"Hehehe, little auspicious beast, you can't escape! Just let me devour you!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion ignored the approaching danger. With a low roar, it turned its head and fired a rose-gold beam before accelerating its retreat.
At first, it had believed this Dark Demon Evil God Tiger to be a rare opponent among soul beasts under 100,000 years—one it could slaughter at will.
Never did it expect this monstrous Dark Demon Evil God Tiger to snap it back to reality in a single move.
'Meow.'
Di Tian was right—the world beyond the Lake of Life was far too dangerous.
It wasn't that the lion hadn't considered calling for help from the ferocious beasts, but the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger gave it no chance. That vile, bone-piercing aura was utterly suffocating.
"Struggling is pointless!"
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger smirked triumphantly, sidestepping the rose-gold beam before erupting in dark energy. In an instant, it closed the distance.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion felt a chilling gust sweep past its face as the air around it twisted violently.
The next moment, the warped Evil God Hook was already within reach—its razor-sharp tip aimed straight for the lion's third eye, poised to destroy its greatest weapon.
Simultaneously, the reverse scale on the auspicious beast faintly activated.
For a brief moment, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger seemed to slow.
Then, a flash of blue light whisked the auspicious beast away from the battlefield.
Huo Yuhao quietly stabilized the spatial fluctuations triggered by the Black Dragon Reverse Scale on the auspicious beast, shielding it behind him.
'Too close.'
The auspicious beast had nearly been teleported away.
But against a spatial-attribute beast like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, mere residual spatial energy might not have been enough. Most likely, it would have misfired—just as Huo Yuhao's own long-range teleportation had moments ago.
He hadn't arrived at the worst possible time due to some curse.
No, this was his first attempt at such long-distance teleportation, and his coordinates had been slightly off—sending him deep underground instead.
Fortunately, his skills were sharp.
Harnessing the God's Power: Space, he quickly resurfaced and rushed to the battlefield without pause.
From afar, he spotted the tiger in pursuit. Without hesitation, he intervened.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's sure-kill strike had been countered by Huo Yuhao's second awakened ability—Reverse Time: Deceleration.
His left eye flashed, slowing time.
Simultaneously, he activated Reverse Time: Moment, accelerating himself to snatch the auspicious beast to safety.
"Are you alright, Qiu—er, Auspicious Beast?"
Still dazed, the Auspicious Beast had no time for reunion. "Yuhao, run! It's after me—I still have life-saving measures to buy time!"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Too late."
The time deceleration's effect on the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had already broken.
Not that Huo Yuhao couldn't sustain it—he could always "krypton life," after all.
But the gap in soul power was undeniable.
Worse, the tiger had time-attribute resistance.
If Huo Yuhao were a Titled Douluo with a fully awakened Spirit Eye, he could've locked the beast in perpetual stasis.
But if didn't exist.
A direct confrontation was inevitable.
And his fifth soul ring was still unclaimed.
The next moment—A gray evil domain descended, shrouding hundreds of meters in darkness as if plunging them into eternal night.
Domain Skill.
Upon reaching 100,000 years, soul beasts naturally awakened domains—top-tier beasts even surpassed Title Douluo in this regard.
Unlike pure offensive domains like the Everfreeze, high-bloodline beasts could tailor their domains to amplify themselves, weaken foes, and impose restrictions—akin to Huo Yuhao's dual innate domains.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's domain was no exception.
With a thunderous impact, the beast landed, shaking the earth.
Its gaze flicked to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion before settling on Huo Yuhao.
'Hmm? Another fool seeking death?'
'A double blessing.'
'Perhaps the long-vacant Evil God's throne awaits me!'
Baring its fangs, the tiger grinned. The soul master before it smelled just as tantalizing as the auspicious beast—no, even more so.
Devouring this human promised immense gains.
Huo Yuhao raised his right hand.
The Ice Empress's Sword materialized at his side. Twin martial souls fused, six soul rings pulsing steadily behind him—yet his aura remained perfectly restrained.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's bloodshot eyes gleamed with scorn.
It had fought humans before, always challenging stronger foes—a hundred-year against a thousand, a thousand against ten thousand. Now, the tables had turned.
But even a lion must go all-out against a rabbit.
Cautious by nature, the tiger never underestimated prey.
Its roar shook the heavens as its aura surged, gray evil energy spreading like frost. With each step, vegetation withered, the forest's temperature plummeting into a sinister chill.
Yet no one could've predicted—Huo Yuhao had already begun his Imitation, feigning weakness.
As the Spacetime Realm of Spirit Eyes unfolded, his right eye flared.
God's Power: Space descended, crushing the Dark Demon Domain and sealing the tiger's spatial abilities.
'Now—time to discipline this overgrown kitten.'
Though Huo Yuhao couldn't sustain dual domains yet, mobility sealed, his next move was inevitable.
"First Soul Skill: Ice Empress's Pincer!''
The Ice Empress's Sword gleamed, its edge so sharp space itself seemed to fracture. Even the Ice Empress in his spiritual sea marveled:
"Yuhao's swordplay nears Xue'er's level."
Indeed, his ice-body's soul skill was inspired by the original Emperor Sword, forged with the Ice Empress's aid.
Meanwhile, the once-arrogant Dark Demon Evil God Tiger trembled.
Instinctively, it conjured a shield of evil energy.
Who could've known?
It had learned from the foolish tiger slain in the Star Dou Forest. It had endured, bided its time—survival meant infinite possibilities.
Yet now, it couldn't even flee.
No thunderous clash followed.
The ice-blue swordlight flashed—a dreamlike arc that severed space itself.
The blade passed cleanly through the tiger's torso, frost spreading from the bisected halves.
All its ambitions were buried beneath that glacial gleam.
…
After storing the carcass and soul ring in God's Power: Space, Huo Yuhao gently rested a hand on the Auspicious Beast's head, stroking its lustrous golden fur.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion didn't resist.
Already fond of Huo Yuhao since their first meeting over grilled fish, now it owed him its life.
And the pets… were addictively soothing.
'No wonder people kept animals in my past life. This beats Sese any day.'
With the Eyes of Life active, the Life Energy's effect was stronger than ever. Mere contact eased his weary mind.
The lion, too, purred contentedly.
"Yuhao, you've grown so strong! Thank you!" It tilted its head. "Has it really been that long?"
"For me, it has," Huo Yuhao sighed.
"We beasts repay debts. Name your need."
"Well…" He hesitated. "Nothing, really."
His fifth ring was secured. Asking for attribute guidance now felt like swindling a child.
"Oh?"
Suddenly, the lion pinned him down.
"I know about the attribute guidance!"
"So—what do you want?"
Huo Yuhao didn't resist but inwardly groaned.
'How does it know? Did Xuan Zi leak it during the Scarlet King fight?'
Before he could ponder, the lion's golden eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Let me see!"
It had to know—why did Huo Yuhao share its aura? Why was he so compelling? So strong?
And that unfinished story… What lay beyond the Star Dou Forest?
Decision made, it pressed its third eye to Huo Yuhao's forehead.
He smiled.
'The plan worked.'
Or rather, fate had chosen.)
Golden light erupted as memories flooded both minds—Huo Yuhao focused on his Eyes of Life's evolution, wary of external threats.
Two destinies collided, resonating, merging—his spiritual sea expanding, his eyes transforming.
Opportunity… and peril.
…
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy…
In a classroom miles away, Wang Dong'er frowned. Golden light flickered in her eyes as a strange discomfort gripped her.
Something felt… taken.
Yet the sensation vanished as quickly as it came.
…
Star Dou Forest
Huo Yuhao's vigilance spiked.
With Electrolux, Skydream, and the Ice Empress's aid, they'd woven a spiritual barrier.
Just in time.
A blue-gold light tore through space, hammering against their defenses—desperate to reach the Auspicious Beast.
"Leave the rest to me, Disciple."
Electrolux's voice was calm.
Though a mere wisp of consciousness couldn't match Tang San's full might, this was just a fragment.
Huo Yuhao almost felt insulted. Had he overprepared?
With Electrolux's soul blades, the blue-gold consciousness shattered instantly.
A ripple in the void—a faint scream—then silence.
...
It happened in an instant.
Though Huo Yuhao's mental barrier was eventually shattered by the Sea God's consciousness, its purpose had already been fulfilled.
It was Electrolux who had truly won the battle of consciousness.
After all, if this were purely a contest of souls, even ten thousand Tang Sans combined would be no match for Electrolux.
Not to mention, Huo Yuhao's body was already extraordinarily powerful, allowing the Electrolux, to unleash combat prowess far beyond his current level.
He saw the blue-gold Sea God's consciousness tremble violently, like a frightened rabbit, before fleeing in panic.
It was defeated!
Yet, it was only for a moment.
The mental barrier, which had originally restricted the consciousness from entering the auspicious beast's body, was swiftly repaired under the glow of gray light. It coiled back into a spherical shield, trapping the Sea God's consciousness inside.
This time, no matter how fiercely the blue-gold divine consciousness rammed against it, the barrier remained unshaken.
Even wielding the power of space became a luxury.
Because Huo Yuhao had quietly activated God's Power: Space Suppression.
Under the dual restraints of the Space-Time Domain and God's Power: Space, even divine consciousness had to expend great effort to manipulate spatial energy for escape.
And now, there was no time left.
This move—a perfect collaboration between him and Electrolux—was nothing short of trapping a turtle in a jar!
From the moment the Sea God's consciousness appeared to now, less than a minute had passed.
By this point, Huo Yuhao's purple-gold Spirit Eyes had already taken on a deathly gray hue. Once more, he chanted an incantation.
A gray beam infused with the power of annihilation relentlessly assailed the Sea God's consciousness.
In mere seconds, the blue-gold divine consciousness teetered on the verge of collapse.
However, neither of them expected what happened next.
Suddenly, the blue-gold divine consciousness condensed violently, its edges twisting like a flickering candle before erupting in a dazzling burst of light.
The flames of divine consciousness expanded abruptly, bursting forth with radiant brilliance—like a falling star, breathtaking yet tragic.
An invisible explosion erupted within the divine consciousness barrier.
In that instant, the remnants of the Sea God's consciousness—along with the fragment of Tang Wutong's soul contained within—vanished into nothingness.
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Fortunately, Electrolux's divine consciousness barrier was sturdy.
Otherwise, both he and the auspicious beast might have been caught in the backlash of this self-destructive strike.
'How ruthless.'
They say even tigers spare their mates.
Huo Yuhao never imagined it would end like this.
'Was this to prevent information leakage?'
There was no need for that.
He had no interest in Tang Wutong's soul fragment to begin with.
At most, he might have taken her along just to provoke Tang... Xiao Wu.
"Madam, you don't seem the type, do you?"
Now, it seemed even that was impossible.
Auspicious Beast: "What's all this noise? You scared me!"
To ordinary soul masters, the blue-gold consciousness was invisible.
Huo Yuhao could perceive it thanks to his Spirit Eyes, while Auspicious Beast relied on the third eye on her forehead.
Just moments ago, she had been immersed in the memories Huo Yuhao had shared with her—witnessing how he had been bullied in the Duke's Mansion, how his mother had fallen ill from overwork and passed away soon after.
Tears of sympathy had welled in her eyes.
'So this was Huo Yuhao's tragic past...'
'Then… I shouldn't bully this poor young man anymore!'
He had ventured alone into the Star Dou Forest to obtain a soul ring, where he met the Silkworm and the old man with the remnant soul...
Before she could delve deeper into his memories, a deadly threat suddenly surged through her body.
Through the Eye of Destiny, Auspicious Beast saw it—a malicious blue-gold light hurtling toward her, carrying within it a slumbering soul.
Danger!
The Power of Destiny screamed warnings at her.
Thankfully, Huo Yuhao intervened, driving the danger away.
What overwhelming security he provided.
And so, the attribute fusion resumed.
Once Huo Yuhao regained control of his body, he made a startling discovery.
Electrolux's home was gone!
To be precise, Electrolux could no longer return to the second sea of consciousness.
The Eye of Life, which had symbolized the second sea of consciousness, had now transformed into a brilliant gold, repelling the Knife of Life Watch within it.
Instead, it fused with Huo Yuhao's Time and Space Demon Eye's soul bone, forming the true third eye—the Eye of Destiny!
At the same time, as his main martial soul underwent its second awakening, the Eye of Destiny awakened its corresponding innate ability:
"Destiny."
From it, a series of skills emerged:
The left eye, Reverse Time—commanding time.
The right eye, God's Power—commanding space.
The third eye, Destiny—commanding fate itself.
"Such an overwhelming force of destiny… Truly, a beast born for this era."
After the battle with the Sea God's consciousness, Electrolux now understood the origins of the three destiny auras within Huo Yuhao's body—aside from the Gu worms, the other two were the Three-Eyed Golden Lion (Auspicious Beast) and the Sea God's consciousness from earlier.
Huo Yuhao's concerns had been justified.
This unknown god-level entity had indeed targeted his disciple—and its intentions were far from benevolent!
But after this battle, Electrolux believed the other party had likely lost its chance.
After all, as Huo Yuhao had said, due to certain surface-world restrictions, higher gods could not openly interfere with the mortal realm.
Huo Yuhao now had ample time to grow stronger.
Settling back into the Spiritual Sea, Electrolux continued:
"Yuhao, your Power of Destiny has flourished, occupying the second sea of consciousness. This power has also enhanced and expanded your spiritual sea—you'll gradually experience its benefits."
"From now on, your third eye shall be called: Eye of Destiny. It grants you dominion over fate itself. You can now attempt to completely conceal your Power of Destiny."
"Understood. I'll try."
Huo Yuhao nodded and immediately began his attempt.
Just as Electrolux had predicted, the moment Huo Yuhao willed it, everything vanished without a trace.
Whether it was the fluctuations of his life force, his soul power, his spiritual power, or even the Power of Destiny that had drawn the gods' attention—all of it disappeared.
Destiny-God Hiding!
…
God Realm – Sea God Temple
Soft halos shimmered amidst the sea of clouds.
A grand temple stood atop the heavens, radiating majesty—this was the Sea God Temple.
Within one of its core chambers, a blue aura flowed like liquid, as though embodying the very laws of the ocean.
A handsome man with long aqua-blue hair and blue-gold robe stood within. The deep purple glints in his eyes seemed to contain infinite wisdom.
This was Tang San, one of the Three Great Law Enforcers of the God Realm—the Sea God.
At this moment, his right hand rested upon a massive trident in the room, divine power pulsing from it.
This was an artifact left behind by the previous Sea God, primarily used to collect faith power from the mortal world.
It also served as a secondary divine tool, allowing him to bypass the God Realm's central oversight and manipulate forces below.
Though his earlier observation of the Son of Luck had deviated from his plans—with the rising star failing to join the Tang Sect—Tang San remained composed.
Afterward, he was shocked to discover that his connection with Douluo Continent had grown faint, to the point where he could no longer observe the Son of Luck.
But it didn't matter.
The ever-resourceful Tang San did not panic.
First, he temporarily sealed Xiao Qi's consciousness.
"To resist external threats, one must first stabilize the interior."
Then, after nearly a day of meticulous testing, he confirmed that no variables had emerged in the God Realm beyond his plans.
Only then did he reactivate the hidden mechanism he had left in the Haotian Sect.
With this secondary artifact, Tang San re-established his connection with Douluo Continent and resumed his covert surveillance.
Though nearly a year had passed in the mortal world, everything was still proceeding as intended.
The Son of Luck had indeed joined Shrek Academy and formed a deep bond with Xiao Qi.
"Huo Yuhao… You cannot escape!"
Just as Tang San was contemplating when to hint at Xiao Qi—via her consciousness—to lead Huo Yuhao to the Haotian Sect…
An unmissable opportunity arose.
It was the moment of attribute resonance between Huo Yuhao and the auspicious beast.
At the intersection of their destinies, it was the perfect time to initiate a soul transfer!
By implanting a fragment of Xiao Qi's main soul into the auspicious beast's body, it could stealthily devour the beast's soul and complete the possession.
Without hesitation, Tang San went all-in.
Yet now, through the artifact's feedback…
'It had failed?!'
Worse still, even with the artifact and the Haotian Sect's hidden mechanism, he could no longer sense the Son of Luck's presence via the Power of Destiny.
Even the auspicious beast's aura had vanished without a trace.
"What the hell?!"
A sense of loss of control surged within him.
But unlike yesterday's near-breakdown, Tang San calmly analyzed the source of these anomalies.
After all, no one in the God Realm had noticed his maneuvers—not even the ever-suspicious God of Destruction, who remained oblivious.
If God of Destruction had known, he wouldn't have schemed—he'd have attacked outright.
'Could the enemy be in Douluo Continent?'
At Tang San's level, he knew the Douluo Plane possessed its own will.
He also suspected that the previous interruption in observing the Son of Luck was likely the plane's intervention.
But the resistance of a plane's will was limited.
At most, it could obscure the Son of Luck's traces—it could not contend with him directly, especially with the artifact's advantage!
'Was it the remnant soul aiding the Son of Luck?'
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
That was a God King-level consciousness—no non-godly force could withstand it, let alone force it to self-destruct.
Tang San felt no regret over the loss of this consciousness.
He could always order Da Ming and Er Ming to summon Xiao Qi back to the sect and create another backup.
As for the fragment of Xiao Qi's main soul within it…
True, it would be difficult to regenerate.
But Tang San still held the majority of her soul. It wasn't a fatal loss—just a bit more suffering for Xiao Qi.
"These are necessary sacrifices."
As the saying goes: "No rainbow without rain."
A fledgling must learn to fly before it can soar.
Even his own daughter was no exception—if anything, because she was his daughter, she needed this tempering more.
"But… why did it turn out like this?"
Tang San frowned, murmuring softly.
Who could have forced his consciousness to such extremes?
God-level power was invincible in Douluo Continent.
Moreover, if a new god-level force emerged, the God Realm would have detected it…
'Wait.'
What if a god-level power had been hiding in Douluo Continent all along?
Tang San recalled the God Realm's war with the soul beasts, as revealed by the former Asura God, and the splitting of the Dragon God.
Given that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was the Emperor's Auspicious Beast, and that he had long since marked its aura via the God Realm's central hub…
He had even discovered traces of the Golden Dragon King's bloodline within it, which he had planned to seize…
A flash of insight struck him.
There was only one explanation.
When the Dragon God split, the Golden Dragon King was sealed in the God Realm by the former Asura God and his allies, while the other half—the Silver Dragon King—had fled and hidden in Douluo Continent's Star Dou Great Forest!
The more Tang San thought, the clearer it became.
Though he held the titles of Sea God and Asura God, the other gods privately referred to him as the God of Wisdom.
Wisdom was his true weapon.
How many times had he defeated the strong as the weak?
How many times had he turned the tides through strategy?
All of it was thanks to his wisdom.
One could say the greatest skill he had learned from his teacher was not strength, but cunning.
And he had surpassed his teacher.
His rise to God King was built upon his unparalleled intellect!
As the Silver Dragon King's identity surfaced, everything fell into place.
"No wonder so many beasts hid in the Lake of Life ten thousand years ago, refusing to act even when Bibi Dong attacked their lair."
"So it was the Silver Dragon King restraining them!"
Though this operation had failed, obtaining such critical intelligence made it worthwhile.
A scheming smile returned to Tang San's face—yet his eyes had turned icy.
"These untamed soul beasts still dare to covet the God Realm's throne?"
"Damn Silver Dragon King… You've signed your own death warrant."
"It seems the Ten Thousand Year Plan must be accelerated."
Originally, he had hesitated over whether to let his mother, Ah Yin, replace the Douluo Plane's core to ensure its better development."
Now, there was no need for hesitation.
Whether it was to eliminate this defiant plane will, to tighten his control over Douluo Continent, or to ensure his daughter's safety…
He would act without mercy.
However, he had to be wary of God of Destruction's recent suspicions.
After yesterday's probing, the God of Destruction had grown increasingly vigilant.
If caught, the consequences would be dire.
"I must find the right moment to send Mother to Douluo Continent…"
…
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