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After completing today's soul refinement, Gu La left the forge room and headed to the Spirit Arena to clear his mind.
A fierce battle was underway. Senior figures like Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo personally oversaw the match.
On the arena stage, Huo Yuhao's opponent was a power-type battle soul master at Level 32.
The opponent's attacks were fierce, and their soul skills broad and expansive, forcing the seemingly weak Huo Yuhao—who only had two ten-year soul rings—into continuous retreats, placing him in constant peril.
"Hmph, worthless, can't even instantly kill a one-ring soul master."
Below the stage, Dai Yueheng folded his arms, his eyes filled with malice as he watched Huo Yuhao's disheveled figure, his lips curling into an undisguised sneer.
His younger brother Dai Huabin had been publicly crippled and exiled from home—an outcome entirely his own fault—but Dai Yueheng still transferred his hatred onto Huo Yuhao.
After all, in his view, if not for this commoner, how could his brother have met such a fate? How could the White Tiger Duke Manor suffer such disgrace?!
Had it not been for his deeper scheming and understanding of Shrek Academy's importance to Dai Hao and the White Tiger Duke Manor, he would have sought revenge.
However, Huo Yuhao's actions inadvertently solved a problem for him. Dai Huabin's talent was on par with his, but with Zhu Lu as a potential martial soul fusion partner, he was originally the biggest threat to Dai Yueheng's inheritance of the White Tiger Duke Manor. Now, that threat no longer existed.
Thus, Dai Yueheng didn't truly hate Huo Yuhao; his words were merely for show.
On the stage, Huo Yuhao was struck again by the residual force of his opponent's soul skill, staggering backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He lowered his head, hiding his expression from everyone.
"Admit defeat, you're no match for me. Who gave you the courage to challenge me!" The opponent taunted arrogantly, gathering soul power once more, preparing for the final blow.
At that moment—
"Hiss—!"
A roar, seemingly from the far reaches of an icy land, filled with endless pain and desire for destruction, erupted fiercely from Huo Yuhao's throat. This voice was utterly inhuman.
Huo Yuhao raised his head abruptly.
His eyes, no longer the purple of Spirit Eye, had turned a terrifying emerald green, like ice that froze souls.
An indescribable, world-freezing, and crushing extreme cold burst uncontrollably from his body like a runaway nuclear explosion.
Crack! Crack!
Centered around Huo Yuhao, the sturdy platform ground was instantly covered with a thick layer of blue, steaming ice.
The terrible cold made the air groan under the unbearable strain. His opponent, who was about to attack, was caught directly, freezing into a lifelike ice sculpture without even time to scream, his face still frozen in arrogance.
This cold did not stop there; it spread rapidly across the entire Spirit Arena like a deathly tide. Weaker students in the audience felt as if they had fallen into an ice dungeon, their teeth chattering, their soul power flow becoming sluggish.
"Ultimate Ice?! Twin Martial Souls?!"
On the high platform, Yan Shaozhe shot up from his seat, gasping in shock. He stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao's strange heterochromatic pupils, his face filled with immense shock and disbelief.
That seemingly frail youth with only ten-year soul rings actually concealed such terrifying talent?!
"No, impossible!"
Dai Yueheng's sneering expression instantly turned into hidden horror and fear. As if seeing a ghost, his body involuntarily stepped back, knocking over the chair behind him.
Ultimate Ice! Twin Martial Souls!
How could Huo Yuhao possess such heaven-defying talent? Thinking of his brother's plight and the family's disgrace, a chilling coldness surged from Dai Yueheng's soles straight to his crown.
"Good thing, good thing, I have no conflict with him. Just don't provoke him in the future."
Though he said this, Dai Yueheng's face remained grim.
The entire Spirit Arena fell into a dead silence of icy cold and extreme shock.
Only Huo Yuhao stood in the center of the frozen arena, emitting destructive cold, his emerald pupils scanning the crowd like a vengeful king returned from hell.
Gu La's eyes flashed with understanding and amusement, "Taking leave and going to the Ultimate North, it seems losing his manhood hit him harder than expected."
...
Within Shrek Academy, the storm caused by Huo Yuhao's earth-shattering ultimate ice eruption showed no signs of abating.
Yan Shaozhe stood by the window of Sea God Pavilion, gazing at the tranquil Sea God Lake outside, his heart stirred by waves of emotion.
Ultimate Fire, Ultimate Ice!
Two geniuses with ultimate attributes simultaneously appeared in the soul system under his charge—it was as if the thousand years of Shrek's fortune had condensed into this moment.
Especially Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice, which seemed like a perfect key bestowed by heaven to solve the issue of his disciple Ma Xiaotao's evil fire phoenix's hidden dangers. If guided properly, Shrek would soon boast two ultimate Douluos capable of dominating an era.
"Heaven blesses Shrek!"
Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but whisper, his eyes gleaming with excitement. But amidst the excitement, a faint worry quietly crept into his mind.
He thought of his teacher, Dragon God Douluo Mu En... of the tumultuous love triangle during Elder Mu's youth, which ultimately ended in a falling out and the loss of a dear friend.
Top talents, especially those with ultimate martial souls, were few and far between. It was almost inevitable for emotions to arise from daily interactions... Gu La, Huo Yuhao, and that equally brilliant, cross-dressing disciple of the Hao Tian Sect, Wang Dong...
"Two males and one female... ultimate attributes..." Yan Shaozhe frowned deeply, "If history repeats itself..." He could almost foresee the bloody storms of the future.
However, when his thoughts turned to Huo Yuhao's special "injury," his tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, even carrying a hint of peculiar relief.
"Cough... At least, certain possibilities... are greatly reduced." He shook his head, dispelling this untimely thought.
Regardless, the talent must be retained.
He immediately signed an order, promoting Huo Yuhao from a pseudo-core disciple to a full core disciple, granting him access to the highest-level resources and privileges.
Gu La naturally also received the "benefits" of a core disciple—a Shrek gold card with an astonishing limit.
He showed no reaction, turning around to invest this "fortune" back into the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, sweeping up another batch of top-quality rare metals.
Upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe specially came to advise him earnestly not to be distracted by soul-guidance devices but to focus on cultivating his Ultimate Fire. He urged him not to give up due to the slowed speed after reaching Soul King.
Gu La calmly responded, "It is my interest, and I know my limits," easily brushing off the advice.
Time flowed like the waters of Sea God Lake—calm yet swift—and the holidays of the first semester arrived.
Gu La showed no hesitation, his goal clear—to head to the Ultimate North.
His destination wasn't the vast ice plains themselves but the treasures hidden within the borders of Tian Hun Empire, beneath the forbidden grounds of the Earthdragon Sect—the Ten Thousand Year Mystic Ice Marrow and Ice Extreme Crystal!
Ten Thousand Year Mystic Ice Marrow, the supreme treasure for ice-attribute soul masters, not only greatly enhanced cultivation but also refined ice-attribute martial souls, causing qualitative leaps.
For other attribute soul masters, its effects were halved and it couldn't improve martial soul quality, but for Gu La, whose Soul Emperor-level soul power foundation was already as pure as a Title Douluo's, he needed precisely such a natural wonder containing vast and pure energy to forcefully push through a breakthrough. Otherwise, his cultivation pace would lag even behind those with ultimate martial souls.
Ice Extreme Crystal was also Gu La's primary target for this trip.
This naturally formed top-tier rare metal, imbued with Ultimate Ice attributes and spatial stability characteristics, required no forging treatment. Its inherent strength was sufficient to serve as the core framework of a Level 10 soul-guidance device.
Gu La planned to use it as the skeleton to build the mecha he envisioned.
Its extreme cold properties could prevent the mech's core from overheating and collapsing under extreme conditions, significantly enhancing combat endurance—a perfect foundation for the mech.
Earthdragon Sect, a sect dominated by female soul masters inheriting the "Rouge Dragon" martial soul, possessed the rare Annihilation attribute.
Deep within their sect's forbidden grounds lay a "Body Tempering Cold Pool," perpetually emanating terrifying coldness. Gu La's target lay beneath this pool.
Switching to his Celebi martial soul, Gu La enveloped himself in a green-gold glow, taking a step forward and instantly merging into phase space, bypassing all defensive soul-guidance devices and guards of Earthdragon Sect.
Like an invisible ghost, he directly penetrated thick rock layers and soul barriers set by the sect, silently arriving at the bottom of the cold pool.
Before him was a breathtaking sight: several translucent, azure-glowing pillars of Ten Thousand Year Mystic Ice Marrow deeply embedded in the earth's veins.
Surrounding them were countless angular chunks of Ice Extreme Crystal, each containing a flowing galaxy-like pattern of ice-blue stars. The extreme cold here condensed, freezing even space itself.
Gu La showed no hesitation. Psychic power transformed into an invisible giant hand, efficiently and accurately stripping and collecting all visible Ten Thousand Year Mystic Ice Marrow and Ice Extreme Crystals from the rock layers.
As these ice treasures disappeared, the biting cold of the Body Tempering Cold Pool began visibly decreasing.
When the elder guard of Earthdragon Sect noticed the unusual weakening of the forbidden area's cold, they rushed in panic to investigate, only to find the normal temperature of the cold pool and obvious traces of excavation at the bottom.
To them, this was actually a blessing—they no longer worried about the pool's temperature continuing to drop, rendering it unusable for younger disciples.
Meanwhile, Gu La had already fled dozens of miles away within phase space.
"A good harvest."
Weighing the heavy haul in his storage soul-guidance device, Gu La's eyes gleamed with precision, "Ice Extreme Crystal… Next, I'll focus on completing its soul refinement. When I break through to heavenly refinement, it will be the birth of the mecha."
With ample holiday time, Gu La did not return immediately. Without stopping, he infiltrated Star Luo Empire territory. His goal was clear: the Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife!
This ferocious blade, purified by Huo Yuhao in the original story and containing vast Life Gold energy, currently lay quietly in the warehouse of the Starlight Auction House.
For Gu La, acquiring it was as easy as pie—he purchased it for double the original price of one hundred thousand gold coins.
In his guise as Du An, he used the Death Scythe's death rule power to effortlessly disperse the accumulated resentful spirits and curses within the carving knife, revealing its core—a chunk of emerald Life Gold radiating abundant life force.
"Abundant vitality… Perfect for strengthening 'Forest Sea Space'!"
Looking at the pure Life Gold in his hand, Gu La already had a plan.
His third soul skill, "Forest Sea Space," possessed powerful time-stopping effects but was limited in scope and lacked growth potential.
He intended to emulate Elekes' method of creating a spiritual sea for Huo Yuhao, using the vast life essence contained in Life Gold to forcibly expand and stabilize Forest Sea Space, transforming it into a life-stopping space capable of accommodating more soul skills and even storing living beings.
Simultaneously, this pure life energy was also excellent nourishment for the Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul, greatly nurturing its essence and accumulating a stronger foundation for future evolution.
"Wait..." A flash of inspiration sparked in Gu La's mind, "Since we're utilizing life energy... why not seize the opportunity to gather some seeds of endangered rare plants? Over ten thousand years, many unique plants have already gone extinct."
"These seeds can enrich the 'gene pool' of the Golden Ancient Tree, enhancing its biodiversity and provide top-notch 'seed' material for shaping new plant-based avatars with special abilities in the future."
With the idea set, Gu La immediately acted.
He returned to Shrek City, using his status as a core disciple and Shrek Academy's extensive network of contacts to post a high bounty in the mission hall:
Seeking all known or unknown, uniquely shaped or endangered plant seeds. Generous rewards guaranteed!
This bounty, like a stone tossed into a calm lake, quickly caused ripples throughout the academy and surrounding soul master circles.
Elder Song, responsible for managing the academy's economy and intelligence, naturally received the news.
"Gathering rare plant seeds?" Elder Song looked at the report, her eyebrows slightly raised, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "This little guy... what's he plotting now? Alchemy? Cultivating medicinal herbs? Or just a hobby? Quite eclectic interests."
She pondered for a moment, ultimately shaking her head, "Well, as long as it doesn't harm the academy or involve taboos, let him do as he pleases. Such trivial matters aren't worth interfering with." She waved her hand, signaling her subordinates not to delve further.
The effect of the bounty far exceeded Gu La's expectations.
Shrek Academy's widespread reach across the continent and the allure of substantial rewards attracted countless adventurers and soul masters.
By the time the holidays ended and the new semester began, Gu La had before him three surprising harvests:
First, seeds of the Netherworld Flower—three rice-grain-sized, pitch-black seeds with flowing amethyst halos on their surfaces.
Intelligence indicated that these flowers only grew in the deepest parts of extremely yin and filthy areas, blooming only one week per year. Direct contact with their petals would cause instant withering.
However, it was a legendary top-tier healing sacred medicine, rumored to contain a sliver of hope that could reverse life and death.
Gu La caressed the cool seeds, his eyes gleaming brightly, "Perfect core materials for a healing and auxiliary avatar, containing the secret of life and death reversal... Infinite potential."
Second, mutated Bodhi seeds—five longan-sized, jade-like, faintly sandalwood-scented milky white seeds. (T/N: Longan is a fruit, translated as 'Dragon's Eye')
Consumption significantly boosted mental power, but overdose would render the consumer devoid of their seven emotions and six desires, becoming like a withered tree.
Gu La held them in his palm, "Not much of a mental power boost for me, useless. But perfect for gene storage, then germinating and providing a spirit soul for Qing Liuli, enhancing her mental perception and telepathic communication abilities."
Third, and the greatest surprise, Time Flower seeds—a small bag of dust-like particles shimmering with faint silver starlight.
Each "seed" contained an extremely weak trace of time power, capable of affecting only thumb-sized areas and producing fleeting effects.
Referred to as "Time Sand," Gu La preferred calling them "Time Flower" seed forms. Quantity was key to their value.
"Though individually weak, their sheer number holds promise for the future."
Gu La gazed at the small bag of silver sand, "Filling the Golden Ancient Tree's gene pool, perfecting its time attribute... Accumulating grains into a tower might just help me derive powerful time-based soul skills."
Satisfied, Gu La stored the three rare seeds.
This vacation's harvest far exceeded expectations. He hoped the new semester would bring even more gains.
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