"Why is that Huo Yuhao's spiritual power so strong? I thought I could temper him for a while… Ah, so that's it. It's because of the Golden Ancient Tree's blessing? Hmph, relying on external aid, wasting the tempering I gave him."
Tang San sat upright upon his Sea God's divine throne, observing the progress of the divine trial.
He too had noticed the fleeting aura of the Golden Ancient Tree on Huo Yuhao's body.
"Well, so be it. As long as the Sea God Nine Trials are activated, Huo Yuhao will inherit my will."
"However, the Golden Ancient Tree is too important to the Douluo Continent. I can't let Huo Yuhao take it away with him."
…
At the trial site.
After the projection of the Sea Maiden Douluo shattered, it did not completely disappear but transformed into countless blue-golden particles that flowed into Huo Yuhao's body.
This power served to strengthen Huo Yuhao's physique, even his spirit rings, and also increased his affinity with the Sea God's divine position.
But Huo Yuhao keenly sensed the faintly hidden will buried beneath the gift.
"Well, well. When guidance fails, you turn to brute force? Trying to directly influence my will now? What kind of level do you think this is, daring to use the leftovers of my own methods against me?"
Closing his eyes, Huo Yuhao pretended to accept the gift. In reality, he guided the power into his Divine Kingdom, stripped away Tang San's will, and preserved it instead of destroying it.
After all, Tang San's will carried his divine sense.
It might be useful.
The rest of the benefits were diverted into the cocoon of light where Snow Lotus resided.
The Six-Winged Angel, watching nearby, cried out in astonishment, "With this power's blessing, Sister Xuelian will soon fully take shape!"
But Huo Yuhao calmed the Snow Lotus within the cocoon with his consciousness.
"No rush. Wait a little longer. There might be more surprises."
Sure enough, though she had been ready to break free, Snow Lotus obediently held back, waiting for more nourishment from Huo Yuhao.
In the outside world, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes, excitement flashing in them. His aura now faintly carried the divine power of the Sea God.
Tang San, watching from the divine throne, nodded in satisfaction.
Yet, separated by worlds—even with the Seven Sacred Pillars serving as signal stations—Tang San's vision remained blocked.
He could not directly probe with divine sense and could only trust what he perceived across the boundary of worlds. That overconfidence in a god's sight was Tang San's greatest flaw.
Before the divine inheritance began, a god could only influence his own trials through the divine sense he had left behind.
Even to protect his own daughter, Tang San could only act through the godly imprint lodged deep in her soul.
Huo Yuhao wasted no time, immediately beginning the second trial.
Tang San felt no suspicion. With Huo Yuhao's dazzling configuration and the Golden Ancient Tree's aid, had he dawdled, Tang San would instead have suspected he had noticed something.
The second trial resembled the first: defeat the projection of an ancient Sacred Pillar Guardian.
This time it was the Sea Star Douluo—Martial Soul: Sea Star. Spirit power rank: 96. Control-type. Spirit rings: two yellow, two purple, five black.
Huo Yuhao held little interest, as the opponent was male.
To pass, he needed to surpass the Sea Star Douluo in both recovery and expenditure, clashing through pure soul power until one faltered.
The outcome was obvious: Huo Yuhao's victory.
How could a rank 96 Super Douluo compare in recovery and endurance to a rank 99 Ultimate Douluo?
The Sea Star Douluo's projection shattered, once more releasing masses of blue-gold light that Huo Yuhao gladly absorbed, further increasing his Sea God affinity.
The third trial: a contest against the Sea Ghost Douluo's projection, centered on poison.
Sea Ghost Douluo—rank 97, Martial Soul: Sea Ghost Fish, control-type, spirit rings two yellow, two purple, five black.
When Huo Yuhao saw the toxins released, he almost burst out laughing.
If not for the poison trial, he might have forgotten—he himself wielded the ultimate poison attribute.
With no opponent left who could meaningfully contest his toxins, he passed easily and collected the rewards.
The fourth trial: Sea Horse Douluo's projection.
This was a test of physical strength, battle techniques, and resilience against the ocean's might.
Sea Horse Douluo appeared with rank 98 strength, Martial Soul: Sea Horse, assault-type, with the same two-yellow, two-purple, five-black ring setup.
Still no obstacle for Huo Yuhao.
After a bout of combat, he shattered the projection with a single punch and cleared the trial.
Then came the fifth trial.
Facing the Sea Mirage Douluo's projection.
At the sight of the opponent, Huo Yuhao's eyelid twitched. He knew Tang San had strengthened these guardians, but for the fifth trial to produce an Ultimate Douluo projection—wasn't that excessive?
What about the remaining two guardians?
The Sea Mirage Douluo appeared with the strength of an Ultimate Douluo. Martial Soul: Illusory Serpent. Specialization: illusions. Control-type. Spirit rings: two yellow, two purple, five black.
An Ultimate Douluo with no red rings—interesting.
"So this is the kind of opponent Ancestor Tang San once faced? To hold the power of an Ultimate Douluo… truly formidable! Ancestor Tang San was extraordinary indeed!"
Huo Yuhao deliberately offered flattery, lowering Tang San's suspicion.
On the divine throne, Tang San nodded in satisfaction—exactly the response he wanted.
The trial came in the form of Sea Mirage Douluo's illusions.
Huo Yuhao feigned being caught, then displayed his unwavering will to break free, finally defeating the opponent after a seemingly difficult battle.
This time, Huo Yuhao pretended exhaustion and chose to rest before continuing.
Two hours later, he restored his vigor and began the sixth trial.
The sixth trial: confronting the Sea Lance Douluo's projection.
And this projection was… an Ultimate Douluo!
Still an Ultimate Douluo, yet Huo Yuhao sensed something different—the aura was twice as strong as the Sea Mirage Douluo's.
"I see… not just an ordinary Ultimate Douluo, but a half-god."
Huo Yuhao actually felt relieved, even disappointed. He had half-expected Tang San to conjure a full god-official.
At least now he needn't fear exposing certain powers.
Against a god-official, not revealing divine-level strength while still avoiding defeat would have forced him to use other unusual methods.
But against an Ultimate Douluo, it wasn't so troublesome.
This trial demanded not one specialized test, but an all-out battle with the Sea Lance Douluo.
This meant Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice could fully affect the projection.
Likewise, the Sea Lance Douluo's Martial Soul—the Nanook Lance, also called the "Sea Spear"—unleashed terrifying power.
Said to be blessed by the ocean itself, it offered immense defense, rapid soul power recovery in the sea, and devastating attack power.
A "perfect" Martial Soul.
Comparable to a demi-artifact.
Huo Yuhao put on the appearance of going all out. The fight grew intense. He eventually had to draw upon the Golden Ancient Tree's power, amplifying himself before finally toppling the Sea Lance Douluo.
"Ah, that was tough~" Huo Yuhao wiped away sweat that didn't exist.
On the divine throne, Tang San nodded again, already planning how to deny Huo Yuhao the inheritance of his divine position.
"Always relying on external power… how could I entrust my divine seat to you?"
"Still, given your talent, I will help you choose a fitting place among the first-rank gods."
Huo Yuhao rested for a full four hours this time.
By the next morning, he finally opened his eyes from meditation, rose from the ground, and officially began the Seventh Trial!
Truth be told, Huo Yuhao's state was already terrifying—first defeating two Ultimate Douluo one against two, then engaging in a wheel battle against four Super Douluo and two Ultimate Douluo. Not only did he avoid any major injuries, but after such a short rest he could still continue fighting.
If other Ultimate Douluo knew this, they would start doubting their very existence.
But with the Golden Ancient Tree as a cheat…
No questions needed—the Golden Ancient Tree was just that incredible.
As expected, the seventh trial's projection was the Sea Dragon Douluo from ten thousand years ago, an Ultimate Douluo but also a quasi-god!
The Sea Dragon Douluo's strength was three times that of Sea Spear Douluo, and six times that of Sea Fantasy Douluo.
Martial soul: Sea Dragon, a quality no less than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Innately carried a domain. Attack type. Spirit rings: two yellow, two purple, five black.
Back in his era, he was the strongest among the Seven Sacred Pillars.
His trial method was the same as Sea Spear Douluo's—face-to-face combat, total defeat required to pass.
The battle began. Huo Yuhao activated the Frost Centipede Domain of his Exotic Ice Jade Centipede. But immediately, Sea Dragon Douluo released his own domain—Anti-Magic Domain.
This was his innate domain, capable of breaking all other domains.
Yet the god-level Frost Centipede Domain was unaffected by its suppression. Even so, Huo Yuhao withdrew it.
Because the domain was only for Tang San to see—the true killing move wasn't the domain, nor even the power of the Exotic Ice Jade Centipede.
Huo Yuhao and Sea Dragon Douluo clashed. Sea Dragon was indeed formidable. He possessed impressive self-created spirit skills—combat arts of his era—more refined than those of Sea Spear or Sea Horse Douluo.
Huo Yuhao studied them briefly and realized Sea Dragon's techniques had reached another level. They weren't just performed by one's own power, but could borrow the sea's environment and strength, enhancing his attacks.
It even explained why Sea Horse Douluo's combat skills carried a similar flavor—they followed the same path of cultivation.
This ability to harness the sea's power might be unique to sea spirit masters, but it was still worth studying.
"As the destiny of the world, in battle I should be able to draw upon the world's power to bless me as well."
Ayin's Heaven-Man Induction only linked oneself with nature.
This was different from sea spirit masters borrowing the ocean's might.
Huo Yuhao tested it during the fight, and discovered he could indeed do something similar. Its principle resembled the Body Sect's inheritance of "unity with heaven and man."
But the blessing he gained wasn't from one aspect of nature—it came from the will of the world itself.
To put it simply: When I throw this punch, the entire world will be against you!
Still, Huo Yuhao didn't land such a punch to instantly end the fight. Instead, he unleashed the Golden Ancient Tree and went head-to-head with Sea Dragon Douluo, grinding it out.
Sea Dragon responded with Martial Soul True Body, trying to overpower him.
Furious, Huo Yuhao directly revealed the Sun-Moon Wheel—and with one strike, cleaved Sea Dragon Douluo in half.
The Seventh Trial: Passed.
On his divine throne, Tang San gripped the armrest tightly.
"The Goddess of Love's divine weapon… Hmph. Even so, he won't escape in the end."
—
On the island, Sea Dragon Douluo's projection shattered. Blue-golden motes of light merged into Huo Yuhao's body, which he purified and then fed to Xuelian.
The cocoon of light around Xuelian was now tinged with blue-gold, noble and divine.
Facing it was the sealed will of Tang San, condensed into a humanoid shadow faintly resembling his figure.
Huo Yuhao first looked at the contents of the Eighth Trial:
[Eighth Trial: Battle of Nemeses]
[Objective: Defeat the revived inheritor of the Rakshasa God!]
[Reward: 10% affinity with Sea God's divine power]
Huo Yuhao noticed something interesting: none of the trials so far had involved the Sea God's divine weapons.
Aside from affinity and extra Sea God power, there weren't any tangible benefits.
If the first seven trials were setting him up, then this eighth trial was clearly doing Tang San's dirty work.
A "battle of nemeses"?
Did they think he hadn't read? The nemesis of the Rakshasa God wasn't the Sea God.
And Rakshasa's heir Cain was his person—how could he possibly fight the Rakshasa God?
"Seems like milking Tang San's wool can only go this far."
Though he spoke with regret, his eyes were fixed on the seven towering Sacred Pillars. Left behind by the first Sea God, they were anything but ordinary.
Tang San, knowing that Yuhao's next trial wouldn't be decided quickly, had shifted his focus to other inheritors.
But soon his expression changed drastically, as he sensed something wrong with the Seven Sacred Pillars!
His gaze shot back to the island—and the situation had already turned chaotic.
Huo Yuhao was under attack again.
This time, the enemy wasn't a trial projection.
It was an Evil Soul Master!
A suffocating aura of death engulfed the island. The entire place, along with the Seven Sacred Pillars, was swallowed in endless darkness.
Huo Yuhao tried to resist the evil, but a figure blocked his path, leaving him no chance to intervene.
That figure was none other than the God of Corpses!
"Ant, offering up a god's inheritance to me is your honor!" The Corpse God's voice was lofty, dripping with arrogance.
"Dream on! Leave behind the Sea God's inheritance!" Huo Yuhao roared, unleashing both the Golden Ancient Tree and the Sun-Moon Wheel to interrupt him.
But it was too late—the Seven Sacred Pillars vanished in an instant. With a mere lift of his hand, the Corpse God blocked Huo Yuhao's attacks.
"Without becoming a god, you're but an insect… Hm?"
A sound of surprise escaped him. On his palm, a wound had appeared, imbued with light, deep to the bone.
"So you broke through my defense. I see—your artifact, and that tree's power!"
"No matter. Now is not the time for the final battle. I've taken what I came for. Once I've gleaned opportunity from it, I'll end you completely."
"Huo Yuhao—you've just bought yourself one more life!"
With those words, the Corpse God turned into black mist and vanished.
What remained was only an island corrupted by death and darkness—
And Huo Yuhao's furious roar echoing through the sky.
In the God Realm, Tang San was roaring too.
"How dare he?! Useless trash!"
If the sealing of the Seven Sacred Pillars hadn't been so sudden, he would've had time to channel his divine sense through them and slay the Corpse God.
But alas—no such chance.
And Huo Yuhao's eighth trial was altered as well:
[Eighth Trial: Annihilate the Evil God]
[Objective: Defeat the revived inheritor of the Rakshasa God! Reclaim the Seven Sacred Pillars of the Sea God! Slay the Corpse God!]
[Reward: 20% affinity with Sea God's divine power]
After the Seven Sacred Pillars were seized, Tang San no longer paid attention to Huo Yuhao. Instead, he activated all the pawns he had planted across the Douluo Continent, beginning the search for the Corpse God.
At the same time, Tang San also urged the four empires to launch an assault on the Holy Spirit Cult, since the Corpse God was now the Grand Elder of that cult.
Even the Clear Sky Sect joined the turmoil.
The war, which had temporarily subsided due to the descent of the Seven Gods of the Sun Moon Empire, now showed signs of reigniting.
This left the people of Douluo Continent—including ordinary soul masters—on an emotional roller coaster.
"Is this war happening or not?"
"Don't fight anymore, wars kill people!"
"This war must be fought! Eliminating evil soul masters is for the future of the continent, for justice!"
"Why start fighting again? My business was just starting to stabilize."
"It's all decided by those big figures. We can only endure."
"Why do those big figures change their minds every day? It makes no sense!"
…
The chaos across the continent and the heated discussions of the people had no effect on Huo Yuhao.
Tang San's lack of attention allowed Yuhao to calmly reap his spoils.
Inside the God Realm.
Within the secret chamber of the Golden Ancient Tree, Huo Yuhao straightened his slightly disheveled collar.
Before being captured, Ye Xishui had already reached the half-god level. Not only did she possess a longer lifespan, but her body also remained in its peak state.
Long Xiaoyao's cultivation was at the same half-god level as well.
Half-gods, beyond surpassing quasi–half-gods in power, also gained extended lifespans and could maintain peak physical condition longer—ensuring sustained combat strength.
Long Xiaoyao gradually regained consciousness. He realized his entire body was bound, lying on the ground. Soon after, Huo Yuhao's figure entered his sight.
But almost instantly, his eyes locked on Ye Xishui, who hung by her wrists behind Yuhao.
A foreboding dread rose within him.
"You—Huo Yuhao, what did you do to Xishui?!" Long Xiaoyao roared, eyes burning with fury.
If his body had any strength, he would have lunged at Yuhao to fight to the death. Even in his weakened state, he still struggled desperately.
Yuhao licked his lips, smiling. "What did I do? Isn't it obvious? Senior Ye woke up before you, after all."
"Beast! You beast! Is this what Mu En taught you?" Long Xiaoyao bellowed, killing intent overflowing from his eyes.
"At this moment, Senior finally remembers my dear teacher, Mu En? Then allow me to explain properly." Yuhao's grin turned wicked. "Do you remember what the two of you did to my teacher back then? I'm merely repaying you both on his behalf."
"…!" Long Xiaoyao choked, words failing him, pain flashing across his eyes.
Yuhao turned, grabbing Ye Xishui's chin and lifting her head. "Senior Ye, no need to keep pretending to be unconscious. Speaking of which—my teacher ended up crippled because he rushed to find you two that day. Tell me, how should I repay you for that?"
Ye Xishui finally opened her eyes. Strands of sweat-soaked hair clung to her face. In her current bedraggled state, she carried a kind of broken beauty.
Even in ruin, beauty can still be breathtaking.
"Heh…" Ye Xishui sneered coldly, her eyes freezing over as she glared at Yuhao. "You claim this is for your teacher's revenge. In truth, you're just indulging your beastly lust upon us."
She seemed to see through Yuhao's essence.
Then she turned to Long Xiaoyao. "Xiaoyao, you needn't feel guilty. That incident back then—it was I who seduced you deliberately. I knew everything."
Long Xiaoyao snapped his gaze toward her, eyes full of disbelief.
The so-called incident was this: during one drunken night, Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui—who at the time was Mu En's fiancée—ended up in bed together. She even ensured Mu En witnessed it.
In truth, it was all Ye Xishui's design. She even bore Long Xiaoyao a child.
Mu En and Long Xiaoyao, unaware of the full truth, were both men of strict morals, and the incident plunged them into conflict and anguish.
One could say ninety-nine percent of their tragic triangle was Ye Xishui's fault.
Mu En and Long Xiaoyao had long vied for her affections, but Mu En ultimately won.
Yet Ye Xishui's true feelings leaned toward Long Xiaoyao, though she never admitted it. Instead, she chose this twisted form of "revenge."
The irony was that it had been Ye Xishui's own choice to be with Mu En. Long Xiaoyao had pursued her before.
Perhaps she later turned to Long Xiaoyao because his Dark Holy Dragon spirit resembled her Blood Soul Puppet martial soul—both being darkness-type spirits.
Hence the old saying: wise men do not fall in love. Love and ambition rarely coexist.
Huo Yuhao even suspected she had certain peculiar fetishes.
Seeing the two about to pour out their hearts, Yuhao abruptly cut in.
"Oh, by the way, you two have a child."
"What?!" Long Xiaoyao's eyes snapped to Yuhao.
Ye Xishui's face paled slightly. During the last Shrek invasion, she had already suspected something.
Sure enough, Yuhao continued with a grin: "Your child didn't inherit Senior Ye's Blood Soul Puppet, nor Senior Long's Dark Holy Dragon. Instead, he inherited Senior Ye's second spirit—the Radiant Phoenix."
As he spoke, Yuhao tapped Ye Xishui's chest. Her soul power surged uncontrollably, revealing the Radiant Phoenix she had always concealed.
Long Xiaoyao's pupils shrank violently. "The Radiant Phoenix… Could it be—that person…"
Clearly, he had connected it to the one he had fought during the Shrek invasion.
"That's right. Your child was cared for by my beloved teacher Mu En, who set aside his grudges. And the one you encountered last time was your own descendant—Yan Shaozhe!"
"The surname 'Yan' comes from Senior Ye's original name," Yuhao revealed with a mocking smile.
Ye Xishui's expression darkened terribly. She hadn't imagined Yuhao even knew this. Could it be Mu En who told him?
Mu En, damn you!
At this moment, Ye Xishui's hatred toward Mu En had reached its peak.
"Where is Yan Shaozhe?! After Shrek fell, what happened to him?" Long Xiaoyao demanded anxiously, faint violet light flickering in his eyes.
"Him~" Yuhao feigned anger, "He died at the hands of your fellow evil soul masters!"
"After Shrek was breached, without it as a safe haven, its scattered members were quickly slaughtered by the rampaging evil soul masters. Very few survived."
"No…" Long Xiaoyao looked as though struck by a thunderbolt. He broke completely, the violet glow in his eyes burning brighter, yet tinged with evil.
In contrast, Ye Xishui laughed—laughed heartily.
"Good! Dead! All those from Shrek deserve to die!"
"Our child—who allowed Mu En to raise him? Who gave him that right?!"
Ye Xishui was still smiling when she suddenly sensed something wrong. She noticed that Long Xiaoyao's state was becoming strange.
The light in Long Xiaoyao's eyes gradually faded, his whole body turned stiff, and every trace of expression disappeared from his face.
—As if he had turned into a puppet under someone's control!
"Xiaoyao, what's wrong with you?" Ye Xishui quickly asked with concern.
Instead, Huo Yuhao looked at Ye Xishui. "Senior Ye, why did you stop smiling? Is it that you don't like this?"
"You damned thing! Huo Yuhao, what did you do to him? He's your teacher's brother!" Ye Xishui cursed at him furiously.
"Nothing much." Huo Yuhao smiled lightly. His smile never vanished, it only shifted. "I just tested a little trick I've been developing on him. Judging from the results, it works quite well."
"What surprised me is this—disrespecting you didn't shake Senior Long, nor did mentioning my teacher Mu En. But the moment I spoke about your descendants, a flaw appeared in Senior Long's heart."
"Perhaps Dean Yan Shaozhe… is Senior Long's last hope."
Ye Xishui's pupils contracted sharply.
This was Huo Yuhao's self-created variant ability, derived from the Seed of Corruption—the Seed of Demon.
It was the first time he had tested it on an Ultimate Douluo.
Once planted, the Seed of Demon lurks until the victim's heart develops a weakness. At that moment, the seed burrows into the depths of the victim's mind, trapping their consciousness in endless nightmares. Meanwhile, their body becomes a puppet for Huo Yuhao to control.
When he activates the Seed of Demon's hidden trigger, all those infected will give everything to him!
Though not as unbreakable as the Seed of Corruption and full of flaws, it is still enough to control any being below God level.
Most importantly, the Seed of Demon can spread widely—like dandelion fluff carried by the wind.
Huo Yuhao snapped his fingers, undoing the ropes around Long Xiaoyao, and then commanded him to perform simple actions.
"Lift your left leg, raise your right hand, spin around, bark like a dog… Spirit possession…"
Ye Xishui desperately tried to call out to Long Xiaoyao, but he could not respond to her at all.
Through the Seed of Demon, however, Huo Yuhao could glimpse Long Xiaoyao's inner nightmare. To his surprise, what Long Xiaoyao was endlessly reliving in his mind was that night he had spent in bed with Ye Xishui.
Perhaps in Long Xiaoyao's heart, that night had been the beginning of all the tragedies among the three of them.
After a moment of silence, Ye Xishui finally spoke again. "Huo Yuhao, as long as you let Xiaoyao go, I'll agree to anything you ask!"
She could not bear to see Long Xiaoyao degraded any further.
Huo Yuhao cast her a sidelong glance. "I don't think you understand anything at all~"
"What do you mean?" A bad premonition rose in Ye Xishui's heart.
"Why not experience it yourself? Senior Long, give her a push~"
"You beast!!!"
…
Half a day later.
Huo Yuhao had consumed Ye Xishui completely.
This was no metaphor.
Everything of value within Ye Xishui had been extracted and refined by him.
Three main things: first, the Light Phoenix bloodline; second, the Blood Soul Puppet; third, Ye Xishui's soul itself.
As for her flesh, soul power, and spirit bones, all of it was refined into the Blood Soul Puppet.
First came the Light Phoenix bloodline, which Huo Yuhao integrated into the dying Feng Ling, reshaping her bloodline and foundation.
Holy flames of light blazed over Feng Ling's body, and Huo Yuhao further fed it with the power of the Golden Ancient Tree.
The light fire surged, roaring higher, until in an instant Feng Ling's body was burned to ash.
Yet the fire of light did not go out. Instead, it shone even brighter.
A second later, a phoenix cry rang out from within the flames, and the radiant shadow of a Light Phoenix burst forth.
It was the phoenix's rebirth through fire.
When the phoenix's form vanished, Feng Ling reappeared, wrapped in a robe of radiant flames, descending step by step from the sky like a celestial maiden.
Baptized by the Light Phoenix bloodline and infused with the Golden Ancient Tree's power, her spirit soul not only evolved into the Light Phoenix, but even her appearance and aura transformed.
She was more flawless than ever, radiating warmth and sanctity—no longer carrying her old charm of corruption, but instead exuding holy brilliance.
And paradoxically, that holiness provoked an even stronger desire to profane and destroy!
Most strikingly, Feng Ling had now attained rank 99!
This strength came from Ye Xishui's bloodline, the nourishment of the Golden Ancient Tree, and Huo Yuhao's own little "gift."
Phoenix bloodlines were exceedingly rare in the universe. To Huo Yuhao, each one was a treasure mine, and this was why he had chosen to keep Feng Ling alive.
As for Ye Xishui, breaking her apart yielded greater value.
The flames and feather-robe around Feng Ling dissipated. She withdrew all her power and collapsed into Huo Yuhao's arms, bare and boneless, gazing at him with endless tenderness and devotion.
Love is both the greatest weakness and the best controller of a person.
Holding her, Huo Yuhao examined her body's changes—only to find, to his surprise, that her phoenix bloodline was not singular.
Instead, it combined Evil Phoenix, Dark Phoenix, and Light Phoenix bloodlines, merging into a bizarre Three-Headed Phoenix.
He roused her martial soul.
A phantom phoenix appeared with three heads: the central head radiated evil aura, the left radiated darkness, the right radiated light. Its body burned with a gray chaotic flame, without clear attribute.
This fusion not only elevated her phoenix lineage to a higher level, but also gave Feng Ling the ability to transform her powers at will.
The Light Phoenix she now displayed was only one aspect.
Huo Yuhao was genuinely delighted.
He had set out only to salvage a depleted vein of ore, but unexpectedly uncovered a supreme divine mineral!
Feng Ling playfully rubbed against him, but Huo Yuhao had work to do. He tossed her aside, sending her to the Angel God Temple to learn the training and application of light.
Next came Ye Xishui's Blood Soul Puppet.
As he expected, once her flesh and soul power were refined into it, the Blood Soul Puppet underwent a transformation.
It became a unique artifact.
Similar in some ways to the Healing Angel Puppet he had once crafted, but different—because it lacked Ye Xishui's soul, it had no self-awareness. Instead, it could be refined and wielded like a magic tool.
The tempered Blood Soul Puppet was no longer sinister as before. It became a special artifact powered by blood, sourced from souls.
It could be controlled to fight alongside the wielder, with strength equal to its master's, and even allowed spatial substitution. However, using its powers and combat required the expenditure of the user's own blood.
Its most formidable ability: when its master dies, they could be reborn through the puppet, using the bloodline and soul imprinted within it!
But this miracle could only be used once in a lifetime.
Even so, its strength was undeniable.
Thus, Huo Yuhao gave it a new name—Reversal Blood Puppet.
For it truly carried the power to turn death back to life!
"What a pity," Huo Yuhao sighed, "the cultivation system of the Douluo Continent limited Ye Xishui's growth. Had she received the right guidance, she might have cultivated two martial souls together—and her future achievements would have surely surpassed even Mu En and Long Xiaoyao!"
The last was Ye Xishui's soul.
Huo Yuhao refined it into the Death God Tower.
Although Huo Yuhao's knowledge of soul tools was limited, there was no denying the value of the Death God Tower—it contained countless high-grade materials and powerful souls.
Now, using Ye Xishui's soul as the primary spirit, he refined it into the tower's artifact spirit, turning the Death God Tower into a true magical weapon.
With Huo Yuhao's strength, the refinement didn't take long. In just a single day, the transformation from soul tool to magical artifact was complete.
When the weapon was finished—nothing unusual happened.
Yet the power of the Death God Tower had undeniably risen, stepping into the realm of Tenth-Rank Soul Tools, its quality reaching the level of a half-divine artifact.
What held the Death God Tower back was Ye Xishui's soul, for it had not yet reached the level of a god.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao would never leave Ye Xishui's soul intact as an artifact spirit. He made certain adjustments to ensure perfect control, erasing some of her memories—especially those of Mu En and Long Xiaoyao.
A weapon meant for battle was best kept loyal.
Its name too was changed. The spirit within was now called Yan Xiaota, restoring Ye Xishui's original family name.
Compared with Hu Baobao of the Treasure-Gathering Immortal Gourd, Yan Xiaota was far more intelligent. She was not born as a blank childlike spirit, but as a mature and knowledgeable woman.
Huo Yuhao could finally understand how Ye Xishui had once ensnared Mu En and Long Xiaoyao so easily—when young, she had indeed been a woman of great allure.
"The potential of the Death God Tower is not bad. If I had possessed such a weapon back then, I would certainly have made it my life-bound artifact."
"Unfortunately, now it cannot compare to my Hao Emperor Banner."
"Still, the Death God Tower can be given to one of my clones to refine as their life-bound artifact, letting it grow quickly."
The clones could also refine life-bound weapons.
For example, Xu Tiancheng's life-bound artifact was his third martial soul, the Heavenly Demon God Crossbow, which had now evolved into a top-tier divine weapon, capable of destroying stars with its full power.
The main body clone, with Huo Yuhao's permission, had refined the Treasure-Gathering Immortal Gourd into a life-bound artifact, growing alongside it.
Jin Daxian and Feng Wudu had yet to choose life-bound artifacts, but since they were currently training in the cosmos, once they returned, the Death God Tower could be handed to one of them.
Huo Yuhao had already experienced firsthand the advantages of clone abilities.
After arranging Ye Xishui's various remnants, Huo Yuhao paid little attention to Long Xiaoyao.
Though the Dark Holy Dragon rivaled the Bright Holy Dragon and Long Xiaoyao was a demigod, Huo Yuhao had no need for his power.
So, after some experimentation, he handed Long Xiaoyao over to the Corpse God, who refined him into a zombie and absorbed him as a soul ring.
Huo Yuhao bathed, changed into fresh clothes, and burned incense to clear his mind.
He donned clean formal attire, then went to the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well to pick a bouquet of immortal herbs.
Finally, he arrived at the very heart of his divine kingdom—at the crown of the Golden Ancient Tree.
There, a separate space had been opened.
At its center floated a blue-gold cocoon of light, glowing with each breath like a heartbeat.
Around it stood seven blue-gold columns—the Seven Sacred Pillars of the Sea God.
Now, their power had nearly been drained dry.
Huo Yuhao stood quietly at the side, flowers in hand.
At last, cracks spread across the cocoon.
The divine power and world energy of the kingdom surged into it, startling everyone within.
"That direction… Sister Xuelian is about to be born!" whispered the Six-Winged Angel, spreading her wings to fly toward the storm's eye.
Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue wore grave expressions.
"A god descending? But… why does that aura feel so much like the Sea God?" Bibi Dong's face darkened.
Even the Demon Empress stared, murmuring unconsciously,
"So that… is a true deity…!"
The being within the cocoon devoured the divine power like a whale, even swallowing the light of the kingdom itself.
Darkness fell across the divine nation.
Huo Yuhao made no move to stop it—his lips curved into a smile instead.
At last, the cocoon burst into dazzling white light, then shattered completely, scattering into countless motes that filled the divine realm.
The kingdom was now a sea of stars.
Starlight rained down, calming every restless soul. All beings felt peace.
From the blinding radiance, a woman emerged. Huo Yuhao widened his eyes, unwilling to miss even a heartbeat.
Her hair flowed in blue-gold waves, stirred by the surge of world energy. Her body was flawless, tall and beautiful, embodying everything Huo Yuhao had ever dreamed of.
In that instant, the world felt false to him—how could such perfection exist?
The brilliance faded.
She opened her eyes, and at her brow bloomed a seven-colored lotus mark. Seven-colored divine light spread outward, shattering the Sea God's pillars. From each pillar flew a beam of divine light, fusing into her body.
Seven blue-gold god rings appeared around her, radiating the aura of a complete First-Class God.
Huo Yuhao gazed at her, tenderness softening his face as he offered the flowers.
"Xuelian, congratulations on your rebirth."
The woman looked at him—and her calm face bloomed into a smile more fragrant than ten thousand immortal herbs.
The next instant, her warm figure crashed into his embrace. Ignoring the flowers, she cupped his cheeks in her hands and whispered:
"From now on, call me Lian Xinhai. I am the lotus that belongs only to you!"
Her lips pressed to his.
Between them, no distance remained. Nothing else existed.
At that moment, Huo Yuhao gained his own star in the heavens.
This was not love, but something beyond it—because they both knew the other understood them best.
The Six-Winged Angel arrived, cheeks burning red, only to quickly retreat, shutting the space's door behind her.
"Before, the three of us could be together… but this time, I really can't join in…"
Atop the Golden Ancient Tree, Huo Yuhao held Lian Xinhai close as they leaned on a branch, gazing at the starry night sky rare in the divine realm.
Such a perfect moment.
Yet the two discussed how best to scheme against Tang San.
"Now, I can be called the natural successor of the Sea God. As soon as I touch the Sea God's divine seat, I will automatically inherit it!" Lian Xinhai revealed her destiny.
This was no fantasy—it was a fate sealed the moment she was born.
While basking in her gentle embrace, Huo Yuhao also sensed the ripple of destiny's law upon her, deepening his own comprehension of fate.
"Don't worry, I already have a plan. But not yet." Huo Yuhao smiled, eyes gleaming.
"When you reach for the Sea God's throne—that will be the day I storm the God Realm!"