Huo Yuhao, Wind Baboon, Seeking Sky Dream Ice Silkworm

Absolute Duo World, Douluo Continent.

In the afternoon in Star Luo City, sunlight was half-obscured by the clouds, filtering through the hotel's carved window lattice and casting mottled patches of light across the floor.

The rumble of Soul Guide Carriage wheels rolling over the Bluestone Road, along with vendors hawking dried soul beast meat, faintly drifted toward a top-floor room in a hotel by the street.

However, they were blocked outside by a layer of pale blue Soul Guide Isolation Array within the room, leaving only silence behind.

Inside the room, a soft white beast-fur cushion covered a red sandalwood bed, upon which a young man sat cross-legged.

He wore a dark short-sleeved shirt with subtle patterns embroidered along the cuffs. His black hair was tied behind his head with a simple wooden hairpin, revealing his smooth forehead.

This young man was none other than Lin Yao. He was in a parallel world of Douluo, ten thousand years after Tang San became a god, where Evil Soul Masters ran rampant.

Lin Yao's eyes were lowered slightly, his long lashes casting faint shadows beneath them. His hands formed cultivation seals, and wisps of pale golden soul power curled around his fingertips.

The chaos of this era was vividly reflected in his mind. Evil Soul Masters were like parasites clinging to the bone, lurking throughout the continent. At every turn, they slaughtered civilian villages, and even low- and mid-tier soul masters struggled to escape their harm.

Shrek Academy, which had inherited the vast majority of Spirit Hall's legacy, clearly held an enormous amount of resources, yet had only taken a tiny fraction of them to establish the "Shrek Supervision Group."

It also used that organization to cultivate powerful individuals through a method akin to raising venomous insects in a jar.

Inner Court geniuses were forced to hunt Evil Soul Masters far stronger than themselves. Generation after generation fell upon that brutal road, until only the strongest survivor was selected.

"There were clearly gentler ways, yet they insisted on taking the extreme path..."

A cold glint flashed through Lin Yao's eyes.

He clearly remembered that Shrek in Huo Yuhao's era had nearly faced a shortage of successors because of this very model.

Even more ironically, despite those geniuses charging forward one after another, the Evil Soul Masters across the continent still ran rampant.

That was because two Rank 99 Extreme Douluo Evil Soul Masters, both from Shrek, supported them from behind the scenes. Those boys and girls who had died seemed to have accomplished nothing at all.

Precisely because he understood how dangerous this world was, Lin Yao had still dared to hide in a cave and rest while out in the wilderness, but became increasingly cautious after entering Star Luo City.

The hotel he had chosen was no ordinary lodging. It was one of Shrek Baibao Pavilion's subsidiary businesses.

The "Glazed Treasure Cauldron" emblem symbolizing Baibao Pavilion was carved above the entrance, and every servant coming and going wore a soul master badge. Ordinary Evil Soul Masters would never dare cause trouble here.

A single night's stay cost over a hundred Gold Soul Coins. In the past, he would never have been willing to spend so much.

But now, the soul power fluctuations at Lin Yao's fingertips were growing increasingly steady, and he no longer took such expenses to heart.

More importantly, from this room's window, he could vaguely see the vermilion gates of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion not far away.

He had deliberately chosen this place so he could observe the Duke's Mansion from nearby.

Suddenly, the pale golden soul power around Lin Yao surged explosively, racing through his meridians like a tide.

His brows drew together slightly, and his jaw tightened. His formerly steady breathing sped up a little, yet maintained an even rhythm.

He was using his surging spiritual power to firmly suppress the restless power within his body, preventing any disturbance from leaking out.

The pale blue Soul Guide Isolation Array glimmered faintly, locking the soul power fluctuations firmly within the room. Only a luminous glow lingered around Lin Yao's body, as though he were wrapped in a thin veil.

As the dense soul power flowed through his meridians, it seemed to carry a warm sensation, washing over the originally slender meridian walls bit by bit and making them increasingly thicker and more unobstructed before finally gathering in his dantian.

As his soul power circulated, a faint flush appeared on Lin Yao's cheeks, and his skin grew slightly hot.

Every inch of muscle silently grew stronger under the nourishment of soul power, while even his bones seemed to emit faint creaking sounds.

It was proof that his physique was being continuously tempered.

Two hours later, the setting sun shone through the window lattice, dyeing the room a warm orange.

Lin Yao slowly opened his eyes. A sharp golden light flashed within them before quickly returning to calm.

He raised a hand and sensed the soul power within his body. The strength that had once bucked like an unbridled wild horse had now stabilized, resting at the threshold of Rank 30 soul power.

"Directly from Rank 24 to Rank 30..."

The corners of Lin Yao's lips could not help but curve upward, his eyes filled with delight.

According to his original plan, breaking through to Soul Elder at around thirteen and gaining a foothold in Shrek would already have required his utmost effort.

Yet now, in merely half a day, he had crossed six ranks. Moreover, the soul power within him was dense and pure, utterly incomparable to the crooked methods of Evil Soul Masters.

In the past, he could at most be considered a genius with Innate Full Soul Power at Rank Eight or Nine.

But now, he was confident that he was no inferior to Xiao Xiao of the Shrek Seven Devils from the original work.

Not to mention that he had cultivated body-tempering techniques such as the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Shirt, making his body far tougher than that of soul masters at the same rank.

Even without using soul skills, he could crush ordinary Soul Grand Masters—and even ordinary Soul Elders—with physical strength alone.

At that thought, Lin Yao's mind stirred. He extended his right hand, and a streak of silver light suddenly flashed.

The Soul Destroying Spear martial soul appeared in his hand out of thin air.

Compared with the original spear, which had possessed only a soul-destroying effect and an utterly unremarkable shaft, the Soul Destroying Spear had now undergone a complete transformation.

The silver-white shaft gleamed with an icy luster, faintly engraved with intricate patterns. At its tip flickered a strand of purple-black cold light—the manifested form of its soul-destroying power.

Lin Yao's fingertips lightly brushed the spearhead, and he could clearly feel that pure soul-destroying force.

Unlike the blasphemous manipulation of souls by Evil Soul Masters, this power was clean and fierce, carrying an extreme sense of oppression.

"An ultimate attribute..."

He murmured softly, a flash of understanding passing through his eyes.

Although the Soul Destroying Spear was still evolving and had yet to reach a perfect state, this mere trace of ultimate soul-destroying effect was already the greatest gain from his breakthrough.

Then Lin Yao closed his eyes and began circulating the Cultivation method he had developed.

With the Nine Yin Manual as its core, it incorporated the martial arts of Peach Blossom Island and the techniques inherited from the Divine Eagle World, forming a Cultivation system uniquely his own.

Soul Power circulated repeatedly through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians. His internal organs, already strengthened before, seemed to be soaking in warm water. With every cycle, the quality of his Soul Power quietly improved.

"Even without adding a Soul Ring, my Cultivation speed hasn't slowed..."

Lin Yao secretly rejoiced.

This technique converted part of his Soul Power into physical foundation. Not only did it allow him to withstand Soul Rings of greater age, but it also made his Soul Power recovery speed and reserves far surpass those of others at the same level.

He gripped the Soul Destroying Spear tightly, feeling the surging power within him. He was confident that if he encountered his former self now, he would not need to use any Soul Skills—one thrust alone would pierce through that former body.

But when he thought of his past self becoming a unit of combat measurement, he could not help smiling faintly. In his heart, he muttered, Tragic.

Several days later, at a secluded side gate on the eastern side of White Tiger Duke's Mansion in Star Luo City.

The morning mist had yet to disperse, and the air was damp with dew. The Bluestone Road by the side gate was covered in moss, with the occasional weed pushing through gaps in the stones.

A thin, small figure gently pushed open the heavy wooden door. With a soft creak, it sounded especially clear in the silent alley.

The figure looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, so frail that a gust of wind seemed capable of knocking him over.

He wore a coarse cloth shirt that had been washed until it had faded white, with frayed cuffs and trouser hems.

A small gray bundle was slung over his back, its fabric patched in several places. Yet tucked into his clothes was a small dagger utterly disproportionate to his build.

The dagger's sheath was black, engraved with faint White Tiger patterns. It was clearly no ordinary item, standing in stark contrast to his plain clothes and drawing the eye.

The boy's hair was dry and yellowed, and loose strands over his forehead obscured part of his brows and eyes, but they could not hide the light in those eyes.

It was a maturity and resolve far beyond his years, as though he had endured countless hardships and long since shed a child's innocence.

The moment he stepped out of the side gate, he paused. As if remembering something, he slowly turned around and looked toward the duke's mansion, with its vermilion gates and upturned eaves.

This was the place where he had lived for eleven years. It held warm memories of him and his mother relying on each other for survival, as well as the cold stares, bullying, and humiliation of others.

Thinking of his mother's appearance before her death, and of those people's mocking faces, a hatred etched into his very bones flashed through the boy's eyes. His fists clenched tightly, his nails nearly digging into his palms.

"I will never forget those who bullied me and bullied Mother."

He repeated the words in his heart. Though soft, they carried an unshakable determination.

"I will give everything I have. Even if I die, I will seize that sliver of opportunity to change my fate and make you pay the price. I, Huo Yuhao, swear it here!"

After one final look in the direction of the duke's mansion, Huo Yuhao no longer lingered. He abruptly turned around.

His small figure hurried through the alley, heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest beyond the city.

His steps were swift, and every one of them was exceptionally firm, completely severing everything behind him.

Beneath an old locust tree at the end of the alley, a figure in Dark Green robes leaned against the trunk. It was Lin Yao, who had been waiting for days.

Watching Huo Yuhao emerge from the side gate with that distinctive White Tiger Dagger tucked against him, the worry Lin Yao had been carrying finally settled. A faint smile curved his lips.

"Good thing my effort wasn't wasted."

Lin Yao straightened up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and followed Huo Yuhao's figure toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

He had visited the Star Dou Great Forest two or three times before and was already thoroughly familiar with the route.

Combined with his level-thirty Soul Power and physique far beyond that of ordinary people, he was more than twice as fast as Huo Yuhao.

Over the journey of several hundred li, Lin Yao barely stopped. There was only one destination in his mind: the Star Dou Great Forest.

In less than half a day, a vast Dark Green forest stretching over rolling hills appeared in the distance. It was the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Lin Yao slowed down and sensed the Soul Power within him. After traveling at such high intensity, an ordinary Soul Grandmaster would have long since exhausted their Soul Power.

Yet the Soul Power in his body remained abundant. The amount he had consumed was not even a fraction of what had already recovered.

"My former self would never have dared imagine this kind of endurance..."

Lin Yao could not help sighing.

Back then, he had only two Soul Skills, and his Soul Power replenishment could not keep up with his expenditure. His combat techniques had been even worse.

The only thing he could show for himself was the basic spear techniques he had figured out using memories from his past life.

Thrust, chop, jab, lift, sweep, deflect, block, twist, point—he had practiced these nine basic movements for years and knew them by heart.

Perhaps it was precisely because his foundation was so solid that Lin Yao had been able to quickly absorb the power and knowledge from other worlds.

Of all those movements, he had put the most effort into the "thrust." Ever since awakening his spear martial soul, he had often imagined scenes of his spear flying forth like a dragon and crushing every enemy before him.

The essence of the spear lay in offense, and the "thrust" was its most direct and fiercest killing move.

Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Lin Yao stopped.

The surrounding trees gradually became thicker, their branches and leaves intertwining to block most of the sunlight. The air was filled with the damp scent of vegetation, mixed with a faint trace of soul beast scent.

His gaze swept around, and he soon spotted a battered wooden sign standing by the roadside.

Moss covered nearly half the wooden sign, leaving only a few blood-red words barely legible: "Soul beasts have been sighted ahead. Proceed with caution."

Seeing this familiar wooden sign, Lin Yao's gaze sharpened slightly, but his steps did not stop. He continued deeper into the forest, one step at a time.

After only a few steps, Lin Yao's spiritual power caught several faint disturbances.

Figures flickered through the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees, accompanied by soft rustling sounds.

He stopped and slowly turned around, his gaze locking onto those figures.

One baboon after another, each around a meter tall, emerged from behind the trees. Their bodies were covered in brownish-yellow fur, stained with dead leaves and mud, making them look filthy and unkempt.

Their eyes were a murky brown, and their arms were exceptionally long, nearly reaching their knees. The nails on their claws glinted a dark yellow, sharp and pointed.

Their canine teeth protruded from their lips, saliva dripping onto the ground. They looked ferocious and ugly.

They were Wind Baboons, common soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest's Forest Periphery.

"Wind Baboons..."

Lin Yao raised a brow as a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"Most of them only have ten years of cultivation. I wonder whether the God King Wind Baboon that Huo Yuhao encountered—the one that 'nearly strangled the Son of the Plane'—came from this bunch?"

These Wind Baboons were clearly pack-dwelling soul beasts. They surrounded Lin Yao, low growls rumbling from their throats, their eyes filled with aggression.

One Wind Baboon seemed unable to read the situation. Seeing Lin Yao standing still, it actually assumed he was afraid. It suddenly opened its mouth wide, baring its sharp fangs as it pounced at Lin Yao with a foul gust of wind.

Lin Yao's eyes turned cold. Without the slightest panic, he raised his right hand, and silver light flashed as the Soul Destroying Spear appeared in his grasp.

With a slight flick of his wrist, the spear tip tore through the air with a piercing whistle, shooting like a bolt of silver lightning straight for the Wind Baboon's throat. The movement was so fast it nearly left an afterimage.

"Pfft!"

The spear tip pierced through the Wind Baboon's throat as easily as slicing tofu. Blood erupted in an instant, spraying onto the ground like a crimson fountain.

Before the Wind Baboon could even scream, its body went limp and crashed heavily to the ground. It twitched a few times before falling still.

The death of their companion completely enraged the other Wind Baboons.

They let out shrill screeches and lunged at Lin Yao one after another. Some swung their claws at his arms, while others tried to bite his legs.

Lin Yao shifted his feet lightly, evading the Wind Baboons' attacks as though taking a leisurely stroll. The Soul Destroying Spear in his hand flashed without pause.

The spear tip sliced through the air, its sharp whistles intertwining with the humming of circulating Soul Power.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several dull impacts rang out in succession. Lin Yao twisted his wrist, and the spear tip pierced through the hearts of several Wind Baboons in turn, every strike landing precisely on a vital point.

The bodies of several Wind Baboons paused briefly in midair before crashing heavily to the ground. Blood stained the surrounding grass and fallen leaves red.

Seeing their companions die one after another, the remaining Wind Baboons finally showed fear in their eyes.

They stopped attacking, letting out timid growls as they backed away step by step, seemingly preparing to flee.

Lin Yao did not pursue them. He merely held the Soul Destroying Spear and watched them calmly.

Blood dripped from the spear tip down its shaft, striking the ground and leaving tiny pits of blood.

He was not a bloodthirsty person. So long as these soul beasts did not attack him, he would not throw his weight around merely because he was stronger.

Besides, the purpose of this journey was the opportunities deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, not these ten-year soul beasts.

Glancing at the Wind Baboons scattering in all directions, Lin Yao put away the Soul Destroying Spear and looked toward the depths of the forest. The trees there were denser, and he could faintly sense the auras of stronger soul beasts.

"Next, it's time to find the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm."

Lin Yao spoke softly, anticipation flashing through his eyes.

Although he now possessed enough opportunities to help him defy fate and change his destiny, he no longer felt so anxious about gaining and losing the various opportunities of this era.

But if possible, Lin Yao certainly would not turn down the opportunity offered by a Million-Year soul beast like the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

After all, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's power could not only accelerate his growth, but also give him a few more trump cards.

With that thought, Lin Yao took a light breath and stepped onward, heading deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.