Another year and a half later, in the southern part of the Heavenly Soul Empire: the Sealing Demon Forest.
This was a small-scale Soul Beast forest, so modest in size that one might miss it on a map if not looking closely. It was obscure, and almost no Soul Master ever set foot here.
Furthermore, this forest was exceptionally bizarre. It was shrouded in darkness year-round; sunlight could not penetrate the canopy. Only darkness-attribute Soul Beasts, or those with darkness as a sub-attribute, dwelt within.
As for why it had become this way, the reason was simple: a seal rested here, guarding a passage to another plane.
Perhaps due to the pollution of dark energy, the concentration of the darkness attribute here was so high that even the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian would likely find it quite to his liking.
A handsome youth was currently walking through the woods without any hesitation, a plump, white silkworm resting on his shoulder.
"It really is pitch black in here..."
The youth wasn't particularly tall, and his frame was somewhat slender. He had short, blue hair with a white tint that shimmered with a soft silver-blue luster under the light. His hair lay smoothly against his forehead, elegant and refined, looking even more ethereal as it drifted with the light breeze. A few strands of bangs fell naturally, perfectly veiling the center of his brow and adding a touch of mystery. Wisps of blue hair fell from his temples, tracing an impeccable, handsome silhouette—soft lines that didn't lack the spirited air unique to a youth.
Most captivating of all were his eyes—clear and ethereal as the sky. Simply making eye contact felt like a cleansing of the soul. His high nose was as straight as a hanging gall, and his thin lips held a faint crimson hue, looking as exquisite as if they had been carefully painted. His fair skin looked as if it had been gently washed by sunlight, possessing a healthy glow while remaining delicate and soft.
Though he wore only a simple black-and-white jacket and blue-silver combat boots, they appeared exceptionally magnificent and stunning on him.
Little Yuhao was now eleven years old. Baili Du's past concerns had indeed come to pass; the boy had been raised too well, showing significant potential as a "trap"...
The big, fat silkworm on his shoulder spoke up: "Yuhao, if you ask me, that old man Electrolux is tricking you... is it really necessary to come to a place like this just to awaken a Martial Soul?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Teacher and Uncle Baili wouldn't lie to me, and..." At this point, he closed his eyes, and an invisible ripple spread outward from his body as the center.
Instantly, the layer of black mist shrouding the entire Sealing Demon Forest began to shake violently. It even started flowing toward Huo Yuhao's body, enveloping him.
"I can feel it. The darkness aura here suits me very well."
Just as those in the Holy Spirit Cult had once called Huo Yuhao the "Holy Son," his talent in the darkness attribute was likely not low at all...
At that moment, a gray vortex slowly condensed into a human figure, taking the form of a gray-robed elder. It was Electrolux.
He used the staff in his hand to unceremoniously bonk the Skydream Ice Silkworm on its large head. "I say, big bug, I am Little Yuhao's teacher after all. Why would I harm him?"
The Skydream Ice Silkworm clutched its head and let out a pained cry, but it didn't back down, snapping back at Electrolux: "This place is pitch black and obviously unsafe! It would be better to take a trip to the Extreme North with me. I guarantee I'd get Little Yuhao a powerful Ultimate Martial Soul!"
Electrolux ignored it and turned to Huo Yuhao instead. "Yuhao, tell me first, what are your thoughts on the power of darkness?"
Huo Yuhao tilted his head. After thinking for a moment, he answered seriously, "My thoughts? Hmm... I feel like the power of darkness isn't as lowly as ordinary people say. Instead, it gives me a sense of 'inclusiveness'."
Hearing Huo Yuhao give an answer that exceeded his expectations, Electrolux became interested. "Oh? Inclusiveness? Tell me more."
"Perhaps the darkness doesn't necessarily bring only negative emotions to people... Though my metaphor might not be very formal, just as people sleep at night and work during the day, more often than not, I think the darkness is like the night—enveloping and soothing the weary hearts of people."
He closed his eyes and slowly spread his arms. "I feel very relaxed in the dark..."
Electrolux was momentarily dazed. A kind smile appeared on his face as he affectionately patted Huo Yuhao's soft blue hair. "Your insight is very interesting."
"Since that's the case, let's take a deeper look."
Huo Yuhao nodded obediently and continued walking toward the depths of the forest.
During the journey, quite a few Soul Beasts jumped out, but they posed no threat. The area was quite barren; the highest-level beast was actually just a Black Demon Horse around the twenty-thousand-year level. Huo Yuhao used Simulation to hide his presence and did not harm them.
Finally, they reached the very center of the Sealing Demon Forest.
It was so dark here that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. There was even a faint purple halo swirling, and the darkness aura was incredibly dense. Fortunately, Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eye martial soul provided vision strong enough to see clearly even in total darkness.
The center of the forest held no trees or powerful beasts, but rather a large clearing. On the ground lay a purple-black hexagram array emitting an ominous glow, and in the air floated a massive purple-black light gate.
Huo Yuhao murmured to himself, "Is this it?"
Yes, what was sealed here was the passage to the Demonic Plane that appeared ten thousand years later.
At least in this current time period, Tang Hao—who had replaced the Planar Lord—knew how to do some good. The current combat power of Soul Masters and soul tool technology on the Douluo Continent could not resist an invasion from an outside plane. Therefore, these "chess pieces" originally placed by Tang San were temporarily sealed to prevent them from invading the continent.
While the overall strength and energy attributes of the Demonic Plane weren't as terrifying as the Abyssal Plane, they had their own advantages: their darkness attribute was sufficiently pure. By the standards of the Douluo Continent, it was Ultimate Darkness.
Baili Du's original plan was to use the power of the Skydream Ice Silkworm to create a blank Martial Soul, then place Electrolux's Divine Consciousness and power entirely within it. This would provide Huo Yuhao with a genuine additional Martial Soul and prevent Tang San from using any underhanded tactics against Electrolux.
A Martial Soul isn't something that can be easily stripped away or burned.
However, Electrolux's Divine Consciousness was simply too fragile; it didn't have enough power to bestow a full Martial Soul. After discussing it, the two decided to "borrow" power.
As for whose power to borrow—after looking around, they decided to set their sights on this Demonic Plane.
As the Necromantic Holy Magic God, Electrolux possessed the ability to transform Ultimate Light into Ultimate Darkness; his tolerance for darkness was naturally higher. Furthermore, Baili Du remembered that the Titan Giant Ape lineage had a descendant named Yuanen Yehui who possessed two top-tier Martial Souls: the Titan Giant Ape and the Fallen Angel from the Demon Plane. She was the most talented of the Shrek Seven Devils in the generation ten thousand years later, second only to Gu Yuena and Tang Wulin. For a considerable period, her combat power had even suppressed Tang Wulin.
This served to prove the strength of the Fallen Angel power from the Demonic Plane. Using it for a Martial Soul was more than sufficient.