Chapter 111: Huo—Bro—Down!
The failure of the plan was hard for both man and silkworm to accept. But no matter how unwilling they were, failure was still failure. It wasn't as if they could just slit their throats in the Extreme North because they couldn't bear it.
Thus, Huo Yuhao was the first to calm down.
No matter what, the Tianmeng Iceworm was still his greatest reliance. At least for now, he couldn't afford to have any conflict with it.
Huo Yuhao didn't believe that a so-called million-year soul beast truly had such limited means, or that after fusing with him, separation would be utterly impossible.
He knew his own talent well. Without the Tianmeng Iceworm, his aptitude at Shrek Academy was practically at the bottom. If the Iceworm could truly separate from him, he would be the one who lost the most.
'To dare deceive me—meat worm, you've already chosen the path to death!'
Don't be fooled into thinking Huo Yuhao was some pure, kind youth just because in the original story Tang San trained him like a dog.
This guy had done plenty of outrageous things in the source material. Not to mention the infamous Mingdu explosion—whether using his deceased mother to gain sympathy or later threatening the woman who loved him with his own son, every move left one breathless.
All of that happened after Electrolux's death. Before that, Huo Yuhao's actions were still somewhat normal.
But after Electrolux fell due to lack of votes, Huo Yuhao's behavior began to spiral into confusion. The one guided in the original story was already like this—now, without that guidance, he was even more extreme.
Fate's boomerang might eventually strike the Tianmeng Iceworm right between the brows.
Of course, it had no idea yet that Huo Yuhao, this defiant prodigy, had already made a secret note of vengeance in his little book.
Facing Huo Yuhao's question, the Tianmeng Iceworm nodded without hesitation.
Although the Ice Empress was the first choice, Huo Yuhao's second martial soul didn't necessarily have to be her. Any ice-type soul beast could work, though the Ice Empress was undoubtedly the best option.
"If the Ice Empress can't be drawn out, attracting the Ice Jade Scorpion would also work. But even the Ice Jade Scorpion hasn't appeared," the Tianmeng Iceworm said in a low tone. "Perhaps there's a reason the Ice Empress hasn't shown herself. Otherwise, the entire Ice Jade Scorpion clan wouldn't have vanished. I suspect something may have happened to them."
At this point, the Tianmeng Iceworm could only assume that the Ice Empress's heavenly tribulation had arrived early, and that she, having suffered damage to her origin, had perished beneath it.
Otherwise, there was no explaining why she hadn't appeared. It wasn't possible that she was outside the Extreme North and had even ordered her clan not to leave before departing.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
If that were truly the case, the Tianmeng Iceworm swore it would eat Huo Yuhao on the spot!
The "fall" of the Ice Empress was an enormous blow to the Tianmeng Iceworm. Losing its beloved made the world of ice and snow before its eyes seem desolate and broken.
Pain—such unbearable pain!
Bingbing, without you, what meaning does becoming a god still have?!
Hmm… well, there's still meaning. At least, I won't die, right?
"So, which soul beast should we look for next?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"The three most powerful races in the Extreme North correspond to the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North—ranked first is the Snow Empress, Xue Di, the Ice and Snow Maiden; second is the Ice Empress, Bing Di, the Ice Jade Scorpion; and third is the Titan Snow Demon King," the Tianmeng Iceworm explained.
"The Snow Empress is out of the question. She is the strongest being in the Extreme North, with cultivation exceeding five hundred thousand years, and the Ice and Snow Maiden race has only her alone. The Ice Empress has vanished for unknown reasons, and the Ice Jade Scorpion clan has gone into hiding. Our only remaining option is the last of the Three Great Kings—the Titan Snow Demon of the Titan Snow Demon clan."
This was knowledge Huo Yuhao could never have learned at Shrek's outer court. Information about such powerful soul beast races fascinated him, and much of his earlier displeasure faded as he listened.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's expression, the Tianmeng Iceworm also let out a sigh of relief. It had no desire to quarrel with him.
If it wished to survive and eventually become a god, it still had to rely on Huo Yuhao's strength.
'After all, he's just a human cub. How deep could his scheming possibly run?' the Tianmeng Iceworm thought silently.
"Tianmeng, is the Titan Snow Demon clan really that strong?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"Of course," the Tianmeng Iceworm nodded without hesitation. "Otherwise, how could they be one of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North? The Titan Snow Demons are said to have been born from the union of the ancient Ice God and a Titan Giant. Their bloodline carries the power of the Ice God himself. To be connected with a god is proof enough of their strength."
"The strongest among the Titan Snow Demons has undoubtedly reached the level of a ferocious beast. Their ice attribute might not have reached the ultimate extreme, but their physical power is extremely balanced—making them a perfect fit for your martial soul!"
"That's great! Then let's head out right away!" Huo Yuhao said enthusiastically.
Afterward, relying on its powerful concealment abilities, the Tianmeng Iceworm led Huo Yuhao deep into the core region of the Extreme North, where they successfully hunted a Titan Snow Demon and turned it into his martial soul.
However, this Titan Snow Demon's cultivation was only six thousand years. When Huo Yuhao absorbed its soul ring and transformed it into his martial soul, he also inadvertently absorbed a right arm soul bone.
A six-thousand-year Titan Snow Demon right arm bone was certainly of good quality, though its age was somewhat too low.
For Huo Yuhao, who had never seen a soul bone before, being able to absorb one was naturally an incredible fortune. The allure of a soul bone to any soul master was undeniable, and he had yet to develop the lofty pride he would have in the future.
For the Tianmeng Iceworm, however, this soul bone was far from ideal. But since the absorption was passive, it had no control over it and could only accept it helplessly.
After successfully obtaining the Titan Snow Demon martial soul, the greatest change in Huo Yuhao was undoubtedly his appearance.
Once under one meter seventy, malnourished, and thin-faced, he now stood nearly two meters tall. His features became rugged, his face hardened with thick muscle, and his arms were thicker than an ordinary man's thighs.
He had transformed from a delicate youth into a muscular brute.
When his martial soul was activated, his height could even increase to two and a half meters. When he ran, it was like an unstoppable heavy tank charging forward.
Regarding his changed appearance, Huo Yuhao's heart was filled with resistance. He had always wanted a handsome and dignified look like Lin Yun's—not this intimidating, fearsome figure.
Damn it, you meat worm—you've tricked me again.
You're destined for death!
(End of Chapter)
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