T.n; Happy new year, Here's a chapter for New Year
The first-tier god-level power radiating from the Corpse God triggered the contingency Tang San had left behind.
At the same time, the power just released by the martial soul fusion technique also caught Tang San's attention. He proactively descended, wanting to see what exactly was going on.
And then he saw Tang Wutong, Jin Qiuer, and Huo Yuhao fused together—and standing opposite them, the Corpse God, emitting first-tier god-level power, its aura incomparably cold and evil.
This—this—this… was simply too perfect!
The opportunity had arrived!
Tang San did not immediately make a move. Instead, he first used his divine power to connect Huo Yuhao, Jin Qiuer, and Tang Wutong.
He intended to bind the fortunes of the three together using divine power.
As long as this succeeded, no matter what happened afterward, his scheme would be secure.
However, at that very moment, the Corpse God struck.
With a ghost riding a zombie body, even the King of Hell would shudder.
Now Eunuch Gao had stimulated his own power and merged it with the Corpse God's strength, erupting with first-tier god-level power.
Moreover, Eunuch Gao had also invoked one of the Corpse God's forbidden abilities—
The second martial soul: World-Ending Swan!
The World-Ending Swan was an ultimate death-attribute, vengeful-spirit-type martial soul, possessing an extremely special instant-death ability. As long as it struck the target, the target would die instantly—but the user would also pay a tremendous price.
If not for the fact that the Corpse God had long since been dead, it too would have been affected by the instant-death effect and perished alongside the target.
Simply put: since it was already dead, it was immune to death.
The Corpse God and the Blood Slaughter Orb transformed into pitch-black light, becoming a jet-black swan.
This swan had sleek feathers, elegant movements, and an air of noble grace.
Yet the deathly aura it emitted was enough to make even gods feel their scalps go numb.
Even Huo Yuhao couldn't help but exclaim, "Tsk—ninety-nine percent complete, a rare treasure~"
To be honest, Huo Yuhao's own understanding of the power of death had been learned precisely by studying the Corpse God's World-Ending Swan.
The death attribute possessed by the World-Ending Swan was extraordinarily powerful and unique. It had been born by pure chance during the process of transforming into a zombie—so much so that even the Corpse God itself could not perfectly control this power.
With an elegant posture, seemingly slow yet in truth incredibly fast, the World-Ending Swan flew toward the martial soul fusion technique.
Wherever it passed, light itself seemed to be killed, and the world plunged into pitch-black nothingness.
The world seemed to be marching toward death!
The void-like darkness gradually filled the vision of Huo Yuhao, Jin Qiuer, and Tang Wutong. All three felt an intense certainty—
When the darkness completely devoured the light, they would fall into death.
And yet, they had no way to escape this death that clung to them like a shadow.
The Grim Reaper had come to collect lives!
Tang San panicked.
"How can it possess such power? A mere zombie—what right does it have to wield this kind of power?!"
This fragment of his divine consciousness could be destroyed—but Tang Wutong, Jin Qiuer, and Huo Yuhao absolutely could not die!
If they died, all of Tang San's schemes would become nothing but wasted effort, and all his earlier investments would go down the drain.
The sunk cost was far too great!
At the critical moment, Tang San keenly sensed the disharmony in the World-Ending Swan.
"That Corpse God cannot perfectly control this power!"
"There's a chance!"
Tang San made a decisive move. He fully activated the hidden power within Tang Wutong, extracted the power belonging to himself from Jin Qiuer's body, and after hesitating for a moment, also drew back the Shura God's power and the Sea God's power he had once given to Huo Yuhao.
Finally, he absorbed all the power of the martial soul fusion technique.
The fusion technique dissolved—
The Sea God descends!
Huo Yuhao did not stop him. He also wanted to see what Tang San intended to do. Besides, it was just a bit of divine power—he no longer cared.
He had long since researched countermeasures against divine power!
Shura divine power and Sea God divine power fused together, forming a crimson trident imbued with both Shura and Sea God power.
Tang San's mighty voice resounded in the minds of Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong, and Jin Qiuer.
"Evil god—how dare you run rampant?"
"Break!"
The crimson trident shot forth, colliding with the World-Ending Swan. As expected, the trident was gradually swallowed by the Swan's deathly power.
But when half of the crimson trident had been consumed, it suddenly exploded with a bang, transforming into countless sword lights that pierced into the World-Ending Swan's body.
The World-Ending Swan let out a mournful cry, its body riddled with crimson sword shadows.
These sword shadows were not meant to contend with the Swan's power directly, but to stab into the flaw where the Corpse God and Eunuch Gao could not perfectly control the World-Ending Swan—causing its power to fail.
Tang San's maneuver succeeded.
Amid shrill screams, the World-Ending Swan gradually dissipated, once again revealing the Corpse God's form. Even Eunuch Gao's ghost could no longer perfectly merge with it.
Only then did Tang San see the truth.
"So there was another little ghost fused inside the zombie!"
"Two third-tier god-level evil entities merging together—no wonder such a bizarre existence was born. Truly evil to the extreme!"
"If they are allowed to roam freely, the continent will be doomed."
"They already deserve death!"
"Alas…"
Tang San wanted to eliminate the Corpse God and Eunuch Gao, but he no longer had the power to continue attacking.
Fortunately, the Corpse God and Eunuch Gao were also gravely injured.
Although the power of the World-Ending Swan could not directly kill the Corpse God, it caused the vitality originally present within it to rapidly diminish.
The Corpse God, which had begun to resemble a living being, now became shriveled and stiff once more.
For zombies, further growth meant death transforming into life—when extremes reverse.
In other words, what was lost now was not only the vitality within the Corpse God, but also its own cultivation.
Eunuch Gao directly dragged the Corpse God's body and fled.
He also recalled the Blood Slaughter Vengeful Souls, ordering the remaining zombies to hold the rear.
Seeing the Corpse God and Eunuch Gao escape, Tang San snorted coldly. It seemed as though he had spared them—but in reality, Tang San himself had lost the ability to fight.
If the battle continued, Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong, and Jin Qiuer would inevitably face the risk of death.
After the Corpse God and Eunuch Gao completely escaped—
Tang San's fading projection finally turned and looked at Tang Wutong.
At this moment, the Sea God's figure was continuously collapsing due to power depletion.
Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong, and Jin Qiuer were all escorted down to the ground by Tang San.
Watching Tang San dissipate, Tang Wutong couldn't help but burst into tears. Jin Qiuer also began crying uncontrollably—she couldn't restrain herself.
Only Huo Yuhao still looked perfectly normal.
Tang San gazed at Tang Wutong with a gentle expression.
"Wutong, my daughter, you already have excellent companions. I am proud of you."
"I will bless you from above, and look forward to your growth!"
"Huo Yuhao, I leave my daughter in your hands. I hope you can protect her well."
As for Jin Qiuer… a mere tool beast—Tang San said not a single word.
Then he dissipated completely.
"Dad!"
Tang Wutong cried out sorrowfully, reaching toward the dispersing points of light, unable to hold on to the departing Tang San.
Jin Qiuer sobbed quietly.
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao said, "By the way… the Sea God isn't actually dead, right? Why are you crying so hard?"
"..."
Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer instantly couldn't cry anymore.
Tang Wutong angrily stomped on Huo Yuhao's foot and scolded, "I hate you the most!"
Then she blushed deeply and ran off to the side.
Jin Qiuer also snorted coldly, stomped on Huo Yuhao's foot as well, and followed after her—either to comfort Tang Wutong, or perhaps to seek comfort from her herself.
With the departure of the Corpse God and Eunuch Gao, the remaining zombie legion could no longer be considered a major threat. As long as those left behind proceeded steadily and cautiously, they were fully capable of fighting their way out of the zombie horde unharmed.
After all, the zombie legion that had arrived was merely the vanguard, not the main force.
On the contrary, the Sun Moon Empire's army had vanished from the battlefield at some unknown point—clearly retreating as soon as they sensed the situation turning unfavorable.
This time, the Douling Empire could be said to have suffered another devastating blow.
If not for the presence of several remaining powerhouses, and the fact that Empress Xue Hui was still alive, the nation might very well have been wiped out.
Even though the country was not destroyed, the Douling Empire had essentially lost almost all of its foundations.
Lingdou City was no longer a place they could stay.
Empress Xue Hui chose to lead her people toward the Star Luo Empire. On one hand, this was to support Star Luo; on the other, it was to prepare for the final decisive battle with the Sun Moon Empire.
From this point on, the Douling Empire would essentially be bidding farewell to future battles—at most, it could contribute one last bit of strength for Douluo Continent in the ultimate showdown.
Empress Xue Hui had already sent out messages, recalling the armies and soul masters stationed outside, ordering them to consolidate along the border near the Star Luo Empire.
After bidding farewell to everyone of the Douling Empire, Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong, Jin Qiuer, and Zhang Lexuan returned to Shrek Academy with complicated emotions.
"Just a single Corpse God was already this terrifying. When we face the seven gods of the Sun Moon Empire in the future, do we really have the ability to defeat them?" Jin Qiuer frowned, unable to hide the heaviness in her expression.
"We can!" Tang Wutong said firmly, her eyes burning with resolve. "As long as we unite, we will definitely defeat them!"
However, Tang Wutong's encouragement failed to have the desired effect. Jin Qiuer still held doubts.
Huo Yuhao said nothing and offered no comment.
For Huo Yuhao, the outcome of this great war was entirely decided by him.
Whoever he wanted to win, would win.
What Huo Yuhao truly cared about was the confrontation with Tang San that would come afterward.
In this battle, certain things within Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer had already been cleared away, allowing Huo Yuhao to finally act against them without concern.
The power within Jin Qiuer that belonged to Tang San had been completely purged.
As for Tang Wutong, although a trace of Tang San's divine consciousness still remained within her, it had been heavily depleted and would need time to recover. In the short term, it would be unable to interfere with Tang Wutong.
That fragment of divine consciousness was much like Tang Wutong's third martial soul in the original work—only able to function at critical moments, briefly elevating her strength.
It was basically impossible for Tang San to descend in consciousness again.
At this moment, within the spiritual worlds of both women, there was a deeply hidden golden little centipede wriggling.
It had not triggered any reaction from Tang San at all.
Thus, Huo Yuhao made a clear judgment.
As for when that golden centipede had been implanted—one could only say it had been done casually, in passing.
Of course, Tang San had not done absolutely nothing in the end.
Tang San had linked the fortunes of Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer together, and then attached Tang Wutong's fortune onto Huo Yuhao's fortune.
Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer already shared a special connection, their fortunes closely intertwined, so linking them together was extremely easy.
As for Huo Yuhao—setting aside the sheer density of his current fortune, the fortune of a Chosen One alone was not something others could easily meddle with.
Thus, Tang San used a clever workaround, treating Tang Wutong's fortune like a pendant and hanging it onto Huo Yuhao.
In the short term, Tang Wutong would become an aid to Huo Yuhao.
But over time, once Huo Yuhao accepted Tang Wutong, his fortune would begin to support hers, carrying Tang Wutong to even greater luck, and might even share his own fortune with her.
At that point, Tang San would be able to interfere with Huo Yuhao's fortune once again through Tang Wutong—and it would be far easier.
Unfortunately for Tang San, what he never anticipated was that Huo Yuhao not only understood fortune well, but could even actively utilize methods related to it.
"Since you've taken the initiative to deliver Tang Wutong's fortune to my doorstep, then I won't stand on ceremony."
Huo Yuhao's fortune began to actively envelop Tang Wutong's fortune.
With the support of Huo Yuhao's fortune, Tang Wutong's fortune gradually grew stronger. However, the price was that it slowly became branded with Huo Yuhao's mark.
To grasp a person's fortune was to grasp that person's destiny.
This was an insight Huo Yuhao had gained during his comprehension of the laws of fate.
Night fell.
The group camped outdoors, staying in tents.
While Huo Yuhao was standing guard, a figure appeared behind him—it was Zhang Lexuan.
"Lexuan, is something wrong?" Huo Yuhao turned his head and asked with a smile.
Zhang Lexuan looked at him, her emotions complicated.
The youth who once called her "Senior Sister" had now grown into a towering tree she could rely on—and had also become her man.
Zhang Lexuan slowly spoke, "Yuhao, I want to talk to you about the Bright King of the White Lotus Cult. Do you think the Bright King they worship truly exists?"
Huo Yuhao's expression turned serious. "Lexuan, this matter is no small thing… If the Bright King truly exists, then in the future, we may gain yet another formidable enemy."
After a moment of silence, Zhang Lexuan replied, "Perhaps… it wouldn't necessarily become an enemy."
What had happened that day had deeply shaken her. She suddenly wanted to accept that vague, unseen power.
If only so that when such a crisis arose again in the future, she would not be left powerless, able only to watch because of her own weakness.
If the Corpse God's attack had been focused on her, she might have already fallen in today's battle.
The two then began discussing matters related to the Bright King.
What Zhang Lexuan did not know was that—
At a mountain hollow some distance away from them, a group of White Lotus Cult believers clad in cult robes were conducting a special ritual.
Numerous believers stood in a circle, surrounding a totem pillar at the center. The pillar radiated pure white light of faith, as if it were establishing a connection with some existence.
The White Lotus Cult of today had already passed beyond its early phase of bloody expansion. The ritual sacrifices were no longer based on blood and souls.
Instead, they had returned to the purest form of faith.
This ritual consisted of believers praying together, offering up their faith, thereby stimulating the faith power sealed within the totem pillar.
After joining forces with the Sun Moon Empire, the White Lotus Cult's believers had been dispersed throughout the empire, responsible for spreading the faith.
Because of this alliance, the White Lotus Cult could no longer cultivate followers as freely as before, instead making compromises in many areas for the empire's development.
Although this reduced the number of fanatics within the cult, it caused the number of ordinary believers to grow exponentially.
In today's Sun Moon Empire, from high-ranking officials and Titled Douluo down to common civilians and even criminals and prisoners, nearly everyone held some degree of faith in the White Lotus Cult—making them the largest group of casual believers.
Naturally, the White Lotus Cult's smooth development was also due to the Sun Moon Empire's support, as well as Xu Tiancheng's backing.
Even though the faith provided by casual believers was extremely faint, when the faith of the entire empire was combined, the total amount was still astonishing.
All of this faith was uniformly sealed within the totem pillars.
Nine pillars in total.
These nine totem pillars had become irreplaceable "sacred relics" of the White Lotus Cult.
The one in the mountain hollow at this moment was one of them.
The totem pillars were not forged merely to collect faith. Their other function was—
To summon the descent of the Bright King's divine throne!
Amid the believers' calls, the totem pillar blossomed with pure white radiance. A figure impossible to clearly discern walked out from the void, descending upon Douluo Continent.
The surrounding believers continued to pray devoutly.
Inside the tent, the resting Tang Wutong suddenly opened her eyes and looked sharply in a certain direction.
In the next second, she grabbed the still-sleeping Jin Qiu'er in her arms and rushed out of the tent, shouting a warning at the same time.
"Be careful! There's a fluctuation of power from a god-level expert!"
Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan, who had been discussing something, instantly stopped talking. They sprang to their feet at the same time, assuming defensive stances.
Jin Qiu'er also woke up as Tang Wutong dashed out of the tent.
She calmly released the arm that had been holding Tang Wutong, summoned the Golden Dragon Spear, though her earlobes were faintly red.
Their current condition was far from ideal. Even with Huo Yuhao using the power of the Golden Ancient Tree to help the girls recover, the exhaustion and consumption Tang Wutong had suffered were not something that could be quickly restored.
"Could it be the Corpse God chasing us here?" Jin Qiu'er asked tensely, her face taut with anxiety.
Tang Wutong shook her head. "Not the Corpse God. But… it's also not a god I'm familiar with."
"Our state isn't suitable for fighting a god-level existence. My suggestion is to retreat," Huo Yuhao proposed.
"It's too late." Tang Wutong shook her head again, her eyes locked firmly on the distance. "The opponent is extremely fast… he's here!"
In the distant night sky, a streak of white light was rapidly approaching, clearly visible to the naked eye.
The moment Zhang Lexuan saw that white light, her face turned deathly pale. A strange resonance arose in her heart.
"That is… the Bright King! He's here! He's come for me!"
Zhang Lexuan screamed in a trembling voice. Her body went limp, all strength leaving her.
Huo Yuhao quickly caught the unsteady Zhang Lexuan and supported her.
Faced with the Bright King's divine seat, Zhang Lexuan—who had once received the power of the Bright King—was like a subordinate. She simply had no ability to confront the Bright King's divine seat head-on, even if it was only an unoccupied divine seat rather than a true god.
Huo Yuhao was the first rightful heir to the Bright King's divine seat.
Without Huo Yuhao's permission, Zhang Lexuan could only ever be a follower of the Bright King.
"Bright King? What is that?" Tang Wutong asked, confused.
"It's the god worshipped by the White Lotus Sect of the Sun Moon Empire. Based on our deductions, it's very likely an evil god. And Lexuan once absorbed the power of the Bright King," Huo Yuhao explained briefly.
"An evil god? I don't care what it is—eat my spear first!"
Jin Qiu'er flew into a rage, believing the Bright King was targeting Zhang Lexuan. She raised the Golden Dragon Spear and assumed a throwing stance.
The next instant, the Golden Dragon Spear shot out of her hand, flying straight toward the approaching white light.
But the white light made a nimble flip in midair, narrowly dodging the spear.
The corners of Jin Qiu'er's lips curled upward. With a flick of her finger, the Golden Dragon Spear—already flying past—suddenly seemed to come alive. It made a sharp turn, doubled back, and chased after the white light from behind.
By now, Jin Qiu'er's control over the Golden Dragon Spear was extraordinarily refined.
Huo Yuhao could only sigh helplessly and manipulate the white light to dodge again. He absolutely could not allow the Golden Dragon Spear to stab the Bright King's divine seat.
The Bright King's divine seat had not yet been inherited and existed only as an energy form, while the Golden Dragon Spear could devour all kinds of power.
If it were pierced even once, the current Bright King divine seat would be treated like a little snack and eaten clean.
Watching the white light and golden light chase each other through the sky, Tang Wutong noticed something wrong.
"That white light… it doesn't seem to be the god's true body. It looks more like a divine seat inheritance?!"
Her face was filled with disbelief.
She rubbed her eyes, patted her cheeks, and finally pinched Jin Qiu'er's butt. Jin Qiu'er yelped in pain, nearly losing control of the Golden Dragon Spear.
"Hey! What are you doing~" Jin Qiu'er complained.
"No, I'm just making sure I'm not still asleep," Tang Wutong said excitedly. Pointing at the white light, she shouted, "That's a divine seat inheritance—a wild divine seat inheritance!"
"Uh… this…"
Huo Yuhao frowned slightly and advanced the process. Looking at Zhang Lexuan in his arms, he said,
"That divine seat should be coming for Lexuan. But Lexuan, are you willing to accept the Bright King's divine seat inheritance?"
"Why not accept it? That's a divine seat!" Jin Qiu'er was the first to speak up instead.
Tang Wutong frowned. "The White Lotus Sect is an evil cult of the Sun Moon Empire, founded personally by Xu Tiancheng. If there really is a Bright King divine seat inheritance, why wouldn't it be passed to someone from the Sun Moon Empire instead of Sister Lexuan?"
"There's probably some kind of trap here."
"And since it's an evil cult and suspected to be an evil god, accepting that divine seat could bring misfortune."
"Even a normal divine seat inheritance is extremely difficult—let alone one from an evil god!"
Huo Yuhao: That's not true at all. What's inside the Bright King's divine seat inheritance—how could I not know? I arranged it myself!
Jin Qiu'er also reacted, frowning as she sensed something was off.
"Still, that divine seat inheritance doesn't look very impressive. It even seems afraid of my Golden Dragon Spear. If Lexuan doesn't like it, I'll just try smashing that inheritance to pieces with my spear."
Huo Yuhao glanced at Jin Qiu'er, then @'ed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion inside the Vast Sovereign Banner. "Don't you think she's smarter than you?"
Three-Eyed Golden Lion: "If you've got guts, come in here and spar with me! I'll send you flying!"
"Hehe~"
Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong, and Jin Qiu'er patiently waited for Zhang Lexuan's answer.
Zhang Lexuan gradually recovered from her initial panic. Though she still couldn't use her own power, she now fully understood the situation.
After a moment of silence, she made her decision.
She lifted her chin, gazed at the white light in midair, and said solemnly, "I want to accept the Bright King's divine seat!"
Tang Wutong grew anxious. "Sister Lexuan, are you sure?"
"I've made my decision. Qiu'er, please let that divine seat come over," Zhang Lexuan said seriously, speaking from the heart.
"In my current state, even with Yuhao's help, I still can't assist you in battles against gods."
"Only gods can fight gods. If I can obtain divine power, I'll be able to contribute to the academy and the continent."
"If there really is a problem with that divine seat inheritance, I also don't lack the courage to perish together with my enemy."
"I don't want a future where, when everyone faces a crisis, all I can say is that I can do nothing."
"I'd rather fall into a trap than do nothing at all!"
Huo Yuhao felt Zhang Lexuan's resolve and nodded in agreement.
"Lexuan, I'll always stay by your side. Even if you fall into an enemy's trap, I'll pull you back from the abyss!" Huo Yuhao swore solemnly, instantly earning a surge of favor from Zhang Lexuan.
Even the way Tang Wutong and Jin Qiu'er looked at Huo Yuhao changed.
"Even though you're a shameless womanizer, you're worthy of their affection," Jin Qiu'er commented.
Zhang Lexuan's cheeks flushed red.
Tang Wutong, however, felt slightly irritated. For a brief moment, she wondered what Huo Yuhao would do if she were the one in danger.
Realizing what she was thinking, Tang Wutong shivered.
"I was just imagining it. I absolutely don't have any special feelings toward Huo Yuhao!" she warned herself inwardly, as if explaining it to someone.
Jin Qiu'er recalled the Golden Dragon Spear and allowed the Bright King's divine seat inheritance to approach.
The Bright King's divine seat inheritance landed precisely within Zhang Lexuan's body.
In an instant, Zhang Lexuan was enveloped by white light. She felt as if she had returned to her mother's embrace, surrounded by incomparable warmth.
At the same time, the contents of the Bright King's divine seat inheritance surfaced in her mind.
"Believe in the Bright King, save the mortal world;
Within the white lotus, the white sun stands!"
"The Joyous Method, the bliss of yin and yang;
Attain eternal life and deliver all beings!"
"Cultivate the Joyous Method, comprehend the Dao of Yin and Yang.
Upon reaching the pinnacle of a Ultimate Duoluo, one may obtain the divine seat of a God King!"
Zhang Lexuan sat cross-legged on the ground. At the center of her brow, a small round mark like a red mole gradually appeared—this was Zhang Lexuan's divine seal.
That tiny dot made her look even more refined and intelligent.
Within her sacred aura, there was now an added touch of nobility.
And at last, Zhang Lexuan had completely absorbed the inheritance of the Bright King's divine seat.
A newly born divine seat did not inherently possess much of anything.
Its primary ability was actually to elevate and sublimate the soul master's own power.
The inheritance within the Bright King's divine seat now, in truth, originated from Huo Yuhao.
It was created by Huo Yuhao after he summarized the cultivation methods of the White Lotus Sect, combined them with his own insights, and developed an even more advanced new technique, which he then infused into the divine seat.
This new method was named by Huo Yuhao—
The Bright King Yin–Yang Art.
The Bright King Yin–Yang Art was an upright and orthodox cultivation method, with no ruthless tricks whatsoever, and it pointed directly to the source of a fundamental law.
That law was the Great Dao of Yin and Yang.
However, the starting point of cultivation lay in the harmonious union of yin and yang between man and woman.
Do not think that matters of the bed are improper. In fact, within the cultivation world—whether Daoist or Buddhist—there have always been dual-cultivation methods and bedroom arts.
And there have also been great cultivators with vast divine powers who succeeded through such practices.
The most famous example was the Joyful Buddha of Buddhism.
Even the Yellow Emperor was said to have consorted with three thousand women and ascended in broad daylight.
Although Huo Yuhao himself had also been with many women, his dual-cultivation methods were not nearly so advanced.
The Bright King Yin–Yang Art could be regarded as Huo Yuhao's own reflection and innovation upon his personal dual-cultivation practices.
With abundant practical experience to verify it, the method could fully withstand the scrutiny of later cultivators.
This cultivation art was still in its initial creation stage. Although it had no flaws, it was far from reaching its ultimate potential and did not yet possess any distinctive characteristics.
Simply put, it was the foundation of a towering skyscraper.
The pavilions and halls built atop it would need to be constructed by the cultivator themselves.
Huo Yuhao believed in Zhang Lexuan's talent. In the future, she would surely refine and innovate upon the method, creating characteristics uniquely her own.
When that time came, Huo Yuhao would also benefit from it.
After all, dual cultivation required cooperation between two people, with both gaining from it.
Finally, Zhang Lexuan opened her eyes and saw everyone gathered around her, their faces filled with concern.
"Lexuan, how do you feel?" Huo Yuhao asked with concern.
Zhang Lexuan smiled. "I've never felt this good before!"
In the next moment, Zhang Lexuan actively released her current power. Her Silver Moon martial soul appeared, almost solid in form, even purer and brighter. Radiant moonlight spilled forth, making her look like a celestial fairy from the Moon Palace.
Not only were all of Zhang Lexuan's injuries completely healed, her cultivation had also broken through to Rank 96.
"So beautiful~"
Seeing Zhang Lexuan like this, Jin Qiuer couldn't help but sigh.
"Besides that, the Bright King's divine seat has also provided me with a god-bestowed martial soul," Zhang Lexuan continued.
"A god-bestowed martial soul?!"
Everyone exclaimed in shock.
Zhang Lexuan nodded. White light spread across her body as she became even more flawless and perfect. Her clothes and hair fluttered without wind, ethereal and otherworldly, as if she were about to ride the breeze and depart.
"This god-bestowed martial soul was formed through the refinement of my body by the Bright King's divine seat. The martial soul is myself—it's a body martial soul. It's no weaker than the body martial souls of the Body Sect's Leader. Once activated, it enhances my strength in all aspects and also grants me the ability to purify."
"To think such an opportunity exists?!" Tang Wutong said in disbelief.
Gaining a divine seat and also receiving a god-bestowed martial soul—none of the divine inheritors in Shrek Academy had anything like this.
"Lexuan, does your second martial soul have a specific name?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"This… not really. But the martial soul's name should be 'Body,'" Zhang Lexuan replied.
"That won't do," Huo Yuhao said with a smile. "This is a god-bestowed martial soul, so it naturally deserves a special name. How about calling it the Divine Maiden Body?"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's naming, Zhang Lexuan's cheeks flushed slightly. That name sounded more like praise for her.
At this moment, Tang Wutong asked seriously, "Aside from all these benefits, what is your divine trial?"
Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiuer also grew serious.
This was the key issue.
They were all worried that there might be some hidden scheme behind the divine trial.
Zhang Lexuan shook her head. "The Bright King's divine seat inheritance has no divine trial. I only need to cultivate to Rank 99, and then I can activate the divine seat inheritance."
Tang Wutong was stunned.
Jin Qiuer was still processing it. "You mean to say… that Bright King gave you so many benefits, with no divine trial at all, and as long as you reach Rank 99, you can directly inherit the divine seat?"
"Yes," Zhang Lexuan nodded.
"Could it be that the Bright King is actually a good god?" Jin Qiuer blurted out.
Zhang Lexuan shook her head. "I'm not sure. There's no information about the Bright King's origins in the inheritance."
"But reaching Rank 99 won't be easy either," Tang Wutong pointed out the crux of the issue. "And without divine trial rewards to help you rapidly increase your strength, you might not even be able to participate in the upcoming divine war."
A divine trial was both a test and an opportunity.
Without the assistance of divine trial rewards, even a genius like Zhang Lexuan would still need a considerable amount of time to reach Rank 99.
"Perhaps adding soul rings to Lexuan's second martial soul could help her rapidly increase her strength," Huo Yuhao suggested.
"That might work," Tang Wutong agreed.
However, cultivating a second martial soul was fraught with danger. It placed extremely high demands on Zhang Lexuan's physique and required the complete set of soul bones.
It was by no means an easy task.
"Perhaps it won't take me that long to reach Rank 99," Zhang Lexuan suddenly said, then looked at Huo Yuhao. "There's also a cultivation technique within the divine inheritance—but it requires Yuhao's help to practice."
Faced with the divine inheritance and the current situation, Zhang Lexuan saw no need to be coy.
Otherwise, if she hesitated and ended up lacking strength when it was truly needed, wouldn't that be too late for regret?
Moreover, she and Huo Yuhao already knew each other inside and out, sharing an intimate bond.
Just do it!
Huo Yuhao feigned confusion. "Huh? Me?"
Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer both looked puzzled.
Suppressing the strange feelings in her heart, Zhang Lexuan said to Huo Yuhao, "There's still some residual power in my body. Yuhao, I need you to help me refine this remaining power right now."
"And once cultivation begins, it cannot be interrupted for a hundred days. You'll need to set aside time every day to cultivate together with me!"
Huo Yuhao replied solemnly, "Lexuan, don't worry. I'll definitely help you complete your cultivation!"
A short while later—
Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer stood guard outside the tent. Hearing the indulgent sounds coming from within, both of their faces flushed red.
Tang Wutong spat lightly. "As expected, that Bright King is definitely not a proper god. What kind of divine cultivation inheritance is this supposed to be?"
Jin Qiuer was also flustered, but she still tried to speak up for Zhang Lexuan. "But the cultivation principles Lexuan explained really do make sense. I think they're helpful for my own cultivation insights too."
"Stop talking!" Tang Wutong hurriedly covered Jin Qiuer's mouth, her face already burning red.
For the sake of Huo Yuhao's cooperation, Zhang Lexuan had openly explained the cultivation method. Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer had both heard it clearly.
Not only Jin Qiuer—even Tang Wutong had gained some insights and felt it beneficial to her own cultivation.
But she would absolutely never admit it!
Still… after a moment of silence, both Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer's gazes involuntarily drifted toward the tent, watching the shadows cast upon it, their ears turning red.
The Bright King Yin–Yang Art consists of three stages.
The first stage is Hundred-Day Foundation Building.
Its main effect is to improve one's physique, adjust the internal flow of power, and alter the circulation routes of soul power within the body.
This lays the groundwork for later cultivation.
Interpreted through the Douluo Continent's soul master system, it is a special form of meditation and cultivation that enhances the purity and quality of one's soul power.
Practicing this stage alone is more than enough to reach the level of a Title Douluo.
The second stage is Yin–Yang Golden Core.
This stage formally opens the path of cultivating the Yin–Yang Dao, cleansing the soul core within the body and reshaping it into a true Golden Core.
There is no fixed cultivation time—final achievement depends entirely on the results of dual cultivation.
With Huo Yuhao's assistance, Zhang Lexuan can complete this stage at a much faster pace and in a far shorter time.
He can even help her condense a second Golden Core—also known as a second soul core—thereby breaking through to Ultimate Duoluo.
At that point, Zhang Lexuan can be considered to have truly stepped onto the Dao.
This stage spans the transition from Title Douluo to Ultimate Duoluo.
Moreover, dual Golden Cores are not like dual soul cores, which involve nine deaths for one chance at survival. Instead, they can be cultivated smoothly and naturally.
The safety factor is much higher.
The third stage is Nascent Soul Manifestation.
This is not the "shattering the core to form a nascent soul" often described in fictional tales, but rather refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, manifesting the primordial spirit, and forming the divine infant naturally.
Yin and Yang in perfect harmony, endlessly transforming and giving birth.
Thus, with the mingling of heaven and earth, all things are refined; with the union of male and female essence, all things are born.
Cultivated to its peak, this stage allows one to transcend life and death.
In soul master terms, this stage is a transformation from the outside to the inside—from the body to the spirit—evolving spiritual power into Primordial Spirit Power.
At that time, a third Golden Core will condense, that is, a third soul core.
Breaking through the final bottleneck, one surpasses level one hundred and ascends to the divine realm.
At its highest, this stage can be cultivated to a level infinitely close to that of a third-rank god.
And the Bright King's divine seat will become the final stepping stone for Zhang Lexuan to achieve third-rank godhood.
The so-called transcendence of life and death refers to possessing eternal life through divine-level power.
Only someone like Huo Yuhao—who cultivates both soul master and cultivator paths, who has walked the roads of both human gods and beast gods—could creatively pioneer such a cultivation method.
It can be said that even a soul master without a divine seat can, by relying on this technique, cultivate all the way to the peak of god-official level.
Compared to the Dao Huo Yuhao himself cultivates, this path is not particularly profound, nor does it go very far.
To continue progressing, there are two options:
Either return to the soul master system, condense more faith power, and elevate one's divine seat;
Or, based on one's own circumstances, continue deducing and refining the cultivation method, raising its upper limit and thus increasing one's strength.
Of course, if one has the ability, they can choose both.
But regardless of the path taken, their essence converges to the same mit and thus increasing one's strength.destination—comprehending the power of the Yin–Yang laws.
For partners who cultivate alongside it, they can only increase their own strength, not achieve breakthroughs in realm.
In other words, they can only gain experience, not "change class."
Thus, if a cultivator lacks a partner who can keep pace with their growth, they can only change cultivation partners at different stages.
However—important point—this technique does not distinguish between male and female.
Both men and women can cultivate it.
Joint cultivation simply yields better results.
Naturally, Zhang Lexuan also passed the technique back to Huo Yuhao.
In truth, Huo Yuhao could further deduce and refine the technique.
But after reaching Nascent Soul Manifestation, cultivation begins to involve comprehension of laws, which inevitably bears the strong imprint of the cultivator's personal characteristics.
At that point, one has entered the stage of enlightenment.
If Huo Yuhao continued deducing the technique and Zhang Lexuan cultivated it, then Zhang Lexuan would essentially be walking Huo Yuhao's Dao.
Huo Yuhao's own upper limit in the Yin–Yang laws would become the endpoint of Zhang Lexuan's future cultivation.
And Yin–Yang laws are not Huo Yuhao's primary focus. His understanding of Yin–Yang power largely comes from dual cultivation.
From this alone, one can see how low that upper limit would be.
If Zhang Lexuan were to cultivate based on Huo Yuhao's insights, being able to reach first-rank godhood would already count as Huo Yuhao having been diligent in Yin–Yang cultivation.
Instead, Huo Yuhao would rather Zhang Lexuan comprehend on her own, cultivate on her own, and then elevate him through her understanding of Yin–Yang laws.
After all, Huo Yuhao himself has much to cultivate. His comprehension of the Law of Fate is of paramount importance, and the insights into other auxiliary laws cannot be neglected either.
After a night of cultivation, dawn began to break.
Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan—both of whom had worked hard through the night—were full of vitality, without the slightest trace of fatigue.
Tang Wutong and Jin Qiu'er, who had been guarding the door, were instead listless, heavy dark circles hanging under their eyes, looking even more exhausted than when they normally stayed up late.
Seeing the two women, Zhang Lexuan felt a bit embarrassed, but could only pretend to remain calm.
"Thank you for your hard work. Why don't you rest for a while? I'll stand guard for you."
"Forget it. We should hurry back. Otherwise, we'll be tortured again tonight," Tang Wutong said helplessly.
Zhang Lexuan's earlobes were almost completely red now—she was barely holding it together—and hurriedly said, "If that's the case, then let's head back quickly."
This support mission to the Douling Empire could hardly be called timely assistance, but it certainly wasn't meaningless either.
The appearance of the Corpse God had completely stripped the Douling Empire of its ability to continue participating in other battles. It was only a step away from existing in name alone.
This was a massive blow to the Three Douluo Nations.
The only good news was that Zhang Lexuan had obtained a divine seat inheritance and might successfully ascend to godhood within a year.
Support on the other fronts, however, went much more smoothly.
Because no god-level powerhouses appeared on the battlefields of the Tianhun Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
To avoid provoking retaliation from the Sun Moon Empire, Shrek Academy's god-level experts did not openly appear on the battlefield. Instead, they mostly remained hidden, constantly undermining the Sun Moon Empire from the shadows.
As a result, both the Tianhun Empire and Star Luo Empire managed to hold their border lines, preventing the Sun Moon Empire from penetrating deep into their territory.
On the western border of the Star Luo Empire, the fighting even achieved considerable success, pushing the front line back a significant distance.
This greatly boosted Star Luo's morale.
The gloom brought by the situation in the Douling Empire was also dispersed to a large extent.
However, the victory did not last long. Star Luo's success was like a dying man's final flash of lucidity.
One week later, news suddenly arrived from the Tianhun Empire: the front lines had collapsed.
The reason turned out to be that the Sun Moon Empire had dispatched powerful assassins who killed a large number of frontline commanders and nobles, throwing the Tianhun army into chaos.
Huo Yuhao's group, having just returned to Shrek Academy, was forced to rush to the Tianhun Empire once again to provide support.
According to intelligence gathered by Hua Yao and others, among the Sun Moon Empire's powerhouses targeting the Tianhun Empire this time, there was likely a god-level expert—and a familiar name also appeared in the reports.
That name was—
Compassionate Demon!
This powerhouse, whose name appeared on Shrek Academy's wanted list, was familiar to everyone, yet poorly understood.
To this day, aside from the battle to eradicate the New Holy Spirit Cult, the three empires and Shrek Academy had had little direct contact with Compassionate Demon.
But the strength Compassionate Demon had displayed could not be underestimated.
According to speculation, Compassionate Demon possessed at least Ultimate Duoluo–level strength, and might even have broken through to the demigod realm!
Besides Compassionate Demon, the Sun Moon Empire also appeared to have dispatched a god-level expert, one so elusive that even Hua Yao—who had already ascended to godhood—was unable to protect those commanders and nobles.
That god-level expert was extremely cunning. To this day, Hua Yao had not managed to engage them head-on.
Yet she could sense that the divine power of that god was exceptionally evil.
Heavenly Soul Empire
Due to the collapse of the front lines, Hua Yao had no choice but to step forward, using her god-level strength to cover the retreat of the Heavenly Soul Empire's army and civilians.
Even so, losses continued to occur among the empire's military high command.
Those newly promoted officers also had a very low survival rate.
If it were a straightforward, head-on battle, Hua Yao would fear no enemy. However, this kind of sly and elusive warfare left her, who was not adept at tracking, feeling somewhat powerless.
Even with god-level strength, one could not be omniscient or omnipotent, and protecting everyone was even more difficult.
As a result, the officers and nobles of the Heavenly Soul Empire could only think of ways to hide themselves.
This led to many officer positions remaining vacant. Even when there was a desire to promote people, positions that were once highly coveted had now become like red-hot potatoes, being pushed back and forth with no one willing to take them.
Fortunately, the commander in charge of the frontline army, Prince Xue Yu, had not met with disaster.
Relying on his prestige, Prince Xue Yu was still barely able to lead the army in a fighting retreat.
This prevented the Heavenly Soul Empire from collapsing as completely as the Douling Empire.
However, the Sun Moon Empire was no easy opponent either.
The Fire Phoenix Legion, personally led by Juzi, commanded the other two Ten-Direction Legions and the regular troops, advancing steadily and quickly securing their foothold in the occupied territories.
Back when the four great empires had joined forces to besiege the Holy Spirit Cult, Juzi had been the commanding general. That was when she left a deep impression on Prince Xue Yu.
Not only because of Juzi's strength, talent, and looks, but also because of her command ability and judgment of the situation.
At that time, Juzi had not shown much brilliance in command—she could only be considered competent, even somewhat ornamental.
But later, when the Holy Spirit Cult counterattacked, the armies of the other three empires suffered heavy losses, while the Sun Moon Empire's forces were largely preserved.
That inevitably raised questions: was all of this also part of Juzi's calculations?
Now that he was truly facing her on the battlefield, Prince Xue Yu finally felt how troublesome Juzi was.
Under Juzi's command, the Sun Moon Empire's army was like a patient pack of wolves, while the numerically superior Heavenly Soul Empire army resembled an aging tiger, being slowly eaten away bit by bit.
Prince Xue Yu had also tried to use schemes—luring the enemy deep and launching counterattacks.
But every attempt ended in failure, sometimes even with additional losses.
After several tries, Prince Xue Yu realized that against Juzi, aside from retreating with his army to reduce losses, he could not find any opportunity to strike back at all.
Beyond the obvious problems, there were also hidden assassination squads, as well as the suspected presence of a god-level expert.
All of this hung over the Heavenly Soul Empire's army like a sword suspended overhead, as if it could turn into a guillotine at any moment, the blade falling to sever all vitality.
If not for Hua Yao, a god-level powerhouse, and several Titled Douluo sent by the Body Sect to protect him, Prince Xue Yu might not even have survived.
The Heavenly Soul Empire's army would have long since completely collapsed.
The pressure on Prince Xue Yu was immense—his hair had already turned white.
Fortunately, reinforcements from Huo Yuhao and the others arrived soon.
When he saw Huo Yuhao, Prince Xue Yu was almost in tears. He grabbed Huo Yuhao's arm, nearly sobbing aloud.
"For the sake of your past relationship with Empress Weina, please save the Heavenly Soul Empire!" Prince Xue Yu said sincerely.
"Your Highness is too polite. Resisting the invasion of the Sun Moon Empire and shattering their wolfish ambitions is Shrek Academy's bounden duty," Huo Yuhao said firmly.
"The hidden assassins, as well as that god-level expert, will be left to us. As for commanding the army, we'll have to trouble Your Highness to handle that."
Prince Xue Yu nodded vigorously, deeply moved.
Huo Yuhao truly was an honest and straightforward man!
There was no change in his attitude despite the disparity in strength between the two sides—it was as if he were the same as when he had first visited the Heavenly Soul Empire years ago.
At the same time, Prince Xue Yu could not help but sigh inwardly. If not for Weina's amnesia, allowing Huo Yuhao to become a prince of the Heavenly Soul Empire, the empire would have had nothing to fear.
It could only be said—timing and fate.
In the end, they were destined but not meant to be.
The team Shrek Academy sent to support the Heavenly Soul Empire was led by Hua Yao, and also included Wu Ming, Ma Xiaotao, and Ling Luochen.
When the four women saw Huo Yuhao again, they were all extremely excited.
This time, Zhang Lexuan, Tang Wutong, and Jin Qiuer also came along.
Zhang Lexuan needed to cultivate together with Huo Yuhao.
Tang Wutong, as a god-level combatant, was still a valuable force despite her injuries.
Jin Qiuer was more like an attachment—yet her martial soul fusion techniques with Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao were an invaluable trump card.
Of course, it couldn't be said that Jin Qiuer was useless. As the "launcher" of the Golden Dragon Spear, she was still very useful.
After the battle with the Corpse God, Huo Yuhao and the others had already realized that the Golden Dragon Spear also posed a threat to god-level experts.
After a brief round of greetings, everyone discussed the assassination issue. They had to resolve it as quickly as possible so the Heavenly Soul Empire's army could resume normal operations.
"Based on our recent encounters with the assassins, we can confirm that their numbers are small—fewer than ten—but each of them is at least at the level of a Titled Douluo."
"Although their strength is weaker than the Titled Douluo of the Three Douluo Kingdoms, they are fully equipped with soul tools specifically designed for assassination. They possess extremely strong concealment abilities and are very difficult to completely capture."
"And every time I try to act, an evil divine power appears in the shadows to interfere with me, yet it never confronts me head-on."
Hua Yao laid out all the information she had gathered.
Upon hearing this, Tang Wutong reacted strongly, slamming the table hard.
"Hmph! A bunch of Titled Douluo assassinating ordinary officers—absolutely shameless!"
Jin Qiuer gestured for Tang Wutong to calm down. "However, now that we've arrived, even if that hidden god-level expert intervenes again, we have enough power to completely wipe out the assassins."
Everyone nodded. This was precisely the main reason Huo Yuhao and the others had come as reinforcements.
Afterward, they quickly formulated a plan to lure the enemy into a trap, and the meeting came to an end.
They would wait for the assassins to strike again at night.
While it was still daytime, Zhang Lexuan pulled Huo Yuhao aside, preparing to go cultivate.
As it turned out, they ran into Ma Xiaotao and the others, who had come looking for Huo Yuhao to get close to him.
The women were all aware of each other's situations.
What surprised Ma Xiaotao was that Zhang Lexuan had never been this impatient before.
So Zhang Lexuan explained the matter of the Bright King's inheritance, making it clear that this wasn't fooling around, but serious cultivation.
"Sorry, it seems we came at a bad time," Ma Xiaotao said apologetically.
Ma Xiaotao was not someone who caused trouble without reason.
But unexpectedly, Zhang Lexuan took Ma Xiaotao's hand, then looked at Hua Yao, Wu Ming, and Ling Luochen, smiling as she said:
"No, you came at exactly the right time."
"The early stages of this cultivation method can be practiced by all of you. It can help you rapidly increase your strength."
"This will be a huge help for you as well."
"It's just that Yuhao will have to work a bit harder for a while."
Even Hua Yao, who had already become a god, did not refuse to join in.
"Lexuan's cultivation method is very interesting. Perhaps with my god-level strength, I can modify its contents."
"If it works, I might be able to adapt it into versions suitable for others. When that happens, Xiaotao, Luochen, and Wu Ming might not be without a chance to break through the hundred-level barrier."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Wu Ming all became excited.
What could Huo Yuhao do?
The little bear could only shrug helplessly~
┓(`)┏
"Wutong, Qiuer, we're going to conduct some important cultivation. We'll leave the task of guarding the area to you."
To be on the safe side, Zhang Lexuan invited Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer to help stand guard. And Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer couldn't refuse.
Because if anyone were to interfere, not only could Zhang Lexuan's cultivation fail, but they might also be ambushed while completely unprepared.
After all, the Sun Moon Empire's assassins were still lurking outside, watching like tigers.
No one dared to be careless!
Tang Wutong and Jin Qiuer had never imagined that one day they would end up standing guard for someone else.
But why is the soundproofing of this room so terrible?!?!