soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

The Evil Soul Masters had their own tracking methods. Soon enough, the Southern Subdivision members discovered that the culprits were Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan. After investigation, they confirmed that the attackers were merely a high-level Soul Douluo and a mid-level Soul Sage.

Such strength was nothing particularly special in the eyes of the Evil Soul Masters. While the pair might be able to wipe out a single subdivision on their own, they definitely wouldn't be able to handle multiple subdivisions working together.

Evil Soul Masters: We have the advantage!

With that belief, they didn't bother reporting back to headquarters. Instead, they decided to handle Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan themselves, reclaim all resources, and split the territory of the destroyed branch.

Thus, when Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan left the city and tried to delve deeper into the southern province, Evil Soul Masters ambushed them in the wild.

The southern province hadn't yet been marked under the White Lotus Sect's banner, and the sect had intentionally avoided direct conflict with the Holy Spirit Sect's subdivisions. As such, the Evil Soul Masters still dared to act openly, unaware they were already causing trouble on White Lotus Sect's turf.

As Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan were walking, a buried fixed soul tool bomb suddenly detonated, engulfing them instantly.

The hidden Evil Soul Masters were ecstatic.

"We got them!"

"That was a Level 6 fixed soul tool bomb! No way a Soul Sage survives that. Even a Soul Douluo would be seriously injured if caught off guard!"

"Fools! Daring to strike against the Holy Spirit Sect!"

"That Soul Douluo was a real beauty. Hope her face didn't get blown up… that'd be a waste~"

"…Why does it feel cold all of a sudden?"

They suddenly noticed the air had turned frigid — snowflakes began falling from the sky.

As the smoke and dust cleared, what appeared before them wasn't the charred corpses of Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan, but an icy dome made of Ultimate Ice.

The Level 6 bomb had done nothing — completely neutralized by Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice defense!

Why? Simple. His variant Frost Centipede martial soul had spiritual properties, making him especially sensitive to danger.

Crack—

The ice dome shattered. Huo Yuhao scanned the surroundings and said,

 "Senior Sister, they're Evil Soul Masters."

"Mhm," Zhang Lexuan nodded, her gaze chilling.

Without Huo Yuhao's warning and defense, she would have suffered heavily. And the enemies were Evil Soul Masters on top of that.

Holy Spirit Sect, is it?

 Either way—

"No one leaves alive," Zhang Lexuan said coldly, summoning her martial soul — a full moon rising above her.

Huo Yuhao also activated his own martial soul. To stay protected, he kept the variant Frost Centipede summoned externally at all times.

Though, it wasn't on the ground—

Squelch—

The ground split open as the Frost Centipede burst upward from beneath the Evil Soul Masters' feet.

It immediately severed a Soul Emperor in half with its mandibles, its centipede legs swinging like scythes, reaping the lives of weaker Evil Soul Masters.

"We've been discovered!"

"Attack!"

The Evil Soul Masters reacted quickly, launching their assault.

Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan now saw the true scale of the ambush: five subdivisions' worth of Evil Soul Masters.

There were five Soul Douluo-level elders, twenty Soul Sages, and about fifty others, none weaker than a Soul King.

Seeing so many enemies, Zhang Lexuan narrowed her eyes, fully serious now.

This was going to be a hard battle — possibly requiring a tactical retreat.

The Evil Soul Masters also incorporated features from the Sun Moon Empire — they used soul tools in battle, but with a dark, twisted flair.

Though there weren't Holy Spirit Banners, the power of their soul tools wasn't lacking.

The fight began with a barrage of soul tool cannons aimed at Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan.

Huo Yuhao didn't even need to act.

Zhang Lexuan activated her Silver Patterns, releasing a wave of moonlight from the full moon above, blocking all incoming soul cannon fire.

In this dire situation, she could no longer hold back.

"Yuhao, get ready to break out!" she said sternly.

"Understood, Senior Sister!" Huo Yuhao replied.

"Trying to flee? Did you ask us first?"

The five Soul Douluo-level elders surrounded them and activated their soul tools:

One had a drum made of human skin, striking it to emit sonic attacks.

One threw a bone hammer, trailing ghostly wails.

One summoned a floating flesh lotus, emitting a bizarre scent.

One wielded a skull that spat eerie blue flames.

The last controlled three corpse puppets, each wielding close-combat soul tools.

The rest of the Evil Soul Masters maintained distance, launching long-range soul tool attacks.

This ambush was terrifying — ordinary Soul Sages and Soul Douluos wouldn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong two to ambush.

Not only was Huo Yuhao strong, but even Zhang Lexuan could fight multiple enemies alone.

Now with her Silver Patterns active, her strength had doubled, and all her soul skill effects had more than doubled as well.

"Seventh Soul Skill — Silver Moon Avatar!"

 "Eighth Soul Skill — Blood Moon Eclipse!"

She opened with her martial soul true body and followed with a ten-thousand-year eighth skill. The Evil Soul Masters who had initiated the attack were instantly thrown into chaos.

Wait—

 She's this strong?!

As the five elders hesitated, stunned by Zhang Lexuan, Huo Yuhao seized the moment.

He didn't even need to use his Soul Douluo powers — just the might of a Soul Sage with Ultimate Ice was enough.

"Frost Centipede Armor!"

 "Seventh Soul Skill — Armor Fusion!"

This soul skill came from a 200,000-year-old Titan Snow Demon King soul ring. Though disguised as a hundred-thousand-year ring, it offered a single soul skill with two modes:

In Frost Centipede form — it becomes the true body.

 In armor mode — it fuses into an upgraded armor form.

Now, the already full-body Frost Centipede armor became even more complete, wrapping around Huo Yuhao entirely. It looked even more fearsome — an icy blue whip-like "braid" extended from behind his neck like a centipede's tail or a long whip.

Yes — he went full armor mode!

 Big ultimate. Entering the fray. Unstoppable!

Fully encased in the upgraded armor, Huo Yuhao charged toward the three corpse puppets wielding close-combat soul tools.

Each puppet had its own combat role:

One used a shield for defense.

One wielded a spear for offense.

One dual-wielded swords for agility and support.

All three wore soul tool armor, with physical strength equivalent to Soul Douluo.

But against Huo Yuhao?

He led with his signature move — Frost Cage Fist!

 Blinding cold flashes shot forth like laser beams, piercing the puppets over and over.

The next instant, Huo Yuhao appeared behind the puppets, arm raised — his fist clenched and covered in a monstrous layer of icy armor.

Behind him, all three puppets — and the soul tools on them — shattered into pieces, scattered across the ground.

In the end, they were merely manipulated corpses. No matter how tough, they were still within human limits — unable to withstand Huo Yuhao's storm of punches.

Huo Yuhao suddenly struck, destroying three flesh puppets in a single move. This shocked the sub-hall elder, Corpse Demon, who was controlling them. Shock turned into rage and terror.

He was furious that Huo Yuhao had destroyed his precious creations—but more terrified that Huo Yuhao had the power to obliterate them so easily.

This enemy... is strong.

 Retreat!

To live long as an Evil Soul Master, one must be cautious.

Those who fly into berserker rage often die young.

If you can't crush your enemy absolutely, fighting is suicide—so retreat must always be the first option!

Corpse Demon didn't even warn the others; he turned and fled instantly. Others could cover his retreat. But Huo Yuhao had no intention of letting him escape.

Of the five Soul Douluo-ranked sub-hall elders, the strongest was Corpse Demon.

Thunderous Spring Awakens!

Boom—!

Huo Yuhao gave chase.

Corpse Demon's instincts as a top-tier combatant screamed with warning. He dodged just in time to avoid Huo Yuhao's footstrike, which landed with a thunderous crack.

Although he avoided the direct blow, the shockwave from the compressed air knocked him off balance, nearly injuring him.

And he immediately realized—he couldn't escape.

Huo Yuhao was not only faster, but capable of launching attacks during pursuit. Fleeing blindly would only lead to death.

Seeing that Huo Yuhao wouldn't relent, a savage glint appeared in Corpse Demon's eyes.

 "You forced this, kid! You think I fear you?!"

If you can escape—do it. If not—fight to the death.

Corpse Demon was cautious, yes, but never lacked brutality. When in danger—preserve yourself. When cornered—go all in. That was survival.

Just to live.

Though the three flesh puppets had Soul Douluo-level bodies, they lacked martial souls and soul power. Their combat strength was far inferior to actual Soul Douluos.

It wasn't impossible for a Soul Sage to defeat them. But Huo Yuhao's efficiency shocked him. Worried that Zhang Lexuan might be equally terrifying, Corpse Demon had chosen caution and fled.

After all, both Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan had 100,000-year spirit rings. This made people both covet their soul bones and fear their strength.

Now Huo Yuhao had pushed him too far. Remembering that Huo Yuhao was still just a Soul Sage and that Zhang Lexuan was being stalled by the other four elders, Corpse Demon figured he might stand a chance.

If he could win quickly and take down Huo Yuhao, he could then threaten Zhang Lexuan—a double win.

"Seventh Soul Skill: Corpse Insect True Form!"

 "Eighth Soul Skill: Insect Swarm Cataclysm!"

Corpse Demon's martial soul was an evil-type—Corpse Insect, allowing him to control corpses with insects. Activating his true form, he transformed into a monstrous giant insect resembling a horseshoe crab, glowing with eerie green light.

His eighth soul skill summoned a horde of corpse insects, formed from soul power, to attack in all directions.

From his massive insect body, a swarm of fingernail-sized corpse insects surged out like a flood, spreading rapidly.

Any soul master caught in the swarm who failed to defend against every single insect would risk infection. Even one insect could infiltrate the body, allowing Corpse Demon to transform the victim into a flesh puppet.

His three Soul Douluo puppets had been created this way—once peers, now tools.

Even Soul Douluos couldn't resist. So how could a mere Soul Sage?

In a blink, the insect swarm engulfed Huo Yuhao, forming a writhing mound of insects.

Seeing this, the other four sub-hall elders immediately stopped fighting Zhang Lexuan and fled, keeping well away from the swarm.

While fleeing, they cursed loudly.

Because this skill harmed allies as well!

 A misstep, and they too would become puppets. In the Holy Spirit Cult, there was no concept of "friendly fire immunity." They even suspected Corpse Demon wanted to kill them and monopolize the southern province's territory.

Zhang Lexuan, seeing this, had to retreat to the sky and rained down beams of moonlight to bomb the insect swarm in hopes of saving Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao!"

"Hahaha! Arrogant brat—become my puppet under the might of my insect swarm!" Corpse Demon laughed maniacally, both mad from being cornered and elated at his seeming victory.

But just then—a chilling cold spread out, rapidly sweeping across the entire swarm.

To everyone's shock, the entire insect tide froze solid at visible speed.

Under this extreme cold, every corpse insect instantly perished.

"Wh-What's going on?" Corpse Demon froze. His laughter cut short.

Moments ago he had the upper hand—how had everything collapsed in an instant?

He was overwhelmed by terror.

He turned and fled again.

Even activated another soul skill in desperation.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan stopped attacking and smiled in relief.

 "Thank goodness—Yuhao's fine!"

Crack!

The frozen insect swarm shattered. From its remains, Huo Yuhao calmly stepped out.

Not a single corpse insect was within three feet of him.

Floating around him were countless shard-like fragments—ice crystal barriers, evolved from spiritual barriers and fused with his ultimate ice element.

"Disgusting bugs. Your tricks end here."

His armor glowed gold.

Sovereign's Might—activated!

And that was just the beginning.

Behind Huo Yuhao appeared the golden image of his Frost Centipede variant martial soul, which wrapped around his Frost Centipede armor, making it even more radiant.

Huo Yuhao surged forward.

With a burst of golden light, he instantly closed the distance to Corpse Demon.

The radiance from his body expanded outward—freezing Corpse Demon and nearby Evil Soul Masters in place. They felt overwhelming discomfort and terror—the shadow of death loomed.

On the ground, a 50-meter-wide golden ring appeared, centered on Huo Yuhao's glowing form. Inside, golden pillars of light rose, trapping all Evil Soul Masters, even blocking them from using soul skills.

"Spare... me..."

 Corpse Demon used the last of his strength to beg.

But all he received was Huo Yuhao's icy voice:

"Frost! Centipede! Domain! Of Purging Evil!"

Huo Yuhao, like a divine judge, solemnly spoke the name of his technique.

For two seconds—silence.

Then all the golden pillars exploded, releasing blinding white light that seemed to bleach the world.

Zhang Lexuan couldn't bear the brilliance. She closed her eyes to block the searing glow.

Inside the domain, the Evil Soul Masters howled in agony. Their bodies felt like they were melting from the inside out—the holy light erasing their corruption from existence.

But the screams ended quickly. The Evil Soul Masters caught in the blast were utterly erased. Not a trace remained.

The white light lasted only five seconds.

Then it faded just as fast, vanishing as if nothing had happened.

Huo Yuhao slowly descended. His ice-armored boots touched the ground, stirring a gentle dust cloud.

All Evil Soul Masters caught in the domain were gone—completely annihilated. Not a single flower or blade of grass was harmed. The soil still shimmered faintly with holy energy.

Thus, Corpse Demon was dead. Half his followers vanished with him.

霜蜈禁邪域 — The Frost Centipede Forbidden Evil Domain!

This technique was developed based on Mu En's Imperial Dragon Domain technique and tailored specifically for the unique Frost Centipede Martial Soul. It shares similar effects with the Imperial Dragon Domain—its main power lies in dispelling evil and is especially effective against Evil Soul Masters.

Originally, this move was more akin to a domain-like technique. However, after being further developed by Huo Yuhao, it evolved to be indistinguishable from a true domain, significantly increasing its power.

It can directly immobilize Evil Soul Masters and completely dissolve them.

The dissolved Evil Soul Masters become nourishment for Huo Yuhao—their souls imprisoned within the Ghost Banner Martial Soul.

To outsiders, it appears as if Huo Yuhao simply annihilated them. They are unaware of the part where their souls are bound.

With a single strike, Huo Yuhao killed more than forty Evil Soul Masters—over half of those present.

Among them was Corpse Demon, the strongest sub-hall elder.

This shocking scene left the remaining Evil Soul Masters utterly terrified. Even the four remaining sub-hall elders subconsciously retreated, clearly intending to escape.

But at that very moment, the Frost Centipede armor on Huo Yuhao's body shattered, and he exited his Martial Soul True Body state. His face turned pale, visibly exhausted.

Zhang Lexuan, in her Silver Moon form, floated above his head, quickly shielding him while asking anxiously:

"Yuhao, are you okay?"

Cough cough "Sorry, Senior Sister, I'm a bit drained... but I can still fight!" Huo Yuhao responded quickly, though his voice lacked strength.

The four remaining sub-hall elders exchanged looks and, surprisingly, decided not to flee.

They had already formed a blood feud with Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan. Escaping now would only delay their deaths. Once Huo Yuhao recovered, none of them would be able to stand against him alone. And going back to headquarters for reinforcements might only bring Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan to their doorstep first.

After all, Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan had already taken down several sub-halls. It was only a matter of time before they were next.

If they fled now, it would be considered betrayal of the Holy Spirit Sect. They didn't believe they could survive being hunted by both the Sect and the duo.

This was a moment of life and death.

If they didn't fight, they would die.

So, there was only one answer—Strike while he's down!

The four elders attacked together, hoping to kill the weakened Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan on the spot.

"Attack!"

All four sub-hall elders launched their attacks. Zhang Lexuan didn't have time to check on Huo Yuhao and instead flared up her Silver Moon True Body, shielding him and confronting the four elders.

She activated the Silver Pattern External Soul Bone to its limit. At the cost of rapidly depleting her soul power, she temporarily boosted her strength to several times its usual level.

Huo Yuhao merely watched.

Because he knew—Zhang Lexuan would win.

The five sub-hall elders, including Corpse Demon, while appearing powerful and equipped with special skills, were not truly strong at their core.

When facing someone immune to their tricks, their combat effectiveness dropped sharply.

Zhang Lexuan's Silver Moon Martial Soul had purification abilities. She had no apparent weaknesses, and combined with the augmentation of her Silver Pattern Soul Bone, her power became terrifying.

Without their gimmicks, the elders' base strength was flimsy—because their foundations were unstable.

They hadn't reached Titled Douluo rank—not because they didn't want to, but because they couldn't.

Even regular Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire couldn't easily reach Titled Douluo even with medicinal enhancement.

Those who did break through this way often exhausted their potential and couldn't surpass level 91 in their lifetime. Moreover, those high-quality pills weren't accessible to just anyone.

The four sub-hall elders quickly realized they had underestimated Zhang Lexuan. During their earlier skirmishes, they thought she was manageable. Four versus one should be enough.

They never expected her power to multiply—her attacks growing fiercer each wave.

Pressure mounted instantly.

Four-on-one—and they were the ones getting suppressed.

Even if they survived, they'd likely have nightmares every time they saw the moon. But the reality was—they weren't going to survive.

Zhang Lexuan had no intention of letting them go.

As for the other Evil Soul Masters that had come with the elders, many had already lost the will to fight and simply dropped their Soul Tools and fled.

But there were still some brave ones, who wanted to risk everything for glory. They noticed the "weakened" Huo Yuhao and went for him.

Three Evil Soul Masters approached from different directions, trying to capture him to support their elders.

But they didn't expect—a giant centipede to appear!

Huo Yuhao summoned it, and in three swift strikes, the centipede tore all three apart.

"I'm just out of soul power. But my Martial Soul doesn't only rely on soul power to fight!" Huo Yuhao smiled brightly.

The unique Frost Centipede Martial Soul lifted its body, flexing its razor-sharp legs.

The sight sent chills through the remaining Evil Soul Masters.

"Not good—retreat!"

"Fall back! Fall back!"

"Stay away from me!"

But it was too late. The Frost Centipede tore into them like a blade through butter. Even without soul power, its body—equivalent in toughness to a 700,000-year-old Soul Beast—was unstoppable by ordinary Evil Soul Masters.

Even a Super Douluo from the Body Sect would get skewered by its legs.

The physical power of soul beasts often exceeded that of soul masters.

Huo Yuhao found himself puzzled by Corpse Demon. Why use human corpses for his flesh puppets instead of soul beast bodies? Did he have some weird fetish?

Did using humans make him feel more evil or something?

Huo Yuhao pondered as he walked over and pulled a half-eaten Evil Soul Master from the Frost Centipede's mouth, scolding:

"Stop eating that—it's gross!"

The Frost Centipede looked wronged—it just wanted to taste an Evil Soul Master and see if it could absorb some unique abilities using its devour skill.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan quickly finished her battle with the four elders. She knew she couldn't last in a drawn-out fight, so she unleashed four 100,000-year soul skills in a burst, powered by her Silver Pattern Soul Bone.

It was like using a cannon to kill mosquitoes.

The four elders died without regret.

As the fight ended—

Zhang Lexuan's Silver Moon True Body collapsed. She landed unsteadily and nearly fell—saved just in time by Huo Yuhao.

"Senior Sister, are you okay?" Huo Yuhao asked with genuine concern, not a hint of ulterior motive.

"I—I'm fine…" Zhang Lexuan replied weakly.

But as she felt the warmth from Huo Yuhao's body, her heart started racing, her body turning soft.

With her body boosted by the Silver Pattern, she had reached a peak state—completely ready.

Yet she forced herself to keep just enough soul power to maintain her Silver Pattern Soul Bone, not wanting to lose control in front of Huo Yuhao.

This was her final act of restraint.

But it was like drinking poison to quench thirst.

The longer she maintained the Silver Pattern, the stronger the release would be once she let go.

Zhang Lexuan didn't want to—but her body was saying:

It's time!

With Huo Yuhao's support, the two hurriedly returned to a nearby city and checked into a hotel.

Huo Yuhao helped Zhang Lexuan to her room. "Senior Sister, rest first. I'll be next door to meditate. Call me if you need anything."

He prepared to leave.

His behavior was impeccable, showing only respect for Zhang Lexuan without crossing any boundaries.

This made Zhang Lexuan sigh inwardly. With an heir like Huo Yuhao, the Sea God Pavilion was truly fortunate. Despite his colorful romantic life, he was fundamentally upright, carrying Mu En's spirit.

In truth, seeing Zhang Lexuan hold back so steadfastly, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but admire her resilience, though he understood it.

After all, those who hadn't "tasted meat" could endure.

Then, Huo Yuhao subtly triggered the golden centipede within Zhang Lexuan to shift.

Zhang Lexuan, already teetering on the edge, instantly lost all balance. The taut string of her restraint snapped completely.

Like a full bowl of water, a single tremor caused it to spill uncontrollably.

"No, this isn't good!" Zhang Lexuan gasped in alarm.

But she could no longer hold back.

She was resilient, but inexperienced. Once the first drop spilled, she couldn't regulate herself or slow the deluge.

Huo Yuhao had just let go of her and was about to leave when the silver-patterned celestial bone armor on Zhang Lexuan vanished. Her suppressed instincts erupted all at once, with ferocious intensity.

In a reversal, Zhang Lexuan grabbed Huo Yuhao's arm, using him as an anchor to support her body, which she could no longer control.

"Yuhao… go… quickly… don't…" she stammered.

"Senior Sister?!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed, feigning shock. He seemed to resist but hesitated, as if afraid of hurting her, appearing flustered.

Before Zhang Lexuan could finish, a surge of vitality overwhelmed her, blanking her mind. Ignoring everything else, she climbed onto Huo Yuhao's body.

The corners of Huo Yuhao's lips curled slightly. He made a show of reluctant resistance, still protesting anxiously, "Senior Sister, snap out of it! We can't…"

Two tears rolled from Zhang Lexuan's eyes, perhaps from uncontrollable tears or her final shred of shame.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly yet pass in an instant. Zhang Lexuan slowly regained awareness, her fragmented memories piecing together. She snapped her eyes open, finding herself on the bed.

Checking herself urgently, she sighed in relief. Her clothes, though disheveled, were intact, and her body felt fine—actually, unusually refreshed, as if years of pent-up stress had been released.

Most importantly, Huo Yuhao wasn't in her room. She was alone.

Yet a faint fragrance lingered in the air.

But her soaked pants and the large wet patch on the bed left her mortified.

She leaned weakly against the bed's cushions, pondering her next steps.

"Yuhao must have seen my lapse… I hope I didn't scare him. What should I do now…?"

Shame, guilt, fear, and panic swirled within her, akin to a young person caught by family in an embarrassing private moment.

A social death.

She felt an urge to flee.

Guilt toward Gou Beibei gnawed at her, as if she'd betrayed him.

But rationality quelled her chaotic emotions. She had to address this responsibly.

It was her duty; running away would hurt Huo Yuhao.

Leaning against the headboard's cushions, Zhang Lexuan remained still for a long time, contemplating how to handle the situation.

She only knew that both she and Huo Yuhao needed to cool off.

…

"Biological beings experience intense reproductive urges in two scenarios. First, when their life state is at its peak, as they can produce the best offspring. Second, when near death, as their instincts drive them to pass on their genes."

In his room, Huo Yuhao soaked in a bathtub, sipping Sun Moon Empire specialty wine, savoring the lingering "taste" of Zhang Lexuan.

"Senior Sister, you've displayed your most vulnerable and alluring side to me. What will you do next?" Huo Yuhao mused with a smile, in high spirits.

"Bro, why didn't you go for it? I was ready to be locked in the dark room!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm asked curiously.

"Zhang Lexuan wouldn't accept losing herself to me now. Once she woke, she'd either end her life or cut me off forever," Huo Yuhao analyzed. "Unless I forcibly controlled her mind, there'd be no chance with her. But if I did, the Golden Ancient Tree might affect her back at Sea God Pavilion, causing issues. I can't be sure if that Elder God left any safeguards in the tree."

He couldn't confirm, but the possibility was high.

"Just taking her primordial yin would be a waste; she has greater value. Besides, she'll only be fully ripe once she's a Titled Douluo," Huo Yuhao added with a grin.

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm half-understood, finding it overly complicated. Soul beasts, if they fancied someone, simply acted if they could overpower them—no such fuss.

Well, intelligent high-level soul beasts, especially 100,000-year ones, were as emotionally complex as humans.

Low-tier beasts were direct and crude.

Huo Yuhao sighed, pulling the submerged Ziji out of the water, then diving in to "take command."

His fire had been ignited.

Having tasted "meat," he couldn't endure long.

"Tianmeng Bro, want to try Ice Empress?" Huo Yuhao teased.

He hadn't touched Ice Empress or Snow Empress.

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm shivered, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm good."

He couldn't get past his mental block.

Huo Yuhao didn't mind, leaving them untouched but summoning Jin Qiuer to "teach her some techniques."

"You pervert, go die!" Jin Qiuer launched a kick.

Huo Yuhao caught her foot, pulling her into the bathtub with a gentle tug.

The tub's water churned wildly.

Tianmeng and the other beast souls quietly retreated, unable to watch.

Mid-indulgence, Huo Yuhao suddenly thought that Zhang Lexuan, being her first time, had a unique "fragrance."

Perhaps she had a special constitution he hadn't yet identified.

…

It wasn't until noon the next day that Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan met again, both reverting to their usual demeanor.

Seeing Huo Yuhao act normally, Zhang Lexuan relaxed slightly, but she noticed he occasionally showed guilt, as if forcing her to confront it.

She took the initiative. "I'm sorry, Yuhao."

"Senior Sister!" Huo Yuhao seemed agitated, his guilt deepening. "I'm the one who should apologize."

Zhang Lexuan shook her head. "Yuhao, let's not argue about this. I know it was my fault. Don't overthink it—treat it like a dream. I don't blame you; I just hope this won't affect our relationship." 

In the end, Zhang Lexuan classified the incident as an accident. Taking responsibility as an elder, she bore the consequences and pretended that nothing had ever happened.

When a problem cannot be easily solved, forgetting is often the simplest choice.

Perhaps, in her heart, restoring everything to its original state was the best outcome.

And Huo Yuhao could only agree.

Of course, Huo Yuhao still cared about Zhang Lexuan and asked whether something had happened to cause the incident.

Zhang Lexuan, however, didn't offer any explanation—she simply said it was a private matter. After all, the negative effects of her external soul bone were truly hard to speak of.

Compared to Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, or even Princess Wei Na, Zhang Lexuan was much more conservative.

Ma Xiaotao was bold in love and hate, and preferred chasing thrills.

Wei Na's upbringing made her more open-minded and willing to try new things.

Ling Luochen could act on impulse, choosing to go with the flow and even enjoy it.

As for Huo Yuhao's other women, each had their own goals.

But Zhang Lexuan could never cross that red line so easily. She had been shaped by Shrek Academy into the "ideal" wife.

However, to Huo Yuhao, whether it was Zhang Lexuan or any of the other women, they were all simply furnaces—tools to aid his cultivation.

These women stayed with Huo Yuhao for love or profit, and he accepted them only because they were exceptional enough to further his path of cultivation.

Everyone has value—it just takes someone to develop it.

While Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan dealt with their personal affairs, a major upheaval was unfolding in the Southern Province, all tied to the White Lotus Sect!

Under the command of Eunuch Gao, the White Lotus Sect began its assault on the Southern Province—occupying towns, building churches, spreading doctrine, and recruiting believers.

As for those who remained stubbornly resistant, the White Lotus Sect "purified" them.

 Not immediate execution—after all, the Bright King cherishes life. These people were rounded up and imprisoned, awaiting the Bright King's arrival to be converted.

That's what they called "purification."

Eunuch Gao knew Huo Yuhao hated waste, so he was saving them up for him.

Of course, during the expansion, regular resources and coins were all distributed outward—none were hoarded.

Only the most precious treasures were kept by Eunuch Gao.

Even ordinary soul bones under 50,000 years were handed out to meritorious White Lotus soul masters—further fueling their fanaticism.

Because they were reaping real rewards!

They weren't fighting for someone else's empire, but for their own church, their beliefs, and their personal gain—fighting against the Sun-Moon Empire!

Thus, without needing much prompting, the believers took the initiative to expand the church.

The Southern Province was just the beginning—it couldn't possibly satisfy the White Lotus Sect.

The believers wanted to spread their sect across the entire Sun-Moon Empire.

 No—across the entire Douluo Continent!

Eunuch Gao wasn't idle either. He personally went to deal with the true governor of the Southern Province—a titled Douluo from the imperial family who held both civil and military power.

Even though Eunuch Gao was a soul body, he didn't want to confront an entire army. So he chose to go straight for the head, sneaking into the governor's mansion to assassinate him.

That man was Prince Yongning, Xu Guo'an.

Mingdu lay in the north of the Sun-Moon Continent, making it difficult to govern the south. So the empire entrusted the southern provinces to loyal princes like Xu Guo'an.

These princes had considerable power, even commanding armies. Of course, their troops were no match for the Guardians of the Nation, which is why the central government tolerated such local autonomy.

Though not the most talented soul master in the royal family, Xu Guo'an was a virtuous and capable man—a level-93 Titled Douluo and an 8th-tier soul engineer. At full power, he was considered an elite among Titled Douluo.

Before the White Lotus incident, he had already received reports. But he hadn't taken them seriously—who would've thought that someone would dare rebel under the Sun-Moon Empire's reign of glory?

Still, Xu Guo'an wasn't careless. He had people monitoring the White Lotus Sect, and noticed signs that they had seized control of several major cities.

This couldn't be tolerated!

Xu Guo'an planned to move against the White Lotus Sect. In his eyes, they were a pig ready for slaughter—if not killed soon, they'd break out of the pen.

What he didn't expect was that before he could even sharpen his knife, the pig he planned to butcher transformed into a monster and came knocking on his door.

Night fell.

The sun disappeared, and darkness descended.

In his study, as Xu Guo'an and his deputy were discussing how to act against the White Lotus Sect, his expression suddenly changed and he leapt to his feet.

"Prince?" his deputy asked, confused but alert.

Xu Guo'an said in a low voice, "Call the guards! An intruder has broken into the prince's mansion!"

It wasn't due to some keen intuition—his enemy wasn't even hiding. The moment they entered the mansion, a wave of blood stench spread throughout the estate.

After giving orders, Xu Guo'an dashed out of the study, heading straight for the intruder.

He knew the enemy was making a show, forcing him to appear.

Since the enemy had come to him, there was no reason to hide. Besides, he wanted to see who was arrogant enough to trespass into his home.

Though he was the only Titled Douluo in the mansion, he had an entire garrison. Together, they could even fend off a Super Douluo.

And so, Eunuch Gao easily came face to face with Xu Guo'an.

Xu Guo'an wore a dignified formal robe. He was middle-aged, tall and handsome, exuding noble elegance—he was every bit the image of a refined older gentleman.

"Who dares trespass in the prince's mansion?" Xu Guo'an demanded sternly.

Eunuch Gao ignored the words and gave a slight nod. "Since I've found him, it's time to take his life. There's much left for me to arrange."

The White Lotus Sect hadn't yet invaded the mansion, so Eunuch Gao had no choice but to kill him outright.

He raised the Blood Slaughter Pearl, which floated in his palm, and nine soul rings appeared around him:

 Two yellow, two purple, four black, one red.

Seeing this ring configuration, Xu Guo'an's pupils shrank. He knew the opponent was no ordinary foe.

He immediately activated his own martial soul—Sun Martial Soul, with two yellow, two purple, and five black rings.

The two men attacked at once.

Xu Guo'an: "Fifth Soul Skill—Brilliant Radiance!"

Eunuch Gao: "Ninth Soul Skill—Blood Slaughter Domain Enhancement!"

The spreading sunlight of the Sun Martial Soul was instantly shattered by the overwhelming Blood Slaughter Domain, leaving Xu Guo'an stunned.

Wait, are you really opening with your ultimate move?

A hundred-thousand-year soul ring should usually be a trump card, but Eunuch Gao's ninth ring wasn't that—it came from the Blood Slaughter Pearl, enhancing the domain instead. Its red hue was the color of blood.

Opening with domain enhancement? Totally fair.

Caught off guard, Xu Guo'an was quickly pushed into a disadvantage. In the next instant, countless blood-red sunflower petals shot toward him like blades.

"Blood Slaughter Sunflower—Sixth Soul Skill—"

 "Petal in Hand, Sublime and Unmatched!"

"Kill!"