Chapter 47: Electrolux Awakens (Part 2)
Time flowed gently in the quiet. A faint gray luminescence began to materialize around Huo Yuhao's body. At first, the light was weak—like mist before the dawn—yet it carried an ancient aura that seemed to span across time and space. The glow swirled around him, as if countless fine runes were surfacing and sinking within it, radiating a soul-stirring pressure.
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao's body gave a violent shudder. His eyes flew open. To anyone watching, the sight was startling—his pupils had turned a deep, profound gray, within which stars seemed to glimmer and die and entire universes to be born. An indescribable majesty emanated from his frame, making even Furina, standing guard at his side, involuntarily hold her breath.
"This is..." Huo Yuhao felt the changes within his body with dazed bewilderment, his voice tinged with helpless confusion. "My spiritual sea..."
Just then, an ancient, gentle voice echoed leisurely within his mind. "I have slumbered long enough. It is time to awaken. Young one, my thanks to you for rousing me."
Huo Yuhao was shocked to discover, within his spiritual sea, the faint figure of an elderly man robed in gray. The old man's hair and beard were snow-white, yet his eyes—eyes that had witnessed the full sweep of the world's vicissitudes—shimmered with the light of profound wisdom. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, an aura of deep, reassuring calm radiating from his entire being.
"Y-you are...?" Huo Yuhao condensed a projection of himself in his spiritual sea and bowed respectfully.
The old man stroked his beard and chuckled lightly, his voice thick with emotion. "This old man's name is Electrolux. I come from another world. Due to certain... accidents, my divine consciousness was shattered, and one wisp of it found its way into your spiritual sea."
The words had barely settled when the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, unable to contain itself any longer, burst out in furious indignation. "Yuhao, this is the gray orb I told you about before! This old codger has been fighting me for territory all along! And I can't believe he just smashed through the seal I put on him like it was nothing!"
Electrolux, hearing this, cast a dismissive glance at Tianmeng. "Fighting you for territory? And just what are you, exactly? Nothing more than a fat, squirming meat-caterpillar. If this old man had more than a single wisp of a remnant soul left, I'd have turned you into compost long ago. Besides—you call that a seal? Far too crude. I could break out of it with a simple stretch."
"Bullshit!" The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm quivered with rage, its golden light flickering chaotically. "You think you can take me? Let's see who finishes off who! Don't think I can't tell—you're down to this one wisp of divine consciousness! You don't even have a shred of proper energy left!"
Electrolux let out a disdainful scoff, his tone carrying an almost imperious loftiness. "True enough—this old man does, indeed, have only a single wisp of divine consciousness remaining. But do you have any idea that the quality of this single wisp is far beyond what your million years of cultivation could ever hope to reach? Even shattered as my consciousness is, reduced to a mere fragment, you can do nothing to me."
He paused, then continued with deliberate slowness, as if savoring the words. "Think about it. Once this old man gradually recovers his shattered consciousness, retrieves all of his memories—what do you suppose will happen then? I shall take your plump, corpulent body between two fingers. And then, slowly, I shall squeeze. Pop. You will burst into paste, juices spraying everywhere."
"Y-you... you—!" The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was clearly no match for this sharp-tongued old man. Its ten orbs of golden light churned violently, but it couldn't manage a single complete sentence.
"Wh-what is going on here?!" Huo Yuhao stared, utterly dumbfounded, at the sudden quarrel that had erupted out of nowhere. His head felt ready to split in two. How had his spiritual sea become so... lively in the span of a few moments?
When Electrolux turned back toward Huo Yuhao, his tone instantly gentled. "Young one, I originally did not belong to this world. From what I can piece together in my memories, it seems that in my dying moments, I relied upon formidable soul power to tear open space itself, allowing this single wisp of divine consciousness to barely escape destruction and drift into your world."
His voice grew distant as he recalled that time. "It just so happened that this great worm was fusing with you, producing intense energy fluctuations that drew me in as well. And so, this homeless wisp of divine consciousness found temporary lodging in your spiritual sea."
Seeing the worry clouding Huo Yuhao's face, Electrolux added reassuringly, "Rest easy. I bear you no ill will. My divine consciousness is weak right now and depends upon your spiritual sea for nourishment and recovery. I would naturally never do anything to harm you."
He sensed the energy still circulating within the spiritual sea, and a note of pleased surprise crept into his voice. "That immortal herb you absorbed just now—it seems to have a tremendous nourishing effect upon the soul. Not only did it awaken this wisp of divine consciousness, but it also restored a fair measure of my strength... If more could be obtained, it would be of great benefit to the recovery of my memories."
Electrolux fell silent for a moment, as if struggling to recall something. "My memories are still very fragmented at present. I recall only a single line: 'Hand that grasps the sun and moon, plucks the very stars—in all the world, there is none such as I'..."
Huo Yuhao shook his head with a rueful smile. "That immortal herb was a gift from Sister Furina. If you wish for more, Venerable Elder, I'm afraid you would have to ask her."
"Furina?" Electrolux's brow arched with interest. "That young lady outside?"
Just then, Electrolux's eyes suddenly brightened. "Wait. I recall something else. I am Electrolux—the Holy Necromancer Electrolux. I come from another world. A man... who refused to become a god."
"Refused to become a god?!" The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm couldn't help butting in. "Are you joking? Who in this world would ever refuse to become a god?"
Electrolux cast Tianmeng a flat, indifferent glance, his voice perfectly even. "Great worm, this old man has no leisure for jokes with you. In the world I came from, becoming a god meant you had to shed your physical body and merge with the fundamental laws of heaven and earth, extinguishing your self-awareness to become one with all creation. In its essence... it was a form of death."
He turned back to Tianmeng and asked, his tone laden with meaning, "Tell me then—if it were you, would you be willing to become a god in such a manner?"
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was struck speechless. It sought godhood for eternal life—to be with its beloved forever. Why would it ever choose a form of "godhood" like that? It shook its head honestly. "No. I wouldn't."
"There you have it, then." Electrolux smiled faintly. "Every world has its own rules. One cannot make sweeping judgments across them."
He turned his attention back to Huo Yuhao, his expression growing solemn. "Though my memories are not yet fully restored, I still retain command of certain unique abilities. Once I have absorbed sufficient spiritual energy and recovered more of my memories—I can teach you some skills! Consider it payment for residing in your spiritual sea and absorbing the medicinal power of that herb just now."
Huo Yuhao immediately bowed with deep respect. "Then I thank you, Venerable Elder."
"No need for excessive ceremony." Electrolux waved a dismissive hand. "Go out for now. That young lady outside seems quite concerned about your condition."
"Alright."
In the physical world, Furina had been anxiously observing the changes in Huo Yuhao. When she caught the flash of gray light in his eyes, the heart she'd been holding suspended finally settled. That deep, profound gray. That ancient, primordial aura. There was no mistaking what they proclaimed—
"It worked... Electrolux has finally awakened."
Just then, Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. Something was different now. A depth beyond words had been added to those eyes. Though the change was fleeting, Furina's sharp perception caught it in an instant.
"How do you feel, Yuhao?" Furina stepped forward with concern, studying the young man carefully.
Huo Yuhao rubbed at his still slightly throbbing temples, his voice carrying a note of the surreal. "Sister Furina, my spiritual sea has gotten a lot livelier. Besides Brother Tianmeng, there's now an old gentleman who calls himself Electrolux. He says it was the immortal herb you gave me that awakened him."
"Has it caused you any harm?" Furina pressed, feigning ignorance, her eyes perfectly mirroring the appropriate measure of worry.
Huo Yuhao quickly shook his head. "It shouldn't be harmful. The old gentleman said that once he remembers more, he'll teach me some skills—as payment for staying in my spiritual sea."
Only then did Furina let a reassuring smile bloom across her face. She patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder lightly. "Isn't that wonderful? Now you have yet another teacher to guide you."
"Yes." Huo Yuhao smiled as well, though a touch of hesitation crept in. "But... Brother Tianmeng and the old gentleman don't seem to get along very well..."
"You needn't worry about that." Furina couldn't suppress a laugh. "A little friction between the strong is only natural. What matters is that they're both willing to help you grow. That's enough."
She gazed out the window, her eyes seeming to pierce through time and space toward some distant future. "With these two teachers guiding you, and your own hard work on top—I believe it won't be long before you carve out your own place in this world."
Huo Yuhao followed her gaze. Beyond the window, the dawn light was perfect, golden sunshine spilling across the land. He clenched his fists, a steadfast light blazing in his eyes.
"I'll give it everything I have, Sister Furina. For my mother. And for everyone who cares about me."
Within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, Electrolux quietly sensed everything occurring in the outside world. When he heard the young man's vow, a gratified smile spread across his aged features.
"An interesting boy. And an even more interesting young lady..." He murmured to himself. "This world is far more fascinating than I imagined."
And in another corner of the spiritual sea, although the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was still sulking, even it had to admit: with Electrolux joining them, Huo Yuhao's future now held far more possibilities.
"Fine, fine. For Yuhao's sake..." Tianmeng grumbled, the ten orbs of golden light slowly settling back into calm.
A new ray of dawn was quietly shining into the trajectory of this young man's fate. And what none of them knew was this: this chance encounter would, one day in the future, alter the very格局 of the entire world.