soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

Huo Yuhao didn't strike directly at the entrance of the Xuanming Sect. Instead, he conducted a detailed investigation, and by tracing the flow of fate and fortune, he discovered a seemingly ordinary small town located far outside the city of Xuanwu.

The town looked no different from any regular settlement on the surface.

However, its defenses were extraordinarily tight. Hidden throughout were large-scale defensive soul tools. Once activated, even a Title Douluo would find it impossible to break in by force.

And if one observed carefully, it became clear that while the town appeared plain, its internal layout and architecture were refined and tasteful—clearly not something a typical town would possess.

Above the town floated a heavy-sensed Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) projection, bathed in dense fate energy, faintly emanating a suppressive power over the flow of fortune itself.

Indeed, this was the true core of the Xuanming Sect—or more precisely, the stronghold of the Xu family!

Only the core disciples of the Xu family and those trusted by them were qualified to reside here.

"No wonder it's of the Black Tortoise bloodline—it even has the power to suppress fate, and can obscure clairvoyance," Huo Yuhao murmured in admiration.

On the Douluo Continent, it was extremely rare for him to encounter anything capable of suppressing fate itself.

Then, his tone shifted suddenly. "But it's a shame… those who possess this bloodline don't know how to truly wield its power. It may block ordinary divinations, but how could it hide from me? Letting such a precious lineage go to waste—this is unacceptable. Only in my hands can this bloodline shine with the brilliance it deserves!"

Huo Yuhao folded his hands behind his back, smiling. His eyes shimmered as he fully unleashed his clairvoyant technique.

Two beams of golden light burst from his eyes, transforming into golden arrows that shot directly toward the Black Tortoise projection.

The projection, which was guarding the Xu family's territory, let out a cry of pain as it was struck. Its heavy form was forced to lift slightly, allowing Huo Yuhao to finally glimpse the true state of the town within.

"As expected—Title Douluos!" Huo Yuhao smiled with satisfaction.

The stronger the soul master, the more potent their bloodline. The bloodline of a single Title Douluo with Black Tortoise heritage would be enough for Huo Yuhao to forge a soul ring of vital blood and essence.

And the Xuanming Sect had more than just one Title Douluo.

With the aid of the Xuan Shui Pill, which enhanced soul master aptitude, and the powerful Black Tortoise bloodline, the Xuanming Sect's foundations were far deeper than the outside world could have guessed.

Due to the interconnected flow of fate, the moment the Black Tortoise projection was attacked, two Title Douluos inside the Xu family compound sensed it. A wave of dread washed over them.

Though they didn't yet understand what had happened, both became highly alert and immediately moved to investigate.

From their nearly identical appearances, it was clear they were blood brothers—tall, imposing men with square jaws and strong features. Their names were Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi.

This time, Huo Yuhao didn't choose to attack from the shadows.

It was high noon.

With a flick of his hand, a black cloak enveloped him, covering his face and leaving only his strange red-and-blue eyes exposed, glowing with eerie light.

With a single step, he appeared directly above the Xu family's stronghold, instantly drawing the attention of the two Title Douluos.

The brothers sensed the arrival of a powerful enemy and immediately connected it to the uneasy feeling from moments ago—they knew an enemy was upon them.

And what was worse, this enemy had arrived openly—in broad daylight!

"Alert!"

"Defensive formation!"

The two Title Douluos rose into the sky, immediately activating their martial soul possessions to confront the invader.

Both possessed Black Tortoise martial souls, having fully awakened their ancestral bloodlines.

And both were Super Douluos above rank 95.

However, while they had the best possible soul ring configurations, they did not possess any 100,000-year soul rings.

The members of the Xu family within the town didn't know what was going on, but the urgency with which the two Title Douluos acted told them that something major was happening.

The Xu family patriarch immediately ordered the activation of the soul tool defenses. A massive protective barrier enveloped the compound, shielding everyone inside.

High above, Huo Yuhao looked down with admiration. "Fitting for turtle-kin—you really do excel at defense."

The two Title Douluos, infuriated by his words, still suppressed their rage out of caution.

The elder brother, Xu Tianyi, solemnly demanded, "Who are you? What business do you have with the Xu family?"

Huo Yuhao's ability to stand midair made it clear—this man was certainly a Title Douluo. And the fact that he'd found this place meant there was no point in pretending otherwise. They might as well confront the matter directly.

If this was a misunderstanding, perhaps they could solve it with compensation.

But if the man had come with malice, they would strike him down outside their ancestral land—to show the world that the Black Tortoise was not only a creature of defense, but of crashing waves and violent fury.

In response, Huo Yuhao calmly said, "You may call me Compassionate Demon. I've come to borrow something from the Xu family."

"What do you want?" asked Xu Diyi.

"The Black Tortoise bloodline," Huo Yuhao replied with a smile in his voice.

Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi instantly realized they were being mocked. Worse, this man had set his sights on their very bloodline!

"An evil soul master?!"

"You seek death!"

The brothers shouted, then moved in unison. One from the left, one from the right—launching a synchronized pincer attack.

Their martial soul possessions resembled that of Xu Sanshi: their bodies grew larger, and their arms bore powerful shields. But theirs were far mightier—the Black Tortoise Shields, exuding a chilling, oppressive aura.

Water and earth attribute soul power radiated from the shields. The water sought to bind Huo Yuhao's movements while the earth element reinforced the shield's smashing force.

Their coordination doubled the effectiveness of both control and offense.

Born of the same mother, the brothers shared an intuitive bond, cultivated further by years of training together. Their combination attacks had reached perfection. As rank 96 Super Douluos, their joint power far exceeded a simple sum of their strength.

Yet even faced with such a powerful assault, Huo Yuhao didn't dodge—instead, he chose to meet it head-on.

"Let me see just how far you've taken the development of your Black Tortoise bloodline!"

He raised his hand and clenched his fist. A deep, shadowy black covered his arm and hand. Just looking at it stirred a primal sense of dread in the heart.

"Demonic Advent of the World—"

"Demon-Slaying Smash!"

No ice. No poison. Just pure, raw, physical force.

As his fist struck toward Xu Tianyi, the water-based soul power binding him shattered instantly.

Xu Tianyi didn't panic. He shifted to defense, raising his Black Tortoise Shield to guard himself.

Meanwhile, Xu Diyi seized the moment, speeding up to strike Huo Yuhao from the side. These shields weren't just for defense—they could strike with overwhelming force as well.

But what they hadn't expected… was the sheer might of that punch.

The earth-attribute soul power coating the Black Tortoise Shield shattered on contact—it couldn't even slightly resist the blow. Huo Yuhao's fist smashed into the shield with a deep, resonant boom.

Behind the shield, Xu Tianyi's face flushed red instantly.

At the same time, Xu Diyi brought his own Black Tortoise Shield crashing into Huo Yuhao.

"Suppress!"

Boom—!!

A thunderous explosion rang out across the sky.

"Did it work?"

Xu Tianyi fixed his gaze on Huo Yuhao's figure, but before he could even show a hint of joy, he realized something was wrong—Huo Yuhao hadn't moved an inch.

From Xu Tianyi's perspective, he clearly saw Huo Yuhao casually raise his other hand and effortlessly block Xu Diyi's full-powered strike.

Xu Tianyi's eyes widened in disbelief, a surge of fear welling up from deep within.

But Huo Yuhao only looked calmly at Xu Tianyi's Black Tortoise Shield, almost as if complimenting it. "As expected of a martial soul with the Black Tortoise bloodline. Its defense really is formidable."

That punch should have been enough to shatter the carapace of a hundred-thousand-year defensive-type soul beast, and yet, it hadn't broken through the Black Tortoise Shield.

It was then that Huo Yuhao realized—the shield didn't just boast high defense, it also had a devouring effect, capable of absorbing part of the incoming attack. This helped reduce the pressure on Xu Tianyi, allowing him to withstand the blow.

Xu Tianyi, however, was in no mood to care about Huo Yuhao's commentary.

"How… How could I feel fear?!"

He quickly realized that the fear he was feeling wasn't normal. Even if Xu Diyi's attack had failed, it shouldn't have struck such dread into him.

Naturally, it was the effect of Demonic Dominion.

Though Huo Yuhao hadn't broken the Black Tortoise Shield, the will imbued in his Demonic Dominion ability had penetrated it and reached Xu Tianyi.

Just like Sovereign's Dominion, Demonic Dominion carries the user's willpower—but fear is merely the beginning of Demonic Dominion's effect.

"RAAAHHH!!"

Realizing something was off, Xu Tianyi let out a furious roar. His soul power surged wildly, and his black seventh soul ring flared to life. "True Black Tortoise Form!"

A massive phantom of a Black Tortoise emerged behind him, then fused into the shield. The shield grew to two meters wide, the tortoise figure on its surface becoming vivid and lifelike. Thick black radiance burst from it, and an abyss-like soul power ripple spread outward, accompanied by a ferocious aura.

The will of the Black Tortoise had awakened—allowing Xu Tianyi to shake off the fear induced by Demonic Dominion.

Seeing his brother activate his Martial Soul True Body, Xu Diyi didn't question it—he immediately followed suit and did the same.

Without exchanging a word, the brothers moved in perfect sync. Their first six soul rings fused together into a single, even darker ten-thousand-year soul ring, which merged into their Black Tortoise Shields, causing the shields to expand further. The tortoises on the shields looked more alive than ever—almost as if they were about to step out from the shields.

"Black Tortoise Roar!" ×2

The brothers shouted in unison.

From both shields, the tortoises let out mighty roars aimed directly at Huo Yuhao.

This was a bloodline-innate soul skill of the Black Tortoise, allowing multiple soul rings to be fused and their ages enhanced to release new abilities.

Black Tortoise Roar enlarges the shield, enhancing its defense and devouring abilities while significantly weakening the opponent's soul power. Furthermore, the sound-based attack causes the target to lose consciousness for three seconds, immobilizing them as if caught in the stickiest mire.

This area-of-effect ability landed squarely on Huo Yuhao—who made no attempt to dodge.

Joy flickered in the brothers' eyes, cursing Huo Yuhao's arrogance and carelessness.

Though the combo didn't extend the control duration, it greatly strengthened the control effect, essentially achieving absolute control.

Three seconds of absolute control was more than enough for the brothers to unleash a fatal move. Even a Limit Douluo would be hard-pressed to escape unscathed.

The moment Huo Yuhao was hit by the Black Tortoise Roar, the brothers exchanged a glance. One shot upward, the other downward, trapping Huo Yuhao between them as they simultaneously activated their ninth soul rings.

"Ninth Soul Skill—Black Tortoise Domain!" ×2

 "Domain Fusion Skill—"

"Heaven and Earth, Black Tortoise Imperial Overlord!"

Both ninth rings were at the 90,000-year level, originating from the same kind of soul beast, granting them identical domain-type abilities: the Black Tortoise Domain.

Thanks to their innate telepathic connection, the brothers had trained together for years, and finally developed this soul ring fusion skill—a domain fusion technique.

The twin domains expanded and overlapped, rotating around Huo Yuhao. At the intersection of the two domains, a terrifying power emerged—

—a power capable of annihilating everything.

The enemy trapped in the center would be ground into nothing, then devoured by the power of the Black Tortoise, leaving no trace behind.

But Huo Yuhao just adjusted his black robe, muttering, "Whew, that was close. Almost revealed my identity."

Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi stared, wide-eyed in disbelief. Not only had Huo Yuhao broken free from their absolute control early, but he remained completely unaffected by their fusion attack.

No—it wasn't just that. Their attack couldn't even get near him.

Around Huo Yuhao, a layer of black soul power surrounded him—imbued with devouring properties.

The 300,000-year Abyssal Demon Dragon Torso Bone—Soul Bone Skill: Devouring Domain!

Huo Yuhao's devouring force far surpassed the Black Tortoise's innate devouring. It actually reversed the fusion attack, devouring it instead.

Part of the stolen power fused into the soul bone, extending its age. The rest flowed into Huo Yuhao, temporarily stored for later conversion into soul power or to enhance his next attack.

"You two have quite the technique—it gave me some inspiration. Make sure to teach me that combo later."

"As for now… I have a move quite similar to your Black Tortoise Roar, one that also draws strength from soul rings. I've enhanced and modified it. Shall we compare notes?"

Huo Yuhao raised his hand. A terrifying devouring force gathered in his palm. Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi immediately sensed something was wrong.

Their soul rings began to tremble.

And as they were still channeling their ninth soul skill, their soul power was uncontrollably siphoned—drawn into Huo Yuhao's palm like a stream.

"What is this technique?!"

"He can extract power from our soul rings?!"

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "This is—Ring Devour!"

A secret technique passed down from the Gluttonous Douluo Xuanzi—the Ring Devour Art. Huo Yuhao had taken it further, developing it into a skill that could devour the power of others' soul rings.

Though it currently only worked on soul rings that were actively in use, there was still room for improvement.

But for now—it was more than enough.

The power meant to obliterate Huo Yuhao was drawn into his hand, compressed and condensed in his palm.

Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi tried to cancel the fusion, but once the Ring Devour Art was activated, they had no way to resist.

"Secret Art of Ring Devour—Heaven-Demonic Transformation!"

Black soul power burst from Huo Yuhao's palm, expanding into a massive domain like a heaven-darkening demonic shroud, engulfing Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi.

They immediately tried to flee, only to discover they were being pulled in by a force they couldn't resist, dragged toward the center of the domain.

All they could do was struggle with all their might—only to watch helplessly as the black domain surged ever closer.

A deep, soul-crushing despair rose in their hearts.

"Wh-what is that?"

"Such a terrifying aura!"

"That's not Xuanwu's power! That's demonic... it's a demon!!"

A black power swallowed the sky. What had once been the calming aura of Xuanwu that comforted the soul masters of the Xuanming Sect now filled them with dread like a demonic presence.

At this moment, everything fell utterly silent.

Everyone lifted their heads, staring blankly at the darkness in the sky, as though their very souls had been seized.

The black domain, once expanded to the limit, slowly began to retract until it vanished completely. The sky returned to its clear and bright state, yet the soul masters at the Xu Family's compound below remained frozen, unable to recover from the shock.

Thud—

Someone finally collapsed to the ground, trembling, and gasped,

"We... we survived!"

But no one noticed that among those who had seen that black power—especially the weakest among them—their eyes had begun to darken, showing a deeper blackness, and their minds were starting to unravel.

Meanwhile, a new figure appeared in the sky, undiminished by the earlier attack.

It was an old man—gaunt and shriveled, with only sparse white hair remaining. His skin clung tightly to his large bones, making him look like a skeleton barely cloaked in flesh. He looked frail, like a gust of wind could blow him away. And yet, he stood in mid-air, exuding a deep, ocean-like aura—silent but terrifying.

The old man had shielded the brothers Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi—it was he who had saved them.

Having narrowly escaped death, the two brothers trembled and hurriedly gave thanks.

"Thank you for saving us, Ancestor!" ×2

Indeed, this old man was none other than the Xu Family Ancestor.

However, although he had saved them, the two brothers were far from unharmed. Their ninth soul rings had dimmed considerably, no longer radiating with power. It was clear their ninth rings had been drained dry, leaving them unable to use those powers again until they recovered.

The Xu Ancestor ignored the brothers, instead locking eyes with Huo Yuhao. He opened his mouth with difficulty and said,

"Terrifying... willpower."

Every word he uttered seemed to take all his strength. His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, yet Huo Yuhao understood exactly what he meant.

The attack Huo Yuhao had unleashed moments ago had been created by absorbing the power of the Xu brothers' martial soul fusion skill. At its core, it was still Xuanwu's power.

What had truly terrified the people below was the will that Huo Yuhao had infused into that power.

It was the will of a Demon Descending upon the World!

Just witnessing it struck fear into people's hearts.

The Xu Ancestor was in awe of Huo Yuhao's terrifying willpower.

To be able to borrow another's power and still inject his own will into it—this was a technique the Xu Ancestor had never even heard of before. But it made Huo Yuhao's danger all the more evident.

Even back in the day, Mu En could only infuse his own will into his own techniques, branding defeated foes with it—and that alone earned him universal praise. Yet now, Huo Yuhao had clearly surpassed even Mu En.

As Huo Yuhao studied the Xu Ancestor, he couldn't help but remark in amazement,

"Truly a stubborn old turtle... you really can live."

He had clearly seen that the Xu Ancestor had lived for over 300 years, well beyond the lifespan limit of a titled Douluo in this era.

"You—!"

"How dare you!"

Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi glared at Huo Yuhao, ready to strike, but the Xu Ancestor raised his hand to stop them—preventing them from throwing their lives away.

"Evacuate... the clan," the Xu Ancestor ordered the two brothers without even turning around.

The brothers were stunned.

The Ancestor... was ordering them to retreat with the entire clan?!

 Did this mean that even he wasn't confident in defeating the enemy?

Xu Diyi was about to speak, but Xu Tianyi shook his head, tears brimming in his tiger-like eyes. Bowing deeply, he choked out,

"Please rest assured, Ancestor. My brother and I will protect the clan with our lives!"

Xu Diyi also bowed.

The Xu Ancestor nodded in satisfaction, revealing a chilling smile.

"None of you are leaving," Huo Yuhao suddenly said. "Why don't you look down below?"

His words startled the three of them, shattering the solemn atmosphere. They looked down at the Xu Family's compound—

—only to see utter chaos.

All disciples below Soul Sage level, regardless of age or gender, were howling and weeping like lunatics throughout the town, as if driven mad by terror.

The soul masters above Soul Sage level were trying to subdue them, but they couldn't bring them back to their senses. It was complete mayhem.

Even more terrifying—those higher-level soul masters were starting to show the same symptoms.

It was like a virus spreading. If it wasn't stopped, the entire Xu Family would eventually succumb to madness.

But not everyone was like Xu Tianyi, who could use Xuanwu's will to dispel the fear.

The Xu Ancestor's eyes widened in fury. He immediately realized—it was Huo Yuhao's will that had affected the Xu Family.

He had completely underestimated Huo Yuhao.

To think he could affect so many people from a distance!

BOOM—

The Xu Ancestor's immense soul power exploded, blasting the brothers away—not to hurt them, but to push them aside.

"Go!" he growled, and without another word, launched himself at Huo Yuhao.

Two yellow, two purple, four black, one red—nine soul rings appeared around him. He was a Level 99 Ultimate Douluo.

But even among Ultimate Douluo, there were levels.

Mu En had already stepped into the half-god realm. This Xu Ancestor, by contrast, was barely at the threshold of that realm. He was like a dying flame—only a fleeting burst of power remained.

Having extended his life a full century past his limit, the price he paid was immense. His Xuanwu bloodline had allowed him to cling to life, but it had drained his vitality over the years.

Frankly, there wasn't much blood left to drain—but within him still resided the Xuanwu essence and soul cultivated over 300 years—something unmatched by any other in the Xu Family.

The Xu Ancestor knew he had only one shot.

So he unleashed his ultimate, self-sacrificing technique:

"Xuan! Wu! Descends!!"

Boom!

He exploded into a cloud of blood mist. His martial soul transformed into black water that devoured all nine of his soul rings. After absorbing the blood mist, the black water turned red. From it, a hundred-meter-long, blood-red Xuanwu emerged, exuding an earth-shattering aura.

This was the final ritual of the Xuanwu Martial Soul—Xuanwu Descends!

A technique that demanded a life as sacrifice to unleash—usually the enemy's life. But the Xu Ancestor had no choice. He sacrificed himself to activate it.

After this technique, nothing of the Xu Ancestor would remain—not even a corpse.

Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi were shaken by the aura of Xuanwu Descends. Looking back, they saw the blood-red beast crawling out of the blood water. They immediately knew what had happened.

Tears poured from their eyes, but they dared not stop. They raced back toward the town, intending to lead the clan's elite to safety.

They couldn't save everyone—so they would save those who could preserve the family's future.

Huo Yuhao, seeing the massive blood-red Xuanwu rushing toward him, grew excited.

"Never seen prey turn itself into a blood smoothie before!"

The blood-colored Xuanwu was a pure energy construct—formed from blood, soul power, Xuanwu bloodline, Xuanwu power, and the Xuanwu Martial Soul. It embodied the Xu Ancestor's final, peak attack.

Unfortunately, that peak still only amounted to a casual effort for Huo Yuhao.

"Hahaha! Excellent—come, join the evolution of my bloodline!!"

Huo Yuhao laughed wildly, offering no defense. He opened his arms—and the robe covering his chest tore apart. Beneath it, his flesh split vertically like a demonic maw, from which countless snow lotus tendrils shot forth, lashing toward the blood-colored Xuanwu.

At the same time, his eyes turned pale white—the power of the Soul-Seizing Eyes.

Within the blood-colored Xuanwu, the Xu Ancestor's soul felt like a moth drawn to a flame.

He tried to resist—but it was already too late.

"What... are... you?!"

Root-like tendrils extended from the flesh of Huo Yuhao's chest like tentacles, tightly wrapping around the colossal, hundred-meter-long blood-colored Xuanwu, stabbing deep into its body. They mercilessly siphoned the power from within the blood-colored Xuanwu — eerie and monstrous.

Within the blood-colored Xuanwu, the soul of the Xu Family Patriarch was trapped under the gaze of Huo Yuhao's Soul-Seizing Eye, unable to resist or command the Xuanwu anymore.

The majestic descent of the Xuanwu — the ultimate ritual of the Xuanwu Martial Soul — had become nothing more than a feast for Huo Yuhao to devour, like a lamb to the slaughter.

It was a total domination in strength and cultivation. To Huo Yuhao, the Xu Patriarch was like a turtle stew on the dining table — no chance of flipping over anymore.

As the pure power and bloodline of the Xuanwu surged into Huo Yuhao's body, his own Xuanwu bloodline began to rapidly evolve and boil with newfound vitality.

Even the totemic visualization of the Xuanwu in his spiritual sea stirred restlessly, letting out a sky-shaking roar, black radiance emanating from its form.

Amidst this black radiance, golden light emerged, and gradually, black and gold fused together — transforming into a noble, deep black-gold hue.

That golden glow originated from the Golden Hawksbill Turtle that had possessed the visualized Xuanwu. The Hawksbill itself was experiencing an overwhelming sense of bliss.

"Ohhhh, Turtle, Turtle—I'm coming!!!"

With the advancement of the visualized Xuanwu, the Golden Hawksbill Turtle began to metamorphose toward the form of a true Xuanwu, evolving both in bloodline and strength.

The Golden Hawksbill was ecstatic beyond belief!

Nearby, the Skydream Iceworm wore an expression of pure disgust. "You're a male turtle! Why the hell are you moaning like that?! You're spiritual pollution! Don't contaminate Brother Hao's spiritual sea!"

But the Hawksbill was so overwhelmed with pleasure that it couldn't even muster the energy to respond.

Tianlong, floating to the side, looked stunned. "Wait… was I like that back then too?"

In truth, Tianlong had been the first to evolve through a totemic visualization — transforming from the Heavenly Dragon Horse into the Tianlong. But he had forgotten whether he had acted like that back then. Now he began to suspect that it might've been so euphoric that it wiped his memory.

Thankfully, Skydream Iceworm quickly clarified, "Nah, you were smooth and majestic. Totally badass. Nothing like that pervy little turtle."

"Oh, good. That's a relief." Tianlong settled down and returned to cultivating alongside his visualized self.

Ever since being brainwashed by Huo Yuhao, Tianlong's loyalty had maxed out. For Huo Yuhao's sake, he had never slacked in his cultivation.

The visualized White Tiger, meanwhile, simply yawned. He found all of this noise annoying. Of all Huo Yuhao's totemic visualizations, he was the only one not enhanced by an external spirit — he was tied directly to Huo Yuhao's bloodline. As such, his growth was also the most impressive.

Outside, in the real world:

As the visualized Xuanwu and Golden Hawksbill evolved, all of the absorbed bloodline and Xuanwu energy was fully refined by Huo Yuhao. His Vital Blood Soul Rings began to materialize around him.

The White Tiger projection appeared. White Tiger bloodline —

 First Soul Ring: White Tiger Transformation!

 Second Soul Ring: Tiger God Transformation!

The Tianlong projection replaced the White Tiger. Tianlong bloodline —

 Third Soul Ring: Tianlong Transformation!

 Fourth Soul Ring: Dragon Saint Transformation!

The Tianlong projection vanished, and the fifth soul ring slowly condensed, accompanied by the appearance of the Xuanwu projection.

Fifth Soul Ring: Xuanwu Transformation!

The dark phantom of Xuanwu appeared on Huo Yuhao's body — but it wasn't the black of a typical Xuanwu Martial Soul, nor the blood-red of the descended Xuanwu. It was a noble and profound black-gold.

Seeing this, the Xu Patriarch realized with horror that Huo Yuhao possessed the terrifying ability to devour others' bloodlines and fuse them into himself.

There was no doubt — this was the power of an evil soul master!

The Xu Patriarch even began to wonder — had Huo Yuhao's White Tiger and Tianlong bloodlines also been stolen this way?

But he could do nothing now. The blood-colored Xuanwu had already been drained dry. And his remaining soul could no longer withstand the pressure of the Soul-Seizing Eye.

As the blood-colored Xuanwu faded away, the Xu Patriarch's soul was seized, devoured, and obliterated by Huo Yuhao.

Fragments of his memories floated into Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, where the now-enlarged visualized Xuanwu slowly opened its mouth and devoured them piece by piece.

Now, the visualized Xuanwu's size rivaled the White Tiger and Tianlong, and its aura was equally imposing.

By devouring the memory fragments, Huo Yuhao inherited the Xu Patriarch's three centuries of cultivation experience with the Xuanwu Martial Soul.

Among these memories were hidden knowledge of the Xu Family, martial techniques derived from the Xuanwu bloodline, and even… the experience of the Patriarch awakening his Xuanwu Martial Soul back in the day.

Let's just say… the Patriarch's woman was very satisfying.

With the Xu Patriarch dead, Huo Yuhao turned his gaze toward the chaotic town below.

Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi, the two brothers, attempted to flee with the Xu Family elites — but even now, they hadn't managed to escort a single member out.

That was because surrounding the town were legions of ghosts, watching hungrily. Dark clouds shrouded the town, shielding the ghosts from the hated sunlight — and weighing heavily on the Xu Family's spirits. The chilling aura from the ghosts made no one dare to step outside.

Even Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi didn't dare move rashly. They could sense that among the ghostly ranks were terrifying presences equal to their own.

If they fell, the Xu Family would have no future.

Though the town had secret escape tunnels, there were ghosts capable of burrowing underground — the tunnels had already become death traps.

The speed at which Huo Yuhao had slain the Patriarch had far exceeded all expectations, plunging the Xu Family into despair.

In desperation, Xu Tianyi and Xu Diyi made their choice.

It was their turn to give their lives for the family.

"Xuanwu Descent!" ×2

The brothers detonated their physical bodies, transforming into two massive blood-colored Xuanwu, then surged forward in a tide of blood, sweeping up the clan's elite and charging into the ghost horde — determined to carve a bloody path out.

But Huo Yuhao did not act.

Because the ghosts wouldn't permit it.

Three terrifying auras locked onto the two blood-colored Xuanwu. Three powerful beast souls appeared:

Zi Ji (Purple Empress)

Xiao Bai (Little White)

Ice Empress

Behind them stood dozens of 100,000-year-old soul beast spirits.

This overwhelming scene stunned the brothers into paralysis. They had never seen a 100,000-year-old soul beast in their lives — now, they were faced with dozens, including some that surpassed even that terrifying threshold.

In the next moment, the ghost horde let out a monstrous howl — and swallowed the entire town.

The town's soul tool defenses were useless against the ghosts. Not only because the ghosts were powerful, but because, as Huo Yuhao discovered, these large-scale soul devices had no ghost-repelling capabilities whatsoever.

Huo Yuhao didn't bother paying further attention to the town. Instead, he looked toward Xuanwu City, where dozens of figures were flying toward him — reinforcements from Xuanwu City and the Xuanming Sect had arrived.

But they didn't yet realize…

 They were just moths to a flame.

One day later.

Shrek Academy.

A speed-type Soul Douluo from the Douling Empire hurried to Shrek City. Upon landing, his legs gave out and he nearly collapsed to the ground. He had pushed himself to the limit in order to deliver a message, ignoring his own energy reserves along the way.

The Soul Douluo was quickly received by the Academy staff and brought into the inner compound. The message he delivered caused a stir throughout the Sea God's Pavilion.

Another Sea God's Pavilion meeting was convened!

Inner court disciple Xu Sanshi was summoned to the Sea God's Pavilion—and was even granted the rare privilege to sit in on the meeting.

At first, Xu Sanshi was utterly confused.

Until Elder Zhuang relayed the intelligence brought by the Soul Douluo from the Douling Empire.

"The Xuanming Sect of the Douling Empire was slaughtered by the evil soul master Compassionate Demon. Their bodies were taken. Only a few disciples who were away survived. None remained alive at the Xu Clan's estate. Total annihilation."

Upon hearing this report, Xu Sanshi stood up on the spot despite being in the Pavilion meeting, shouting loudly, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" He even forced a smile. "Elders, you can't be joking about something like this just to mess with me. I know I'm a simp, but I'm not an idiot."

However, no one rebuked him.

Because everyone present understood Xu Sanshi's reaction all too well.

How desperately he must've hoped the news was false.

The elders could do nothing but remain silent.

As he looked around and saw everyone's grim and serious faces, Xu Sanshi finally realized this was no joke.

Had anyone else told him, he might still want to verify it. But these were the top powerhouses of the Douluo Continent—elders of the Sea God's Pavilion. They had no reason, nor need, to lie to him.

"Is… is this real?"

He didn't shout anymore. He simply stared blankly at everyone and slumped back into his chair, legs weak.

But inside his body, his soul power began to churn violently—unstable and surging, like a barrel of gunpowder on the verge of exploding. His mental state had clearly fallen into disarray.

Elder Zhuang suddenly made a move. A gentle wave of soul power surged toward Xu Sanshi, putting him into a deep sleep and gradually calming his energy. With a sigh, he said, "Let's hope this doesn't leave a heart demon in him."

The elders all nodded solemnly.

They understood all too well.

Some soul masters had fallen to darkness, becoming evil soul masters, simply due to overwhelming negative emotions.

And what could be more devastating than watching one's entire family be slaughtered?

"Elder Zhuang, I'll leave Xu Sanshi in your care for the next few days," said Yan Shaozhe.

"Of course," Zhuang replied, sighing again. As a healing-type soul master, this kind of tragedy was particularly difficult for him to witness.

Afterward, the Pavilion elders began to discuss how they should respond to the incident.

Shrek Academy had long been investigating Compassionate Demon, especially since his first known act had been the assassination of inner court disciple Dai Yueheng.

That tragedy had been a loss and humiliation not only to the Duke White Tiger's household, but also to Shrek Academy. Both parties had issued bounty orders and dispatched investigators, but no clues had ever been found.

Now that Compassionate Demon had resurfaced, even stronger than before—daring to wipe out the entire Xuanming Sect—he was courting death.

Shrek Academy wouldn't let this slide, nor would the Douling Empire.

The Xuanming Sect wasn't just any hidden sect. They were a powerful force allied with the Douling royal family—many intermarriages had occurred between them. For example, Xu Sanshi's mother was of royal blood.

That meant Compassionate Demon hadn't only killed Xuanming Sect members—he had killed members of the Douling royal family.

"Since Xu Sanshi is one of Shrek Academy's inner court disciples, the Academy must stand up for him," said Elder Song with fury in her voice.

Elder Lin nodded. "Agreed. I will personally go to the Douling Empire. Compassionate Demon must pay for this with his life."

He then added, "Perhaps there are surviving disciples of the Xuanming Sect or members of the Xu family still out there. I'll take Xu Sanshi back to the Empire and help him assume leadership of the family's forces. No one touches what belongs to our Academy's disciples!"

All the elders nodded in agreement.

But Elder Lin wasn't finished.

He turned to Yan Shaozhe and said, "Shaozhe, keep a closer eye on Xu Sanshi in the future. That poor child only has the Academy to rely on now."

"Yes, Elder Lin," Yan Shaozhe replied earnestly.

Now, Xu Sanshi was no longer the heir of the Xuanming Sect, but its sole surviving descendant. With his bloodline and innate talent…

He was exactly the kind of disciple Shrek Academy needed.

The news of the Xuanming Sect's annihilation spread like wildfire across the entire continent.

After all, the Xuanming Sect wasn't some unknown reclusive clan.

At the same time, the name Compassionate Demon also swept across the land.

All major powers now knew that there was such a ruthless figure lurking in the Douluo Continent—likely an evil soul master. Many forces who were either weaker than or on par with the Xuanming Sect were now in a state of panic.

Here we're referring to the public strength of the Xuanming Sect.

Even the Sun Moon Empire and Holy Spirit Church had heard of the incident.

They were already beginning to think about how to win Compassionate Demon over.

The Body Sect also received the news.

"Red and blue light in both eyes?"

Immortal Poison and the other elders stared at the intelligence report and then at each other. That description sounded oddly familiar.

"Isn't that freaking Huo Yuhao?!"

"Sect Master, what should we do?" the Goldbody Elder asked worriedly.

Immortal Poison rolled his eyes. "What else? Just act like we don't know. Are we supposed to fight him? Or thank him for not killing us? If he didn't finish us off, it's obviously because we're still useful to him. If we want to survive, we better keep getting stronger."

By the end, even Immortal Poison sounded depressed. When had the once-proud him started living by someone else's mercy?

The other elders looked at each other again and reluctantly agreed. The Sect Master had a point. Not just the elders—even the disciples had to stay sharp and train harder!

Boom! Surge! Power spike!

Huo Yuhao rose to his feet after absorbing all the bloodline power, feeling incomparably strengthened. His physique felt tougher—his body bulkier.

The Xuanwu bloodline had drastically improved his physical strength and defense.

Now, six golden blood-energy soul rings revolved around his body, representing his Xuanwu bloodline—which had now evolved to a new level. He could finally consider merging the remaining Phoenix bloodline.

He exhaled slowly, his soul power returning completely into his body, not a trace leaking out—a testament to his absolute control.

At the moment, Huo Yuhao was in a secret chamber beneath the Xu Clan's estate.

No one would've expected him to be hiding right at the crime scene. Even now, there were soldiers of the Douling Empire guarding above.

This secret chamber had once belonged to the Xu Clan's ancestor for secluded cultivation. It not only masked life force and extended lifespan, but also contained several unique secrets.

It was only after Huo Yuhao absorbed the ancestor's memory fragments that he learned of its existence.

The Xuanming Sect's true value wasn't just in the Xuanwu bloodline or fortune, but in the hidden secrets it kept.

Huo Yuhao knocked on the walls in a specific sequence, activating a special soul device. A hidden tunnel entrance opened in the center of the chamber.

Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao stepped inside.

The tunnel closed behind him.