soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

A week had passed.

Huo Yuhao had harvested enough bloodline power and internal organs from the imperial clan members.

And even now, he hadn't finished collecting everyone listed in the Book of Life and Death.

Moreover, he had specifically targeted only the pure-blooded members—no cadet branches or distant relatives, and none whose martial spirits weren't related to the Sun.

All that said, the sheer number of royal clan members was staggering—unsurprising for a royal bloodline that had been passed down for countless millennia.

Among those Huo Yuhao had reaped were not just weaklings—many had high innate soul power, good-quality martial spirits, and some had even reached the ranks of Soul Saints or Soul Douluos. None of them escaped his grasp.

Under Huo Yuhao's techniques, these people's bodies were stuffed with straw and returned to their daily routines. They could even eat and drink—indistinguishable from living people.

So far, no one had noticed anything amiss.

This was mainly because most of these royal clan members were idle and detached from power. Those with ambition and talent had long since taken on important roles, and they weren't ones to randomly support any particular prince. The majority of those who backed the Third Prince did so for profit and were ready to switch sides at any moment.

Just like now.

As soon as Xu Tianran promised greater rewards, they immediately changed allegiance.

Cultivation was never an easy or joyful pursuit. In the face of status and wealth, many royals abandoned their training and degenerated into self-indulgence. Whoever offered more, they served.

After all, at the end of the struggle, they'd still remain royalty—it was only a matter of how much they gained.

Then they were harvested by Huo Yuhao.

Why waste resources when they could become resources?

Who would've thought there'd be a piranha in the fish tank—Huo Yuhao!

——

Back in the secret chamber of the Third Prince's estate.

Huo Yuhao summoned Shadow Douluo Mo Ying and Celadon Douluo again to assist in his cultivation. The two were already familiar with the routine and didn't overthink it.

This time, the goal was to break through the second layer of the Ninefold Death God Technique, which focused on the internal organs.

In the path of cultivation, the five internal organs correspond to the five elements. They maintain bodily balance, house the spirit, and are thus called the "divine organs," forming a crucial aspect of cultivation.

Improving the quality of these organs meant enhancing one's potential and breaking through in strength.

"This time, use your soul power to shatter my organs and grind them into pulp. Unless I say stop, keep mixing. Got it?" Huo Yuhao explained the process.

"..."

The two cultivators, who were usually confident, suddenly froze. What the hell kind of instruction was that?

What sort of demonic art was this?

Oh, right—it was a demonic art. Then never mind.

"My lord, even if bones are broken, one can survive with soul power support. But if your organs are all destroyed…" Celadon Douluo hesitated.

Who survives without a heart?

"No worries. It's part of cultivation. I have my own methods," Huo Yuhao replied casually.

After completing the first layer of the technique, even a mortal would gain some cultivation. As their bones were reshaped, their blood began to transform, strengthening both body and talent, enabling further advancement.

Once the cultivation reached a certain level, one could use soul power to pulverize their own internal organs—thus beginning the second layer.

The key to the second layer was to survive the destruction and reformation of one's organs. If one could endure until the organs were rebuilt by the technique, it would be a success.

After all, losing your organs doesn't cause instant death. As long as you can hang on, you can be reborn.

It was all about breaking past one's limits.

Out of respect and trust in Huo Yuhao, Mo Ying and Celadon Douluo made their moves.

They placed their hands on the Third Prince's back and channeled their blazing fire and icy soul powers directly into his body, shattering his organs into a bloody slurry. His chest and abdomen became a complete mush.

Blood dripped from the corners of the Third Prince's mouth.

But outwardly, he looked completely fine, because the second layer of the Ninefold Death God Technique had already begun to circulate.

Then, Mo Ying and Celadon Douluo finally understood why Huo Yuhao had emphasized continuous mixing—because as the technique ran, the broken organs began rapidly regenerating!

And just as the organs started to reform, the soul power would grind them into pulp again.

The two marveled at the brutal and miraculous nature of the technique—but had zero desire to learn it themselves. They knew their limits.

Try it and die.

Huo Yuhao let out a grunt and complained, "Your technique is terrible—too rough, it feels awful. Follow my directions!"

Mo Ying and Celadon Douluo broke into a cold sweat. There's a right way to do this?! And a 'comfortable' way??

Still, Huo Yuhao had a point—they weren't coordinating at all. Their soul powers didn't even clash inside the Third Prince's body, which was actually a testament to their skill. If their soul powers had collided, it would've disrupted the cultivation and possibly destroyed the prince's body entirely.

So the two adjusted as instructed—intertwining their soul powers and stirring them like a vortex. This time, Huo Yuhao was much more satisfied, and the risk of internal collision was eliminated.

Once the mixing was in proper rhythm, Huo Yuhao began feeding in resources—namely, the internal organs he had collected from the royal clan members.

He had sealed the Sun Royal Clan's bloodline power into those organs, and preserved them with special techniques. They still looked fresh and full of vitality.

Behind him, Mo Ying and Celadon Douluo's throats bobbed violently—not out of hunger, but from desperately trying not to vomit. Their faces grew increasingly pale.

They knew full well where those organs came from—sometimes while Huo Yuhao was digging them out, they were on the other side packing up the "resources."

They wanted nothing more than to run away—but they couldn't.

Soon, the effects of having them cultivate Fiery True Qi and Frost True Qi began to manifest. The pure yang power of the Sun Martial Spirit and the sinister power of the Shadow Claw began to gather in Huo Yuhao's internal organs, merging into the reborn five viscera and six bowels.

Every inch of flesh and blood was repeatedly refined by the Sun Martial Spirit and Shadow Claw powers.

"Stop," Huo Yuhao finally said.

Mo Ying and Celadon Douluo immediately withdrew their hands and rushed out of the chamber, covering their mouths and vomiting violently.

They truly couldn't handle it any longer—they were at their limits.

Huo Yuhao ignored them and focused on the condition of his internal organs. After the soul power stopped, the mass of flesh within the Third Prince's body merged into a large sphere of meat.

A red glow radiated from the blood and tissue, becoming ever more brilliant.

Inside the mass of flesh nestled within the internal organs, something seemed to be gestating.

This scene had already surpassed the normal state of the second layer of the Nine Death God Art, yet it was still that very technique—just cultivated to a level beyond comprehension, triggering some unique transformation.

That's the nature of cultivation: you start by practicing the technique, but the actual effects often go beyond what you'd initially expect.

In short, there's no need to overthink everything when it comes to cultivation.

Finally, when the red glow emitted by the flesh ball reached its peak—so intense it even shone through the Third Prince's body—the sphere ruptured, releasing a torrent of mucus, as though a womb had burst and released amniotic fluid, instantly filling his innards.

Then, the ball dissolved, and a brand new set of internal organs began to form within the liquid at a pace visible to the naked eye.

As the new organs and viscera fully formed, the mucus disappeared, and Huo Yuhao could clearly feel the power brought by these new organs. They pulled at the Third Prince's entire body, triggering a transformation.

The newly formed organs even began to glow with golden light!

The Third Prince's internal power was naturally drawn and circulated by the new organs, merging with them.

The yang energy of the Sun Martial Soul was now sealed within the heart, extending into the lungs.

The yin power of the Dark Claw Hand was sealed within the kidneys, extending into the liver.

Finally, the yin and yang energies met and harmonized within the spleen.

Though complete fusion hadn't occurred, the violent conflict between the two opposing forces had vanished. The Third Prince's body was no longer a ticking time bomb, but had instead become remarkably stable.

By temporarily relying on the power of the five organs, a balance was struck between the two elemental forces. But since organs were still flesh and blood, they had a limit to what they could bear. Eventually, conflict could resurface.

However, before that limit was reached, there was no longer any risk of the Third Prince self-destructing, and his cultivation speed would now progress by leaps and bounds.

And the boost provided by the new organs was astonishing—

At this moment, the Third Prince's talent evolved, and he officially gained innate full soul power aptitude!

His soul power level broke through to Rank 95, stepping into the Super Douluo realm, and he was not far from Rank 96!

Due to absorbing a vast amount of bloodline power, his bloodline advanced again and underwent a shocking mutation—

Huo Yuhao opened the Third Prince's hands and discovered two Martial Soul seals—one for the Sun Martial Soul, and the other unexpectedly for the Purple Radiant Heaven-Destroying Dragon!

"Acquired twin martial souls after birth?" Huo Yuhao was slightly surprised. "That's even possible?"

But he quickly realized something: merely stacking bloodline power wouldn't result in the emergence of twin martial souls. After all, his true body had drunk plenty of White Tiger bloodline with no such effect.

What had truly triggered the emergence of a second martial soul was the enhancement in aptitude brought about by the Nine Death God Art. Since Huo Yuhao had trained the second layer to an unnatural extent, the Third Prince gained an equally unnatural benefit.

Huo Yuhao had originally hoped to push the Sun Martial Soul to its absolute limit, but to his surprise, a second martial soul had awakened instead.

Now came the real question: the Third Prince, who was originally just a disposable puppet, had suddenly become extremely valuable for cultivation. What now?

Then, Huo Yuhao smiled.

"A puppet is still a puppet. If it's worth raising now, I'll just raise it a bit longer. Only by returning power to myself can I walk the path of a true powerhouse!"

The "meal" still had to be eaten—just that it could now be fattened up even more first. No problem.

There was no rush to start the third layer. The Third Prince now had five full years.

With the breakthrough complete, Huo Yuhao had the Third Prince leave the secret chamber. Outside, he saw Qingci Douluo and Moying Douluo, who had just finished vomiting and still looked pale. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them.

Then, Huo Yuhao entered the bath chamber, where he was attended to by handmaidens for a proper wash.

The transformation of the internal organs didn't just regulate internal power and enhance aptitude; it also brought unique natural abilities—

For example, enhanced digestion, improved breathing, better detoxification and waste elimination, increased kidney function, and heightened five senses.

The true body no longer had to worry about the Third Prince having weak kidneys.

To test these effects, Huo Yuhao experimented on every concubine and maid in the residence. After rendering all of them unconscious, the Third Prince was still full of energy—he could have fought ten more rounds.

However, dawn had already arrived, and Huo Yuhao had other things to do. When he looked in the mirror, he noticed two strands of white hair at the Third Prince's forehead.

He didn't care.

This second-layer cultivation had produced results far beyond reason or expectation—and the price paid was equally steep.

What did you think was consumed in the reshaping of organs?

Of course—lifespan.

To complete the second layer, Huo Yuhao had burned through twenty years of the Third Prince's life!

Because so much lifespan was lost in one go, a physical change appeared: those two strands of white hair.

Yet it didn't make the Third Prince look old. On the contrary, it added a sinister charm—his appearance actually improved.

After all, soul masters usually didn't show visible signs of aging until around 150. The Third Prince originally had a lifespan of 200 years. Even with the cost deducted, he still had well over a hundred years left. He was still quite young.

In fact, a hundred-plus years of life isn't much. The first layer cost three years, the second twenty—and future layers would only demand more, likely increasing not linearly but exponentially.

It all came down to whether the Third Prince could gain enough life to offset the cost. But as long as he could complete the third layer, that alone would meet Huo Yuhao's expectations.

After fixing his appearance, the Third Prince left the manor unusually early, with the recovered Qingci and Moying Douluo loyally following.

"Let's go. Come accompany this prince on a tour of the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. I suddenly feel like being nourished by knowledge," Huo Yuhao said with a smile.

The two Douluos dared not object.

However, word was that the Crown Prince would also be visiting the Academy today.

Huo Yuhao could only say—his true body wanted fish.

…

Huo Yuhao was grilling fish for Zhang Lexuan, but both of them looked dispirited. Even the delicious grilled fish seemed tasteless.

They had spent a week investigating together, traveling through several major cities, but hadn't found a single clue about the Death God Envoy—let alone any trace of Beibei.

Huo Yuhao could only remark, if the Death God Envoy were that easy to find, the Sun-Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Church would've found them long ago.

They hadn't gone directly to Mingdu because Zhang Lexuan discovered that agents from the Sun-Moon Empire were also searching outside the city—suggesting the Death God Envoy had already escaped from Mingdu.

Now, they had two options: either head to Mingdu and start the investigation from scratch—high risk—or conduct a carpet search. The latter implied that the Death God Envoy could be hiding in forests or towns, but would require a massive amount of effort.

Zhang Lexuan shared her thoughts, and after some consideration, Huo Yuhao made a decision.

"Senior Sister, let's go with the carpet search. Places where evil soul masters dwell often have certain environmental characteristics. I've read relevant records in the inner court's library. Besides, my martial soul can help us investigate in the wild—don't forget, it has spiritual properties!"

"Alright, we'll do it your way, Yuhao! We'll search in this direction and head to Mingdu at the end!"

Right now, Zhang Lexuan was essentially trying to enter a dungeon in a video game to fight a boss—but couldn't even find the dungeon entrance.

All she could do was explore inch by inch, using the most primitive method, hoping for a sliver of opportunity.

They were currently in the southern region of the Sun-Moon Empire, exploring westward. Ahead of them lay a valley covered in Blue Silver Grass.

So, the question was: where exactly were the Death God Envoy and the White Lotus Sect hiding?

In truth, for such a vast nation like the Sun-Moon Empire, hiding people wasn't particularly difficult. The Death God Envoy and the White Lotus Sect had already prepared for their retreat long ago.

But it wasn't as if they were merely hiding—they were also expanding. The Death God Envoy led his followers all the way south, to the farthest point from Mingdu: the southern coastal regions of the Sun-Moon Empire.

Mingdu was located in the northern region.

Between the two lay the Evil Forest and the Jingyang Mountain Range.

Even if the Sun-Moon Empire launched a full-scale search for the Death God Envoy and the Holy Spirit Sect, as long as they kept a low profile, it would be extremely difficult to track them down.

With Grand Eunuch Gao and the Death God Envoy personally escorting them, the White Lotus followers were easily relocated to the south. After all, they were all Soul Masters—trained ones at that—and fairly powerful.

By splitting into smaller groups, they could each reach the destination independently.

The location they selected was also advantageous—a relatively peaceful coastal bay area with a thriving local economy.

To the north was a lush valley filled with Blue Silver Grass.

To the south, a port-equipped coastline.

It was a transport hub.

Naturally, many people lived there.

And where there are people, there's fertile ground for proselytizing.

In the old coastal city's streets, an ordinary passerby was suddenly stopped by a handsome man in a white robe. With a warm smile, the man said,

 "Excuse me, sir. May I have a few minutes of your time? I'd like to introduce you to our Heavenly Father and Savior—His Excellency, the Bright King!"

The civilian instinctively wanted to refuse, but for some reason, the man in front of him felt warm and approachable.

Before he knew it—perhaps without even realizing—it, the civilian had been taken to a hidden church for a gathering, baptized, and formally inducted into the faith.

Only upon exiting did he realize the name of the religion he had just joined: the White Lotus Sect.

"The world shall fall into chaos, and the Compassionate One shall descend."

 "As the white lotus blooms, the Bright King emerges."

Muttering these two phrases, the newly inducted follower suddenly felt he had found a new life purpose. For the sake of a greater future, he decided to bring his family and friends to receive the same blessing.

When the world descended into chaos, they would be protected by the White Lotus Sect, and in the future, they would follow the Bright King into the paradise of eternal bliss!

This scene was not unique—it was repeating itself in secret, and even in plain sight, across the entire region.

It wasn't just indoctrination. The White Lotus Sect also used miraculous means to heal the sick and aid the suffering. If a follower had enemies, the sect would help them seek revenge.

With a combination of blessings and manipulation, the White Lotus Sect was spreading like wildfire in the shadows. Even high-level Soul Masters, Soul Engineers, and nobles with social standing were being converted.

The appeal of the White Lotus Sect wasn't merely coercion—it gave these people a vision of a brighter future.

Join the White Lotus Sect, and the sick would recover, the poor would become wealthy, and commoners would no longer worry about food or clothing. Exhausted Soul Masters could break through their limits, uninspired Soul Engineers would receive divine insight… everyone would gain a better future!

In just over six months, the White Lotus Sect had spread like a fungal outbreak, occupying the entire region and still expanding outward.

With so many followers in place, even imperial investigation teams found nothing, as all evidence was covered up by the locals.

But like fungi absorbing nutrients from their environment, the White Lotus Sect's growth was fueled by draining the local economy and resources—cracks were beginning to show.

Yet the sect had no intention of governing. Followers joined to enjoy their blessings. If the current resources were insufficient, the solution was simple—expand further. Other regions still had plenty of wealth waiting to be tapped.

For the sake of greater blessings, the followers made their choice.

They wouldn't retreat—they only wanted more.

Because they had faith. Because they willingly followed the White Lotus Sect.

Even blindly so—abandoning reason and morality—all to serve their faith and achieve personal spiritual fulfillment.

They fought for their beliefs, certain they would ascend to the paradise of eternal bliss after death.

This belief was unshakable.

Such was the power of religion.

The so-called Holy Spirit Sect was merely a refuge for evil Soul Masters. The White Lotus Sect—this was the true evil cult.

The White Lotus Sect flourished rapidly, and through its resources, the Death God Envoy successfully broke through and became a Title Douluo. He could now begin the pursuit of his ninth soul ring.

Of course, the ninth ring had to be a 100,000-year soul ring.

Grand Eunuch Gao remained within the sect to manage its affairs.

The Death God Envoy hunted alone, but he was under Huo Yuhao's control—and accompanied by refined zombies, including Nangong Wan!

The Death God Envoy chose to go south, into the ocean, to hunt a 100,000-year sea soul beast.

Technically, the nearest 100,000-year soul beast was the Blue Silver Emperor in the northern valley—but as a zombie not yet capable of transformation, the Death God Envoy's body was still filled with deathly energy.

If he tried to absorb a soul ring full of life force, it would be no different than suicide.

Sea soul beasts, while water-based and not ideally suited to his attribute, at least wouldn't conflict with him.

While Huo Yuhao's main body was still exploring westward with Zhang Lexuan…

The Death God Envoy was already drifting across the ocean.

Using his aura-vision technique, Huo Yuhao tracked the flow of fate energy and slowly approached a region where a 100,000-year soul beast was hiding.

Such regions typically had much denser fate energy than surrounding areas. Huo Yuhao even saw the beast's image in the energy flow.

It was a massive, 100,000-year-old octopus.

While some were on the hunt and others were exploring…

Still others were just strolling around campus.

The Third Prince had arrived at the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.

Today, Xu Tiannan was scheduled to visit the Academy, award outstanding students, and recruit talent. The school had made extensive preparations.

In short, it was a recruitment ceremony—Xu Tiannan wanted to win over promising individuals, and the Academy hoped to use this as leverage for more resources.

Jing Hongchen, though neutral, wasn't about to stop Xu Tiannan from recruiting—blocking him would only earn enemies.

The Third Prince's unexpected appearance stunned many, though no one dared be disrespectful.

Lin Jiayi personally greeted him and immediately sent someone to inform Jing Hongchen. No one believed the Third Prince had come out of mere curiosity.

He had come to steal recruits!

Jing Hongchen, upon receiving the message, sighed in frustration.

The upper echelons already knew how aggressively Xu Tiannan had been suppressing the other princes. But to think the first to strike back would be the Third Prince—no surprise, considering he was the strongest contender besides Xu Tiannan himself.

But seriously—must your royal power plays happen at the Academy?

How infuriating!

"Director Lin, don't mind me. I'm just wandering around," Huo Yuhao said to Lin Jiayi with a friendly smile, looking very amicable.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I just happen to be free, so of course I must properly accompany you. If I left you alone, the dean would chew me out," Lin Jiayi joked.

But in reality, his smile was about to stiffen.

Who knew what might happen if the Third Prince was left to roam freely around the academy?

Rumor had it that the Third Prince especially loved throwing wild parties—if he stirred up trouble in the academy, what would happen to their reputation?

However, this Third Prince didn't seem frivolous at all... Could it be that the rumors were wrong?

Lately, news like "The Third Prince Loves Parties" and other negative gossip about the royal princes had been spreading like wildfire throughout Mingdu. And everyone knew exactly who was behind it.

It could only be the Crown Prince, Xu Tiannan.

He was the only one without any negative press. In fact, those rumors made him look like the only worthy heir to the empire—if he didn't inherit the throne, it would be doomed.

Many among the public supported Xu Tiannan.

The unfortunate part was that many of the rumors were true. Even if the other princes wanted to deny them, they lacked the power to suppress the stories, which only grew more exaggerated, leaving them overwhelmed.

It must be said—Xu Tiannan's schemes and capabilities were utterly dominant compared to his brothers.

As for the Third Prince, there had been no drama around him. People lost interest in picking at him simply because there was nothing juicy.

After all, throwing wild parties wasn't a big deal for nobles—just something that tarnished one's image a bit.

With Lin Jiayi accompanying him, Huo Yuhao wandered around the Sun and Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy for the first time, really taking it all in.

Though the academy lacked a martial soul specialization, there were still a few students who focused on Wuhun cultivation—though they were rare. Essentially, the academy was using them as lab rats.

The Sun and Moon Empire still hoped that some miraculous genius would emerge and establish their own martial soul cultivation system.

Unfortunately, none had.

Or rather, there had been one: Ji Juechen. But his cultivation path was far too unique to replicate, and it never gained broad recognition among the soul engineers.

Huo Yuhao wasn't particularly interested in those students. What he cared about was the overall quality of talent within the academy.

Frankly speaking, their talent pool was inferior to Shrek Academy's, both in general quality and development depth. The rarer bloodlines weren't cultivated as effectively, either.

As for whether there were any students with special destinies, even his clone couldn't determine that—it would take his real body to make that judgment.

Still, this was a top-tier academy rivaling Shrek. There were impressive students within, and Huo Yuhao couldn't help but instinctively lick his lips at the sight.

Watching this, Lin Jiayi shivered.

He had just realized that the Third Prince didn't only eye female students—he eyed the males too. And he licked his lips, as if… craving them?

That was terrifying!

"The rumors were true after all! Actually, they might have understated it!" Lin Jiayi instinctively put some distance between himself and the Third Prince.

This guy… he might be the type who eats everything!

 And his daisy wasn't ready to bloom yet!

"Director Lin, what's wrong?" Huo Yuhao looked at him curiously.

"Uh, cough, nothing at all!" Lin Jiayi laughed nervously and quickly changed the subject. "Your Highness, it's almost time. We should head over to the plaza."

"Alright," Huo Yuhao nodded. "Seeing the fine talents of our Sun and Moon Empire fills me with joy. I must not be stingy with rewards—they are the future of our empire!"

Lin Jiayi: "…"

 Just admit you're here to poach people, what's with all the grand talk? Just throw gold coins and be done with it!

Still, since the Third Prince was throwing coins at the students, Lin Jiayi maintained his manners. However, this time he didn't dare walk ahead of the prince—instead, he followed behind, not even daring to walk side-by-side.

"Your Highness, please lead the way. I'll follow you."

Huo Yuhao gave Lin Jiayi a puzzled glance but didn't press the issue.

They soon arrived near the plaza where the award ceremony was to be held.

Through chatting with Lin Jiayi, Huo Yuhao learned that the students being honored were the academy's reserve team members.

The previous reserve team had been promoted after the last Soul Master Competition, and now a new reserve team had been selected. Naturally, they needed to be nurtured.

Xu Tiannan also valued these students and planned to win them over through this ceremony.

It was all about investment.

Investment didn't always need to pay off—but even a small return would be worth it.

Over the years, Xu Tiannan had used these tactics to recruit numerous talents from the academy. Even high-level engineers from Mingde Hall had accepted his favors and were willing to show him some respect.

As they neared the plaza, Huo Yuhao's expression suddenly shifted. He turned away from the main path and walked toward the VIP rest area behind the podium.

There, he found a man in a wheelchair and casually patted him on the shoulder.

"Bro, you can't drive here!" he said seriously.

Xu Tiannan: "???"

 Jing Hongchen, who had been chatting with Xu Tiannan: "???"

Out of respect for Jing Hongchen, Xu Tiannan hadn't brought any bodyguards with him. Besides, he wasn't without combat power himself. Jing Hongchen didn't expect any serious disturbance from the Third Prince either, so he hadn't stopped him from approaching.

Who would've thought—no major incident happened, but the Third Prince did cause a scene!

The VIP lounge fell into stunned silence. Lin Jiayi, who had followed closely behind, felt like his heart had nearly stopped.

Qingci Douluo and Mòyǐng Douluo, the two guards, remained calm as ever, as if they had seen and heard nothing.

Jing Hongchen gave Lin Jiayi a puzzled look, silently asking: What's going on?

Lin Jiayi's face went pale as he shook his head: No idea.

Xu Tiannan gripped the wheelchair armrests tightly, then turned toward the Third Prince with a smile.

 "Why, if it isn't my Third Brother. What did you just say?"

Huo Yuhao feigned surprise, as if just now realizing who he was talking to.

 "Oh! Crown Prince, I didn't recognize you! You're so approachable. I just said no driving allowed here. But if it's you, then it's fine—I mean, you can't walk anyway, right?"

Everyone's heart jumped into their throats. Jing Hongchen even prepared to intervene to protect the prince. Everyone wondered:

Has the Third Prince lost his mind?

 Is he puffed up with confidence? Giving up? Cornered and desperate?

Not afraid of getting turned into a smear on the wall?

And then—to everyone's shock—Xu Tiannan smiled.

Warmly, he said, "Third Brother, you're joking again. I envy you all. Alas, these legs of mine were ruined by traitors. They're beyond saving~"

"Actually, I envy you too," Huo Yuhao said earnestly. "That's why I had someone make me a rig of my own."

With a snap of his fingers, Mòyǐng Douluo and Qingci Douluo instantly assembled a sleek, high-tech chair. Huo Yuhao sat down comfortably and added:

"Mine even has a water circulation system. It can help with peeing~"

Xu Tiannan: "!!!"

"Hahaha, alright, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Third Prince, it's about time. Let's begin the awards ceremony." Jing Hongchen stepped forward, cutting off Huo Yuhao's verbal barrage toward Xu Tiannan.

Huo Yuhao's words were like killing with a knife and then stabbing the heart!

Jing Hongchen, who knew Xu Tiannan's true nature, looked at the Third Prince with a trace of pity. He had once believed the Third Prince had potential in soul tool development—but now it seemed the guy might not live much longer. And worse, he was an idiot.

No matter what kind of backer the Third Prince had, offending Xu Tiannan meant certain death. Even the Sun Moon Emperor wouldn't be able to save him. His fate was sealed.

To avoid others being dragged down by the Third Prince's actions, Jing Hongchen began the ceremony early. No one dared to object.

"Huh? Starting so soon?" Huo Yuhao feigned confusion.

Well, not everyone kept quiet—after all, someone was bound to stir the pot.

Jing Hongchen's brow twitched. He honestly couldn't figure out what the Third Prince was trying to do anymore. Was his life too peaceful, so he decided to provoke a tiger for fun?

Xu Tiannan smiled warmly at Huo Yuhao, as if he were a caring older brother. "Third Brother, let's not make trouble. This is the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's awards ceremony. Of course it can begin at any time."

This was also a subtle reminder: know where you are. If he kept up the antics, Xu Tiannan might really slap him in front of everyone.

"I see, then I have no objections," Huo Yuhao nodded and smiled, appearing obedient while completely ignoring the undertones.

Everyone looked at the Third Prince with complicated expressions. Emotions were all over the place, but one consensus emerged: he was definitely about to make headlines.

Maybe it'd be best to stay indoors for the next while—getting caught in the splash zone wouldn't be fun.

And so, the awards ceremony began early.

Then, everyone saw a curious sight—two people in wheelchairs rolling onto the stage.

One was a prince. So was the other.

"Wait, is that the Third Prince? Why's he in a wheelchair too?"

"Didn't he walk in just fine earlier?"

"These brothers actually make a good pair~"

"Shhh! Are you trying to die? Shut up!"

In the crowd, Xian Lin'er—who had come out just to see what was going on—took note of this scene, her gaze flickering.

Though Xian Lin'er had seemed quiet lately, she'd actually been doing her own investigations behind the scenes. And she'd found the Sun Moon Empire's internal situation was far messier than she'd expected.

The emperor was gravely ill, the Crown Prince was acting as regent, and the princes were locked in a power struggle. Under such conditions, if someone with ill intent stirred the pot, the capital could easily plunge into chaos. Fortunately, Xu Tiannan was a capable man. Under his leadership, the capital quickly stabilized, and he had even pulled numerous officials and talents into his faction while suppressing his rivals.

Xian Lin'er thought Xu Tiannan was almost too competent. If possible, removing him would likely make the empire far less of a threat to Shrek Academy and the original Douluo Three Nations.

After all, who could guarantee that a man as capable as Xu Tiannan wouldn't one day harbor ambitions to invade the original continent?

Unfortunately, Xian Lin'er wasn't here to carry out assassinations. Her mission was investigation—specifically, finding out who had targeted Jin Qiu'er and whether the beast tide incident in the Star Dou Great Forest was connected to the Sun Moon Empire.

So far, she'd found no useful clues.

When she finally heard about the Death God Envoy and tried to track down Bei Bei, he had already disappeared without a trace. She had no options left.

Now, she suspected that all the clues might be inside Mingde Hall. Only an institution like Mingde Hall could have orchestrated the events she was investigating.

But there was no way for her to enter it.

To enter Mingde Hall, one had to pass their entry exams. That rule was strictly enforced. Even Shrek Academy's inner court exchange students were treated the same.

Only Fan Yu, through his talent and effort, had earned a temporary pass to study there—but even then, he could only spend a few hours per day inside.

Faced with a choice between soul tool research and clue-hunting, Xian Lin'er had Fan Yu prioritize the former.

Mainly because Fan Yu was only a Soul Douluo. Investigating within Mingde Hall would be far too risky and could potentially implicate them all.

So they chose stability—learn first, act later.

Today she was just wandering around to relax when she unexpectedly stumbled upon something interesting.

"The Third Prince…" Xian Lin'er suddenly had a thought. Her eyes lit up. "I remember now—didn't he earn the right to enter Mingde Hall?!"

Maybe… he could be used!

Meanwhile, the awards ceremony was underway.

The event wasn't just for the preparatory team but all outstanding students, including those from Mingde Hall.

If it were just the seven Soul Kings and Soul Sects, Xu Tiannan wouldn't have gone to such trouble. Clearly, he had bigger goals.

Awards started from the first years.

Even first years underwent soul engineer evaluations. Some especially talented students had already achieved Level 2 or even Level 3 Soul Engineer certifications—like Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.

That level of talent would be considered genius in the original Douluo continent, but in the Sun Moon Empire, it wasn't unheard of—thanks to the environment and resources available.

Middle schoolers writing PhD-level papers and entering science competitions? Makes sense—given their conditions.

But soul engineer certification required actual demonstrations. Anyone who doubted would be instantly proven wrong with a live demo—and probably slapped in the face.

Huo Yuhao paid close attention to the top students in each year. He noticed several with excellent martial souls or bloodlines—and even a few with body-type martial souls. He memorized them mentally, planning to investigate their backgrounds later. If they belonged to families, he'd make arrangements to recruit them all.

But he didn't extend any offers just yet.

Wouldn't it be embarrassing if everyone knew his preferences?

Because of this, Jing Hongchen and the others were puzzled. "The Third Prince didn't try to recruit anyone? So what was the point of coming? Just to mock the Crown Prince? Is he crazy?"

Not every top student had a powerful martial soul or bloodline. Some were pretty average—but they had top-tier talent for soul engineering. The certification didn't depend much on soul power either—just technical ability.

Even the seven members of the preparatory team this year had three with rather mediocre martial souls. But all of them had extraordinary talent in soul engineering.

After the general student awards concluded, the Mingde Hall awards began. There weren't many recipients—but each one was a true prodigy.

Now Huo Yuhao focused even more intently.

Then, he heard a familiar name.

"Student Juzi, please come forward to receive your award, personally presented by His Highness the Crown Prince!" the emcee announced.

As Juzi walked onto the stage, preparing to receive her award like everyone else, Huo Yuhao suddenly leapt out of his wheelchair with a loud thud.

The entire audience was stunned.

The Third Prince wasn't crippled?!

Then why the heck was he in a wheelchair?

Before Xu Tiannan could react, Huo Yuhao had snatched the award and walked straight up to Juzi with a warm smile.

"No need to trouble the Crown Prince. Let me present this to Student Juzi," he said. "Juzi, I really admire your talent. Would you like to come work at my residence? I'll build you the most luxurious soul engineer lab!"

CRACK!

Xu Tiannan crushed the armrest of his wheelchair with one hand. He could no longer maintain his gentle facade. A terrifying aura slowly began to radiate from him.