soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

Huo Yuhao, after all his cultivation and trials, had a heart as firm as stone and a will as unshakable as iron. He could say with confidence—

 "I, Huo Yuhao, am not lustful!"

Everything was for the sake of cultivation!

 Creating avatars, benefiting the original body—wasn't that also part of his cultivation path?

Another half a month had passed.

By the time Huo Yuhao's true body stepped out of the Extreme North, on the other side in the Sun Moon Empire's inner palace, Huo Yuhao had already ridden every consort and concubine, including the palace maids serving them. Some of the more talented maids hadn't been spared either.

They had all become bound to him, sharing joys and hardships—inseparable.

Now, the Third Prince still had an innate soul power of level 9. In the Sun Moon Empire, that level was already considered a once-in-a-generation genius. To reach innate full soul power, he still needed to work harder—it required a qualitative transformation.

Huo Yuhao could clearly sense that the Sun Martial Soul was undergoing a metamorphosis.

His soul power level had reached 89—just one level away from becoming a Title Douluo.

Although the consorts, concubines, and their maids were not as powerful as the Third Prince, there were many of them.

 Every time Huo Yuhao drove his car, he went full throttle—draining every drop of fuel from the tank. That allowed him to travel even farther in cultivation.

 The "car" (i.e., the women) needed time to refill the gas tank on their own.

These luxury "cars" of the inner palace were such that, if he didn't run them dry, they might start acting on their own—and that could drag the new "driver," Huo Yuhao, into trouble.

Starting from the noble consorts and above, the women were Soul Douluo-level soul masters. Not so easy to handle—some of them included the birth mothers of royal princes. Huo Yuhao didn't act recklessly there and didn't touch their maids either.

That didn't mean he lacked new targets.

Because in the inner palace, there was a special place—the Cold Palace.

Night Fell

It was another night of the Third Prince staying in the palace to "show filial piety." Neither the court officials nor the palace guards found it strange anymore.

Some praised the Third Prince's devotion. Others mocked his foolishness.

No one suspected that, under cover of darkness, Huo Yuhao was quietly leaving his quarters and heading toward the inner palace.

Within his spiritual sea, the meditative image of the Sun had dimmed its radiance—a concealment method that allowed him to hide his aura. Through the link between the visualized image and his main body, he could cloak not just his presence, but even affect the surrounding area.

Thanks to this technique, Huo Yuhao could freely roam even with Title Douluo present in the palace—evading all soul tools undetected.

In the palace, princes had their own quarters to stay in before being granted their own estates. How the rooms were allocated—aside from the Crown Prince's—depended on the emperor's favor.

If a prince could remain in the palace past the age of independence, it meant he was favored. Even if they left, their quarters were often kept reserved for them—unless they'd fallen from grace.

In the Douluo Continent, customs were more open. Princesses could also move out once they came of age.

Now, aside from minors, only Xu Tianzhen, the most favored princess, still lived in the palace. Even the princes were fond of her.

On one hand, she posed no threat to succession; on the other, her cultivation talent made her worth allying with.

There was no true familial love in royalty—only interest and calculation.

Xu Tianzhen didn't live with the other royals. She resided with her mother, a noble consort of Title Douluo level.

 She also studied at the Mingdu Soul Engineering Academy. Huo Yuhao hadn't met her yet—but she was still too weak. Not worth "driving."

It wasn't that Huo Yuhao preferred mature women—strong cultivators just tended to be more mature.

Back to the point.

The palace where the Third Prince currently lived was his original residence before opening his estate. Though meant for younger royals, it wasn't cramped.

And it was quite close to the inner palace.

In just a few blinks, Huo Yuhao entered the inner palace.

But he didn't linger. Avoiding guards, eunuchs, and maids, he headed deeper—to the Cold Palace.

The Cold Palace lived up to its name: no lights, a chilling air. Compared to the lively inner palace, it felt like another season entirely—enough to unsettle even seasoned guards.

Faint, ghostly wails seemed to echo from the darkness—like female spirits weeping at night.

Even patrols here sped up instinctively. Only powerless, background-less eunuchs and maids got assigned to serve the residents of this cursed place.

Some were exiled with their fallen masters. So the Cold Palace wasn't empty—but conditions were terrible.

"Tsk… the resentment here is thick enough to curdle!" Huo Yuhao muttered.

This was the perfect place for cultivating with resentment energy.

No one knew how long the Sun Moon Imperial Palace had existed, but the Cold Palace had housed countless discarded consorts, maids, and eunuchs—many of whom died without ever leaving. Their hatred had left a heavy presence.

At first, there was no Cold Palace—no emperor would intentionally build such a place just to insult his harem.

But once the first concubine was imprisoned until death, the Cold Palace came into being.

Huo Yuhao activated his Aura Sight and observed the fate lines.

The Cold Palace's aura was dark, streaked with ominous black threads.

Unlike the inner palace's tangled and combative fates, the Cold Palace had clear hierarchy—a sign that someone ruled it.

"Looks like strength is all that matters here—no more scheming." Huo Yuhao smiled and stepped forward, his figure flashing dozens of meters, heading straight to the strongest presence.

The Cold Palace did have strong cultivators. For them, the imperial palace couldn't truly imprison them.

 What bound them wasn't walls—but the iron grip of the Sun Moon Empire's royal authority.

In moments, Huo Yuhao arrived like a phantom before the source of the strongest fate energy.

Surprisingly, it was a well-kept garden—tranquil, with flowing water and flower petals. Not at all like a desolate Cold Palace.

 In fact, it was more elegant than some consorts' quarters.

Though there were no soul lamps, the garden was all the more mysterious.

A woman in plain clothes sat serenely on a stone bench, admiring the moon.

She was stunning—appearing around thirty, with a balance of mature beauty and youthful sweetness. Her figure and noble air could not be hidden, even by her modest robes.

 On the contrary, her plain dress made her even more alluring with a hint of forbidden charm.

Though she hadn't moved, Huo Yuhao knew she had sensed him.

She was waiting for his intent.

Huo Yuhao didn't hide his identity. Under the moonlight, he appeared as the Third Prince and bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Imperial Noble Consort."

The woman looked surprised, but maintained her poise.

"Third Prince, what brings you to this forbidden place at midnight? Aren't you afraid of breaking the rules?"

Her every movement was refined and noble.

"Heh," Huo Yuhao chuckled, "I came tonight to break the rules."

"Oh? And which rule do you intend to break?" she asked with interest.

"Kill the Crown Prince—and avenge the blood feud." Huo Yuhao replied calmly.

His words struck like thunder. The woman suddenly straightened, her eyes bloodshot, and terrifying pressure surged from her.

She was a Title Douluo!

Her identity: Yu Manwu, former Imperial Noble Consort, daughter of the previous Prime Minister, mother of the deceased Second Prince—the only Imperial Noble Consort ever sent to the Cold Palace.

Title: Phoenix Quill Douluo

 Martial Soul: Phoenix-Patterned Golden Brush

 Level: 91 Title Douluo

The death of her son—the Second Prince—was a forbidden topic.

A violent aura burst forth, and she lashed out with a claw like a phoenix's talon—aiming to kill the Third Prince instantly.

But Huo Yuhao casually lifted a hand—his shadow claw met hers and held firm.

He smiled.

In his eyes, a dark, bleeding phoenix loomed beside Yu Manwu—eyes burning with murderous rage.

This woman... was a bearer of phoenix fate.

"I'll help you. My word is my bond," Huo Yuhao said.

The blood-red color in Yu Manwu's eyes slowly faded as she gradually calmed down. She stared at Huo Yuhao and suddenly gave a slight smile.

Now she was sure — Huo Yuhao wasn't here to mess with her, nor was he joking, and he definitely wasn't sent to test her.

Yu Manwu glanced at Huo Yuhao's left hand, now transformed into a ghastly Yin Claw, her eyes showing curiosity.

 "A method of an Evil Soul Master? Heh."

Being a Soul Douluo capable of withstanding a strike from a Titled Douluo was indeed interesting, but not rare.

 However, a prince of an empire learning techniques of an Evil Soul Master — now that was shocking.

Yu Manwu didn't care if he was an Evil Soul Master. She didn't care if the Third Prince was righteous or not — all she cared about was revenge.

What had caused her the most pain all these years wasn't being banished to the Cold Palace, nor losing her position as the Imperial Noble Consort, and not even the disgrace that affected her father and family.

It was the tragic death of her son.

"Why?" Yu Manwu took a step back with her hands behind her back and asked coldly,

 "What gives you the right to say you can help me get revenge? And what do you want from me in return?"

She had long known that Xu Tianran was not easy to kill. If revenge had been possible, she would've done it herself already.

Not to mention the hidden guards around Xu Tianran, the very forces of the Imperial Palace made it impossible for her to even leave the Cold Palace, much less attempt an assassination. Her family had been implicated in the past incident. Though her father had lost his position as Prime Minister, he still retained high status through his own ability and by being only minimally involved. But as for helping her now? Impossible.

As for this small courtyard — it was only granted to her out of respect for her strength as a Titled Douluo.

In short, Yu Manwu had no external power to rely on. Her formidable strength meant nothing.

She had no hope of revenge — nor could she understand what the Third Prince saw in her to warrant his help.

Could he be after her body?

If that were the case, it would be even less likely he'd genuinely help her with revenge. Who would trust a lecher with either morals or power?

Huo Yuhao remained calm in the face of her questioning.

"I need people in the Cold Palace to cultivate. I need your help with that."

"...That's it?" Yu Manwu narrowed her eyes. She felt like Huo Yuhao was trying to get something for nothing. No real details, no stakes.

"You just need to cooperate with me," Huo Yuhao replied flatly.

 "As someone trying to oppose Xu Tianran, I have to think about a lot. If I get stronger, wouldn't that increase my chances of victory? Will you take the bet?"

Yu Manwu stared at him for a long while, then smiled again — like a still pond suddenly disturbed by a single stone, sending ripples across the surface.

"We'll see."

Both knew the truth — if Yu Manwu wanted revenge, she had no other choice. Or more accurately, the opportunity Huo Yuhao offered was the only option. Without him, she didn't even have the power to choose.

Huo Yuhao also understood that if he couldn't meet her expectations, Yu Manwu would drag the Third Prince down with her.

She wasn't dead — only imprisoned. And though she couldn't kill Xu Tianran, her power was far from useless.

Besides, giving up the others in the Cold Palace cost her nothing. She was simply helping cover for Huo Yuhao's actions.

Thus, their alliance was formed smoothly.

But it wasn't something just anyone could achieve. If one couldn't withstand a single strike from Yu Manwu, they wouldn't even get the chance to speak of revenge — they'd be killed instantly.

"As expected, anyone who lives in the Cold Palace long enough ends up at least a little mentally unstable…" Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly.

If it weren't for the recent advancement in his Yin Claw, he wouldn't have been confident in taking that blow from her.

Yu Manwu returned to her stone chair and asked,

 "How do you need me to help?"

"Start with the people in the Cold Palace — those forgotten by the outside world. It's not time to alert anyone yet." Huo Yuhao instructed.

"Understood." Yu Manwu agreed without hesitation.

She hadn't expected that the Third Prince was seriously walking the path of an Evil Soul Master. But that didn't matter — as long as he could help her achieve her revenge, who cared?

And in doing so, she now had leverage over him.

Very soon, Yu Manwu handed him a list of names — complete with their locations.

"These people match your criteria. Some were from the harems of previous emperors. Without my help, they'd have starved to death by now." she said indifferently.

"Thank you, Your Highness the Noble Consort."

She waved her hand casually, signaling he could go.

Huo Yuhao didn't linger. He immediately followed the records on the list to track them down.

Compared to the rest, Yu Manwu was far more valuable, and such a valuable person must, of course, be left for his main body to enjoy personally.

The list included not only imperial consorts but also palace maids and eunuchs. Yu Manwu didn't care for them out of kindness — more like she was keeping pets. She simply didn't want her space sullied by grotesque sights.

The Cold Palace had always been a place of desolation.

Now, they had become gifts for Huo Yuhao.

Most on the list were from the harems of the previous two emperors.

The previous emperor was He Caitou's father, who had only died around a decade ago. His harem had largely been purged, including even Titled Douluo-level Empresses and Noble Consorts — like He Caitou's own mother. A Titled Douluo? So what? In the empire's brutal power struggles, even drug-enhanced Douluos could be assassinated.

Not all "pill-cultivated" Douluos had real combat power. Most of them were stuck forever at Level 91. In that regard, Yu Manwu was among the elite.

Only a few harem members escaped death by being locked away in the Cold Palace. They received no support and had no hope of ever leaving. Even then, they were few in number.

As for the emperor before that — He Caitou's grandfather's generation — the remaining consorts in the Cold Palace were mostly aged relics.

In this era, even Titled Douluo could only live around 200 years, but they could maintain peak condition for quite some time — even at 150, they were still "useful." That's why wealthy and powerful people having young wives wasn't uncommon.

Some of the consorts from that era followed the old emperor to the grave. Others were moved to a special palace for retired consorts. A few were banished to the Cold Palace — and simply forgotten.

While palace maids and eunuchs could often retire to their families, consorts? Almost never.

After all, even in death, an emperor wouldn't tolerate someone else becoming "intimate" with one of his former women.

Some of these ancient consorts were still relatively "young" — just over 50 — and still at the Soul King level. They retained their charm.

Aside from consorts, the list included palace maids and eunuchs.

For these forgotten, unmissed individuals, Huo Yuhao didn't bother with any draining rituals. He simply used the Yin Claw Hand to pierce through their skulls, extracting their brain marrow and bone essence, to strengthen the Third Prince's physical foundation.

Even if their cultivation had declined, they still held some remaining power and bodily essence.

By the next morning, as Huo Yuhao left the palace…

The Third Prince had already broken through to Level 90!

Back at the Third Prince's residence.

Huo Yuhao began inspecting the Third Prince's condition.

This recent breakthrough had brought some changes to his state.

His soul power had risen to level 90—only one soul ring away from officially becoming a Titled Douluo. However, his physique was still not strong enough to absorb a 100,000-year soul ring.

After all, the Third Prince's earlier progress had relied on supplements and shortcuts, and he'd long neglected physical cultivation. He truly wasn't strong enough to handle a 100,000-year soul ring.

But the ninth soul ring had to be a 100,000-year one to fully unlock the Third Prince's potential.

Most importantly, a 100,000-year soul ring and soul bone might delay the breakdown of his body, helping him hang on longer—at least until his true self could openly enter the Sun Moon Empire.

With the growth of the Third Prince's Solar Martial Soul and the advancement of the Yin Claw technique, two opposing forces had begun forming within him: one utterly yang and righteous, the other utterly yin and evil. Their conflict would inevitably lead to collapse.

Signs of this had already begun to show—the Third Prince experienced brief bouts of pain at noon and midnight.

Absorbing a 100,000-year soul ring and bone would further enhance his physique and strength, but it was ultimately just a stopgap solution.

Enhancing strength was meant to help him resist the internal conflict—but ironically, as his strength increased, so would the intensity of the conflict.

Like adding flour to water, and then more water to balance it—an endless cycle.

The reactions would only grow more violent.

Eventually, he would reach a point of no return.

"Either absorb a few soul bones first to strengthen the body before taking in the soul ring—or improve the body through cultivation methods." After some thought, Huo Yuhao decided to enhance the physique through training methods first, and then pursue the soul ring.

After all, the Third Prince didn't have any extra soul bones. And Huo Yuhao himself had no means of obtaining high-level ones either. If they only managed to acquire soul bones of around 10,000 to 50,000 years, the Third Prince likely wouldn't last long.

Next, Huo Yuhao turned his attention inward, peering into his spiritual sea. The imagined sun he'd been visualizing there was now many times hotter than before—more and more like the real sun.

And faintly, within the sun, a dragon silhouette flickered into view.

"Is the bloodline of the Purple Radiance Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon awakening?" Huo Yuhao mused curiously.

Given that they shared the same father and the bloodline of the Sun Moon royal family, it was only natural for the Third Prince to inherit the Purple Radiance Dragon bloodline. What remained to be seen was what changes would occur upon full awakening.

However, Huo Yuhao didn't plan to nurture the Third Prince's dragon bloodline as he did the White Tiger bloodline of his main body.

Every effort on the main body's side was necessary—but here in the avatar, Huo Yuhao's only goal was rapid power increase. Trying to develop everything would only slow the Third Prince's progress.

Besides, the Third Prince's condition was already deteriorating. Introducing yet another destructive bloodline power would basically be suicide.

At worst, he'd just consume all the royal members of the Sun Moon Empire later on and take Xu Tiannan's Purple Radiance Dragon Martial Soul, skipping directly to the final step.

The sun in his spiritual sea—manifested through visualization—had pushed the Third Prince's bloodline to the brink of transformation, but the change hadn't completed. As a result, his innate soul power hadn't yet broken through to level 10.

The Yin Claw technique had also entered a new stage. Over the past month, Huo Yuhao hadn't slacked off in practicing it.

In fact, he'd deliberately slowed down the pace, because the training of the Yin Claw technique was progressing far faster than the visualization method. Letting the power of pure evil and yin dominate would only result in a mental breakdown.

While the utterly yang and utterly yin forces were in conflict, they also formed a strange equilibrium.

Too much rigidity snaps; too much softness decays.

Right now, the balance was just right.

And the pace of strength improvement? Unbelievably fast.

When using methods to strengthen the body, it was crucial not to disrupt this balance. That meant choosing methods that wouldn't interfere with it.

After a bit of thought, Huo Yuhao made up his mind and summoned Shadow Douluo and Porcelain Douluo.

His first words were:

 "I want you two to help me cultivate!"

Shadow and Porcelain: "Huh???"

The two immediately tensed, faces going pale. Having spent so much time with Huo Yuhao, they knew exactly what his kind of "cultivation" usually meant.

Had the beauties in the mansion and the concubines in the harem already failed to satisfy him?

Seeing the misunderstanding, Huo Yuhao explained:

 "I plan to switch to a different kind of training method."

The two remained silent.

Sure—you're not training with women anymore, you're starting with men now, huh?

Finally, it took a slap each—SMACK! SMACK!—before they calmed down enough to listen seriously to his explanation.

"I need you to inject soul power into me, shattering all my bones, and then continue pouring soul power in without stopping—until I complete my cultivation," Huo Yuhao said calmly.

This terrified Shadow and Porcelain Douluo, and they began pleading:

"My lord, that's unnecessary, really!"

"If it's come to this, we'll just submit to you!"

SMACK! SMACK!

 Another round of face-slaps—left and right this time—finally got them cooperating properly.

Inside a secret chamber, Shadow and Porcelain Douluo stood to either side, each pressing a palm against the Third Prince's back, ready to inject soul power. Huo Yuhao, the commander of this mad operation, detailed the exact process.

Thankfully, neither of their martial souls had unusual properties—their soul power was neutral and balanced. There was no risk of disrupting the internal equilibrium.

While their strength wasn't outstanding among peers, they had both succeeded in forming a soul core. Their endurance was solid, which was good enough for Huo Yuhao's needs.

"My lord, I'm going in now."

"It's going to hurt—a lot. Please brace yourself."

"Say another word, and I'll go back to the original training method—with you two!" Huo Yuhao snapped coldly.

The two no longer hesitated and began channeling soul power into the Third Prince. Instantly, every bone in his body shattered.

As expected, the Third Prince's body trembled violently, his face went pale, and he spat blood. His entire form went limp like a broken doll. If this weren't planned, he'd be utterly crippled.

But Huo Yuhao said calmly:

 "Keep going. Do not stop!"

Shadow and Porcelain Douluo didn't falter.

They continued seriously injecting soul power into the Third Prince, while Huo Yuhao began executing his technique. But before that, he reminded them:

"If the Third Prince accidentally dies, preserve the body—at least keep the face intact."

"!!!"

Wait—there's a risk of death?!

 Sweat poured from Shadow and Porcelain Douluo's brows. You didn't say anything about that before! But the arrow had already left the bow—they had no choice but to go all-in.

Huo Yuhao finally focused in earnest.

"Nine Death God Technique, activate!"

The Nine Death God Technique, also known as Nine Death Evil Art, was an extreme method of cultivation—one that sought power through death, pushing the concept of "destruction before rebirth" to its absolute limit. Among the techniques in Pudu Cihang's memory, it ranked top-tier in both effect and corruption.

Since the natural body was unusable, then it would be reborn through death—shattered and remade anew!

It offered terrifying benefits: rapid power increases, massive boosts in physical strength, and fundamental improvements to aptitude.

The only downside?

Training it cripples you.

For a greater cause, Huo Yuhao decided to take a risk — he chose to cultivate the Nine Deaths Divine Art ("九死神功").

The Nine Deaths Divine Art comprises nine layers. Each completed layer results in a complete transformation, but cultivating each one demands a disregard for life and death — one must walk the line between life and death, comprehend ultimate terror, and seize great fortune.

This technique is said to have originated from ancient cultivators.

It has no special prerequisites and can be practiced by anyone — even an ordinary mortal with no talent, under external assistance, can cultivate it. Once achieved, the practitioner undergoes a complete transformation and establishes the foundation for cultivation.

Moreover, the higher one's innate talent, the more benefit one derives from this technique, since each level offers exponential growth in every aspect.

However, according to Pudu Cihang, no one in recorded history had ever broken through the third layer.

Ancient cultivators may have been too extreme.

Still, anyone who managed to reach the third level was already considered a renowned expert in Pudu Cihang's era.

Once one starts cultivating the Nine Deaths Divine Art, it's impossible to stop unless one reaches the ninth level or dies in the process. Otherwise, internal energy will spiral out of control, leading to death by internal deviation.

Due to how it severely depletes practitioners and its ominous nature, this technique had long been labeled as "demonic."

But Huo Yuhao didn't need the Third Prince to cultivate it to completion — he merely needed him to last a little longer and achieve a rapid boost in strength, which was enough for Huo Yuhao's purposes.

Besides, Huo Yuhao was confident he had a 90% chance of successfully completing the first two levels. Even if something went wrong, the consequences wouldn't be too dire.

The first level required the complete shattering of the body's bones and the remolding of muscles and skeleton — improving natural aptitude, strengthening physique, and enhancing cultivation potential.

Without the support of bones, the human body can't survive for long, so Huo Yuhao needed to complete the first level quickly.

Huo Yuhao handled the internal circulation of the technique, while Mo Ying Douluo and Qing Ci Douluo maintained the flow of soul power within the Third Prince's body and stabilized his life force.

Having them inject their soul power into the Third Prince also allowed Huo Yuhao to borrow their strength to help the prince gain more benefits upon completing the first level.

As Huo Yuhao began to cultivate the Nine Deaths Divine Art, the Third Prince's tattered body started swelling like a balloon — an eerie sight indeed.

This alarmed both Mo Ying and Qing Ci, but they didn't dare to relax. Their soul power poured continuously into the Third Prince, whose body absorbed their energy like a dried sponge.

By the time 40% of their total soul power had been drained — equivalent to most of a Titled Douluo's energy — it was all absorbed by the Third Prince.

When the first level was fully mastered, a powerful surge of energy suddenly exploded from the prince's body. Mo Ying and Qing Ci were sent flying, crashing hard into the stone walls of the chamber due to the unexpected soul skill eruption.

Fortunately, the walls were sturdy, and they, being Titled Douluo, weren't harmed.

As they got up, both glanced at the hands they had placed on the prince's back. One had blisters from burns, while the other's hand was frostbitten and cracked.

Seeing such opposite forces converge within one body, the two were shaken but said nothing. Their eyes turned toward the transformed Third Prince.

His training clothes had been destroyed in the outburst, revealing a lean, muscular body glowing faintly. One could vaguely see the outline of his bones beneath his skin.

Even without knowing the nature of the technique, from the results alone, it seemed as though the prince had mastered some sort of supreme divine skill.

Due to other cultivation methods, a sun-shaped mark appeared on the prince's forehead, and his left hand had turned into a pale ghostly claw.

The reshaping of bones and sinew didn't just enhance his musculoskeletal system. Since bones produce blood and blood flows throughout the body, his entire physique was strengthened. The recent depletion from dual cultivation had been fully replenished. Moreover, with bones continuously producing blood, the strengthening would continue over time.

The first level simultaneously trained blood, strengthened tendons, and hardened bones — a major breakthrough.

Most importantly, it significantly enhanced both his constitution and natural aptitude.

When Huo Yuhao finally ended the cultivation and all anomalies faded, he slowly opened his eyes and assessed the progress internally:

"Although much of Mo Ying and Qing Ci's soul power was lost during the refinement and absorption process, the overall effect was still greatly enhanced."

 "My physique has improved by more than fivefold. I can now absorb a 100,000-year soul ring. The two conflicting energies in my body have also stabilized a lot."

 "However... this cost over three years of lifespan. And within a year, I must begin cultivating the next layer. Otherwise, the internal power of the Nine Deaths Divine Art will go berserk and cause qi deviation."

Huo Yuhao didn't even need to explain — Mo Ying and Qing Ci could already sense how powerful the Third Prince had become. They both felt he was now stronger than they were.

The flattery started instantly.

But neither of them had even the slightest desire to practice this terrifying technique themselves — they were scared just watching it.

Immediately afterward, Huo Yuhao kicked them out of the chamber, ordering them to prepare, as he was leaving Mingdu to obtain a soul ring for the prince.

Huo Yuhao had already pinpointed a suitable 100,000-year soul ring for the Third Prince. Over this time, his centipede foot avatars had scouted all the soul beast habitats within the Sun-Moon Empire.

They even found the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor in the Blue Silver Emperor Valley.

But Huo Yuhao's current target wasn't the Blue Silver Emperor — it was a 100,000-year Purgatory Demon Dragon hidden deep in the Mingdou Forest.

Silently departing Mingdu, Huo Yuhao spent several days reaching the Mingdou Great Forest.

This forest covered one-third of the Mingdou Mountain Range — half the size of the Star Dou Forest — and was teeming with soul beasts, including many variant species, especially known for producing mutated soul beasts.

The Purgatory Demon Dragon was a mutated Purgatory Sub-Dragon, possessing 100,000 years of cultivation, fire-attribute power, and sub-dragon lineage. It was an extremely powerful soul beast.

And it had just been tracked down by Huo Yuhao.

This time, he didn't bring Mo Ying or Qing Ci — they remained in Mingdu as cover. Instead, two centipede foot avatars accompanied him.

These avatars had grown as Huo Yuhao's Ice Variant Centipede martial soul evolved — now each had power equivalent to a 100,000-year soul beast. Their Ultimate Ice attribute directly countered the Purgatory Demon Dragon's fire.

So much so that — Huo Yuhao didn't even need to lift a finger.

"This Mingdou Forest is full of variant soul beasts. There must be some force here causing these mutations... It might be worth investigating later," Huo Yuhao thought, still calm enough to observe the ecosystem.

Soon, the two avatars returned, dragging the half-dead Purgatory Demon Dragon.

Finding a hidden place, Huo Yuhao killed the beast, absorbed its soul ring, then its soul bone — which turned out to be the Purgatory Demon Dragon Right Arm Bone.

Its soul was sealed in a soul tool designed to store spirits, handed off to one of the avatars, who would deliver it along with other precious spirits to Huo Yuhao's main body.

The corpse was frozen and packaged by the other avatar and sent to the Death Envoy, who'd get to enjoy a fresh meal.

The Death Envoy might even reach Titled Douluo level from consuming the Purgatory Demon Dragon's body.

Half a day passed.

The sun rose, dispelling the darkness.

The Third Prince officially broke through to Titled Douluo, achieving 94th rank in soul power!

 Both the soul ring and soul bone increased his level by two ranks.

His soul power now exceeded that of Nan Shuishui when she had just broken through.

Soul Ring Configuration: 2 yellow, 2 purple, 4 black, 1 red.

Third Prince – Xu Tiancheng

Martial Soul: Sun

Innate Soul Power: Level 9

Soul Power Level: 94

Soul Ring Configuration: 2 Yellow, 2 Purple, 4 Black, 1 Red

Soul Bone: 100,000-Year Purgatory Demon Dragon Right Arm Bone

Cultivation Methods:

Visualization Method – Sun

Nine Death Divine Skill – First Layer

Spells: Yin Claw

Secondary Profession: Soul Engineer (Level 8)

Magical Tool: Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon (Level 8)

After absorbing a 100,000-year fire-attribute soul ring, the Third Prince's Sun Martial Soul improved significantly—approaching the peak of its potential.

Now, the quality of his Sun Martial Soul surpasses that of Xu Tianzhen, the most gifted royal in the original novel, and even other titled Douluo within the imperial family can't compare.

What remains unclear is how it stacks up against Dou Ling Empire's Sunlight Douluo. In the original work, Sunlight Douluo's Martial Soul was called Sunlight, not Sun. A single character difference may imply a world of distinction. It's more likely that Sunlight and Sun are just similar-type Martial Souls, not the same.

Currently, the Sun Martial Soul's fire attribute faintly exceeds Ma Xiaotao's Evil Phoenix Flame. However, unlike the evil fire, the Sun Martial Soul's flames are grand and righteous—referred to as "True Sunfire."

This righteous aura comes from the sun's symbolic representation of yang energy in the world. In fact, the Sun Martial Soul may even carry a trace of the light element.

And since Huo Yuhao visualized a proper Great Sun using the Visualization Method—not some bizarre concept—the righteous aura is even stronger.

If one visualizes a Great Sun without sufficient control, they risk self-immolation.

Adding odd attributes to the sun, like visualizing strange sun-related phenomena, could accelerate that self-destruction.

There's a saying in cultivation circles: "The stranger the path, the quicker the death." That's wisdom bought with lives and experience. Of course, the stranger the path, the faster the growth and the scarier the power.

Initially, Huo Yuhao chose to cultivate Yin Claw in hopes its sinister yin energy could counteract the scorching heat of the Great Sun.

Though this led to internal power conflict, it at least prevented self-immolation—turning him into more of a ticking time bomb than a walking inferno. But still, better than burning up.

After this latest power-up, Huo Yuhao clearly felt his internal energy growing unstable again—the pure yang energy was starting to dominate.

Luckily, he just needed to raise Yin Claw further to restore balance. He still had a good reserve of yin souls.

However, the first layer of Nine Death Divine Skill was no longer enough to suppress the Third Prince's internal issues. He was sure to suffer more intense torment going forward.

But since Huo Yuhao could block pain perception, it wasn't a huge problem.

In addition—

He noticed the Third Prince's bloodline had also evolved:

 "Was it the 100,000-year sub-dragon soul ring and soul bone that enhanced his dragon bloodline? Thankfully, the destruction attribute didn't awaken. If things stay like this, the improved dragon bloodline will further empower the Sun Martial Soul and help in using the ninth soul skill."

The ninth soul ring granted two powerful soul skills, both of exceptional quality:

Great Sun in the Sky, Radiance for All:

 A domain-type soul skill. It conjures a sun above the user's head, bathing a 100-meter radius in sunlight. Each level the user advances as a Titled Douluo increases the radius by another 100 meters.

 Within the light's area, temperature rises continuously, generating true Sunfire that burns all.

 The domain can also tap into the real sun's power, boosting effects and hastening soul power recovery.

 As long as the conjured sun remains, the user cannot be defeated or killed.

Heavenly Sun Falls, Mortal World Turns to Purgatory:

 Gathers soul power into a Great Sun and hurls it down in a fiery explosion, unleashing terrifying destructive power to incinerate everything, turning the world into purgatory.

Even the domain skill alone elevated the Third Prince's combat power significantly—putting him at the top tier of peers at the same level, even allowing him to challenge Super Douluo.

After all, as long as his conjured sun stays, he is immortal and invincible.

Of course, this domain has a massive energy cost and can't last long. But during its duration, he can abandon all defense and focus entirely on offense.

Interestingly, the Third Prince already had a semi-domain skill: his fifth soul skill, Radiant Glory—also possessed by Xu Tianzhen in the original. Though similar to a domain, it wasn't a true one.

While the Sun Martial Soul lineage was strong, the Sun Moon Empire's soul master path overall lagged behind.

But elite factions within it still maintained mature soul ring setups—at least for the first six rings.

The royal family's Sun Martial Soul followed a similar pattern. With a carefully selected set of six rings, their soul skills not only complemented one another but could also be combined.

The real bottleneck for the empire's soul masters came after the seventh ring—how to maintain powerful Martial Soul effectiveness, unlock greater strength, and advance further.

What the Sun Moon Empire lacked wasn't Titled Douluo, but Super Douluo.

The 100,000-year soul bone also granted two soul skills belonging to the Purgatory Demon Dragon:

Demonization: A buff skill that increases attack and soul skill power by 50%.

Purgatory Burst: A fire-attribute explosion attack with immense destructive force.

While mutated Martial Souls usually degrade, mutated soul beasts often grow stronger—thus their soul rings and bones are often superior.

Now that the Purgatory Demon Dragon's body and soul had been processed, Huo Yuhao prepared to return to Mingdu. With the Third Prince now a Titled Douluo, it was time to move against the royal clan.

That included putting plans targeting Xu Tiannan into motion.

Xu Tiannan's Martial Soul was excellent—Huo Yuhao wouldn't miss the opportunity. But he also felt Xu Tiannan hadn't developed it enough.

His pursuit of power had caused him to neglect his Martial Soul, and the Sun Moon Empire's heritage wasn't sufficient to nurture him.

So Huo Yuhao decided—he would help Xu Tiannan grow stronger himself.

Yes, to defeat him, he would first strengthen him.

As for the remaining imperial consorts—the Noble Consort, Imperial Noble Consort, and Empress—Huo Yuhao planned to leave them to his main body. All of them were at the Soul Douluo level, likely of high quality. The Empress and Imperial Noble Consort even carried Phoenix Qi, which should be absorbed by the main body.

Just as he was about to leave Mingdou Forest, Huo Yuhao suddenly had a premonition.

He quickly activated his Qi-Sensing Technique, scanned the surroundings, and made quick calculations regarding himself.

Under its observation, he noticed subtle fluctuations in the forest's deep region—not normal fluctuations, but a disturbance in its fortune or "Qi Luck."

That meant some external force was interfering with the fortune of Mingdou Forest's depths.

In other words, a change was coming—this was the legendary Qi Mechanism Trigger.

It usually occurred when a fate-defying or extremely powerful individual made a decision and began to act on it—causing a ripple effect on fortune and fate.

Some cultivators used their own emerging Qi Mechanism Triggers to detect danger, avoid powerful enemies, and seek advantage.

Although this trigger wasn't directed at Huo Yuhao, the fact that it gave him such a strong premonition likely meant that the person behind it was closely connected to him.

"How interesting... Who could it be?"

Huo Yuhao chose to stay and observe.