After a brief introduction—
Huo Yuhao accepted the absurd reality: a million-year soul beast actively insisting on sacrificing itself to him, while beside him floated… a white ten-year soul ring—night and day.
"Your physique is far too weak. Forget it. It wasn't easy finding a compatible spiritual-type soul master. I'll just have to forcefully compress my own power."
As it spoke, it had Huo Yuhao lift his head. The silkworm body slowly lowered, its head touching his forehead. Spirit power that covered hundreds of kilometers instantly contracted, pouring into the boy's thin body.
"Roar!!!"
In the Star Dou Forest's core, several angry roars sounded at once. But the Skydream Iceworm vanished so quickly that they couldn't locate it. The vast forest was simply too broad to search.
The sky's color abruptly changed.
A mass of pitch-black consciousness seemed to sense the dense energy fluctuations here and drifted over. But in the next instant—
"Hm?"
The black mist let out a surprised sound.
Then it turned and headed in another direction.
…
"Hahaha, feels great! No one can siphon me ever again!" The Skydream Iceworm swam joyfully in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, finally rid of those pursuers.
"Wait…"
With the tension gone, Skydream suddenly froze.
"Where's my molt?!!"
It looked toward where its body had been moments before. Aside from the gaping crack in the ground, there was nothing.
Even its sense of connection to the molt had been severed.
"What's… a molt?" Seeing the Iceworm so anxious and irate, Huo Yuhao asked tentatively.
"I just sealed the core of my spirit into your body. The molt is my outer shell—basically a thing condensed from a portion of my spiritual source. It's very important. The energy inside accounts for fully half of my total!"
Seeing Huo still a bit lost, the Iceworm sighed helplessly.
"Enough to support a soul master from level 10 all the way to Super Douluo!"
"What!" Huo's eyes bulged.
He had never imagined the Skydream Iceworm's energy was that immense.
A Titled Douluo… that person, as far as he knew, hadn't even reached that level.
"Damn it, damn it—who's the bastard that took my molt?!!!" the Iceworm raged impotently.
"Brother Skydream, half is… still a lot," Huo Yuhao muttered.
"Look at you—no ambition!" Skydream scolded, stamping in frustration.
"…"
Elsewhere—
A smile tugged at Su Wen's lips.
A fruitful haul!
Shearing Skydream's wool feels great. This one piece of molt will be enough for the three pet beasts to eat their way to a hundred thousand years. More importantly…
Inside the spiritual sea—
A mass of black mist floated alongside three Poké Balls, seeming to coalesce into an elderly figure. He glanced in surprise at the wondrous layout around him and the deep-purple ball.
"What is this?"
The old man was astonished.
"So exquisitely crafted—its array structure is beyond even my immediate comprehension."
"Senior."
Su Wen appeared in the spiritual sea, smiling.
"Apologies, young man. I'll have to lodge here for a while. Once my consciousness recovers a bit, I'll depart," Electrolux said with a hint of guilt.
Su Wen nodded.
A pity there were only three Poké Balls—otherwise he'd give Old Yi a place to stay.
Still, they'd be neighbors from now on; he might pop over to Little Gold's place for a visit now and then.
The elderly figure dissipated, returning to black mist, bobbing up and down beside the Poké Balls.
…
"Hey, it's that boy from before!" Tang Ya exclaimed.
"…"
Bei Bei frowned and hurried over.
Seeing the boy unconscious on the ground, with the corpse of a baboon not far away, his expression cleared. He exchanged a glance with Su Wen, then soothed Tang Ya and fell silent.
Tang Ya anxiously looked Huo Yuhao over.
Su Wen nodded slightly. Though dim-witted—dumb enough to tie with Wu Feng as Shrek's double dummies—he did have a good heart.
He glanced at the sleeping Huo Yuhao. The kid was probably in his spiritual sea listening to Skydream brag about its glorious deeds…
"Big Sister Tang Ya?"
Huo Yuhao woke.
He looked around blankly.
Bei Bei, Su Wen, and the princess-like Ning Tian were all there.
"Sorry, I was just… hunting my first soul ring," Huo Yuhao said, a touch apologetic.
"A ten-year ring?" Tang Ya sighed. "What a pity. If only you'd let your senior Bei Bei handle it, you'd have at least a hundred-year ring."
"It's fine. Ten years is good too." Huo Yuhao was still basking in the grand promises Skydream had painted. He smiled, more confident now. A million-year soul ring—virtually unheard of. His odds of avenging his mother had just climbed…
"Want to join the Tang Sect?" Tang Ya asked with a grin.
"Tang Sect?" Huo Yuhao blinked.
"Yep. The Tang Sect has stood for ten thousand years, founded by Ancestor Tang San himself. Though we're a bit down on our luck now… ahem, it's just me and Bei Bei left… its secret arts, hidden weapons, and cultivation methods are unmatched in the outside world!" Tang Ya said proudly.
"And I am the current sect master—Tang Ya!"
"A two-person sect can still be called a sect?" Wu Feng crossed her arms, a hint of disdain showing.
She was naturally unruly. As the maid of a noble house's legitimate young lady, her vision was high and she was proud. Mainly, she'd been cowed by the protagonist—but with others, her true nature showed. Seeing these two green turtles eye each other like they were in love was laughable to her: an eleven-year-old only now getting his first ring—and it was ten years—and a fallen sect of two with a fifteen-year-old Soul Grandmaster as sect master. The only reason she'd held her tongue this long was for Su Wen and Ning Tian's sake.
"I've tolerated you long enough!"
Tang Ya clenched her fists, furious.
"Heh, fifteen years old and…" Wu Feng snorted, about to continue, when Su Wen cut her off.
"Wu Feng!"
He gave her a cool glance.
The girl turned her head away and fell silent.
"Sorry, that's just how she is," Su Wen apologized with a smile.
His look implied they should continue—recruit if they wanted, hand over a recommendation letter if needed. Just don't let Wu Feng be the reason Huo Yuhao misses Shrek Academy.
Bei Bei held back the fuming Tang Ya and gave a slight nod.
Tang Ya pouted, took Huo Yuhao under her wing, and had Bei Bei teach him Mysterious Heaven Record and Purple Demon Eye, then comforted him a bit and painted him a big picture—strive to reach Soul Elder before twenty.
Su Wen, sensing the mood, took Ning Tian and Wu Feng and stepped away for a while. He wasn't interested in Profound Jade Hand, Mysterious Heaven Record, and the like.
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Advanced chapter here: p-atreon.com/Sajaboyzzz
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