Vina's poisoning had been cured, and her condition was stabilizing, though it would still take time for her to fully recover—and she had yet to regain consciousness.
So, Huo Yuhao and his group carried Vina and rushed toward Tian Dou City at the fastest possible speed.
Fortunately, Sunset Forest wasn't far from Tian Dou City.
By dawn, the group had arrived in the city and headed straight for the Imperial City.
The layout of Tian Dou City was quite similar to that of Star Luo City. Inside the city was the Imperial City, surrounded by high walls, where only members of the imperial family and nobility resided.
The royal palace itself was also located within the Imperial City.
Naturally, security there was much tighter.
But with Vina's status, no one dared stop them. In fact, even without Vina, Huo Yuhao alone could've gotten them in.
After all, as the Tianhun Empire's royal son-in-law, Huo Yuhao was a person of considerable influence.
The group's arrival caused a stir throughout the Imperial City. The news of Vina's injury created an even bigger sensation—even the Emperor of the Tianhun Empire personally came out.
Upon entering the palace, the royal physicians were summoned immediately.
Thankfully, after examining her, they confirmed that Vina was no longer in critical danger. She had only just recovered from the poisoning and would need time to rest and recuperate. For now, she wouldn't be able to use her soul power.
The poison of the Jade Phosphor Seven-Petal Flower was extremely rare. That Vina had survived was nothing short of miraculous.
Typically, even a Soul King caught in a field of such flowers would have no hope of survival, let alone being rescued.
Let's leave that topic there—any further digging would just be inappropriate.
Huo Yuhao, of course, took full responsibility for Vina's injury and respectfully apologized to both the Emperor and Empress of the Tianhun Empire.
He also took the blame meant for Zhang Lexuan. Lexuan herself didn't expose the truth in front of everyone but silently took it to heart—feeling she now owed Huo Yuhao a great debt of gratitude.
It must be said that Zhang Lexuan was indeed one of the rare few at Shrek Academy who had both brains and brawn. She hadn't let her strength compromise her intellect or emotional intelligence.
Once the Emperor understood what had happened, he actually felt pleasantly surprised.
Although he was indeed concerned that Vina had been injured and nearly died, as a royal, he did not react with the same deep emotional distress a commoner father might show for his daughter.
You could say he valued her.
Because Vina held a unique political value—she had successfully drawn Huo Yuhao to her side, something no other princess had managed.
Given what had happened, the Emperor believed that Huo Yuhao would now feel a strong sense of guilt toward Vina, which would deepen her position in his heart.
And going forward, Vina would have an even stronger influence over him.
Which was, of course, a good thing.
Moreover, not only did the Emperor refrain from blaming Huo Yuhao, he even showed great kindness—personally inquiring about their condition and sending the finest restorative tonics for their recovery.
It was an overwhelming show of goodwill.
The Emperor knew full well that he had to make use of Huo Yuhao's guilt to make him value Vina even more. His kindness was like "adding fuel to the fire," making the flames of guilt burn stronger.
Snuffing that fire out now would be a waste.
This first meeting with the Emperor left Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen with a very favorable impression—they saw him as a kind and respectable elder and felt that Vina had a great father.
Zhang Lexuan, however, remained skeptical due to her own experience and insight.
Let's not forget—she was born in the Tianhun Empire, and her family had been wiped out by its aristocracy.
So, she naturally harbored some resentment toward the Empire.
As for Huo Yuhao, he was visibly moved by the Emperor's warmth, and together they had a textbook "father-in-law and son-in-law bonding moment."
When the Emperor left, he nearly believed that Huo Yuhao and Vina were now inseparable in love.
The Emperor still believed that even if Huo Yuhao had other women in his life, Vina's position in his heart was now unshakable.
He was even planning to raise Vina's stakes further in the future, preparing to make her Huo Yuhao's main wife, thus eliminating any remaining concerns.
That would be for another day. For now, to show his support for Huo Yuhao, the Emperor even permitted them to reside in the royal palace.
"What a pity," Huo Yuhao suddenly sighed when no one was around.
"Pity what?" Skydream Iceworm asked, confused.
"Obviously, it's a pity that it's not yet time for me to make my move. Otherwise, if the Emperor dares let me stay in the palace, I'd make sure no one walks out of it alive."
"As expected of Big Bro Hao!"
"Don't worry," Huo Yuhao replied calmly in his mind. "That day isn't far off."
What was more unfortunate was that although they were allowed to stay in the palace, their assigned quarters were far from the imperial harem. And the harem was heavily protected, with soul tool defenses—making infiltration difficult.
Otherwise, he and the Emperor might've ended up as "like-minded men" by morning.
Nearby, some of the younger princes and princesses also resided in the same palace complex. Vina's old residence wasn't too far away. These young royals were quite fond of Huo Yuhao and his group and came to visit them one by one. Huo Yuhao didn't let the opportunity slip—he quietly marked each of them.
After all, they were crops he intended to harvest someday.
They spent the entire day quietly recuperating within the palace.
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were exhausted and turned in early.
Zhang Lexuan glanced at Huo Yuhao but said nothing before also retiring to her room.
Huo Yuhao stayed by Vina's side.
By evening, Vina finally woke up, and everyone gathered once more.
After hearing from Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen what had happened, Vina was deeply moved. Her feelings toward Huo Yuhao had already soared past the maximum threshold.
In fact, if you considered how Vina truly felt about him, it would be nearly impossible for the Tianhun Emperor to use her to manipulate Huo Yuhao in the future.
What was more likely was that Vina would bleed the Tianhun Empire dry to support Huo Yuhao's rise.
And Huo Yuhao, with his own ulterior motives, wouldn't even need her to do that—he would drain the Tianhun Empire himself!
A quiet night passed.
Zhang Lexuan had a rare good night's sleep.
Partly because the palace rooms were well soundproofed, and partly because—for once—Huo Yuhao and the other three didn't fool around.
When she woke the next morning, she was surprised to find that they were already up as well.
A first, truly.
After spending so much time together, Zhang Lexuan had noticed that even when the girls weren't feeling well physically, they would still visit Huo Yuhao's room.
She was curious, but chose not to probe further.
"Senior sister, how about a stroll in the city today?" Huo Yuhao greeted her with a smile.
"You're all going out?" Zhang Lexuan asked, puzzled.
"No, just you and me. Xiaotao and Luochen are staying behind to keep Vina company. Vina can move now, but she's not well enough to go outside. I also want to pick up some food she likes while we're out." Huo Yuhao replied with a gentle smile—his expression giving away nothing unusual.
Zhang Lexuan thought for a moment, then ultimately shook her head.
"I'll just stay in the palace with Nana."
It wasn't that she disliked Huo Yuhao—she simply wanted to avoid any misunderstandings.
"Alright then, I'll head out by myself. Is there anything you want, Senior Sister?" Huo Yuhao maintained his smile.
"I'm fine with anything."
…
"What a pity."
On the streets of Heaven Dou City, bathed in warm sunlight, Huo Yuhao once again sighed with regret.
He was beginning to understand why evil soul masters existed—following the rules simply couldn't satisfy certain desires.
If Zhang Lexuan had come along today, he would've had an opportunity to make his move on her, just like he did with Nan Shuishui in the past.
It wasn't impossible to do something inside the palace, but it was far more likely to get exposed. Who commits misdeeds under someone else's nose?
"But it doesn't matter. There are plenty of ways to manipulate someone, and besides, Senior Sister hasn't broken through to Titled Douluo yet—there's no rush." A glint flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes. In the blink of an eye, a new scheme formed.
He wasn't a master strategist, but he had no shortage of sinister ideas.
Some manipulations didn't require a meticulous plan—just knowing what the target wanted and leaving a trap was enough.
Like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey—even if the carrot was laced with poison, the donkey would still eat it willingly.
As he had said, Huo Yuhao strolled through Heaven Dou City, buying snacks the girls liked and picking out a few pieces of jewelry for Ma Xiaotao and the other two women. He planned to give them as gifts.
Like keeping pets—buying toys every now and then made life more enjoyable.
Of course, there was no jewelry for Zhang Lexuan. Huo Yuhao was a "good boy," after all—he wouldn't be so reckless.
Douluo Continent had both open-minded and deeply traditional sides.
This little shopping spree cost him several hundred gold soul coins.
By then, it was already noon.
Huo Yuhao entered a restaurant by the street, selected a window seat on the second floor, ordered a table full of dishes, and leisurely drank fruit juice while gazing at the scenery outside.
So relaxing.
There were no prohibitions against underage drinking in the Douluo Continent. In fact, twelve- or thirteen-year-old soul masters were already considered adults.
But Huo Yuhao still chose juice.
Because alcohol was spicy, and he couldn't stand even the slightest bitterness or spice in daily life—the most he could tolerate was the salty taste of lipstick.
Suddenly, a mocking voice rose beside him.
"A grown man drinking fruit juice? That's hilarious."
The tone wasn't threatening—it was clearly aimed directly at him.
Next, a tall elderly man swaggered in and sat down across from Huo Yuhao without asking permission.
Huo Yuhao looked up.
The man was a towering elder with dark green long hair—but comically, he had a receding hairline. His face was baby-smooth, yet his eyes carried the weight of age.
This was none other than the Master of the Body Sect: Poison-Immune!
But based on his posture and demeanor, one might mistake him for a mafia boss rather than a sect leader.
He exuded an unrestrained, domineering aura with no attempt to hide it.
"I like it," Huo Yuhao replied irritably, then turned back toward the window.
Instead of being offended, Poison-Immune laughed—he found Huo Yuhao to his liking.
After all, when you liked someone, even their farts smelled special. When you didn't, even gold seemed fake.
"Young man, I heard you're a gentleman like Mu En. But now it seems… not quite the case!"
"My teacher's teachings are carved into my heart. But even a gentleman will draw his sword against someone with ill intentions."
"Oh? You've got a problem with me? We've never met, have we?"
Indeed, they hadn't met face-to-face—when Poison-Immune ambushed Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei before, he had worn a mask.
"My spirit has mental attributes. I'm particularly sensitive to being watched. I sensed someone observing me long ago," Huo Yuhao replied calmly. Then he looked Poison-Immune in the eye. "Besides, senior, we have met—in the Star Dou Forest!"
"Hahaha, you figured that out just from your spiritual sense?" Poison-Immune laughed, not the least bit embarrassed. In fact, he seemed more curious than anything.
Huo Yuhao remained silent.
Poison-Immune eventually stopped laughing, but an enigmatic smile still lingered on his face. "Let me ask you something else, boy—how many spirits do you actually have?"
Just as expected, when Poison-Immune asked this question, Huo Yuhao's expression changed slightly.
He knew this was what Poison-Immune was aiming for.
He was here to expose Huo Yuhao's "secret."
Seeing the change, Poison-Immune grinned even wider. "You should've realized by now—your eyes are special! And only I can guide you down the right path. Because we are family!"
"I don't understand what you mean," Huo Yuhao said coldly.
"That's not up to you!"
In the next instant, Poison-Immune unleashed the full might of a Rank 98 Super Douluo, directing the pressure solely at Huo Yuhao without letting even a trace leak outward. The rest of the second floor continued dining as if nothing had happened.
This level of control over his power was impressive.
Definitely something someone like Xuan Zi couldn't match.
Well, unless Xuan Zi went all out and burned his life force—then maybe he could surpass Poison-Immune.
Right now, Poison-Immune's pressure bore down on Huo Yuhao—but Huo Yuhao only barely felt it.
Just a Rank 98 Super Douluo? Even if he struck with full force, he couldn't seriously injure Huo Yuhao.
Still, Huo Yuhao put on the appropriate act.
"Frost Jade Armor!"
In an instant, Huo Yuhao activated his spirit and equipped the Frost Jade Armor, emanating an aura of ultimate ice that chilled the entire second floor. All the other diners visibly shivered.
Even the soul masters present felt the bone-piercing cold—and only then did they realize something was wrong between Huo Yuhao and Poison-Immune.
The waiter rushed downstairs to get the boss.
After all, this wasn't his restaurant—just notifying the owner was already more than his job required.
Poison-Immune, intrigued by Huo Yuhao's performance, grew even more interested. "You can summon your spirit under my pressure? Not bad, not bad."
Ordinary soul masters below Titled Douluo wouldn't even be able to summon their spirits under such pressure.
And yet Poison-Immune didn't withdraw the pressure.
The next second, the chair beneath Huo Yuhao crumbled into dust, forcing him into a horse stance just to avoid falling to the floor.
"Who are you really? What do you want?" Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth and demanded, "struggling" to endure.
"Body Sect. Poison-Immune." The elder spoke in a low voice. "I've come to take you home."
He hadn't come here just to say hello. With Mu En gone, Poison-Immune had grown far bolder.
"The Body Sect?!"
Huo Yuhao glared at Du Busi, his eyes flashing with hostility.
"Looks like you've heard of our sect."
"Hmph."
Huo Yuhao didn't answer, but it was clear to everyone—he had no good feelings toward the Body Sect.
Du Busi didn't mind, though.
He figured Huo Yuhao had simply been brainwashed by Shrek Academy. Once Huo Yuhao joined the Body Sect, he'd come to understand just how beneficial it would be for him.
Besides, it wasn't like Du Busi was planning to keep Huo Yuhao forever. He just needed the boy to become part of the Body Sect first. If one day, a member of the Body Sect became the next head of the Sea God's Pavilion—wouldn't that be an interesting turn of events?
The fact that Du Busi dared appear before Huo Yuhao at all meant he had no fear of Shrek Academy. While others weren't sure if Mu En was still alive, Du Busi knew for certain—Mu En was gone.
Because… he had quietly snuck onto Sea God's Island himself.
And hadn't sensed Mu En's aura at all.
After confirming this, he left without causing any trouble at Shrek Academy—and hadn't told anyone, not even the Heavenly Soul Emperor.
He hadn't acted against Shrek Academy because Huo Yuhao was the future heir of the Sea God's Pavilion. That was practically his own sect's future turf—why destroy it?
He hadn't told the Heavenly Soul Emperor because, though it might seem like the Body Sect and the empire were working together, both wanted the final spoils for themselves.
People called Du Busi reckless. In truth, he was sharper than most.
More than anything, Du Busi greatly admired Huo Yuhao—not just for the "unawakened" twin martial spirits in his eyes, but for how he was carrying himself now:
Arrogant, unyielding, and full of potential.
Du Busi hadn't even used his full strength, yet his spiritual pressure alone would crush most below Titled Douluo level. But Huo Yuhao withstood it—and even conversed with him.
That only made Du Busi more satisfied.
This was exactly the kind of strong-willed genius the Body Sect lacked!
"Join my Body Sect," Du Busi said with a smile, "and I'll be your teacher. Everything I know, I'll teach you. I'll even make you the next heir of the sect. When I die, you'll become sect master. I won't stop you from inheriting the Sea God's Pavilion either—you can do both."
It was a generous promise.
"How can a phoenix perch in two trees?"
Huo Yuhao rejected him instantly.
"I like that stubborn streak of yours. But you don't have a choice in the matter!"
Du Busi made his move. And from here on, Huo Yuhao no longer had a say.
In the blink of an eye, Du Busi reached out and grabbed him, enveloped him in soul power, and flew out the window toward the outskirts of Heavenly Dou City.
Once they were gone, the innkeeper cautiously crept upstairs, only to find the place empty. Aside from a single broken chair, the inn was unharmed.
As for the unpaid meal and the damaged furniture—there was no way the innkeeper had the guts to bring that up. He simply ordered his staff to tidy up and reopen for business as quickly as possible.
Outside, Lang Ya and Yu Tao looked at each other, stunned.
Yu Tao: "Sect master left… but didn't bring us. Should we follow?"
Lang Ya: "Follow? We couldn't keep up with him even if we tried! Let's just hurry to the palace and report this—wouldn't want Wei Na to misunderstand."
In their eyes, only Wei Na needed to be informed. She was one of their own—and Huo Yuhao's woman. As for the Heavenly Soul Emperor? Who cared?
The Body Sect didn't answer to outsiders.
Giving him face, they'd call him Emperor. Without that face, he'd just be prison bro.
The Body Sect's headquarters were hidden in a treacherous region of the Heavenly Soul Empire—easy to defend and hard to attack. Few knew where it was, but that didn't mean they were cut off from the outside world.
In fact, the sect was surprisingly close to Heavenly Dou City. With Du Busi's speed, he carried Huo Yuhao to a nearby southern mountain range in no time.
Though not as grand as the Ming Dou Mountains or as dense as the Star Dou Forest, the mountain range was still vast, rugged, and difficult to navigate.
Within it sat the Body Sect's hidden base.
Since Huo Yuhao had been forcibly taken, he had no chance to admire the scenery. Du Busi simply dragged him into a crude stone hall within the sect.
Boom!
Huo Yuhao was tossed to the center of the hall. The stone floor was made of yellow rock—hard but not cold. His Frost Centipede Armor had been removed, and Du Busi had sealed off all his soul power.
Or so Du Busi believed.
Huo Yuhao didn't resist. He simply lay on the ground, cold and unmoving—playing dead.
Du Busi seated himself on a tall stone chair at the hall's center. Using soul power to amplify his voice, he called out:
"Elders, meeting!"
No flowery words—just four direct ones.
Immediately, a series of Titled Douluo-level auras flared within the sect, descending rapidly toward the stone hall.
Figures entered one by one through the open doors—each of them a Titled Douluo, arriving with great speed. Upon seeing the "dead" Huo Yuhao on the ground, they exchanged puzzled glances with Du Busi.
"Take a seat. I'll explain later," Du Busi said with a grin, like a fox who'd just stolen a hen.
The elders were baffled.
But none objected—proof of Du Busi's absolute authority in the sect.
Unlike other sects where elders and the sect master were at odds, here, everyone respected Du Busi wholeheartedly.
On either side of the hall were five stone chairs each, making a total of ten. Including Du Busi's own, there were eleven chairs.
In other words, the Body Sect had at least eleven Titled Douluo!
Just like the original novel.
Today, aside from Du Busi, eight elders had arrived.
Two more were away on missions, scouting for potential disciples. Recruiting martial souls of the body type was a long-term, sect-wide effort.
With everyone assembled, Du Busi waved his hand. Soul power surged, and the stone doors slammed shut.
That thud marked the official start of the meeting.
And the topic of discussion: Huo Yuhao.
"This is Huo Yuhao from Shrek Academy—the next heir to the Sea God's Pavilion."
Du Busi pointed at him, dropping a thunderbolt that left the elders completely stunned.
What?! The sect master kidnapped the Sea God Pavilion's successor?!
An elder immediately stood up.
"Sect Master! Hand this brat over to me. I guarantee I'll dig out every secret he knows about the Sea God's Pavilion!"
"Sect Master! I'll summon the disciples now and prepare a surprise attack on Shrek Academy! With your leadership, we can wipe out the Sea God's Pavilion once and for all!"
"Sect Master…"
Everyone assumed Du Busi was declaring war on the Sea God's Pavilion. Not a single elder backed down. In fact, the more they spoke, the more excited they became.
Du Busi was speechless.
Huo Yuhao cracked one eye open and shot Du Busi a sideways glance full of undisguised contempt.
For once, Du Busi actually blushed.
What a tragedy for the sect…
He'd never noticed it before, but now it seemed—his elders were all… brilliant minds, weren't they?
"Ahem, enough! Silence!" Du Busi bellowed. "What kind of rabble is this?!"
"So, Sect Master… we're not doing a frontal assault. Should we go for a sneak attack instead?" one elder asked cautiously.
Du Busi: "..."
Huo Yuhao: I'm doomed. I've been abducted by idiots…
"Who said we were declaring war on the Sea God Pavilion?"
Du Busi quickly cut in, interrupting the elders' heated discussion, and took the initiative to explain the situation.
"Huo Yuhao is indeed the successor of the Sea God Pavilion—but he's also one of us, a member of the Body Sect. This time, I've brought him back to recognize his roots and return to the fold!"
The elders were stunned by his words.
Huh?
That's it?
There was an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
One of the elders frowned and said, "Sect Master, I've also heard of Huo Yuhao from Shrek Academy. It's said he possesses an Ultimate attribute martial soul, but our Body Sect has a long-standing rule—we do not accept disciples who do not possess innate martial souls."
He didn't say more, but it was clear he was warning Du Busi not to violate sect tradition.
Even as Sect Master, if he were to break this rule, the elders wouldn't stand idly by.
After all, the unity and strength of the Body Sect came from its shared identity as inheritors of innate martial souls.
Breaking this admission standard would deal a heavy blow to the sect's cohesion and faith.
After all, innate martial souls cannot be passed down.
Even some elders' own children, upon awakening non-innate martial souls, were forced to leave the sect and make a life elsewhere, unable to rely on the sect's strength.
If even the elders' own children are subject to this rule, how could an outsider like Huo Yuhao be exempt?
Even if he possesses an Ultimate attribute martial soul, even if it's god-tier, he still shouldn't be allowed into the Body Sect.
Du Busi, however, curled his lips into a smug smile.
"He has another martial soul."
The stone hall instantly fell silent.
Soon, another elder spoke up. "Even if he's a twin-souled Spirit Master, that still doesn't—"
Smack!
The elder next to him smacked the back of his head and snapped,
"Is your brain all muscle? What the Sect Master means is that the boy's other martial soul is also an innate martial soul! Just like Vina's!"
Huo Yuhao: "…"
Wasn't that the same elder who just called me a little brat?
Hmph, I'll remember that later.
All the elders turned their hopeful gazes to Du Busi, awaiting confirmation.
If what he said was true, Huo Yuhao's value would be on an entirely different level.
Du Busi didn't keep them guessing any longer.
He nodded and laid everything out.
If he kept teasing them, the elders might actually burst a vein.
"That's right. Huo Yuhao's first martial soul is the Ultimate Ice-type Frost Jade Centipede .
His second soul, still not fully awakened, is a pair of innate eyes. Vina and I have personally verified this. In fact, Vina discovered it first—she even has a soul fusion technique with him."
"Moreover, his second martial soul is no weaker than the first. In fact, it may be stronger.
Though not fully awakened, I once tested its power, and it actually suppressed my martial soul.
So I suspect his second martial soul surpasses all ordinary grades—it may even be a god-level innate martial soul!"
Gasps echoed through the stone hall, doing their part to accelerate global warming on Douluo Continent.
Du Busi didn't care about Vina's position in Huo Yuhao's heart. What he cared about was—whether Huo Yuhao belonged to Shrek Academy.
So he threw Vina under the bus without hesitation.
Compared to other disciples, Vina was ultimately a princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Du Busi might treat her as a junior and help her, but he would never stake the entire future of the Body Sect on her.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor had certainly considered absorbing the Body Sect outright.
Even offers to make the Body Sect the national sect of the Heavenly Soul Empire had been refused by Du Busi.
As Sect Master, he had to weigh the greater picture.
"Sect Master, is this true?" The elders were fired up, faces flushed, like spring had arrived.
"You're welcome to investigate for yourselves," Du Busi said, pointing at Huo Yuhao.
The elders immediately turned toward Huo Yuhao again.
Of course—they could check it themselves!
In a flash, the elders had gathered around Huo Yuhao.
The elder who had earlier called him a brat now gently helped him up.
"Sect Master, how could you let little Yuhao lie on the ground like that?"
He smiled kindly and said in a grandfatherly tone,
"Little Yuhao, let Grandpa take a look. Don't worry, Grandpa won't hurt you."
Huo Yuhao: "…"
You old rascal—one minute arrogant, the next groveling. It's almost comical.
The elders didn't even wait for his reply.
They placed their hands on Huo Yuhao's forehead and began channeling soul power to gently examine his eyes, careful not to cause any harm.
Huo Yuhao didn't resist.
Instead, he activated his Body Avatar ability.
But the moment they probed, something went wrong.
It was like poking a sleeping beast—
Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly lit up with golden brilliance.
His pupils turned mismatched: one red, one blue—radiating both fire and ice, exuding immense pressure, as if facing a god!
A single glance froze all the elders in place.
This was spiritual and psychic oppression—
A god looking down upon mortals!
Evil-Eyed Martial Soul – Divine Eyes of Ice and Fire!
These eyes were forged by merging the soul essences of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, and carried divine might that surpassed even the Sea God's power within Huo Yuhao's Blue-Gold Eyes.
The instant they awakened, the stone hall was flooded with elemental energy—ice and fire surging in all directions.
At the center, Du Busi's face changed dramatically.
He hadn't expected this level of power from Huo Yuhao's eyes.
He immediately released soul power to shield the hall, preventing any spiritual energy from leaking out.
Then he rushed into the crowd around Huo Yuhao, pushing aside the elders and shouting:
"Move aside! Let me see first!"
Du Busi stood before Huo Yuhao, staring into those divine eyes.
His expression changed from shock to overwhelming joy.
"Hahahaha!!"
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"
"As I suspected—a god-level innate martial soul! And it embodies both ice and fire elements! Even my martial soul wants to kneel before it!"
Du Busi was ecstatic beyond words.
He had thought Huo Yuhao's martial soul would need more time to awaken—
He never imagined this kind of power would emerge already.
He wasn't sure if it was fully awakened yet,
but with eyes like these, there's no way they were weak.
Most importantly—Huo Yuhao was someone he snatched away himself.
Mu En, your disciple is amazing!
And it wasn't just Du Busi—
the elders were even more excited, almost dancing with joy.
"Ancestral spirits bless us! Heaven protects the Body Sect!"
"The Body Sect will rise again!"
"We are truly blessed!"
The Body Sect.
Inside an isolated stone hall.
It had now become Huo Yuhao's residence.
One could say that Huo Yuhao was now the most treasured asset of the Body Sect, more valuable than even Du Bushi himself. He was the "hope of the entire sect"!
As such, the treatment he received was of the highest standard.
Not only did he have a private stone hall just like the elders, but he could also freely use any cultivation resources the sect possessed, without restriction.
The reason he stayed in a stone hall wasn't anything special—simply because the Body Sect valued cultivation over luxury. Everyone lived in simple stone houses.
Only elders were permitted to reside in stone halls.
The only difference was that stone halls were bigger.
This was, essentially, treatment on par with a Title Douluo.
He was also attended by two powerful Contra-level guards who stayed by his side and followed his orders at any time.
They weren't there to monitor him, but truly acted like ordinary attendants, quietly residing in the side halls, awaiting his summons.
Still, whenever they looked at Huo Yuhao, their burning gazes gave off a rather unsettling feeling.
Clearly, they understood just how important Huo Yuhao was to the Body Sect.
In addition, he received the highest level of instructional treatment—the personally delivered guidance of Du Bushi, as well as rotating tutelage from the other elders, each of whom would share their own insights and techniques.
More than ten Title Douluo acting as his personal mentors—not even Qian Renxue had received such treatment in her day. Back when Huo Yuhao was in Shrek Academy, this level of privilege would've been unthinkable.
And yet, Huo Yuhao hadn't even officially joined the Body Sect.
Du Bushi and the elders believed that with enough time, Huo Yuhao would genuinely choose to join the sect.
They wanted to exchange sincerity with sincerity!
Huo Yuhao chose to go along with their plan and quietly cultivate.
Since he was already here, why not?
So on the second day, Du Bushi pulled him out for training, personally instructing him alongside another elder.
They truly taught him their best combat techniques.
Not just their own signature techniques, but even the Body Sect's core manual—the Secret of the Body—was open to Huo Yuhao.
In the entire Douluo Continent, the Body Sect was second to none in developing and researching combat techniques.
If they claimed second, no one would dare claim first.
Even Shrek Academy couldn't compare—only Mu En's creation of "Sovereign's Descent" and two complementary combat techniques barely stood up to the Body Sect's top-tier skills.
All of the sect's ultimate combat techniques were recorded in the Secret of the Body, though the most crucial part of it was the philosophy and understanding of body martial souls.
These were insights written down by countless generations of Body Sect elders.
What's more, the Secret of the Body was continuously updated as the sect grew and its understanding of body martial souls evolved.
Thanks to his profound foundation and intellect, Huo Yuhao had little trouble learning these techniques. He quickly mastered many of them.
This amazed Du Bushi and the other elders—they felt that Huo Yuhao was simply born for the Body Sect!
In the end, they decided that regardless of whether he could perfect them all, he should at least learn all the techniques first.
Most Body Sect disciples would specialize in just a few techniques that suited them, but the elders, who had spent half a lifetime researching combat techniques, knew that true achievement in this field meant walking one's own path.
Therefore, one couldn't just focus on a few techniques—they had to broaden their horizons and eventually develop combat techniques that were uniquely their own.
What you develop yourself will always be more suitable than something you've learned from others!
And they were also hoping that Huo Yuhao would, in time, develop a god-level combat technique that would surpass even the sect's founders.
Just like that, one full day passed.
Overall, it felt like a fruitful day.
——
Nightfall.
After finishing a full day of cultivation, Huo Yuhao returned to his stone hall, while the two Contra-level attendants remained in the adjoining side halls.
This gave Huo Yuhao more free time.
"Brother Hao, I don't get it!" A'tai was the first to speak up. "With your power, you're not afraid of anyone in the Body Sect, right? Why are you still sticking around here obediently? Just say the word, and I'll lead my clan to capture everyone in the sect—none of them will escape!"
"A'tai, I'm sure Brother Hao has his reasons for doing this," said the Golden Tortoiseshell in a sage-like tone.
Skydream Iceworm, however, laughed smugly. "What do you guys know? The world isn't all about fighting and killing!"
"Big bug, are you saying it's about social relationships?" Electrolux chuckled.
"Wrong!" Skydream Iceworm straightened proudly. "It's about schemes and deception!"
"You truly understand me, Skydream!" Huo Yuhao laughed.
Everyone else looked curiously at him, and Huo Yuhao didn't keep them guessing.
"Charging in head-on? Sure, the Body Sect wouldn't be able to stop me—not even Du Bushi. But that would be too crude."
"I plan to first investigate the situation within the Body Sect—figure out where the elders and disciples are positioned—then use subtle methods to take them all down. Ideally without a fight. After all, if I hurt them, I'd feel bad."
If a tomato has a split skin, you don't want to eat it—let alone damage valuable talent.
Electrolux immediately regretted speaking up.
Skydream looked even more pleased with himself.
"As expected of Brother Hao! And Skydream is amazing too~" the Golden Tortoiseshell piled on the flattery.
Only A'tai looked disappointed. He wanted blood to flow like rivers!
He also wanted Huo Yuhao to use them!
"Don't worry—you'll get your chance."
So far, Huo Yuhao had already spent two days in the Body Sect. He wondered how Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao were reacting.
If they summoned the powerful forces of Shrek Academy to confront the Body Sect, that would be interesting.
More likely, though, Wei Na and the Heavenly Soul Emperor had calmed them down for now, waiting for Huo Yuhao's return.
"Once I take down the Body Sect, I can use it as my own dojo, and deal with some other pending matters as well."
Huo Yuhao still had a pocket full of hundred-thousand-year soul bones waiting for him to absorb.
Not to mention two Dragon King skeletons that also needed to be dealt with.
——
While Huo Yuhao's main body bided its time in the Body Sect…
Over in Mingdu, the White Lotus sub-hall received an unexpected guest—
Saint Spirit Hall's Second Elder: Nangong Wan!
Nangong Wan personally came—he had finally sensed that something was wrong with the sub-hall.
But this wasn't because of his own initiative.
It started when someone from the main hall—sent by the Blue Silver Saintess—came to recruit him. During their conversation, the topic of the sub-hall elder came up, and Nangong Wan noticed something was off.
According to the messenger, the headquarters had already assigned a new sub-hall elder—but Nangong Wan had never received a report from the former elder, nor had he received the newcomer's letter of introduction.
Something was clearly wrong!
When he ordered his subordinates from the Xishui Alliance to investigate, they discovered that something had indeed happened at the sub-hall. The previous elder had vanished without a trace.
Nangong Wan realized: someone was making a move!
It was time for this elder to step in—otherwise, the new sub-hall elder might forget just who held the real power.
The elder wasn't the problem.
But if that elder disrespected him…
Then there would be a big problem.