As the skeletal remains of the Ice-Fire Dragon King disappeared into the space beneath the lake, a sudden backflow of seawater began. Massive bubbles and increasingly intense ice and fire elemental energy surged upwards toward the lake's surface, like magma erupting from a volcano.
The delicate balance at the bottom of the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well was utterly broken!
Though it wouldn't immediately shatter the Yin Yang Well entirely, the remaining elemental energy was enough to let it function for quite some time. Still, the sudden upheaval would undoubtedly cause a massive disturbance.
Without any hesitation, Huo Yuhao surged upward with all his might, located the passage, passed through the rock wall using his Five Elements Escape Technique, and then sprinted frantically through the tunnel to escape.
He burned through his strength and luck like they were free, determined to leave the Sunset Forest as fast as possible without leaving a trace of his presence behind.
As for the immortal herbs above the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well? It wasn't the time to harvest them just yet. However, Huo Yuhao knew that the longer he delayed, the less valuable those herbs would become.
Even if they eventually held no value to him, Huo Yuhao wouldn't allow those herbs to continue growing and reproducing—because they stood on that person's side.
Therefore, they had to perish.
When the massive bubbles, infused with terrifying ice and fire energy, erupted from the spring, it was like a bomb had gone off. The entire area of the Yin Yang Well was boiling.
Don't be fooled into thinking the herbs and plants had all grown thanks to the blessings of the Yin Yang Well—few could actually withstand direct contact with the spring's raw energy.
After all, ice and fire elements are natural enemies of plant life.
When the explosive ice and fire elements blanketed the entire Yin Yang Well area, it was like a hurricane sweeping through—no plant could escape unscathed.
A mushroom cloud even vaguely appeared over the area.
Most of the immortal herbs managed to endure the devastation. But ordinary plants, including some ninety-thousand-year-old plant soul beasts, were pushed to the brink of destruction.
Though the immortal herbs did their best to shield the other plants, in the end, over half the vegetation perished.
Even some herb seedlings didn't survive the elemental onslaught.
After the catastrophe, the immortal herbs wept. Some tried to figure out the cause of the disaster, others were deeply troubled, and some prayed to that great one—hoping the divine presence could save the Yin Yang Well and the innocent plants.
But whether or not that being responded, Huo Yuhao never stopped moving.
A seemingly ordinary hundred-year poison centipede soul beast quietly crawled out of the Sunset Forest without making a ripple.
Not until it was far away—near a small city—did Huo Yuhao dismiss the illusion formed by the Skydream Iceworm. Under the cover of night, he concealed his presence and returned to his hotel unnoticed.
In any world, no matter what great changes occur elsewhere, so long as it doesn't touch the lives of common folk, they'll carry on living as usual, unchanged.
The gap in the window was already closed.
The first rays of morning sunlight slipped through the curtain, like a dancer's veil draped across the heads of spectators, enticing them to open their eyes and witness the world's beauty.
Huo Yuhao sat on the bed, regulating his inner power. The three women on the bed were still asleep. Then, he looked down at his left palm.
His palm looked normal, but Huo Yuhao could see deeper—a space within it, where the Ice-Fire Dragon King's remains were sealed.
This divine ability, derived from the Skydream Iceworm's molted shell, wasn't just for sealing—it had spatial properties.
He named it Pot World in the Palm.
But its function wasn't limited to storage and sealing.
Because the object stored was a corpse, the strange effect wasn't obvious. If a living creature were stored inside, a different effect would activate.
That was a power born from his spiritual attributes, one that caused creatures inside to surrender. Huo Yuhao named it Conversion.
Not a standalone technique, but a derivative function of Pot World in the Palm.
Last night's gains were massive. Though excited, Huo Yuhao didn't show it. The small city was still too close to the Sunset Forest—it wasn't safe yet.
He would wait until they were farther away before making any moves.
But he couldn't rush. He needed to act as normal, without revealing any changes.
After all, who could guarantee that "that person" wouldn't suddenly activate a full-map surveillance?
Glancing at the still-sleeping trio, Huo Yuhao raised his hand and lifted the techniques he had placed on them.
Next came the usual morning routine.
Outside the door, Zhang Lexuan awkwardly pulled her hand back. As a Soul Douluo, her sharp hearing made everything inside crystal clear.
She'd originally come to wake Huo Yuhao and gather everyone for the next phase of their training—but ran right into... that.
"This... this is way too indulgent!" Zhang Lexuan's eye twitched.
There was no point in checking the other girls' rooms—they clearly hadn't slept in their own beds. If you're all going to sleep together every night, why even bother pretending and booking separate rooms? Gold soul coins aren't for show!
Shaking her head, Zhang Lexuan left.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Huo Yuhao and the three girls—now fully dressed—left the room and found Zhang Lexuan sipping tea alone in a private room of the restaurant.
Zhang Lexuan didn't look happy.
Before she could speak, Huo Yuhao beat her to it. "Sorry, Senior Sister. Wei Na had a breakthrough last night, so we stayed behind to help her stabilize."
Zhang Lexuan: "???"
Looking at Wei Na, she realized Wei Na really had broken through—her soul power hadn't fully stabilized yet. She had now reached Rank 56.
But the lingering blush on Wei Na's face made it clear that... she hadn't been meditating.
Not just Wei Na—both Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng looked dazed and satisfied, still caught in the afterglow of something.
And that was exactly the case. Wei Na had experienced pleasure... and a breakthrough at the same time. This wasn't the first time it had happened. Huo Yuhao's explanation: he had a special physique. The girls had tested it themselves, so none of them doubted it. In fact, they were even more infatuated.
After all, who wouldn't want to become stronger while enjoying themselves?
Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly and decided to speak up. "Yuhao—and you girls—don't think that just because you're young, you can be reckless. In fact, you should be even more disciplined. Though I've never experienced it myself, many experts have said that excessive indulgence can hurt your cultivation base and hinder your potential."
Faced with Zhang Lexuan's admonishment, Ling Luocheng—shy as she was—blushed instantly. Wei Na, more composed, managed a smile. Ma Xiaotao, however, laughed and sidled up to Zhang Lexuan, wrapping her arm around hers.
"Senior Sister, you're overthinking it."
Since leaving Shrek Academy, Ma Xiaotao had stopped pretending—she knew they'd be traveling together, and there was no point hiding anymore. Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan hadn't objected to her being with Huo Yuhao, so Ma Xiaotao figured she was supportive.
Seeing Zhang Lexuan's puzzled look, Ma Xiaotao leaned in and whispered about Huo Yuhao's "special physique." Zhang Lexuan's serious expression shifted to one of astonishment, and she turned a disbelieving look toward Huo Yuhao.
"There's actually such a thing in this world?"
"Senior Sister, we've all personally tested it," Ma Xiaotao said with a grin.
Huo Yuhao averted his gaze, ears turning red—he looked like a bashful boy.
Even Wei Na and Ling Luocheng couldn't hold back anymore—they turned into blushing, steaming maidens.
Ma Xiaotao, on the other hand, giggled like a mischievous little fox.
Actually, the reason why Weina suddenly broke through was due to the residual ice and fire elemental energy left within Huo Yuhao, which had been transferred into her body, greatly benefiting her.
This energy was leftover residue from when he absorbed the Ice-Fire Dragon Soul. It was tasteless for him to digest alone, but when shared with the three women, all of them gained significant benefits.
Although Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng hadn't broken through yet, their training time was shortened by several months. They were also not far from their own breakthroughs.
Moreover, even with an in-depth inspection of Huo Yuhao's condition, there was no longer any trace of that unusual ice-fire elemental aura inside him.
In a way, this helped Huo Yuhao completely erase the remaining traces.
Zhang Lexuan was feeling far from calm at this moment, her eyes staring intently at Huo Yuhao. She wasn't lusting after him, but was instead curious—what kind of existence was he really?
A 13-year-old Soul Emperor, with the Ultimate Ice attribute, a powerful mutated martial soul, extraordinary comprehension ability, had consumed celestial herbs, and possessed a special constitution.
Each of these things alone would shock anyone—but all of them together in one person?
Is he really human?
But as Zhang Lexuan was lost in thought, she failed to notice that Ma Xiaotao, sitting beside her, was no longer smiling.
Zhang Lexuan's intense gaze on Huo Yuhao gave Ma Xiaotao a sense of crisis. Compared to Zhang Lexuan, most female soul masters would feel inferior—including herself.
"Senior sister?" Ma Xiaotao quickly tugged on Zhang Lexuan's sleeve with a suspicious expression.
What if her senior sister wanted to take Huo Yuhao away?
Zhang Lexuan finally snapped out of it, quickly retracting her gaze, looking slightly awkward. She hurried to explain, "Sorry, Xiaotao, I was just too shocked. I didn't expect something like this to even exist in the world."
Hearing her explanation, Ma Xiaotao relaxed and smiled again. She nodded and said, "Indeed, we were all shocked at first too. Luckily, Yuhao ended up at Shrek Academy instead of somewhere else—or if someone else had discovered his uniqueness, he might've been in danger."
"Exactly," Zhang Lexuan said seriously. After glancing at the group, she solemnly warned, "This matter must never be revealed to anyone else."
She was glad she preferred solitude and had booked a private room—there were no outsiders present. If there were, they would have had to leave immediately.
Never underestimate the moral bottom line of soul masters!
"This is the first time I've heard of a soul master with such a constitution," Zhang Lexuan continued, "but on the continent, there are actually similar creatures."
She didn't keep them in suspense.
"They are called Dragon Women!"
Huo Yuhao suddenly understood.
Dragon Women were a kind of half-human, half-beast creature. All of them appeared as stunningly beautiful women, but their bodies were covered in scales, with only their faces resembling humans. When they entered heat, the scales would disappear, revealing their full beauty—and at this time, they also became a mystical cauldron.
Once a human copulated with them, they could absorb the dragon blood essence within them, completely transforming their own body. Their bloodline would gain a trace of dragon aura, which would inevitably evolve their martial soul—positively and significantly.
However, Dragon Women were extremely rare, usually only found deep in mountains or large swamps. They also carried a curse of misfortune—whoever first captured them would be afflicted by the curse, and would almost certainly die.
Therefore, very few people were both able and daring enough to target them.
Even so, whenever a Dragon Woman was found, there were always greedy soul masters who couldn't resist trying to take them.
The fate of Dragon Women was usually tragic.
As Zhang Lexuan explained this, the three women gasped in amazement, while Huo Yuhao cooperated by showing a shocked and angry expression.
The records about Dragon Women could be found in the inner court library—he had read them in the original story. Zhang Lexuan had read them too; having little entertainment, she spent her free time reading.
Both in the original Douluo Continent and the Sun-Moon Continent, Dragon Women existed.
They were considered even more precious natural cauldrons than women with special destinies.
But Huo Yuhao had never considered looking for one.
Not because Dragon Women weren't good—but because other cauldrons were more cost-effective.
There were more of them, they were reliable, and full of surprises.
Besides, Huo Yuhao didn't lack dragon blood in his body.
There was no need to go searching the whole continent just for curiosity.
He was sure that in the future, the Pingfan Alliance would possess Dragon Women—and more than one.
For Huo Yuhao, it would be enough to just take them when the time came—no need to go out of his way.
After Zhang Lexuan shared the story of Dragon Women, the three women finally understood the true value of Huo Yuhao's unique constitution.
Don't assume only men sought cauldrons—many women did too.
"This matter should stay in our hearts. Don't speak of it. Also, keep an eye on Yuhao's body—we must ensure his constitution won't cause him hidden dangers," Zhang Lexuan reminded them again, also expressing concern for his well-being.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I've studied medicine. I'm fully aware of my own body's condition," Huo Yuhao replied seriously.
Zhang Lexuan nodded.
Then, she dropped the subject, not harping on what had happened in bed, and instead prompted them to start eating.
Because they had a new training mission coming up.
Usually, Huo Yuhao and the others arranged their own training, but sometimes Zhang Lexuan would set things up for them.
"This time, we're going somewhere that may help Yuhao," she said with a smile.
"Huh? Where?" they asked.
"Sunset Forest!"
Huo Yuhao: "?"
Huo Yuhao returned once again to Sunset Forest, the place where he had taken something of great importance.
To his surprise, it didn't look chaotic on the surface. Everything seemed calm and unchanged.
But upon activating his Qi Vision, Huo Yuhao saw the truth: the interior of Sunset Forest was already in ruins.
After all, he had struck at her most sensitive depths, with no mercy.
"This is Sunset Forest?" Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng looked around curiously, unfamiliar with this place.
"Compared to the Star Dou Forest, it seems desolate," Ling Luocheng said. "Does this place really have something that can help Yuhao?"
Weina, however, seemed to have some understanding. She murmured, "I have heard powerful people in the palace speak of poisons related to Sunset Forest."
"Oh? That explains it," Ma Xiaotao said in realization.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao kept an eye on Zhang Lexuan, suspecting whether this training trip was really her idea—or if it was the result of some hidden manipulations behind the scenes.
"Brother Hao, what do we do?" Skydream Iceworm asked seriously.
"Brother Tianmeng, prepare to activate our backup hidden energy reserves at any time," Huo Yuhao replied.
At this point, unless that 'great being' personally descended, Huo Yuhao was confident that no one on Douluo Planet could kill him!
Without making any further preparations, the group officially entered the Sunset Forest, heading straight for the central poison zone.
After all, in the Sunset Forest—where even thousand-year soul beasts were rare—there was virtually no threat to the five of them.
The true danger of the Sunset Forest lay only in the central poison fog zone. Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan had long prepared for this, bringing plenty of antidotes and anti-poison supplies.
However, it was clear that the poison fog in the forest wasn't so easily dealt with. Thankfully, they didn't plan to delve deeply into it this time. The purpose of entering the forest was simply to let Huo Yuhao explore and see if he could gain anything useful from it. They wouldn't recklessly advance further in.
Along the way, they did encounter a few soul beasts attempting to ambush them, but Ma Xiaotao merely released her aura, and the beasts were instantly terrified, fleeing in panic without daring to approach.
As a result, the journey was extremely peaceful and uneventful.
Yet Huo Yuhao couldn't shake the feeling that this calm was the prelude to a storm—his vigilance only increased.
They stopped only when they reached the zone where the poison fog began to spread.
By that time, dusk was already falling.
In the sparse forest, a faint green mist spread eerily. Under the dim glow of the setting sun, the area looked even more sinister and terrifying. There wasn't a single sound from the surrounding wildlife—not even the chirping of insects. The silence sent chills down their spines.
"Who do you think is responsible for this?" Zhang Lexuan asked flatly.
The other four chuckled awkwardly.
Ma Xiaotao quickly changed the subject. "Is this the central region of Sunset Forest? I can't believe this much poison fog is covering the area. How did it form?"
"Actually, the Sunset Forest wasn't like this ten thousand years ago," Vina suddenly spoke, slowly explaining. "According to royal records, the forest used to be a flourishing gathering place for soul beasts. No one knows exactly when the poison fog started appearing. Over time, vitality faded from the forest. It's said that a Titled Douluo once ventured into the forest to investigate, but they never returned. Since then, the inner region became a forbidden zone within the Heavenly Soul Empire."
"However, since the forest didn't hold significant value to the empire and didn't threaten surrounding areas, the remnants of soul beasts became suitable targets for new soul masters to gain soul rings. So, the empire simply left the forest to its own devices and used it as a training ground for low-level soul masters."
With no major benefits to reap, the empire had no incentive to clean up the mess—especially since the cost would be high and it posed no danger to outsiders.
"I see. I wonder what the forest looked like ten thousand years ago," Ling Luocheng mused wistfully.
Vina shook her head regretfully. "There aren't many records in the royal archives. Most were lost during past upheavals."
The most significant of those were the split of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Sun-Moon Empire invasion, which heavily impacted the royal family and the nation. Back then, just preserving the royal bloodline was an achievement—no one had the luxury to worry about ancient books of no immediate use.
"The inner courtyard library has some notes, but not much valuable content. Regarding the poison fog zone, some theories suggest that a large number of poison-type plant soul beasts live here, and that's what produces the fog. Because plant-type beasts can't move, the fog doesn't spread outside the forest," said Zhang Lexuan.
She then looked at Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, if you could extract the poison essence from these soul beasts, it could greatly benefit your cultivation and development of your poison element."
"Plant soul beasts, although beasts, are comparable to high-grade medicinal herbs. If I could obtain their essence, it would be incredibly beneficial," Huo Yuhao said, feigning excitement.
But inwardly, he remained cautious.
Was Zhang Lexuan revealing information she had truly seen herself—or was she made to know it?
Regardless, Huo Yuhao knew he couldn't refuse now. He even needed to show a strong desire to explore.
"Let's take advantage of the remaining daylight and scout around. Once the sun sets, we'll retreat to a safer area outside the poison fog to set up camp," Huo Yuhao offered.
Zhang Lexuan thought briefly, then nodded. Still, she warned, "Plant-type soul beasts are usually weak, but their numbers here may be large, and they're all poisonous. Don't take this place lightly."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. We won't be careless. And besides, I'll protect you," Huo Yuhao assured with a hand on his chest.
Zhang Lexuan smiled slightly.
The others didn't object either.
Zhang Lexuan then distributed anti-poison pills, antidotes, and even several poison-repelling soul tools to the group. Taking the lead, she stepped into the mist.
Thanks to the soul tools, the poisonous fog was kept at bay, allowing the group to enter the outer edge of the zone safely.
They hadn't gone far when they made a discovery.
"Heartbreak Grass, Purple Gelsemium, Mandrake… There are so many toxic herbs here?!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed with surprise—then joy.
"But aren't these just poisonous plants? Are they even valuable?" Ma Xiaotao asked, confused.
In her mind, only soul beasts and herbs were considered useful. Toxic plants were just harmful.
Zhang Lexuan, too, was mainly focused on obtaining soul beast essence for Huo Yuhao.
But Huo Yuhao was practically giddy. "To ordinary soul masters, these herbs are dangerous. But to a poison-type soul master like me, they're treasures—great for training and enhancing my poison element!"
If this were the old Huo Yuhao, he might've genuinely been excited. But now, being a master of Ultimate Poison, these herbs didn't help much at all.
At best, they'd let him develop new types of poisons.
Still, since he had never revealed his Ultimate Poison, he had to act like a regular poison-type soul master reacting to these herbs.
Under the puzzled gaze of Zhang Lexuan and the others, Huo Yuhao eagerly began collecting herbs like a kid in a candy shop—as if this place was a goldmine just for him.
"Yuhao, these don't seem particularly rare. I've seen some in the Star Dou Forest before," Ling Luocheng said helplessly.
"You don't get it, Luocheng! Usually, getting this many poisonous herbs would cost a fortune or take forever to find. But these are free!" Huo Yuhao responded, looking like he was obsessed with money.
Eventually, it took Zhang Lexuan to call him back before he completely lost himself in the harvesting frenzy.
"Enough, Yuhao. We can collect more later. Since these are so abundant here, there may be even better herbs or rare poison-type plant soul beasts deeper inside."
"Alright…" Huo Yuhao could only reluctantly stop.
He had hoped to slowly "mine" the area and buy more time.
But now, they had to press forward.
Huo Yuhao: Gotta escape the poison zone… gotta escape~
They continued to delve deeper.
The toxic mist gradually thickened.
What was once a faint poisonous gas floating in the air slowly enveloped the surroundings entirely, drastically reducing visibility. Within this poisonous fog zone, there were no regular plants, let alone soul beasts or insects.
Only a few resilient ordinary plants survived, alongside various poisonous herbs, which were not only surviving but thriving in this harsh environment.
Poisonous herbs aged ten or even a hundred years were everywhere. However, plant-type soul beasts were nowhere to be seen.
The difference was clear: ordinary poisonous herbs had no soul power fluctuations and were thus of lower value.
The group was still only at the outer edge of the toxic fog zone and hadn't encountered any real danger. On the contrary, Huo Yuhao occasionally found some rather rare poisonous herbs.
These were worth a decent price outside.
Poisonous herbs had a market in the Douluo Continent. Aside from regular cultivation use, many of them were sought after by individuals with special needs—such as those who used them for poisoning in palace intrigues.
However, poison was always seen as an underhanded and despicable tactic, not fit for honorable combat. Few shops sold rare poisonous herbs openly; most dealings were done in secret.
In fact, soul masters with poison attributes were often branded as Evil Soul Masters.
As for the Tang Sect, known for using poison—its great founder left little in terms of poison or medicinal techniques in the sect's Douluo legacy.
Only hidden weapons and a few neutered cultivation techniques remained.
When that legendary figure used poison: "This is the essence of the Tang Sect! Tang disciples should embrace it!"
When others used poison: "Despicable tactics! Harmful to others and yourself—abandon it at once!"
In short, if Huo Yuhao weren't the hope of Shrek, he wouldn't get far using poison alone.
Huo Yuhao remained alert, constantly observing his surroundings—until his expression subtly shifted. The chaotic flow of fortune above them had suddenly changed.
This signaled an imminent incident!
He immediately activated his Qi-Watching Technique to investigate.
In the next moment, deep within the Sunset Forest, a sudden burst of overwhelming power erupted—alongside a torrent of virulent green mist that gushed outward.
Zhang Lexuan's face turned pale as she quickly released her martial soul and shouted, "Danger!"
But it was already too late.
In the blink of an eye, the toxic mist engulfed them. There was no time to react.
The thick poison formed a curtain, reducing visibility to less than half a meter.
It felt like a storm dragging a cloud of venom straight toward them!
Fortunately, thanks to Zhang Lexuan's warning, they had clustered together and hadn't been separated.
However, their soul tool for blocking poison couldn't withstand the corrosive mist. Cracks began appearing in its core—it was about to shatter.
Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao summoned his Variant Ice Jade Centipede martial soul, expanded its size, and wrapped it around the group, releasing the Ultimate Ice attribute to repel the poison.
Ultimate Ice was the natural counter to poison—its restraint effect now fully displayed.
Don't ask why. Just know this: nobody understands Ultimate Ice better than Huo Yuhao!
Seeing this, the three girls—Ma Xiaotao included—finally sighed in relief. Although they had activated their own martial souls, none of them had strong poison resistance.
Zhang Lexuan, however, remained stern, staring deep into the mist—not to see anything, but to remain vigilant against something lurking in that direction.
"We have to move—now!" Zhang Lexuan said in a deep voice.
Huo Yuhao nodded lightly and led the group to retreat toward the outer edge of the poisonous zone.
"Senior sister, what's going on?" Wei Na couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked Zhang Lexuan.
"It's the aura of a 100,000-year soul beast," Zhang Lexuan replied solemnly.
"What?! A 100,000-year soul beast?!"
The three girls were shocked.
Zhang Lexuan nodded. "Even if it was just a brief moment, I felt it. It was a 100,000-year soul beast!"
Everyone present had seen such soul beasts before, but due to differing levels of cultivation, not all could sense danger from afar.
Huo Yuhao, of course, had to pretend he sensed nothing.
Only Zhang Lexuan, with the highest cultivation, was reasonably able to detect the distant aura of the 100,000-year beast.
In truth, Huo Yuhao not only sensed it much earlier, he also knew exactly what kind of beast it was and what had happened.
Just look at the luck projection above.
A 100,000-year soul beast would leave a mark in the flow of fortune.
The soul beast that had triggered this toxic tide was not one of the famous herbs from the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, but a newly-born 100,000-year soul beast called the Biling Ninefold Death Flower!
And it had a connection to Huo Yuhao.
Last night, he had collected the discarded remains of the Ice-Fire Dragon Kings, which triggered a surge of elemental energy—ice and fire elements burst from the lakebed and flooded the Yin-Yang Well.
This caused massive destruction, killing off many herbs and creating chaos. But those herbs weren't ordinary plants. Some of them had elemental affinities.
With combined efforts, the sentient herbs expelled the excess elemental energy.
That energy then flooded outside the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well—and onto a nearby cluster of Biling Sevenfold Death Flowers.
The poor flowers suffered horribly.
A textbook case of disaster displacement.
Fortunately, among them was a higher-evolved one—the Biling Ninefold Death Flower, already sentient. To protect its kin, many Ninefold variants sacrificed themselves, gathering their strength into a single flower—forming the Biling Ninefold Death Flower Patriarch.
This ancestor did not disappoint. It resisted the elemental onslaught and shielded its kind. During this ordeal, it mutated.
After a day of fierce resistance, the elemental storm was finally dispersed. Though the Sevenfold Flower clan suffered heavy losses, they retained their roots—now under the protection of their newly-born patriarch.
At the moment the Biling Ninefold Death Flower Patriarch completed its mutation, it broke through the 100,000-year threshold!
Cue dramatic music... wait, wrong series.
No celestial gate opened, but a heavenly tribulation was imminent.
Important note:
The Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well could shield against heavenly tribulations, but the Biling Patriarch was outside the Well. Though it enjoyed some benefits like growth acceleration, it lacked the protection against divine wrath.
Perhaps someone had even disabled that function.
Now, in the center of the Sunset Forest, dark clouds were already gathering above the toxic mist zone.
The patriarch sensed a terrifying force locking onto it. But after using up most of its energy resisting the elemental chaos, it had no strength left to survive the tribulation.
Its fate was sealed.
None of the sentient herbs inside the Well could come to its aid—not that they would.
But in its despair…
It sensed a familiar power—a source that resonated with its very origin—in the outer toxic zone.
A voice in its heart whispered: if it could obtain that power, it might survive!
The Biling Ninefold Death Flower Patriarch saw a sliver of hope.
It surged the toxic mist forward—determined to seize that power, to live on!
The ancestral Biling Ninefold Flower made a decisive and swift move—after all, the Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend!
There was no time to waste.
It had, at most, ten minutes left before it had to face the Heavenly Tribulation head-on. These ten minutes were its final opportunity.
It was truly a race against death.
The power of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was fully on display.
Billowing poison mist surged forth like a tidal wave, crashing toward Huo Yuhao and the others, covering the sky and the earth.
Due to the low visibility and the obscuring effect of the poison mist, even Zhang Lexuan hadn't yet realized that a hundred-thousand-year soul beast had locked onto them—and had already launched an attack.
Only Huo Yuhao, with his superior sensory perception, sensed something, though he didn't respond immediately.
This, right here, is what it means to be an actor.
Only when the poison mist swept over them, and the Ultimate Ice from the Variant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul was actually suppressed, did everyone become alarmed.
Faced with the never-ending waves of poison mist, the Ultimate Ice defense created by the Variant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul was like a reef in the ocean—seemingly on the verge of being smashed by the waves at any moment.
Zhang Lexuan's expression changed drastically. All wishful thinking was gone from her heart as she exclaimed, "Not good! A hundred-thousand-year soul beast has targeted us!"
The faces of Ma Xiaotao and the other two girls turned tense.
Although they had previously fought a hundred-thousand-year soul beast during the beast tide, and even managed to severely injure it under Zhang Lexuan's lead, that was a head-on battle. This time, however, they were inside the enemy's poison mist—an environment that put them at a natural disadvantage.
Still, they didn't panic too much. Aside from the unfavorable conditions, they did have the strength to contend with a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. They weren't completely powerless.
Moreover, with Huo Yuhao's "help," the Variant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul unleashed its Ultimate Ice attribute at full power, suppressing the poison mist once more.
The earlier suppression of the Ultimate Ice by the poison mist was merely because the Variant Ice Jade Centipede hadn't resisted. Its initial release of Ultimate Ice was just to isolate the poison mist.
In a direct confrontation, there was no way the poison mist of the Biling Ninefold Flower could overcome the Ultimate Ice of the Variant Ice Jade Centipede.
It all depended on how much resistance Huo Yuhao was willing to put up.
Seeing this, the girls finally felt at ease.
After all, they had Huo Yuhao with them this time!
Huo Yuhao was extraordinarily powerful to begin with, and his Ultimate Ice attribute could directly counter the poison mist. They might just be able to fight a hundred-thousand-year soul beast even within the poison fog.
"But fighting in this poison mist is too dangerous. Yuhao, we need to leave this area immediately!" Zhang Lexuan decisively suggested.
Even if they were confident, they couldn't afford to be careless.
Furthermore, having the Variant Ice Jade Centipede protect them would weaken Huo Yuhao's combat strength. If anyone accidentally inhaled the poison during the battle, it could threaten their lives and lead to total defeat.
"I understand, Senior Sister!" Huo Yuhao replied and immediately pretended to activate his martial soul at full force, soul power surging as he shouted, "Centipede , take us away from here at the fastest speed!"
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede flapped its wings, accelerating rapidly and carrying the group away from the poison mist.
Of course, it wasn't moving at full speed. In fact, Huo Yuhao wanted to stay within the poison mist a bit longer—to see what might happen next.
This gave the Biling Ninefold Flower the perfect opportunity. There was no way it would allow them to escape so easily.
Before they could fully flee from the mist's range, the ground ahead suddenly split open, and a giant plant burst forth from beneath.
Simultaneously, a mass of root-like tendrils attacked from below. The Variant Ice Jade Centipede slashed with its scythe-like legs, severing the roots, then ascended and pulled back, preventing the tendrils from closing in.
This sudden turn of events drew a startled cry from Wei Na, and everyone turned their attention to the plant emerging from the ground.
It was none other than the true form of the Biling Ninefold Flower!
"Don't think you can run!" the Biling Ninefold Flower croaked in broken human language. Despite just evolving past the hundred-thousand-year mark, it had somehow learned to speak.
Zhang Lexuan and the others were visibly shocked.
Being able to speak was a clear sign of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast!
"Be on guard and prepare for battle!" Zhang Lexuan called out, stepping to the front to confront the Biling Ninefold Flower head-on.
The silver moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the area of the poison mist. The moonlight seemed to drive away some of the fog.
Standing atop the Variant Ice Jade Centipede under the moonlight, Zhang Lexuan was bathed in a silver glow. Her black hair danced in the wind, and eight soul rings floated around her. Despite wearing a simple field combat suit, she looked radiant and exuded heroic spirit—like a Valkyrie beneath the moon.
Bathed in moonlight, the Variant Ice Jade Centipede almost instinctively wanted to absorb the lunar energy for cultivation—if not for Huo Yuhao's suppression.
Now face to face with the ancestral Biling Ninefold Flower—now mutated and evolved into the Icefire Ninefold Flower—Huo Yuhao found himself intrigued by the beast that had benefited from disaster and managed to break through.
It was evident: thanks to the offering of strength from its entire species and the tempering of the Ice and Fire elements, it had undergone mutation.
Its nine main leaves were all dual-colored—red and blue—cleanly divided down the center. At the top bloomed two small flowers, one red and one blue.
It was truly deserving of the name: Icefire Ninefold Flower.
Fortunately, it lacked the sea-blue hue of a certain someone.
But that didn't mean the birth of the Icefire Ninefold Flower had nothing to do with that person.
For those high above, they didn't need to act personally. Simply guiding the flow of events was enough to achieve their goals—without leaving behind any trace.
The changes at the Icefire Yin Yang Well were unexpected, but they could just as easily be exploited.
And Zhang Lexuan bringing Huo Yuhao along, only to run into the newly evolved Icefire Ninefold Flower—it all felt too perfectly orchestrated, almost as if it had been calculated.
Huo Yuhao was curious about what might happen next—only then could he determine whether that person was truly pulling strings behind the scenes.
At that moment, seeing its tendrils cut off, the Icefire Ninefold Flower launched another attack, stirring up a massive wave of poison mist toward Huo Yuhao and the others.
Controlling poison mist was the Biling Ninefold Flower's original power. But now, as the Icefire Ninefold Flower, it had evolved to incorporate the Ice and Fire elements into the mist—transforming it into Icefire Poison Mist.
This new mist was even more dangerous. The combination of fire poison and cold poison could kill in mere moments if both toxins entered the body.
Even Zhang Lexuan, at Soul Douluo level, frowned after clashing with the Icefire Poison Mist.
As it approached, she countered with her Silver Moonlight, only for it to be overwhelmed by the Icefire Poison Mist!
Keep in mind, her eighth soul ring was from a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Her abilities were no weaker than most titled Douluos—she merely lacked soul power level.
Just the fact that the Icefire Poison Mist suppressed her Silver Moonlight showed that the Icefire Ninefold Flower was no ordinary foe!
Without any hesitation, Zhang Lexuan went all out.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Silver Moon True Form!"
Bathed in silver moonlight, she fused with the moon itself, hovering high above the Variant Ice Jade Centipede.
The Centipede stared blankly at the huge moon above its head.
Variant Ice Jade Centipede: So bright… I want to…
Huo Yuhao helplessly stomped on the dazed Centipede and sent a mental message, "Stop staring and start acting. No matter how hard you try, you're not turning into a giant ape!"