Night.
Xu Sanshi slipped into the hotel where Huo Yuhao and his companions were staying.
Relying on the aura-concealing ability from his hundred-thousand-year soul bone, he completely hid his presence. Sure enough, even when he arrived right outside Huo Yuhao's window, Yuhao hadn't noticed him.
"Heh heh, just wait—Yuhao's definitely gonna get a good scare!" Xu Sanshi chuckled inwardly.
But just as he was about to head in and surprise Yuhao, someone else entered the room ahead of him.
It was Jiang Nannan.
"So late at night… what's Nannan looking for Yuhao for?" Xu Sanshi frowned in puzzlement, but he didn't dwell on it. He decided to just wait until she left before catching up with Yuhao.
Only, very soon, he heard something amiss inside the room—and what's more, it was Nannan taking the initiative.
It was a side of Jiang Nannan he had never seen before.
No longer cold, not even gentle, but filled with unrestrained joy.
As a Title Douluo, Xu Sanshi's senses were far sharper than ordinary people's; he could hear everything clearly. And yet, for the first time, he hated his heightened senses.
He muttered to himself, "Fine… fine. Compared to me, Yuhao's a better match for someone like her. When I left, didn't I ask him to take care of Nannan…?"
But though his lips spoke those words, at some point tears had already begun to pour down his face.
His heart ached as though being torn apart.
Still, he neither barged in nor ran away. Instead, he pressed himself tighter against the wall outside, downing gulp after gulp of strong liquor.
What he didn't notice was the faint layer of dark green radiance surrounding him. It was the Rakshasa divine power from the Rakshasa Stone Milk. It sensed the weakness in Xu Sanshi's heart and began burrowing deeper into his consciousness.
Not until the morning sun rose.
Only then did the sounds within the room finally cease.
Huo Yuhao, refreshed and spirited, opened the window to air out the dampness inside. His gaze swept across the corner of the balcony outside—there were faint traces of water, along with the lingering stench of alcohol.
He couldn't tell whether it was spilled liquor or spilled tears.
Last night… Yuhao truly hadn't done it on purpose. Who knew Jiang Nannan would come find him alone for "duo queue."
Originally, Yuhao had even prepared himself to break ties with Xu Sanshi. Yet unexpectedly, Xu Sanshi had chosen restraint instead.
"…Why does this feel familiar? Oh right—back then Ye Xishui, Long Xiaoyao, and Mu En went through something like this too!"
"Ahh, after being in Douluo Continent for so long, I still feel out of place—like I just don't have the same twisted extremes everyone else here does."
Xu Sanshi staggered back to their courtyard, reeking of liquor, looking broken and lifeless.
"Sanshi? What happened to you?" Beibei asked with worry. But he also sensed something startling—Xu Sanshi's aura was stronger. In just one night, he had actually broken through to level 95!
The Rakshasa Stone Milk had fused deeper into Xu Sanshi, enhancing his strength and further awakening the Xuanwu bloodline within him.
"I'm fine, Beibei. Just need to rest." Xu Sanshi forced out a hideous smile, then stumbled back into his room, locking the door behind him.
Beibei silently stared at that door for a long time, before letting out a heavy sigh.
He could more or less guess the reason.
"Is it because of Jiang Nannan again? Did she reject him once more? Sigh…"
There was nothing Beibei could say to comfort Xu Sanshi—for Beibei himself carried scars in love as well.
Looking toward the Jingyang Mountains, he murmured softly:
"Xiao Ya… we can never go back again."
As Xu Sanshi fell into slumber—
He felt as though he had sunk into an endless ocean.
From the deep abyss, some existence was watching him.
At last, he realized something was wrong.
"Where is this place?!" Xu Sanshi cried in alarm. Yet he could not wake up in reality; his consciousness continued to sink.
Then, a majestic voice thundered into his mind:
"Final inheritor of the Xuanwu bloodline—you have at last met the conditions to receive the inheritance."
"Who are you?! What inheritance?! What do you want from me?!" Xu Sanshi shouted into the void, surprised to find that in these waters he could still speak.
Because this was his consciousness, not his body.
The voice, however, ignored his questions, continuing:
"From today onward, the burden of maintaining stability across the continent shall fall upon you! Accept this inheritance. Remember well—you shall inherit the mantle of the God of Xuanwu!"
BOOM!
An eruption of blue radiance surged up from the deep sea, engulfing Xu Sanshi. From the abyss, a colossal Xuanwu beast rose, lifting him onto its back and carrying him to the surface.
At the very instant Xu Sanshi broke through the waves, his eyes flew open.
In his room, a divine mark of the Xuanwu appeared, branded upon his brow.
Now he finally understood what he had gained.
A First-Rank God, the God of Xuanwu—complete with the Nine Xuanwu Trials!
Among beast-god inheritances, the Phoenix God was but a Second-Rank God. The Xuanwu God, however, was First-Rank—its legacy far more complete than the fractured inheritance of the Phoenix God, thanks to the ancient battle between Dragon God and Phoenix God.
Within the First-Rank Gods, the Xuanwu God was a mighty one indeed.
If not for the current abnormal situation on Douluo Continent, Tang San would never have released this position.
Xu Sanshi jolted upright from bed. He had truly been granted a divine inheritance!
It was tremendous news. And yet…
Thinking of the night before, he could not bring himself to feel joy.
"I lost Nannan. Even if I gained a godhood, what does it matter? Even if I ascend to the Divine Realm one day, I'll still only be the stranger closest to her."
In the Divine Realm.
Huo Yuhao had already seized full control over Oscar and Ning Rongrong, using them to secretly monitor Tang San's actions. Though Tang San was cautious, he couldn't escape Yuhao's careful probing.
"As expected… he's moving those vacant god positions," Yuhao noted grimly.
There were originally thirty-two First-Rank God seats, but only eighteen were currently filled—or rather, eleven, since the Seven Elemental Gods had yet to ascend.
The rest were either severed legacies or beast-god positions.
Tang San had set his sights mainly on those beast-god inheritances.
Still, not all were First-Rank.
Altogether, Tang San had allocated four positions. Only one was First-Rank—the God of Xuanwu.
The other three were:
Second-Rank God, Toad God.
Second-Rank God, Elephant God.
Second-Rank God, Flower God.
And later, Tang Wutong was slated to receive another Second-Rank seat—the Butterfly God.
The Divine Realm contained 216 Second-Rank positions, many of them vacant.
As a side note, there were 1,847 Third-Rank Gods, with even more gaps.
In the original records, only one Third-Rank God was explicitly shown: the God of Sin, Medusa—but she was nothing more than a lingering remnant.
"If these inheritances are all granted, then Shrek's side will command six gods, counting the Love God."
"In Douluo Continent, when one breaks past rank 100 with a god position, without abundant divine power supply, then whether First-Rank or Second-Rank, their battle strength should be about the same."
"But… Old Tang really isn't going to give me a god position too?"
Clearly, none of those beast-god seats were suited for Huo Yuhao.
Still, he kept staring hungrily, hoping Old Tang would toss him something. Even a Third-Rank inheritance was free power—nothing to scoff at.
Yet neither Oscar nor Ning Rongrong saw Tang San move again. In other words, Tang San had no further plans to openly touch any more vacant seats.
Huo Yuhao stayed in the city with the four women for three days. During that time, Beibei and Xu Sanshi never appeared.
On the city wall—
Beibei and Xu Sanshi stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, silently watching Huo Yuhao and his group depart.
Neither spoke much.
Everything was understood without words.
"Alright, from here on, what we need to do is keep getting stronger and prepare for the final battle!" Beibei said.
"In addition to that, I must complete the God Trial as soon as possible!" Xu Sanshi added. He looked sincerely at Beibei. "Beibei, I need your help."
Beibei had long been aware of the God Trial. He nodded seriously. "I'll support you."
Xu Sanshi had received the Nine Trials of Xuanwu. With the two of them both being Title Douluo, completing them quickly would not be too difficult.
What's more, ever since he obtained the Nine Trials, the restless Rakshasa power within Xu Sanshi had gone dormant again, leaving him far more at ease—his left eye had even returned to its normal color.
But dormant did not mean gone; it was only waiting for the moment to re-emerge.
Even though Cai Meier, Hua Yao, Wu Ming, and Jiang Nannan wanted to keep following Huo Yuhao and wandering the continent, this was no time to indulge in pleasure. They too had to separate.
Shrek Academy needed them.
And in another city near the Holy Spirit Cult, they encountered an unexpected person—
Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe had been staying around the Jingyang Mountains, maintaining contact with experts of the Four Empires while keeping an eye on the Holy Spirit Cult, preparing for a decisive battle.
When they met again, Yan Shaozhe's aura was steadier than ever. It was clear he had emerged from his former depression. The disaster that struck Shrek had turned his grief and anger into strength, pushing him another step forward.
Seeing Huo Yuhao and the others made him genuinely joyful and enthusiastic. But when the current situation was mentioned, his expression grew heavy:
"According to intelligence from our spies, the Sun Moon Emperor Xu Tiancheng and his six consorts have already become gods!"
This was good news, and bad news.
Good, because their side also now had deities.
Bad, because those new gods might become new enemies.
Even though the Four Empires had united, the other three, Shrek Academy included, still remained wary of the Sun Moon Empire.
Because the Sun Moon Empire was simply too powerful.
For this reason, the planned decisive battle against the Holy Spirit Cult was once again postponed.
Still, the earlier operations had successfully confined the cult within the Jingyang Mountains, allowing order on the continent to stabilize again. Evil Soul Masters roaming outside were nearly eradicated.
As for Lan Yin, her identity was a mystery—even the Sun Moon Empire's worshipers didn't know who she truly was. Outsiders simply assumed she was one of Xu Tiancheng's consorts.
And indeed, Lan Yin had not left the Sun Moon Imperial Palace. She remained there with the others, studying the laws of the world and jointly comprehending the great Seven Elements Divine Punishment Formation.
Just like with martial soul fusion techniques, cultivating together gave the seven elemental gods a powerful bonus.
Cai Meier and the others chose to stay and assist Yan Shaozhe.
Though Cai Meier had completely betrayed Yan Shaozhe, she had never betrayed Shrek.
Huo Yuhao, however, chose to leave on his own, claiming he needed to explore the continent and search for divine inheritances.
No one tried to stop him.
With Shrek Academy now boasting several more Title Douluo, Yan Shaozhe felt newfound confidence, even declaring, "Shrek still has hope."
Huo Yuhao left alone with three goals in mind:
Managing talent and resources. The Douluo Continent was about to become a battlefield, and he wanted every resource used to its fullest.
Settling matters with Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao. The demon progeny had completely tracked down their hiding place.
Serving as bait. He wanted to see if Tang Dog would bestow a godhood upon him too.
At first, he made a show of traveling across the continent, but in reality he was secretly gathering promising families of faithful believers into his divine kingdom.
He also inspected the flags he had previously arranged across the Four Empires, making sure they wouldn't interfere with the formation of his great array.
In fact, not only across the Douluo Continent, but on other landmasses of the Douluo plane, and even in the seas, the demon progeny had planted formation flags.
Huo Yuhao was constructing a grand formation covering the entire Douluo Star.
This was his trump card.
If he couldn't defeat Tang Dog, he would refine the entire planet and explode it with him.
If he needed power during a breakthrough, he could refine the planet as nourishment.
One way or another, it would prove useful.
If it was never needed, he could still draw Douluo Star into his divine kingdom to strengthen it.
After all, the position of Plane Lord would be his sooner or later. How the Douluo plane was used was his to decide.
"Sigh… I'm still too weak. Refining an entire plane is just a trump card to me. Those true Xianxia powerhouses probably refine countless worlds casually, just to cultivate." Huo Yuhao could only imagine the might of the strong from the perspective of the weak.
During this time, Tang San never approached him.
But through his network of informants, Huo Yuhao discovered that Tang San had already placed other godhoods into the Douluo Continent.
The God of Xuanwu was on Xu Sanshi. With his own strength and Beibei's aid, he was rapidly completing the God Trial, and both benefited greatly.
The Toad God had gone to Meng Hongchen, who had now reached the Title Douluo level.
The Elephant God had been given to Xie Huanyue. Though not the most talented, he was the best fit for this godhood. Fortunately, Xian Lin'er and Zhang Lexuan personally guided his cultivation.
Both Meng Hongchen and Xie Huanyue were quickly growing stronger through their trials.
The Flower God had fallen to Hua Yao. Yan Shaozhe and the others were overjoyed and were doing everything they could to help her complete the trial.
And an informant outside the Clear Sky Sect had once sensed powerful energy fluctuations from its lonely peak. Most likely, Wang Dong'er had obtained the inheritance of the Butterfly God.
It had to be admitted: the God Trials were a shortcut to rapid growth. Everyone who received them was advancing at an astonishing speed.
Huo Yuhao strongly suspected Tang San had set these trials to "easy mode."
Even so, he paid little attention.
Only once they truly became gods would they count as talents worth his notice.
By now, Huo Yuhao had left the continent and entered the southern seas.
The northern seas had already been completely seized by the demon progeny. Rare sea soul beasts had either been killed, offered up to Huo Yuhao, or forced to flee.
Although the demons had begun moving into other seas, their numbers weren't enough to claim them completely as they had in the north.
After all, aside from the original monsters Huo Yuhao had personally trained, the new ones needed time to grow.
Perhaps that was why Tang San, as Sea God, hadn't been especially anxious about the demons' rampage in the oceans.
After all, only the northern seas had truly fallen.
When dealing with the other directions of the seas, the demon offspring couldn't fully control them due to limited numbers, so they developed a new strategy.
That was: recruit some, eliminate some, suppress some, and avoid some.
Recruit those tribes and individuals who could be subdued, making them part of the demon offspring's outer forces, even teaching them simple demonic cultivation methods.
Eliminate those fiercely resistant tribes, as well as sea soul beasts with special bloodlines, using them to train young demons or as offerings to the ancestor.
Suppress those sea soul beasts that dared not resist—restrict them, exploit them, make sure they never form a force of opposition.
Avoid those truly powerful sea beasts. After all, their main body and avatars weren't present for now.
Still, most of the sea beasts could be dealt with by the demon offspring.
Because even if the main body wasn't here, the Sea Princess was. Having cultivated demonic arts and been baptized by the Rakshasa God's power, her battle strength had reached the pinnacle of an Ultimate Douluo.
Only a handful of sea beasts with unusual powers couldn't be directly handled.
The ocean, untouched by human devastation, had indeed accumulated many powerful sea soul beasts. Creatures on the Sea Princess's original level numbered more than ten fingers could count. There were even existences comparable to the Demon Empress and Di Tian, though they rarely appeared openly.
When Tang God-King slew the Deep Sea Demon Whale King back then, many sea monsters were terrified into hiding.
But when the demon offspring came knocking, those hidden terrors didn't just meekly surrender.
That was when the Sea Princess would "chat" with them.
And then—there was nothing left.
As for the very few that couldn't be killed outright and couldn't be avoided, Huo Yuhao would dispatch his subordinates to finish the job.
For instance, Grand Eunuch Gao, Xu Qiudi, and the Corpse God could all fight at sea.
Even without them, the newly subdued Demon Empress could act.
Having already reached the peak of the mortal world, the Demon Empress, with the blessing of the Divine Kingdom, finally took that last step—breaking past level 100, condensing divinity, and becoming a Beast God without a god position.
The Demon Emperess naturally held resentment toward Huo Yuhao. Yet her and her daughter's lives were in his hands, and only he could help her grow strong enough for revenge. So, she had no choice but to submit.
Strangely, the once-hostile Saint Spirit Sect's Grand Elder Hu Xinyue had now become extremely loyal to Huo Yuhao, willing to give him everything.
The opposite was true with the Demon Empress—recently, they had been at odds.
Because the Demon Empress didn't want to enter the "QQ space" with Hu Xinyue.
But Hu Xinyue discovered that by pleasing Huo Yuhao, he might pull her and the Demon Empress into a three-player, letting her stick close again.
For a moment, Huo Yuhao couldn't even tell who was taking advantage of whom.
Back to business.
The fundamental goal of the demon offspring's campaign was no longer slaughter and devouring, but planting flags.
The other seas were mostly stabilized. Only the southern seas remained unclaimed, and the demon offspring had just begun probing there.
Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao had fled all the way here.
Tang Hao and Ah Yin had also been hiding in the south, though much closer to the Douluo Continent.
Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao, however, had nearly reached the South Pole of Douluo Star, as if truly determined to vanish from the world.
In this era, only Ultimate Douluo had the strength to cross the seas.
Unfortunately, they were still found by the demon offspring.
Huo Yuhao didn't directly storm their hideout but wandered the sea under the pretense of training.
Naturally, this was to lure Tang God-King's gaze.
He clearly sensed someone secretly watching him.
Who could it be? Not so easy to guess~
"Seems Tang Old Dog can't easily strike me on the continent. But out here at sea, he has more room to maneuver."
Huo Yuhao looked calm, but inwardly was ready for a life-or-death clash.
Because he couldn't guarantee Tang Old Dog wouldn't suddenly descend deus ex machina–style.
With all his trump cards, Yuhao might not lose in a duel against Tang Old Dog. But he would never sacrifice himself just for that.
So, while preparing to fight to the death, he also kept several escape routes.
For example, his true body's avatar had already entered the cosmos, reaching another plane. If his main body perished, his soul and mind could revive within the avatar.
Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. Still, Tang Old Dog wouldn't so easily give up on this long-targeted "child of fortune."
Over the sea, a seagull-like soul beast didn't avoid Yuhao but flew directly past him, as if guiding him toward somewhere.
Yuhao arched a brow in feigned hesitation, then chose to follow.
To his surprise, the seabird guided him straight to Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao's hiding place.
He smirked inwardly: "Let's see what tricks Tang God-King wants to play."
Feigning ignorance, he followed the seabird until, at a certain distance, he suddenly stopped midair with a shocked look, as if just discovering something through spiritual probing.
Ahead lay an island—the very one where Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao were hiding!
The seabird didn't wait but circled above the island.
Such strange behavior drew Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui's attention. A flash of black light—and Long Xiaoyao appeared midair, grasping the seabird's neck.
Ye Xishui quickly appeared behind him.
From afar, Huo Yuhao saw them clearly.
Both were fully healed now, but their appearances had changed. No longer the Grand Worship and Supreme Elder of the Holy Spirit Sect, they looked like simple farmer and farmer's wife.
On the island, Yuhao sensed a rustic courtyard, livestock, and vegetable fields.
"These two really meant to retreat into pastoral life?" He hadn't expected them to be serious.
But…it was already too late.
Perhaps if they'd chosen seclusion back when they broke with Mu En, they might have ended well.
But now, with Yuhao and Tang God-King's eyes on them, their fate was sealed.
"Seems Tang Old Dog wants to 'test' me with them," Yuhao thought with a laugh.
Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao had also noticed him, staring in shock.
"That's… Mu En's little disciple? He's already reached Ultimate Douluo? Impossible!" Long Xiaoyao was incredulous.
"It's the power of an Ultimate Element!" Ye Xishui said gravely. "Didn't expect an Ultimate Element soul master to be such a genius. Mu En chose well."
But Yuhao clearly had no intention of reminiscing. He fused with his armor and drew the Frost Centipede Dragon Spear.
"Wait!" Long Xiaoyao quickly shouted. "We've decided to retreat completely, never to return to the continent. There's no need to fight."
Yuhao sneered, charging forward. "Hmph! Shrek was destroyed by the Holy Spirit Sect. Right or wrong, I no longer care to argue! At this point, words are useless! Die!"
"What?!"
Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui turned pale with disbelief.
Wait—Zhongli Wu was this strong?!
They still didn't know that after their escape, Shrek Academy had been annihilated, nor that Zhongli Wu was already dead.
Back then, Yuhao and Jiang Nannan's fusion skill had shaken them, making them realize Shrek might soon give birth to another god, something they couldn't stop or steal.
With Xu Tiancheng scheming and Zhongli Wu watching them like a tiger, they saw no hope.
Hopeless, they gave up everything and hid away.
Only now did they realize—the reality wasn't what they thought at all.
Huo Yuhao gave the two of them no time to think and directly charged at them. The full power of an Ultimate Douluo erupted from his body without the slightest concealment.
At this moment, the aura radiating from him had already surpassed both Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui.
Though they were all Ultimate Douluo, the two of them still felt suppressed under Huo Yuhao's presence. They realized that Huo Yuhao had already taken another half-step forward—surpassing them.
"Brother Long, let's strike together!" Ye Xishui said decisively.
Long Xiaoyao nodded. He didn't refuse—no matter what, he would protect Ye Xishui.
"If you want to harm Xishui, then step over my corpse first!"
With a furious roar, he unleashed his full strength. The Dark Holy Dragon martial soul possessed his body, nine soul rings shining brightly, darkness threatening to shroud the entire world.
Huo Yuhao only raised his brows.
"No wonder you're courting death—daring to mimic Tang God-King's lines. If you don't die, then who should?"
In the next instant, Huo Yuhao and Long Xiaoyao clashed fiercely.
Ye Xishui, standing behind, took out a soul tool. She knew that when facing Huo Yuhao, she had to give everything she had.
The soul tool she produced was a crimson spire. Once it appeared, it became incomparably huge, towering over the lonely island, radiating a scarlet glow that pierced into one's very soul.
It was none other than the ninth-tier soul tool Ye Xishui had developed—Death God Tower!
Even while fighting, Huo Yuhao noticed it immediately.
"When they attacked Shrek Academy before, Ye Xishui didn't use this. But that makes sense—judging from the original story, this tower functions more like a defensive fortress."
"But now… its power far surpasses an ordinary ninth-tier soul tool. Seems like during this time, Ye Xishui hasn't let everything go. She's improved the Death God Tower further."
Huo Yuhao himself wasn't an expert in soul tools, but Xu Tianchen often dealt with them, and had even studied Kong Deming's life-bound soul tool.
Kong Deming's soul tool—the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield—was the only tenth-tier soul tool on the continent. Under certain conditions, it could even unleash a strike comparable to that of a god.
Unfortunately, even a tenth-tier soul tool still could not be called a divine weapon.
Because what it lacked… was divine power.
Now, the perfected Death God Tower already carried the embryonic form of a tenth-tier soul tool.
According to its depiction in the original story—
The Death God Tower's strongest attack was the release of Death God's Light. Not only did it carry extreme heat and pressure, but it was also infused with resentful spirits. The combination of these two forces made Death God's Light powerful enough to surpass the full-force strike of an Ultimate Douluo. Even a 98th-rank Super Douluo would be severely injured by a single blast.
When Ye Xishui fused her Evil Soul Master abilities with the Death God Tower, it could evolve into a pseudo-tenth-tier soul tool, infinitely close to the real thing.
Now that it had been further perfected, fusing with it might even truly elevate it to the level of a tenth-tier soul tool.
Nine soul rings rose around Ye Xishui—six black, three red. She stood atop the Death God Tower, channeling her power into it, commanding it to unleash ranged attacks upon Huo Yuhao.
As the Death God Tower activated, Huo Yuhao realized how she had improved it.
Within the tower, several powerful sea soul beast wraiths resided. Ye Xishui had sealed ferocious-beast-level souls within, making them the tower's guardian spirits, vastly boosting its might.
"As expected… the ocean is truly a treasure trove~" Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly.
Boom—
A humming roar erupted.
The Death God Tower fired a beam straight at Huo Yuhao, carrying heat and pressure that seemed to tear space apart.
It was none other than—Death God's Light.
Long Xiaoyao cooperated seamlessly, entangling Huo Yuhao.
At the very last moment, just before the Death God's Light struck, Long Xiaoyao activated a soul skill, turning into a shadow of darkness and instantly retreating from the battlefield.
The next second, Huo Yuhao was hit squarely by the beam.
The explosion blasted into the sea, carving a deep crater in the waters and raising massive waves.
The extreme heat evaporated seawater, creating thick steam that cloaked the surroundings like a sudden fairyland.
"Did we succeed?" Long Xiaoyao appeared beside Ye Xishui, voice low, his breath slightly unstable.
To his dismay, even after such a brief clash, he already felt strained.
Ye Xishui showed a confident smile.
"Even if it doesn't kill him, it should've injured him!"
Within the Death God Tower, the beast souls were weakened, clearly drained by the previous strike.
But as long as Huo Yuhao was hurt, the cost was worth it.
However… how could mortal weapons injure a god?
Well… perhaps in Douluo Continent, it wasn't entirely impossible.
But absolutely not Huo Yuhao!
The steam rising from the sea condensed and dissipated rapidly before their eyes.
Both Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui's pupils shrank sharply.
Because what emerged before them was an awe-inspiring iceberg!
Towering like a cliff, unmoving as a mountain.
A deep voice resonated from within.
"All things united!"
Cracks spread across the iceberg's surface before it collapsed with a thunderous crash, revealing Huo Yuhao unharmed.
His eyes glowed faintly, as if fused with heaven and earth.
This was the Heaven-Man Induction, passed down from Ah Yin.
Endless natural energy flowed into Huo Yuhao, converted into soul power.
That power condensed into Ultimate Ice, freezing everything—the sea itself solidified at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Sealing the world in ice was no difficulty for Huo Yuhao.
Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui realized they had to fight with their lives.
"Dark Holy Dragon True Body!"
"Blood Soul Demon Puppet True Body!"
A massive black dragon a hundred meters long roared and lunged at Huo Yuhao.
The Blood Soul Demon Puppet fused into the Death God Tower, boosting its power to the level of a true tenth-tier soul tool.
The beast souls inside burned their essence one by one, providing even greater strength.
Purple-red light spread from the tower, gradually tinged with gold.
All the brilliance condensed into a beam, blasting toward Huo Yuhao.
"Super · Death God's Light!"
But Huo Yuhao only looked on coldly.
Had they fled just now, they might've survived a while longer. But they chose a desperate struggle.
The Frost Centipede Armor on his body shifted, covering every inch of skin, even his face.
"Frost Centipede Armor True Body!"
"Immortal Ice Armor!"
Wielding his Dragon Spear, Huo Yuhao charged forward.
At this moment, he was like a fully unleashed divine-armored emperor.
"Ultimate Ice · Demon-Suppressing Slash!"
Ultimate Ice descended, suppressing the Dark Holy Dragon.
"Frost Centipede Forbidden Domain!"
A cold light pierced through the Death God Tower, blasting Ye Xishui out from within.
Her face twisted with fear.
She couldn't comprehend why the gap between them was so vast—until the golden phantom of the Ancient Golden Tree manifested behind Huo Yuhao, scattering endless golden radiance.
"So that's it… he possesses this supreme treasure. Then our defeat is justified."
Ye Xishui understood.
With the Golden Tree's power, even an ordinary Ultimate Douluo could defeat them—let alone an Ultimate Ice Douluo like Huo Yuhao.
Only Di Tian, wielding the Dragon God's Claw, could damage the Golden Tree—and that was only because no one was actively controlling it.
Huo Yuhao delivered the final strike. Raising his fist, he punched forward into the void.
A colossal ice fist descended from the heavens, piercing space itself, crashing down to envelop the island and sea.
"Sovereign of the World · Frozen World!"
Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao shut their eyes in despair.
To die on the same day with the one they loved—perhaps that was their final solace.
The ice fist fell. Heaven and earth froze. The world became a silver-white wasteland, devoid of life.
Only Huo Yuhao remained, standing alone like a god not of this mortal realm.
Huo Yuhao stood quietly upon the icy surface. He glanced at the palm of his left hand—in the divine realm within his palm, Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao remained frozen in ice, imprisoned within.
With only the strength of Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao as Ultimate Douluo, Huo Yuhao no longer considered them threats. Yet the Bright Phoenix and Dark Sacred Dragon bloodlines they carried were treasures he could not afford to miss. Even more, Ye Xishui's inheritance of the Blood Soul Demon Puppet was far from ordinary.
The Bright Phoenix spirit Ye Xishui had never cultivated naturally possessed the power of phoenix nirvana—an ability rarely found even among other Phoenix Spirit Masters.
Even Yan Shaozhe, the known inheritor of the Bright Phoenix martial soul, did not have this ability. Perhaps it was related to Yan Shaozhe's own talent and development.
Or perhaps Ye Xishui was simply unique.
Those who carried twin spirits were never ordinary.
Even someone like Xiao Xiao, whom Huo Yuhao often overlooked, possessed an incredibly noble fate—so noble that in the past, Huo Yuhao himself could not forcibly take it.
As the counterpart to the Bright Phoenix, the Blood Soul Demon Puppet spirit naturally was no less extraordinary.
With Ye Xishui's power as an Ultimate Douluo, if her Blood Soul Demon Puppet spirit were refined, it might very well be forged into an artifact.
As for Long Xiaoyao's Dark Sacred Dragon, its value went without saying—it was a lineage of the highest grade within the dragon race.
Huo Yuhao naturally knew Tang San was watching this place.
But with the cover of Ultimate Ice, taking Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao away was nothing more than a casual act.
As if he weren't also a God King.
Sure enough, once Huo Yuhao had dealt with the two "bosses," Tang San finally presented the "clearance reward."
The frozen island split apart.
Seven colossal sea-blue pillars rose up from beneath the island, radiating dazzling blue-gold divine light.
"This is—!" Huo Yuhao's eyes widened in disbelief.
He was truly stunned.
Because the waves of power from those seven pillars were unmistakably familiar—Sea God divine power!
"Could this be the Seven Sacred Sea Pillars?! I've only ever read of them in the inner court library at the Academy! Could this place once have been Seagod Island?" Huo Yuhao muttered, utterly shocked beyond words.
Of course, it was not.
But Tang San had indeed placed the Seven Sacred Sea Pillars before him, using the Sea God's divinity as bait.
Yes—bait.
Huo Yuhao did not for a moment believe Tang San would release the Sea God's inheritance so easily, even if he already possessed the Asura God's seat.
After all, anyone could attempt a divine trial, but whether they succeeded depended on the original owner of the godhood.
So, as the successor of Shrek, how should one respond upon seeing the Sea God's Sacred Pillars?
Naturally, shock, excitement, and then… gratitude to the Sea God himself!
Huo Yuhao descended onto the island, confirmed the authenticity of the Sacred Pillars, clasped his hands together, and raised his head in thanks.
"Sea God bless me! Sea God bless me!"
Thank you, Old Dog Tang San, for gifting me the Sea God's inheritance!
Ordinary mortals had no choice but to be toyed with by Tang San. But as a fellow God King, Huo Yuhao had the chance to turn this farce into reality.
And beside him was someone perfectly suited for the Sea God's inheritance—Xuelian, whose body was about to be fully nurtured.
"Let this Sea God's godhood be the rebirth gift I prepare for Xuelian!" Huo Yuhao said solemnly, extending his hand to touch the Sacred Pillars and attempting to receive the trial.
There was no surprise.
The pillar he touched lit up—but not only it. All seven pillars simultaneously blazed with light, colors shifting from white to yellow, yellow to purple, purple to black, black to red, and finally erupting in golden brilliance.
That golden radiance converged onto Huo Yuhao's body, imprinting a blue-gold trident upon his brow.
Huo Yuhao had successfully obtained the Nine Trials of the Sea God!
"In theory, if I truly only possessed the strength I've shown, then with the aid of this trial, even without becoming a god, I'd still hold the power to battle one."
"That must be one of the reasons Old Tang dared to put the Sea God's seat here."
"Even if I really were to complete the trials, Old Tang could declare me unqualified and swap my inheritance for another godhood, just like he did for Ma Hongjun back then."
"Moreover, as the Sea God himself, Tang San would have the greatest leverage over me in this trial, the easiest chance to tame me!"
Why could Huo Yuhao guess all this so clearly?
Because if it were him, he might do the same.
The ill-intentioned always understood each other best.
Trials of other gods—even of fallen gods—were extremely difficult for outsiders to meddle in. At best they could influence them slightly. This was a matter of divine inheritance security.
But if it was within one's own godhood's trial, interference was simple.
Like the Seven Elemental Gods, who personally trained their candidates.
Or the first Shura God, who shifted Tang Chen's trial progress directly onto Tang San.
Huo Yuhao immediately examined the first of the Nine Trials of the Sea God, eager to see what task Tang San had arranged for him.
[First Trial: The Trial of the Sea Maiden Sacred Pillar!]
[Content: Defeat the projection of the Sea Maiden Douluo.]
[Reward: 10% affinity with the Sea God's divine power.]
As soon as Huo Yuhao triggered the first trial, the Sea Maiden's pillar trembled. A mermaid's figure floated forth—a projection of the Sea Maiden Douluo from ten thousand years ago.
But Huo Yuhao was certain this projection had been enhanced.
For it radiated the aura of a Super Douluo!
Its soul power level was 95!
Huo Yuhao took in her condition. He had to admit, the Sea Maiden Douluo was indeed quite beautiful—an exotic allure for those who fancied non-human charm.
Compared with the Sea Princess, however, she lacked the mature allure of a married woman, and she had none of a queen's authority. Instead, she embodied a youthful, girlish style.
A mermaid of a different flavor.
As she appeared, a special flute materialized in her hands—her martial soul, the Sea Demon Flute.
Two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings circled around it—a full nine rings.
The Sea Maiden Douluo belonged to the Sea Demon clan of mermaids, who had once lived under the dominion of Seagod Island. Members of this clan often awakened martial souls and walked the path of Spirit Masters.
Only Huo Yuhao could stay so calm, even evaluating her in such a way.
Because the moment she appeared, the Sea Maiden Douluo launched her attack—playing her Sea Demon Flute, filling the air with piercing magic sound.
At the same time, Huo Yuhao sensed a subtle spiritual fluctuation probing at his thoughts.
"This is… the innate ability of the Sea Demons—mind reading?" Huo Yuhao realized.
Used in battle, such an ability could foresee the enemy's moves—a divine skill indeed.
But still, she was facing Huo Yuhao.
He once again unleashed the power of Ultimate Ice, attempting to freeze her. Yet he quickly realized she could ignore the ice's freezing effect.
"I see… since she's only a projection, she's largely immune to physicalized attacks. To defeat her, I must target the very power she wields. Sound… no, spirit power!"
The cape of Huo Yuhao's armor swept behind him.
Waves of spiritual energy surged forth, instantly shattering the Sea Demon's mental assault. Then, that spiritual force condensed into a spear, piercing directly into her projection.
In an instant, the Sea Maiden Douluo's projection shattered.