Chapter 248: Huo Yuhao's Inner Struggle

Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:

patreon.com/ZeroMoney

*****

The four Limit Douluo of the Holy Spirit Cult had remained hidden in the deepest part of the Extreme North for nearly half a year. During this time, while they sealed off the surrounding space, their own perception of the outside world also became increasingly unclear. 

Because of this, they were completely unprepared for the arrival of the four powerful experts who had gathered outside.

The Extreme North was now completely surrounded.

The Demon Empress felt a heavy pressure in her heart.

However, when she thought of the Abyssal Passage being nearly completed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"So it really was the Holy Spirit Cult stirring up trouble!" 

Still shocked by Zhongli Wu's breakthrough into Limit Douluo, Jing Hongchen looked at the four of them, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

Although he knew Su Yu had long intended to make a move against the Abyss, it was part of a long-term strategy—something that would only be acted upon when conditions were absolutely favorable. Not like now, when the Abyss had launched a premature invasion.

At present, the strength of the Abyss was still overwhelming for the Douluo Continent. If it weren't for the deterrence of the Divine Realm, the continent would already have become their feast.

After the initial shock, the Demon Empress and Ye Xishui, along with their two companions, had regained their composure.

They were not overly fearful.

Snow Empress. Di Tian.

In the past, perhaps they would have felt dread at the mention of those names. But now, Ye Xishui and the Demon Empress were confident they could handle them.

The Demon Empress had cultivated for nearly as long as Di Tian. Though she lacked his legendary background, her origins as a Deep Sea Demonic Whale had made her incredibly powerful. Within the sea, she was no weaker than Di Tian.

Though they were currently far from the sea, their collaboration with the Abyss had brought substantial benefits. The Demon Empress was now confident that she could contend with Di Tian directly.

As for Ye Xishui, she was already at a demigod level and a Level 9 Soul Engineer. Though she lacked the support of battle armor, she had poured her life's effort into crafting the Level 9 soul device Death God's Light. Combined with the recent gifts received from the Abyss, she now wielded power comparable to that of a quasi-god.

Then there were Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen.

Long Xiaoyao, a peer of Ye Xishui and a once-in-a-generation genius, had always possessed extraordinary talent. After breaking through to Limit Douluo, he never stopped training, though he had declined the Abyss's gifts. Still, he had certainly reached the strength of a demigod.

As for Zhongli Wu, he accepted everything that came his way. He never passed up any opportunity to increase his strength. By absorbing vast amounts of energy from the Abyss, his power surged dramatically. Even though he was the last to break through, he was by no means weaker than Long Xiaoyao.

Unfortunately…

This was an era of great transformation—a time of massive development.

All previous standards had been turned upside down in just a few years.

Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming were no longer ordinary soul engineers. They were now battle armor masters—super battle armor masters!

Though Ultimate Battle Armor had yet to be fully developed, it was essentially a divine-level creation. The intended effect of such armor was to grant Limit Douluo power that rivaled a god in their prime. Armor of this caliber was certainly worthy of being called divine-level.

Super Battle Armor, though slightly lesser, was still extremely well-matched to the strength of Limit Douluo and offered immense amplification.

A Level 99 Limit Douluo, who was also a Super Battle Armor Master, and a Level 98 Super Douluo with the same level of equipment—

They were not to be underestimated.

Such power could no longer be simply described as merely reaching the Limit level of combat strength.

Especially when it came to Kong Deming being a Limit Douluo—it was beyond anything the Demon Empress and her allies had imagined.

Who would've thought that in less than ten years, someone once stuck at Rank 94 as a Titled Douluo could not only break through the thresholds of multiple Super Douluo levels but also condense a second soul core and ascend to Limit Douluo?

And then there was Jing Hongchen—Rank 98! For a soul engineer, that was an extraordinarily exaggerated level.

In fact, even throughout the history of the Sun Moon Empire, there had never been a soul engineer so specialized in soul tools who had also cultivated their soul power to such heights.

A soul engineer—even a Rank 94 Titled Douluo—who had mastered soul tools to a high enough degree could unleash power equivalent to that of a Super Douluo, or even a Limit Douluo.

Now, Jing Hongchen had not only fulfilled the soul tool mastery requirement, but his raw soul power had also far exceeded expectations, reaching an astonishing Rank 98.

Even without relying on battle armor, solely by using the soul tools he crafted himself, he could wield strength on par with that of a strong Limit Douluo!

"The era has changed."

Indeed, the upper limits of soul masters had been completely elevated. To judge today's top soul masters using outdated standards would be a critical mistake.

Only four beings with Limit-tier power had arrived at the scene—but none of them seemed inferior to the others. Was it merely due to their mutual harmony?

In the distance, a powerful presence rapidly approached.

The three beasts and five humans, still locked in a standoff, turned their heads to look.

A violent aura surged toward them—it was a soul master, yet his oppressive force rivaled that of a fierce beast.

"Du Busi!"

This guy had not only broken through to Limit Douluo, he had gone even further.

Back then, Du Busi had exploded with Limit-tier power, seizing an opportunity to break through. With the help of Su Yu's ultimate life energy, the damage from that eruption had been fully healed, allowing him to officially become a Limit Douluo.

But that wasn't the extent of his gains.

For Du Busi, the most significant advancement lay in the fusion of his new-type soul rings.

He had truly unified essence, energy, and spirit.

With the advantage of his innate martial soul, Du Busi refined the powers of countless soul beasts whose rings were fused into his own. All of it was drawn into his body, allowing him to complete an even deeper breakthrough.

His martial soul was him, and he was his martial soul.

Now, even without battle armor, Du Busi had already reached the level of a demigod.

His arrival caused the smug confidence on the Demon Empress and her allies' faces to vanish in an instant.

Another one?!

Damn it—there were only so many beings on Douluo Continent with Limit Douluo-tier power.

And now it seemed like all of them had gathered here in the Extreme North.

Worse still, both soul beasts and soul masters alike seemed ready to move against the Holy Spirit Cult.

"Delay them!"

Outnumbered, surrounded by battle armor masters in the core encirclement, and further locked on by the fixed-mounted soul cannon arrays of soul engineer battalions on the perimeter, the Demon Empress and her group immediately made their decision.

Delay.

Delay until the Abyss fully descends.

As for fleeing?

That would only become an option once the Abyss had arrived—when the enemy would be too distracted to pursue. That would be the true moment to escape.

Otherwise, the moment the thought of retreat took hold, their backs would be exposed to the enemy—an inherent disadvantage in battle.

"You're late, Du Busi," Jing Hongchen said.

Du Busi snorted. "Easy for you to say. I was all the way over on Phoenix Continent. The fact that I made it here at all is impressive enough."

In truth, he had delayed a few days in order to complete his breakthrough. This advancement was far too important to him. 

Of course, Du Busi would never admit that his tardiness was because of that.

"Ye Xishui, Long Xiaoyao—by colluding with the Abyss, you've disregarded the countless lives of Douluo Continent! You secretly aided the Abyss, allowing it to locate spatial nodes on the continent and construct a dimensional passage to invade us. Your crimes are unforgivable!" Jing Hongchen furiously denounced the Holy Spirit Cult's actions.

"Today, we will act in the name of heaven and justice—to eliminate you all!"

Through Su Yu, Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming had learned the true identity of the Demon Empress.

So she was the final, unyielding root of the Holy Spirit Cult.

Had the Sun Moon Empire—or even the entire Douluo Continent—not launched countless crackdowns on the Holy Spirit Cult and other evil soul master organizations?

Recently, the frequency of these crackdowns had lessened. Xu Tiannan's collusion with the Holy Spirit Cult was the reason. Still, even with his interference, the authorities occasionally conducted token hunts to eliminate stray evil soul masters as a show of force.

Before Xu Tiannan's official collusion, the empires had maintained high-pressure suppression on such organizations.

Yet, no matter how fiercely they were hunted, evil soul masters were never eradicated. They continued to stir up chaos across Douluo Continent.

The empires had long believed this was simply the inevitable result of martial souls—some soul masters were destined to fall, and there was nothing to be done.

Only now did they realize: the core of the evil soul master world had always been secretly protected.

Even if they couldn't remain on Douluo Continent, they could escape into the deep ocean, waiting for the right moment to return.

Again and again, the cycle continued—ensuring there were always powerful evil soul masters.

That was also why, before Su Yu directly called for action, even the Sun Moon Empire hadn't gone all-out to exterminate the Holy Spirit Cult.

You couldn't kill them all. It simply wasn't possible.

If that was the case, why launch an all-out assault? Wouldn't it be better to suppress them strategically and limit their development—making it more costly for them to commit evil?

But now that they understood who the Demon Empress was and the significance of her role in the Holy Spirit Cult, Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming's attitude had completely changed.

The Sun Moon Empire had already mobilized its army to attack the cult's many strongholds. The forces surrounding the Demonic Forest were also advancing inward. Investigative-type soul tools had been deployed in full—once they locked onto the cult's main headquarters, fixed-mounted soul cannons would rain down destruction, wiping the Holy Spirit Cult from existence.

All of the cult's top combat power was gathered here in the Extreme North. The remaining evil soul masters were no match for the Sun Moon Empire's military.

"What's the point in talking so much? Let's fight!"

With Du Busi joining the battlefield, the situation changed instantly.

Faced with the tense standoff between both sides, Du Busi didn't hesitate—his response was to just go for it.

Blood-red energy surged around him, generating terrifying waves that pushed back the surrounding ice-elemental energy.

This power wasn't pure soul force, nor was it just life essence—it also contained the properties of spiritual power.

"Soul power, life force, and spiritual energy… all combined?" Jing Hongchen was stunned. His heart trembled at the thought. "Could Du Busi have truly fused all three into one?"

This was no simple technique.

While it's true that those capable of breaking through to Limit Douluo had all to some degree grasped the realm of harmony with nature—and some could begin merging soul power with spiritual energy—truly powerful Limit Douluo even developed their own ultimate skills, capable of harmonizing with the external world's elemental forces for explosive combat power.

But all of that was just combat technique.

This was something far beyond that.

Rather than a simple technique, this was something else entirely.

At this moment, Du Busi unleashed the blood-red energy directly. He didn't need a technique to merge the three energies into one; the energy flowing through his body was already this blood-red energy. 

Soul power, spiritual power, and life force had perfectly fused together.

This meant that Du Busi had fully integrated his soul, body, and spirit.

Of course, this was due to the fact that his martial soul was his very own body.

His body wasn't just physical—it also encompassed his soul. Furthermore, his martial soul itself was a fusion of both soul and body, a product formed under their influence. It could be seen as the key point where soul and body merged. Using his body as his martial soul, Du Busi had completed the fusion of his soul and body.

From now on, he only needed to cultivate this one unified force.

This, too, was Du Busi's greatest achievement. He had perfected his cultivation method and incorporated it into the secret techniques of his body's legacy.

As for his strength, it was undoubtedly immense. Otherwise, Du Busi would not have been so bold.

Indeed, bold was an understatement.

Du Busi sneered and taunted Jing Hongchen and the others before charging forward, directly targeting Zhongli Wu to start the fight.

Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming's expressions shifted slightly, and they immediately moved to intercept the other three.

The Demon Empress and Emperor Tian remained still, only the human soul masters clashing in battle.

Emperor Tian had a sense that something wasn't quite right.

"Demon Empress, Deep Sea Demon Whale…"

A thousand years ago, Emperor Tian and the other fierce beasts of the Star Dou Forest had been in seclusion at the bottom of the Lake of Life. They were quite out of touch with what was happening in the outside world.

It wasn't until a few divine ascensions caused waves in their seclusion that they became aware. They were unaware of events like Tang San slaying the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.

However, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, a being close to a million years old, was highly respected even by the Sea God. His reputation was already well known.

Emperor Tian was aware of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's existence.

Relying on the power of absorption, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had rapidly accumulated cultivation levels. He had also had several fortunate opportunities, surviving through nine tribulations—more than Emperor Tian himself had endured.

However, Emperor Tian didn't think it was necessary to undergo such tribulations.

As he always said, the faster one's cultivation rose, the faster they died.

The tribulations to become a god were fatal.

This wasn't just an opinion; it was a truth carved deep into the bloodlines of all soul beasts. Any soul beast that gained self-awareness—and any soul beast who encountered the idea of becoming a god at the million-year mark—would instinctively develop a fear of ascending to divinity.

On the other hand, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast that took human form, and then cultivated as a human soul master, had hope of achieving divinity. This belief was not founded on any actual success stories, but rather because after transforming into a human, the beast could no longer feel the deep-rooted fear of trying to ascend to godhood.

"Such an evil presence…" Emperor Tian stared at the Demon Empress, finally sensing the source of his unease.

It was an extraordinarily evil force.

"It's not just the Demon Empress; aside from Long Xiaoyao, both the Demon Empress Ye Xishui and Zhongli Wu carry this evil aura," Emperor Tian's gaze swept across the battlefield.

The evil aura around Ye Xishui was the most intense.

Even though she didn't display the same madness as Zhongli Wu and didn't seem as evil, at her core, the evil aura she carried was the most concentrated and potent.

After exiting Dragon Valley, Su Yu, Ilex, and Gu Yuena quickly set out for the Extreme North region.

It had to be said, once one comprehended the power of space, traveling became incredibly efficient.

The three of them had barely stepped into the space portal, and within just under ten seconds, they had arrived at their destination—the core of the Extreme North region.

Behind Emperor Tian, a massive space rift suddenly appeared.

From within the rift, three figures emerged.

"Master," Emperor Tian immediately saluted.

"What is it?"

Ye Xishui, who was in the midst of battle, felt a powerful, overwhelming aura approach—two such tremendous forces that it was almost despairing.

The Demon Empress was also stunned as she looked at Gu Yuena.

"That aura… Impossible, this can't be happening!"

How could a soul beast ascend to godhood?

And the energy from that elderly figure was nothing like the strength of an Extreme Douluo.

This didn't make sense.

The Demon Empress felt like everything was absurd.

As Su Yu stepped out of the space rift, he saw the six combatants momentarily pause.

"Didn't expect the battle would start so soon," Su Yu remarked, not too concerned.

It was fine. Eliminating these tumors of the Spirit Hall early was a good thing for Douluo Continent. He didn't want to see any betrayal when the continent needed to focus all its energy on dealing with the Abyss.

"Hm, this aura... It's of a very high quality."

Su Yu quickly recognized the same evil aura that Emperor Tian had sensed.

"It's similar to the power of rules, but it's not quite that—it's more like an energy derived from soul power. It resembles the divine power that Elder Yi created."

Wait, divine power! Such evil divine power!

Su Yu's gaze sharpened as it swept over the Demon Empress Ye Xishui and Zhongli Wu.

"I think I know where this divine power is coming from."

The Rakshasa God.

The Spirit Hall—or rather, the Demon Empress and her faction—had finally found the traces of the Rakshasa God. Even though Bibi Dong had inherited the Rakshasa God's divine position a thousand years ago and had since perished, the divine position itself did not disappear.

Perhaps it was damaged when Bibi Dong died, but it didn't vanish completely.

The divine position of the Angel God, on the other hand, was truly destroyed, wiped out from Douluo Continent.

For the Demon Empress and her faction to find the Rakshasa God's trace, it was quite a miraculous feat.

This was because the Rakshasa God's inheritance location had been in the Slaughter City. After Slaughter City's destruction, both the Rakshasa and Asura God's inheritance sites were effectively obliterated.

Moreover, Bibi Dong had died before she could leave behind the resources needed for a new inheritor to take the divine position.

Thus, logically speaking, the Rakshasa God's divine position should have disappeared from Douluo Continent.

But now, the Demon Empress and her faction had somehow found it.

"It's not necessarily that they've found the Rakshasa God's divine position. It's more likely they intend to use this method to draw the Rakshasa God's divine position back into the world."

Su Yu sensed the aura from the three individuals. The evil soul power they emitted wasn't particularly high in quality. It only resembled the divine energy of Elder Yi, which led Su Yu to deduce its true nature.

However, while the level of this evil energy surpassed ordinary soul power, it still fell short when compared to Elder Yi's divine energy.

The Rakshasa God was a first-tier god, and its divine energy wouldn't be this weak.

"To think they've managed to condense divine energy similar to the Rakshasa God's power," Su Yu realized how the three of them had developed this strange power.

It was precisely because of this that Su Yu felt a deeper sense of disdain toward the Beast and the two humans.

The Rakshasa God embodied all forms of evil, a collection of every wicked force in the world.

Simply destroying the Slaughter City wouldn't have caused such an overwhelming number of evil soul masters to emerge.

Only after the death of the Rakshasa God on Douluo Continent did the rules of evil undergo a significant shift. This caused the increasingly twisted evolution of evil martial spirits over the past ten thousand years. They were almost like cheat codes—only their side effects made them dangerous.

Due to the arrival of Su Yu's group, the battlefield paused briefly. However, the reason for the halt wasn't due to the fighting factions being afraid, but rather the Demon Empress and her companions' caution toward Su Yu's allies, Ilex and Gu Yuena.

For Jìng hóngchén and his group, this moment was a huge morale booster.

Although they were shocked, they felt more confident. This time, the Spirit Hall's top combatants would certainly be wiped out.

Poison Douluo was surrounded by a blood-red aura that enveloped his entire body like flames, locking in an intense battle with Zhongli Wu. He had already begun to overpower Zhongli Wu.

Moreover, as the fight progressed, it seemed that Poison Douluo's power was continuing to grow. He was adapting to his new state of being.

Su Yu also noticed something unusual. The blood-red energy formed by the fusion of the three powers was truly astonishing.

"Fusing three types of power into one—he now only cultivates this singular force, making it purer and stronger. It's far superior to regular soul power. If Poison Douluo can continue to accumulate strength this way, he might not only break through the 100th level, but he could even possess god-like power."

Su Yu wasn't sure if Poison Douluo could continue refining this new system to ascend to godhood, but this energy was already far stronger than regular soul power. Even if it capped out at the peak of level 99, it would still allow Poison Douluo to unleash god-level power.

"This is even better," Su Yu thought. He had been worried about his own lack of power, but with Poison Douluo on this path, he could afford to wait and let him grow.

The Abyss invasion would undoubtedly be fierce, but it wouldn't end in just a day or two. The mission of Douluo Continent would be to withstand the initial onslaught, eventually entering a stalemate while Su Yu, Gu Yuena, and others with potential god-like powers continued to grow.

"All energy is integrated into one—it's fascinating how Poison Douluo is cultivating," Su Yu thought of a novel he'd read in his past life. The idea of "swallowing a golden pill to control one's fate."

Perhaps once they dealt with the Spirit Hall's top forces, he could give Poison Douluo a piece of advice.

"This really feels like it could lead to a Golden Pill formation."

The Demon Empress felt the fluctuations from the space behind her, her expression growing darker.

The progress of the space portal had been fluctuating all along. The Abyss was too impatient, and occasionally it would conduct a sacrificial ritual to rapidly channel energy into Douluo Continent to speed up the portal construction.

Now, the portal was in its final stages. The Demon Empress initially wasn't sure how much time was left, but after sensing the progress, her heart sank further.

"Damn, what is the Abyss doing?"

They should be doing one last sacrifice to immediately open the portal, yet they had stalled.

At this pace, the portal wouldn't be completed for at least ten days to half a month!

For her and Ye Xishui's group, ten days or half a month could be more than enough time to take action multiple times.

This time, Su Yu and his group had prepared too thoroughly. It was as if they had been anticipating the Abyss's threat, almost like they had been waiting specifically for the Abyss's first wave of attack. They had already set up a massive military presence and gathered peak combat power on the periphery.

"Damn it!"

The Demon Empress cursed inwardly, transforming into a beam of black light, attempting to escape to the rear.

However, the surrounding space had already been sealed by Gu Yuena, leaving the Demon Empress with no escape.

Emperor Tian, seeing this, immediately stepped forward, transforming into a massive black dragon. His golden vertical pupils glowed with coldness and murderous intent.

Even though the Demon Empress was also a soul beast, in Emperor Tian's eyes, she had already committed a crime deserving of death.

Even though Emperor Tian had once had the opportunity to kill the Evil Emperor when he came to provoke him, he chose to let him go, unwilling to weaken the soul beast faction's power.

But now, facing the Demon Empress, he truly harbored the intent to kill.

The conflict between human soul masters and soul beasts could persist as long as both sides fought. However, if an external force was introduced, it would be unacceptable—especially if that external force sought to devour the entire Douluo Continent.

The battle was intense, but Su Yu stayed out of it, watching the combat unfold in both skirmishes.

Poison Douluo had undoubtedly gained the upper hand. Su Yu felt that he might find an opening to deal a fatal blow to Zhongli Wu at any moment.

Even though Jìng hóngchén hadn't fully broken through, with the support of his battle armor, his strength was still formidable. He held the advantage against Long Xiaoyao as well. His battle armor was custom-made for him, perfectly suited to his martial spirit's characteristics. With his battle armor fully integrated, he was like a metal fortress, enhanced by numerous soul tools, yet it was no longer just a soul cannon.

He had moved beyond simply using cannons in battle.

He seemed to transform into a weapon depot, wielding energy blades and swords, making the battle both visually stunning and highly effective.

Of course, such a style came with a high cost.

But for someone like Jìng hóngchén, who had grown up within the pure soul engineer system, such consumption seemed trivial.

As for Kong Deming, he was effortlessly dominating his opponent.

Ye Xishui's Death God Light was too unwieldy.

Even when charged in advance, it required precise aiming.

While Ye Xishui wasn't as clumsy as it might sound, the Death God Light's drawbacks in battle at her level were painfully obvious.

Boom!

A beam of destructive light illuminated the battlefield, overshadowing the other explosions.

The destructive light struck Kong Deming.

A shield, shimmering with gold and silver, appeared before him, deflecting the blow.

The space around the shield warped, ripples appearing across its surface, but it remained unbroken.

Su Yu's eyes lit up.

"Has Teacher's Sun and Moon Divine Light Shield reached level ten?"

With a level ten Sun and Moon Divine Light Shield, and relying on this soul tool, Kong Deming might truly possess god-like power.

Semi-god?

The term "semi-god" wasn't just a reference to being comparable.

If someone were semi-god, it meant there was still a gap between them and true gods.

A semi-god, under extreme conditions, might be able to rival a god's power, but it was only a fraction of the god's full potential, not their peak combat ability.

As for Emperor Tian, he continued to effortlessly suppress the Demon Empress.

Su Yu finally understood why Emperor Tian was called the Beast God.

"His power alone may not be enough to fully dominate the Demon Empress, but it seems he carries an inherent oppression toward soul beasts."

Beast God. Perhaps this was the key to his future godhood?

Emperor Tian must have had his sights set on ascension. He wasn't without preparation; perhaps his goal was the Beast God position.

Even if he were to ascend to godhood, as the Beast God, his ability to suppress the soul beast faction would be immense.

Although he hadn't yet formed the embryonic shape of a divine position, the pressure he radiated was already enough to significantly affect the soul beast side.

---

Outside Star Luo City.

A hundred thousand-strong army surrounded Star Luo City.

Even with a large portion of their forces moved to the extreme northern lands, the Sun and Moon Empire still maintained a massive force stationed outside Star Luo City.

In the Sun and Moon Army Camp.

Huo Yuhao sat in the position of Marshal, listening to reports from the leader of his soul engineer division.

"Marshal, Star Luo City has been under siege for three days. The defenders still show no signs of surrender."

Upon hearing the report, Huo Yuhao first showed disappointment, but soon after, a sense of relief washed over his face.

Yes, they couldn't surrender.

If they surrendered, how could he take revenge?

A flicker of hatred gleamed in the depths of Huo Yuhao's eyes.

It had been too long.

Way too long.

He had waited for this day for far too long.

"Marshal, should we launch the attack?"

"Attack!"

With Huo Yuhao's command, the Sun and Moon Army immediately began to move.

The sheer force of a hundred thousand soldiers was overwhelming. Even a small advance radiated an intimidating aura, one that even Titled Douluos would find daunting.

Within Star Luo City.

"Your Majesty, the Sun and Moon Empire is about to launch an assault," Dai Hao reported in a low, grim tone, updating on the latest situation outside the city.

Xu Jiawei, his expression filled with sorrow, scanned the faces of those gathered in the room.

"My friends, today, it seems that the Star Luo Empire may truly fall."

The ministers and generals in attendance all wore heavy expressions.

"Your Majesty, it's said that a large number of troops have been mobilized behind the Sun and Moon Empire, and the defense of Sun-Moon is not as strong as before. We—"

"We cannot," Xu Jiawei interrupted. "The real threat of Sun-Moon isn't the soul masters or soul engineers, but the vast array of prearranged soul tools."

A new round of debate broke out in the court.

Xu Jiawei didn't seem troubled, nor did he try to stop the discussion.

This might very well be all they could do now.

On the battlefield.

Huo Yuhao's soul power surged dramatically.

"Once we capture Star Luo City, I can return to the extreme north," he muttered.

The battle was about to reach its zenith. Though Huo Yuhao had initially planned to return to the northern lands, he was now back on the battlefield.

"Perhaps this is fate."

In the end, I'll have the chance to kill you with my own hands!

It was a pity, though. The Duchess' death had been far too cheap.

And Dai Huabin...

Huo Yuhao's mind flashed with images from his time at the Duke's estate.

It was all because of Dai Huabin that his mother had been severely injured and fell ill, leading to her death.

Buzzing!

Huo Yuhao retrieved his communication soul tool from his storage soul tool.

The communication soul tools had evolved greatly in recent years.

Though time had passed slowly, society was now at a turning point. Everything was changing rapidly.

In just one year, civilian soul tools had developed in leaps and bounds, like bamboo shoots after the rain, significantly advancing human society.

In fact, new professions were starting to emerge among ordinary people, professions that could rival the contributions of soul masters.

The soul tool in Huo Yuhao's hand now resembled the mobile phones from Su Yu's world.

"Mother and child are safe. The child's name is Yun Han."

Upon seeing the message on the soul tool, Huo Yuhao's murderous intent gradually subsided, and a warm smile appeared on his face.

But that smile quickly turned cold, replaced by a steely expression.

His Extreme Ice Battle Armor fused with his body, and Huo Yuhao soared into the sky. Before him stood the towering walls of Star Luo City.

On those walls stood the last line of defense for the Star Luo Empire.

Xu Jiawei, the Emperor of Star Luo, was among them.

When Xu Jiawei saw Huo Yuhao's face, his expression grew distant.

Huo Yuhao... was from the Star Luo Empire.

How could this happen?

Xu Jiawei reflected on his life, but he didn't think he had done anything wrong.

He hadn't done anything.

"Is this... fate?"

The Star Luo Empire was doomed to fall. The Sun and Moon Empire was destined to unite the continent.

In that moment, Xu Jiawei wished more than anything that he had been born several centuries earlier.

If only the Star Luo Empire had developed soul tools earlier, perhaps things wouldn't have come to this.

Dai Hao looked at Huo Yuhao at the forefront of the enemy army, his expression dazed.

In that moment, Huo Yuhao felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity from the face of the person before him.

A strange shiver coursed through his heart.

The war was about to break out.

Huo Yuhao stood on the battlefield, with the Sun and Moon Army firmly surrounding the last of Star Luo Empire's defenders.

Dai Hao gazed at Huo Yuhao, already resigned to his death.

Huo Yuhao raised his right hand, and a cold, chilling aura enveloped the entire area.

"Stop! Yuhao! Please stop!"

A voice rang out from behind the army.

It was a clear, melodious female voice. To Huo Yuhao, it was unfamiliar, yet there was something about it that felt strangely familiar.

He turned his head and saw three figures rapidly approaching.

"You are... Wang Dong's sister?" Huo Yuhao's mind flashed back to eight years ago.

Wang Dong had mentioned that he had a sister.

As expected, they must be twins—it was uncanny.

"Idiot, I am Wang Dong!"

Wang Dong didn't elaborate on her background. Her beautiful eyes locked onto Huo Yuhao as she questioned, "Yuhao, are you really going to kill your father with your own hands?"

Huo Yuhao snapped out of his shock upon seeing the stunning woman before him, and his eyes hardened with cold resolve.

"He doesn't deserve to be my father."

No matter how stunned those around him were, Huo Yuhao's determination remained unshaken.

This man had killed his mother, and he would not let him go.

If he didn't want to take responsibility, then he should never have made promises to his mother in the first place.

His mother had waited for him until the very end—waiting for him to show up.

Instead, all she got was endless disappointment.

Huo Yuhao looked at the White Tiger Duke, whose face was filled with disbelief. His eyes held only murderous intent, with no trace of paternal affection.

Aside from their blood connection, there was no father-son bond between them.

After all, Huo Yuhao had never met his father.

What he had, instead, were years of resentment and hatred that had built up over time.

"She's not dead! Yuhao, your mother isn't dead! Stop, please!"

Huo Yuhao sharply turned his head, looking at Wang Dong.

What are you talking about?

I personally buried my mother—are you telling me she's still alive?

Even though his mind was clear, a glimmer of hope still flickered in Huo Yuhao's heart. How desperately he wished Wang Dong was telling the truth.

She couldn't be just saying this in desperation, could she?

Wang Dong looked at Huo Yuhao, her expression conflicted. After a brief pause, she finally decided to reveal the truth.

"Yuhao, your mother is alive. She's still living. That's all I can say for now."

As she spoke, a trident mark flashed on her forehead, and a strange wave of energy spread out.

Huo Yuhao's gaze fell on the mark on Wang Dong's forehead as he processed her words.

His expression grew colder.

I understand!

Now I understand everything!

An overwhelming wave of hatred, even greater than what he had felt for Dai Hao, surged within Huo Yuhao.

It was all a scheme.

Everything had been a plot.

It was all a manipulation.

Everything had been a manipulation.

"Yu Ge, no wonder you told me I was suited for order," Huo Yuhao finally understood in that moment why he was so aligned with order.

Although he had gained many insights into order, he had never been able to figure out which part of his abilities were truly connected to it.

Su Yu had found his connection through reincarnation and wisdom, but Huo Yuhao's connection with order had always remained a mystery to him.

"Once a god, one must not interfere with the lower realms!"

This was the law of order.

Yet it had been broken.

And that had altered his fate.

Huo Yuhao recalled the day he left the Duke's mansion alone, just before entering the Star Dou Forest, when he happened to meet Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

Entering Tang Sect, entering Shrek Academy — every step seemed to follow a meticulously designed script.

"What suited me was the Main Sect, the Ming De Hall, not Shrek or Tang Sect. Yet, I entered Shrek first and joined Tang Sect."

"Yuhao, your mother is still alive. I'm certain of it. She's still alive. Please don't act impulsively. I don't think your mother would want to see her son personally kill his biological father," Wang Dong said.

The hesitation in the Marshal's eyes was evident, and Huo Feng, leader of the Fire Phoenix Soul Master team, looked like she wanted to strike Wang Dong down.

However, the two imposing figures beside Wang Dong exuded such overwhelming energy that even Huo Yuhao felt the difference between them was minimal.

"Mother is still alive."

No matter why she survived or where she was now, Huo Yuhao knew that Wang Dong's words had some truth.

"Mother wouldn't want to see me kill him."

"But what about Orange? How do I explain to her?"

---

Far North...

Boom!

The battle had reached its final stages.

The Du Busi with nine soul rings radiated a brilliant golden glow.

The golden light emitted an overwhelming, primal force.

It was as if a fierce ancient beast was awakening, about to unleash its fury.

The Emperor Tian suddenly turned toward the source of the power.

Gu Yuena frowned, feeling an innate aversion to the energy emanating from Du Busi.

Su Yu curiously watched Du Busi.

"That's an immense bloodline power."

Du Busi's soul rings had completely merged with his bloodline and spiritual rings. The nine rings now emitted golden light, signifying the eruption of his bloodline strength.

This bloodline power was comparable to that of the True Dragon and Phoenix.

At the same time, Su Yu's Ice Fire Dragon King bloodline seemed to instinctively resist this aura.

"What kind of bloodline is this?" Su Yu asked in curiosity.

"The Bloodline of the Bǐméng Clan," Gu Yuena explained.

Bǐméng?

Su Yu's mind raced.

Is this the same Bǐméng from my knowledge?

"The Bǐméng Clan, who specialize in hunting dragons for food, was eradicated during the Dragon God era. I never expected one of them could still possess their bloodline."

Su Yu quickly realized that the presence of this bloodline was what made his own dragon bloodline react so violently.

It was unsettling to think that there existed a race that hunted dragons in this world, when the dragon race was once the pinnacle of all species.

The Bǐméng Clan had been completely wiped out in the Dragon God era.

---

On the battlefield...

Du Busi's power exploded. With the support of the Bǐméng bloodline, he became like a primordial beast, unleashing ferocity with a punch that gravely injured Zhong Li Wu.

At the same time, the Dark Saint Dragon, Long Xiaoyao, was affected by the Bǐméng bloodline and was suppressed by Jing Hongchen, who seized the opportunity.

(End of Chapter)