The Star Luo City, White Tiger Duke's Mansion, surrounding hills.
A black rain fell, tapping heavily, and Dai Yuhao, who had not yet changed his name to Huo Yuhao, knelt on the muddy hillside, his hands raw and bloody.
He mechanically dug at the soil, his small face pale and vacant, his fingernails torn, blood mixing with the rain and seeping into the earth. Every dig felt like he was tearing at his own heart.
*"Mom, rest in peace. When I reach level ten, I'll leave this place. I'll go to the Star Dou Great Forest, hunt a Soul Ring, become a Soul Master, and become a Soul Master who can avenge you…" *
Dai Yuhao, weak from long-term malnutrition, murmured in a hoarse voice that didn't sound like a teenager's. Deep hatred filled his dark blue eyes.
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*"That Duchess who drove our mother and son into the woodshed, that White Tiger Duke's second young master Dai Huabin who kicked you, all those in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion who kicked us when we were down, and that White Tiger Duke who always ignored us…" *
Dai Yuhao recounted the villains from his memory one by one, his bloodied fists clenched tightly, hatred overflowing in his chest, bursting out with his voice.
"I won't spare anyone who hurt you! I will become stronger, I will definitely become stronger. One day, I will prove to that person that everything he can do, I can do too. I can trample everyone in this White Tiger Duke's Mansion underfoot!"
"Right now, to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, I'm just an ant that can be casually crushed. After I leave, I will work desperately to become stronger, using ten, twenty, even thirty or fifty years to become strong. One day, I will return here and cut off the White Tiger Family's lineage…!"
The pouring rain intensified, as if heaven and earth were grieving. Dai Yuhao buried his mother, then erected a roughly made wooden tablet, about to kowtow.
Suddenly, an inexplicable force held his body, preventing him from bowing. A profound and deep voice suddenly sounded, laced with mockery.
"Gah gah gah, a brat without even a Soul Ring actually wants to destroy the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, which has been passed down in the Star Luo Empire for over four thousand years. How interesting!"
Dai Yuhao's expression changed dramatically. He immediately stood up, pulled out the White Tiger Dagger his mother left him, and vigilantly scanned his surroundings, searching for the source of the voice.
"Who! Who's speaking sneakily! If you have the guts, come out!"
"Gah gah gah, come out, come out. Do you think I'd be afraid of a brat like you?"
A sinister wind swept by, obscuring Dai Yuhao's vision. When he opened his eyes again, he suddenly found a person standing on a small hill not far away. The person was completely hidden in a black robe, with mockery in their eyes, exuding the aura of a powerful expert.
"Well, brat, I'm out. Why are you suddenly afraid to speak?"
The shock in Dai Yuhao's eyes deepened. He gritted his teeth, leaned forward in a fighting stance, and shouted, "Who exactly are you? Why were you eavesdropping on my conversation with my mom?"
"Who I am isn't important. I happened to pass by and heard you, little one, talking about annihilating the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, so I stopped."
The black-robed figure, who was the Evil Soul Master captured by Xu Tianxi and his group, while receiving messages from the Soul Guided Device in his ear, put on an air of superiority and said mockingly:
"Brat, looking at you, you wouldn't be the White Tiger Duke's bastard child, would you? Your mother… gah gah, could she be a pitiful woman who had a one-night stand with the White Tiger Duke and was then forgotten, not even given proper status?"
"You old geezer, shut up!"
Dai Yuhao's eyes instantly turned blood red. He took swift steps, brandishing his dagger, charging forward. All his hatred erupted at that moment; he wanted to personally kill this hateful fellow!
"Hmph!"
The Evil Soul Master flicked his sleeve, and a ripple of Soul Power directly sent Dai Yuhao flying, crashing heavily back onto the ground, splashing a puddle of mud.
"Brat, I'm only interested in you because your Martial Soul has something special about it. If you don't know what's good for you, I wouldn't mind crushing you like an ant for the White Tiger Duke!"
"Martial Soul? Are you talking about my Spirit Eye Martial Soul?"
Dai Yuhao, whose whole body ached from the fall, felt a spark of hope at the words. He struggled to crawl out of the mud and stared intently at the incredibly powerful black-robed figure.
Such a powerful person must be a Soul Master expert, right? What level of expert would he be? A Soul Sage, a Soul Douluo, or even the strongest Titled Douluo?
Could he be an even stronger expert than the White Tiger Duke?
"Indeed!"
The Evil Soul Master, whose cultivation was only at the Soul Ancestorlevel and whose body was completely infested with parasitic seeds by Zhi Sen, was completely unaware that his perceived strength in Dai Yuhao's mind far exceeded his true abilities. He slightly nodded, relaxing his tone a bit, and said:
"An Eye Martial Soul is a very rare Body Martial Soul. If you have some opportunities, you might actually be able to achieve something. Not to say destroying this immortal White Tiger Duke's Mansion, but there's some hope of killing one or two people."
Dai Yuhao was naturally sensitive and quickly understood the hidden meaning in the other's words. He asked in surprise, "Are you saying you'll give me opportunities?"
"What? Doesn't it look like it?"
The Evil Soul Master snorted coldly, rubbed his Soul Guided Ring, and two Elixirs floated on his palm. With a grab, Dai Yuhao's body was pulled over through the air.
He grabbed Dai Yuhao by the collar, squeezed his throat, and without a word, flicked the Elixirs into Dai Yuhao's mouth, forcing him to swallow them, then threw him back.
Dai Yuhao clutched his aching throat, coughing incessantly, and looked at the Evil Soul Master with horror. "What Elixir did you make me eat?"
"Of course, it's a good thing, something good to improve your weak body!"
The Evil Soul Master cackled a few times and said, "These are good things that I got by killing some big merchants, worth a fortune! For you to be able to eat such an Elixir is a blessing you couldn't cultivate in two lifetimes, brat! Thank the Holy Emperor for his grace upon this world!"
With that, this wild Evil Soul Master lowered his voice and spoke a common greeting used by members of the Holy Spirit Church, praying:
"Long live the Holy Emperor, and may the Holy Maiden's beauty last forever! Everything in the world shall return to the Holy Spirit!"
Dai Yuhao completely failed to understand what the other party was saying and asked, bewildered, "What are these Holy Emperor and Holy Maiden you're talking about?"
"The Holy Emperor is the founder of our Holy Spirit Church. Because of the Holy Emperor, our Holy Spirit Church exists. And the Holy Maiden is the successive inheritor and strongest person of our Sect!"
The wild Evil Soul Master pretended to be an official member, cackling, "You've eaten our Holy Spirit Church's Elixir, so from now on, you are one of our Sect's people, do you understand?"
"You alone cannot shake the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, but our Holy Spirit Church is omnipotent. If you can have the Holy Spirit Church as your wings, you might have a chance at revenge!"
"Can the Holy Spirit Church really deal with the White Tiger Duke's Mansion? Are you stronger than the White Tiger Duke?" Dai Yuhao asked, his eyes shining as he looked up.
"(ˉ▽￣～)tsk~! A mere White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, whose cultivation hasn't even reached Titled Douluo, our elders could kill him with a flip of their hand!"
"Even across the entire Douluo Continent, there are very few Soul Master forces that can contend with our Sect! When the light of the Holy Spirit shines upon the earth, everyone will tremble before our might!"
"And you should feel the Holy Spirit's grace. Since you know a bit about Meditation, digesting this Elixir will make your utterly useless body several times stronger!"
The wild Evil Soul Master sneered, passionately proclaiming the Holy Spirit Church's power. I'd been a bandit with my boss for years and never imagined Evil Soul Masters had an organization! Don't tell me you don't believe it; I barely believed it myself when I found out.
Those ruthless individuals who wiped out my group claimed to be part of it, so it must be true. Once I get you settled, I'll be a proper Evil Soul Master with connections!
But your physical condition, kid, is truly awful. You're almost ten and only have just over eight levels of Soul Power. Your innate talent is far worse than mine was back then. I wonder how you managed to awaken the legendary Body Martial Soul.
The White Tiger Family's genes are still very strong.
Dai Yuhao nodded, half understanding. Just as he was about to ask more questions, he suddenly felt two gentle forces surge into the narrow, delicate Meridians within his chest. It felt so good he wanted to groan aloud.
Is that an Elixir? It feels so amazing?
Without hesitation, Dai Yuhao decisively sat down in Meditation, clumsily guiding the thread-like wisps of Soul Power through his Meridians. With each cycle, he felt an urge to exclaim in surprise!
The Elixir's effects were terrifyingly potent, accelerating his cultivation by more than ten times!
Two hours later.
The Evil Soul Master, who had almost fallen asleep waiting, finally saw Dai Yuhao awaken. He inwardly sighed, thinking this kid was the least talented Soul Master he'd ever seen, then said in a low voice:
"How is it, kid? Do you have ten levels of Soul Power now? Do you know what to do next?"
"Yes, I do! Please guide me into the Sect, senior!"
Knowing he had encountered a legendary heaven-sent opportunity, Dai Yuhao rose, his face filled with excitement, and bowed deeply to the Evil Soul Master.
Before today, he had never imagined cultivation could be so simple! This senior before him must be one of those reclusive masters who act tough but are kind-hearted. It must have been out of pity that he bestowed such a miraculous Elixir!
"Heh heh, the kid has some sense, but right now, you're not qualified to join the Sect!"
The Evil Soul Master said coldly, then continued:
"With your current cultivation, you must first swear an oath with your Martial Soul to show your resolve, and then achieve enough merit to gain the Holy Spirit's favor. Do you understand?"
Dai Yuhao nodded repeatedly, eagerly saying, "Please instruct me, senior! I will go through fire and water, no matter what!"
"Simple!"
The Evil Soul Master flicked out a white light, throwing it into Dai Yuhao's arms:
"This is a main city recommendation letter. With it, you can enter Shrek Academy, the number one academy on the continent! It's the biggest den of iniquity on the Douluo Continent!
I want you to leave the White Tiger Duke's Mansion in a little over a year, when Shrek Academy holds its enrollment. Go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt your First Soul Ring, and then enter Shrek Academy as a secret agent for the Holy Sect! This is your test!"
Dai Yuhao asked, confused, "Why do I have to wait over a year?"
The Evil Soul Master scoffed:
"Your mother just died. Is observing a year of mourning so difficult? What right does someone who isn't filial to his own mother have to receive the Holy Spirit's favor? What right does he have to create a beautiful new world?!"
With that, he struck out a palm print, which lightly landed on Dai Yuhao's body, and said sternly, "This palm print allows me to sense your presence at any time. If you dare to leave early, you die!"
Dai Yuhao immediately kowtowed, his face full of gratitude, "Thank you for your favor, senior! Thank you for your appreciation!"
It seems this senior is just a bit eccentric, but he's actually a very good person. Yes, if I'm not even filial to my mother, am I still human?
"When you go to the Star Dou Great Forest, you might encounter others from Shrek Academy who are hunting Soul Rings. If they ask you to join some ancient Sect with a ten-thousand-year heritage, don't refuse. Join them! The Holy Emperor is the greatest person in the history of the Douluo Continent! He can manifest in countless forms, beyond your imagination!"
"Swear with your Martial Soul: From today, having joined the Holy Spirit Church, you shall be a Holy Spirit Person for all eternity!"
After dropping these last few words, the Evil Soul Master flashed, flying over the hillside, and disappeared from Dai Yuhao's sight a few moments later.
Dai Yuhao deeply bowed in the direction the man had left, his face filled with gratitude, "I swear with my Martial Soul: From today, having joined the Holy Spirit Church, I shall be a Holy Spirit Person for all eternity!"