Looking at the pouch of gold soul coins in her hand, Artoria realized that if she hadn't been so aggressive and wary just now, perhaps both sides could have actually sat down and had a proper talk.
However, she didn't regret it. After all, the Holy Grail War was that brutal—no one could predict who was a foe and who was a friend, so maintaining vigilance was only right.
Besides, the other party had no intention of talking either, choosing to attack and then escape. Clearly, they were just as wary of her.
"So this is the Holy Grail War. The Sun Moon Empire changed the rules for this Soul Master Tournament and even specially invited our sect. Old Holy Dragon, do you think we should go?"
Nan Shuishui frowned slightly. In a sense, participating in the Soul Master Tournament was indeed a great opportunity.
After all, performing well in the tournament would greatly elevate the sect's reputation and be invaluable for its future development.
Of course, all this depended on the disciples achieving excellent results.
Nan Shuishui had confidence in the younger generation of Holy Dragon and Earth Dragon Sects. While they might not be the very top, they were certainly considered geniuses.
"We're going, of course!"
Holy Dragon Douluo's attitude was exceptionally firm.
In previous tournaments, only Soul Master Academies could participate, so sects like theirs never had a chance.
But this time, with the Sun Moon Empire reforming the event, it was an excellent opportunity for their sect, and he would not shy away from it.
"But you must realize, the Holy Grail War could also erupt in Mingdu. Aren't you worried about the disciples of Holy Dragon Sect getting caught up in it?"
Nan Shuishui was still hesitant.
Of course she wanted Earth Dragon Sect to join the tournament—not necessarily to win top honors, but even just making it to the top 32 would make their sect famous across the continent, unlike now, where only those in the Heavenly Soul Empire really know them.
Yet, the situation around the Holy Grail War was just too complex, and she had to be cautious.
After all, they'd already witnessed Artoria's immense power. Who knew how many other Servants like her were out there? It was far too dangerous.
Nan Shuishui actually didn't want Nan Qiuqiu to get involved. The position of Sea God was so exalted, not something their sect could truly aspire to.
Even if they somehow won the Holy Grail War and gained the inheritance, who could say if they could truly keep it? There'd be a huge question mark.
After all, no one knew if victory and inheriting a god's position would actually allow someone to become a god on the spot.
If not, then whoever gained the inheritance would simply become a target for countless ambitious soul masters.
Who doesn't want to become a god, to gain the endless life, power, and supreme status that comes with divine inheritance?
"Our Holy Dragon Sect doesn't have a Master. Those people's eyes probably won't be on us."
Holy Dragon Douluo laughed, then shot Nan Shuishui a look tinged with schadenfreude.
At first, he'd been quite envious that Earth Dragon Sect had a Master and could participate in the Holy Grail War.
But now, after seeing how dangerous it was, he thought it was better for Holy Dragon Sect not to get involved.
He was the only Super Douluo in the sect and simply didn't have the ability to compete for a divine inheritance.
"Old Holy Dragon, you…!" Nan Shuishui's face darkened. Holy Dragon Douluo's words had hit her sore spot.
"Xiao Nan, let me advise you: sometimes you have to know when to give up. For us, the sect's legacy is what matters most!"
Holy Dragon Douluo put away his smile, his expression turning serious.
After all, by seniority, he was Nan Shuishui's elder.
"Of course I know!" Nan Shuishui rolled her eyes. She wasn't blind to the situation and wouldn't let Artoria's power make her overconfident enough to enter a hopeless struggle.
But that was easier said than done. Could Holy Dragon Douluo really do it himself? From what she knew of him, he was a stubborn man.
Take Dragon City, for example. In his heart, its status was nearly equal to the sect's inheritance.
If he ever had to choose between Dragon City and the sect's legacy, she doubted he'd give it up easily.
"As long as you understand. We can't withstand too much turmoil. This Douluo Continent—I understand it less and less these days."
Holy Dragon Douluo shook his head, sighed, and then turned into a streak of lightning, vanishing.
"Qiuqiu, after the tournament ends, take some people to establish a Earth Dragon Sect branch in Haiyuan City."
Watching Holy Dragon Douluo leave, Nan Shuishui turned to Nan Qiuqiu.
She'd realized it was time to find a backup plan for Earth Dragon Sect, and Haiyuan City was clearly the best option.
"I understand, Mom!" Nan Qiuqiu answered as calmly as she could, but her heart was full of excitement.
Just thinking about seeing Lu Jingming in Haiyuan City made her impatient to go.
…
Deep in the Evil Demon Forest, in the underground headquarters of the Holy Spirit Cult, a bizarre and terrifying ritual was underway.
"Awooo!"
Hundreds of chilling wolf howls sliced through the silence of the sealed dungeon like blades.
On the cult's sacrificial plaza, hundreds of black-robed followers, after drinking the eerie blood-wine in their cups, began to roar in pain.
At first, these roars still had something of human screams, but as time passed and the blood moon overhead cast its light, their voices shifted into hair-raising wolf howls.
Under the invasion of some mysterious power from a higher bloodline, the human blood in these followers was being completely overwritten and devoured, leading to horrifying mutations.
Their muscles and meridians twisted and warped, skulls stretching and reshaping—pain that would destroy the will of any ordinary human.
Yet, the Holy Spirit Cult had no shortage of fanatic zealots willing to die for their beliefs.
In these turbulent times, those with obsessions, who pinned everything on faith, were the ones most likely to become extreme zealots.
Their will was both fragile and unyielding—unafraid of death or pain, but if their faith was shaken, it would be a pain far worse than death.
Five hundred carefully chosen fanatics bravely drank the mysterious blood, beginning their transformation away from humanity.
The cult leader Zhongli Wu stared expectantly and feverishly at the transforming followers below.
Above him, Ye Xishui and Long Xiao Yao also watched intently, occasionally glancing at the blood moon overhead that filled even them, as Title Douluo, with a strange urge to go mad.
Fortunately, as Title Douluo, their willpower was strong enough to resist.
The evil soul masters below Title Douluo, however, were all being driven mad, their eyes blood-red and hungry as they watched the transforming followers.
At the front, the Blood-Eyed Saint Son Huo Yuhao also drank his cup of blood without hesitation.
Unlike the others, his blood was thicker and more powerful.
As it flowed into him, Huo Yuhao felt it evaporate inside his body, his flesh screaming in agony, while his spirit underwent a rebirth.
The urge was so strong he couldn't help but throw back his head and unleash a deafening wolf howl, a terrifying pressure radiating out from him.
Weak evil soul masters collapsed to their knees, their minds seemingly compelled to worship him.
Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes martial soul and Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul were merged by this strange blood's immense power.
His soul rings, spirit, and flesh were all crushed and then reforged by this mysterious force.
Only the Gem of Herrscher of Sentience seemed unaffected, still emitting a faint glow.
As time passed, Huo Yuhao's eyes became vertical slits, glowing blood-red, and icy blue patterns crawled over his skin.
"Yuhao!" On the side, Xiao Wu—now called Xiao Mei—looked on in worry, having fully accepted him as her beloved.
"As my Master, if you can't even withstand this little blessing, you deserve to die. How could you ever become Alpha of this world's pack?"
A massive werewolf spoke, claws gleaming in the dim light, muscles bulging with power, thick gray fur betraying his inhuman nature.
This was Hoolay, the Borisin Warhead—Huo Yuhao's summoned Servant. The powerful blood came from him.
Even Huo Yuhao himself drank Hoolay's blood, eager to become a Borisin.
Because of his physical defects, drinking Hoolay's blood and becoming a werewolf would grant him immense regeneration, even immortality, enough to repair his body.
Becoming a Borisin had almost no downsides apart from losing one's humanity and the risk of going berserk—great regeneration, long life, and power, all deadly temptations for evil soul masters.
In pursuit of power, evil soul masters would stop at nothing. Why care about losing humanity? They'd already abandoned it.
So, upon learning the method of becoming Borisin, Zhongli Wu and Ye Xishui immediately selected 500 zealots and formed this force.
According to Hoolay, to become Borisin, one must endure immense pain from the change—ordinary people couldn't bear it. Even if successful, most would be cannon fodder, having lost their will and self.
To truly become Borisin, gain longevity, immortality, and great power, one must endure the pain—otherwise, one is unworthy.
If one already possessed the Blessing of Abundance like the Borisin, the transformation would be easier.
But in this world, that blessing didn't exist, so it was all down to willpower.
And the cult's zealots were nothing if not strong-willed.
As for Huo Yuhao, that was even more so.
He had endured unimaginable pain when fusing with the Ice Empress in the Far North.
Now, his will was unshakable, and he endured Hoolay's blood with sheer force of mind.
Hoolay didn't actually care much about Huo Yuhao, even if he was his Master.
But being able to spread the Borisin bloodline in a new world was something he was happy to do.
And Huo Yuhao's potential was good—Hoolay thought he could be made Warhead here, to lead the Borisin, and eventually spread the blessing across the universe.
Hoolay looked down at the worried Xiao Mei.
To him, she was an even better vessel than Huo Yuhao—her strength and life rank were far higher.
But her personality was a flaw, unsuitable to lead the Borisin.
Otherwise, she'd be the best choice, not Huo Yuhao.
Still, given their relationship, perhaps their child would be ideal.
If he weren't already dead and just a memory-form now, he'd personally lead the Borisin to rise in this world.
Now, he just wanted to train a worthy successor to bring the Borisin to glory again.
Of course, if the Holy Grail could resurrect him, that'd be different.
But Hoolay was no fool—he could see the hidden dangers behind the Holy Grail War.
He wouldn't pin all his hopes on the Grail, but would rely on his own strength to revive the Borisin's glory.
And now, this was the first step.
Thinking this, Hoolay threw back his head and howled, then slashed open his own chest with his claws, exposing his beating heart.
Blood poured out like a fountain, greatly accelerating Huo Yuhao and the others' transformation.
Seeing Hoolay's chest heal instantly, Zhongli Wu and the others became even more fervent.
Who was the Holy Emperor? They didn't know. To them, the God of Abundance was their only faith.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao's body sprouted silvery-white fur, fingers turning into claws, chilling frost enveloping him.
He shot up to over three meters tall, muscles knotted like ice boulders, silvery fur encrusted with fine ice crystals.
Sharp ice spikes grew from his shoulders and elbows, forming natural armor.
His head morphed into a wolf's, muzzle jutting out, fangs like icicles, ears upright and frosted.
His thick tail ended in icy spikes, whipping up freezing winds that seemed able to slice the air.
Huo Yuhao squeezed his claws together—a terrifying sonic boom sounded, just from the force of his body.
His blood-red eyes were calm and cold, without a trace of madness.
Amid the frost, the giant werewolf shrank back down to human size, revealing Huo Yuhao's true face.
With his strong mind, he quickly mastered his new power, able to switch between wolf and human forms at will.
"Excellent!"
Seeing this, Hoolay was satisfied.
A waste unable to control power could never be Warhead.
The next moment, a bloody claw slash flashed across Huo Yuhao's neck like lightning.
Zhongli Wu and the others leapt up in shock, faces stunned. Long Xiao Yao's expression darkened, fists clenched, and if not for Ye Xishui stopping him, he would have struck at once.
"Yuhao!"
Xiao Mei shrieked, her gaze full of hatred as she looked at Hoolay, divine power radiating from her.
"Xiao Mei, I'm fine!"
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao's decapitated head spoke, and his body bent down, picked up the head, and set it back on his neck.
The wound healed instantly, and Huo Yuhao twisted his neck, bones crackling.
"Gulp!"
Seeing this, the evil soul masters couldn't help but swallow, their eyes growing even more fanatical.
"Very good! You have completely accepted the blessing!"
Hoolay grinned savagely. The blood Huo Yuhao drank was from his heart—far more potent than what the others received.
The other followers would also become werewolves and gain some immortality, but nothing compared to Huo Yuhao.
"I can feel it—the Spirit Eyes and Ice Jade Scorpion powers are fully merged with me now."
Huo Yuhao smiled, and chilling frost instantly froze the spilled blood, then it turned to ash and vanished.
"It's a wonderful feeling, like a rebirth. So this is the body of a Borisin?"
Huo Yuhao calmly analyzed his new state. His old injuries were healed, and he was a complete man again.
He looked at the delighted Xiao Mei, his heart stirring.
Xiao Mei's beauty was undeniable, and her gentle, motherly aura had always deeply attracted Huo Yuhao, who lost his mother young.
Even though he was cold and ruthless, he was gradually drawn to her.
Before, he'd been powerless to act, but now he had both health and strength.
That was one reason he risked drinking Hoolay's heart-blood—not only for power and immortality, but also to become a true man, able to be with Xiao Mei.