Cherreads

Chapter 119 - Body Sect

At the beginning, Xu Tiannan had relied on his status as the eldest legitimate son to become the crown prince, securing a firm position. But unexpectedly, the second prince schemed for the throne and plotted against Xu Tiannan. Although he failed, he did leave Xu Tiannan physically disabled. In the process, the second prince paid with his life.

Because of Xu Tiannan's disability, his grip on power weakened, which gave the other princes ideas.

The second prince became a prime example.

Unfortunately, the princes that followed were neither as wild nor as bold as the second prince. Otherwise, if there had been a few more rounds of assassination attempts—trading lives at the edge—Xu Tiannan might have been eliminated from the game altogether.

The remaining princes all opted for a more gradual strategy: slowly growing their own power bases. Their goal was simple—surpass Xu Tiannan, and with a healthy body, ascend the throne.

But in reality, their slow-play tactics didn't succeed. Instead, they were like frogs slowly boiled in warm water by Xu Tiannan.

In the end, none of them made a real move.

If Huo Yuhao had been born into the Sun-Moon Empire's royal family, he would've staged a Xuanwu Gate coup—make one bold move and seize everything. He would've gone straight for the emperor himself.

If you're going to make a move, go big!

At worst, what could the emperor do? Kill his own son?

The worst-case scenario would just be imprisonment for life. He'd still get food, still get to hear music and watch dancing—could be a pleasant enough life.

But Xu Tiannan? He was someone who could really kill his own brothers.

Currently, the third prince is the most powerful among those under Xu Tiannan.

So, the fourth and sixth princes decided to form an alliance.

Meanwhile, the fifth prince, oozing with unfounded confidence, chose to go it alone.

Each of the five contenders for the throne has their own traits, backgrounds, and power bases:

Xu Tiannan: No need for much introduction. On the surface, he is gentle and refined, easily liked. But due to the past assassination attempt and his disability, he is ruthless underneath. He has recruited the most talent and commands the strongest, most mysterious faction. His main recruitment target is the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—a rich source of top-tier talent.

Third Prince Xu Tiancheng: Noble in demeanor, with a background rooted in the royal family. His focus is on consolidating the support of the imperial clan, but he lacks connection with the common people.

Fourth Prince Xu Tianyong: Talented in cultivation, he's a rough type with an unexpectedly keen mind. Through his mother's connections, he has secured backing from many civil officials. He's also secretly in touch with the military. The relationship is ambiguous, and he spends time each year training with the troops.

Fifth Prince Xu Tianyi: The funniest of the bunch. Despite aiming for the throne, he's trying to win over people from the underworld. His mansion is filled with various wandering guests, but not a single government official. His supporters are an offshoot branch of the royal family.

The Sun-Moon Empire's royal clan has many sub-branches made up of non-Xu surnames. These branches rely mainly on the royal family but are also known to make private alliances. If Xu Tianyi could coordinate these branches, they'd be a force to reckon with—though it's unclear if he has the capability.

While he may seem like a joke, if he ever truly hardened his resolve, he might pull off something spectacular—something the others couldn't match.

Sixth Prince Xu Tianchong: Looks more like a scion from a noble family. He's aligned with the fourth prince Xu Tianyong, and the two act as a team. If Xu Tianyong ever becomes emperor, Xu Tianchong would undoubtedly be the most powerful prince—like the relationship between the late Emperor Xue Ye and Prince Xue Xing.

Unlike Xu Tianyong, whose support comes from civil officials and the military, Xu Tianchong is popular among the younger generation from aristocratic families. He's approachable and has a wide social network.

These are the five contenders for the throne.

Huo Yuhao had no particular opinion about them.

As they left the streets, the two Title Douluo following him finally spoke.

"Your Highness, was what you just did… perhaps a bit inappropriate?" They were clearly concerned.

"Inappropriate? I'm not actually aiming for the throne, so why would I care? Besides, this won't even affect the competition for succession." Huo Yuhao wasn't against becoming emperor—but he also didn't want to waste energy fighting for it. All he wanted right now was a hot meal.

"Why not?"

"Didn't you notice Xu Tiannan didn't come immediately? He didn't just stay back to calm Shrek Academy. He knew there was no point investigating this further—it wouldn't interfere with his plans."

"This..."

The two were still confused.

"Enough. Just follow my lead. You'll get your share of the benefits."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Even without Fan Yin controlling them, their lives were still firmly in Huo Yuhao's grasp. So they dared not question further.

Huo Yuhao looked up at the sky.

"It's about time. Let's get back to the music and dancing."

Things weren't over yet. The real grand celebration was just ahead!

Meanwhile...

At the Body Sect

In the training ground—

"You're truly remarkable."

Du Busi looked at Huo Yuhao with a complicated expression and spoke with sincere admiration.

Over the past week, he had witnessed what true genius looked like.

No matter the combat technique, if Huo Yuhao could learn it, he mastered it quickly. Not only that—he could draw inferences, innovate, and integrate them into a cohesive system of his own.

At this point, no one could count how many techniques Huo Yuhao had mastered.

What was certain was this: he had already formed a personalized combat system unique to himself.

Even without using soul rings or soul skills, he could now go head-to-head with a Soul Sage as a mere Soul Emperor.

Du Busi was hesitating. He was reluctant to send Huo Yuhao back to Shrek Academy and risk their grand plan.

A talent like this should remain in the Body Sect forever, become its face, and serve as its future hope!

Naturally, the treatment given to Huo Yuhao was second to none—consistently elevated.

This special status naturally stirred up whispers among the disciples.

But the response from Du Busi and the elders was simple: "Let strength speak."

Among the younger generation, none could rival Huo Yuhao. Not even Long Aotian.

As for stronger disciples, they were advised by elders who understood the bigger picture.

So no one dared bother Huo Yuhao.

When Long Aotian found out Huo Yuhao was the chosen one for cultivation focus, his emotions were complex. In the end, he doubled down on his training, still wanting to catch up—not to outshine Huo Yuhao, but just to prove he wasn't far behind. He had to fight for that pride.

It wasn't that Du Busi and the others didn't want Huo Yuhao to interact with the rest of the Body Sect. But right now, Huo Yuhao hadn't fully "devoted his heart" to them. They worried he might go all out in a desperate move—perhaps take disciples hostage and cause a crisis.

So despite his special status and generous treatment, Huo Yuhao remained confined to the stone hall, only venturing to the training grounds under elder supervision.

In the face of Du Busi's praise, Huo Yuhao responded with a faint smile. He stared at Du Busi with an unreadable expression.

"Brother Hao, what now?" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm asked in Huo Yuhao's mind.

"Tianmeng, the time's about right. The weather's starting to cool down~"

Night had fallen.

Inside the stone hall, Huo Yuhao stood by the window, gazing at the bright moon hanging high in the sky.

Tonight was the full moon, and the brightest one of the month. The moonlight poured down, illuminating the entire Body Sect, as if cloaking the world in a layer of silvery gauze, separating it from the mundane world.

There was no noise in the night. The Body Sect was exceptionally quiet, adding to its air of mystery. Only the scattered glow from stone chambers and the chirping of insects in the woods added a hint of worldly atmosphere.

"The moonlight is so beautiful," Huo Yuhao murmured softly.

"Huh?"

On the table behind him, the spiritual form of the Skydream Iceworm, who had been licking the lamp oil, dumbly lifted his head and looked at Huo Yuhao.

"The moonlight's lovely tonight. It's a good night for harvesting. Brother Tianmeng, it's time to go," Huo Yuhao turned and walked out of the stone hall.

"Wait for me, Brother Hao!" the Skydream Iceworm called out anxiously, quickly blowing out the oil lamp. He'd save the rest of the lamp oil for later.

As the faction most opposed to soul tools, the Body Sect used virtually no soul tools except for storage types. Any soul tool that didn't aid in cultivation simply had no place here. They believed such tools could lead disciples astray.

Naturally, this included illumination tools.

So, the sect still used primitive oil lamps. However, their lamp oil was no ordinary substance—it was a special oil extracted from thousand-year soul beasts. It not only provided light but also emitted a pleasant fragrance when burned, calming the mind and assisting cultivation.

The Skydream Iceworm even discovered that the scent of the burning oil had a positive effect on his spiritual form. While it didn't make him stronger, it tasted amazing—making lamp oil licking his favorite pastime.

Other soul beasts like Turtle, Ah Hui, Tyrannosaurus, and Ah Tai could also taste the delicious oil, but they weren't as gluttonous or indulgent as the Skydream Iceworm. Having enjoyed many luxuries before, they weren't impressed by mere lamp oil.

And the entire Body Sect used this kind of oil. The elders used even better-quality oil, of course. Huo Yuhao's lamp oil was of the highest grade.

Even the oil burned nightly by regular disciples was worth hundreds of gold soul coins, and that's for continuous long-term supply.

It gave off a "Hagrid's unicorn-hair pillow" kind of vibe—something rare and precious in the outside world was just everyday fare here.

Humming a little tune with his hands behind his back, Huo Yuhao left his stone hall and headed to the adjacent side hall on the left. One of the two Soul Douluo assigned to guard him lived here. The other stayed in the right side hall—perfect symmetry.

However, tonight, unlike usual, the Soul Douluo did not appear the moment Huo Yuhao made a sound.

Instead, the side hall was completely silent.

Huo Yuhao gently pushed open the stone door, which creaked loudly—but even that didn't wake the Soul Douluo inside.

Moonlight spilled into the side hall, revealing the scene within. The room was sparsely furnished, without even a bed—just a carpet laid on the ground. The Soul Douluo sat cross-legged on the carpet, head bowed. If his chest weren't still rising and falling, one might've thought he had died. It was clear he had been cultivating before falling asleep from exhaustion.

This Soul Douluo had diligently attended to Huo Yuhao for the past week and had worn himself out to the point of falling asleep while sitting. Naturally, Huo Yuhao couldn't let him suffer. He laid him down flat and summoned his Embodiment of the Body to give him a Thai-style massage.

The Embodiment entered the Soul Douluo's body, rapidly assimilating and taking control of his martial soul—just like it had done with Vina's brain martial soul. After assimilating the man's fat-type martial soul, the corresponding parts of the Embodiment began to light up. Its aura also grew stronger.

The two Soul Douluo assigned to guard Huo Yuhao—one fat and one thin—had martial souls of fat and muscle and bone, both part of the Body Martial Soul category.

Looking at the round, ball-like fat Soul Douluo, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but muse: "Does the Embodiment even have fat?"

Whether or not it had fat before, after assimilating the fat martial soul, the Embodiment's body glowed more with golden light, and it appeared slightly bulkier.

"Seems it accepted the fat martial soul as part of its own structure."

Only then did Huo Yuhao leave for the right-side hall, where he gave the thin Soul Douluo a Thai massage and assimilated his muscle and bone martial soul.

This martial soul included both ligaments and bones. After assimilation, the Embodiment once again grew slightly in size. The golden glow within intensified, and faint projections of bones and ligaments began to appear inside its body.

Neither of the Soul Douluo woke during the process, allowing Huo Yuhao to act as he pleased.

Naturally, that was because he had already poisoned them!

Over the past week, Huo Yuhao had not been idle. He had quietly spread his poison throughout the Body Sect. The toxin had remained dormant until he activated it tonight.

The poison wasn't lethal—it merely caused deep sleep from which one could not awaken easily.

After all, Huo Yuhao had plans. He wanted to try taking control of the Body Sect members. On one hand, once their martial souls were assimilated by the Embodiment, they'd fall under his influence. On the other hand, outside of the Title Douluo, most of the sect members weren't worth "consuming."

Those under his control, however, could still be useful—either as external puppets or tools. He even considered using them as part of his future base once he ascended to his own divine realm.

Soul masters below Title Douluo level who were poisoned couldn't even sense they were affected, much less wake up on their own.

As for the Title Douluo, Huo Yuhao left them untouched—for they might detect the toxin. Some, like the Poison Immune, were especially sensitive to poisons.

Under the moonlight, Huo Yuhao descended his mountain peak. His steps looked relaxed, like he was just out for a stroll, yet every stride seemed to blink him forward like a ghost, covering dozens of meters at a time. Soon he reached the foot of the mountain, and then the residential area for ordinary disciples.

The disciples were also fast asleep—having been poisoned like the others. As for how Huo Yuhao managed to poison so many people without anyone noticing? It was actually quite simple.

What did the mountain have the most of?

Not humans, not even soul beasts—but insects!

"Insect control technique, my boy~"

"As the future leader of the Body Sect, let me check in on these disciples. I'm coming in, jejeje~"

Huo Yuhao quietly opened the stone door of a disciple's room, tiptoeing inside. Whether or not the occupant was aware, the mood was set—he had to put on a little breaking-and-entering show. It would be rude not to.

As he visited room after room, the martial souls of the Body Sect disciples were assimilated by the Embodiment one by one. Huo Yuhao also got to witness the dazzling diversity of Body Martial Souls.

These martial souls typically represented specific parts of the body—hands, feet, eyes, ears, internal organs, skeleton, muscles, blood, and so on. They were the most common type in the sect.

When the Embodiment assimilated these types of martial souls, the corresponding body parts would glow brighter, appearing as if actual body tissues had formed. If it assimilated the same type multiple times, that part would become stronger.

Beyond conventional corporeal martial souls, Huo Yuhao discovered—through assimilating many with his Avatar of the Body—that within the martial soul of the body, there existed a particularly rare and even more exceptional type.

Huo Yuhao gave it a name: Anomalous Corporeal Martial Souls!

 In simple terms, these are unusual or extraordinary organs of the human body, or even organs that regular people do not possess at all. Possessors of these anomalous corporeal martial souls tend to be inherently different from ordinary individuals.

Moreover, such martial souls often hold far greater potential and promise much higher achievements in the future.

 They are akin to the naturally anomalous prodigies among cultivators—hence the term "anomalous." However, unlike naturally manifested anomalies, the body sect members' anomalies must be developed and are not innate.

As such, the Body Sect had not yet realized the existence of these Anomalous Corporeal Martial Souls. It was only after Huo Yuhao assimilated a large number of martial souls with his Avatar of the Body that he managed to uncover these special cases.

Without thorough research, they're incredibly difficult to detect. Until their peculiarities fully awaken, these anomalous martial souls are indistinguishable on the surface from ordinary corporeal martial souls. Only deep probing reveals their differences.

Within the entire Body Sect—excluding Du Busi and the other elders—Huo Yuhao found only three individuals with anomalous corporeal martial souls.

And even those three soul masters themselves were unaware that their martial souls differed from their peers.

In the past, Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes were considered a normal corporeal martial soul—just connected to the brain, hence possessing spiritual attributes. Only after advancing to the Evil Eye did it become an anomalous martial soul.

What made these martial souls unique wasn't an elemental attribute or basic ability, but their special traits—one could even call them inherent abilities.

Inside Long Aotian's room.

Huo Yuhao sat beside the bed, examining Long Aotian's skin. Though it seemed a bit perverse, he was in fact conducting a serious study.

That's right—Long Aotian was one of the three known owners of an Anomalous Corporeal Martial Soul. His martial soul appeared to be just his skin, but in reality, this skin was anything but ordinary.

It was an excellent material for forging!

 Cough cough.

 Getting off-track.

Huo Yuhao could feel that Long Aotian's skin not only had far superior toughness and defense than that of ordinary people, but more importantly, it could absorb the ambient elemental energy, and did so far more efficiently!

Its primary trait was its supportive enhancement of cultivation—an ability that standard corporeal martial souls shouldn't possess.

In the end, Huo Yuhao chose not to remove Long Aotian's clothing, as the martial soul had not yet developed to the point of full awakening.

Harvesting it now would mean Huo Yuhao would need to nurture it himself, potentially harming both the quality and potential of the martial soul.

For the same reason, the other two young anomalous martial soul owners were also left untouched.

One had an unusual heart, and the other had an unusual kidney.

While contemplating ways to develop these anomalous martial souls, Huo Yuhao suddenly thought of the Second Awakening of corporeal martial souls. He had recently assimilated several soul masters who had undergone such awakenings, like the duo known as Fat and Thin Soul Douluo.

He found that a Second Awakening was essentially a way for a soul master to stimulate their potential and begin walking the path of body cultivation. However, the method was quite crude.

It was entirely based on forcing the body into desperate situations, triggering latent potential under extreme stress.

Succeed or die trying.

 It wasn't a slow, mindful cultivation—it was brutal and extreme, the method favored by dark cultivators.

Still, this crude approach was undeniably effective in triggering potential quickly. The downside, however, was a high risk of death or permanent injury, and even if they survived, there was often loss of future potential or lifespan.

After all, anyone brought to the brink of death once will always carry some lingering issues. And if the first time fails, and the person has to endure a second or third attempt, the risks multiply drastically.

Since everyone's potential and martial soul quality varies, different levels of Second Awakening also emerged.

Black Iron Awakening: Considered average.

Silver Awakening: Indicates immense potential. Suitable for body cultivators, or those with high-quality martial souls.

Golden Awakening: Achieved when breaking through to Title Douluo, it's essentially a Third Awakening beyond the Silver one.

It would be more accurate to call it the Golden Third Awakening.

In Huo Yuhao's opinion, perhaps only those with anomalous corporeal martial souls could achieve this level. Saying the Golden Third Awakening is the full awakening of the anomalous martial soul's traits wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Unfortunately, there were no precedents to study.

Even with three young disciples possessing these special martial souls, only Long Aotian had the potential to reach that height.

After achieving the Silver Awakening, if one lacked sufficient resources to support the body's consumption, advancing further to awaken the anomalous traits could be impossible.

At present, within the Body Sect, only one person had attained the Golden Second Awakening—Du Busi!

His martial soul was his body itself. Given his toxic attribute, Huo Yuhao had reason to suspect Du Busi possessed a rare, postnatal toxin-type spiritual body. Only a detailed examination could confirm this.

After tucking in Long Aotian, Huo Yuhao quietly left the room, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Then, he looked toward a figure standing in the center of Long Aotian's courtyard and smiled.

"Master Sect Leader, out for a stroll? The moonlight's lovely tonight."

Indeed, another figure had appeared in the courtyard—it was none other than the Body Sect Master himself: Du Busi!

Bathed in moonlight, hands clasped behind his back, Du Busi stared intently at Huo Yuhao. His expression unreadable, he emitted not a shred of aura—yet the atmosphere was heavy, like a predator hiding in the shadows.

He slowly said, "You don't seem surprised by my appearance."

"Well, that's not too surprising, is it?" Huo Yuhao replied cheerfully. "Sneaking around in your own territory—if I could hide from you, then maybe you shouldn't be sect master."

He chuckled, seemingly unaffected by Du Busi's imposing presence.

Indeed, Huo Yuhao had never expected to fully hide his actions from Du Busi. He hadn't even bothered concealing them. If anything, he found Du Busi's delayed appearance a bit unexpected.

"Silver tongue," Du Busi narrowed his eyes.

He had noticed something was off long ago and then picked up on Huo Yuhao's movements. But he hadn't acted right away, because he sensed the aura of a corporeal martial soul from Huo Yuhao—but couldn't discern what he was doing.

He had even checked every single person Huo Yuhao had interacted with—male or female—yet found nothing. Only one thing was certain: they had all been dosed with some kind of harmless sleeping poison.

But Huo Yuhao had done something to them.

"Huo Yuhao, I thought I had kidnapped you. But I realize now—I was wrong," Du Busi continued, his gaze sharp. "What is it you really want?"

"What I want?" Huo Yuhao smiled, tilting his head. "It's quite simple."

"I'd like Sect Master Du Busi to step down. I, Huo Yuhao, want to take over the entire Body Sect."

"Then let's see if you have what it takes," Du Busi replied calmly. "In my Body Sect, we don't judge by bloodline—we judge by strength!"

With that, the soul power of a Level 98 Title Douluo erupted without warning, pressing down on Huo Yuhao with full force.

In the past, Undying Poison only used his aura to pressure Huo Yuhao. But this time, he employed soul power suppression. The difference was clear: the former tested willpower, while the latter was brute-force suppression—raw power, not just a trial.

Yet, even in the face of a soul power pressure from a peak-level Rank 98 Douluo, Huo Yuhao remained unfazed. Even as the ground at his feet cracked under the overwhelming force, he didn't take a single step back. His knees didn't bend in the slightest. In fact, he even flashed a brilliant grin at Undying Poison.

"You were pretending before?!" Undying Poison's gaze darkened. It was all too clear to him now—Huo Yuhao had deliberately allowed himself to be captured so easily in the past.

Did that mean he had been made to look like a fool?

Huo Yuhao was far more cunning than he had imagined. His gentlemanly demeanor and kindness were all just an act. His true strength far exceeded what his soul power rank suggested.

Not only had their Body Sect been deceived, but so had Shrek Academy and the Heavenly Soul Empire!

They had all spent a week around Huo Yuhao, a group of titled Douluo, and none of them saw through him!

"I was just playing along with Senior. How could you take it seriously?" Huo Yuhao replied, feigning innocence like a scumbag trying to deflect blame.

Undying Poison's patience snapped completely. "You brat! Then let me show you what the strength of a peak Douluo really is! Once I capture you, I'll make sure to extract all your secrets!"

Boom!

 In the next instant, Undying Poison vanished from sight, reappearing right in front of Huo Yuhao in the blink of an eye, reaching for his collar.

Huo Yuhao reacted instantly, disappearing as well to dodge the attack. He then unleashed his soul power and swiftly darted toward the mountains in the distance.

Undying Poison gave a cold snort and chased after him.

He was now truly angry.

Originally, he hadn't intended to really fight Huo Yuhao. After all, Huo Yuhao hadn't harmed anyone. His actions were likely tied to his Body Martial Soul—a personal secret Undying Poison could respect.

He had only appeared today to seek an explanation and to test Huo Yuhao's attitude.

But Huo Yuhao wasn't even a Soul Sage, and yet dared to talk back to him so brazenly—defiant and arrogant, not putting him in his eyes at all.

He needed a lesson!

Otherwise, wouldn't this kid be soaring to the heavens in no time?

 He'd seen many arrogant geniuses before—a good beating usually set them straight.

As for Huo Yuhao's desire to become the Sect Master of the Body Sect, Undying Poison wasn't angry—actually, he was somewhat gratified. It showed that Huo Yuhao held the sect in his heart.

If he truly became Sect Master, even if he never returned to Shrek Academy, and didn't use their resources to grow the Body Sect, he could still lead them to glory.

Though, knowing Huo Yuhao's temperament, the sect disciples might suffer under his leadership...

But that was no big deal!

 As long as the sect prospered, even if he as the current master had to suffer, it'd be worth it.

As the two pursued and fled, they had already left the Body Sect's premises and entered the nearby mountain range.

Undying Poison could see that Huo Yuhao was luring him away from the sect grounds—perhaps into some kind of trap.

After all, if he could poison everyone below Titled Douluo level in the sect without anyone noticing, setting a trap outside wasn't far-fetched either.

Even Undying Poison had to admit—Huo Yuhao had skill.

Yet, he didn't worry. Instead, he followed at a steady pace.

Even if Huo Yuhao, with his special Martial Soul, had strength comparable to a Titled Douluo, he wasn't actually one. He wasn't even a Soul Sage. Even if his Martial Soul could suppress Undying Poison's, the overwhelming gap in raw power would still crush Huo Yuhao's chances.

In truth, Huo Yuhao merely didn't want to see tender seedlings in the "vegetable patch" perish too early.

Undying Poison knew how to pull his punches—but Huo Yuhao? He was prone to "accidents."

Soon, Huo Yuhao stopped in a more open patch of woodland.

Undying Poison followed closely, hands behind his back, exuding the calm confidence of a master. He hadn't gone all-out during the chase; instead, he was curious just how far Huo Yuhao could go. He scanned the area—but saw no clear signs of a trap.

"This is the battlefield you chose? Ha! You're underestimating a Titled Douluo," he sneered.

Undying Poison now seemed calm—but it was the deceptive calm before a storm.

Huo Yuhao kept smiling. "More open space makes it easier to move around."

"Big talk," Undying Poison muttered—and then, without warning, struck again.

Two yellow, two purple, two black, three red!

Nine soul rings burst forth, his aura flaring with newfound intensity. But he didn't activate any soul skills—instead, he raised his hand and struck.

Thousand Poison Palm!

 This was the Body Sect's battle style. They rarely used soul skills unless going for a killing blow. Their combat relied on technique.

When their Martial Soul and soul rings were activated, those techniques were greatly enhanced.

As Undying Poison launched his attack, Huo Yuhao didn't respond with his own strike. Instead, he stepped back. "Your opponent... isn't me!"

Golden light flared in his eyes. A golden silhouette separated from his body, taking his exact form—and met Undying Poison's attack with an identical palm strike.

This clone looked exactly like Huo Yuhao but glowed gold—more like a materialized Martial Soul.

"True Body Clone—Thousand Poison Palm!"

If Undying Poison could use the technique, so could Huo Yuhao. And the clone, derived from his Martial Soul's power, could replicate the skills Huo Yuhao had mastered.

After all, it was born from his True Body Martial Soul—how could it not share the same abilities?

The sudden appearance of the clone stunned Undying Poison. He recognized it—it was the same force Huo Yuhao had used to subdue the sect disciples.

He hadn't expected it to be something like a Martial Soul entity that could also fight using battle techniques.

Still, Undying Poison didn't back down. Instead, he surged forward to test the clone's power.

Boom!

 Their palms collided.

Both were knocked backward—but Undying Poison flew farther. The True Body Clone had the upper hand.

This time, Undying Poison was truly shocked. "What... is this thing?!"

"It's a treasure," Huo Yuhao grinned, pointing at his activated Evil Eye Martial Soul. It now displayed Ice and Fire Dual Pupils. "Sect Master, weren't you curious about my eyes' power? Beat my clone—and I'll tell you!"

"You arrogant little—!" Undying Poison almost laughed from sheer frustration.

Say you're strong, and you really show off?

"If I don't go all-out today, this kid's going to look down on me. He'll be even harder to control later!" he muttered inwardly. A green glow surged from his body as his aura climbed further, his robe flaring with energy.

The surging green light wasn't ordinary—it was a horrifying, purifying toxic radiance, ascending into visible light.

Everything touched by the green glow—rock, soil, whatever—was instantly corroded into nothing.

"Ten Thousand Poisons Return to the Sect!"

This was Undying Poison's true power.

"Sect Master, you never taught me this move. You're holding out on me~" Huo Yuhao joked.

He really hadn't learned it—clearly, this was a hidden trump card.

Undying Poison just grunted and attacked again, aiming for the clone. If he wanted to catch Huo Yuhao, he'd have to defeat this True Body Clone first.

And as Undying Poison revealed a trump card, the clone also erupted—its golden light growing even more dazzling.

It was—

"Sovereign's Might!"

Undying Poison punched out, his fist glowing bright green—enhanced by a powerful battle technique.

The clone met it with a punch of its own, infused with the power of Ultimate Ice, wrapped in the illusion of a centipede—Frost Centipede Fist!

Boom!

 The punches collided, sending out a wild shockwave.

They clashed midair—an even match.

No—the clone had the upper hand again. Undying Poison's green light couldn't overcome the Ultimate Ice. His fist was even frozen!

Worse yet, he felt suppressed on a Martial Soul level!

Although Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice couldn't truly harm Du Budie (Poison Immortal), it still forced him to get serious.

This made Du Budie realize that the "Body Incarnation" wasn't just some ordinary power—it could even suppress his own Martial Soul!

Du Budie's Martial Soul was his own body, which was among the most powerful in the domain of body-type Martial Souls. He had cultivated it to the extreme, completing the legendary Golden Triple Awakening.

He also wielded poison as an attribute. While not quite reaching Ultimate Poison, his toxins had evolved into Toxic Light, just a sliver beneath the ultimate level.

Despite this high tier, he still felt suppressed—leaving him both shocked and intrigued by the Body Incarnation. He guessed it had to be a power derived from Huo Yuhao's Eye-type Martial Soul.

"Could this be the special power granted by a god-level body-type Martial Soul?" Du Budie speculated internally.

There was no doubt anymore—Huo Yuhao's Ice and Fire Twin Eyes had already surpassed the realm of top-tier Martial Souls. That's why Du Budie and others concluded that it was a god-level body-type Martial Soul.

And since god-level Martial Souls were said to always be humanoid in form, Huo Yuhao summoning a humanoid figure resembling a Martial Soul didn't seem out of place.

This further confirmed the theory—Huo Yuhao possessed a god-level body-type Martial Soul.

However, Du Budie didn't retreat. Instead, his attacks grew even more ferocious. Since he wasn't targeting Huo Yuhao's true body, he could go all out without restraint.

He no longer underestimated the Body Incarnation. Not just because it suppressed his Martial Soul, but also because it could use combat techniques—including the terrifying Dominating the World.

How could Du Budie not recognize that technique?

Combined with the Incarnation's strength, Dominating the World could genuinely threaten him.

Still, he wasn't worried. "This incarnation is certainly powerful," he thought, "but it likely relies on the might of that god-level Martial Soul. It's just a trump card. But how long can this brat actually maintain it?"

Normally, the stronger the power one tries to control, the greater the cost and the shorter the duration.

Facing Du Budie's increasingly violent attacks, the Body Incarnation also unleashed its full firepower. While it couldn't use soul skills or soul bone powers, it could still wield nearly all of Huo Yuhao's other techniques.

It could even draw from the power of the Martial Soul—and release spiritual energy!

Its strength and capabilities were already on par with an Ultimate Douluo.

Yet Huo Yuhao wasn't letting the Incarnation fight at full strength. This was his first time using it in battle, its debut fight, so he wanted to truly comprehend its power through live combat.

After absorbing a massive amount of body-type Martial Soul energy earlier that night, the Incarnation had undergone a complete transformation.

With his Ice and Fire Twin Eyes activated—named Yin-Yang Eyes—Huo Yuhao observed the battle between Du Budie and his Incarnation. These eyes had many functions, one of which was the ability to call upon the power of other ocular abilities.

Thus, even though the Body Incarnation typically required the All-Methods Eye, he could now summon and control it through the Yin-Yang Eyes.

The Incarnation now appeared lifelike, like a golden version of Huo Yuhao—almost like a humanoid Martial Soul itself.

Controlling it in battle felt very different from when he used the Frost Centipede Martial Soul. It was like another version of himself fighting, and he could even receive combat experience feedback from it.

Could this be used for training?

Probably!

And as for the energy cost? What energy cost?

The Incarnation seemed to have its own "stamina bar" and "mana bar." Huo Yuhao didn't have to spend any soul power, spiritual power, or physical energy. Instead, he could directly sense the Incarnation's status and know when to recall it for recovery.

"It's very similar to an External Avatar, but not quite. Being called a 'Body Incarnation' really fits," Huo Yuhao thought silently.

Then he frowned slightly.

His frown wasn't due to the Incarnation—but due to his Ultimate Ice.

"The chill of Ultimate Ice still feels lacking. Without the Ice Empress and Snow Empress to supplement the attribute, it's time to bring them into the picture."

Even among ultimate attributes, there were differences in strength. But unless facing another ultimate attribute soul master, even a weaker Ultimate Ice remained nearly unbeatable.

"Since I'm already in the Heavenly Soul Empire, I should first make a stop at Earth Dragon Gate and absorb the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Ice Marrow and the Extreme Ice God Crystal to strengthen myself. Then I'll head into the Extreme North. I might even be able to get both the Ice Empress and Snow Empress in one go."

Given the close bond between the two empresses, touching the Ice Empress would surely provoke the Snow Empress. So he needed to be prepared to absorb both at once.

His physical constitution still needed strengthening!

Although absorbing other people's body-type Martial Souls had improved his physique a bit, it wasn't by much. Huo Yuhao already had an incredibly strong body to begin with, and those he absorbed weren't that powerful—not even a single Titled Douluo among them.

Currently, Huo Yuhao had no issue absorbing the Ice Empress's soul ring, but he still wasn't confident about the Snow Empress's.

Absorbing a soul ring depended on physical and spiritual strength—not soul power or cultivation level. That's why even Titled Douluo risked death when attempting to absorb a 100,000-year soul ring, and almost no ordinary soul master had ever successfully absorbed a soul ring from a fierce beast.

Just then, Huo Yuhao noticed several figures flying toward him from the direction of the Body Sect.

They were the other Titled Douluo elders—sensing Du Budie's explosive battle aura and rushing to investigate.

"Looks like I'll have to end this quickly," Huo Yuhao thought.

Fortunately, though the battle hadn't lasted long, he had already gotten a good grasp on the Body Incarnation's powers.

In the next instant, the Incarnation—locked in intense combat with Du Budie—suddenly shifted. The aura of Ultimate Ice faded, transforming into a new element—no, a terrifying one:

"Ultimate Poison!"

Du Budie shouted in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief. He had only ever known Huo Yuhao to possess Ultimate Ice. He never imagined this boy also wielded Ultimate Poison!

This brat still had something hidden up his sleeve?!

And now he was unleashing it!

A bad feeling surged in Du Budie's heart.

The moment the Incarnation activated its Ultimate Poison, the green glow on Du Budie's body dimmed. He finally experienced what true elemental domination felt like.

Just like how Heavenly Flames suppressed all other fire…

Ultimate attributes weren't quite as overpowering as Heavenly Flames, but within the same element, their suppression was absolute!

Du Budie's signature technique, Myriad Poisons Return to the Sect, wasn't just a powerful attack—it was a potent enhancement buff. But the moment his poison attribute was suppressed, the technique's effectiveness plummeted, and so did his boosted state.

The Incarnation slowly raised its hand, combining the power of the Frost Centipede Martial Soul with Ultimate Poison. Green chitinous armor formed over its arm—it was preparing a finishing move.

"Don't underestimate me!" Du Budie roared, unleashing his full strength and activating his soul ring abilities.

"Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul True Body!"

"Ninth Soul Skill—Nethergreen Falling Star!"

Du Budie activated his Martial Soul True Body, transforming into a five-meter-tall giant. Cloaked in emerald poison light, he shot into the sky and plummeted like a meteor.

This was his strongest single-target technique!

Yet even after all that, he still felt the oppressive force of both elemental and soul-based suppression.

Standing below, Huo Yuhao looked up calmly.

The Yin-Yang Eyes activated the power of the Strengthening Eye, boosting the Incarnation further.

Then the Incarnation slowly lifted its arm to meet the falling green meteor.

"Ultimate Poison – Demon-Suppressing Strike!"

BOOM—

The forest trembled. Birds scattered in all directions.

The elders who arrived late were pushed back by the shockwave.

And all they saw…

…was a meteor crashing down.

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