Jin Xi, who had been watching his transformation and Soul Spirit integration with a fierce, protective intensity, took a step forward. Her ruby eyes, usually dancing with mischief, were wide with a genuine, startled awe.
"Yuhao… your eyes…" she whispered, her voice losing its usual teasing lilt.
Xue Nu, serene and observant, nodded in agreement. "They have changed. There is a new light within them. A different kind of power."
Huo Yuhao blinked, trying to focus. He was aware of the change, the internal shift of his Purple Demon Eye and the Second Awakening of his Spirit Eyes, but he had not yet seen the physical manifestation.
Jin Xi didn't wait for him to find a reflective surface. She moved with a fluid, feline grace, closing the distance between them in an instant. She cupped his face in her hands, her slender fingers cool against his skin, tilting his head up so she could get a better look. Her own breathtakingly beautiful face was now mere inches from his, her warm, sweet breath ghosting across his lips.
Huo Yuhao's mind, which had just calmly weathered a storm of soul-altering power, promptly short-circuited. His cheeks flared with a heat that had nothing to do with the nearby Yang spring. His heart, which had remained steady through the agony of his breakthrough, began to hammer against his ribs like a trapped bird.
"So pretty…" Jin Xi murmured, her ruby eyes tracing the new patterns in his. "They were a deep, beautiful blue before, like a midnight sky. But now…"
She leaned even closer, her gaze intense. "This one," she said, her thumb gently brushing just below his right eye, "is still a deep, dark black, but it has a hint of purple, like a storm cloud at twilight. And this one," her other thumb traced the edge of his left eye, "is a beautiful, royal purple, like the heart of a thunderhead. You look even better than before, my little Yuhao. More mysterious."
Her proximity, her scent, her soft, admiring words… it was an assault on his senses more overwhelming than any battle. He felt his ears burning, and he couldn't seem to remember how to breathe properly.
"Xi'er…" he stammered, his voice barely a squeak. "You're… you're too close."
She just laughed, a low, throaty sound that vibrated through her hands and into his skin. "Nonsense. How else am I to properly admire my craftsman's new features?" She then activated her own Soul Power, a faint golden light shining from her own eyes. "Now, show me. Activate them."
Huo Yuhao, trapped in her gentle grasp, had no choice. He took a shaky breath and activated his Spirit Eyes. The change was instantaneous. His right eye, the one that had been black, now shone with a deep, regal purple. And his left eye, the one that was purple, erupted with a brilliant, shimmering gold. It was a mismatched, otherworldly, and utterly captivating gaze.
"Oh, that's even better," Jin Xi declared with a satisfied hum. "One purple, one gold. It gives you an air of divine, handsome imbalance. Very appealing."
She finally released him, giving his cheek a final, possessive pat. Huo Yuhao stumbled back a step, his mind reeling, desperately trying to regain his composure.
Xue Nu watched the exchange with a serene, analytical amusement. "While your aesthetic assessment is… thorough, Jin Xi," she said, her calm voice cutting through Huo Yuhao's flustered state. "I sense more than just a change in color. There is a new, latent power within them, Yuhao. A deeper structure. I do not understand its nature, but it feels more potent."
Huo Yuhao nodded, grateful for the change in subject. "It was a Second Awakening of my Martial Soul. It has… enhanced my perceptive abilities."
He cleared his throat, trying to regain a semblance of control over the situation. He looked at Xue Nu, his expression now serious and focused. "Now, it is your turn, Xue Nu. You should consume your herb."
He gestured to the Frost Heart Lotus, which sat patiently on a large leaf, its crystalline petals shimmering with a pure, cold light. Xue Nu nodded, her expression turning from one of curious observation to quiet, focused resolve.
Huo Yuhao then turned to Jin Xi. "And you, Xi'er. You have a final fortune to claim." He looked towards the spot where the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum had dissolved, where a single, ethereal object now lay.
It was a Soul Bone. It was the shape of a left arm bone, but it was not made of bone. It was sculpted from a translucent, sky-blue crystal that seemed to hum with the same gentle, healing life force as the flower it had come from.
Jin Xi had noticed it the moment it appeared, her draconic senses drawn to the potent treasure, but she had patiently waited for the right moment.
"I was wondering when you'd mention that," she said, a greedy, excited grin spreading across her face. "It's about time I added another piece to my collection."
Huo Yuhao smiled, then looked down at his own harvest. The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass had also left behind a Soul Bone—a right leg bone, carved from a similar, crystalline ice, but radiating a much sharper, more aggressive cold. He carefully picked it up and placed it into his storage ring. He would absorb it later, when his body had fully acclimated to its recent, explosive growth. After all, there was still much of the leftover energy of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
For now, he stood as a guardian.
Jin Xi was the first to begin her absorption. She sat down, her expression one of eager anticipation, and picked up the crystalline arm bone. The moment she touched it, a wave of pure, gentle, and profoundly compatible energy flowed into her. The bone dissolved into a stream of sky-blue light and merged seamlessly with her own left arm.
The process was smooth, comfortable, a perfect harmony between the beast and its new power. The Chrysanthemum, now her Soul Spirit, resonated with the bone's essence, and her newly acquired seventh Soul Ring began to glow with a brilliant, life-giving light.
The absorption was swift. When it was complete, two new, potent abilities bloomed in her mind.
The first was a defensive skill, the Velvet Shield of Life. She could summon a tough, resilient shield of condensed life force, capable of absorbing both physical and energy-based attacks.
It was the perfect complement to her Golden Dragon Body, a shield of pure vitality to back up her shield of pure strength.
The second skill was a control-type ability, the Chrysanthemum's Binding Pollen. She could release a cloud of beautiful, shimmering, sky-blue pollen.
Any enemy caught within it would find their movements growing sluggish, their Soul Power becoming stagnant, their senses dulled by a gentle, irresistible drowsiness.
It was a subtle, elegant, and incredibly effective method of battlefield control.
But the greatest benefit was the final surge of pure, refined energy from the bone. It washed through her, purifying her meridians even further—an echo of the benefit her Soul Spirit had already provided—and bolstering her Soul Power. Her cultivation, which had settled at Rank 74, surged once more. 75, 76… it shot past the ranks with contemptuous ease, finally coming to a halt at the peak of Soul Rank 77.
She was now a high-rank Soul Sage, a powerhouse whose true combat ability likely rivaled that of an ordinary or even a high ranked Soul Douluo.
She opened her eyes, a dangerous, satisfied light gleaming within them. She flexed the fingers of her left hand, feeling the new, vibrant power thrumming within her. "Excellent," she purred.
Now, it was Xue Nu's turn. Her process was quieter, more internal. She sat before the Frost Heart Lotus, her serene face a mask of deep concentration. She did not eat the herb. Instead, she placed her hands over it, and a stream of her own pure, white Soul Power flowed out, enveloping the lotus.
The plant seemed to sigh in contentment, its petals unfurling. It dissolved, not into a torrent of energy, but into a cool, gentle mist of pure ice essence, which was then drawn into Xue Nu's body through her palms.
The energy did not surge. It seeped. It was a gentle, pervasive cold that flowed through her new human body, seeking out the lingering imperfections, the subtle dissonances between her ancient soul and her new mortal form. The transformation, while successful, had been a violent, abrupt process. The Frost Heart Lotus was the final, stabilizing balm.
A faint, silvery light began to glow from her skin. Her already flawless complexion seemed to gain a new, lustrous sheen, like moonlight on polished marble. Her silver hair seemed to grow brighter, each strand a filament of pure, captured starlight. Her human form was now in absolute, perfect harmony with her divine, icy soul.
This new stability unlocked the latent potential that had been held in check. The immense power of her Soul Douluo rank, which had been resting at Level 82, was now free to flow. It surged through her newly perfected meridians, climbing steadily, powerfully. 83… 84… with a final, serene pulse, it crested the final barrier, coming to a gentle stop at Soul Rank 85. She was now a mid-rank Soul Douluo, her control over her own immense power more absolute than ever before.
She opened her sky-blue eyes, and a single, cool, perfect snowflake seemed to drift from her eyelashes before dissipating. The serene calm on her face was now underscored by a new, unshakeable confidence. She was whole.
Huo Yuhao, watching his two companions achieve such profound breakthroughs, felt a deep, swelling pride in his heart. His pack was growing stronger. And it was all thanks to his own foresight, his own courage, his own willingness to seize the fortunes of this world.
It was then that a new, gruff voice echoed in his mind.
'Well, master. That was quite a show. These two ladies are not to be trifled with.'
He thinks a bit and enters his Spiritual Sea where he sees the spiritual form of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Star Anise, materialized ahead of him. His form was that of a stout, hardy-looking old man, his beard and hair made of what looked like spiky, frosted leaves. He looked around at the empty, barren valley with a look of profound satisfaction.
"Hah! Finally out of that boring garden!" he declared, his voice a cheerful, earthy rumble. He took a deep, spiritual breath of the clean northern air. "Ah, freedom! The sky, the wind, the feeling of not being rooted to one spot! It's even better than I imagined!"
His excited gaze then fell upon the ethereal, silent form of the Ice Empress, who had been observing the proceedings with her usual cold detachment. Star Anise's boisterous demeanor immediately shifted. He straightened up, puffed out his chest, and offered a deep, respectful bow.
"Greetings, Your Majesty, the Ice Empress," he said, his voice imbued with a genuine reverence. "It is an honor to be in your presence. I am Star Anise. It seems we will be comrades in the service of the young master here."
The Ice Empress turned her glacial golden eyes towards him. She gave him a slow, appraising look, and then, a single, curt nod of acknowledgement. For her, this was the equivalent of a warm welcome.
Star Anise beamed, pleased to have not been immediately frozen or dismissed. His curious gaze then drifted to another corner of Huo Yuhao's soul, where a faint, dim, crystalline light pulsed with a slow, sleepy rhythm.
"And who's that one, Your Majesty?" he asked, pointing a leafy finger at the resting form of Skydream. "He has a… familiar energy. Like a distant, powerful soul beast of the ice attribute. But he seems… very tired."
The Ice Empress glanced at the sleeping Skydream, and a flicker of something that might have been profound, bottomless contempt crossed her beautiful face.
"That," she said, her mental voice a perfectly chilled, dismissive whisper, "is a foolish, lucky, and incredibly noisy worm who happened to live for a very long time. He is a million-year-old Skydream Iceworm. And he is the young boy's first Soul Spirit."
Star Anise's jaw, which was made of frosted leaves, dropped open.
'A… a million… year… old… Soul… Spirit?' he stammered mentally, his gruff confidence completely shattered. He looked from the dim, sleeping worm to the powerful Ice Empress, then to the memory of the golden queen and her divine spear, and finally to the quiet, handsome boy who was their master.
A single, profound, and absolutely certain thought took root in his mind.
'By the sacred frost of my ninth strand… I have definitely made the right choice.'
Their work in the Sunset Forest was complete. The journey back to Heaven Dou City was a triumphant one, a quiet celebration of their newfound power.
They returned to the Jade Creek Manor, their peaceful, elegant sanctuary, and spent a full week in quiet consolidation, allowing their new abilities and soaring Soul Power to settle and stabilize.
Finally, on the morning of the eighth day, Huo Yuhao stood before them, dressed not in his traveling clothes, but in a simple, clean, and practical student's uniform he had purchased in the city.
"It's time," he announced, a quiet, determined fire in his new, mismatched eyes. "Today, I am going to the Imperial Mystical Academy."
The entrance to the Imperial Mystical Academy was an imposing, magnificent affair. Two colossal statues of armored, draconic warriors stood guard on either side of a great, arching gateway. The air itself seemed to hum with the contained power of generations of elite Soul Masters.
As it was not the official enrollment season, the gates were quiet. Huo Yuhao, looking for all the world like a lone, slightly lost traveler, approached the guards.
"I am here to request a private entrance examination," he said, his voice polite but firm.
The guards, seeing his youth, were about to dismiss him with a condescending laugh. But then, they felt it. A quiet, but undeniably potent, pressure emanating from the boy. He released a minuscule fraction of his Soul Power, just enough to show that he was not a child to be trifled with.
Their smirks vanished, replaced by a look of startled respect. One of them quickly scurried inside to fetch an examiner.
A few minutes later, a stern, white-bearded man in the robes of an academy elder emerged. He looked Huo Yuhao up and down, his eyes sharp and appraising. This was Elder Han, the head of the outer court's disciplinary committee.
"You wish for a private examination?" Elder Han said, his voice a low, skeptical rumble. "That is a privilege reserved for those of exceptional talent or circumstance. And what, may I ask, is your Soul Rank, boy?"
Huo Yuhao did not answer with words. With a calm focus, he unleashed his Soul Power.
One, two, three, four.
Four soul rings rose from beneath his feet, circling his body with a steady, potent light.
Elder Han's skeptical expression shattered, replaced by one of pure, dumbfounded shock. "Four rings?! A Soul Ancestor?! At your age?!"
The elder's mind reeled. To reach the rank of a Soul Ancestor before the age of twelve was a feat of monstrous, heaven-sent talent, the kind that appeared once a generation.
"Impossible…" he breathed. "Who are you, boy? What is your background? And what is your Martial Soul?"
Huo Yuaho looked at the stunned elder, a calm, practiced expression on his face. "My name is Huo Yuhao. As for my background…" He let out a soft, melancholic sigh, his eyes taking on a distant, sorrowful look.
"I have no sect, no clan. I was an orphan, raised by a reclusive hermit master in the remote mountains of the north. He was a powerful but eccentric man. He taught me everything I know. Sadly, he passed away from old age a few months ago. His final wish was for me to come out and see the world, to join a great academy and put the skills he taught me to good use."
The story was simple, tragic, and, most importantly, almost completely impossible to verify. It neatly explained his youth, his power, and his lack of any known affiliation.
Elder Han listened, his initial shock giving way to a dawning, greedy excitement. An unaffiliated genius! A monstrous talent, free for the taking!
"And your Martial Soul?" he pressed, his voice now eager.
Huo Yuhao smiled. He unleashed his second Martial Soul, the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress. The magnificent, ethereal form of the jade-green scorpion materialized behind him, its aura of Ultimate Ice instantly causing the temperature in front of the gate to plummet. The two guards shivered, their breath turning to frost.
For this demonstration, he used Skydream's Imitation skill to its full effect. His four soul rings appeared, but with a configuration designed to impress, but not to arouse suspicion of his true monstrous talent.
The first two rings were a respectable yellow. The second two were a deep, impressive purple. A perfect, classic, and highly talented Soul Ring configuration for a young genius.
But it was not the rings that made Elder Han's heart stop. It was the cold.
"That… that cold…" the elder stammered, his eyes wide with a look of pure, ecstatic disbelief. "That is the pressure of an Ultimate attribute! An Ultimate Ice Martial Soul!"
He stared at Huo Yuhao as if he were a living, breathing block of divine jade. An Ultimate attribute! A power that was the stuff of legends, a power that could allow one to dominate all others of the same element, a power that was the hallmark of a future god-tier powerhouse.
And this boy, this unaffiliated orphan, possessed it.
The elder's mind raced. He had to have him. He had to secure this talent for the academy, for the empire, before any other power, like the Shrek Academy or other Empire's academies, could get their hands on him.
"You're in!" Elder Han declared, his voice booming with a sudden, overwhelming enthusiasm. He strode forward and clapped Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, his earlier stern demeanor completely gone, replaced by the fawning excitement of a man who had just discovered a priceless treasure.
"Forget the rest of the examination! It is a mere formality! A boy with your talent is not a student to be tested, but a treasure to be welcomed with open arms! Welcome, Huo Yuhao! Welcome to the Imperial Mystical Academy!" He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"You will be placed in our core elite class immediately. You will have access to the finest resources, the best teachers, your own private cultivation chamber! Anything you need, anything at all, you have but to ask! We will ensure your journey here is a prosperous one!"
Huo Yuhao just smiled, a quiet, polite, and inwardly triumphant smile. He bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, Elder. I am honored."
His infiltration had begun. The first piece in his grand, long-term plan had just been perfectly, and effortlessly, set in place.