualties—light, but not recoverable in the short term. Zombies didn't fear loss, but humans did.
"At this point, we must return to the academy and rally the elites of the Three Empires to fight the Death Envoy together," one Elder said gravely.
Everyone agreed.
"Oh? Leaving now... Isn't it a bit late for that?"
A strange voice suddenly echoed from above.
Zhang Lexuan and the others were shocked. Someone had appeared above them—and none of them had noticed?!
They all quickly looked up.
Floating in the air was the Corpse God, standing motionless in the sky. There wasn't the slightest release of spirit power, corpse energy, or death energy around him—he looked completely different from ordinary zombies.
But after fighting zombies for so long, the corps members instantly knew—this was definitely a zombie.
And a powerful one.
Likely the terrifying creature that had just emerged from Lingdou City.
"Retreat!" Zhang Lexuan reacted instantly, shouting the order.
But instead of fleeing, she activated her martial spirit and rushed forward to face the Corpse God—determined to buy time for the others.
The two Elders did the same.
"Ruoruo, take the others and go—now!" one Elder ordered, unleashing his martial spirit body and charging toward the Corpse God with Zhang Lexuan and the other Elder.
Tears filled Han Ruoruo's eyes, but she obeyed, sorrowfully yelling:
"Let's go!"
She led the remaining Spirit Douluos toward the nearby town, activating a signal to alert the remaining Inspection Corps members to prepare for battle.
The Corpse God only sneered and didn't stop Han Ruoruo's retreat.
After all, the zombie horde was already moving again—surrounding the town.
Zhang Lexuan and the two Elders unleashed their martial spirit true forms and attacked together.
The Corpse God's gaze skipped over Zhang Lexuan and settled on the two Elders. Both came from the Sea God Pavilion and were Super Douluos—geniuses of their generation. Their martial spirits were top-tier.
One Elder wielded the Thunderquake Axe, harnessing pure lightning. The other had the rare Twin Hearts Ring, which possessed spatial properties.
"Interesting… seems we're fated to meet," murmured the Corpse God.
No longer concealing himself, he exploded with corpse energy and death energy, unleashing the Emperor Zombie Domain, instantly neutralizing the trio's combined attacks.
The domain flooded with corrupt energy, which took the form of reaping scythes that invaded their soul shields, aiming to kill them and turn them into zombies.
The Elder with the Twin Hearts Ring acted swiftly, launching his own domain:
"Heaven and earth united, sun and moon aligned—Domain of Heart and Space!"
He tried to counter the Emperor Zombie Domain, but failed.
His domain barely expanded before being suppressed by the overwhelming corpse energy, reduced to just enough to shield their martial spirit forms.
Even then, the invading death energy began creeping in, trying to corrupt them from within.
"Struggle, insects. In the end, your only fate is to become my zombies," the Corpse God mocked.
But Zhang Lexuan and the Elders fought on.
They unleashed 100,000-year soul skills, secret techniques, and even self-created abilities—yet they were horrified to find they couldn't even resist the domain's pressure.
Worse still, their life force was being drained. Their bodies were deteriorating, infected by the death energy. Weakness began to overwhelm them.
"We have to escape this domain!" one Elder shouted.
"Leave it to me!" Zhang Lexuan stepped forward, activating her external silver-patterned soul bone. Her eyes turned emotionless—like a divine goddess of judgment.
"What is this power?!"
"Lexuan's state... it's not right."
The Elders were stunned. It was their first time seeing Zhang Lexuan use this power.
It was a sealed strength derived from Huo Yuhao's "King's Intent", transformed into her own "Moonlight Intent"—a power she avoided using because it cost her her emotions.
But faced with their imminent demise, she could no longer hold back.
She unleashed a battle technique created by herself, inspired by Sovereign's Reign, and strengthened through Huo Yuhao's guidance.
Stronger than a 100,000-year soul skill—
"Silver Moon's Pride!"
Her emotionless punch radiated silver light, her fist transforming into a silver moon. A pillar of light burst forth, creating a path through the Emperor Zombie Domain—free of corpse or death energy.
The Corpse God narrowed his eyes slightly, but made no effort to stop her.
After the attack, Zhang Lexuan canceled the Moonlight Intent immediately—afraid of losing her emotions permanently.
Just as she tried to lead the Elders out, a gentle force pushed her out of the path she had just created.
The two Elders had acted.
"Lexuan, if no one holds him off, none of us will escape. Let us old men protect you one last time."
"Return to the academy! Gather all the continent's elites! That creature must be destroyed—or it will bring disaster!"
"GO!!!"
The Elders roared, burning their life force, charging at the Corpse God in a final stand.
Tears flowed from Zhang Lexuan's eyes as she clenched her teeth and fled—refusing to let their sacrifice be in vain, or abandon her comrades in the nearby town.
Yet not long after she left—
The Corpse God caught both Elders by the throat and hurled them back into the domain.
"You want to self-destruct? Hah—the weak don't even have the right to choose death!"
The fifth and sixth spirit rings—just like that, they were his.
The Thunderquake Axe granted ultimate evil lightning.
The Twin Hearts Ring brought powerful spatial control and even a gifted domain.
The Corpse God's strength increased once again.