"A soul master with an Ultimate Martial Soul is said to face no bottlenecks before becoming an Ultimate Douluo. As long as they accumulate enough, they can smoothly cultivate up to level 99."
"But in truth, the cultivation path for those with an Ultimate Martial Soul is even more dangerous than that of ordinary soul masters."
Tang Hao was explaining the cultivation process of Ultimate Martial Soul users to Huo Yuhao.
"The power of the ultimate elemental attribute is extremely intense. Unless the soul master is extraordinarily gifted, even the body of a Power Attack-type soul master cannot endure the force of this ultimate attribute and might explode and die at any time."
"That's why those who successfully awaken an Ultimate Martial Soul must constantly temper their physical strength or absorb high-aged soul bones to enhance their physique, only then can they bear the force of the ultimate element."
"Judging from your previous physical strength, whoever trained you did a great job laying a solid foundation for you."
"And now, after the special training on the island, your physique is finally capable of withstanding the power of an Ultimate Douluo."
Tang Hao paused briefly, seemingly giving Huo Yuhao time to absorb what he had said.
Huo Yuhao, in turn, showed a fitting expression of reminiscence and gratitude—like he was fondly remembering his mentor and thankful for the education and nurturing from Shrek Academy.
Because Huo Yuhao understood—this was exactly what the Tang family liked to see: gratitude.
Huo Yuhao: Confirmed! Appeased!
If Huo Yuhao were truly just a regular Ultimate Martial Soul user, he might indeed have encountered the problems Tang Hao mentioned. Unfortunately, he wasn't.
The one truly bearing the power of Ultimate Ice was his mutated Frost Centipede Martial Soul, and thanks to his symbiotic physique with the Snow Lotus, he was fully capable of carrying the power of Ultimate Ice within his body.
In fact, Huo Yuhao had long since understood everything about ultimate elements. The knowledge inherited from the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent included far more detailed information than what Tang Hao was explaining.
Tang Hao's knowledge was based on what's commonly known in the Douluo Continent, and only a select few knew about these things.
Tang Hao continued, "Training with an Ultimate Martial Soul is very difficult in the early stages, progresses very quickly in the mid-stages, but becomes particularly hard again at the final step—breaking through to Ultimate Douluo."
"The real difficulty lies in condensing the second soul core!"
"If you only rely on your current physical endurance, it's very likely that while forming the second soul core, the force will be too much and you'll die from the impact."
Tang Hao wasn't lying—Shrek Academy's records also noted this exact issue.
Not every Ultimate Attribute soul master can successfully break through to become an Ultimate Douluo.
Condensing the first soul core is relatively easy due to the high quality of ultimate-element soul power—it's as simple as drinking water.
But when it comes to forming the second soul core, the existence of two soul cores in one body causes internal conflict. The explosion of ultimate soul power could tear the body apart.
Thankfully, Shrek Academy had a solution—using the power of the Golden Ancient Tree. It greatly increases the success rate of condensing the second soul core and offers some protection to the soul master, easing the risk of impact.
Now, the Golden Ancient Tree was inside Huo Yuhao. So even if he really were just a level-98 soul master on a conventional path, with the tree's protection, his life wouldn't be in danger.
Still, when Tang Hao said it was dangerous, it wasn't just to scare him.
"That's why, at this point, you'll need some external assistance!"
Huo Yuhao asked, "Is that the power of the Sea God?"
"Exactly!" Tang Hao nodded.
"The divine power of the Sea God not only strengthens your physique and protects you from dying in the breakthrough shock, it also helps fill in your lack of accumulated energy."
From Tang Hao's perspective, he didn't know about the Golden Ancient Tree, so he was explaining things from his own understanding.
Besides physical endurance, the other issue delaying Huo Yuhao's breakthrough—according to Tang Hao—was the lack of cultivated soul power.
In his view, Huo Yuhao hadn't accumulated enough energy to break through to Ultimate Douluo, so the only shortcut was to supplement it with Sea God's divine power.
In simple terms: forced energy infusion.
If Tang San hadn't given the Sea God's power, Tang Hao might have had to use his own divine power to infuse Huo Yuhao instead.
No need to worry about it being "too much too fast"—divine power far exceeds soul power. Infusing a mortal with it isn't forcing growth; it's like feeding them super fertilizer.
"Besides that, the Sea God's divine power has cleansing and purifying effects. It can wash away the impurities in your Ultimate Ice attribute," Tang Hao added.
"Impurities?" Huo Yuhao blinked.
Tang Hao said, "It's the toxic property in your soul power!"
That's right—toxin is considered an impurity.
Ultimate doesn't necessarily mean pure.
But a pure ultimate element is definitely stronger!
Even in the original story, when Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul degenerated into the Evil Fire Phoenix, the evil fire reached the level of Ultimate Fire—but it contained the darkness attribute, which was an impurity.
That's why Ma Xiaotao's ultimate evil fire still couldn't overpower Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice.
Even Bei Bei's current Ultimate Evil Thunder is considered an impure Ultimate Evil.
Or Ma Xiaotao's Ultimate Lust Fire—the impurity lies in the emotional desire it carries.
But this only applies when the other coexisting force isn't itself an ultimate attribute.
In contrast, something like the Three-Eyed Golden Lion is a true dual-ultimate attribute being.
Huo Yuhao's current case—or rather, his mutated Frost Centipede Martial Soul—is the same. It possesses Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Poison—true dual-ultimate attributes!
The other powers—spiritual, light, and destruction—are not part of the martial soul itself, but come from his wings, so they don't affect the soul power's purity.
Very few people knew about Huo Yuhao's dual-ultimate attributes—and most of those people... would never speak again.
Huo Yuhao suddenly felt that maybe he'd been acting too well—Tang Hao really thought he was just a clueless rookie.
But since he had already gone this far, there was no need to reveal the truth.
At worst, he'd just not use Ultimate Poison in front of Tang Hao from now on.
Then, under the guidance of Tang Hao and Ah Yin, Huo Yuhao began to "absorb" the Sea God's divine power.
In reality, once the divine power entered his body, Huo Yuhao sent it to the God Realm, where it was absorbed by the Snow Lotus.
The Snow Lotus had already absorbed Sea God power before, so this batch was safe for consumption.
Still dormant and rebuilding her body, the Snow Lotus briefly stirred with activity after absorbing the divine power, accelerating her physical formation.
That one mouthful of divine power was worth the sacrifice of a Super Douluo.
Huo Yuhao suddenly felt that Tang San had been a bit stingy.
"If only I had more Sea God power for the Snow Lotus... Once she awakens, she could be a natural heir to the Sea God position, effortlessly inheriting part of its divine power. That would make seizing the Sea God's mantle much easier."
After dealing with the Sea God's divine power—
Huo Yuhao started to put on a show for Tang Hao and Ah Yin.
His soul power began to surge dramatically, rising in unstable waves, perfectly mimicking the state of condensing a soul core.
Truthfully, he didn't even have a first soul core. His Golden Core had replaced it, and he didn't need any more.
His Heart Flame could barely be considered a second core-like location.
Still, with Huo Yuhao's strength, even forming two more soul cores wouldn't be hard.
Soul cores were just tools to him—not especially useful, but not entirely without merit either.
With a thought, the first soul core formed instantly in his lower dantian—no fluctuations leaked at all.
Another thought—
He quickly stopped himself. The second soul core couldn't be formed that fast.
"Let me think. For a second soul core to coexist with the first, it needs to either achieve same-position resonance... or yin-yang balance?"
In the original story, Huo Yuhao chose yin-yang balance, because he used the attribute powers of his two martial souls.
But for a normal Ultimate Martial Soul user, the most suitable method was same-position resonance!
—Forming a soul core of the same attribute to support and amplify the first one's power.
The condensation of a soul core requires two conditions: the quality of soul power and sufficient spiritual power.
The full term for a soul core is "soul power core." It involves compressing soul power from a liquid state into a solid state, which is then settled in the soul master's dantian—this is known as the soul core.
In theory, as long as a soul master focuses on improving the quality of their soul power, once they reach the Soul Sage level, their soul power will be good enough to condense a soul core.
However, the reason why only those at the Title Douluo level are typically able to form a soul core is because it also requires a high level of spiritual power to manipulate the process.
Thus, in the later eras, when soul masters became aware of and capable of cultivating spiritual power, most could begin condensing a soul core as early as the Soul Sage stage.
To form a second soul core, one needs a greater total amount and quality of soul power. Generally, only after breaking through to Limit Douluo does this become possible—this is also how soul masters of this era commonly advance to Limit Douluo.
Still, like the first soul core, as long as one meets the requirements for condensing the second, it's possible to form it in advance.
However, the positions of the first and second soul cores cannot occupy the same dantian—doing so would be suicide.
A dantian isn't a sphincter; you can't just cram all sorts of weird things in there.
Additionally, during the condensation of the second soul core, one must be mindful of how it will coexist with the first.
Huo Yuhao had formed his first soul core, one of Ultimate Ice attribute, and placed it in his lower dantian. Therefore, the second one needed to be formed in the middle dantian, close to the lower one.
In the original work, there were two known methods to condense a second soul core. One was the conventional method: Iso-Resonance. The other was Huo Yuhao's unique creation: Yin-Yang Balance.
Iso-Resonance requires the second soul core to sync with the operational patterns and frequency of the first. Its goal is to hold more soul power, allowing both cores to simultaneously condense and compress energy—think of it as a monarch and consort dynamic.
Yin-Yang Balance, on the other hand, demands the two cores collide and fuse their energies together. This method allows for maximum compression and makes the power generated by both cores even more destructive—akin to dual monarchs ruling jointly.
Ultimately, whether using Iso-Resonance or Yin-Yang Balance, it all comes down to deeper integration and concentration of one's own power.
If the soul core is based on a single attribute, Iso-Resonance is better.
If it's made of multiple attributes, Yin-Yang Balance yields greater results.
In the original work, Huo Yuhao chose Yin-Yang Balance. His first two soul cores were the Spiritual Soul Core and Ultimate Ice Soul Core, which allowed him to form a third core later with a new attribute—space.
Now, however, Huo Yuhao intended to use only the Ultimate Ice attribute for his soul core, so he chose Iso-Resonance.
At this point, his body could be considered to possess the Ultimate Ice attribute—not just as a power of his mutated Frost Centipede martial soul.
But even the ultimate attribute has limits. Against God power, its advantages are meaningless.
So—can the ultimate attribute be pushed further?
Huo Yuhao wanted to compress the Ultimate Ice power in his body to its utmost limits, to see if it would undergo a transformation. Otherwise, he wouldn't even need a soul core to fuse all of his attributes.
Of course, to demonstrate this for Tang Hao and Ah Yin, Huo Yuhao deliberately slowed down the second soul core condensation process and intentionally created some conflict reactions between the first and second cores during the process.
In truth, his method of condensing the second soul core was no different from that of ordinary Super Douluos. It's just that his spiritual power was so strong that what would be an incredibly dangerous maneuver for others was effortless for him.
He even had spare mental bandwidth to observe carefully.
"So this is Iso-Resonance… It's really no different than getting gears to mesh together."
"But all it does is enhance the soul core's effect. It's stronger, yes, but there's no qualitative change."
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
So, after keeping up the performance for about an hour, Huo Yuhao's body shuddered. The second soul core was fully formed and settled into his middle dantian.
Then both soul cores—in the middle and lower dantians—lit up simultaneously. Huo Yuhao's aura surged step by step, until he officially broke through into the Limit Douluo realm!
Tang Hao nodded in satisfaction.
Ah Yin gave a gentle, motherly smile. "He's done it. He really is outstanding."
"Eh, he's alright," Tang Hao replied casually.
Ordinary people need multiple tries and days of effort to condense a soul core. For Huo Yuhao to complete it in one go like this, he was already considered a genius.
Still, with divine power assisting him, it wasn't all that surprising that he succeeded smoothly.
Huo Yuhao calmed his soul power, then opened his eyes in joy. The first thing he did, naturally, was express gratitude to Tang Hao and Ah Yin, and show reverence to the Sea God.
Sure enough, after that whole show of humility and gratitude, Tang Hao couldn't hide his smile anymore—the more he looked at Huo Yuhao, the more pleased he became.
"Kid, when you get married, make sure to invite us," Tang Hao said without thinking.
"Huh? Married? I—I'm still single…" Huo Yuhao quickly reminded everyone of his pure-hearted image.
Tang Hao: "…"
Ah Yin: "…"
Suddenly, both seemed a little anxious—but the concern was for Tang Wutong.
"Why does it feel like anyone could get a piece of him, except Wutong?" Tang Hao suddenly thought. Then he shook his head—he was probably overthinking.
Ah Yin suddenly sent him a voice transmission: "Maybe it's because he's always focused on cultivation and neglected other aspects of life. That's why he doesn't understand romantic feelings. Perhaps we should help them."
Tang Hao was stunned.
Help them?
How?
Unfortunately, Ah Yin didn't explain. But it seemed she had already made up her mind and had her own ideas.
Tang Hao thought for a moment. He didn't object, but he wasn't going to intervene himself.
"Alright then, let Ah Yin give it a try. But maybe we should wait until after Yuhao and Wutong are married to reveal our identities—that might be more appropriate," Tang Hao concluded.
He still cared about appearances. He didn't want to reveal who he was beforehand—what if the bride's family started helping the groom's family before the wedding? Wouldn't that make them seem too eager?
That was just how Tang Hao's mind worked.
In the end, Tang Hao and Ah Yin gave Huo Yuhao a few more instructions and tips, and decided to let him leave.
Huo Yuhao then put on his best farewell performance—tears, deep emotion, eternal gratitude—assuring them that he'd remember their teachings and would always be there if they needed him.
Then he said his goodbyes and left.
The debt of gratitude was already in his heart. Whether he'd be able to repay it someday depended on whether he could even get a call through.
Oh wait—there weren't even phones yet. Well, then, no problem.
Huo Yuhao headed north and returned to the Douluo Continent.
Night had already fallen.
He casually found a city and checked into an inn.
After confirming no one was watching him, he immediately entered the Divine Realm.
But he didn't meet with anyone—instead, he found a secluded place to go into seclusion.
Humans have upper, middle, and lower dantians, and can condense three soul cores. Huo Yuhao decided to condense the third one right away.
Once again, he chose the Ultimate Ice attribute.
"Once I form the third soul core… will it be like one monarch and two consorts?"
"Hm? Wait a minute—this feeling…"
Huo Yuhao suddenly realized: after introducing the third soul core, the first two cores that had achieved Iso-Resonance began to change.
And—this change was controllable.
The three soul cores of the same attribute—formed through Iso-Resonance—did not clash like in Yin-Yang Balance. Instead, they now showed the potential to become something more:
A trinity, fused as one.
Third Soul Core: "I'll form the head!"
Second Soul Core: "I'll form the body!"
First Soul Core: "I'll form the Italian cannon!"
Huo Yuhao: "Four-way break! Dameee!"
Right now, Huo Yuhao's three soul cores weren't trying to form a cycle — they were trying to fuse into one. This wasn't at all how it was described in the books!
Suppressing the three major soul cores that were attempting to merge on their own, Huo Yuhao dragged over Mu En and Zi Ji, digging through their memories in search of any records related to soul cores.
He needed to find out — was this kind of soul core fusion normal?
Among those most knowledgeable about soul cores were Mu En and Zi Ji: Mu En had inherited Shrek's millennia-old theoretical legacy, while Zi Ji possessed the inherited knowledge of the Dragon Clan.
Unfortunately, even with both of them, Huo Yuhao couldn't find the answer he wanted.
Shrek's theoretical archives didn't even cover the concept of a third soul core. Some powerful individuals had speculated that forming a third soul core might lead to godhood — but no one had ever succeeded.
Shrek's legacy didn't include any method for condensing a third soul core.
Because for most people, forming two soul cores already meant they had reached the pinnacle of a soul master's path — the level of Ultimate Douluo.
As for Zi Ji's knowledge of the Dragon Clan, there were also no records or cultivation methods related to a third soul core. Much like soul masters, dragons only needed two — once they had twin soul cores, their path transitioned into god-level cultivation, and there was no need for a third.
After all, forming a third soul core for soul beasts came with massive risk.
Even Di Tian only had dual soul cores formed through the balance of yin and yang.
No one — until now — had done what Huo Yuhao did: becoming a God King first, then turning around and condensing a third soul core.
Because in theory, soul cores belonged to the power system beneath the divine realm. Once one ascended to the divine, the concern shifted to how to transform soul cores into divine cores — something only a Beast God was typically capable of.
And a Beast God's divine core was unique — there was only one, serving as the primary source of their divine strength.
After tossing Mu En and Zi Ji back, Huo Yuhao called in the Holy Spirit Serpent, Electrolux, and even roped in Skydream Iceworm, hoping the team could help him figure things out.
Upon arriving, Skydream and Electrolux hadn't even had the chance to congratulate Huo Yuhao on reaching God King level before they were being pulled over to inspect the three newly formed soul cores.
Skydream Iceworm gasped the moment he saw them:
"Bro Hao, these soul cores… they're not smooth at all!"
Huo Yuhao: "…"
Right. You couldn't expect much from Skydream.
He'd thought Skydream's spiritual strength might help him notice some subtle details he had missed.
Electrolux admitted he couldn't see much either — it was too specialized. However, he volunteered to observe the fusion process. Maybe that would yield some insight.
…He basically wanted to use Huo Yuhao as a test subject.
It made sense. Electrolux had recently been researching ways to condense a core of power — to break through his own limitations — and soul cores offered a valuable reference.
Even the Holy Spirit Serpent, once a Beast God herself, found Huo Yuhao's three cores astonishing. After examining them closely for a while, she finally gave her verdict:
"Yuhao, those aren't soul master soul cores."
"Huh?" Huo Yuhao tilted his head, pointing at his dantian. "But they look just like soul cores. I even followed the exact condensation method, forming them with soul power vortexes. And they behave the same way — they sit in my dantian and everything. How can they not be soul cores?"
The Holy Spirit Serpent tapped the metaphorical blackboard — it was time for Professor Wisdom's lecture.
"I studied the soul masters in the divine realm," she began. "I analyzed how the cultivation system of Douluo Continent evolved over the millennia. And I realized something: the appearance of soul cores didn't just advance cultivation — it changed the entire soul master system. It even began to change humanity itself!"
Huo Yuhao blinked in surprise.
She continued, "Soul cores were a technique humans learned from soul beasts. But the same method doesn't have the same effect across different races."
"For soul beasts, soul cores represent strength and potential."
"For human soul masters, though, they became a method to refine their bloodlines and physiques. Don't forget — soul masters on the Douluo Continent were never purely human to begin with. The soul master system was 'contaminated' by Dragon Clan power from the start."
"Soul beasts, being beasts, didn't need to learn anything — they naturally developed soul cores, and the resulting changes were minimal. They just started producing soul rings and soul bones."
"But human soul masters, in the process of forming soul cores, began to alter their own bloodlines and bodies. This, in turn, affected their martial souls — and slowly, a vital link formed between martial souls and soul cores, making the soul core a necessary part of the cultivation process."
Huo Yuhao frowned. "But why? Only Title Douluo could condense soul cores, and even then, only a few. That can't have impacted the whole race, right?"
The Holy Spirit Serpent replied, "Sure, not many achieved soul cores. But many tried. And by pursuing the methods of soul core condensation — focusing on refining their soul power and essence — they subtly altered their own bodies."
"And when these soul masters had children, those offspring inherited the partially transformed bloodlines and physiques. Then they followed the same cultivation paths."
"Over thousands of years, that was enough to fundamentally change the human population on the Douluo Continent."
"After all, soul masters tend to have children with other soul masters. That bloodline was passed down, generation after generation."
"That's why today's soul masters are stronger — more numerous, with greater potential. Full innate soul power and twin martial souls are no longer rare."
"And going forward, it will only get more pronounced. Geniuses will keep appearing in droves."
"In turn, soul cores will become increasingly essential. Eventually, every soul master who wants to break through will need to condense one."
"And just like that, the soul master system will evolve into something new — a kind of 'neo-soul master' system."
She paused, giving Huo Yuhao a moment to digest everything.
Huo Yuhao was a little dazed. Why did this turn into a lecture on evolution?
And it wasn't just evolution — it was evolution that fundamentally restructured the soul master cultivation path!
But thinking it over… the Holy Spirit Serpent's prediction had already come true.
In the Legend of the Dragon King era ten thousand years later, there really were more prodigies. Full innate soul power was nearly common, and twin martial souls were practically a requirement for the protagonist team.
And just as she predicted, breakthroughs required soul cores. The first hurdle was at Rank 70, when one had to awaken their Martial Soul True Body — which was intimately linked to one's bloodline and physique.
Moreover, soul cores were no longer formed just through compressed soul power.
As bloodlines and physiques evolved, it became possible to naturally develop soul cores. In fact, Tang Wulin formed his second soul core after a night with Gu Yuena, thanks to the transformation of his body.
Even in the original timeline, Huo Yuhao needed a third soul core to break through to Ultimate Douluo.
It wasn't that he became stronger by forming a third soul core — he had to form one in order to break through.
He already had two soul cores before reaching that stage — and still couldn't advance until he condensed another.
This proved that soul cores were no longer just a technique — they had become gateways on the cultivation path.
At least in this era, no matter how many soul cores one had already formed, you couldn't become an Ultimate Douluo without another.
So much for "no bottleneck for ultimate element soul masters" before Ultimate Douluo.
Turns out, Ultimate Douluo was the bottleneck. Everyone hit the wall there.
Until now, Huo Yuhao had assumed soul cores were just a means to an end — he never realized they had become the path itself.
Anyone who cultivated a martial soul would inevitably encounter this bottleneck.
And because of his unique cultivation path, Huo Yuhao had managed to circumvent it.
"But then," he asked, "what do you mean mine aren't soul cores?"
The Holy Spirit Serpent answered, "What you've condensed aren't the soul cores of soul masters — they're more like the soul cores found inside soul beasts. Or rather, the embryonic form of a Beast God's divine core."
"You formed them using the strength of your own physique. You infused them with your bloodline essence."
"So I believe… if these three soul cores fully fuse, you'll gain something only a Beast God can possess — a divine core."
Huo Yuhao: Oh no. I'm not even human anymore, am I?!
"Honestly, calling you a human isn't entirely accurate. You're quite different from the people of the Douluo Continent. Your body has fused with the complete essence of the Snow Lotus. You can't really be called a pure human."
"But if you're not human, you can still cultivate using the power systems of human soul masters."
"So, based on my analysis..."
"You're a hybrid!"
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent proudly declared this outrageous conclusion with its so-called unparalleled wisdom.
Huo Yuhao pushed its head down. "Okay, that's enough of your 'analysis'."
But the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent stubbornly raised its head again, its big eyes fixated on Huo Yuhao. "I'm really curious!"
To be fair, the tiny serpent, with its rainbow-colored brilliance and big shiny eyes, was indeed kind of cute—almost delicate and pretty.
"I want to collect some of your essence to study your current state. I've never encountered someone like you before. Even among beastkin that have taken human form, it's impossible to simultaneously cultivate the divine soul and divine consciousness of humans and the divine core of beasts." The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent finally revealed its true purpose.
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment and asked, "By essence, do you mean my blood?"
The serpent shook its head and explained:
"Blood only tells us about lineage. To determine your true species, I need your genetic material, because genetics are the essence of life."
"Can you give me some of your life essence?"
Huo Yuhao: "Huh? Wait, that kind of essence?"
Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent: "To ensure purity, I can collect it personally. Don't worry, I'll retract my fangs…"
As it spoke, it opened its mouth as if to demonstrate.
But Huo Yuhao quickly shut its mouth with one hand.
He hastily said, "Let's save that for another time. Right now, we should focus on fusing the soul cores. Besides, just because there are three soul cores doesn't mean they'll form a divine core."
If he let this serpent continue, Huo Yuhao wasn't sure if a divine core would form—but he was certain that Shen He would be summoned by all the commotion.
So, under the serpent's guidance, with Electrolux studying on the side, and the Skydream Iceworm spectating, Huo Yuhao began fusing his three soul cores.
The three soul cores gathered visibly at his chest and gradually merged. Golden light began to shine, growing in intensity.
Behind him, the phantom of a seven-colored Snow Lotus bloomed in the golden glow.
Just as the serpent had said, the soul cores carried the Snow Lotus bloodline—not from absorbed dragon or phoenix bloodlines, but from Huo Yuhao's innate constitution.
"Hey, doesn't that mean Yuhao's bloodline is tied to the Snow Lotus?" the Skydream Iceworm suddenly mused. "So, would his essence be like... snow lotus juice? Then when he passes down his legacy, would it be juice or bloodline? Definitely not seeds, right?"
The serpent and Electrolux both fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Even Huo Yuhao, in the middle of fusing his divine core, nearly lost concentration.
It was like watching a bunch of scholars stumbling upon an absurd but strangely compelling new research topic in a forum full of nonsense.
In the Douluo Divine Realm, divine cores are exclusive to divine beasts and beast gods.
Just like human deities possess divine souls and divine consciousness, divine beasts have divine cores.
The Dragon God had declared that beasts couldn't ascend to godhood. This decree was enforced by the Divine Realm Committee, who stripped all divine beasts and beast kings (those over level 100) of their ability to form divine cores.
Even if they had the strength, without a divine core, they couldn't become gods.
Di Tian, for example, could only maintain a dual soul core state—not because he didn't want a divine core, but because he couldn't form one.
As far as Huo Yuhao knew, in this era, only two beings still possessed divine cores: the Silver Dragon King and the Golden Dragon King.
And their divine cores were remnants of the Dragon God's own divine core.
In the future, the Golden Dragon King would embed his divine core into Tang Wulin, trying to use divine power to trigger his body's detonation.
Though divine cores aren't destructive in themselves, they can be used for inheritance or, when combined with a divine soul, even body possession.
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, once a beast god, did have a divine core, but after her fall, it shattered and dissipated.
She hadn't protected it and didn't really value it. Her species prized bloodline inheritance, not divine cores—those were just stepping stones to godhood.
As for the beast souls in Huo Yuhao's divine kingdom, even when breaking through to the divine level, they didn't need divine cores. His kingdom had its own system: as long as his realm could accommodate the power, his subjects could cultivate up to his own limit.
In the Divine Realm, Xiao Wu couldn't condense a divine core either, because she was considered a human soul master—thanks mostly to Tang San's influence.
Even Niu Tian and Tai Tan would one day possess divine-level cultivation, but they'd still lack the divine cores of true beast gods.
When Huo Yuhao began fusing his divine core, he encountered no obstacles at all—everything went smoothly and naturally.
After all, he was already a God King, and fusing a divine core was just a task for a divine officer.
But someone like Huo Yuhao—a God King still hiding in the lower realms—was unprecedented, not just on Douluo's world, but in any world governed by the Divine Realm.
He was the first.
Then again, he had no choice. When your primary enemy is another God King, you don't take reckless chances. The more you jump around, the faster you die.
Huo Yuhao had only come this far through the collective fortune of the Douluo Continent, the support of several gods, and—most critically—the Dragon Tomb.
It was a path no one else could replicate.
Even so, he had a glaring weakness: the Douluo Continent's elemental energy was of too low a quality. It was difficult for him to accumulate enough divine power.
Ironically, his main source of divine power came from Cain, who used her domain to convert negative emotions into Rakshasa divine power, which was then transformed into Yuhao's divine power through the Hao Emperor Banner.
Only after founding his divine kingdom did things begin to improve. He finally had another major source of divine power.
But once he fused his divine core, Huo Yuhao suddenly realized that this biggest weakness was gone!
"This feeling… it's coming! So much! I'm going to be filled!"
Huo Yuhao could feel the power pouring into him from the divine core—it was like parched earth finally receiving sweet rain.
He was revitalized!
Soul cores were already known to enhance soul power recovery and refine its quality.
A divine core only did it better!
It could directly compress the world's elemental force into divine power!
Now, within his divine kingdom—already rich in energy—his divine power didn't surge in all at once, but it was accumulating rapidly, clearly visible to the eye.
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent commented from the side, "Human gods and beast gods each have their strengths. Humans excel in understanding laws and wielding intricate, wondrous powers. Beast gods, in contrast, excel in raw strength, endurance, and sustained combat."
"You now possess both."
Huo Yuhao stood at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm, sensing his current power.
His realm had ascended to the Arhat level, matching a God King, with mastery over the Law of Fate.
He had also comprehended thirteen distinct attributes.
The dark golden Hao Divine Armor materialized on him. After reaching God King status, he used his Law of Fate to refine the armor further, elevating it to suit a God King.
The armor's color shifted to dark gold, less ostentatious than before but exuding the weighty aura of a true powerhouse.
Dragon heads coiled around the shoulders, forming pauldrons that radiated God King-level majesty. The souls of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, nurtured by Huo Yuhao, had mostly recovered, but he kept them unconscious, using them as accessories.
It wasn't yet time to confront the Dragon Clan.
Additionally, the Hao Divine Armor now sprouted wings from the center of his spine, formed after refining Leviathan's spinal bone into the armor.
These wings, fueled by sufficient power, boosted Huo Yuhao's speed further.
The speed enhancement wasn't mere attribute amplification but a law-level augmentation.
Indeed, the wings birthed from the spinal bone naturally carried the Law of Speed.
This might have been Leviathan's untapped potential.
Had Douluo Continent's cosmic laws not changed, Leviathan might have grown wings someday—but there were no "ifs."
According to the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, Huo Yuhao's speed was exceptional among God Kings.
Even unrefined, that spinal bone could have served as the embryo for forging a divine artifact.
After refining the armor, Huo Yuhao gained deeper control over its attributes, even improving his mastery of previously weaker ones like Evil, Destruction, Kindness, and Time.
At his current realm, directly comprehending attribute powers progressed far faster than using a "cauldron" (vessel).
With a higher perspective, the world appeared anew, and attribute comprehension became simpler.
Only a higher-quality cauldron—a divine one—could significantly aid his progress now.
Huo Yuhao's physique had evolved into an Innate Constitution, reaching God King level, as had his soul and primordial spirit.
Compared to veteran God Kings, however, his resources and cultivation time made him numerically the weakest.
Only in speed, thanks to the armor's wings, did he rank among the stronger God Kings.
If the Speed God position weren't already taken, Huo Yuhao could have birthed a Speed God position via the wings' Law of Speed, at least at the First-Class God level.
But in actual combat against other God Kings, his raw strength wouldn't be the lowest.
Huo Yuhao's battles never relied on paper stats.
His hidden divine core also compensated for his divine power shortfall.
"Still, I alone can't handle a siege from five God Kings. I need more allies," Huo Yuhao thought.
In the Douluo Divine Realm, aside from the five God Kings, other First-Class Gods were beneath his notice.
His subordinates—like the Six-Winged Angel, Cain, Bibi Dong, and Qian Renxue—could at best reach First-Class God level at their peak.
They could assist but not fight alongside him.
Breaking through to God King level in the short term was nearly impossible for them.
Not everyone was as uniquely advantaged as Huo Yuhao.
The only ones who could catch up to him quickly were himself—his three corpse avatars and main body incarnation.
The Upper Corpse, Jin Daxian, with twin martial souls, was cultivating in seclusion in the Divine Realm, having broken through to seven rings, with a chance to reach Level 100 in two months.
The Lower Corpse, Xu Tiancheng, with quad martial souls, had surpassed Level 100 and was working to meet the Fire God's conditions. If he inherited the Fire God position, he could swiftly reach First-Class God level and potentially fuse the seven elemental god positions into one.
Though the Upper and Lower Corpses needed to cultivate independently, they had the potential to become God Kings.
The main body incarnation mirrored Huo Yuhao's strength, already at God King level, but was limited by its body's power.
"The ancient deep-sea soul beast body of the main body incarnation is too weak. Perhaps I should reshape it and reverse its innate limits," Huo Yuhao mused.
The incarnation's only flaw was that its battles drained Huo Yuhao's own power.
Fortunately, with his divine core, Huo Yuhao's divine power was abundant.
"Now, it's time to welcome the birth of my Middle Corpse!"
Huo Yuhao's Middle Corpse already had a vessel.
…
Inside the Golden Ancient Tree.
Wearing the Sea God Pavilion Master's robes, Huo Yuhao entered the pavilion, but no elders were present.
Only a stunning woman sat in the central room, cradling her swollen belly, her face glowing with maternal warmth.
It was Feng Ling!
No longer filled with hostility, Feng Ling had been cleansed by Huo Yuhao, her impurities purged. Her demeanor was now endlessly gentle, exuding the noble aura of a phoenix.
Yet, the evil and darkness within her remained undiminished—purer and stronger.
Huo Yuhao had infused her with the Dark Phoenix's bloodline and soul, plus a drop of his divine blood, allowing her to break past the Ultimate Douluo realm. In the Divine Realm, she faced no bottleneck to reach Level 100.
Once her physique met Huo Yuhao's standards, he used Life attribute powers to impregnate her, enabling her to nurture the Middle Corpse's body.
Now, the body in Feng Ling's womb was nearly formed, and she was ready to give birth.
The fetus naturally lacked a soul or consciousness, as it wasn't naturally conceived but crafted by Huo Yuhao's methods.
With the right conditions, Huo Yuhao could create a body without a mother.
But why waste so much energy when using a human vessel was quicker and easier?
As Huo Yuhao entered, Feng Ling looked up joyfully, her eyes brimming with love and tenderness. She rose slowly, calling, "Master, you're here. The body you wanted is perfectly formed."
Huo Yuhao smiled warmly, caressing her mature, beautiful cheek, praising, "I know. You've done well."
"I'm here today to retrieve that body…"
*Squelch—*
Blood sprayed from Feng Ling's abdomen, staining the bright, warm room.
Huo Yuhao's other hand had plunged into her belly…