Sky Dream Ice Silkworm? You're changing too!

"Who?!"

Huo Hao and Huo Yu reacted with lightning speed, instantly flanking Huo Yuhao to shield him between them. The three stood back-to-back, assuming the most vigilant defensive posture.

Their scalps tingled. To project a voice directly into their Sea of Consciousness without any of them sensing a thing—this level of power was something they simply could not contend with!

Just as they braced themselves in tense alertness, the bushes not far ahead rustled, and then, a creature beyond words slowly crawled out.

It was a colossal silkworm, its entire body crystalline and translucent as if carved from ice. Its flesh gleamed like white jade, and atop its head were a pair of glittering golden eyes. Starting half a meter from its head, a golden ring encircled its body at regular intervals—ten rings in total.

Yet what struck the three brothers as most jarring was the silkworm's "face."

Those tiny eyes on its massive, round head were fixed intently on them, and the enormous insect countenance bore an expression of extreme humanity—a bewildered mix of wild joy and utter confusion.

"A... a talking soul beast!"

Huo Yuhao's voice trembled slightly.

Huo Hao's gaze was heavier than ever before. A soul beast that could speak human language was at least a Fierce Beast that had cultivated for over a hundred thousand years! How could such a being appear on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest? It defied all reason!

Huo Yu's eyes turned icy cold, his violet pupils flickering with dangerous light. If things went wrong, he would strike first, even if it was futile.

River God Lin Feng lounged in the water with his legs crossed, watching through his divine projection like he was in a cinema watching a 3D blockbuster.

"Here it comes, here it comes—the protagonist's first cheat code has arrived! But this time seems a bit different. Tian Meng, how about you try 'One Qi Transforms into Three Purities' too?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had apparently snapped out of its initial daze. It looked at the three youths before it, all identical in spiritual attributes and visibly tense, cleared its throat, and began in a hoarse, tragic tone: "Three youths, do not be alarmed. I mean no harm."

It launched into its woeful tale—how it had fallen into an ice crevice and stumbled upon Ten Thousand Year Cold Marrow, muddling its way to a million years of life, how its end was near, how it was hunted by all kinds of terrifying Fierce Beasts, and how it had fled here with nowhere else to go.

"...So, I need a host—a spiritual-attribute host—to bear my million years of cultivation and wisdom, to merge with me and become an unprecedented Wisdom Soul Ring! And you three are the perfect candidates I have dreamed of!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm swept its tiny golden eyes over the three of them, brimming with anticipation.

"So, which one of you three is willing to become the owner of a Million-year Soul Ring?"

Truth be told, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was also in a bind. After so many years, it had never found a suitable spiritual-attribute Soul Master, and now three qualified candidates had appeared at once.

Huo Yuhao listened, dumbfounded. A Million-year Soul Ring? What did that even mean? His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of his chest.

Just then, Huo Hao spoke in a deep voice. He glanced at his clearly self-conscious third brother and said in a tone that brooked no argument: "In that case, let's give this soul ring to our third brother."

"Big Brother?!"

Huo Yuhao jerked his head up, staring at Huo Hao in disbelief.

A trace of warmth flickered in Huo Hao's golden eyes: "Third brother, your Innate Soul Power is only first-rank—that's your greatest weakness. If your first soul ring is a million-year level, it will be enough to make up for all your shortcomings. My second brother and I both have Innate Soul Power at tenth-rank. Even without a million-year first ring, we can still be unmatched in this world. Besides, we are brothers—we should advance together."

An unprecedented surge of warmth crashed through all of Huo Yuhao's defenses. His eyes reddened again.

So this is what it means to have an older brother? This is what family feels like? Faced with such an enormous temptation, the first thing Big Brother thought of was him!

"I disagree."

A cold voice shattered the touching atmosphere.

Huo Yu crossed his arms, a sly glint flickering in his demonic violet eyes. He glanced at Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, then at Huo Hao, and curled his lips into a playful smirk.

"Big Brother, have you forgotten how we came to be?"

Huo Hao froze, then a sharp light flashed in his eyes.

"You mean..."

"Exactly."

Huo Yu was succinct.

"If one Huo Yuhao could turn into three, then why can't one Sky Dream Ice Silkworm turn into three?"

At these words, silence fell over the scene.

Huo Yuhao's surge of emotion was instantly replaced by shock.

Right! Why hadn't he thought of that?!

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's enormous insect face once again wore an expression of utter bewilderment, even more pronounced than before.

"Th-three? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Having not yet read anyone's memories, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was still completely lost. A million-year soul beast was already a one-of-a-kind existence, and these three little imps wanted to split it three ways? What pipe dream were they smoking?

But Huo Hao and Huo Yuhao were already completely sold on this genius idea. They exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

"Let's do it!"

"Let's go!"

Without another word, the three brothers turned and headed back the way they came.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was utterly dumbfounded. This wasn't how the script went! Shouldn't the three brothers be fighting over it? Or at least politely deferring to each other?

How had it turned into them dragging it off somewhere?

It was full of question marks, but watching their retreating figures, a strong curiosity drove it forward. In the end, it wriggled its massive body and followed.

Soon, they returned to that unremarkable little river.

Huo Yu pointed at the calm water and said to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, succinct and to the point: "Jump in."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm: "???"

He looked down at this clear, shallow river, less than five meters deep, and felt nothing but disdain. What a joke? This Heavenly Silkworm is a Million Year Soul Beast. Not even a river, let alone a sea, could drown me!

"What the hell are you three playing at?"

"This is how we three brothers appeared. Jump in, and you'll split into three too. Anyway, jumping in won't drown you."

After hearing this, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's golden eyes instantly went wide. His mind, honed over a million years, raced at full speed, and a bold idea surfaced.

What if... what if the other two "me" that split off were even stronger than me? Then, with us three brothers working together, what fear would Di Tian or the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts hold? We could just strut straight through the Star Dou Great Forest!

The temptation was simply too great!

"Plop—!"

With a thunderous crash, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm didn't hesitate for a second. His massive body slammed straight into the river, sending a towering spray of water into the air.

"Woo-hoo! Another customer!"

Lin Feng snapped his fingers underwater, the familiar BGM seemingly ringing in his ears.

He slowly rose from the water, robes white as snow, demeanor elegant and refined, a warm yet peculiar smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Young Huo Yuhao, did you drop this golden Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?"

As he spoke, his left hand hoisted up a massive silkworm whose entire body gleamed with brilliant gold. The silkworm's golden eyes brimmed with boundless arrogance and majesty, as if it were a sacred beast from the God Realm. It cast a disdainful glance at the three brothers on the shore, then lifted its head high with pride.

"No."

The three brothers answered in unison, honest as could be.

"Oh?"

Lin Feng nodded approvingly.

"Then did you drop this silver-white Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?"

His right hand lifted another enormous silkworm, almost completely transparent, its faint silver outline only visible under the light. This silkworm's aura was extremely elusive, as if it could merge with the air at any moment. Its silver eyes were filled with timidity and shyness, and the moment it was pulled out, it desperately tried to shrink behind Lin Feng.

"No, not that one either."

"Then, did you drop this ordinary Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?"

Lin Feng grabbed the original Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, still floundering in the water with a bewildered expression, and lifted him up.

"Yes, that's the one!"

Hearing this answer, Lin Feng's face broke into an incredibly radiant smile. He gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed loudly.

"You're all such honest, good children! As a reward for your honesty, I'm giving you all three Tian Meng Ice Silkworms!"

"Whoosh—! Whoosh—! Whoosh—!"

Three massive silkworm babies traced three perfect parabolas through the air, crashing "Thud! Thud! Thud!" onto the grass, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lin Feng sank back into the water with satisfaction, and a heavenly sound echoed in his mind.

[Ding! Detected an epic deviation in the timeline! The fundamental form of the Chosen One's first external cheat has undergone a radical change!]

[Deviation Level: Extremely High!]

[Calculating rewards...]

[Congratulations, Host! You have received the reward: Super Divine Artifact River God's Staff. Your strength has been elevated to the God King level.]