soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

The four bandits each possessed a different martial spirit: jackal, goose, rooster, and duck. All four of them were assault-type battle soul masters, forming a berserker squad.

Aside from the leader's jackal spirit, which had a faint trace of darkness attribute and barely qualified as a high-grade spirit, the other three had only mid-grade spirits with no special abilities.

Compared to Zhang Lexuan's top-tier martial spirit, the Moon, the bandits were outclassed from the start—not by a little, but by a vast margin.

Moreover, the bandits' soul power levels were lower than Zhang Lexuan's, and none of them had optimal soul ring configurations. Altogether, the four only had six ten-thousand-year black soul rings combined.

If the bandit leader hadn't immediately activated his Martial Soul Avatar, Zhang Lexuan wouldn't even have needed to summon her martial spirit—she could've taken all four down using just her own strength.

Once Zhang Lexuan did unleash her martial spirit's power, even with the leader using his Martial Soul Avatar, he no longer had a chance.

Zhang Lexuan didn't use her Martial Soul Avatar. She merely activated the power of her first three soul rings.

A full moon rose above her head.

Her eyes shimmered with silver light, and her first, second, and third soul rings lit up simultaneously.

In the sky, the full moon began to fire beams of moonlight like a soul tool launching soul-ray projectiles—over and over again.

Her first three soul skills formed a combo attack.

Most of the moonlight beams locked onto the jackal avatar, while a smaller number struck the remaining three bandits.

Even though the attacks were split, the result was still impressive.

The jackal avatar unleashed its inner dark attribute, and its first six soul rings alternated rapidly, repeatedly launching its six soul skills. The Martial Soul Avatar enhanced all six skills, allowing it to hold back the moonlight assault—for a while.

Even so, it couldn't block everything. Several beams of moonlight still hit the jackal avatar, forcing it to fall back, step by step.

As for the other three Soul Emperor–level bandits, they were in a much worse state. Unable to withstand the incoming moonlight, their martial souls offered some protection, but their flesh-and-blood bodies couldn't take the damage. In mere moments, all three were injured.

"We can't hold on any longer!"

"Boss, we're retreating! Catch up if you can!"

"Thanks for covering our escape!"

Without waiting for orders, the three bandits fled the scene, abandoning their leader.

They weren't blood brothers, after all—no need to die together. They could just find a new boss later.

Zhang Lexuan's eyes narrowed. She had no intention of letting them escape.

She diverted more moonlight toward the fleeing trio.

Now focused solely on escape, they couldn't even defend themselves. Moonlight struck them directly, and in screams of agony, they were disintegrated by the glowing beams.

Meanwhile, the jackal avatar seized the moment while Zhang Lexuan was distracted and turned to flee at high speed.

But Zhang Lexuan wasn't about to let him go either.

Her fourth soul ring glowed.

With a flick of her hand, the full moon in the sky split into a lunar projection, like a silver disc, which she hurled forward.

Swish—

The silver disc flew out, gleaming coldly.

The jackal avatar let out a howl as one of its hind legs was severed. Still, it didn't stop, limping away on three legs into the forest.

Zhang Lexuan flashed over to the severed limb. The spirit power in it faded, revealing the severed human leg of the bandit leader.

"Did he dodge it?"

Zhang Lexuan had aimed for the jackal's neck. She hadn't expected him to sacrifice a leg to avoid the fatal blow.

Such ruthless decisiveness—he couldn't be left alive!

Without hesitation, Zhang Lexuan gave chase.

A mere Soul Sage escaping from a Soul Douluo? Wishful thinking.

Sure enough, the jackal didn't make it far—just a few hundred meters before Zhang Lexuan cut him off. The full moon floated behind her as she raised her hand once again, conjuring another silver lunar disc.

The jackal avatar, weakened from injuries, couldn't maintain form. The bandit leader reverted to his human body, missing a leg, yet still stared at Zhang Lexuan with a jackal's ferocity. Not a hint of surrender—his soul power began to boil violently.

His body started to swell unnaturally.

"He's going to self-destruct!" Zhang Lexuan reacted instantly. With a flick of her finger, the silver disc shot out once more, slicing cleanly through the man's body.

Blood sprayed.

The bandit leader was now a 2.5-edition man.

Yet, even severed, his upper half continued the self-destruction.

"You should've aimed for my head!" he sneered, golden light flashing in his eyes.

BOOM!

A massive explosion shook the forest. The bandit leader self-destructed, leaving behind a crater. The blast was comparable to a high-level Soul Douluo's full-power strike.

But he didn't harm Zhang Lexuan. After all, he hadn't detonated right next to her.

Her soul power shield blocked the blast's aftermath.

A weakling's final attack couldn't even ruffle a strong opponent's robes. In this world, strength speaks loudest.

Still, Zhang Lexuan was intrigued—how did he self-destruct like that?

In Douluo Continent, not all soul masters could self-destruct. Typically, they could only blow up their martial spirit or reverse their soul power to die. True body self-destruction was more a hallmark of evil soul masters.

It was more common among soul beasts to detonate their essence.

Zhang Lexuan swept the battlefield thoroughly and collected several storage soul tools dropped by the bandit leader but found nothing unusual.

If he had been an evil soul master, perhaps she could've uncovered a lead on the Evil Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire, or even a clue about Death God Envoy and Bei Bei.

Unfortunately, no such luck. The bandit leader simply had a dark-attribute martial spirit—not an evil soul master.

The battle hadn't lasted long, but the explosion was loud. Worried it might attract Sun Moon Empire attention or high-level soul beasts, Zhang Lexuan departed quickly.

And she was right to worry.

She'd barely left the battlefield when she sensed a chilling danger creeping up on her—a primal instinct warning of mortal threat.

Her attacker wasn't hiding their malice. Zhang Lexuan sensed it immediately.

"Something dangerous has locked onto me… A soul beast?" she guessed.

A soul master would've hidden first. This open hostility smelled of a beast.

She kept her composure but raised her guard to the max.

When the attack came, Zhang Lexuan responded instantly.

A barrage of liquid projectiles shot out from the forest like bullets.

She summoned her martial spirit—not to dodge or defend, but to counterattack.

Her fifth soul ring lit up.

A golden crescent moon appeared, then split into a duplicate. The twin moons dropped from the sky like reapers' blades.

Fifth soul skill: Moonfall!

The golden crescent became a scythe of death. As it swept past, the liquid bullets shattered, the forest was decimated, and the enemy revealed.

It was… a half-meter tall giant beetle!

"What kind of soul beast is that?"

Zhang Lexuan didn't recognize the beetle that attacked her. She guessed it was a species unique to the Sun-Moon Continent. But she could tell this beetle soul beast wasn't easy to deal with—it was clearly powerful.

The beetle soul beast was at least over seventy thousand years old, as Zhang Lexuan could feel it posed a genuine threat. Her expression became noticeably more serious.

The beetle soul beast, realizing it had been exposed, didn't choose to flee. Instead, it raised its body, curled its abdomen, and aimed its rear at Zhang Lexuan—firing another round of that strange liquid.

Now Zhang Lexuan understood exactly where that previous liquid attack had come from.

Suddenly, she found this attack style... rather flavorful.

Still, Zhang Lexuan didn't just stand there. As the beetle launched its attack, she counterattacked.

She went straight for her sixth soul skill.

Above her head, the moon turned into a black full moon with only a silver ring at the outer edge, then emitted a beam of black light.

That black light was strong enough to melt a fifty-thousand-year soul beast!

Naturally, the corrosive liquid fired from the beetle was instantly vaporized, and the black light struck the beetle directly.

But to Zhang Lexuan's shock, her soul skill couldn't penetrate the beetle's shell. It remained unscathed and even began charging up for a new attack.

"What terrifying defense!" Zhang Lexuan was genuinely surprised.

The beetle's rear glowed again, gathering soul power like a soul cannon. A black beam of energy burst forth from its tail, aimed straight at Zhang Lexuan.

The power behind this shot was comparable to an eighth-grade soul cannon!

Zhang Lexuan didn't dare to take it head-on. She unleashed a burst of soul power from her feet, using a movement battle technique to instantly reposition herself ten meters away.

Shrek Academy also teaches battle techniques and self-created soul skills. Inner court students like Zhang Lexuan have access to those as well. She had even been personally guided by Mu En and had a solid grasp of battle techniques. However, she hadn't learned "Sovereign's Might," since she wasn't Mu En's personal disciple.

Shrek Academy still focused on traditional soul master training, so Zhang Lexuan mainly relied on her soul skills in combat.

Battle techniques served more as complementary tools.

Having dodged the beetle's blast, Zhang Lexuan attempted a counterattack.

But unexpectedly, the beetle twisted its rear mid-air, and the soul power cannonbeam turned mid-flight, chasing after her!

Zhang Lexuan was caught off guard and instantly in danger.

Remaining calm under pressure, she acted decisively.

"Seventh Soul Skill: Silver Moon True Form!"

Activating her Martial Soul True Body, she used it to defend against the attack.

Silver moonlight shimmered, dissolving all danger.

The beetle's blast melted into the silver moonlight, and Zhang Lexuan's figure vanished—only a brilliant silver moon hovered above the forest, making the entire area grow darker.

But her crisis wasn't over—in fact, it had only just begun.

From two different directions in the forest, more soul beasts were approaching.

Soon, two emerged from the trees.

One was a Silver-Striped Leopard, the other a Black Shadow Lion-Tiger.

Zhang Lexuan had never seen these species before, but one thing was clear: both were powerful beasts over seventy thousand years old.

Even more troubling, the three soul beasts didn't fight each other. Instead, they all locked onto Zhang Lexuan, itching to attack.

Her heart sank.

Once a soul beast reaches fifty thousand years, its intelligence is high. Coordinated attacks aren't out of the question.

After all, to soul beasts, humans are the true outsiders—the real enemy.

But Zhang Lexuan was fearless.

Even against a Titled Douluo, she had the strength to fight. Three soul beasts over seventy thousand years? She could take them on!

For Beibei's sake, no difficulty could stop her.

Zhang Lexuan wasn't just Beibei's fiancée—she was like a mother and elder sister to him. For Beibei, she would sacrifice everything.

What she didn't notice, however, was that all three soul beasts had faint golden glows in their eyes.

...

"Seventy-thousand-year Demon Cannon Beetle.

 Seventy-five-thousand-year Silver-Striped Ghost Leopard.

 Eighty-thousand-year Shadow Lion-Tiger Beast.

 Three variant soul beasts. I'm sure Eldest Senior Sister will enjoy herself."

In the shadows, Huo Yuhao chuckled.

That's right—all three soul beasts were under Huo Yuhao's control.

Each was a rare variant species, carefully selected by him.

The Demon Cannon Beetle was a mutated form of the Cannon Beetle. It had the ability to fire cannon-like soul power blasts and corrosive acid, much like a soul engineer. After mutation, it gained incredibly tough armor that made it resistant to most physical and soul attacks—a tank-class turret, essentially.

The Silver-Striped Ghost Leopard was a regional variant of the more commonly known Black-Striped Ghost Leopard from the Douluo Continent. Ordinary Ghost Leopards were more common, and even produced a Titled Douluo from the Spirit Hall a thousand years ago. But the silver variant—native to the Sun-Moon Continent—was faster, more powerful, and excelled in soul skill-based magical damage. A magic assassin type.

The Shadow Lion-Tiger Beast was a mutated Lion-Tiger Beast—originally a brute-force warrior type soul beast. After mutation, it inherited shadow powers and transformed into a high-speed assassin class beast.

All three were top-tier species—premium quality even on the Sun-Moon Continent.

After all, the soul beast resources of the Sun-Moon Continent were far scarcer than those of the Douluo Continent.

Even in the Mingdou Forest, high-tier beasts over eighty or ninety thousand years old were rare. Ten-thousand-year beasts were already hard to come by.

But this wasn't necessarily due to natural causes.

Given how soul masters in the Sun-Moon Empire heavily relied on alchemy and artificial boosters, the number of soul masters far exceeded those in the original Douluo Federation—and with that, demand for soul rings also skyrocketed.

Even if they only needed low-level rings, large sects often hunted juvenile soul beasts, resulting in excessive depletion of soul beast populations.

The scarcity of soul beasts likely stemmed from overconsumption.

In fact, the Sun-Moon Continent's situation was likely the future of the Douluo Continent—not only ahead in soul master systems, but also leading in ecological collapse.

The Mingdou Forest was one of the better areas, only because it was near the border and not a prime hunting ground for soul masters. Jingyang Mountains and the Demonic Forest were the real hotspots.

Watching Zhang Lexuan battling the three soul beasts, Huo Yuhao was calm, even amused. He had the leisure to contemplate the ecological evolution of the Sun-Moon Continent.

Zhang Lexuan, facing three powerful enemies, was being pushed back—yet she still hadn't used her tenth-thousand-year eighth soul skill.

Because for a Soul Douluo, using the eighth soul skill required huge energy consumption. She had to be absolutely sure before she would use it to end the fight in one blow.

There was no room for mistakes.

Finally, the Silver-Striped Ghost Leopard slipped up, taking a hit and exposing a weakness. Zhang Lexuan didn't hesitate.

She unleashed her trump card.

"Eighth Soul Skill: Moonlight Radiance!"

High above the forest, the Silver Moon True Body suddenly expanded.

The silvery-white radiance it emitted became even more dazzling, casting an incandescent glow that illuminated every detail below. In the blink of an eye, it swelled past a hundred meters in diameter, enveloping the three soul beasts beneath it entirely.

Then, the three soul beasts suddenly realized—the world around them had transformed into a white haze. Enshrouded by mist, their spiritual detection abilities failed. Even slipping into the shadows became impossible, leaving them nowhere to hide.

From afar, Huo Yuhao observed the scene.

The Silver Moon hung above the forest, veiled in misty white.

A picture of ethereal beauty—but one laced with peril.

Within that impenetrable fog, the scattered moonlight turned into a deadly poison, silently seeping into the three soul beasts' bodies.

This move was a group damage soul skill. The other ability of the eighth soul ring—Blood Moon Eclipse—was the powerful single-target skill.

But Zhang Lexuan was facing not just one soul beast, but a coordinated trio. She had to stall the others to prevent them from interfering while she struck a vulnerable Silver-Patterned Ghost Leopard.

Though a group skill, Zhang Lexuan expertly manipulated the soul power distribution—diverting a portion to disorient the other two beasts, while channeling the bulk of the damage at the Ghost Leopard.

Moonlight not only inflicted group damage, but was a sustained attack—it required time to fully activate.

Her plan unfolded smoothly. The mist disoriented the Magic Cannon Beetle and the Shadow Tiger-Lion Beast, leaving them unable to locate their target.

Then, she unleashed the brunt of the soul power at the Ghost Leopard.

Shrouded in white fog, the injured Ghost Leopard had no escape. Already weakened, its speed was hampered by wounds and the growing sense of danger from all directions. Under pressure, it snapped.

It chose to fight to the death.

All the silver markings on its body flared, sending its soul power into overdrive and boosting the strength of its abilities.

Silver Illusion Dance!

Blinded by the mist, the Ghost Leopard couldn't locate the Silver Moon True Body directly. So it turned into countless illusions, lashing out at the fog, trying to hit the real one.

The plan worked.

One illusion made contact with the True Body. In an instant, the real Ghost Leopard swapped with the illusion and launched a full-speed assault—Silver Shadow Strike!

But the closer it got to the Silver Moon True Body, the slower it became—until it froze midair, body stiffening.

A silver coating encased it—not from its own power, but from the Moonlight soul technique.

That was the terror of Moonlight. Silent, deadly, turning foes into silver statues. Anyone caught within the fog was fair game.

At last…

The mist dispersed.

The Silver Moon True Body still hovered above the forest, though its glow was dimmed. Using a hundred-thousand-year soul skill took its toll on Zhang Lexuan.

But the results spoke for themselves.

Both the Magic Cannon Beetle and the Shadow Tiger-Lion Beast were now coated in silver, as though dipped in paint.

The beetle, with its formidable defense, appeared unaffected.

The Shadow Tiger-Lion, however, looked as if it had been bathed in acid—fur corroded, sizzling sounds rising from its flesh as it writhed and howled in agony.

As for the targeted Ghost Leopard—it fell silently to the ground like a sculpture, its frozen expression caught between rage and confusion.

Then, its body began to melt.

The Shadow Tiger-Lion could still resist with soul power.

The Ghost Leopard, already dead, had no such luxury.

Its dissolving body revealed a gleaming prize.

A gorgeous pelt landed on the ground, pulsing with soul energy—

A soul bone!

 And not just any soul bone—an exceedingly rare external-attached skin soul bone!

That's why these beasts had been so carefully chosen by Huo Yuhao.

The rarer and more powerful the beast, the more likely it was to drop a soul bone.

Even Huo Yuhao hadn't expected one as precious as this.

Seeing such a treasure, even Zhang Lexuan couldn't stay composed. The Silver Moon shimmered with excitement.

But she didn't release her True Body—her eyes locked onto the remaining two soul beasts.

Two enemies still remained.

 The death of the Ghost Leopard was only the beginning. The fight now reached its crescendo.

The eighth soul ring gleamed once more.

"Eighth Soul Skill—Blood Moon Eclipse!"

Her target—Shadow Tiger-Lion Beast.

Amidst a defiant roar, it perished under the hundred-thousand-year soul technique. Its body, too, melted, leaving behind a torso soul bone.

But Zhang Lexuan had no time to gather it.

Because as she attacked, the Magic Cannon Beetle retaliated—firing a devastating soul-power cannon directly at the Silver Moon True Body.

It shattered instantly.

Zhang Lexuan plummeted, blood at her lips.

She had anticipated this. Even foreseen her True Body being destroyed and the backlash it would cause.

Its destruction left her grievously wounded and temporarily unable to use her martial soul.

But that didn't mean she would surrender.

Trading injury for injury—this too was part of her calculation.

Before she hit the ground, crimson moonlight shone from her leg—

A hundred-thousand-year soul bone, acquired alongside the soul ring.

Her hidden trump card.

Soul Bone Technique—Blood Moon End!

While falling, Zhang Lexuan swung her right leg, unleashing a final attack with the last of her strength.

The blood moon shot toward the Magic Cannon Beetle.

In a flash, it was upon the beetle.

But unexpectedly, the beast pushed its limits—dodging at the last instant. The attack only grazed it, tearing a line across its armor.

Its sturdy carapace cracked—but it survived.

The Blood Moon cleaved through the forest, leaving devastation in its wake.

Zhang Lexuan stared in disbelief.

A sure-kill strike… had missed?

Impossible.

But it was real—undeniably real.

Her face turned even paler, and she collapsed to the ground.

She had lost.

No chance of escape.

"Is this really the end?" she asked herself.

The Magic Cannon Beetle, enraged, ignored its wound and charged another cannon blast—more powerful than before.

Zhang Lexuan closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Elder Mu… Beibei… I was too weak. I couldn't do anything."

She had failed to find Beibei, dying here, nameless and forgotten. A crushing end.

One wrong move had cost her everything.

Such is the cruelty of the world.

The cannon shot raced toward her—but then, a voice rang out from the distance.

"Extreme Ice—Frost Centipede Fist!"

A bone-chilling cold surged forward, intercepting the blast just in time.

Zhang Lexuan's eyes flew open.

A familiar voice—a familiar skill.

An ice dragon descended from the sky, intercepting the blast midair.

A figure in icy armor swooped down from the heavens—

It was Huo Yuhao!

The energy cannon fired by the Magic Cannon Beetle was instantly dissolved by a punch of Extreme Ice Frost Centipede from afar, unleashed by Huo Yuhao. The ice dragon formed from the punch also shattered afterward.

Huo Yuhao descended from the sky, landing in front of Zhang Lexuan and shielding her.

Cold air spread outwards, and his Frost Centipede Armor reflected a rainbow of colors. His transparent wings, thin as cicada wings, fluttered like a cloak in the wind.

In Zhang Lexuan's eyes at that moment, Huo Yuhao seemed to be bathed in divine light. His radiant silhouette was imprinted in her pupils, as if it would forever be etched in her memory.

She only snapped out of it when she heard Huo Yuhao speak.

"Senior sister, I'm not too late, am I?"

His voice was vibrant and warm, like the morning sun, casting light into the sea of despair that had engulfed Zhang Lexuan. He was the only lighthouse still shining.

"Yuhao? What are you doing here?" Zhang Lexuan asked instinctively.

"Of course I came to find you. Xiao Tao and the others were all worried about you," Huo Yuhao replied with a tilted head and a gentle smile.

Only now did Zhang Lexuan realize—it was Huo Yuhao who had come looking for her and even saved her life.

Relief surged through her, followed quickly by shame, and she lowered her head.

She had chosen to leave alone, but in the end, Huo Yuhao had saved her.

Huo Yuhao didn't seem to notice her shame. His expression turned serious as he looked toward the Magic Cannon Beetle. "Looks like we can't keep chatting."

The Magic Cannon Beetle was about to attack again, gathering soul power at its tail.

"Excuse me, Senior Sister."

Before Zhang Lexuan could react, Huo Yuhao turned, his cloak-like wings brushing past her eyes and reflecting dazzling light that stunned her momentarily.

She instinctively squinted and didn't notice Huo Yuhao's next move—until she suddenly felt weightless. She had been lifted from behind and was cradled in a cool but comforting embrace.

Looking up, she saw that she was being held princess-style by Huo Yuhao. He had even restrained his extreme ice aura to avoid hurting her, making the Frost Centipede Armor merely cool to the touch—almost pleasant.

"Wait, Yuhao, I can still move…" Zhang Lexuan blushed and tried to explain.

She had only closed her eyes and awaited death—she wasn't completely incapacitated. But the Magic Cannon Beetle didn't give her a chance to finish.

BOOM—

A beam of energy came blasting their way!

"Senior Sister, we can talk later!"

Huo Yuhao didn't seem to hear her. His eyes stayed fixed on the beetle, and as soon as it fired, he dodged swiftly.

Seeing this familiar maneuver, Zhang Lexuan forced herself to calm down. "Be careful! Its attack can turn midair and track targets!"

Sure enough, the attack veered in midair, pursuing Huo Yuhao.

He responded instantly—still holding Zhang Lexuan, he lashed out with his leg.

Extreme ice swirled around his ankle as he kicked the energy blast head-on.

Boom!

 The collision was powerful, but the ice's force held. Huo Yuhao only needed two quick hops back to dissipate the shockwave.

He glanced down at his armored foot and remarked, "This energy has a corrosive effect—but it's useless against my Frost Centipede Armor."

"Thanks for the warning, Senior Sister!" he added.

Zhang Lexuan blushed again, out of guilt more than anything. She'd only figured it out from experience, not skill.

"Yuhao, put me down. This might affect your fighting ability," she said anxiously.

But Huo Yuhao shook his head. "That soul beast's attack can turn direction. If I put you down, my hands would be free, but you'd be exposed. Since I'm here, I won't let you get hurt again."

His firm declaration gave Zhang Lexuan a sense of security she hadn't felt in a long time. The last time she felt protected like this was when a Shrek Academy instructor had rescued her and brought her back to the Academy.

Since then, her exceptional talent had always placed her in the role of protector—even among older inner court students.

"Besides," Huo Yuhao grinned confidently, "Who says I need my hands to fight?"

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze blew past, lifting his cloak. Petals fluttered past Zhang Lexuan's face.

She blinked and looked around—somehow, they were now standing in a field of blood-red roses, stretching outward from beneath Huo Yuhao's feet.

Then she remembered—Huo Yuhao had once shown that his external soul bone, the Northern Blood Rose, allowed him to summon this field for battle.

"Thousand Flowers Bloom, Rose Frenzy!"

Huo Yuhao's eyes locked onto his target.

Countless blood-red roses twisted into vines and surged toward the Magic Cannon Beetle like serpents aiming to ensnare it.

The beetle retaliated by spraying a corrosive liquid—its main form of attack—melting the encroaching vines.

Still, Huo Yuhao didn't stop.

At some point, he clenched a blood rose between his teeth. Straightening his body, his soul power surged.

"My blood roses aren't just for binding!"

"Northern Demonic Palace Rose!"

With his power channeled, more roses bloomed, covering the forest and completely surrounding the beetle.

It continued its assault, shredding roses left and right—but it failed to notice the faint icy-blue mist rising from the freshly grown blooms.

"That's… poison frost!" Zhang Lexuan gasped as she recognized it.

Most people forgot that Huo Yuhao's martial soul wasn't just extreme ice—it was also toxic. Boosted by celestial herbs, his poisonous abilities were formidable!

And the rose attacks kept coming, disrupting the beetle's movements and preventing its escape—like it was trapped in a demonic palace of thorns.

The frost poison spread silently. The more the beetle flailed, the more it exposed itself to the toxins.

Soon, its movements slowed. Frost began to crystallize across its carapace. It could no longer keep up with the roses' relentless assault.

Eventually, it was completely ensnared.

"It's ready!"

Huo Yuhao exploded into motion. A thunderous sound echoed from underfoot.

Awakening Thunderclap!

A sound like spring thunder roared.

The solar term of Awakening of Insects signals the start of life—but this thunderclap heralded death.

In an instant, Huo Yuhao appeared above the beetle, delivering a powerful flying kick.

Crack!

A sharp sound echoed—the beetle's tough armor fractured under the blow.

The frost poison had already weakened the shell from within. Strongholds always fall from inside first.

Using the momentum, Huo Yuhao leapt again and flung the rose from his mouth like a dagger.

It struck the fractured shell directly—piercing through.

The rose had penetrated the Magic Cannon Beetle's body.

Because this rose carried a deadly poison.

The Deadly Rose!

One touch, one death. Instant and absolute.

Victory!

With the death of the Magic Cannon Beetle, the battle finally came to an end. The survivors: Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan.

Huo Yuhao retracted his martial soul. The blood-red roses scattered across the battlefield disappeared, and the corpse of the Magic Cannon Beetle collapsed weakly to the ground. A pitch-black soul ring condensed above its remains.

In total, there were three black soul rings, yet only one relatively intact soul beast corpse.

What surprised everyone was the strange soul power fluctuation coming from the beetle's corpse. Huo Yuhao, sharp as ever, sensed it instantly — the Magic Cannon Beetle had actually dropped a soul bone!

The drop rate is insane!

Even Huo Yuhao was shocked.

He wasn't lacking in soul bones, but this was the first time a beast had actually dropped one like this.

Was it fate? Or just sheer luck?

Or perhaps, high-level, rare, and mutated soul beasts really did have a higher drop rate?

But Huo Yuhao didn't stay stunned for long. After retracting his martial soul, he returned to his usual appearance — a black-robed figure, travel-worn and dusty. He then looked down at the woman in his arms — Zhang Lexuan.

"Senior sister, you're safe now, you, you, you…"

He had only just looked at her when Huo Yuhao's face flushed red. He quickly shut his eyes and turned his head away, stammering as he finished, "Are... are you okay?"

Zhang Lexuan looked at Huo Yuhao in confusion. Being held in his arms already made her feel a bit shy, but why was he suddenly acting like this?

You, a man with a whole harem — what are you being pure about now?!

I can't even with you!

Surviving the battle brought Zhang Lexuan a brief moment of relief, and her mood lightened. She even found herself teasing Huo Yuhao inwardly. But of course, she didn't say it out loud.

The dignity of the senior sister must be maintained.

"I'm safe now, so you can put me down," Zhang Lexuan said helplessly, her face showing no sign of embarrassment, even though she had no clue what trick Huo Yuhao was playing.

"Oh, right."

Huo Yuhao hurriedly set her down. Despite his young age, he was already over 1.8 meters tall and had no trouble carrying Zhang Lexuan. She herself was quite tall, around 1.7 meters, with a stunning figure.

As her feet touched the ground, she exhaled to ease her emotions. Just then, a breeze blew past, and she suddenly felt a chill on her chest.

Startled, she quickly raised her hand to cover her chest and looked down. To her horror, the fabric there had been completely corroded away! Her fair skin and deep cleavage — even the faint curve of her breasts — were all exposed.

Although Zhang Lexuan didn't have the depth of Wei Na, nor the height and perkiness of Ma Xiaotao, nor the softness and fullness of Ling Luocheng, she had her own unique beauty. The visible part was like moonlight filtered through clouds — soft, glowing, and alluring.

Now she understood why Huo Yuhao had blushed.

"When did this happen?"

Flustered, she tried to cover herself, suddenly remembering when her Silver Moon Avatar had been shattered — and how Huo Yuhao had said the Magic Cannon Beetle's attacks had a corrosive effect.

That damn bug!!

Never seen such a lecherous insect!

Because Huo Yuhao's martial soul released a cool aura, Zhang Lexuan hadn't noticed the chill on her chest until now. But once he put away the martial soul and the temperature returned to normal, she immediately realized something was wrong.

Still, instead of screaming like a little girl, her face just reddened. She flashed into the nearby forest and warned Huo Yuhao:

"No peeking!"

"N-no, of course not, Senior Sister! I really didn't see anything!" Huo Yuhao hurriedly covered his eyes, as if terrified of being misunderstood.

Zhang Lexuan didn't know what to say. She certainly didn't believe his nonsense. She ducked behind a tree and quickly changed her clothes. The rustling sounds of fabric brushing against skin sounded like a seductive melody, easily stirring one's imagination.

But there was no choice — she had to change. Not only was her chest exposed, but the rest of her outfit had suffered heavy damage in the battle. It was no longer wearable.

Putting on a robe over her current clothes would just make it worse — she'd be practically naked underneath. That was unacceptable. What about the dignity of the senior sister?

But...

Thinking about how Huo Yuhao had probably already seen everything, Zhang Lexuan blushed even more.

Alone now, she no longer had to maintain her image. The shy emotions rushed in all at once.

"So now... in Yuhao's eyes, do I have no dignity left?" she sighed, thinking her whole persona was falling apart.

She wasn't some cold, expressionless person. She simply didn't want to be seen as frivolous — especially as she was still engaged to Beibei. She had to remain chaste for his sake.

Thinking this, Zhang Lexuan clenched her fist — then relaxed it again.

She couldn't blame Huo Yuhao. He had come to save her. This accident was her own fault. When he was fighting while carrying her, his attention was completely on the soul beasts — he hadn't even realized what happened.

Huo Yuhao had done nothing wrong.

The fault lay with her.

In truth, Huo Yuhao had noticed long ago — but he wasn't some lecher who would just stare for pleasure.

Because he didn't just want to admire Zhang Lexuan's beauty — he wanted to possess it.

But not by force.

Keeping Zhang Lexuan around meant she could later help him gain control of the Sea God Pavilion. Besides, he was planning to visit the Sun Moon Empire soon and reap some benefits from their "garden."

More importantly, Zhang Lexuan had to enter the Sea God Pavilion eventually. If he tried to control her forcibly, that mysterious entity watching through the Golden Ancient Tree might notice — exposing him early.

And if you're not completely sure you can win, never bet it all.

Actually, the Magic Cannon Beetle couldn't have dodged Zhang Lexuan's killing blow. If Huo Yuhao hadn't intervened to "save" it, the beetle would've died right there and then.

"Zhang Lexuan really was the most talented disciple in Shrek before me," Huo Yuhao thought.

Facing three soul beasts of equal power to her own, she still managed to counterattack and survive. Though her power was drained, she wasn't seriously injured.

The breaking of her martial soul avatar only caused a temporary backlash — a soul Douluo could recover from that within two weeks.

Not to mention, she had healing medicine on her.

Of course, Huo Yuhao could've summoned even more powerful soul beasts, but doing so would've exposed too much of his strength during the rescue.

After all, he was a Soul Sage now.

And a Soul Sage should act like one~

Soon, Zhang Lexuan returned. Her expression was calm. Seeing Huo Yuhao still covering his eyes, she actually felt a little amused.

"All right, you can put your hands down. It was just a misunderstanding. I'm not blaming you," Zhang Lexuan said softly.

"O-okay." Huo Yuhao lowered his hands quickly. Seeing that Zhang Lexuan had changed into a light blue robe that fully covered her skin, he seemed relieved — though he still looked a little guilty and awkward.

Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan felt a bit more at ease.

Huo Yuhao may have a harem, may have several women already, may attract girls easily — but at the end of the day...

He's still just a child.