Nurha's retreating steps carved two deep furrows in the gravelly ground until he crashed into a rock about half a person's height, barely managing to dispel the extremely domineering and freezing cold emanating from his arm.
He shook his numb wrist and looked down; a thick layer of white frost still stubbornly covered the dark yellow scales.
In that purest clash of physical body and soul power just now, I, a dignified level 86 offensive Soul Douluo, didn't gain the slightest advantage.
This completely overturned his decades-long common sense.
Whether in terms of physical strength, which they were so proud of, or in terms of the depth of their soul power, the opponent's seemingly frail body unleashed a completely unreasonable suppressive force.
It was only then that he belatedly realized something extremely unusual.
Since they met, this kid hasn't even shown a single soul ring.
What's even stranger is the fluctuation of soul power emanating from the other party.
He had only vaguely sensed that unique quality—a quality that was hidden yet seemed to blend completely with the surrounding space—on his own sect leader, Poison Undying.
My soul power is liquid, while the other's soul power is solid. When the two collide, it's like an egg hitting a rock; my soul power shatters into pieces.
This is a characteristic of soul power that only Title Douluo level can possess. When a Title Douluo condenses their soul core, their soul power transforms from a gaseous or liquid state into an absolutely dense solid state.
Is this kid some kind of old monster who has used some kind of secret method to preserve his youth?
A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, running down his rugged cheeks and down his neck; the back of his clothes was already completely soaked.
However, he quickly dismissed this absurd conjecture.
Although the soul power fluctuations on the other party were of an absurdly high quality, their level had definitely not crossed that insurmountable threshold; at most, they were only a Soul King or Soul Emperor.
But this only made him feel more uneasy, as he couldn't figure out the other party's true intentions at all.
Nurhaci regained full consciousness.
He struggled to dispel the lingering chill in his right arm, abandoned his haughty demeanor, and ceased his reckless attack.
"I am Nurha, the Ninth Elder of the Primordial Sect."
He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao behind him, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny and wariness, "Just who are you, sir?"
The places capable of training such monsters are few and far between across the entire Douluo Continent, and he must find out where they came from.
Huo Yuhao stood still, slowly calming the surging soul power within his body.
A faint blue light flashed and disappeared from the depths of his eyes.
He clearly sensed that a broken bloodline with a dark yellow sheen had appeared in his blood, which was already filled with various top-level essences.
Qilin bloodline.
This is truly an unexpected surprise.
In the instant their fists clashed, he not only perfectly replicated the opponent's martial soul transformation, but also forcibly peeled off and copied the faint and incomplete Qilin bloodline within the opponent's body.
This almost unreasonable method of plundering relies entirely on the two passive soul skills granted by the Time Dragon King's divine soul ring.
Under the combined deduction of constant and unstable ordinal numbers, even the smallest blood molecules and quantum variables cannot escape the analysis of his eyes.
Once you see through the essence, it's only natural to reflect on it yourself.
This is beyond outrageous.
Given certain observation conditions, this ability to see through the laws of the past and future is practically omniscience and omnipotence in disguise.
As for the newly added incomplete Qilin bloodline, he didn't need to worry about any rejection reactions.
He possesses the essence of divine beasts such as the Ice God, Titan, White Tiger, and True Dragon within him.
Under the joint nurturing of these great Buddhas and the subtle tempering of the Creation Cauldron, this incomplete bloodline will sooner or later be deduced and completed, transforming into a true divine beast-level complete bloodline.
Today's trip to the Starry Sky Forest was definitely worthwhile.
Huo Yuhao calmed his mind and dispersed the icy blue scales on his right arm, which then returned to its original slender and fair shape.
He looked at the members of the main sect, who were facing a formidable enemy, and his tone remained calm.
"Shrek Academy, Outer Division student."
He didn't even give his name, but simply provided a background that was enough to intimidate the entire audience.
Upon hearing the name Shrek, Nurha's eyelids twitched.
No wonder this kid was so confident to run out and steal prey; he's from the top college in mainland China.
But he quickly found another blind spot, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuhao's clear eyes.
"What exactly is this ice unicorn arm you just conjured up?"
Nurha took a step forward and asked in a deep voice, "What exactly is your martial soul?"
For the Body Sect, any mutation that resembles a Body Martial Soul is more worthy of being investigated thoroughly than the Shrek Academy's reputation.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, who were standing behind Huo Yuhao, exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke up to interrupt.
Huo Yuhao had no intention of hiding anything.
"My martial spirit is a combination of eyes and brain."
He raised his hand, pointed to his eyes, and then tapped his head, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something trivial. "That move just now was merely a simple imitation of a structure I observed."
After these words were spoken, the entire valley fell silent except for the sound of the wind blowing through the falling leaves.
Zuo Xuanxin: ...
Hua Yangming: ...
Li Gousheng: ...
Everyone: ...
The young disciples of the Benti Sect looked at each other, completely unsure of what expression to wear.
A composite martial soul combining eyes and brain?
He described the complex characteristics of his martial soul, coupled with its advanced mutations, as a simple imitation?
Does this kid even know what he's talking about in his sleep?
However, Nurha's reaction was completely different from that of his disciples.
He stood frozen in place, his chest heaving, panting heavily, his rugged face a mixture of disbelief and extreme ecstasy.
Eye!
Brain!
This is not only a true physical martial soul, but the brain martial soul is also the most mysterious part of the human body. The brain is connected to the eyes, which means that Huo Yuhao's martial soul is extremely complete.
In comparison, his proud mutated Qilin right arm was utterly insignificant, like roadside weeds.
No wonder this kid can completely dominate in every aspect.
This level of innate martial spirit, once awakened a second time through the sect's secret methods, will definitely be an unparalleled existence at the silver or even gold level!
This is a once-in-a-century natural king!
Whether the other person is a Shrek student or not is no longer important at this point.
According to the almost fanatical doctrine of the Body Sect, all Soul Masters in the world who possess a Body Martial Soul are born as disciples of the Body Sect.
The only difference is whether or not they have acknowledged their ancestors.
Nurha looked at Huo Yuhao, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
This is absolutely a peerless genius who has been wandering abroad. No matter what means we use or what price we have to pay, we must bring this kid back to the sect!
Among the dense canopy of trees.
The three-eyed golden lion perched on a thick tree trunk, its single reddish-gold vertical eye taking in the scene in the valley several kilometers away.
It watched as the level 86 human Soul Douluo was forcibly forced back, its fluffy tail swaying behind it twice, snapping a few fragile branches.
Where did this monster come from?
In the long-held knowledge of this imperial auspicious beast, human soul masters have always been physically weak. Apart from relying on the soul skills they piece together, they are simply unable to contend with high-level soul beasts with their physical bodies alone.
But that good-looking human, who wasn't even level 60, actually managed to withstand the furious attack from a level 80+ powerhouse with his savage physical body.
Without releasing any soul rings or making any unnecessary movements, he simply used an arm radiating extreme cold to forcefully knock back a Soul Douluo who was known for his physical strength.
This exaggerated combat power, even in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, could only be achieved by this auspicious beast that carries the fortune of the plane.
When did human soul masters become so unreasonable?
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion snorted, and a strange glimmer of light emanated from the single eye on its forehead that represented the ultimate spiritual attribute.
Under this gaze that can see through all illusions, the physical structure of the boy in the distance is peeled away layer by layer, revealing the essence hidden beneath his skin without reservation.
The next moment, the entire beast was stunned.
Within that slender body, it saw a vibrant, terrifyingly oppressive primordial ocean.
The icy blue ice exudes a chilling aura that freezes everything, the heavy Titan essence is like an unshakeable mountain, the fierce aura of the white tiger is pure killing intent, and there is also a faint but powerful dragon's might lurking within.
Even more outrageous, the boy's dantian was still rotating in a strange trajectory.
The three-colored light cluster, formed by the compression of the three extreme attributes of water, fire, and wood, was accompanied by another prototype that was taking shape. It looked exactly like a top-grade inner core that a high-level soul beast had condensed over tens of thousands of years.
This is no human soul master at all; it's clearly a top-tier soul beast disguised as a human.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion shook its head, completely baffled as to what had happened to the human, and could only continue to lie on the tree branch and observe silently.
...
In the middle of the valley.
After some less-than-harmonious negotiations, both sides gained a general understanding of each other's backgrounds.
Huo Yuhao simply repeated Xiao Xiao's requirement for the age limit of the fourth soul ring.
"You mean, this little girl who isn't even level 40 yet is going to absorb this 11,812-year-old eight-armed vajra ape?"
Nurha's eyes widened, and his voice rose eight octaves, as if trying to find a trace of a joke on Huo Yuhao's calm face.
Huo Yuhao nodded, which was considered a definite answer.
"..."
For a moment, all the members of the Benti Sect stood frozen in place, almost unable to believe their ears.
Zuo Xuanxin: ...
Hua Yangming: ...
Li Gousheng: ...
Everyone: ...
This is simply an unreasonable monster squad.
The maximum lifespan of the fourth soul ring is only around five thousand years across the entire continent.
But this little girl, who only reached Huo Yuhao's chest, was actually trying to absorb a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast with a berserk attribute into her body.
Nurha's rugged face was filled with shock, and his gaze toward Huo Yuhao grew even more intense.
His gaze lingered on the petite girl for a moment, and after confirming that she was not joking, he turned to look at his highly regarded disciple, Zuo Xuanxin.
Finally, his gaze remained fixed on Huo Yuhao's handsome face.
This kid has shown tremendous potential.
With eyes and brain combined, if this composite martial soul were brought back to the sect for a second awakening, its future achievements would be limitless. It is the hope that can lead the Body Sect to another golden age.
What does it matter if we suffer a little grievance for the sake of the sect's future?
He quickly made a decision: as long as he could bring this born king back to the sect, it would be worth it to give him not only an eight-armed vajra ape, but even all the soul beasts in the entire valley.
He's going to live with this infamy for the rest of his life.
Nurha took a step forward and patted his broad chest with great pride.
"So this eight-armed Vajra Ape is the fourth soul ring that Miss Xiao Xiao has her eye on."
His tone was extremely magnanimous, completely devoid of the tense demeanor he had displayed before, and even the oppressive aura of a Contra was completely abated.
"Since the young prodigies of Shrek Academy have this need, I will make the decision and give this soul beast to you."
He spoke with righteous indignation, then turned and patted Zuo Xuanxin's burly shoulder, "As for Xuanxin's soul ring, I will naturally go deep into the core area to find him a better one, so as not to delay his cultivation."
Upon hearing this, the disciples of the Benti Sect exchanged bewildered glances.
Zuo Xuanxin clenched her large, calloused hands tightly, the veins on the back of her hands bulging out.
He clenched his fists, looking at the top-grade soul beast lying at the bottom of the pit, its body radiating a violent metallic soul power, and a clear sense of reluctance appeared in his eyes.
For a martial arts fanatic obsessed with physical cultivation, such a prey that can perfectly match the martial spirit of both arms is simply a rare and wonderful opportunity.
His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
He finally sighed, obediently stepped aside, and didn't utter a single word of rebuttal.
As a direct disciple, he knew his elder's temperament all too well.
In order to bring that genius named Huo Yuhao back to the sect, let alone an eight-armed vajra ape, the elders would probably give away even the most priceless treasures in the sect's treasury without hesitation.
Upon hearing this result, a hint of joy immediately appeared on Xiao Xiao's usually quiet face.
She took a small, obedient step forward and bowed politely to Nurhaci.
"Thank you, Senior Nurha, for your generosity."
After thanking him, she turned around and, without any hesitation, buried her face in Huo Yuhao's arms.
The girl's slender arms tightly embraced the other's waist, and she looked up, her bright eyes gazing at his aloof face.
"Brother Yuhao, thank you so much."
Her tone was filled with undisguised joy and admiration as she continued in an intimate voice that only the two of them could understand, "How can anyone not like you when you're like this?"
Xiao Xiao knew very well that the reason why the arrogant guys from the Benti Sect were willing to bow their heads and make concessions was not because of any seniority.
They were completely stunned by their young master's terrifying strength and unfathomable depth.
Wang Dong, standing to the side, watched the two embracing, and his eyelids twitched violently.
She stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Xiao's arm, and pulled the girl out of Huo Yuhao's arms with a little force.
"That's enough, just be mindful of the limits."
Wang Dong rolled his eyes at Xiao Xiao, his tone sarcastic, "What kind of behavior is it to hug and cuddle in public? There are other people here."
Looking at the somewhat dejected Zuo Xuanxin and the various expressions on the faces of the disciples of the Body Sect, Huo Yuhao calmly waved his hand.
"Actually, there's absolutely no need for this back and forth."
He walked past the two fighting girls and went straight to the unconscious eight-armed vajra ape.
There was no hint of jest in Huo Yuhao's icy blue eyes.
He raised his right hand, and a wisp of pure spiritual essence condensed at his fingertip into a visible cyan-gold rune. The surrounding space seemed to resonate subtly under the influence of this rune.
"I've said before that I can make soul rings, and everyone can have them, so there's no need to compete.
Ignoring the puzzled looks from the crowd, Huo Yuhao walked straight up to the Eight-Armed Vajra Ape.
He slowly raised his right hand, and a chillingly powerful source of extreme ice surged from his palm.
A chilling blue aura burst forth from his fingertips, instantly enveloping the enormous, ten-thousand-year-old soul beast.
Before he could even let out a faint groan, his body, which was as solid as cast iron, was completely frozen into an ice sculpture.
Huo Yuhao lightly tapped his finger, and with a crisp cracking sound, the entire ice sculpture turned into countless ice blocks scattered all over the ground.
A deep black halo slowly rose from above the shattered ice and hovered in mid-air.
The members of the original sect standing nearby were all stunned.
Zuo Xuanxin frowned even more, completely baffled by this operation.
When a soul beast is killed, its soul ring can only be absorbed by the killer; this is common knowledge across the entire continent.
The boy in front of me is clearly not even level 60, so he doesn't have the qualifications to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring at all.
Isn't this a complete waste of the essence of a top-tier soul beast?
Nurha also stood there stunned, even forgetting the welcoming words he had just thought of.
He simply couldn't understand why this boy, whom he regarded as a peerless genius, would do something so meaningless.
But before they could even ask, an even more surreal scene unfolded.
Ignoring everyone's reactions, Huo Yuhao stretched out his slender hand and grabbed the illusory black soul ring.
This is simply impossible.
Soul rings are pure energy entities without any substance. Even a titled Douluo of level 90 or above could never directly touch them with their physical body.
But that hand firmly grasped the black halo, without being repelled by the laws in the slightest.
Huo Yuhao clenched his five fingers, and an astonishing power erupted from his palm, crushing the ten-thousand-year soul ring to dust.
Black specks of light scattered and danced in mid-air like fireflies, illuminating the astonished faces around them.
The disciples of the Benti Sect were dumbfounded, and for a moment they didn't know what expression to make.
This completely eliminated even the last possible chance of absorption.
However, the scattered soul power and blood essence did not dissipate into the world. Instead, under the guidance of the cyan-gold runes, they were reintegrated into the remains on the ground.
The frost that had covered the surface of the flesh suddenly transformed into a strange, icy blue flame.
The flame felt no heat, yet it ignited in an incomprehensible way the instant it touched the corpse.
The entire body gradually turned to ashes in the icy blue flames.
Bones, skin, and internal organs were rapidly stripped away under the tempering of the flames, and all impurities were burned away.
The air was filled with an aura of pure metal and violent energy.
As the flames gradually subsided, the enormous body vanished completely, leaving behind only a fist-sized mass of dark golden essence.
The valley was completely silent.
Nurha held his breath, not daring to even exhale, for fear of disturbing the ceremony before him.
Everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao's hands, wanting to see what he was going to do.
Huo Yuhao held his hands outstretched, and the dark golden essence floated quietly above his palms.
He activated the deductive ability of the Space-Time Spirit Eye Brain, and a complete structural model of the artificial soul ring immediately appeared in his mind.
The cyan-gold light of the laws of nature darted through his fingertips, like an invisible scalpel, forcibly splitting the raging essence in two.
The spiritual essence was stripped away to build the framework, while the bloodline essence was transformed into countless threads to fill the veins.
The intricate soul patterns representing metal and offensive attributes were meticulously engraved onto the energy nodes.
With the final law injected, the two raging energies completely stabilized.
The whole process was smooth and effortless, without any unnecessary hesitation, as if he had done it a thousand times before.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the dark golden light slowly receded, replaced by two deep, ink-black rings.
Two black soul rings, radiating an aura of ten thousand years, floated quietly in Huo Yuhao's hands.
Hua Yangming rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be hallucinating.
Zuo Xuanxin was completely stunned, as if she had been frozen in place.
Everyone: ...
They had never seen anything so outrageous in their lives.
What does it mean for a Soul Master to create two ten-thousand-year Soul Rings by hand on their own?
Is this a dream?
This completely overturned their understanding of the Martial Soul world, which had been in place for tens of thousands of years.
Huo Yuhao ignored the horrified stares of the crowd and casually pushed one of the black soul rings in front of Zuo Xuanxin.
Another soul ring floated lightly down in front of Xiao Xiao.
"See, I already said that."
Huo Yuhao spoke calmly, as if he had only done something insignificant: "Everyone will have some, there's no need to fight over them."
Zuo Xuanxin blankly reached out and took the soul ring that emitted familiar fluctuations from the other person's hand.
That unmistakable connection was genuine; it was truly a top-grade soul ring originating from the Eight-Armed Vajra Ape, even purer than one that could be directly absorbed.
He looked at the soul ring in his hand, then at the handsome young man standing not far away, and his mind went completely blank.
Xiao Xiao also stared blankly at the black halo, tilting her little face up, her eyes filled with admiration and fascination.
Wang Dong'er, standing at the back, opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Far away.
Among the dense canopy of trees, the auspicious imperial beast, imbued with the fortune of stars, lay on the tree trunk, witnessing the entire process.
The three-eyed golden lion's tail froze in mid-air, its crimson-gold vertical eyes churning with disbelief.
Soul Masters are actually able to create their own Soul Rings.
This is absolutely a revolutionary event for the entire Soul Beast race, one that could change the course of history.
It always believed that humans could only gain power by hunting soul beasts, and that the contradictions between the two sides were irreconcilable. This was an unchanging iron law of Douluo Star.
But now, that human has actually mastered this rule-breaking, heaven-defying technology.
If this method can become widespread, even if it is only passed down among a few high-level Soul Masters, it means that the Star Dou Great Forest can preserve countless precious high-age Soul Beasts.
For the Soul Beast race, whose advancement is already difficult, this is nothing short of a rebirth.
The three-eyed golden lion stood up, shook its soft fur, and its gaze became more solemn than ever before.
Its beastly eyes revealed an undisguised determination to win.
These special humans, who hold the future destiny of soul beasts in their hands, must not be let go easily.
It must personally take action, by any means necessary, to capture this guy and bring him back to the deepest part of the Star Dou Great Forest
The valley fell silent.
Two deep black soul rings floated in mid-air, exuding a heavy aura of ten thousand years, with the faint traces of metallic coldness and violent soul power fluctuations still lingering in the air.
Xiao Xiao and Zuo Xuanxin did not hesitate. They each sat cross-legged on the open ground and guided their own soul rings to fall.
The dark golden light immediately enveloped their bodies, forming two thick energy cocoons.
Hua Yangming, Li Gousheng, and several other disciples of the Benti Sect immediately dispersed, each occupying a key defensive position, and warily surveyed the surrounding trees.
They even held their breath very low, afraid of provoking some high-level soul beast on the outskirts of the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest and interrupting their senior brother and the little girl's absorption process.
Wang Dong took two steps forward and naturally leaned against Huo Yuhao's side, his shoulder lightly touching Huo Yuhao's arm.
Surprisingly, she didn't utter a word of criticism; she simply opened her pinkish-blue eyes and quietly gazed at Xiao Xiao in the distance.
Normally, if this girl comes over, she'll most likely say a few roundabout things, or she'll be sarcastic about Xiao Xiao's behavior of rushing into his arms earlier.
Today he changed his tune and didn't say a word.
Huo Yuhao glanced at her, confirming that the girl really didn't have any mischievous intentions, she just wanted to stand next to him for a while.
He was too lazy to avoid her and let her be.
Just then, a tall and burly figure moved in front of them.
Nurha rubbed his large, calloused hands together, and a smile of unparalleled kindness appeared on his usually stern and rugged face.
He looked at Huo Yuhao with burning eyes, his tone as warm and friendly as if he were looking at a successful junior.
"I'm talking about Brother Huo."
Nurha cleared his throat. "Since your eyes and brain are both your own martial souls, then we are truly a family."
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow slightly.
This old man's face changed way too quickly.
They were still drawing their swords at each other, and at the slightest disagreement they were using the intimidating aura of an 86th-level Soul Douluo to suppress each other. Now they've even brought up their entire families.
That's a ridiculously overambitious plan.
However, Huo Yuhao did not directly point it out. He simply glanced at the other party and waited for the Ninth Elder of the Body Sect to continue.
"You may not be familiar with the rules and regulations of our sect."
Nurha straightened his back and said solemnly, "Our BenTi Sect's doctrine has always been clear: all Soul Masters who have awakened their BenTi Martial Soul, regardless of their origin, are disciples of our BenTi Sect."
"This is an ironclad rule of the sect passed down since ancient times, and no one can violate it."
He took a small step forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with unmistakable seduction.
"Brother Huo, as long as you are willing to come back to the sect with me and acknowledge your ancestors."
"I can assure you right now that the best cultivation resources and the highest level of training in the entire sect will be given to you without reservation."
"Moreover, I can make the decision that a Supreme Elder of Title Douluo level will personally come out of seclusion and teach you cultivation step by step."
Looking at that rugged face that was almost touching his own, Huo Yuhao smiled faintly.
This old guy really dares to exaggerate his promises.
He was personally instructed by a titled Douluo, and the entire sect was given resources to support him.
If it were an ordinary, unsophisticated Soul Master, upon hearing such a promise, they would probably kneel down and kowtow to become his disciple on the spot.
But he wasn't interested in these empty promises; instead, he became interested in exploring the so-called sectarian doctrine.
He always felt that these high-ranking sects on the Douluo Continent were essentially just family forces with different names.
Interests and blood ties always come first.
Huo Yuhao casually brushed a fallen leaf off his clothes and spoke calmly.
"What you said, senior, is quite interesting."
"The sects that are well-known on the mainland are all passing down their lineage through the same bloodline; they are essentially blood-related families."
"Just like the Yu family of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan and the Tang family of the Clear Sky Clan."
He looked up at Nurha and said, "The core disciples of these sects all share the same surname and the same blood."
"As long as there are still people in the clan breathing, those top-level cultivation resources and the best treatment will never fall into the hands of outsiders."
"Keep the good stuff in the family; that's the truth behind the traditions of those great sects."
Nurha opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something in rebuttal.
Huo Yuhao didn't give him a chance to interrupt and continued speaking.
"Of course, there are exceptions in this world."
"For example, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, their martial souls are born without any offensive capabilities, and they simply cannot stand on their own in the cruel world of soul masters."
"Therefore, they must constantly seek out powerful offensive Soul Masters from the outside, tie them to the war machine through marriage, and exchange resources for military force."
"Only in this way can we barely guarantee the safety and continuation of the sect."
Huo Yuhao paused, then his tone suddenly turned cold.
"Is the Original Body Sect really that noble?"
"Instead of nurturing their own children, they insist on searching the entire continent for outsiders who have awakened their innate martial spirits, and even hand over the best resources to them."
Huo Yuhao's icy blue eyes revealed an undisguised scrutiny: "Such inhumane actions probably don't stem from any universal love or benevolence."
These words were extremely blunt, almost brutally tearing away the veil of pretense that concealed the true nature of all sects.
The surrounding disciples of the Benti Sect looked at each other, unable to find any words to refute the statement.
Everyone: ...
They had spent most of their time in the sect, accustomed to the rhetoric of sacrificing everything for their martial spirit, and had never heard such a realistic analysis before.
Standing to the side, listening to this meticulous analysis, Wang Dong couldn't help but turn his head and carefully examine Huo Yuhao's profile.
Although she has amnesia, her experience growing up in the Haotian Sect makes her instinctively aware of the cold truth hidden in these words.
Nurha's old face was somewhat embarrassed, and his expression became very troubled.
He rubbed his hands vigorously and stammered for a long time, completely destroying his forced air of superiority.
He originally intended to use the sect's principles to fool this naive young man, but who knew that the other party wouldn't fall for it at all. On the contrary, he was a ruthless character who understood the sect's structure better than anyone else.
This kid is so shrewd it's a bit of a headache.
However, upon further reflection, he realized that this matter wasn't exactly a taboo secret among the sect's higher-ups, and that the major powers outside knew about it to some extent as well.
Since we want to win over such a brilliant genius, hiding it will only make things worse. It's better to be open and honest.
Nurhaci sighed, the embarrassment on his face fading, replaced by an expression of serious inquiry.
"Brother Huo, you certainly have a keen eye. With just a few words, you've thoroughly uncovered the secrets of all the major sects."
"You're right. Those family-run sects do produce and consume their own products, but our main sect is different. We really have no choice."
He pointed to his thick, unicorn-like right arm, his tone filled with deep helplessness.
"The thing called a Martial Soul is special; it's a completely unreasonable anomaly."
"This thing cannot be passed down through normal blood ties."
"If I were to marry and have children, my offspring would most likely inherit either my father's or my wife's martial soul, and would also pass on my Qilin bloodline, but they would absolutely not pass on my original martial soul, the Qilin Right Arm."
"It is only possible for one or two of them to be born randomly among thousands or tens of thousands of Soul Masters through accidental bloodline mutation."
After speaking, Nurha also felt quite bitter. This is also what has always troubled the Bon tradition: the inability to maintain a stable lineage, which means that there is a very high probability that the Bon tradition will experience a shortage of successors.
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao's knowledge of martial spirit theory immediately came together.
So that's how it is. This unpredictable way of awakening is quite similar to some recessive traits in the genetics of a past life.
After Nurha's straightforward explanation, he fully understood the logic behind it.
In essence, the physical martial soul is an extremely unstable and special recessive genetic characteristic.
The parents of the previous generation may have awakened very ordinary martial souls, but the offspring of this generation suddenly mutated due to some unknown stimulus, awakening a certain part of their body as a martial soul.
In the next generation, this mutated gene will be ruthlessly covered by the conventional dominant gene, and the martial spirit form will return to the ordinary.
It is basically impossible for it to be passed down from generation to generation and have stable inheritance like a normal martial soul.
Huo Yuhao silently wrote down this deduction in his mind.
The difficulty in maintaining the stable inheritance of recessive genetic traits perfectly explains the predicament of the small population throughout the history of Ontoism.
However, since he had finally encountered such a group of experts, he naturally did not intend to let go of the opportunity to extract valuable information so easily.
Although Shrek Academy is known as the number one Soul Master Academy on the continent, its exploration and research on the cultivation of innate martial souls is pitifully small.
Even after he searched through all the rare and precious books in the highest level of the Sea God Pavilion Library, there were very few records about the original martial spirit, and the criteria for judgment were outrageously crude.
The college's advisors have always adhered to a rigid set of rules.
The more important a part of the body is, the higher the quality of the Martial Soul.
With Huo Yuhao's current brain computing power for deducing models, a quick glance at the logic would reveal that this statement does have some merit, but it is by no means entirely correct.
If we really make a blanket judgment based solely on importance, then the differences in strength among many physical martial souls simply cannot be explained.
Huo Yuhao raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the burly Ninth Elder in front of him.
"Senior, Shrek Academy has always had a saying that the quality of a martial soul depends entirely on how important that part is to life."
Huo Yuhao spoke calmly, directly addressing this topic that had troubled many scholars: "In my humble opinion, isn't this judgment a bit too one-sided?"
Nurha was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. His lips moved, but before he could reply, a slender young man standing behind him spoke first.
"What do those academic instructors at Shrek Academy know about innate martial spirits?"
The one who spoke was Hua Yangming, who had thick black hair.
Huo Yuhao remembered this sixteen-year-old control-type boy. The boy had been very thoughtful while on guard, and was obviously a very intelligent person with his own opinions.
Hua Yangming gently brushed aside the stray hairs on his forehead, a proud smile appearing on his face.
"Their theories, which are meant to fool laymen, are nothing more than knowing what happens but not why it happens."
Seeing his disciple take the initiative to explain, Nurha simply shut his mouth, happy to let these young people have more opportunities to communicate.
Hua Yangming took half a step forward, raised three fingers, and began to speak in a gentle and eloquent manner.
"In our Body Sect's lineage system, there is a set of strict criteria for defining the quality of a Martial Soul, which consists of three rules."
Huo Yuhao listened attentively and quietly to what was to come.
"First and foremost, of course, is the universally applicable innate soul power."
Hua Yangming withdrew a finger, his tone calm and steady, "No matter what type of martial soul it is, the higher the innate soul power at the time of awakening, the more terrifying the potential talent contained in its origin. This is the universal iron law for measuring the strength of all martial souls, and the original martial soul is naturally no exception."
Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement.
This is a universally recognized cornerstone across the entire continent. No matter how special a freak is, without innate soul power as support, it is ultimately just a castle in the air.
"Secondly, there's the point Shrek mentioned, which is to look at the irreplaceable physiological structure of the organ."
Hua Yangming continued to retract his second finger, methodically dissecting the intricacies of the matter.
"If any core organ, such as the brain, heart, or the blood, bones, and skin throughout the body, is missing even slightly, the mortal body will die on the spot."
"This kind of deadly organ, which is directly linked to the essence of life, naturally gives the awakened Martial Soul a rank that surpasses that of ordinary limbs, and its quality is frighteningly high."
As he said this, his gaze lingered on Huo Yuhao's face for a couple more seconds without him noticing.
After all, the monster in front of us has awakened a complex organ that combines eyes and brain, which puts us at the very top of the second standard.
"But the most important one is the third rule that those scholars from other sects can't even begin to understand."
Hua Yangming retracted his last finger, his face becoming more serious than ever before.
"That is the completeness of the martial spirit itself."
"Completeness?"
Standing next to Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong blinked and repeated the sentence in a somewhat bewildered manner.
"That's right, it's about completeness."
Nurha then took over the conversation, stretching out his thick, barrel-like right arm and patting his strong biceps. His tone was a mix of pride and a hint of unspeakable regret.
"Let me take myself as an example."
"Back then, my innate soul power reached level seven. Judging by talent alone, I could be considered a top-tier prospect in the sect."
"But my martial spirit has a huge flaw; it's just a single arm on my right side."
"This kind of martial soul is severely incomplete, and it doesn't even rank among the top in terms of completeness. Normally, it would be a blessing from God to cultivate it to the Soul Saint realm."
Nurhaci sighed and shook his head with some emotion.
"If I hadn't had a stroke of luck when I was young, and had managed to consume and refine a fragment of the divine beast Qilin's bloodline during a life-or-death battle, causing a benign mutation in my right arm, I would never have been able to stand on the threshold of level 86 Soul Douluo in my entire life."
Upon hearing this, a look of realization flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
No wonder the old man's expression was so distorted when he was knocked back head-on by my Ice Soul Qilin Arm.
It turns out that this so-called "King of the Qilin Arm" was just a half-baked achievement built up by sheer luck and defying fate.
Nurha then turned around and patted the muscular boy next to him.
"But Xuanxin's situation is completely different from mine."
"His martial soul is his two arms, and this martial soul not only includes his forearms and upper arms, but also the entire shoulder muscle group and joint structure on both sides of his back, all of which are completely covered within the scope of the martial soul!"
"Among limb-type spirit souls, this is an extremely complete one. Coupled with his innate spirit power of level eight, his future potential is beyond my reach."
Zuo Xuanxin, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground refining her soul ring, couldn't help but smile slightly when she heard her master's praise, even though her eyes were closed.
At this moment, the petite girl who had been standing at the back also stepped forward.
Tang Qiong raised her fair, jade-like hands and deftly flipped them in mid-air, her ten long, slender fingers spreading out like white magnolias.
"Handsome young man, don't you think my hands are pretty?"
The girl winked playfully, her tone carrying a hint of self-deprecating nonchalance, "But as good-looking as I am, in the sect, people like me are actually among the least popular."
"My true martial spirit is merely the palms of these hands."
"The joints of the wrist and forearm cannot be extended, so its integrity is the lowest in its class."
Tang Qiong lowered her hands, turned her head to look at Zuo Xuanxin on the ground, and then looked at the Ninth Elder beside her.
"Strictly speaking, the martial spirits of me, Senior Brother Xuanxin, and the Ninth Elder all belong to the category of upper limbs."
"It's just that the degree of completeness during the mutation is vastly different, which is why the final upper limit and combat power are separated by such a huge gap."
After hearing this detailed and meticulous explanation, the previously somewhat murky atmosphere around me became completely clear.
A look of sudden realization dawned on Wang Dong's delicate face.
Even someone like her, who usually hates studying martial soul theories, had her mind instantly turn around in the face of such a vivid and concrete comparison.
She opened her pinkish-blue eyes wide, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Tang Qiong and Zuo Xuanxin, before blurting out the words quite naturally.
"Oh! I see!"
Wang Dong clapped his hands forcefully, his tone full of self-evident realization.
"No wonder you're almost twenty years old, but your cultivation level is only barely at level forty."
"And this Brother Zuo looks to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, yet he has already successfully cultivated to level fifty!"
Wang Dong instantly understood the difference brought about by the completeness of a martial soul.