The Tournament Approaches

After receiving Xuan Zi's "kind" instruction, Ling Mo finally put the selection tournament behind him and returned to the dormitory with Bella in his arms.

When he reached his dorm room, the figure standing outside the door surprised Ling Mo slightly. He immediately asked, "Yuhao, why are you here instead of going back to cultivate this late at night?"

The figure at the door was naturally Huo Yuhao. Earlier, Ice Empress had sensed Snow Empress's aura from Ling Mo's blue spirit ring and had constantly urged Huo Yuhao to come ask Ling Mo about it. Huo Yuhao believed that everyone had their own secrets and should not be questioned too closely, but Snow Empress was far too important to Ice Empress. In the end, unable to withstand Ice Empress's repeated urging and even pleading, Huo Yuhao could only come to Ling Mo's dormitory.

"Uh... there's something I want to ask you. Can I come in and talk?"

Seeing Huo Yuhao's awkward expression, Ling Mo wondered what he could possibly want to ask. "Fine. Come in first." As he spoke, he opened the dormitory door. Though he had no idea what Huo Yuhao wanted to ask, the man was already here, so Ling Mo could hardly leave him standing outside.

The two entered the dormitory. Huo Yuhao did not sit down and directly asked Ling Mo, "Ling Mo, can you... tell me where that blue spirit ring came from?"

"Of course." Ling Mo told Huo Yuhao about encountering a super soul beast that had offered itself as a sacrifice.

After listening, Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment before asking, "Did you encounter that super soul beast in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

The moment Ling Mo heard that, he finally understood. It seemed Huo Yuhao was not the one who wanted to know about the spirit ring. Tian Meng and Ice Empress in his mind had probably sent him.

"That's right." No matter what, Ling Mo could not reveal the truth.

Huo Yuhao's expression did not change. He looked as though he had lost focus, but it was not because of Ling Mo's answer. Rather, his sea of consciousness was in an uproar. "Yuhao, he's lying! I'm absolutely certain that spirit ring belongs to Snow Empress. I know Snow Empress better than anyone—I couldn't possibly be wrong. Ask him directly whether he has been to the Far North." Ice Empress's slightly angry tone carried a trace of urgency.

However, Tian Meng had a different view from Ice Empress. Like Huo Yuhao, he believed that everyone had their own secrets. Besides, the Million-Year Spirit Ring he had given Huo Yuhao was not truly a pure white spirit ring either. They themselves had a similar secret, yet they were going to pry into someone else's affairs. If they did, their own secret might be exposed as well, and then things would become far more complicated.

"So should I ask or not? I think we should just leave it like this, right?" Huo Yuhao truly did not want to continue. If Brother Sky Dream's spirit ring were exposed, things would become seriously problematic.

But Ice Empress still did not want to give up, and a hint of pleading entered her voice. "Please, Yuhao. Just this once. Help me this once, okay?"

Hearing Ice Empress's voice, Huo Yuhao felt at a loss. It was the first time he had seen Ice Empress like this, and he silently sighed. Tian Meng could not bear it either. He knew a little about the relationship between Snow Empress and Ice Empress. Gritting his teeth, he said to Huo Yuhao, "Yuhao, ask him. Once you've asked, leave quickly."

With Tian Meng's permission, Huo Yuhao finally asked Ice Empress's question.

After hearing Huo Yuhao's question, Ling Mo knew that the best answer would be to pretend he did not know about the Far North, since lessons on the Far North would only be covered in the upper years. But Ling Mo did not want to answer that way, because he was somewhat angry.

Instead of answering the question, Ling Mo said something that seemed unrelated. "Yuhao, can you tell me what the First Soul Skill of your Spirit Eyes martial soul is?"

Caught off guard, Huo Yuhao answered instinctively, "You know it. It's Spiritual Detection Sharing."

"Is that so..." Ling Mo stroked Bella's head in his arms and said casually, "To me, soul skills are essentially single abilities. They are processes that achieve a certain effect through a particular form. Take my First Soul Skill, Mimicry. It may seem capable of endless transformations, but it only changes form. No matter how varied its uses are, it cannot change the soul skill's original function—just as you can alter the shape of Spiritual Detection's range."

At that point, Ling Mo glanced at Huo Yuhao. The confusion on his face was obvious. "You may not understand why I'm saying all this, but what I ultimately want to say—or ask—is this: Is your soul skill really Spiritual Detection? A soul skill can produce several effects, like Beibei's Thunder Dragon Claw. It can paralyze an opponent while dealing damage, but its original function is only one thing: turning the hand into a lightning-wreathed dragon claw. Yet your soul skill is very strange, Huo Yuhao. Detection and sharing do not seem like effects that could arise from one single function, so I have always doubted the truth of your soul skill."

Huo Yuhao instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He understood what Ling Mo meant and forced himself to remain calm as he said, "I..."

He had barely uttered a single word when Ling Mo raised a hand to stop him. "Don't rush to explain. Listen to me first."

Lowering his hand back onto Bella's head, Ling Mo continued, "It's not just soul skills. Because my martial soul is rather special, I can sense more clearly than other soul masters how much a soul beast's attributes enhance a soul skill. You said your first spirit ring came from a ten-year Wind Baboon. I know Wind Baboons, but if I remember correctly, they aren't spiritual-attribute soul beasts. The power of Spiritual Detection Sharing is obvious to everyone, and it is even a soul skill that can continuously grow stronger. That is very strange. I'm certain—or rather, any teacher or higher-ranking member of the academy would refuse to believe that your soul skill truly came from the ten-year Wind Baboon you mentioned. And before coming to the academy, I hunted soul beasts for a living. I may not have traversed every corner of the Star Dou Great Forest's outskirts, but I know most spiritual-attribute soul beasts there. So I'm very curious: what kind of soul beast gave you that soul skill?"

Huo Yuhao's feelings could no longer be described merely as shock. If Tian Meng's spirit ring had not possessed such a deceptive color, he might have been exposed long ago.

Yet Ling Mo was not finished. He continued, "I'm not saying this because I want you to tell me the truth. I just want to tell you that everyone has their own secrets. You didn't tell me yours, and I won't ask. So could you please stop looking into my spirit ring?"

Of course, Ling Mo knew about the relationship between Snow Empress and Ice Empress. But if Ice Empress could sense Snow Empress's aura, could Snow Empress really be unaware of Ice Empress's existence? Although Ling Mo knew Ice Empress's situation, he had not told Snow Empress.

Snow Empress, who understood Ling Mo's past life, also knew that he would not do things he considered meaningless. Thus, being more mature and steady than Ice Empress, she said nothing to Ling Mo.

In the end, Huo Yuhao left without pursuing the matter any further. He had only done this because Ice Empress had asked him to, and from the meaning behind Ling Mo's words, they could also guess a few things.

A month passed quickly. Xiao Xiao was ultimately not eliminated, and the original Shrek Seven Devils lineup remained unchanged, except for the addition of Ling Mo as a unique eighth member, bearing the title of Shrek Seven Devils as a special exception.

Over that month, Ling Mo continuously absorbed the remaining medicinal power of the snow lotus. After twenty days, he finally absorbed it all. After requesting leave from Wang Yan, he set off for the Star Dou Great Forest in search of his fourth spirit ring. Since the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was about to begin, Xuan Zi told Ling Mo that once he found his spirit ring, there was no need to return to the academy. He was to head directly to the tournament venue—Star Luo City.

With Bella's help, Ling Mo successfully found a Tree Demon that was nearly thirty thousand years old. Ling Mo guessed that the next form of the Divine Key would most likely be Oath of Judah. A plant-type soul beast barely met the requirements for the Key of Binding, so Ling Mo ultimately chose it.

Not long after the selection tournament ended, Ling Mo had consumed that Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Jelly. His physical strength increased once again, and he could now absorb spirit rings over ten thousand years old. With his Stigmata and Black Abyss White Flower, although a thirty-thousand-year spirit ring still placed considerable pressure on him, it was easier than absorbing the ten-thousand-year spirit ring last time.

Finally, under Bella's protection for two days and one night, he absorbed the spirit ring without mishap. Yet as he looked at the pair of guns in his hands, Ling Mo could not shake the feeling that reality had played another joke on him.