soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

Right now the Sun-Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire are facing off across the Mingdou Mountain Range—one on the left flank, one on the right. Both sides have gathered their elites and high-ranking nobles.

The person who is about to appear could come from either army yet must have a close connection to Huo Yuhao, which leaves him scratching his head.

As far as he knows, his second brother Dai Huabin and fourth brother Dai Luoli should also be stationed at the front. But with their rather ordinary destinies, how could they possibly trigger such a strong pull of fate?

So Yuhao is curious.

He waited patiently.

After a full day and night—long enough that practicing the Yin-Claw Hand technique let him restore some balance among the conflicting powers inside him—Yuhao finally sensed the newcomers.

Through his Fate-Sight he saw two dragon-shaped shadows, one large and one small, flying deep into Mingdou Forest.

He reacted at once.

No doubt about it—the newcomer's destiny is unusual and the relationship is indeed close!

"Isn't that Long Xiaoyao and my dear big brother?" Yuhao freezed for a heartbeat, then laughed. "What perfect timing."

Ever since they parted, Yuhao—busy managing his "inner palace" as well as his schemes—has kept tabs on Bei Bei whenever he can.

But after losing the Alto Chamber of Commerce's spy network, the Third Prince's intelligence apparatus has only limited reach in the underworld. Even Nana, embedded in the Pingfan Alliance, can't easily ferret out news from the Xishui Alliance.

So until now Yuhao has had no idea how Bei Bei has fared since their last encounter: whether he is eating well, drinking well, or making progress with Tang Ya.

Now that they're both wielding evil martial souls, surely there are no more barriers between the two lovers?

And judging from that "Evil Dragon's" birth-scene, Bei Bei's destiny must have changed dramatically—definitely becoming stronger.

Perhaps good deeds have not gone unrewarded.

More than a month later, Heaven hasn't failed the patient: Yuhao finally picked up news of his big brother again.

Masking himself as the Third Prince, he quietly edged into the depths of Mingdou Forest, probing with spiritual power.

Soul masters on Douluo Continent, after all, rarely detect mental scouting.

Deep in Mingdou Forest

Bei Bei being guided by Long Xiaoyao, explored the depths to find a suitable target; they were there to hunt a soul beast so Bei Bei can obtain his sixth soul ring—for he has reached level 60!

He had awakened the day after being carried out of the secret chamber. Perhaps because he'd been unconscious for so long, it took half a day for him to recall what had happened:

He'd been captured by the Death Envoy—and then… nothing. Only a vague memory of agonizing darkness.

When he checked his body, to his surprise he wasn't injured at all; on the contrary, he felt in top form, even sensing that his martial soul had evolved and was supplying him ever-growing power.

But when he discovered that his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon hadn't evolved into a Holy Light Dragon but had instead been corrupted into an evil martial soul, Bei Bei felt his whole world collapse.

When Tang Ya rushed in, worried sick, he didn't feel any new closeness because of their matching "evil" status; instead, he felt an overwhelming urge to flee from her.

Xiao Ya, don't look at me—please! I'm tainted…

He'd always harbored guilt and anguish over Tang Ya's fall. Now, with his own martial soul corrupted, shame hit even harder; on the spot he tried to kill himself to preserve the honor of his ancestors.

Long Xiaoyao intervened, stopped him, and gave him a long heart-to-heart.

The old Dragon told him that some soul masters are born with evil-type souls, yet whether they become evil soul masters depends forever on the heart.

Bei Bei swore he would never set foot on the wrong path.

His second goal: track down the Death Envoy who caused everything, take revenge, and force him to reverse the corruption—even if the chance is slim, he clinged to that little hope.

As for Tang Ya, Bei Bei chose to keep away; he believed he no longer had the right to stand in front of her.

Tang Ya is even more heartbroken.

Long Xiaoyao, himself tangled in messy love stories, found the young couple exasperating, but he was determined to protect Mu En's descendant—an obligation he felt he owed the old dragon.

When the Death Envoy had first delivered Bei Bei to the Holy Spirit Church, Long Xiaoyao had considered sending the boy back to Shrek. But the Envoy had come openly, and word quickly reached Zhongli Wu, who intervened. Long Xiaoyao might ignore Zhongli Wu's face, but Zhongli Wu then told Ye Xishui—and though she didn't show up, she sent a letter asking Long Xiaoyao to keep the boy. She even told him to reward the Death Envoy.

The compromise was the invention of the "Blue-Silver Knight" persona—Bei Bei's true identity must remain hidden.

Who could have predicted Bei Bei's fate would twist so much, or that the Death Envoy—once an insignificant Soul Emperor—could reach Title Douluo in just two or three years and even twist Bei Bei's martial soul?

That speed is monstrous even among evil soul masters. Long Xiaoyao was certain the Death Envoy was hiding a terrifying secret; if left alive he'll become a great scourge. Yet by the time Long Xiaoyao moved against him, the man had vanished.

To this day, the Holy Spirit Church still had no clue where the Envoy was hiding.

Long Xiaoyao spent almost a month personally tutoring Bei Bei until the latter fully adapted to his new martial soul, then brought him here for his sixth ring.

Though corrupted, Bei Bei's talent has skyrocketed.

A Soul Emperor at his age would be called a prodigy even at Shrek.

More importantly, according to Long Xiaoyao's judgment Bei Bei's new soul possesses an "ultimate evil" attribute that can suppress other evil powers.

Yes—Bei Bei is now an Ultimate-attribute soul master.

In fact, Long Xiaoyao speculated that Bei Bei's potential might surpass the fabled Ultimate Ice genius of Shrek. If nurtured properly, he could outshine Mu En.

For a moment, Long Xiaoyao coudn't tell whether the Death Envoy meant to harm Bei Bei or help him.

Surely this can't be a mere coincidence?

Long Xiaoyao kept teaching Bei Bei about the forest's soul beasts while they searched. Mingdou Forest houses many variants, including species found only on the Sun-Moon Empire's side—knowledge well worth learning.

Soon they located their target:

A 50,000-year mutant soul beast: the Dark-Cloud Evil Dragon — a draconic sub-species.

"Bei Bei, your body has been greatly strengthened alongside your martial-soul metamorphosis. You're perfectly capable of absorbing a 50,000-year ring. This Dark-Cloud Evil Dragon mutated from a Wind-type Cloud Dragon and now carries evil attributes—ideal for you," Long Xiaoyao explains.

"I understand. Thank you, Teacher," Bei Bei replied—he has formally acknowledged Long Xiaoyao as his master and, knowing the old dragon's bond with Mu En, and treated him with the utmost respect.

As Long Xiaoyao easily subdues the Dark-Cloud Evil Dragon and lets Bei Bei deliver the final blow, the young man's thoughts wander.

A 50,000-year sixth ring—previously unimaginable; that's the limit many soul masters don't reach until their seventh ring.

Yet he can leapfrog.

Which makes him think of Huo Yuhao, his little brother who can also leapfrog ring-years.

"Given the Academy's resources, little brother Yuhao's sixth ring should be 50,000 years too," Bei Bei figures, a touch wistfully.

Now they're both Ultimate-attribute, both able to absorb over-aged rings.

But…

"There's no going back."

He can't go back to Shrek—can never see his little brother again.Beibei killed the Dark Cloud Evil Dragon and successfully absorbed a 50,000-year soul ring, officially breaking through to become a six-ring Soul Emperor.

Even Huo Yuhao, who was observing from afar, couldn't help but sigh emotionally, "Beibei big bro achieved all this thanks to the generous support of me, his little brother. I really am too loyal!"

Shouldn't that earn him a spot in the top ten most touching little brothers of the Douluo Continent?

Xu Sanshi, who was once hailed alongside Beibei as one of the Twin Stars, was now only a five-ring Soul King. His Xuanwu bloodline hadn't awakened as smoothly as in the original story. Whether he could break through to Soul Emperor before the next Soul Master Tournament was still uncertain.

He was no longer qualified to compare himself to Beibei.

Meanwhile, Beibei had undergone a complete transformation. His martial soul had evolved into an ultimate-attribute Evil Dragon Martial Soul. At the next Soul Master Tournament, he might even break through to become a seven-ring Soul Sage.

Yes, ultimate-attribute soul masters typically have slower cultivation between the third and seventh rings, but Beibei wasn't just an ultimate-attribute soul master—he was also an evil soul master!

Moreover, Huo Yuhao had already tested things in advance for Beibei. When an ultimate-attribute soul master used evil soul master methods to enhance their power, it didn't result in the same unstable foundation as it did for normal evil soul masters.

While problems could arise when ultimate soul masters used evil cultivation techniques, the issue wouldn't lie in the quality of their soul power. Ultimate martial souls naturally compressed and purified the soul power of the soul master.

This explained why ultimate-attribute soul masters cultivated slowly from level 30 to 70, but their progress would accelerate after level 70. They would also find it easier to condense a soul core and break through to become a Title Douluo. Before level 99, they would encounter no bottlenecks.

Once Beibei finished absorbing his soul ring, he suddenly opened his eyes—now a terrifying blood-red—and wore a crazed, wicked grin. Black markings spread across his face, and his entire body emitted an incredibly evil aura that made one's hair stand on end.

Seeing this, Long Xiaoyao's expression changed slightly. "Not good, Beibei is being influenced by his martial soul!"

The saying, "Power's righteousness or evil lies in the heart", was not entirely accurate. On the Douluo Continent, many had been mentally corrupted by their martial souls.

Just like Beibei at this moment!

This happened because absorbing the soul ring had further empowered the Evil Dragon Martial Soul.

The madness and greed inherent to the Evil Dragon Martial Soul had taken over Beibei's mind. His will was simply too weak to resist the influence of his martial soul's power, causing him to act under its evil sway.

"Ha—!"

Beibei let out a strange roar, stood up, spread his arms, and unleashed a surge of black, supremely evil soul power, enveloping everything around him and devouring all surrounding life.

Even the remains of the Dark Cloud Evil Dragon were drained of their blood and nutrients, turning to ash.

The entire scene was grotesque. Anyone witnessing it would instantly assume Beibei was a true evil soul master.

Ultimate attributes typically came with special effects—like the freezing chill of ultimate ice or the purifying power of ultimate light. But Beibei's ultimate evil attribute had the special effect of extinguishing life and devouring vitality!

Furthermore, Beibei's ultimate evil attribute had been cultivated by Huo Yuhao using evil soul master methods, making it inherently threatening to the world.

If Douluo Continent had a "Heaven's Punishment" system like in cultivation worlds, then when the secret chamber was destroyed, heavenly lightning would've descended to erase Beibei's existence before he could be born.

Unfortunately, no such system existed.

"HAHAHAHA—!" Beibei laughed maniacally, the act of absorbing the surrounding life force thrilling him immensely.

"Wake up!" Long Xiaoyao called out sternly, and struck decisively. Raising a hand, he unleashed a pitch-black handprint imbued with nearly ultimate darkness, easily cutting through Beibei's evil energy and pressing it against Beibei's forehead.

Beibei's ultimate evil was stronger than normal dark attributes, but the power gap was too great—he couldn't resist Long Xiaoyao.

The moment the handprint hit Beibei's forehead, he was blasted backward and fell unconscious. The evil soul power emanating from his body was instantly pulled back inside.

Long Xiaoyao flashed forward and caught Beibei before he hit the ground, quickly checking his condition.

Beibei's soul power had now broken through to level 65!

This wasn't just from the soul ring and devoured life energy—Huo Yuhao's previous techniques had also left behind residual power in Beibei's body, which had now been absorbed.

After a thorough check, Long Xiaoyao confirmed that Beibei's body was fine, but still sighed deeply.

Because now he wasn't sure whether Beibei should continue cultivating. He realized Beibei's Evil Dragon Martial Soul was still growing stronger!

The evil soul power that had just spread out wasn't just leaked power—it was the early form of a domain.

Once Beibei reached Soul Sage (seven rings), the domain might take full shape. And the typical cultivation restrictions of ultimate soul masters would disappear.

If Beibei then failed to resist the martial soul's influence and was taken over by its instincts, he could become an extremely dangerous evil soul master, plunging the continent into chaos.

In the Holy Spirit Cult, many soul masters had been completely corrupted by their evil martial souls.

Long Xiaoyao didn't want to see Mu En's descendant end up that way. But at the same time, he didn't want to rob him of the chance to cultivate, turning him into a cripple.

When it came to Mu En, Long Xiaoyao was always hesitant.

In the end, he could only choose to bring Beibei back to the Holy Spirit Cult and figure out how to strengthen Beibei's willpower and martial soul control.

His cultivation would need to slow down for now.

In the Douluo Continent—where mental training and divine-soul techniques were nearly nonexistent—Beibei's case was difficult to address.

Just as Long Xiaoyao was preparing to return with Beibei, he suddenly stopped and looked warily in a certain direction.

Someone was coming!

But when he saw who it was, his guard dropped.

It was an exceptionally beautiful woman—none other than Ye Xishui.

"Why are you here?" Long Xiaoyao asked, his tone a bit cautious. "I don't mean to question you—I just want to know if there's something you need me to do."

Ye Xishui merely looked at the unconscious Beibei in his arms and calmly said, "His condition doesn't look good."

"That's right. His martial soul is very strong… and very evil," Long Xiaoyao replied.

A complex look crossed Long Xiaoyao's eyes. Ye Xishui had once chosen Mu En, and now she still cared for Mu En's descendant...

It wasn't jealousy—just growing guilt. He felt he had let both Ye Xishui and Mu En down. If not for him, perhaps the two would have been happy together.

It was also because of this guilt that when he learned Ye Xishui had joined the Holy Spirit Cult, Long Xiaoyao chose to join too, becoming its Chief Offering.

But then Ye Xishui smiled and said, "Send him back to the Holy Spirit Cult. When it comes to controlling evil power, there's no better place on the continent. I've already spoken with Zhongli Wu—he knows what to do."

Long Xiaoyao thought for a moment and then nodded. He agreed with Ye Xishui's reasoning. With her vouching for it, he believed Beibei could recover.

He might not trust Zhongli Wu completely—but how could he not trust Ye Xishui's feelings for Mu En?

Seeing him agree, Ye Xishui's smile grew even more radiant, almost breathtaking. She cheerfully said, "Let's take a walk. I've been in Mingdu for so long—I haven't been out in ages."

Long Xiaoyao was momentarily stunned, then smiled and nodded quickly, "Sure. Beibei's situation is stable. There's no rush."

So, Long Xiaoyao followed Ye Xishui as they left together, flying at a leisurely pace.

But Huo Yuhao noticed—before they departed, Ye Xishui glanced in his direction without the slightest attempt to hide it.

Clearly, Ye Xishui had noticed him!

Huo Yuhao didn't know what Ye Yushui was planning, but he didn't really care. As far as he was concerned, he had Big Brother Beibei's back!

"Hmph, if my Big Brother Beibei is hurt, I will destroy your entire Holy Spirit Cult!"

That's right, he was just that overbearing!

 He'd take everyone down with him if he had to!

After Ye Yushui and Long Xiaoyao took Beibei away, Huo Yuhao also controlled the Third Prince to joyfully return to Mingdu.

The moment the Third Prince returned to Mingdu, Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that even more fortune, even dragon luck, was shifting from others to the Third Prince.

It was obvious: because of the prince's growing strength, he was now stealing the luck and dragon aura from the other princes, gaining a bigger advantage.

Now, the Third Prince had more fortune and dragon luck gathered around him than Xu Tiannan.

Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing.

"If I accidentally become the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire… eh-heh~"

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao's real body had returned to Earth Dragon Gate.

When he revealed his hundred-thousand-year seventh soul ring, everyone present was stunned by his talent. Naturally, Ma Xiaotao and the other girls were overjoyed and proud of him.

Nan Qiuqiu looked at Huo Yuhao like she was completely lovestruck.

 Attracted by his looks, moved by his kindness, aligned with his character, and hooked by his talent.

Zhang Lexuan even thanked Nan Shuishui for her help.

Nan Shuishui chose to continue hiding her strength, waiting for the right moment to surprise everyone.

Heavenly Dragon Douluo, who also witnessed Huo Yuhao's hundred-thousand-year soul ring, sighed in admiration: Shrek Academy truly keeps producing monsters.

Just as Mu En's era ended, a new powerhouse who could dominate an entire era was emerging. No—more than that, this youth was destined to surpass Mu En.

After all, Mu En wasn't an ultimate attribute soul master, and in terms of both combat ability and potential, he couldn't compare to Huo Yuhao at the same level.

Huo Yuhao had already passed the slowest and hardest phase for ultimate attribute cultivators. From now on, his cultivation journey would be smooth sailing—right up to the limits of the Douluo Continent, without facing major bottlenecks again.

This meant—he was already rising.

And most importantly: Huo Yuhao wasn't even fifteen yet!

A soul sage before fifteen, combined with his cultivation speed as an ultimate attribute soul master and his monstrous talent, made Heavenly Dragon Douluo believe that Huo Yuhao could break through to Titled Douluo before the age of twenty—shattering every record in the Douluo Continent's history.

He might even catch a glimpse of the legendary realm—Godhood!

Everyone knew Shrek Academy had once obtained a poisonous-type immortal herb. That wasn't a secret. And now, Huo Yuhao happened to possess poison attributes. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

Faced with such a monstrous prodigy, there were only two options: ally with him or eliminate him. There was no third choice, because Huo Yuhao's very existence was bound to shake the power structure of the entire continent.

A true powerhouse doesn't even need to act. Their very presence creates a storm.

Naturally, Heavenly Dragon Douluo chose the first option. Earth Dragon Gate already had a relationship with Huo Yuhao and some emotional foundation. He also noticed Nan Qiuqiu had feelings for Huo Yuhao—it wouldn't hurt to deepen that connection.

"Little friend Huo, would you be willing to visit my Heavenly Dragon Sect? Let us show you some hospitality," Heavenly Dragon Douluo said warmly, his attitude growing even more friendly.

At this point, Heavenly Dragon Douluo was drawn not by Huo Yuhao's background, but by his potential.

Huo Yuhao, of course, gladly accepted the invitation. He was also interested in seeing what kind of talents Heavenly Dragon Sect had.

The reception was enthusiastic, especially from the women—beautiful and charming, they approached Huo Yuhao with sweet smiles and flirtatious glances, giving off all kinds of suggestive signals.

In Douluo Continent, soul masters with powerful martial souls often had not only better talent but also outstanding looks and presence.

Heavenly Dragon Sect's disciples were all True Dragon martial soul users—each one unique and radiant.

Their "enthusiasm" inevitably sparked jealousy from Huo Yuhao's companions. Their blatant attempt to steal someone's man was essentially a provocation. Especially Nan Qiuqiu, who acted like a protective mother hen, standing hands-on-hips and fiercely arguing with the sect's women.

Ma Xiaotao and the other two remained calm. They knew these girls could only join them—they couldn't take Huo Yuhao away. Their only concern was selecting carefully.

Don't ask why. The three of them were honestly struggling to "share the burden." Passing out every time wasn't fun anymore.

The actions of Heavenly Dragon Sect's female disciples were, of course, arranged by Heavenly Dragon Douluo himself. After all, no alliance is tighter than a marriage alliance.

And Heavenly Dragon Douluo could tell—Huo Yuhao was a bit of a flirt. So why not send one of their own women to join his harem?

If only his heir wasn't a grandson, but a granddaughter, things would've gone even smoother. Sadly, Huo Yuhao didn't swing that way.

Still, unlike the scheming of the Heavenly Soul Empire and Body Sect, Heavenly Dragon Douluo had no hidden motives. He genuinely wanted to form a good relationship. So he didn't go any further.

Thanks to this visit, Huo Yuhao also gained deeper insight into Heavenly Dragon Sect's situation. The most common True Dragon martial soul was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and there were also some mutated variants, though their quality generally fell short of the original.

There were also some sub-dragon martial soul users—relatives of Heavenly Dragon Sect members whose martial souls had degraded in power.

Only a rare few sub-dragon martial souls could match or surpass True Dragon souls.

In terms of mid and low-tier combat strength, Heavenly Dragon Sect was stronger—not just because of its heritage, but because True Dragons naturally outclass Earth Dragons.

Huo Yuhao didn't stay long. Just a few days after returning, he and Zhang Lexuan led the group to continue their training journey.

Nan Qiuqiu was reluctant to see him go.

But Huo Yuhao didn't take Nan Qiuqiu into his harem—she was simply too weak.

She needed more training.

Besides, if he needed Annihilation attribute soul power, Nan Shuishui could provide a much higher quality source.

Heavenly Dragon Sect marked the northernmost major city of the Heavenly Soul Empire. So Zhang Lexuan decided not to continue northward. Instead, she led the group east, intending to cross the border into the Dou Ling Empire for further training.

It had already been more than half a year since they left Shrek Academy. Their time training in the Heavenly Soul Empire had finally come to an end.

Huo Yuhao felt the journey had been extremely rewarding.

At the border between the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire, Huo Yuhao's group arrived at a medium-sized town. This town, a hub for trade between the two nations, was fairly prosperous, bustling with merchants.

It also served as a checkpoint for crossing the border.

Upon arriving, Ma Xiaotao and the other three women followed Zhang Lexuan to participate in soul dueling challenges.

The town had a thriving soul dueling arena, a cornerstone of its economy. Duels, especially between soul masters from different nations, were spectacular, as they weren't just about personal victory but also national honor.

Most soul masters were patriotic.

Those who reached the third soul ring could typically apply for a noble title in their empire. In this era, soul masters either came from influential backgrounds or were quickly recruited by various factions.

As beneficiaries, they naturally loved their country.

Huo Yuhao, however, stayed at the hotel to rest.

After all, ordinary dueling arenas couldn't provide opponents suitable for his revealed strength.

Only in the capitals of major empires might he find worthy challengers.

What Zhang Lexuan and the others didn't know was that in another hotel room, Huo Yuhao was engaged in a different kind of "duel."

Following a woman's rapid gasps, a long, melodious moan echoed. Her swan-like neck arched high before collapsing limply, transforming into a languid cat.

Huo Yuhao, relaxed and at ease, gently stroked the "big kitty" in his arms, clearly in control.

The "big kitty" lay sprawled across him, drained and disoriented. After a while, she regained her senses, weakly propping herself up to slide off him, lying powerlessly beside him.

It seemed like her final act of defiance.

Huo Yuhao merely smiled, pulling her back into his arms, casually kneading and toying with her. The "big kitty" didn't resist further.

Yes, this "big kitty" was none other than Huo Yuhao's dear "sister-in-law," Zhu Lu.

She'd come to "recharge" with him again.

Over the past two years, Zhu Lu had matured rapidly. Compared to her during the Soul Master Tournament, she'd shed her youthful naivety, blossoming into a full-fledged woman.

Indeed, a true woman, with the mature charm only a grown woman could possess.

Her figure had grown taller, her family traits more pronounced, her "fruits" even more bountiful.

Most importantly, Zhu Lu had become adept at being "driven" by Huo Yuhao.

The cultivation technique had enhanced her femininity, refining her appearance and figure, and altering her aura.

Now, Zhu Lu exuded a mysterious, enigmatic air, like an inky, icy spring—unfathomable. She was as aloof and flawless as a lunar goddess, seemingly untouchable, yet as seductive as a midnight enchantress, every smile and gesture alluring. The blend of sanctity and depravity made her unforgettable.

Perhaps only Huo Yuhao knew her true "depths."

And, of course, her strength.

Zhu Lu, with her Nether Spirit Cat martial soul, had reached Level 58!

She was the same age as Huo Yuhao.

In terms of soul power, she'd surpassed Xu Sanshi, one of Shrek's Outer Courtyard "twin stars," and left Dai Huabin far behind.

This was all thanks to the Zhu family's support. The family had begun spreading the technique Zhu Lu provided among core disciples, reaping significant benefits.

But it made Zhu Lu's life increasingly difficult.

Female soul masters practicing the technique inevitably hit bottlenecks, requiring the aura from Huo Yuhao's *Yin-Yang Golden Essence Technique* to break through.

To conceal this flaw, Zhu Lu had to act as a conduit, absorbing enough aura from Huo Yuhao and secretly transferring it to the female soul masters in her clan.

Fortunately, male soul masters faced no bottlenecks, though their progress was halved and carried the risk of becoming effeminate.

Otherwise, Zhu Lu couldn't have supported so many soul masters' cultivation.

As more Zhu family members practiced the technique, Zhu Lu's visits to Huo Yuhao grew more frequent. Thankfully, Huo Yuhao never hid his whereabouts, allowing Zhu Lu to track him down and meet him in secret.

If the number of Zhu family members practicing the technique increased further, Zhu Lu wouldn't be able to keep the secret. Then, either the Zhu family would control Huo Yuhao, or he would control them.

Zhu Lu knew the latter was more likely.

At that point, the women of her clan wouldn't escape Huo Yuhao's grasp.

Yet the Zhu family had no other choice. Having tasted such rapid, non-corruptive cultivation, they couldn't abandon the technique.

Zhu Lu turned to look at Huo Yuhao's profile, her gaze complex. If she'd known the technique's flaw beforehand and hadn't practiced it, she might not have reached this point or dragged her family into it. She'd still be the White Tiger Duke's fiancée, destined to become the duchess.

But she'd practiced the technique first, only later discovering its flaw. To secure cultivation resources, she'd submitted it to the family.

For her future and status in the family, she'd chosen to conceal the truth, walking this path to its end.

No amount of regret could change that she was a selfish woman.

Yet, thanks to the technique and her current strength, she'd secured the position of the Zhu family's young clan leader.

Everything else was fleeting; only status and power were real.

Countless soul masters would sacrifice everything—family, body—for such gains.

If she wanted to hate someone, she could only hate Dai Huabin for provoking Huo Yuhao without the strength to back her up, leaving her as Huo Yuhao's plaything.

Perhaps as revenge, Zhu Lu always shared Dai Huabin's frontline exploits with Huo Yuhao.

Dai Huabin communicated with her only through letters, and they hadn't seen each other in a long time.

Huo Yuhao noticed that Zhu Lu seemed more excited whenever she spoke of Dai Huabin.

Nestled in his arms, Zhu Lu suddenly said, "My father plans to spread the technique further in the family."

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly.

Her meaning was clear: she could no longer hide the truth, and the Zhu family might soon discover the technique's flaw.

Though the issue was about to surface, Zhu Lu felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

Before Huo Yuhao could respond, she continued, "To conceal the technique's issue, the family has reduced contact with the outside world and weakened ties with the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. Also… my father intends to dissolve my engagement with Dai Huabin."

This was to prevent Huo Yuhao from misunderstanding and to soften his approach toward her family—her final act of loyalty to them.

"Send me word when the time comes. I'll visit the Zhu family myself. Don't worry, they won't cause trouble," Huo Yuhao said with a smile, a glint in his eyes.

The harvest was nigh!

Compared to other "cauldrons," the Zhu family women offered him the greatest benefits.

They could even strengthen his bloodline.

With Huo Yuhao's assurance, Zhu Lu relaxed completely, pressing closer to him and flashing a seductive smile.

Then…

Mustering her newly restored strength, Zhu Lu slowly lowered her head.It didn't take long for Huo Yuhao and his party to cross the border and enter the Douling Empire.

Compared to the border between the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Sun Moon Empire, the border between the Heavenly Soul Empire and Douling Empire was far less strictly controlled, making travel much easier.

Of course, they entered the Douling Empire through official channels, so identity registration was still required.

As a result, once they entered the Douling Empire, their information was immediately sent to the capital, Lingdou City, and soon known to the upper echelons of various factions.

After all, the young vice master of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion traveling through the Douluo Continent wasn't a trivial matter.

The Douling Empire even dispatched people to secretly protect Huo Yuhao's group and offer them assistance.

Don't ask why—they simply didn't want trouble. If something were to happen to Huo Yuhao within the Douling Empire, the powerful figures of Shrek Academy might go berserk.

This was the same approach the Heavenly Soul Empire had taken previously, where they also had to protect Princess Wei Na.

And although Wei Na was a princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire, no one in the Douling Empire dared to touch her—because she was Huo Yuhao's teammate.

Their first stop in the empire was Zhenlong City, home to a secluded sect: Dragon Slayer Sect.

Coming from Tianlong Gate and Dilong Gate and arriving at Dragon Slayer Sect—it was hard not to notice that these sects really had a knack for naming. Most amusingly, they were practically located across the border from one another.

The Dragon Slayer Sect was a secluded sect and had only limited control over Zhenlong City. It was far smaller in scale than Tianlong Gate and Dilong Gate and didn't even have a single Titled Douluo.

Its strongest member was the sect master, a high-ranking Soul Douluo.

The sect's bold name wasn't meant to challenge Tianlong or Dilong Gate, but instead came from the legend of its founder slaying a hundred-thousand-year-old evil dragon at this very location and founding the sect afterward.

Though modest in current strength, Dragon Slayer Sect had a thousand-year history and still had some depth, having produced several Titled Douluo in the past. It was a traditional soul master sect, one that held strong disdain for soul tools.

In the original work, Dragon Slayer Sect made an appearance, sending disciples to the next Soul Master Tournament, only to be defeated six-in-a-row by Meng Hongchen.

The sect's disciples used a wide range of martial souls with no fixed type.

The sect master's bloodline martial soul was a top-tier beast spirit: the Golden Tiger. Though simple in name, among tiger-type soul beasts, it ranked high. Other disciples also had above-average martial souls, many of which were high or even top-grade.

Before a full day had passed since Huo Yuhao's group arrived in Zhenlong City, the sect's disciples came knocking.

Leading them was the sect's young master, a five-ring Soul King, accompanied by other five-ring youths, all aged between fifteen and twenty—clearly geniuses of the sect's younger generation.

"So you're the young vice master of the Sea God Pavilion, here to challenge our Dragon Slayer Sect?" the young sect master confronted Huo Yuhao arrogantly.

Huo Yuhao paused for a moment, then smiled lightly. "You're the challengers."

...

Every world has its troublemakers and hot-blooded youths with ambitions sky-high.

Upon hearing of Huo Yuhao's journey, many of the Douling Empire's young talents deliberately waited along his route to challenge him, hoping to test the strength of Shrek Academy's young master.

Some even sought him out directly.

Huo Yuhao had become quite adept at handling such encounters, having gone through many similar challenges back in the Heavenly Soul Empire.

The usual routine was: the opponent challenges him → Huo Yuhao responds with calm dignity → they duel fairly → Huo Yuhao wins politely → they chat amicably afterward → Huo Yuhao impresses them with his knowledge → and they leave as friends, deeply admiring his gentlemanly demeanor.

Through this process, Huo Yuhao gained many "friends" and a growing reputation. Some even wanted to form blood pacts of brotherhood.

Of course, Huo Yuhao politely declined.

"What kind of caliber are you to think you can form a brotherhood with Hao-ge like Brother Beibei?"

Because Huo Yuhao rejected all such pacts and impressed everyone with his strength and intellect, no one held it against him.

Instead, he was seen as even more noble.

Many sighed in admiration: "Mu En really raised a fine disciple!"

Back in the day, Mu En had a gentlemanly reputation on the continent, and Huo Yuhao had clearly surpassed his teacher.

And behind the scenes, after winning hearts and minds, Huo Yuhao would quietly harvest a wave of their fate energy.

The first victims in the Douling Empire were the disciples of Dragon Slayer Sect. They approached with pride and arrogance—and by the time Huo Yuhao left, they were all reluctant to see him go.

Compared to the Heavenly Soul Empire, however, the number of challengers in the Douling Empire was even greater.

And the reason for this… was Wei Na.

Back in her own empire, various factions still gave her face as the princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire.

But in the Douling Empire, that courtesy was gone. Some factions even deliberately sought to embarrass her and bring down her empire's prestige.

Especially after finding out Wei Na was an auxiliary-type soul master, some even brought their own support-type soul masters to issue 2v2 challenges—clearly with intent to prove superiority.

When they lost, they would admit Huo Yuhao was strong, but claim their own support-type soul master was no weaker than Wei Na.

As a result, Wei Na's smile began to fade. When more came with the same intention, she asked Huo Yuhao to use their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, personally joining the battle to shut them up with force.

Yet even then, she didn't win the recognition she wanted. Challengers simply claimed she was too violent, and only that strong because of Huo Yuhao.

Finally, Wei Na understood what it meant to argue with unreasonable people.

But she didn't back down. In fact, with each challenge, her strikes became heavier.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao's attention was focused on the valuable resources within the Douling Empire.

"Though the Douling Empire doesn't have any sects as powerful as the Body Sect, it does have the Xuanming Sect, a secluded sect with inherited Black Tortoise bloodline, and of course, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"These challengers also have high-quality martial souls, and some even possess unique bloodlines—they clearly come from secluded sects or noble families. The Douling Empire has rich human resources."

"Besides the talents, the Douling Empire's eastern coast is also rich in medicinal herbs and abundant in water-type soul beasts."

One of the benefits of befriending these challengers was learning the locations of their families and sects. Huo Yuhao marked all of them on a personal map.

Looking at his densely annotated map, Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction.

The Douling Empire was the smallest of the four nations, with only half the land area of the Heavenly Soul Empire—so travel was much quicker.

Finally, after passing through the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's descendant sect, Huo Yuhao arrived at one of the original Three Great Sects of a thousand years ago—the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's successor: Nine Treasure City!

Like Tianlong Gate, Nine Treasure City was completely controlled by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. It didn't even have a separate city lord; the sect directly administered the city.

Its size even exceeded that of Tianlong Gate.

This was because Nine Treasure City was a commercial hub—with extremely developed commerce, it had become the wealthiest city in the Douling Empire, surpassing even the capital, Lingdou City.

This also reflected the influence and status of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect within the empire.