Left with no other choice, several of the Bighead Spirit Apes snatched up nearby rocks and branches, imbuing them with both soul power and spiritual energy, and hurled them toward Huo Yuhao and the others.
The larger projectiles were intercepted midair — Yuhao's concealed weapons clashed against them precisely, knocking them off course. The smaller debris, too insignificant to matter, he ignored completely.
Thanks to his Third-Level Spirit Circuit: Refraction, the smaller strikes that did hit his body simply deflected away, rippling through the air before vanishing without leaving even a scratch.
The same couldn't be said for the three unconscious students. Though Yuhao had diverted the heavier blows, some of the smaller ones still struck them. Bruised faces, dizzy expressions — nothing life-threatening, but pitiful to look at.
Meanwhile, the apes' attacks were growing fewer. Lie Yong's flames rampaged through the battlefield, burning dozens of apes into blackened husks. Now only a few remained, desperately trying to protect the creature hidden deep in the shadows — the mutant Three-Eyed Demon Ape.
The weaker apes abandoned their assault on Yuhao's group, rushing instead to intercept Lie Yong's advance.
That thing's about to bolt, Skydream Iceworm's voice buzzed with amusement. But food this close to your mouth? No way we're letting it run! Watch and learn, Little Yuhao — big brother will show you how it's done!
As a million-year soul beast, Skydream's mental strength was overwhelming. Though it wasn't a fighter, against lower-tier spirit beasts its psychic power was absolute.
Heheheh, you've barely used the skills I gave you since becoming my host, Skydream chuckled darkly. Time for a little demonstration — Mental Disruption!
While "Mental Disruption" was typically an area-of-effect skill, in Skydream's hands — or rather, mind — it became a focused beam of sheer mental force.
In an instant, the apes blocking Lie Yong froze, confusion flashing in their eyes. Their bodies trembled, screeches turning frantic as they suddenly tried to flee instead of fight.
From the darkness, a sharp psychic ripple pulsed outward — the Three-Eyed Demon Ape had been exposed.
Lie Yong didn't waste the opportunity. His fourth and fifth soul rings flared in succession. With a thunderous roar, soundwaves exploded across the clearing. The closest apes fell unconscious instantly.
Flames ignited around him — his body blurring into a streak of molten light as he lunged forward. One massive hand gripped the throat of the fainted Demon Ape, while the other seized a nearby eight-hundred-year Bighead Spirit Ape.
The remaining apes, seeing their leader captured, shrieked in terror and scattered into the forest, abandoning the battlefield entirely.
Lie Yong turned, both beasts dangling effortlessly in his grasp. "These two will do. The Bighead Spirit Ape's cultivation suits you, but this Demon Ape is rare. Which one do you want for your spirit ring?"
The paralyzed students were already regaining consciousness. Yuhao moved swiftly, pulling the silver needles from their acupoints one by one, restoring movement to their limbs.
Lie Yong frowned, studying the captured Demon Ape. "Didn't expect their leader to be one of these — and a mutant, no less."
Standing nearly two meters tall, the creature's black fur shimmered faintly with violet light. Unlike ordinary Demon Apes, however, this one's forehead bore an actual third eye, sealed shut.
Normally, the "Three-Eyed Demon Ape" name came from the golden tuft of hair that resembled an eye. This one's mutation was genuine — the sign of an enhanced spiritual specialization far beyond its kin.
"Mutant soul beasts are stronger than their kind, but their rings tend to be unstable," Lie Yong warned. "This one's aura sits around a thousand years, maybe a bit more. With your current body, I'm not sure you can handle it. The eight-hundred-year ape would be safer."
Yuhao shook his head. "I'll take the risk. My martial soul… it's telling me this ring suits me."
He offered the excuse casually. In truth, he didn't care whether it "suited" him or not — so long as he could absorb it, that was enough.
With the Eye of Truth, Yuhao didn't need to experiment blindly like ordinary spirit masters. He could analyze, deconstruct, and rebuild existing skill patterns precisely to his needs.
As for surviving the absorption — well, with Skydream Iceworm around, that was practically guaranteed.
Lie Yong simply nodded. He'd done his duty by advising; the rest was Yuhao's responsibility. "All right. End it. The rest of you, stand guard — don't let those apes circle back."
Yuhao drew a short blade and, with a clean motion, pierced between the Demon Ape's brows. The beast convulsed once and went still.
A violet ring rose slowly from the corpse, faint streaks of gold rippling within — unmistakably a thousand-year spirit ring.
Sitting cross-legged, Yuhao began to absorb it.
Immediately, waves of soul power surged through his body — wild and immense. His blood pounded as energy raced along his meridians, almost tearing them apart.
Hidden within that energy, the Demon Ape's resentful will and mental fragments crashed violently against his spiritual sea.
Ordinary soul masters attempting this would die instantly. But Yuhao was anything but ordinary.
"Skydream Iceworm — activate."
A calm, confident hum echoed within him. Skydream's immense mental field expanded, wrapping around Yuhao's soul sea like a cocoon. The violent energy split into streams, redirected and refined through the hundred meridians of his body before merging smoothly with his circulating soul power.
'Elder Yi,' Yuhao called mentally.
The old voice of Electrolux answered, gentle yet commanding.
'The worm wasn't wrong. This beast carries a deep grudge — its resentment lingers even after death. If absorbed carelessly, it would leave hidden injuries in your spirit.'
'But with me here, there's nothing to fear. Treat it as nourishment. Absorb it.'
'As for a proper technique to dissolve such grudges, I haven't recalled it fully yet. Once I do, I'll teach you.'
A cool breeze swept through Yuhao's consciousness. The pain faded instantly. The hostile mental residue disintegrated.
Between the two entities within him — Skydream, embodiment of quantity, and Electrolux, embodiment of quality — the Demon Ape's remnants were meaningless.
Moments later, Yuhao's inner flow of energy stabilized. The absorption was complete.
As he opened his eyes, the faint purple glow around him faded. His soul power had risen to Rank 24.
"Not bad," he thought. "The original Huo Yuhao had the Ice Emperor's ring by now, but… this is fine. I'll take what I can get."
Then his expression turned odd.
"This… is my second soul skill?"
He probed the new ability — Mental Suggestion.
Due to his Spiritual Eye Martial Soul, the ring's essence had barely changed during fusion. He'd gained one of the Demon Ape's original core abilities — pure, unaltered.
It wasn't an attack skill. Instead, it subtly altered perception itself. By fine-tuning the frequency of his spiritual power, he could imperceptibly reshape how others viewed him — changing impressions, intentions, even emotions.
It couldn't dominate someone instantly like hypnosis, but it was insidious and nearly impossible to detect.
So that was how the Demon Ape had commanded an entire tribe of Bighead Spirit Apes without force — not coercion, but persuasion at the soul's core.
Still, Yuhao found it awkward. "Seriously? Out of all things, I get a psychological suggestion skill? Talk about creepy."
He tested it. The soul power cost was minuscule — almost undetectable, the spiritual ripple nearly nonexistent. But in combat, it was practically useless. The moment an enemy saw a spirit ring flare, they'd become alert, breaking any potential effect.
"Not totally useless, though," he mused. "If used on myself… or preemptively… maybe it could enhance mental focus or bypass spirit defenses."
A slow smile tugged at his lips. "And besides, it's a perfect foundation for modification. The Skydream ring's sealed, but this one? I can experiment freely."
With that, Yuhao stood, feeling the gentle hum of the new power coursing through him — strange, eerie, yet full of potential.
The birth of his second soul skill — Mental Suggestion — marked a quiet step toward the kind of control no one else yet understood.
(End of Chapter)