In the first sub-hall, formerly the sub-hall headquarters.
In the underground chamber, Huo Yuhao finally met the arriving Nangong Wan.
Although this sub-hall had been abandoned and was being used as a decoy, its interior was anything but shabby. It was still lavishly decorated, as if it remained the operational headquarters. Moreover, some cult followers were left stationed there, creating the illusion that activity continued as usual.
At that moment, those stationed followers were trembling, kneeling at the edge of the underground hall. Seated at the uppermost position was a middle-aged man—Nangong Wan.
Despite being the visitor, he took the host's seat.
Nangong Wan had a stately appearance, with neatly combed white hair and a flowing white beard. He looked kind, wearing elegant white robes, but his stern expression exuded a natural aura of authority. The oppressive pressure of his Titled Douluo cultivation was completely unrestrained.
The weaker cult followers had no chance of kneeling calmly—they shivered under this terrifying presence.
Besides Nangong Wan, a veiled woman was seated slightly lower. She wore the attire of the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters and was clearly a representative of the Blue Silver Saintess.
She eyed the Death Messenger with great interest. Although she'd heard he was no ordinary man, she hadn't expected him to be so bold—killing the former sub-hall elder and disciples, and even privately restructuring the sub-hall.
Privately restructuring a sub-hall was a graver crime than murdering fellow cultists.
In the Holy Spirit Cult, so long as there was no evidence, murder wasn't a problem.
But restructuring a sub-hall was seen as an act of independence—something the cult would never tolerate.
Since Huo Yuhao hadn't stayed in this sub-hall and hadn't rushed over immediately, his delayed arrival left Nangong Wan and the woman waiting for quite some time. Now, irritation simmered in Nangong Wan's eyes—his heart already filled with suppressed rage.
"Death Messenger, you're truly arrogant—to make this elder wait so long!" Nangong Wan said coldly.
The woman remained silent.
"So this is Elder Nangong Wan? I've heard much about you, and the real deal is even more impressive," Huo Yuhao said with a smile—but the Death Messenger's voice was grating to the ears.
Though his words were flattering, Nangong Wan frowned.
Huo Yuhao's admiration was genuine—after all, a Titled Douluo was quite the delicacy… if only he could eat him like a snack.
At the same time, Nangong Wan was examining the Death Messenger. He frowned slightly, as he couldn't sense the presence of a living person from him.
But he didn't dwell on it. No matter what, the Death Messenger was just a Spirit Douluo. Against a Titled Douluo like him, he had only one fate—death.
What interested Nangong Wan now was: what trump card gave the Death Messenger the courage to privately restructure a sub-hall?
"Death Messenger, do you admit your guilt?" Nangong Wan demanded.
"Mm, guilty, guilty," Huo Yuhao replied with a chuckle.
"..."
Nangong Wan was at a loss for words.
Wait—he just admitted it like that?
Even the woman below showed surprise. She thought: this guy really is insane.
No normal person would respond like that!
With that creepy laugh of his, Nangong Wan felt completely mocked.
"So you're admitting that you're betraying the cult?"
Nangong Wan stood in fury. The full might of a Titled Douluo erupted—one yellow, three purple, five black soul rings emerged in sequence. His overwhelming pressure swept toward the Death Messenger.
Some of the Holy Spirit Cult's powerful members had unnatural soul ring configurations. Some had been prodigies, while others used cruel methods to enhance their soul rings.
Those methods… were unspeakably brutal.
The kneeling followers were terrified, feeling as if they were about to meet their ancestors.
But Huo Yuhao remained unmoved.
The Death Messenger had a spine of steel.
Under Nangong Wan's oppressive aura, Huo Yuhao calmly said:
"Elder Nangong Wan, let's put aside the betrayal talk for now. How about we first discuss something—like your Evening Water Alliance?"
Nangong Wan was stunned. The Death Messenger wasn't even using his martial spirit or soul power!
A sense of unease grew in him. Cautious as ever, he refrained from attacking and asked:
"What do you mean?"
The mention of the Evening Water Alliance made Nangong Wan take things more seriously. Perhaps there was some hidden issue?
The woman below stared at Nangong Wan in surprise. She'd thought he looked kind—but didn't expect a Holy Spirit Cult elder to actually act that way.
After all, the elders she knew back at headquarters were the kind to eat someone over a wrong look.
"I want the Evening Water Alliance. Elder Nangong Wan, name your price," Huo Yuhao continued.
"You're seeking death!"
This time, Nangong Wan had had enough. He realized the Death Messenger was toying with him and struck without hesitation.
A Titled Douluo could not be insulted!
And you—a mere Spirit Douluo—no matter what trump card you have, you're nothing before absolute power.
Nangong Wan released his martial spirit—Heavenly Centipede. His body began transforming with insect features, becoming monstrous.
His first soul ring lit up. He opened his mouth and spat poison directly at the Death Messenger.
First Soul Skill: Heavenly Centipede Poison!
Don't underestimate it—it was his core venom, immune to soul power purification, only avoidable by dodging.
But Huo Yuhao simply had the Death Messenger raise his left hand—no dodge, no retreat.
Nangong Wan sneered. "Fool."
But to his astonishment, the venom was absorbed by the Death Messenger's left hand.
More precisely—by the human-skin glove on his hand!
It was absorbed… as nourishment.
"Impossible?!" Nangong Wan cried in disbelief.
"Elder Nangong Wan," said Huo Yuhao, "today I shall show mercy—and let you witness what true ultimate poison is."
With those words, Huo Yuhao surged with soul power. The Death Messenger's left hand swung forward, unleashing a cloud of pitch-black toxic mist.
The mist formed into a black dragon—clawing and roaring as it surged toward Nangong Wan.
It was Corpse Poison!
And with the human-skin glove's enhancement—it had reached the level of Ultimate Poison.
Nangong Wan roared and countered with his own venom—but to his shock, his Heavenly Centipede Poison was utterly suppressed.
Against other Holy Spirit Cult elders, Huo Yuhao would've fled without hesitation.
But Nangong Wan?
He could put up a fight.
Ultimate poison overcomes ordinary toxins. Isn't that just perfect?
"How could this be? How is this even possible?!"
Nangong Wan watched in disbelief as his life-bound poison was suppressed effortlessly by a poison dragon released by the Death God Envoy. His mind reeled, as if his brain had shriveled, and he couldn't stop himself from cursing the heavens.
You're just a Soul Douluo—how are you overpowering me, a Title Douluo? If you had this kind of strength, why would you bother being a mere sub-hall elder?!
But Huo Yuhao had no intention of explaining himself. That brief moment of delay had been enough for him to activate his preparations.
Yes, all that talking just now had been a deliberate stalling tactic while he silently triggered the setup he'd laid out earlier.
The batch of resources obtained from the Ao Du Commerce Guild wasn't just for cultivation. Knowing that someone might come looking for trouble—very likely a Title Douluo—how could Huo Yuhao possibly be unprepared?
Without anyone noticing, arrays of formation flags rose up around the underground space, surrounding it from all sides. Activated by their linked energy, they formed an array that enveloped the entire area, trapping everyone within.
Nangong Wan and the woman with him immediately sensed something was wrong. They tried to flee or resist, but it was already too late.
The trap formation activated incredibly fast.
Huo Yuhao had laid this formation long ago, anticipating that the main sub-hall—Hall No. 1—would be the first place Nangong Wan would visit. So, he set up a powerful trap formation in its underground chamber.
The other sub-halls had similar formations, but none as strong as this one.
And Huo Yuhao had guessed correctly—Nangong Wan had walked straight into the web he wove, and now escape was nearly impossible.
As the trap activated, both Nangong Wan and the woman were immediately enveloped in a thick mist. Their visibility dropped to barely a meter, enough only to see each other's silhouette.
The woman instantly entered her martial soul state, on high alert. Seven soul rings shimmered around her—she was a Soul Sage.
But even a Title Douluo couldn't see far within the formation, feeling its oppressive restraints. How much worse would it be for a Soul Sage? She instinctively stayed close to Nangong Wan, hoping he could protect her.
Nangong Wan used his spiritual power to scan farther out, but couldn't detect the Death God Envoy's position. His expression grew grim.
"Death God Envoy, perhaps this is all just a misunderstanding," he said cautiously, trying to sound more conciliatory—a reaction that left the woman by his side stunned.
In truth, Nangong Wan was an extremely cautious man, and cautious people often value their lives highly.
In the original work, he was nothing but a coward.
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly but gave no reply. At this point, is reconciliation even an option?
Of course not—everyone knew it was far too late for that.
The truth was, the Death God Envoy hadn't moved an inch—he was still standing in the same spot. As the controller of the formation, he was unaffected by its effects.
Though the Death God Envoy wasn't strong enough to wield deadly killing formations, Huo Yuhao had wisely chosen to use a trap formation instead of one designed to kill.
Killing formations could deal significant damage and were great for fighting stronger opponents, but if someone other than Nangong Wan—say, another Title Douluo—had shown up, the Death God Envoy might not have been able to win. In such cases, using a killing formation could lead to mutual destruction.
So Huo Yuhao opted for a safer strategy.
With the trap formation, even if he faced an unbeatable foe, the time it bought would let him escape along a route he had already mapped out. In just a few breaths, he could vanish into Mingdu's underground sewers.
Even if he had to abandon the White Lotus sub-hall, it didn't matter. The Death God Envoy's value far exceeded that of the entire sub-hall's disciples. Plus, he could still use the Ao Du Commerce Guild to make a comeback.
Now that it was Nangong Wan—someone the Death God Envoy could defeat—the purpose of the trap formation was to stop him from fleeing and spreading word of what had happened.
And the trap didn't just shroud the area in fog to obscure vision and disorient targets. It also had a suppressive effect, weakening the enemy's power.
To Huo Yuhao, Nangong Wan was already meat on the chopping block—there was no way he'd let it go.
Controlling the Death God Envoy, Huo Yuhao raised his left hand, clad in a human-skin glove, channeling corpse poison into it. He refined it into the ultimate corpse poison.
At the same time, he unleashed a battle technique:
"Ultimate Corpse Poison: Ten Thousand Absolute Corpse Poison Palm!"
The Death God Envoy's figure shot forward like a phantom, appearing behind Nangong Wan and striking with his palm.
Nangong Wan whipped around and raised his hand to counter, his Title Douluo power erupting. A savage gleam flashed in his eyes. "I've been guarding against you from the start!"
Let's not forget—he was an evil soul master. Even if he wanted to de-escalate, he had never lowered his guard. In fact, his killing intent toward the Death God Envoy had only grown.
He would never let someone who could threaten him live.
Boom!
Their palms collided, unleashing a shockwave that sent the woman reeling backward. She clutched her chest as blood stained her black veil.
Despite her injuries, she couldn't worry about herself. She'd lost sight of Nangong Wan in the mist and could only hear the sound of battle echoing from all directions, making it impossible to find him.
Fear surged within her like a rising tide.
Meanwhile, Nangong Wan had no time to think about her safety. His right arm, which had clashed with the Death God Envoy's, was numb. He was shocked by the sheer strength of the opponent's body.
"This man is terrifying! He must be eliminated!"
Seeing the Death God Envoy try to retreat into the mist using recoil, Nangong Wan refused to allow it. He pressed the attack, unleashing a soul skill:
"Seventh Soul Skill: True Body of the Heavenly Centipede!"
But just as he tried to activate it, excruciating pain surged from his right arm, causing him to scream in agony.
His Heavenly Centipede martial soul appeared injured and forcibly deactivated its possession state.
Looking down at his arm, Nangong Wan saw that it had turned pitch-black—clear signs of severe poisoning.
The poison had seeped into his bones!
Even if he neutralized it, the arm would be crippled—never the same again.
Worse still, the poison was spreading throughout his body. It even suppressed his own toxic attributes, preventing him from using his martial soul. He didn't dare circulate his soul power, knowing it would only spread the poison faster.
He couldn't even force the poison out.
Let's not forget—he was a poison-type soul master. His soul power was laced with venom. If it interacted with this ultimate corpse poison, it would only feed it, and he would be devoured from the inside out.
"This—this can't be happening!" Nangong Wan's face twisted in terror. "What kind of poison is this?!"
Huo Yuhao, possessing the Death God Envoy, could also utilize some of the battle techniques his original body had mastered through the envoy's body.
The Ten Thousand Absolute Corpse Poison Palm was a technique he learned from Du Busi. It evolved from Du Busi's Thousand Poison Palm. Although not extremely advanced, it was definitely formidable. In Du Busi's hands, it was just a basic attack.
The Thousand Poison Palm was simple in effect—it activated toxins to double the palm strike's power and added a poison attribute to the attack.
Simple, yet highly practical.
Huo Yuhao used his Ultimate Corpse Poison to execute this move, greatly enhancing its ferocity—the palm's strength depended on the potency of the injected toxins, and the poison could be directly infused into a target's bones.
That last palm strike had only doubled in force, but more importantly, it drove a greater amount of Ultimate Corpse Poison directly into Nangong Wan's body.
Even the physique and defensive soul power of a Title Douluo couldn't withstand it!
Thus, Huo Yuhao casually gave this palm strike a more impressive name.
After all, the Death God Envoy would eventually be making waves out in the world. Without a few signature moves, how could he build a reputation?
The moment Nangong Wan dared to clash palms with Huo Yuhao, his fate was sealed. Huo Yuhao deeply felt how completely Ultimate Attributes suppressed similar but non-ultimate elements.
It was an overwhelming and unreasonable suppression!
The Death God Envoy didn't even use his martial soul or soul ring techniques—he just activated the corpse poison and took down Nangong Wan with a single strike.
A Soul Douluo defeating a Title Douluo—so effortlessly.
In the past, when Huo Yuhao fought enemies using Ultimate Ice, he rarely relied on attribute suppression—because most opponents didn't even deserve it.
Two quick punches would end them—why waste time with fancy tricks?
Unless Huo Yuhao was putting on a show.
As the saying goes, restraint trumps all.
If it had been any other Title Douluo—so long as they didn't use poison—they could've used soul power to suppress the Ultimate Corpse Poison for a while and continued fighting. But not Nangong Wan—he lost the ability to resist entirely.
The retreating Death God Envoy halted. Huo Yuhao smiled and spoke,
"Elder Nangong Wan, how does my poison taste?"
"P-please, I beg you, spare me! Detoxify me, I'll never trouble you again! I swear it on my martial soul!" Nangong Wan dropped to his knees before the Death God Envoy, his tone full of reverence.
A fitting portrayal of the cowardly character he always was in the original story.
"Oh? But even if I detoxify you, I'm afraid your right arm may never function as well again." Huo Yuhao frowned thoughtfully.
So polite—referring to each other with formal "you" (您).
"It doesn't matter! As long as you detoxify me, I'm willing to serve you! I will submit to you!" Nangong Wan cried in agony, trembling violently, his face pale and drenched in cold sweat.
The pain he was experiencing was obvious.
More than that, he felt his vision blur, his breathing turn labored, his limbs go numb, and his mind exhausted, fighting the urge to fall asleep.
He believed this to be the torment of the toxin—and he absolutely must not fall asleep, or he might never wake up again, losing even his chance to beg for mercy.
In truth, the pitch-black Ultimate Corpse Poison had already spread to his neck, and his eyes were rolling back.
"Submit to me?" Huo Yuhao chuckled calmly. "But what about your Grand Elder?"
"You… you know about the Grand Elder?!" Nangong Wan looked at the Death God Envoy in shock, his fading consciousness suddenly snapping back to clarity. He never expected the Death God Envoy to know he worked for the Grand Elder!
As Huo Yuhao suspected—the Xi Shui Alliance worked under Ye Xishui, and Nangong Wan was her man.
But Huo Yuhao changed the topic with a grin.
"Actually, there is another method—not only would your arm be unaffected, but you might even be able to control this poison."
Nangong Wan froze. Could it be true?
He couldn't understand why the Death God Envoy would offer him access to such a terrifying toxin. Didn't he know how tempting this was to a poison-type soul master?
Could it be… the Death God Envoy wasn't an enemy? Was he perhaps also working for that person?
"Really? What's the method?" Nangong Wan asked urgently, the pain in his body seemingly less intense. Though his vision remained dark, he kept his eyes wide open, trying to see the envoy.
Looking at Nangong Wan's face already turning cadaverous, Huo Yuhao calmly nodded through the Death God Envoy,
"Yes. The method is…"
"To turn you into a zombie!"
Nangong Wan froze, his mind already sluggish, unable to react.
And then, Huo Yuhao activated the Death God Envoy's soul rings.
"Third Soul Skill: Evil Corpse Mastery!"
"Sixth Soul Skill: Decay Transformation!"
Both were used to refine corpses and accelerate the zombie transformation process.
"Ahhh—!"
A shrill scream echoed through the mist.
A woman still trying to break through the formation trembled in fear—she instantly recognized Nangong Wan's voice!
"No way! Elder Nangong can't possibly lose to the Death God Envoy! He's a Title Douluo! … Ugh—"
Before she could reassure herself, her neck was twisted from behind—Huo Yuhao had struck.
The panicked woman had no idea Huo Yuhao had approached silently, easily catching her off guard.
Then Huo Yuhao reached out, pulled her soul from her body, and sealed it into his soul banner.
Nangong Wan's soul had already been locked inside too.
Behind Huo Yuhao stood Nangong Wan's corpse, temporarily animated and mid-transformation into a zombie. Its body had stiffened and was hopping about, completely under Huo Yuhao's control.
He didn't let the corpse hop around for long—soon, he summoned a blood coffin and placed the body inside.
Now that the Death God Envoy had resources, he no longer needed to stuff multiple corpses into a single coffin.
Once he was done handling the materials, Huo Yuhao deactivated the formation—only to see the kneeling cultists spinning around in confusion and terror.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
A few loud smacks jolted them awake—and they were shocked to find only Huo Yuhao remaining. Nangong Wan was nowhere to be seen.
"Master, Elder Nangong and the others…?" one disciple asked timidly.
"It's going to rain. They probably went home to bring in the laundry," Huo Yuhao replied calmly.
None of the cultists dared question further.
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and ordered,
"Gather everyone. I have instructions."
"Yes, sir!"
The disciples scrambled away, none daring to linger and serve the Death God Envoy.
Huo Yuhao had no choice but to let the Death God Envoy hang upside-down in the underground space again, waiting for the others to arrive.
Nangong Wan's demise would soon be discovered by the Xi Shui Alliance, and then by the Spirit Pagoda. The Spirit Pagoda would surely take action—and Huo Yuhao would be threatened.
"But that's just about right." Huo Yuhao smiled.
Because, according to the intel, last night the Shrek group had already arrived secretly in Mingdu!
Shrek, the Death God Envoy has been waiting!
Xian Lin'er disguised herself as an ordinary teacher of the Soul Tool Department and entered Mingdu overnight together with the exchange students from Shrek Academy.
Entering the city at night wasn't due to any specific precautions by the Sun Moon Empire. Rather, the moment the exchange team was picked up, they traveled without pause and happened to arrive at Mingdu at night.
To show importance, the Sun Moon Empire sent Mingde Hall's master, Jing Hongchen, to personally escort them.
In truth, both the royal family and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy were somewhat concerned about the safety of Shrek Academy's exchange students.
Now was not the time for open conflict between the two sides.
Moreover, Shrek Academy also hosted exchange students from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, including Jing Hongchen's grandson and granddaughter.
Naturally, Jing Hongchen paid closer attention.
However, since Huo Yuhao had already clearly revealed that Elder Mu En was still alive, Jing Hongchen didn't dare to boldly infiltrate Sea God's Pavilion as he did in the original story—where he was caught by Mu En and forced to leave behind a ninth-grade soul tool.
Although Jing Hongchen hadn't met Mu En, he dared not be careless.
Shrek Academy's strength was deeply rooted in the minds of the Sun Moon Empire's people. Their pride in soul tools was counterbalanced by their inferiority complex toward traditional soul masters.
Of course, that didn't mean no one had plans to stir up trouble in secret.
For instance, the Otto Chamber of Commerce had received a notice from the military to assassinate the Shrek Academy exchange students.
This didn't happen in the original story—perhaps it didn't succeed, or maybe no such order was given. Compared to the original, Shrek Academy had recently suffered heavily due to a beast tide. The Star Luo Empire had also lost General Dai Hao, presenting an exploitable opportunity. It's easy to see how such dangerous thoughts could arise.
The Sun Moon Empire's war hawks had never stayed quiet.
And the only reason they were still building up strength was that they weren't confident in handling Shrek Academy's top-tier powerhouses.
The Sun Moon Empire was waiting. Either for Shrek Academy to weaken, or for the Empire to gather a large number of strong fighters.
Even if no perfect opportunity had arisen yet, some within the Empire continued to probe Shrek Academy.
If such probing eventually unearthed a "giant crocodile" that couldn't be dealt with, they could always abandon the Otto Chamber of Commerce.
For the powerful figures, organizations like the Otto Chamber were easily replaceable.
Such groups existed simply to provide convenience to those in power—and, when necessary, serve as sacrificial pawns to test the waters.
After arriving overnight at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, the Shrek exchange team was immediately subjected to an entrance assessment arranged by Jing Hongchen. This gave them a firsthand look at the Sun Moon Academy's technological prowess—such as the sophisticated testing machinery.
Seeing the Shrek group gawking like country bumpkins, Jing Hongchen nearly raised his hand and declared, "Our Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology is number one in the world!"
Which… wasn't wrong.
Of course, only the students underwent testing.
Otherwise, Xian Lin'er would have been exposed on her first day in the Academy.
After the data was collected, the Shrek exchange students were assigned dormitories to rest and await the upcoming academic schedule at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
The next day, a lithe young girl had just finished her training in the Academy's training zone. As she walked out, she overheard some students talking and keenly caught the word "Shrek."
She stopped them and asked what they were discussing.
The passing students, eager to please the pretty senior, explained excitedly.
They were talking about the Shrek Academy exchange students. Rumor had it that even though they were also soul engineers, their physical qualities and abilities surpassed their counterparts at the Sun Moon Academy.
No specific data was leaked, but the comparisons were clear and widely accepted among the students.
In their minds, that's exactly how Shrek soul masters should be—stronger, even overwhelming their Sun Moon Academy counterparts in the path of the soul master.
Though reluctant, they had no choice but to accept it.
After all, that was the reason the Sun Moon Empire lost in the past. The Sun Moon Academy team never stood a chance against Shrek's battle team.
After learning this, Nana left the students and immediately departed the Academy to report the exchange team's arrival to the White Lotus Subdivision, awaiting orders from the Death God Envoy.
Thinking of the task she was assigned, Nana felt tense and, oddly, excited.
After practicing the new techniques and methods, Nana felt a significant boost in her strength.
How far was she now from matching those Shrek soul masters?
Her loyalty to the White Lotus Shrine was evident. It wasn't just the allure of the techniques—they no longer oppressed her as before.
She had grown stronger and found new hope. The Death God Envoy even promised that after this mission, he would return her parents' souls to her—and might even allow them to accompany her forever.
...
Upon learning that the Shrek exchange team had arrived, Huo Yuhao didn't even have time to begin his plan before Nangong Wan and a representative of the Blue Silver Saint Maiden came knocking at the First Subdivision.
After dealing with Nangong Wan, Huo Yuhao decided to accelerate his plan. The Xishui Alliance would take action soon.
Sure, playing along with Nangong Wan might have bought Huo Yuhao more time to maneuver and train more zombies.
But that idiot wasn't worth it.
And Huo Yuhao never intended to hide like a rat and grow in secret.
He wanted to be the fisherman!
The rougher the seas, the pricier the fish!
No waves? Then he'd make them!
No—he was the storm!
At his command, disciples of the White Lotus Subdivision and the five protectors of the Otto Chamber all gathered in the underground space of the First Subdivision.
Huo Yuhao hung upside down from the ceiling of the chamber.
Below him stood five protectors, each of Contra-level strength. Though their soul power hadn't yet broken through, they had trained in Huo Yuhao's methods, significantly boosting their combat ability and loyalty to the Death God Envoy.
Below them stood three core disciples, all close to the Soul Emperor level. Their strength rivaled typical Soul Emperors. They were his most loyal followers—trusted enough for critical tasks.
Further down were the general White Lotus disciples and acolytes, now numbering around 200.
These new members weren't coerced but drawn in by the White Lotus teachings and cultivation methods.
Their loyalty was reasonably reliable—not absolute, but promising.
Their strength varied widely.
But that wasn't a problem.
"Greetings, Elder!" ×5
"Greetings, Master!" ×N
Everyone bowed to the Death God Envoy.
And this—was the full extent of manpower Huo Yuhao could currently mobilize in Mingdu.
Huo Yuhao swept his gaze over everyone and suddenly smiled. "Relax, we're all family here. From now on, you can address me as the Cult Leader."
"Huh?"
Below him, An Litong, dressed in white Guardian robes, froze for a moment before his expression subtly shifted.
This Death Messenger… is planning to go independent?!
The matter regarding the Holy Spirit Sect and the White Lotus sub-sect had already been explained by Huo Yuhao to An Litong and others. They were shocked to learn that the Sun-Moon Empire harbored such a powerful evil soul master organization like the Holy Spirit Sect. Naturally, they were also worried that the Holy Spirit Sect might come after the White Lotus sub-sect.
Since An Litong had once been the leader of a faction, he understood well that the White Lotus sub-sect already had signs of wanting independence. If that became clear, the Holy Spirit Sect would definitely not let them off the hook.
But he never expected that the Death Messenger would act so rashly—no time to prepare, and already declaring secession!
Seriously, dude—what's your backing?
Just us five Soul Douluos?
The Holy Spirit Sect could send just one Title Douluo-level elder and wipe out their small sub-sect with ease!
"Please… Elder, reconsider," An Litong quickly urged.
"I've killed Nangong Wan. What do you think the Holy Spirit Sect will do about it?" Huo Yuhao asked calmly.
"..."
An Litong wanted to ask if the Death Messenger had gone delusional in his sleep.
Who would believe that?!
If you really killed Nangong Wan, then yeah, there's no turning back. It's a blood feud now.
But just then, one of the elders beside him tugged at his sleeve.
An Litong came to his senses and noticed the Death Messenger's blood-red eyes fixed on him, radiating a bloodthirsty aura.
Cold sweat immediately broke out!
"Greetings, Cult Leader!" An Litong dropped to his knees, though inwardly he was sobbing.
How he wished he could turn back time—back to the day before he ever met the Death Messenger. He'd rather streak naked in public than ever be at headquarters that day.
Now, part of their soul origins were in the Death Messenger's hands. They had no ability to resist or refuse.
With An Litong kneeling first, the others quickly followed suit and cried out, "Greetings, Cult Leader!"
Those whose relatives' souls were held by the Death Messenger had no choice but to follow him.
The newer members didn't think too much. All they saw was the Death Messenger offering benefits—why not follow him?
If things went south, they could always bail. They had no weaknesses the Death Messenger could exploit anyway.
"Relax," Huo Yuhao said reassuringly. "Even though we're going independent, we're still part of the Holy Spirit Sect."
"Huh??"
An Litong and the others were confused.
"Internally, we're the White Lotus Sect. Externally, we're still part of the Holy Spirit Sect. Everyone will wear two uniforms—one for the White Lotus Sect, worn inside, and one for the Holy Spirit Sect, worn outside."
"!!!"
Some wanted to ask, "Wouldn't that be too hot?"
But no one dared speak up. Even though the Death Messenger was acting approachable, he exuded a chilling presence.
An Litong finally sighed in relief. So that's it. Shameless, yes, but at least we're not openly confronting the Holy Spirit Sect. But… is what he said about Nangong Wan really true?
Just as he was about to ask, Huo Yuhao continued, "Next, I will announce the first five-year plan: Make the White Lotus Sect the state religion of the Sun-Moon Empire."
An Litong shut up completely.
He thought secession was already the wildest move—turns out that was only the beginning.
What's the point of arguing anymore? I give up. Do your thing.
…
After much profound and world-shaking contemplation, Huo Yuhao came up with a plan that could stir chaos and withstand the Holy Spirit Sect's pressure:
Make the Holy Spirit Sect the state religion of the Sun-Moon Empire!
Step one was to make a grand gesture of loyalty—a bribe—and use it to gain favor with a royal heir.
Simply put: gift-giving.
The White Lotus Sect had nothing.
The Ao Duo Chamber of Commerce had been gutted by the military and couldn't be exposed yet.
The Xishui Alliance was even more hands-off—they hadn't come after the White Lotus Sect yet, probably because they were still unaware.
That left only the Common Alliance. And conveniently, there was a golden opportunity.
The Common Alliance was transporting a shipment of rare metals out of Mingdu within the next few days. According to insiders in the Ao Duo Chamber, it was a batch of strategic materials—precious metals.
All three major underground forces traded in rare metals, though they each had different sales channels. But they all shared one destination: the original Douluo continent.
In other words, smuggling.
Because the profits were insane!
These metals sold for several times—or even more than ten times—their price there, and demand always exceeded supply.
Even high-ranking officials in the Sun-Moon Empire liked to stash some away to arm their soul engineer followers.
Even the military had its eyes on this shipment!
In the Sun-Moon Empire, rare metals were hard currency!
This time, Huo Yuhao didn't act personally. He delegated the task to a core disciple, with An Litong and the Guardians assisting—marking the White Lotus Sect's first official group activity.
The mission went off without a hitch. The Common Alliance never expected a sneak attack. Though their convoy included a hidden Soul Douluo, he stood no chance against An Litong and four others. Not only did he fail to resist, but he was even captured alive.
Naturally, once delivered to Huo Yuhao, his fate was sealed.
As for the military, An Litong could easily brush them off: "Someone else got to it first." If they had a problem, they could go after the Holy Spirit Sect—after all, the attackers wore their robes.
In the underground stronghold—
After An Litong reported the success, he asked, "Cult Leader, how shall we deliver the metals to the crown prince? I do have some connections…"
To send gifts to royalty, you needed connections—or you couldn't even get your foot in the door.
"Who said we're giving them to the crown prince?" Huo Yuhao asked, puzzled.
"Huh? Didn't you say we're targeting a royal heir?" An Litong was confused.
To most people, Crown Prince Xu Tiannan was the obvious heir. Though disabled, he was incredibly capable and ruthless.
"Our target is the Third Prince," Huo Yuhao explained.
Xu Tiannan was the most likely successor—but not guaranteed. He still had rivals.
The Third Prince!
He had backing from the royal clan, which was perfect for Huo Yuhao's needs—easier access to the royal family.
As for the Second Prince—he was already dead. He'd tried to assassinate Xu Tiannan, only to be brutally killed in his own chambers. Rumor had it the scene was so bloody the walls were painted in gore.
"I'll take care of it," An Litong replied. He had connections to the Third Prince too.
"Good. I trust you," Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction.
"Does the Cult Leader have a specific plan?"
"Our plan is: Gift them, host them, and then—make them our dogs!"
"…Huh???"
An Litong froze. "Wait, aren't we trying to become his… uh, followers?"
"What kind of BS are you spouting? It's an honor for the Third Prince to be my dog. Watch your words—there won't be a next time."
"..."