soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

Within the crescent-shaped shard, a faint divine power was hidden, so subtle that it was nearly undetectable.

Had it not been for Huo Yuhao's own exposure to divine power, he might have missed it entirely. But precisely because he possessed divine energy, the shard began to gradually awaken the moment it fell into his hands.

To accelerate the recovery process of the divine artifact fragment, Huo Yuhao began actively injecting soul power into it. Seeing this, the Evil Emperor didn't dare interrupt, instead vigilantly guarding the surroundings.

Soon, a silvery-white moonlight began to radiate from the shard.

The next moment, a surge of consciousness invaded Huo Yuhao's mind, flooding his awareness with vivid images.

A goddess weeping in sorrow, falling to the mortal world, transforming into a mountain valley. Surrounded by mountains was a vast and boundless lake. The water was crystal clear, shimmering in hues of gold and silver, like the sun and moon cuddled together—magnificent beyond words.

"Heaven-Earth Love Inquiry Valley!"

The name surfaced in Huo Yuhao's heart.

More than just images, information on how to reach the valley, and the method to activate the inheritance trial, was also transmitted into his mind.

And the true nature of the crescent-shaped shard in his hand was also revealed.

Strictly speaking, the crescent shard was not a piece of a divine artifact, but rather a component—half of a complete artifact. Its name was "Moon Will", and it paired with its other half "Sun Emotion". Together, they formed the complete divine artifact: "Sun Emotion Moon Will Wheel", also known as "Eternal Love."

Sun and moon rise and fall, but love is eternal.

When Huo Yuhao organized all the information in his mind and opened his eyes again, the Moon Will in his hand had fully revealed its true form.

What was once palm-sized had grown to the size of a human head—though that wasn't its limit, as its size was adjustable.

Now silver-white, the Moon Will in Huo Yuhao's hands resembled a real crescent moon, emitting a cool and gentle glow, filled with potent lunar energy.

Both the Skydream Iceworm and the mutant Frost Centipede spirit showed signs of deep longing—evidently, the lunar essence within the Moon Will was not only pure, but exceptionally rich.

A delicacy for beast-type spirits.

"Slurp… Yuhao, can I have a lick?" the Skydream Iceworm asked longingly.

The Frost Centipede nodded eagerly beside him, clearly meaning, "Me too."

Huo Yuhao simply tossed Moon Will over to them.

"Use it however you want."

"Long live Yuhao~" The Skydream Iceworm and Frost Centipede happily clung to the Moon Will, eagerly absorbing its lunar energy.

"Y-Yuhao… what was that just now?" the Evil Emperor finally asked. He still wasn't used to calling Huo Yuhao "Yuhao," considering his own age of several hundred thousand years. But curiosity got the better of him.

Though their time together was short, the Evil Emperor had already seen that Huo Yuhao was not the moody type, and he deeply cared for his own. To casually give away such a treasure—well, not even one's own father might go that far.

True to form, Huo Yuhao explained.

"That was the Moon Will—a divine artifact of the Goddess of Love. Well, technically just half of it, so its power is only at half-divine artifact level," he explained, sounding somewhat dissatisfied.

"What?! A divine artifact of the Goddess of Love?!" The Evil Emperor was shocked beyond belief.

Even just half a divine artifact was no trivial matter. And if the other half could be recovered, wouldn't that mean he'd have a complete divine artifact?

What was there to be dissatisfied about?

The Evil Emperor almost slapped himself in frustration. If only he'd realized Moon Will's true identity earlier, maybe he could've obtained the full artifact. Maybe he could've even defeated Di Tian, stolen the Skydream Iceworm, and advanced to the threshold of the legendary god realm!

But alas, a missed opportunity is a missed opportunity.

Compared to the Wisdom Stele, which was purely a support-type artifact, the Moon Will was a genuine offensive divine artifact. If Huo Yuhao could find its counterpart, the Sun Emotion, forming a complete weapon, it would provide him with enormous aid.

Not to mention, with the Moon Will, Huo Yuhao had gained the opportunity to inherit the Goddess of Love's god position. All he needed to do was pass the trial.

The Goddess of Love was no less powerful than the God of Wisdom—both were first-tier gods.

But alas, Heaven-Earth Love Inquiry Valley wasn't exactly a place one could stroll into casually.

The Evil Emperor had been able to carry off the Moon Will for two reasons: one, he hadn't entered the valley itself; and two, at that time, "that one" hadn't yet appeared, and the valley was still a relatively normal blessed land.

Now, however, that mysterious being had very likely seized control of the valley. If Huo Yuhao went now, it would be like walking into a trap. Not only might his secrets be exposed, but he could also be tortured to death during the inheritance trial.

Ridiculous.

Besides, there was no guarantee the Sun Emotion was even there. Accepting the inheritance was practically impossible.

Unless...

"If something could distract that person—just long enough—then I could slip through unnoticed~"

Only two things, Huo Yuhao figured, could divert that one's attention: the Golden Ancient Tree, and possibly the Clear Sky Sect.

If all else failed… Well, maybe poking the Silver Dragon King would do the trick. That wouldn't just draw that one's attention—it might provoke the entire god realm into reacting.

That thought lightened Huo Yuhao's mood considerably.

The Evil Emperor didn't understand his thoughts, but he knew one thing: he hadn't chosen the wrong leader to follow.

Still, Huo Yuhao didn't leave immediately.

Instead, he turned toward the Evil Emperor's former place of slumber.

The so-called birthplace of the Demonic Prison Tree—a place where Huo Yuhao's spiritual sense had detected unique fluctuations.

The Evil Emperor's resting place was a massive pit, reinforced by countless root-like structures that stabilized it. Strangely, these roots were still able to slowly gather ambient spiritual energy.

As a result, the pit was dense with spiritual energy—almost on par with the area surrounding the Golden Ancient Tree.

The place hadn't always been this sparse, but it was clear someone had ransacked it. No doubt the Skydream Iceworm and the Frost Centipede had looted it clean.

The Evil Emperor cast a resentful glance their way. The Skydream Iceworm just chuckled and hid behind the Frost Centipede.

The Frost Centipede blinked innocently, completely unaware of what was going on.

"Those roots are pretty good too. Frost Centipede, eat them later. It should improve your ability to absorb natural energy," Huo Yuhao instructed casually.

Now the Evil Emperor understood where they'd learned their bad habits.

Huo Yuhao then descended to the bottom of the pit, surveying his surroundings with narrowed eyes.

Unfortunately, there were no treasures here. But something unusual was present—a strange force cloaking the area, hidden beneath the dense ambient energy.

To be more precise, the entire Demonic Forest was shrouded in this force. But this pit appeared to be its source, making it easier to detect here.

This might explain why the forest was teeming with dark-type soul beasts.

And yet, it didn't seem to stem from any tangible object. Rather, it felt like it had seeped in… out of nowhere.

Huo Yuhao had a thought.

"Is this the intrusion of power from another plane?"

Maybe the Douluo Continent wasn't only being encroached upon by the Abyss Plane.

Perhaps that's how the Evil Emperor was able to comprehend space-time powers—not merely through mental strength.

The Demonic Forest with its dark soul beasts… the Mingdou Forest with its mutant beasts…

"How interesting. It's a shame my current power isn't enough to open a planar gate. Maybe it's time… to study space-time energy."

Huo Yuhao laughed—a genuinely happy laugh.

Because he had discovered a new resource map, one he could explore when he became strong enough.

After thoroughly sweeping the forbidden area of the Demonic Forest for its benefits, the sun began to set. Only then did Huo Yuhao make some arrangements and return to the cave.

The main objectives of this trip to the Demonic Forest had been fully accomplished. All that remained were two less critical tasks: helping Zhang Lexuan obtain her ninth spirit ring and dealing with Xian Lin'er.

Zhang Lexuan's ninth spirit ring had gone surprisingly smoothly — even better, they stumbled upon a hundred-thousand-year-old Galaxy Laurel Tree that was a perfect match. A pleasant surprise, to say the least.

As for Xian Lin'er, things hadn't gone as planned due to her hidden trump cards. Now Huo Yuhao would have to take a riskier path.

The remaining members of the Evil-Eyed Clan weren't worth wiping out entirely. After all, once the Evil Emperor sacrificed himself, the forest's fortune had fully shifted to Huo Yuhao. The remnants of the Evil-Eyed Clan's fortune would still be absorbed by him. If any powerful beings emerged from the clan in the future, that would only serve to bring Huo Yuhao more fortune.

For sustainability's sake, Huo Yuhao left the Evil-Eyed Clan some special resources — a unique cultivation method tailored for spiritual power.

After securing all his gains, Huo Yuhao made himself look a bit battered and hurriedly returned to the cave.

The battle in the forest naturally attracted Xian Lin'er's attention. Unfortunately, her strength had yet to recover. She couldn't even move the boulder blocking the cave's entrance and could only wait anxiously, praying that Huo Yuhao would return safely.

Huo Yuhao had gained much that day, while Xian Lin'er had been weighed down by worry.

Only after Huo Yuhao returned did she finally relax. Then her eyes rolled back, and she fainted again.

Thankfully, Huo Yuhao caught her in time.

A quick examination showed she had fainted due to the combination of unresolved injuries and a full day of anxiety, which led her mind to finally relax.

Huo Yuhao didn't take advantage of the moment — he simply used some aromatic incense to calm her mind, quickly waking her up.

Xian Lin'er slowly regained consciousness on the stone bed, her eyes meeting the dim soul lamp light reflecting off the walls. She turned her head groggily and saw Huo Yuhao at her bedside.

"Senior Sister Xian, you're awake!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed, visibly relieved.

"Yuhao..." Xian Lin'er called out weakly, her heart warming from the care. Being cared for always had a comforting effect.

Huo Yuhao helped her sit up, and she immediately asked, "Yuhao, what exactly happened in the Demonic Forest today?"

He first showed a lingering look of fear, then began to tell a fabricated story.

"Senior Sister Xian, today I saw an evil soul master fighting the Evil Emperor! It triggered a massive upheaval in the forest! I don't know the final outcome — I had to hide until the chaos subsided before I could return."

"What? Evil soul master? Evil Emperor?" Xian Lin'er gasped in shock.

She knew of the Evil Emperor — it was recorded in Shrek Academy. After all, the Ten Great Beasts were ranked by humans. The Evil Emperor was ranked second, just beneath Di Tian.

Only someone like Xuanzi could battle the Evil Emperor.

But now, an evil soul master had appeared who could fight it?

What terrifying strength must that soul master have?

A sudden thought struck her, and she asked urgently, "Was it someone from the Holy Spirit Sect?"

"Very likely," Huo Yuhao answered seriously. "After all, the Holy Spirit Sect is also hidden somewhere within the Demonic Forest."

Xian Lin'er stopped asking further, her heart filled with unease.

She couldn't investigate the true identity of the evil soul master or the Holy Spirit Sect's intentions, and she certainly couldn't let Huo Yuhao look into it. It was far too dangerous.

Her worry now was about the future. With such a powerful evil soul master appearing, and with Mu En gone and Xuanzi near the end of his life, what would become of Shrek Academy?

The only silver lining was that the Holy Spirit Sect and this soul master were located in the Sun Moon Empire — they would be the first to suffer.

But simple borders wouldn't stop an ill-intentioned evil soul master.

There was no guarantee they wouldn't target Shrek's legacy.

And now, they were in the same forest as that evil soul master — the Demonic Forest!

The forest might be vast, but that didn't mean it was safe. Xian Lin'er now urgently wanted to leave.

But before that, they needed to find Zhang Lexuan — dead or alive.

Xian Lin'er deeply regretted bringing Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan on this spirit beast hunt.

"Yuhao, we…" she began, trying to say more.

But just then, Huo Yuhao's expression changed sharply. He looked warily toward the boulder blocking the cave entrance and said in a low voice, "Senior Sister Xian, something's wrong!"

Seeing his serious demeanor, Xian Lin'er immediately went silent, raising her vigilance and focusing on the sounds outside.

Sure enough, she heard shuffling noises, along with chilling growls and heavy breathing.

A soul beast was approaching!

"Be careful!" Huo Yuhao warned, immediately stepping in front of Xian Lin'er.

Then came a loud crash — the boulder sealing the cave entrance was smashed to pieces from outside by a tremendous force.

Debris flew inward, but Huo Yuhao's soul power shield blocked it all. The stones disintegrated into dust upon impact.

Xian Lin'er looked past Huo Yuhao and saw the intruding soul beast.

Her expression changed drastically. "Converging Ape!"

The Converging Ape — a malevolent soul beast known for attacking female soul masters and female beasts of other species. It had a unique ability to sense females.

In short, this was an extremely unfriendly soul beast toward women.

A chill ran through Xian Lin'er. She suspected it had tracked her scent here.

Judging from its size, it had over fifty thousand years of cultivation.

The ape filled the entrance with its massive body, gripping either side of the opening and drooling profusely — clearly eager to break into the cave.

Amidst the chaos, Xian Lin'er didn't notice the ape's oddly bulging muscles or the faint golden light flickering in its eyes.

Yes — this Converging Ape had been manipulated by Huo Yuhao. When he first discovered it in the forest, he half-jokingly thought he'd ended up in a different fantasy world altogether.

But similar creatures across fantasy realms weren't unusual.

Unfortunately, most soul beasts hated Converging Apes, so strong ones were rare. The one he found was only at the thousand-year level. So, Huo Yuhao gave it a massive opportunity — allowing it to experience the power of a fifty-thousand-year soul beast.

The Converging Ape broke through the stone barrier and began attacking the cave, releasing a cloud of pink gas that poured inside.

Xian Lin'er's face went pale. She had read about this species in the academy's library. The Converging Ape could emit pheromones that triggered arousal in other creatures.

The pink gas spread too quickly — before she could warn Huo Yuhao, the gas had already engulfed both of them, despite Huo Yuhao's immediate release of his Ultimate Ice.

Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice instantly froze the He Yuan, turning it into a solid block of ice. However, in doing so, it also sealed off the cave entrance, preventing the pink gas inside from escaping — effectively trapping both Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er inside and exposing them directly to the gas.

This pink gas didn't require inhalation to take effect — mere contact with the skin was enough for it to seep into the body.

Holding one's breath was useless!

What's worse, the effects of the gas were extremely potent.

The moment Xian Lin'er was exposed, she felt it immediately. Even the discomfort from her prior injuries was quickly suppressed.

More disturbingly, she realized her soul power had become chaotic, making it impossible to channel or use any soul abilities, let alone summon her martial soul or unleash soul techniques.

Her expression changed drastically as she turned to Huo Yuhao, only to see that his soul power had also dispersed on its own. He sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut, focusing entirely on meditation, using sheer willpower to suppress the physical arousal overtaking him.

"This is bad!"

A man and woman alone in a sealed cave, both affected by an aphrodisiac gas — the potential consequences were obvious.

But how could Xian Lin'er possibly accept such an outcome?

Setting aside the significant age and status difference between them — she was a married woman, and one who had never done anything of that sort before!

Frantically, she began recalling the academy's archive records on the He Yuan, hoping to find a way out of this dilemma.

"The aphrodisiac gas released by the He Yuan is not a toxin and thus cannot be neutralized by detoxifying soul skills, soul tools, or medicines. So far, no effective countermeasures have been found. Victims suffer from chaotic soul power and lose access to martial soul and soul power. Their physical resistance drastically drops."

"Either release it physically or resist it with overwhelming willpower..."

"Noble families have been known to raise He Yuans and extract trace amounts of the gas to create aphrodisiac incense, enhancing bedroom pleasures and replacing the use of whale jelly..."

"Peh peh peh! What am I even recalling!?" Xian Lin'er shook her head vigorously, trying to clear the shameful thoughts from her mind.

Still, she had found the relevant information — and it was utterly despairing.

There was no cure. Only willpower could endure it.

"Yuhao, hang in there! We can only resist with our will!" Xian Lin'er cried out, her voice strained.

"I! KNOW! THAT!" Huo Yuhao responded through gritted teeth, unwilling even to open his eyes.

Xian Lin'er couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Yuhao was at the peak of youthful vigor — asking him to resist this was far too difficult.

The best solution would have been for them to separate.

But the frozen He Yuan blocked the cave exit, and neither of them could use their soul powers. They didn't even dare move or be distracted, fearing their desires would overpower their rationality. Trapped in the cave, they had no choice but to rely entirely on their self-control.

Thankfully, Huo Yuhao's willpower was incredibly strong. He had cultivated a pitch-black, unshakable determination. Even if he couldn't dispel desire, it couldn't shake his mind.

But Xian Lin'er was not so fortunate.

She had to rely solely on her own fragile will — and she was already physically and mentally exhausted. Her determination had waned.

Worse yet, the gas inside the cave wasn't dissipating — instead, it continued to seep deeper into their bodies, escalating the effects.

As time passed, Xian Lin'er's heart began to waver. Her will faltered. She could no longer sit calmly. A faint flush of seductive peach-pink crept across her skin.

Then, she began writhing uncontrollably, drenched in fragrant sweat, as if sitting on a burning iron plate. She could no longer stay still.

Eventually, she lost all composure — even before Huo Yuhao did.

All he felt was a soft and firm body, like a coiling serpent, suddenly entwining around him. A pair of icy hands explored under his collar and waistband.

A fragrant, tempting breath blew against his ear, followed by a pleading, honeyed voice:

"Yuhao… give it to me… I want it… please… I can't take it anymore…"

This time, Huo Yuhao no longer needed to pretend. He slowly opened his eyes.

The dragon coils around the frost pillar,

 Green flame melts the hardened ice.

 A daughter never blushed before,

 But today, she finds delight for the first time.

Though the Azure Flame Dragon was an earth dragon, its bloodline was extremely high-level and part of the Golden Dragon lineage.

Eighty years of cultivation had elevated its bloodline to the Title Douluo level, and this power now merged into Huo Yuhao, further strengthening his Golden Dragon bloodline.

No, it should now be called the Heavenly Dragon bloodline. His Golden Dragon heritage was transforming into a unique Heavenly Dragon lineage, carrying the strength of dragonkind as a whole.

Furthermore, Xian Lin'er's virgin essence tempered Yuhao's body, refining and purifying his strength even more.

As for fate and fortune, it was slightly lacking — but nothing major.

Given Xian Lin'er's innate talent and destiny, without extraordinary opportunities, it would still take her another decade or two — close to a hundred years old — to reach Super Douluo.

Her limiting factor wasn't talent, but her unrefined state of mind.

To reach Super Douluo or higher, without external luck, one must rely on deep enlightenment — and one's mindset was key to achieving it.

Although she was already past eighty, to a Title Douluo, that was still in her prime. Xian Lin'er also maintained herself well — her skin was still smooth and firm, and her hair retained its youthful blackness. She had the charm of a mature, elegant woman.

And despite being married for decades, she had remained untouched — until now.

Under this "fortuitous accident," she had finally offered herself to Huo Yuhao.

The sun rose high in the sky.

Xian Lin'er slowly awoke. Her body felt exhausted, but an indescribable sense of ease and relief flowed through her.

Yes — it had indeed "opened."

Still, she had no mood to enjoy the afterglow. Startled, she sat up, only to see Huo Yuhao still fast asleep beside her.

The marks on their bodies and the streak of red on the stone bed told the entire story of the previous night.

Xian Lin'er did not cry or scream. She was no naive girl. Besides, she remembered very clearly — she was the one who initiated it.

Nothing from the night before was hazy. In fact, the memories were painfully vivid. And that was what tormented her most — she wished she remembered nothing.

A single tear rolled silently down her cheek.

She wiped it away — then began checking her physical condition.

First, she noticed the bruises on her body and panicked — worried her barely-recovered injuries had worsened under Huo Yuhao's... roughness.

In any case, she had to recover quickly and leave the Evil Demon Forest.

But to her surprise, her wounds hadn't worsened — on the contrary, they had healed significantly. With a bit more rest, she'd recover her combat capability.

More astonishingly, she felt a shift in her cultivation realm.

She sensed the threshold of Rank 95 — the peak of Title Douluo!

"How… is this possible?"

Murmuring to herself, she searched her memory — she hadn't used any treasures the previous night, and the He Yuan's gas didn't have this kind of effect.

So, ruling out all impossibilities, the only possible answer was — Huo Yuhao?

She turned sharply to look at him, her gaze intense.

She recalled a record from the academy's library: certain women possessed special physiques that could aid soul masters in their cultivation — like dragon girls, for example.

Such women and creatures often became consorts or subordinates to powerful soul masters.

Without backing or protection, they would often meet tragic fates in the hands of evil forces.

"Could it be… that men can also have such special physiques?"

As she sized up Huo Yuhao from head to toe, Xian Lin'er quickly realized something was off—he was pretending to be asleep.

Instantly, Xian Lin'er felt both embarrassed and annoyed. She had already been so open, yet Huo Yuhao was still feigning sleep.

Throwing decorum aside, she directly reached out and pinched the soft flesh at his waist, waking him up. Huo Yuhao had no choice but to stop pretending.

"Senior Sister Xian, I, I..." Huo Yuhao stammered awkwardly for a long while without saying anything meaningful, clearly unable to face the situation.

"Hmph! You're a grown man—why are you acting like this? I haven't even said anything yet," Xian Lin'er snorted coldly, scolding him.

Then she casually pulled a thin blanket out of her storage soul tool to cover her body—her final shred of modesty.

But her slightly reddened earlobes betrayed that she wasn't nearly as calm as she appeared. Just moments ago, upon sensing that Huo Yuhao might have a unique constitution, she had forgotten she was naked and had woken him without hesitation. Now, the two had quite literally seen each other without barriers—and once again, it had been her initiative.

Yet to her surprise, even after such exposure, she didn't feel the intense shame, fury, or awkwardness she had expected. Instead, she felt strangely at ease.

As if… this was how it was supposed to be.

Shaking her head to dismiss such bold thoughts, she changed the topic and asked what was on her mind, "Yuhao, be honest with me—do you have some kind of special constitution?"

"Special constitution? Well…" Huo Yuhao's expression became conflicted, as if he were harboring some unspeakable secret.

Xian Lin'er had initially asked casually, but seeing Huo Yuhao's reaction, she immediately sensed something deeper. Her expression turned serious, and she looked him straight in the eyes. "Yuhao, tell me the truth!"

"Alright, fine." Huo Yuhao "reluctantly" sighed and began to "honestly" explain: "Senior Sister Xian… I have a unique constitution that gives me more energy than ordinary people. Also, um… doing that kind of thing can enhance the cultivation speed for both parties, aid in healing injuries, improve physical constitution… even strengthen one's martial soul…"

His voice grew softer as he spoke, his face flushing red like a bashful young man.

This trick was old, but incredibly effective—especially against older women.

Because it implied he wouldn't need to take responsibility.

After hearing his explanation, Xian Lin'er was stunned, eyes wide with shock. She had already suspected that Huo Yuhao's body might help with healing and cultivation—she had experienced it firsthand—but she hadn't expected it could also enhance martial souls?

Without hesitating, she summoned her Azure Flame Dragon martial soul. Now that her injuries had mostly healed, she could use it again. Without activating a full martial soul possession, she simply focused on sensing any changes in her soul.

Having been bonded with her martial soul for over eighty years, she could detect even the slightest change.

Sure enough, there was a difference in her Azure Flame Dragon.

Xian Lin'er noticed golden light faintly shimmering in the dragon's scales, and its physical strength and power had clearly improved.

Her heart skipped a beat. The Azure Flame Dragon belonged to the Golden Dragon lineage—could it be… her martial soul was evolving into a Golden Dragon?

A Golden Dragon martial soul was one of the ultimate types!

The last known possessor had been none other than the Shrek traitor—her former junior sister, Jin Qiu'er.

If this continued evolving…

Xian Lin'er's expression changed subtly. That would mean she'd have to keep doing that with Huo Yuhao. But how could she? How could she go through with that?

Besides, there were more pressing matters now.

Suddenly, Xian Lin'er's gaze turned sharp. She stared directly at Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, how do you know so much about this? Have you done it with others before? And who else knows about your special constitution?"

Under her interrogation, poor, pitiful, helpless Huo Yuhao had no choice but to "tell the truth."

"Luochen, Little Peach, Junior Sister Weina… during training, Senior Sister Lexuan also heard about it…"

With vague phrasing and selective wording, Huo Yuhao gave a rough picture: Ling Luochen had "made a mistake" during a tournament, Ma Xiaotao and Weina had forcibly joined in, and the three of them got along harmoniously.

As for Zhang Lexuan, Xian Lin'er simply assumed she only knew about his secret, nothing more.

Xian Lin'er had never liked unfaithful men, but even she had to admit—Huo Yuhao's abilities were too overpowered for just one person to benefit from. Especially when the other girls didn't mind. And she herself had also gained from it.

In the end, she could only fume and grumble, "During the soul master tournament? He was just a child back then!"

Back then, Huo Yuhao had still been a child. Tricked by those wicked older sisters—what could he have done?

"No wonder their strength has been growing so fast lately. And the soul strength of Little Peach and Luochen has clearly improved. I don't know much about Weina, but as a support-type soul master, her cultivation speed has also been surprisingly fast. This finally explains it."

"But Yuhao, while Xiaotao, Luochen, and Lexuan can be trusted—can Weina? If the Heavenly Soul Empire finds out, you could be in danger," Xian Lin'er warned seriously.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister Xian. I have a soul fusion technique with Weina. I can sense that she has no ill intent toward me. Besides, I'm not weak either," Huo Yuhao quickly replied.

Xian Lin'er snapped back to reality, realizing she had let her concern get the better of her. She had forgotten about the soul fusion technique. Soul masters who could perform fusion techniques were often the most loyal to one another. Plus, Huo Yuhao had grown strong—he was no weaker than a Titled Douluo now—and not easy to ambush.

Feeling reassured, Xian Lin'er reminded him once more not to reveal this secret.

Then she looked steadily at him.

"Senior Sister Xian… is something wrong?" Huo Yuhao asked cautiously.

"Yuhao, it's time for you to leave. I need to get dressed. Or do you want to stay and watch?" she asked, raising a brow.

Huo Yuhao flushed red, hastily grabbed his tattered clothes, and fled the cave.

Once he was gone, Xian Lin'er's face turned red again, realizing she had just flirted with him.

"Ugh, shameless!" she scolded herself, then sighed.

"This ends here. Just treat it like a dream. I'm not going to be like Cai Mei'er and ruin someone else's relationship."

…

After a simple wash and change of clothes, Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er left the cave together.

Xian Lin'er showed no sign of discomfort anymore—or rather, her expression seemed even more radiant than before. "My injuries have mostly healed. I still can't fight at full strength, but I can help scout now. Let's find Lexuan and the others. We need to leave the Demonic Forest as soon as possible."

"Yes, Senior Sister Xian," Huo Yuhao nodded quickly, acting the picture of obedience.

"There's been a change in the forest's conditions. Let's stick together so we can watch each other's backs. Lead the way. Head toward areas you haven't searched yet," Xian Lin'er said.

"Right this way, Senior Sister."

Huo Yuhao's demeanor turned serious.

Because today, there really were more soul beasts active in the Demonic Forest—and most of them radiated dangerous auras.

As the focal point of converging fate, the Evil Emperor was not only the ruler of the Evil Demon Forest, but also the one who maintained its balance.

Although the disappearance of the Evil Emperor and the Evil-Eyed Tyrants had yet to be discovered by the other soul beasts in the forest, many of them had already become restless.

On one hand, the disappearance of these powerful soul beasts had been sensed by the more perceptive creatures — the once oppressive and subtle pressure hanging over them had vanished.

On the other hand, the loss of a massive amount of fortune energy and the turbulence of what remained had stirred up emotional unrest among the forest's other soul beasts.

Of course, part of this chaos had also been orchestrated by Huo Yuhao's methods.

A calm and orderly forest wouldn't suit Huo Yuhao's plans — but a chaotic Evil Demon Forest could better shield his actions from outside scrutiny.

Now, the wild nature of the forest's soul beasts was being unleashed to an even greater extent.

As Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er ventured out in search of Zhang Lexuan, they encountered many powerful soul beasts along the way. Even some that typically only emerged at night were now active during the day.

These soul beasts either fought among themselves for territory or attacked passing humans and soul beasts, devouring their flesh to strengthen themselves.

Naturally, these attacks posed little threat to Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er.

Still, Xian Lin'er began to grow increasingly concerned about Zhang Lexuan's situation.

Soon enough, Xian Lin'er got the "drama" Huo Yuhao had anticipated.

As they explored areas Huo Yuhao hadn't searched yet, the two of them were inevitably targeted by a powerful soul beast — a 90,000-year-class soul beast suddenly attacked them.

And it wasn't just any ordinary soul beast — it was an Evil-Eyed Tyrant, one that possessed a rare spiritual attribute!

The two were first caught in the tyrant's spiritual illusion, then stumbled into its mental force field, nearly having their own spiritual energy consumed.

Fortunately, the Ice Jade Centipede variant martial soul — with its spiritual traits — detected the danger in time and warned Huo Yuhao.

Thanks to this, Huo Yuhao managed to shatter the mental force field and help both of them escape.

"Not good! It's the Evil-Eyed Tyrant's spiritual force field! No wonder it's so strange — truly worthy of being a rare spirit-type soul beast! Yuhao, be careful!" Xian Lin'er warned with a low cry, a lingering trace of fear in her voice.

To think they had fallen into its trap without even noticing!

Once the force field was broken, the Evil-Eyed Tyrant abandoned all pretense and launched a direct assault.

A surge of powerful mental energy was unleashed toward Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er. Huo Yuhao could only resist it by having his Ice Jade Centipede variant soul release spiritual energy to barely hold it at bay.

The tyrant was using one of its most powerful techniques — the "Evil Eye Gaze."

Xian Lin'er was not to be outdone. With a shout of fury, she summoned her Azure Flame Dragon martial soul. Although she couldn't unleash its full power in her current state, she could still fight at roughly 60–70% strength — more than enough to stand against most soul beasts under the 100,000-year level.

The Azure Flame Dragon Spear appeared in her hand. It had undergone some changes as well — its tip now gleamed with golden light, appearing even sharper than before.

Huo Yuhao's Ice Jade Centipede variant wasn't weak either. According to Shrek Academy's records, this martial soul possessed combat strength comparable to a 100,000-year soul beast — particularly in Ultimate Ice and poison attributes.

Even then, Huo Yuhao did not reveal the power of its third pair of wings, only using the form with two pairs.

Through their teamwork, they managed to swiftly turn the tide, defeating the Evil-Eyed Tyrant despite its bizarre spiritual powers.

They even achieved a surprisingly effective synergy in combat.

Just as Xian Lin'er was about to finish off the defeated tyrant, a terrifying aura suddenly surged from deep within the forest, accompanied by a thunderous shout:

"Do not harm my son!"

A ray of energy blasted from the woods — aimed straight at the smaller of the two figures: Xian Lin'er.

It was a 100,000-year Evil-Eyed Tyrant King — a true monarch-class soul beast!

Xian Lin'er's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly unleashed her Azure Flame energy at full power to intercept the attack.

But due to her restricted strength, she was blasted from the sky once more. Her not-yet-healed injuries worsened, compounding the damage.

Huo Yuhao immediately gave up on finishing off the 90,000-year tyrant and rushed to catch her.

Xian Lin'er urgently warned, "It's a 100,000-year Evil-Eyed Tyrant — run, quickly!"

But the tyrant king wasn't letting them escape. It chased them relentlessly, forcing the two into a frantic retreat.

Fortunately, they eventually evaded pursuit by tunneling underground with the help of the Ice Jade Centipede variant's burrowing ability.

Still, the 100,000-year tyrant king had not given up. It continued searching the area, clearly determined to find and eliminate them.

"We're in trouble," Xian Lin'er muttered. "My injuries are getting worse — and deteriorating. I barely have any healing medicine left, and it's losing effectiveness. If this continues, we'll be completely trapped here, let alone have a chance to rescue Lexuan. The only way out… is for me to recover quickly!"

She glanced at Huo Yuhao — her best source of healing water was right in front of her.

But…

Xian Lin'er gritted her teeth.

No more "buts."

In desperate circumstances, nothing else mattered. The most important thing was getting Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan safely out of the Evil Demon Forest and back to Shrek Academy.

Compared to that, what was chastity, really?

"I'm sorry, Duoduo. I have no choice."

She suddenly pinned Huo Yuhao to the ground and said seriously, "Yuhao, I need your help to heal!"

"Senior Xian… this isn't right — no, stop, don't — stop…"

Driven by the intense guilt and shame, Xian Lin'er was particularly rough — and forceful.

The underground cave grew even more humid.

The 100,000-year Evil-Eyed Tyrant King exited the scene — only to head straight for the Galaxy Laurel Tree's domain, off to the next "set."

Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan, still hiding with her four handmaidens and yet to escape the Evil Demon Forest, heard the sounds of battle nearby.

Curious, she took a risk and investigated — only to witness the 100,000-year Evil-Eyed Tyrant King severely injuring the Galaxy Laurel Tree. It seemed more like a punishment than a mortal strike. Afterward, the tyrant king left.

The Laurel Tree's soul beast followers were all slain — their bodies taken as well.

This left the Galaxy Laurel Tree in a state of grief and fury. But against the might of the Evil Eye clan, it could only fume helplessly.

Zhang Lexuan, watching this unfold, began to form some unusual thoughts of her own.

A full day passed.

Morning arrived once again.

Xian Lin'er had recovered nearly 90% of her strength and regained her Title Douluo-level power. Looking both satisfied and apologetic, she finally let Huo Yuhao go.

"Sorry, Yuhao, I…"

"It's okay, Senior Xian," Huo Yuhao replied with a sigh.

The two did not discuss the awkward incident further.

They then attempted to leave the underground area. Thanks to the Ice Jade Centipede variant's spiritual scouting, they confirmed the 100,000-year tyrant king had left the vicinity.

With her strength restored, Xian Lin'er regained her confidence. She planned to search once more for Zhang Lexuan's trail, and if unsuccessful, would escort Huo Yuhao out of the forest first.

Unexpectedly, they were soon drawn by the sounds of battle again.

When they arrived at the scene, they were shocked to find Zhang Lexuan battling the Galaxy Laurel Tree!

Zhang Lexuan, accompanied by her four handmaidens, had taken advantage of the daytime to attack the heavily wounded Laurel Tree — hoping to claim it as her ninth soul ring, boost her strength, and then go find Xian Lin'er and Huo Yuhao.

However, the Galaxy Laurel Tree, though badly injured, was not so easily defeated.

As both sides struggled fiercely—

Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er arrived just in time.

"Senior Sister, I'll help you!" Huo Yuhao shouted.