The moment the head of the Sea God Tang San statue exploded, not only were the students and teachers who witnessed it stunned, the members of the Sea God Pavilion who had been gathered by Sea God Lake were also alarmed. They nearly thought a powerful enemy had come to attack Shrek Academy.
Once everyone took to the air and discovered that Xuan Zi had done it, they hurriedly reined in their auras.
"Xuan Zi, what are you doing this time?" Mu En asked, looking at the returning Xuan Zi with a headache.
Xuan Zi said as if it were only natural, "What am I doing? Of course I'm dealing with Tang San, who dared poach from the academy and scheme against my Shrek Prodigy!"
"I don't think I did anything wrong. If you think I'm wrong, Old Man Mu, then I'll withdraw from the Sea God Pavilion. I can be a carefree nobody in the academy from now on. I get angry just hearing the words 'Sea God' now!"
After blowing up the Sea God's head and venting his anger, Xuan Zi felt excellent. He did not care in the slightest about resigning from his position. This was far from the first time he had threatened to quit.
Every time he caused trouble, he resigned. It never failed!
Even without a position, he was still a Level 98 Super Douluo. Could the academy really treat him as a carefree nobody?
Looking at Xuan Zi, who was completely shameless and unbothered, Mu En sighed wearily. Yet at the same time, he finally let go of the last burden in his heart.
On one hand, Shrek had already prepared to face Sea God's Wrath and protect Huo Yuhao at all costs.
On the other hand, they could not help harboring a sliver of hope: if the Sea God had been exposed by the Heaven's Screen for his schemes, perhaps he would care about his reputation and feel too embarrassed to target Shrek Academy?
Although the possibility was extremely small, it was human nature to cling to a faint hope when facing disaster.
Therefore, before this, Shrek's higher-ups had tacitly avoided bringing up the need to change names such as the Sea God Pavilion and Sea God Lake, so as to sever all ties with the Sea God completely.
As a result, Xuan Zi came over and directly blew the Sea God's head apart. Shrek had thereby lost every possibility of turning back.
Not to mention a sinister and vicious god like the Sea God—even if it had been some other god, faced with Shrek's blatant hostility and desecration, they would have chosen to strike back with full force!
But there was also a benefit. Once this news spread, no one on the entire continent would be able to use Tang San's connections to smear Shrek Academy or claim that Shrek and Tang San were birds of a feather.
After all, to sever ties with the evil Sea God, Shrek had risked divine wrath to blow up the head of the Sea God Statue! What other way of drawing a line could compare with that?!
"Get out of here right now. Go search for Bei Bei and Yuhao along the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest!" Mu En drew a deep breath and urged Xuan Zi to leave.
While things were bustling Inside Shrek Academy, the scene within the Heaven's Screen continued.
[After leaving Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao traveled north. Along the way, he investigated the mysterious folk legends of the dead returning to life while making his way toward the Extreme North.
In the end, when Huo Yuhao stepped onto the Vast Snowfield, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, which had been asleep for a long time, awoke.
"Ah, did I sleep for that long? Your semester has already ended?" The awakened Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was extremely lively.
"No. I just withdrew from Shrek Academy." A faint smile appeared on Huo Yuhao's cold face. "Brother Sky Dream, you woke up just as I arrived at the Extreme North. Perhaps even Heaven is helping me."
After some conversation, Tian Meng understood Huo Yuhao's current situation and pondered for a moment before advising him tactfully, "Yuhao, the path you've chosen won't be easy."
"But if I don't take it, there will be no hope at all."
Huo Yuhao replied before changing the subject. "Brother Sky Dream, are you confident? I'm really looking forward to what you said about making the Snow Empress and Ice Empress my Wisdom Soul Rings."
Tian Meng said proudly, "Of course. We can start with the Ice Empress. I already have a foolproof plan!"
"Then let's set off."
Huo Yuhao tightened his thick clothing and stepped into the wind and snow.
The next moment, the scene changed.
After sneaking into the depths of the Extreme North, Huo Yuhao and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm successfully lured out the Ice Empress and trapped her using the Silkworm Cocoon.
After some discussion, the Ice Empress, unwilling to perish under the Four Hundred Thousand Year Heavenly Tribulation, was successfully persuaded. She prepared to sacrifice herself to Huo Yuhao and, with the help of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, retain her self-awareness and become a Wisdom Soul Ring.
"Yuhao, I can condense a Soul Bone during the Sacrifice, and I can choose its location. What kind of Soul Bone do you want?" the Ice Empress asked.
"The strongest parts of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion are its pair of pincers and its Tail Needle. I think you should get a Scorpion Tail External Soul Bone."
Tian Meng advised, "There will be chances to obtain Soul Bones from other parts later. You might even be able to buy them with money. But you can never have too many External Soul Bones that can grow."
After deciding on the Soul Bone's location, the Ice Empress said, "Then I'll begin now. Once the Sacrifice starts, I'll first help you fuse with the Soul Bone. I can guarantee your safety during this process, but it will be extremely painful. You must endure it."
"Fusing with the Soul Bone first will strengthen your physique in every way. Later, when you absorb the Soul Ring, you'll also be able to fuse with more Soul Power."
"I'm ready!" Huo Yuhao drew a deep breath and nodded firmly.
The next instant, the Ice Empress began the Sacrifice!
A violent force spread from that not-large body, at least by the standards of Soul Beasts, and an Emerald Green Light Pillar shot into the sky! The resplendent emerald light dyed the entire firmament into an inverted emerald!
The howling wind and snow of the Extreme North came to a halt at this moment. In the Extreme Cold, even time itself seemed to freeze!
Without a sound, the Ice Empress's Scorpion Tail transformed into an illusion. The sharp Tail Needle suddenly pierced through Huo Yuhao's clothing and stabbed into his coccyx, linking their two bodies together.
Huo Yuhao suddenly opened his mouth wide, yet not a sound came out.
Only his wide-open eyes, the whites filled with dense blood vessels, and the veins bulging on his handsome face revealed the agony he was enduring!
Strands of Green Light flowed from the Ice Empress into Huo Yuhao's body along the Scorpion Tail at a special frequency. At the same time, Emerald Green Ice Mist rose from the Ice Empress's body and seeped into Huo Yuhao's skin thread by thread.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly. When the Ice Empress's body no longer emitted any ice mist, that Emerald Green Scorpion Tail had already become part of Huo Yuhao's body.
The remaining parts of the Ice Empress's body completely transformed into a soul-stirring Blood Colored Soul Ring. Four Golden Green Intertwined Patterns adorned it, signifying that the Ice Empress's Soul Ring had reached four hundred thousand years!
There was no time for Huo Yuhao to rest. The sweat covering his head turned into Ice Beads and fell.
Tian Meng reminded him somewhat nervously, "Next comes the Soul Ring fusion. A four-hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring will bring immense pressure even through a Sacrifice."
"Yuhao, endure for as long as possible within what you can bear. This can rapidly raise your Soul Power Level!"
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly. "Come on! Let me see my limit!"]
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