Huo Yuhao's trial hadn't gone well.
When he regained consciousness, he smelled a fresh, natural fragrance. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying in a hammock woven from Blue Silver Grass, surrounded by the refreshing sights and scents of a forest.
"Where am I? Did someone rescue me?"
Feigning confusion, Huo Yuhao rolled off the hammock.
Suddenly, he tilted his head, as if he had heard something.
Following the sound, he stepped forward.
Pushing past bushes and trees, the scenery suddenly opened up before him.
A clear, flowing lake came into view. By the lakeside stood a graceful woman, softly singing.
Her voice was sweet—like the sound of nature itself, soothing and calming the heart.
With her back to him, the woman wore plain clothes, yet her charm couldn't be hidden. Her long blue hair was tied up at the back of her head, and the setting sun cast golden rays upon her, making her glow with a golden brilliance.
After a brief moment of amazement, Huo Yuhao noticed something unusual.
"This woman... she blends into nature so seamlessly that I can barely detect her presence… She's a master!"
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, Huo Yuhao quickly turned his head away, no longer daring to look at her impolitely.
The woman had already sensed his presence. She was quite pleased with Huo Yuhao's reaction and turned slightly, a smile on her face.
It was none other than Ah Yin.
Huo Yuhao had already guessed her identity.
Which left him quite puzzled.
"Is Tang Hao trying to seduce me with Ah Yin? Or is this some kind of test? If this is a test, then I have to say—it's quite the ordeal. What man wouldn't be tempted by such a beauty?"
Indeed, Tang Hao and Ah Yin did intend to test Huo Yuhao. If he turned out to be a lecher, Tang Hao would've taken measures to stop him—and definitely wouldn't allow him to be with Tang Wutong.
This test came about partly because Ah Yin had recently visited her granddaughter and, through the Blue Silver Grass, gathered more intelligence on Huo Yuhao.
To her surprise, Huo Yuhao wasn't just involved with one girl—there were several young women deeply in love with him, thinking of him constantly during his absence.
For example, Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao.
These two missed him the most.
And both of them also had a good relationship with Wang Dong'er.
This made Ah Yin very uneasy, so she reported the matter to Tang Hao.
Tang Hao was immediately displeased.
Their Tang Clan prided itself on pure love across generations!
Who said you could build a harem?
Especially if you want to marry a Tang family girl—you must break ties with the others!
But Tang Hao didn't go straight to smashing Huo Yuhao with a hammer. Instead, he said, "When Xiao San was young, many girls liked him because of his excellence. But in the end, he chose only Xiao Wu. It's normal for a talented youth to be admired."
"But we still have to vet his character—no way can we let a playboy hurt Wutong."
So Ah Yin, the grandmother herself, decided to test Huo Yuhao in person.
Their plan wasn't some vulgar seduction—but rather a test of conscience through action.
Ah Yin believed that with her perception, she could sense Huo Yuhao's true intentions.
The forest, covered in Blue Silver Grass, could feel Huo Yuhao's emotions every second. Any flaw would be instantly revealed.
And Huo Yuhao's response upon meeting Ah Yin had truly pleased her.
The feedback from the Blue Silver Grass confirmed to her that Huo Yuhao wasn't a clueless blockhead, nor a shameless womanizer. Even in her presence, he remained alert—and the moment he sensed his gaze was inappropriate, he quickly corrected himself.
"Just as the world says—this Huo Yuhao is a gentleman."
"Modest and kind, talented and extraordinarily handsome—a youth with such fine traits. No wonder Wutong fell for him."
Ah Yin also admired Huo Yuhao's looks. Even though she herself was a beauty and her sonTang San was one of the most handsome men alive—even so, in front of Huo Yuhao's godly looks, she couldn't help but think: "Now that's a handsome young man."
Way better than that hard-as-iron Tang Hao.
But Ah Yin didn't forget the purpose of her appearance. She stopped singing, turned around, and walked toward Huo Yuhao.
"You're awake, young one."
Huo Yuhao gathered himself, looked directly at her, his eyes clear.
"Did you save me, Senior? May I ask your name?"
Facing Ah Yin, Huo Yuhao could only think: As expected of a goddess. That face and aura are beyond mortal standards. And that maternal radiance… makes me instinctively want to treat her as a mother figure.
But on the outside, he showed no signs of distraction.
Standing two steps away from him, Ah Yin smiled. "Indeed, you saved yourself. As for me, I'm just a lone cultivator on this island."
"Thank you for your help, Senior. I am Huo Yuhao, Master of the Sea God Pavilion. I shall never forget this kindness. If ever you need anything, I am at your service." He bowed respectfully.
"Heh, I live here in seclusion and am no weaker than you. What would I need your help for?" Ah Yin chuckled. But she was clearly pleased with Huo Yuhao's gratitude.
"Still, if there is anything I can do, please don't hesitate," Huo Yuhao insisted.
His awkwardness made him seem like an inexperienced young man—unsure of how to deal with elders.
Which made Ah Yin laugh even more.
Teasing youngsters had its charm.
After all, Huo Yuhao had just turned twenty, and his reputation in the outside world was that of an innocent boy.
Mature women love that type.
(Of course, if a woman prefers a wild young wolf, Yuhao could switch modes just by taking off his shirt.)
"All right, come with me. If you really want to repay me, then cook me a meal," Ah Yin said casually.
According to the intel she'd gathered, Huo Yuhao was an excellent cook. Today, she was going to find out for herself.
As soon as he heard it involved cooking, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. He patted his chest confidently, "Rest assured, Senior—cooking is what I do best!"
Later, he dove into the sea to catch a fish and grilled it for Ah Yin.
Naturally, he used all his secret techniques to make it incredible.
But seriously—who in their right mind would eat food prepared by someone with a poison-based attribute?
Especially if the cook's strength exceeded the diner's?
Still, the aroma of that grilled fish was heavenly.
Even Tang Hao, hiding in the forest, was nearly drooling.
But since Ah Yin hadn't revealed her identity, Tang Hao didn't dare show himself to ruin her plans.
After tasting the fish, Ah Yin wanted more—but she wasn't the greedy type. She suppressed her craving and decided to offer Huo Yuhao some guidance.
Clearly, her affection for the boy had grown.
"I've been watching you secretly. The reason you were defeated—was it because of that Leviathan in the deep sea?"
"Leviathan?" Huo Yuhao looked confused. He really didn't know.
So Ah Yin gave him a quick rundown on the creature.
Then she explained how to defeat it.
"To defeat the Leviathan, you either overpower it with absolute strength—or show a tenacity greater than its own!"
"And tenacity... is what I'm best at."
"My martial soul is the Blue Silver Grass. Its greatest trait: Even if burned to the ground, it regrows with the spring wind."
Under Ah Yin's guidance, Huo Yuhao began a new round of cultivation—a special training designed to defeat Leviathan.
This reminded Huo Yuhao of the Showa Defeat King and the Cane Alien.
Every time the Defeat King barely survived a battle, the Cane Alien would appear to give him some brutal special training.
Yes—brutal special training!
But in this case, the one training Huo Yuhao was the beautiful Ah Yin, and her training was much gentler.
The training method was not physical exertion, but enlightenment.
Huo Yuhao sat across from Ah Yin, only two meters apart. Every time the breeze blew, he could smell her delicate fragrance.
They were sitting cross-legged on a bed of Blue Silver Grass deep within the island forest.
Ah Yin was explaining,
"The power of endless vitality is not just the trait of the Blue Silver Grass spirit, nor merely the blessing of the life attribute. The true core lies in the inner-outer circulation—the resonance between Heaven and Man."
From around Ah Yin rose the power of her domain, enveloping Huo Yuhao, letting him feel it firsthand. In that moment, Ah Yin had become one with the entire forest.
If not for her visible form, it would have been impossible to perceive her presence at all—let alone detect her aura.
She wasn't hiding—it was that she had merged with nature itself.
She disappeared into nature… yet seemed to exist everywhere.
Ah Yin's personal demonstration immediately gave Huo Yuhao insight.
"This Blue Silver Domain… it's fundamentally different from Ah Lan's. It's on a higher level." Huo Yuhao observed carefully.
Indeed, Ah Yin's domain was also a Blue Silver Domain, but fundamentally more advanced than the one Huo Yuhao had previously experienced from the Blue Silver Emperor Ah Lan.
Undoubtedly, Ah Yin's domain was stronger—because it had reached the divine level.
Its power was no longer limited to communicating with Blue Silver Grass; instead, it could merge with all of nature!
Her domain even carried the power of laws.
Those were the Laws of Life—corresponding to Ah Yin's attribute.
Watching Huo Yuhao immersed in enlightenment, Ah Yin smiled gently.
"I wonder how much of this power I understood after becoming a god he'll be able to grasp. They say his talent is unmatched… let's see for myself."
"If he can comprehend it, not only will it help him pass the trial, it'll also greatly aid his path to godhood."
Ah Yin held back nothing from Huo Yuhao. Even the core insights she gained after becoming a god were displayed openly for him to learn and understand.
However, how much Huo Yuhao could grasp—depended on his own comprehension.
Ah Yin wasn't going to spoon-feed him.
But even if he understood just one or two percent of it, it would be enough to give Huo Yuhao a real chance at defeating Leviathan.
To Huo Yuhao, this Blue Silver Domain was a windfall.
Even though Ah Yin was only a second-rank god, her insights were authentic divine-level powers—immensely valuable to study.
Especially the Laws of Life.
It seemed that Ah Yin and Tang Hao must have ventured into the cosmos as well—otherwise they couldn't have comprehended these laws. And in the context of Douluo Continent, law-level power is a complete tier above attribute-based power.
If Ah Yin were to pursue a divine position, the most suitable one would undoubtedly be Life God-King. But sadly, she lacked the qualifications and ability to inherit a God-King's legacy.
Still, obtaining a first-rank god position tied to the life attribute should pose no problem for her.
Huo Yuhao could see Ah Yin's potential.
Unfortunately, Ah Yin lacked a divine seat—and with the limited resources available to her, becoming a second-rank god was already her limit.
The same went for Tang Hao.
After all, they lived in seclusion on Douluo Continent.
Resources there were indeed limited—especially since they had already nurtured multiple generations of first-rank gods and hidden beasts.
No wonder Tang San was worried about the continent's resource exhaustion.
A layer of frost began to spread out from where Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, stretching outward in all directions—yet it didn't harm the Blue Silver Grass around him.
Instead, the frost and the grass—two seemingly incompatible elements—coexisted harmoniously, creating a serene vision of icy-blue silver grass.
Seeing this, Ah Yin was slightly surprised, then smiled softly with increased admiration.
She hadn't expected Huo Yuhao's talent to be this profound.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao had already grasped certain concepts and was attempting to use his own domain to mimic the Blue Silver Domain—aiming to achieve Heaven-Man Resonance.
So, Ah Yin didn't withdraw her domain. Instead, she used it actively—teaching Huo Yuhao hand-in-hand, guiding his Ultimate Ice.
During this process, Ah Yin also realized why Huo Yuhao progressed so quickly.
"So he already had a foundation—this must be the combat techniques of this era. I didn't expect that someone had already grasped such concepts and created a combat technique, and that Huo Yuhao had learned it."
Ah Yin marveled once more in her heart.
Huo Yuhao was indeed using combat techniques to learn Ah Yin's power.
Specifically, he used two techniques:
Monarch's Command , taught by Mu En—intended to synchronize mind and body,will, unifying "essence" and "life."
Heaven-Man Resonance, a technique from the Body Sect—meant to connect oneself with the world. Though difficult to learn for normal soul masters, it provided Huo Yuhao with a crucial method of harmonizing with nature.
Huo Yuhao deliberately demonstrated these techniques in front of Ah Yin.
Because underneath all of this, he was using his divine soul power to comprehend Ah Yin's Laws of Life.
With the help of those laws, his already strong life attribute evolved rapidly—possibly enough to allow him to grasp the Laws of Life himself!
Previously, his understanding of elemental powers had let him condense his personal elemental core—a form of evolution.
Now, if he could grasp the corresponding law, he would go beyond that stage!
This time, Ah Yin was truly helping Brother Hao elevate his cultivation!
So naturally, Brother Hao wasn't going to let this chance go.
Amidst all this, Huo Yuhao quietly activated Demonic Dominion , using his own Buddha radiance and demonic nature to silently follow the Blue Silver Domain—seeking to infiltrate Ah Yin's source.
The "demonic nature" here referred to the will embedded in Demonic Dominion.
If it were an ordinary person below the divine level, Huo Yuhao could easily corrupt them into a demon with a flick of his hand. But against a god with divine soul power, he had to proceed with extreme caution—no rushing.
If detected, everything would be in vain.
However, as long as he infiltrated enough to lull Ah Yin into a false sense of security, the rate of corruption would accelerate.
So this special training still needed more time.
Given Huo Yuhao's strength, it wouldn't take too long.
And so, Huo Yuhao trained under Ah Yin for a full month.
Every day, their powers intertwined and exchanged.
After one month, Huo Yuhao could already use his Frost Domain to communicate back and forth with Ah Yin's Blue Silver Domain in harmony with nature.
He was very pleased with his progress.
Ah Yin was also quite satisfied with her "teaching results."
Only Tang Hao, who had been secretly observing from the woods, felt Huo Yuhao was going too far.
"That brat's been hogging Ah Yin for a whole month!"
If it hadn't been all training and nothing else, Tang Hao might've already lost his patience.
Even so, his patience was wearing very thin.
"Kid, you've delayed long enough. It's time to complete your trial."
One night, Tang Hao called Huo Yuhao into a small grove and said this to him.
But to Huo Yuhao's ears, it sounded more like, "You've hogged my wife's time long enough—time to let her go."
That said, Huo Yuhao had just about finished with Ah Yin's "erosion," too.
So he nodded obediently.
"Senior, I'm ready!"
Only then did Tang Hao pull back his clenched fist with satisfaction.
The next morning—
Huo Yuhao, watched by Tang Hao and Ah Yin, dove into the ocean once again, plunging deep into the abyss.
As before, he was only allowed to use his own soul power—not his martial spirit or soul skills.
As Huo Yuhao descended deeper, his arrival once again stirred the Leviathan.
This time, however, he was much more confident. He accelerated his descent and charged straight at Leviathan.
The power of Ultimate Ice burst from his hands, freezing the seawater into spears and pillars of ice that he hurled at Leviathan, as if trying to bury it alive under a frozen tomb.
Even without soul skills, his level-98 strength meant every casual strike carried the force of a full-power blow from a titled Douluo.
The ocean's water seemed infinite, and Huo Yuhao's ice seemed endless as well. Before Leviathan could rise, it was smashed back down by a torrent of icy pillars, appearing to be overwhelmed and helpless.
With a full-power opening move, Huo Yuhao seized the advantage.
But Tang Hao and Ah Yin knew—this was only the beginning.
Sure enough, the next moment, a terrifying devouring force erupted from the abyss. All the hardened ice was shattered by this pull and drawn into a single point, ground into dust and annihilated.
The source of the devouring force? Leviathan's massive open maw, now resembling a black hole.
Huo Yuhao recalled the intel Ah Yin had provided him on Leviathan.
Ah Yin had said:
"Leviathan is a primordial beast. It doesn't possess as many mystical abilities as soul beasts, but its bloodline carries something far more terrifying than soul skills or talents—an irresistible devouring force!"
"Devour, pull, crush, erase—and finally, transform everything into its own nourishment. That is Leviathan's one and only, and most terrifying, power."
Among the primordial beasts, Leviathan ranked higher in threat level than even the Ten-Headed Blaze Serpent—especially since it was significantly stronger.
The Blaze Serpent's venom could be dealt with by developing countermeasures.
Leviathan's devouring force, however, could only be resisted with sheer power.
"A primordial beast, huh? If we go by the classic mythology, Leviathan should probably be called the Great Kun," Huo Yuhao mused briefly.
Then he began responding to the devouring force.
To fight Leviathan, brute strength was the only option. Huo Yuhao could kill it if he unleashed his full power, but since he was hiding his true strength, he had to use the solution Ah Yin had given him:
"Heaven-Man Resonance!"
Huo Yuhao whispered the words in his heart. His eyes lit up with golden light, like two shining lanterns.
At the same time, a vortex appeared in the abyss centered on him—not caused by his movement, but formed as he entered a state of whale swallowing, absorbing the elemental energy of the world. The gathered elemental power stirred the surrounding water.
Then Huo Yuhao raised both hands, making a launching gesture, and fired a terrifying beam of extreme cold straight into Leviathan's gaping maw.
According to Ah Yin, Huo Yuhao's previous plan to freeze Leviathan had been sound.
Unfortunately, his power at the time simply wasn't enough to finish it. He could freeze Leviathan with his elemental advantage, but not destroy it.
So Ah Yin had taught him "Heaven-Man Resonance" to compensate for this weakness.
If soul cores marked a qualitative leap in a soul master's recovery speed and energy reserves, then Heaven-Man Resonance was what allowed a soul master to tap into the power of the heavens—drawing from nature itself to replenish energy while fighting.
It was indeed a remarkable ability. Huo Yuhao had long pondered how to fight while regenerating, but even with the knowledge and wisdom of the Sacred Spirit Feather Serpent, he couldn't realize it.
Because he lacked the foundational insight and developmental path.
Ah Yin, on the other hand, awakened this technique when her domain evolved into a god-level domain after becoming a deity.
In other words—everything in the universe has value. Talent is abundant. Arrogance and complacency are dangerous.
And, more importantly—don't miss out on the good stuff.
Heaven-Man Resonance was powerful enough to be refined into one of Huo Yuhao's divine techniques.
Now, he only needed to keep generating Ultimate Ice energy and engage in a battle of attrition—until Leviathan froze to death.
So the two sides entered a stalemate.
Gradually, thick ice began to coat Leviathan's body.
The chill of death seeped into its flesh and bones.
Perhaps sensing its life was in danger, Leviathan—despite its lack of intelligence—made an instinct-driven move that no one expected.
It suddenly whipped its tail and lunged upward toward Huo Yuhao.
Because Huo Yuhao had to maintain his energy release, he couldn't dodge in time. The elemental energy pouring into him also restricted his movement to a degree.
Then, under Tang Hao and Ah Yin's tense gazes, Leviathan lunged forward and swallowed Huo Yuhao whole, its maw snapping shut.
"What?!" Ah Yin gasped, stepping forward in shock. In her agitation, a faint black glow flickered in her eyes.
Tang Hao, standing behind her, didn't notice. He simply thought she was still as kind as ever.
Though he was a little worried about Huo Yuhao, Tang Hao didn't interfere and said coldly,
"If he can't even survive this much danger, he's not qualified to become a god."
Even their divine senses couldn't detect Huo Yuhao inside Leviathan, as its internal body formed a space of its own.
Still, Tang Hao was confident. Huo Yuhao wouldn't go down so easily.
Hearing this, Ah Yin stopped in her tracks but continued watching the abyss nervously.
She hadn't noticed anything strange about herself.
Meanwhile, Leviathan, believing it had swallowed Huo Yuhao, sank back into the depths to digest him.
It lowered its guard.
Or perhaps it had simply been frozen to the point of numbness.
Inside Leviathan, Huo Yuhao was perfectly fine. The devouring force had no effect on him.
Instead of continuing to release Ultimate Ice, he extended countless grotesque blood-red threads from his body—piercing Leviathan's flesh and soul to consume everything: body, spirit, and essence!
Leviathan, a beast nearing 300,000 years of cultivation, had internal nourishment second only to Di Tian himself.
"Your devouring power is interesting... but still not as good as mine."
The devouring ability Huo Yuhao obtained from Zi Ji had long since grown to a level that surpassed Leviathan's.
Neither Tang Hao nor Ah Yin could have predicted that Leviathan would end up being devoured by Huo Yuhao instead!
Crimson, vein-like flesh strands extended from Huo Yuhao's body and pierced into Leviathan's flesh, steadily devouring its power.
These strands were connected to Huo Yuhao's body, as though sprouting directly from within him.
This was one of the innate Ice Lotus Spirit Body's unique abilities!
During Huo Yuhao's reversal of his innate constitution, the Snow Lotus sacrificed itself to forge his Ice Lotus Spirit Body, elevating his physique to the level of an innate divine body.
This spirit body also inherited a portion of the Snow Lotus's powers—such as the secondary meridians formed by root-like tendrils!
Now, these secondary meridians were no longer foreign additions—they were entirely and fundamentally a part of Huo Yuhao, like natural-born meridians.
With two sets of meridians, Huo Yuhao could dual cultivate two diametrically opposed forces without conflict. Moreover, he could perfectly conceal his power—not only was it undetectable externally, even forcefully probing his interior wouldn't reveal anything unusual.
This was why Tang Hao, even after close contact, hadn't discovered anything off about Huo Yuhao.
Beyond that, the secondary meridians had inherited the devouring power of the Snow Lotus's roots. Once connected to Huo Yuhao's divine armament, the devouring strength grew even more terrifying—able to absorb even Ultimate elements and divine power!
The flesh strands extending from Huo Yuhao's body at that moment were none other than his secondary meridians!
You think the Innate Ice Lotus Spirit Body is some pure and pristine constitution?
In reality, the powers hidden within it were eerie and dangerous.
But it was the most suitable physique for Huo Yuhao!
The primary meridians flowed with positive forces: Ultimate Ice, Ultimate Life, Ultimate Light—the side of Buddhahood.
The Golden Ancient Tree's main body resided in the Divine Kingdom, while its roots were anchored in his primary meridians.
Thus, the Golden Ancient Tree wasn't merely a refined treasure—it also replaced the Snow Lotus and became a second spirit root born alongside Huo Yuhao.
Hidden within the secondary meridians, however, were negative forces—coldness, evil, destruction—the demonic aspect!
What connected these two aspects of Buddha and demon was the Law of Fate that Huo Yuhao was currently comprehending. His luck served as the foundation that strengthened the bridge connecting them. On that bridge stood Huo Yuhao's Divine Kingdom and his divine seat.
Huo Yuhao's cultivation method was born from the Demonic-Buddha Path, but had completely surpassed it.
This new cultivation path, he named: Law of Destiny · Dual Faces of Buddha and Demon.
Leviathan's power was devoured and refined by the secondary meridians, nourishing the growth of the Law of Destiny.
Inside his meridians, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, floating, surrounded by the power of destiny as he continued to deepen his comprehension of its mysteries.
Everyone inside the Divine Kingdom sensed the change in Huo Yuhao.
"Brother Hao's power is rising again!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm said excitedly.
"So strong! Way too strong!" the Golden Xuanwu was already thrilled.
Electrolux nodded, saying, "Leviathan's body contains abundant nourishment. Perhaps this gain is enough to elevate Yuhao's power to the Godking realm!"
But the Holy Feathered Serpent shook her head. "Breaking through to Godking isn't that easy."
"In truth, with the Dragon Tomb's resources, he already had enough to support his breakthrough to the Godking realm. Refining Leviathan's flesh is merely accelerating the process."
"Whether he can complete the final step depends on whether he can elevate his comprehension of the laws to the level of a Godking!"
Nearby, Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue—both former gods—silently observed everything. Though they had once become gods, they now realized they couldn't understand what the others were talking about.
What are Laws?
What is a Godking?
All they knew were the inherited divine seats.
In contrast, those who had surpassed the hundredth level—Six-Winged Angel, Cain, and others—were intently focused on Huo Yuhao's cultivation. The barrier he was facing now would be their path in the future!
For Soul Masters, surpassing the 100th level was a bottleneck.
For gods, breaking into the Godking realm was the true trial.
This threshold was similar to the Demonic-Buddha Path—first cultivate the divine fruit, then the power.
Only those with comprehension of the laws at the Godking level could become Godkings. Otherwise, they were merely powerful First-Rank Gods.
But Huo Yuhao's strength lay in comprehension!
His Saint Eyes martial soul lit up by itself—as though it could trace the very tracks of fate.
His [Heaven's Mandate] Fate Star shone brilliantly.
Huo Yuhao's Luck Field rained down golden fortune, nourishing his path forward.
That nourishment also became a catalyst for his enlightenment to surge.
A seed of comprehension, under this rain, cracked open and began to sprout!
Huo Yuhao, who had long accumulated enough, now formally charged toward the Godking realm!
What was once an impenetrable wall, now showed a crack from the seed's push.
Once Huo Yuhao slipped through, he wanted more. He didn't retreat an inch. Eventually, he carved out a path.
And in that path, he saw the final barrier—the true heavenly chasm that blocked all outsiders.
Having come this far, how could Huo Yuhao abandon the chance?
He gathered all his strength—no longer holding back—and charged at the barrier!
And finally—he broke through!
BOOM!!!
In that moment, it was as if heaven and earth collapsed. His Divine Kingdom trembled with surging forces, and the Law of Destiny burst forth as beams of light, illuminating everything.
His cultivation broke through, releasing all the accumulated energy.
The Divine Kingdom expanded again. The Dragon Tomb fully merged into it. The Dragon God's Heart fused with the Golden Ancient Tree. Its branches curled like soaring dragons ready to take flight.
Golden rain poured across the Divine Kingdom, nourishing everything. Everyone within entered a state of realization, sitting cross-legged and beginning their own cultivation.
It wasn't just an increase in strength—divine music echoed through the kingdom. These were Huo Yuhao's insights, freely shared with all within, aiding their understanding of power and realm.
All the phenomena of breaking through to the Godking realm manifested within the Divine Kingdom.
Outside, Huo Yuhao's appearance merely became more divine, without releasing the slightest pressure.
Within his Sea of Spirit, his four meditative visualizations stirred, manifesting briefly on his body.
When all the power settled—
Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes.
His secondary meridians had long returned to his body, and the fluctuations of the Law of Destiny had subsided.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao had completely withdrawn all power, returning to a state of natural simplicity.
Now, standing before everyone was—
Godking Huo Yuhao!
At the same time, his cultivation path also reached a breakthrough, and his divine fruit was further elevated.
Thus, he could also be called—
Huo Yuhao · Arhat!
"Hehehehe.. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Without restraint, Huo Yuhao burst into wild laughter. The ocean waters couldn't invade his body at all.
Even the deep sea shook with his laughter as though it might collapse entirely.
As for Leviathan?
It had been completely devoured by Huo Yuhao. All that remained was a frozen shell, and the valuable materials it left behind.
For example, the skin inside Leviathan's mouth—one of its key tools for devouring everything. It could also resist external probing. Even gods couldn't pierce its barrier with their divine senses.
Thus, on the island above, Tang Hao and Ah Yin could only see Leviathan frozen solid, and some mysterious eruption from within stirring the deep sea into chaos!
Leviathan completely sank into the deepest part of the ocean trench. However, what fell was merely an empty shell forged from ice—everything inside had already been plundered by Huo Yuhao.
This included the treasures dropped after Leviathan's death.
Leviathan, who had accumulated power over untold millennia, left behind extremely valuable items upon dying.
There were three in total.
They were: oral mucosa, inner core, and a jade-like vertebra.
Leviathan's oral mucosa had a skin-like texture, tougher than its actual hide, imbued with Leviathan's devouring power and capable of blocking all forms of detection—even divine soul power could not penetrate it.
This effect far exceeded even the molted silk of the Tianmeng.
After all, the Tianmeng's origin was from the weakest of ice silkworms, while Leviathan had once been among the top beings in the prehistoric era.
As for the "prehistoric era" of the Douluo Continent, Huo Yuhao speculated that it referred to the time before the dragon race descended upon the world—when the continent remained untainted by the mutations caused by their "pollution."
"This oral mucosa can be refined and fused into my right hand. It might even give rise to a powerful divine ability," Huo Yuhao thought to himself.
Next was the inner core.
The core still contained fragments of Leviathan's consciousness, along with its original devouring attribute and a hint of water element.
Upon Leviathan's death, the inner core instinctively tried to shatter space and escape.
However, Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice froze it in place.
Now, the core was in his hands.
It could be used to refine pills, absorbed directly, or even transformed into a spirit ring to empower a soul master with immense potential.
Huo Yuhao chose to store it for now.
Last came the jade vertebra.
It was crystal clear like jade, about the length of an adult's forearm, the central piece from Leviathan's spine. On it were structures resembling unopened wings.
"Wings? Could Leviathan actually be descended from a great kun? Perhaps it really could evolve into a peng?"
Huo Yuhao's interest was piqued.
As for its use, he planned to integrate the vertebra into his divine armor—he could add a new pair of wings to it.
Divine armor didn't need wings, but with them, it would certainly look much cooler!
Having stored everything, Huo Yuhao unleashed his power and completely destroyed the ice shell, erasing all traces of what he had done to Leviathan.
To outsiders, it looked as if he had simply frozen Leviathan and then shattered it into powder, which dispersed into the sea currents.
At least, that was how Tang Hao and Ah Yin saw it.
When they sensed Huo Yuhao's reappearance, Tang Hao nodded in approval, while Ah Yin sighed in relief, revealing a gentle and radiant smile.
Tang Hao said, "Next comes the reward left behind by Xiao San. With it, he'll reach the Rank of Ultimate Douluo at the fastest speed."
Ah Yin added with a smile, "Yuhao's physical strength has already reached the standard for an Ultimate Douluo. He only needs to condense a second soul core to break through. The support left by Xiao San will help him take that final step."
The soul master system of Douluo Continent differs greatly between the present and ten thousand years ago. The key difference is the soul core.
Most people only know that soul cores make it easier for Soul Douluos to become Titled Douluos.
But in truth, Super Douluos also need to condense a second soul core to advance to Ultimate Douluo.
Ten thousand years ago, there were only three Ultimate Douluos: beings who embodied the Sky, Earth, and Sea. Among them, Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi broke through with the help of divine power, while only Tang Chen achieved it through sheer talent.
After becoming a Titled Douluo, breakthroughs up to level 95 rely on talent. Beyond level 95, each step requires deep comprehension.
In theory, with enough understanding, a soul master can naturally become an Ultimate Douluo.
But in ten thousand years of history, only Tang Chen ever achieved this purely through insight.
Regardless of his identity or deeds, Huo Yuhao sincerely respected Tang Chen's perception and called him the strongest for that alone.
With just insight, Tang Chen managed to surpass Qian Daoliu by a slight margin—even though the Clear Sky Hammer was inferior to the Seraphim martial soul. That alone deserves to be etched in history.
No one knew if their duel had any unfair factors. But since Qian Daoliu willingly acknowledged defeat without excuses, it proved Tang Chen had won his respect.
If Tang Chen hadn't been unlucky, even the Shura God position might not have gone to Tang San.
Of course, if Tang Chen had become the Shura God, Huo Yuhao would now have more enemies to face.
Knowing Tang San's personality, even if he were Yuhao's biological father, the two would never see eye to eye.
Back to the main story:
It was only with the emergence of the soul core system that breakthroughs to Ultimate Douluo gained a discoverable path and method.
In the past Shrek Academy's repeated emergence of Ultimate Douluos was due to the Sea God Pavilion holding the secret: only with dual soul cores can one break through.
Even then, forming dual soul cores is extremely difficult.
Elder Mu and Xuan Zi, the past two leaders, succeeded only because of the Dragon Core and pseudo-dragon core they received.
In the original, Xuan Zi's breakthrough also came from the help of the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill.
Not only soul masters, but even soul beasts require dual soul cores to surpass their limits. For example, Snow Empress in the original story suffered misfortune during her attempt, shortening her lifespan.
This showed just how risky forming a second soul core could be.
As for Huo Yuhao, he had never even needed a soul core to reach godhood—his golden core alone sufficed.
When Huo Yuhao reappeared at the bottom of the trench, he immediately sensed a strange energy fluctuation, as though something was calling to him.
Without much hesitation, he went to investigate.
Given the context, he could already guess—if something was left in such a deep part of the sea, it had to be Tang San's doing.
Sure enough.
As soon as he arrived, he saw a statue of the Sea God standing at the ocean floor!
It stood atop a massive jet-black stone. At the statue's chest, a sea-blue light pulsed—like a heartbeat, or gentle breathing.
When Huo Yuhao approached, he stared blankly for a moment—nothing happened.
Then he quickly realized and respectfully bowed to the statue. As expected, the sea-blue light detached from the chest and flew into his hand.
"Damn it, Tang Old Bastard!" Huo Yuhao cursed inwardly.
If Tang San had been present, Yuhao would have slapped him. But knowing he might alert his enemies, he held back.
Before becoming a God King, he had no choice but to be cautious. But now that he was one, why should he keep bowing and scraping?
That said—sneak attacks were always smarter than frontal battles.
The blue light in his hand was clearly Sea God's Divine Power.
Surprisingly, it had no hidden traps.
Huo Yuhao returned to the island with the divine power and found Tang Hao and Ah Yin. He asked what to do next.
Ah Yin gave a soft smile.
"Silly child, this divine power is to help you condense your second soul core~"
In combining the ancient and modern systems of soul cultivation, Tang San's plan to help Huo Yuhao reach Ultimate Douluo was to use divine power to assist in forming the second soul core.