Time flew by, and before long, two months had passed.
Huo Yuhao had kept himself busy during those two months.
Aside from the necessary training, meals, and sleep, he had practically nailed himself to the Soul Guidance Department's laboratory.
Even finding time to earn Anger Points from Wang Dong took some serious juggling.
To ordinary Soul Masters, Soul Tool Core Arrays were arcane and incomprehensible. To Huo Yuhao, they were as transparent as a naked beauty.
After his Martial Soul Evolution, Spiritual Detection Sharing let him see right through a Soul Tool's inner workings—even analyze them down to the micrometer.
His almost cheat-like speed of learning left Fan Yu, who had only meant to test Huo Yuhao's talent, staring in disbelief.
At that moment, in the Soul Guidance Department's Laboratory Twelve,
Huo Yuhao was focused, his carving knife dancing like a dragon as he rapidly engraved a piece of rare metal.
Fan Yu, Zhou Yi, and He Caitou stood nearby, barely daring to breathe as they stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao's hands.
"Vmmm—"
With the final stroke, Huo Yuhao let out a long breath and channeled Soul Power into the metal. In an instant, the silver-white longsword rang out with a clear, resonant chime. The intricate inscriptions along its blade lit up, and a sharp surge of spiritual energy swept through the laboratory.
"It's done." Huo Yuhao wiped the sweat from his brow, a confident smile at the corner of his mouth.
Fan Yu practically lunged forward and snatched the longsword from him, examining it closely.
"The Core Array is operating perfectly. There's no loss in Soul Power transmission, and the amplification effect is... thirty percent!"
Fan Yu's hands trembled. He jerked his head up to stare at Huo Yuhao as if he were a monster. "A Level 3 Soul Tool! You really made a Level 3 Soul Tool?!"
Zhou Yi didn't understand the technical details, but she knew what this meant. She exclaimed, "Level 3? Fan Yu, are you sure? This kid's only a One-Ring Soul Master! A One-Ring Soul Master made a Level 3 Soul Tool? How is that possible? He's only been studying Soul Tools for two months!"
The Soul Guidance Department had an ironclad rule: an Soul Engineer's level was usually limited by their Soul Power cultivation.
A One-Ring Soul Master had little Soul Power and could usually only make Level 1 Soul Tools. A gifted one might attempt a Level 2, but couldn't guarantee success.
But to leap two levels and make a Level 3 Soul Tool with the cultivation of a One-Ring Soul Master?
That was like rubbing every bit of common sense in the Soul Tool world into the dirt!
"A monster... An unprecedented monster!" Fan Yu was so excited his face had turned red. He slapped Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "Yuhao, you're the future of Soul Tools! I'll apply to the academy right away and have you made a core disciple of the Soul Guidance Department!"
Huo Yuhao had expected this. He smiled. "Thank you, Teacher Fan Yu. Now that I've passed the test, I'd like to ask for leave."
"Leave? What for?"
"My Soul Power has reached Level 20. It's time to obtain my Second Soul Ring."
Fan Yu paused, then realized. "Right, your cultivation speed is pretty good too. Do you need me to go with you? Hunting Soul Beasts can be dangerous."
"No need, Teacher. I've made arrangements," Huo Yuhao politely declined.
As if! The place he was heading was a forbidden zone for humans. Forget Fan Yu, a Soul Douluo—even a Titled Douluo might not come back in one piece.
Fan Yu didn't think much of it. He knew Huo Yuhao had an abnormal Spiritual Detection ability, so he should be able to protect himself. He nodded in agreement.
Zhou Yi also agreed.
Back at the freshman dormitory,
Wang Dong was sitting cross-legged on her bed, cultivating. At the sound of the door opening, she opened her eyes and saw Huo Yuhao. She snorted. "Well, well. The busy man finally decided to come back? I thought you'd made the Soul Guidance Department your home."
"I'm here to say goodbye." Huo Yuhao packed his things as he spoke casually.
"Goodbye?" Wang Dong's heart gave a jolt. She sprang to her feet. "You're dropping out?"
"What are you thinking?" Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes. "I'm going to hunt for my Second Soul Ring. I've asked for leave, so I'll be gone for a while."
"Oh... Soul Hunting." Wang Dong breathed a sigh of relief, then put on an unconcerned look. "Go, then. Why tell me? It'll be nice to have some fresh air in the dorm while you're gone. No one to disturb my cultivation."
After packing, Huo Yuhao walked to the door, then suddenly turned around and winked at Wang Dong. "Wang Dong, you may act tough, but I know you'll miss me. Don't get too lonely. If your butt starts itching, you'll have to learn to take care of it yourself."
"Get lost! Who'd miss a jerk like you? Just hurry up and go!" Wang Dong grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
Huo Yuhao laughed, shut the door, and strode away.
Staring at the closed door, Wang Dong stayed frozen in the pose she'd thrown the pillow from for a long while.
She should have been happy. The guy who was always bullying her and taking liberties with her was finally gone. So why... did she feel so empty inside?
No, Wang Dong suddenly realized, she seemed to be changing.
At first, she'd faced a jerk who tried every way he could to humiliate her each day and had wanted to kill him.
But over the past two months, she seemed to have grown used to fetching Huo Yuhao's foot-washing water every day, their passionate bickering, and even being at his mercy.
Wang Dong shook her head hard and thought in alarm, No, no. If this keeps up, I'll be ruined...
After leaving Shrek City, Huo Yuhao didn't hire a carriage or travel on foot like an ordinary Soul Master.
He went to an empty grove and took the newly made Level 3 Soul Tool longsword out of his Storage Soul Tool.
"Up!"
Huo Yuhao gave a low shout. A vast surge of Psychic Power poured out and wrapped around the longsword. It rose into the air and hovered steadily beside his feet.
He leaped up and landed firmly on the blade.
"Go!"
Whoosh—!
The longsword became a streak of silver light, carrying Huo Yuhao skyward and straight into the clouds!
He was flying on a sword with his Psychic Power!
That was the confidence Huo Yuhao had now.
Although he was only a One-Ring Soul Master, his spiritual power was already on par with a Soul Ancestor's.
At that moment, his flying speed was absolutely no slower than that of any four-ring flying-type Soul Ancestor.
High above the ground, fierce winds howled, but Huo Yuhao easily kept them at bay with his Psychic Power. Watching the mountains and rivers race backward beneath him, he felt his spirits soar.
His destination—the Extreme North!
"Hahahahaha! This is amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
In the Sea of Consciousness, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had been asleep for a long time, finally woke up and rolled around excitedly. "Yuhao, you look so cool flying on that sword! If I'd had a trick like that back then, those Ferocious Beasts wouldn't have caught me and used me as a living battery!"
"Brother Sky Dream, stop fooling around." Huo Yuhao replied in his mind. "Are you sure about this trip to the Extreme North?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm immediately grew serious—though his chubby appearance did nothing to make him look serious. "Yuhao, I told you before: I didn't just give you a Million-Year Soul Ring. I also gave you a place for a Second Martial Soul."
"This Second Martial Soul has an ice attribute, but right now it's just an empty shell. Its form and quality depend on what you attach as its first Soul Ring!"
A note of madness crept into Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice. "The target I chose for you is the second-ranked of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion! Only she is worthy of my God-Making Plan! Only she can make your Second Martial Soul Ultimate Ice!"
Huo Yuhao's gaze burned as he looked toward the northern horizon, where snow-covered peaks were faintly visible.
The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion was nearly four hundred thousand years old. It ranked seventh among the Ten Great Beast Kings of Douluo Continent, and its strength rivaled that of a human Super Douluo at Level 98.
In the original story, this was an opportunity Huo Yuhao had obtained only after narrowly escaping death.
"We'll succeed," Huo Yuhao said firmly.
The silver streak cut across the sky, carrying the boy's ambition and arrogance as it plunged into that cold, mysterious world of ice and snow.
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