Devouring Spirit Bones, Kotoamatsukura, the Forty-Four-Seal Water Dragon Bullet Technique

After leaving the dean's office, Huo Yuhao did not return to the dormitory directly.

He avoided the crowds and came to a secluded cave in the academy's back mountain. After confirming that no one was around, his right eye flashed red.

"Kamui."

A spatial vortex twisted and swallowed his figure.

Kamui Dimension.

Huo Yuhao took out the two Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bones Yan Shaozhe had reluctantly given him.

The moment he removed the Soul Tool's seal, an icy, storm-like aura spread through the air.

With a thought from Huo Yuhao—

Rumble!

Several purple Chakra Chains shot out from his right hand. Like hungry tentacles, they instantly coiled around the two precious Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bones.

In an instant, they dragged the two Spirit Bones into his body, before the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Crunch! Crunch!

A teeth-grinding sound of chewing rang out.

The incomparably hard Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bones, which even Soul Emperors found difficult to destroy, were like crisp biscuits in the Demonic Statue's mouth. They were crushed in two or three bites and swallowed.

Huo Yuhao watched this scene expressionlessly.

Just as expected.

The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path could devour Spirit Bones.

That was a good thing.

I can't possibly absorb these two measly Ten Thousand Year trash Spirit Bones. They would only take up my precious Spirit Bone slots.

As the two Spirit Bones were completely digested, Huo Yuhao stared intently at the Demonic Statue's eight tightly shut eyes.

Buzz!

The eyelid of the Demonic Statue's second eye trembled violently. It seemed to split open by a sliver, revealing a trace of eerie light.

But it lasted only an instant before the eyelid weakly closed again.

"Still not enough?"

Huo Yuhao was not particularly surprised.

After all, opening the first eye had required devouring the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, which possessed a million years of cultivation.

Though these two Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bones contained pure energy, they were still far too lacking in sheer quantity.

However, even though the eye had not opened, the feedback was very real.

A warm current, both cool and tingling, flowed back into Huo Yuhao's body through his connection with the Demonic Statue.

He felt the water-attribute Chakra within him become deeper and colder, while his lightning-attribute Chakra became more violent and active.

Absorbing Spirit Bones could feed energy back into me too?

This was far faster than refining pills normally!

Huo Yuhao clenched his fist, blue-violet arcs of electricity dancing at his fingertips.

The power of his Water Release and Lightning Style had increased by at least one level.

Since that was the case... it was time to train those more powerful ninjutsu.

Over the next few days, Huo Yuhao maintained his devilish training pace.

His weighted load had already risen to an astonishing thousand jin.

His training in ninjutsu of every element also progressed rapidly.

Especially his strengthened water and lightning attributes.

In terms of Lightning Style, he had already grasped the principles of Chidori. He was trying to integrate lightning-nature transformation into it and develop Sasuke's signature techniques, Chidori Sharp Spear and Chidori Current.

Yet amid this tedious training, a small incident still occurred.

That afternoon, at the training grounds.

Huo Yuhao stood atop the water, practicing water-nature transformation. The lake beneath his feet rose and fell with his breathing.

"Found you, Huo Yuhao!"

A sharp cry shattered the silence.

Huo Yuhao turned and saw Wang Dong striding toward him aggressively.

"Need something?" he asked flatly.

Wang Dong took a deep breath. Looking at this infuriating yet somehow lovable fellow, her gaze became resolute.

"Although I know there may be a gap between us, I don't want to keep being the person who can only watch your back."

"I want to know... just how much stronger you are than me!"

Buzz!

The moment she finished speaking, Wang Dong directly activated Martial Soul Possession.

Her dazzling Light Goddess Butterfly wings spread open, and she flew into the air, looking down at Huo Yuhao from above.

Wang Dong thought to herself:

Perhaps... he likes female soul masters who are powerful enough to fight alongside him?

As long as I prove that I'm not weak, as long as I'm stronger than him, will he see me differently?

I'm also a top genius with Twin Martial Souls, and I'm even the Young Master of the Clear Sky Sect!

Even if there's a gap between us now, who can say what the future will bring?

On the water.

Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Dong, who was so full of herself that she seemed to have fallen under a Kotoamatsukura Genjutsu, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Challenging me?

Perfect. I had just learned that technique and had not yet found anyone to test it on.

"Sure."

Huo Yuhao agreed casually, with the same attitude one might use to agree to play house with a child.

"Be careful."

Wang Dong gave him a warning as her second soul ring lit up behind her.

"Second Soul Skill: Light of the Butterfly God!"

Countless golden spheres of light gathered around her, ready to strike.

However.

Just as she was about to attack, she saw Huo Yuhao move.

Huo Yuhao did not dodge. Instead, he stood atop the water as his hands turned into a blur.

Rat—Ox—Monkey—Horse—Dragon—Boar—Rooster—Ox—Horse—Dog...

That string of complex hand seals was so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

Wang Dong suddenly began to panic.

During her previous time with Huo Yuhao, she had seen him form seals before using those strange elemental "soul skills."

But he usually only formed three or four, five or six at most.

But this time...

Wasn't this number a little too high?!

A powerful sense of foreboding rose in her heart.

"Whatever! Go!"

Wang Dong gritted her teeth and sent the Light of the Butterfly God filling the sky hurtling toward Huo Yuhao.

At that moment.

The forty-fourth seal in Huo Yuhao's hands formed.

Tiger.

He took a deep breath, and a massive portion of the Chakra in his body was instantly drained away.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Rumble—!!!

The previously tranquil lake surface exploded.

A colossal, vicious water dragon over ten meters long soared into the sky with an ear-splitting roar.

Before this giant dragon, Wang Dong's seemingly resplendent Light of the Butterfly God looked as tiny as fireflies.

"What is tha—"

Wang Dong did not even finish speaking.

Roar!

The water dragon opened its massive jaws and swallowed every golden sphere of light in one bite. Without losing momentum, it slammed fiercely into Wang Dong in midair.

"Ah—!!"

A scream rang out.

Like a butterfly with soaked wings, Wang Dong was instantly sent flying by the Water Dragon Bullet. She traced a miserable arc through the air before crashing with a smack into a large tree by the shore.

The tree shook violently, scattering fallen leaves everywhere.

Wang Dong slid to the ground, drenched from head to toe, her hair disheveled and her entire body stunned senseless.

Huo Yuhao stood on the gradually calming water and slowly lowered his hand as he looked at Wang Dong, soaked like a drowned rat.

"Do you see it now?"

His voice remained cold, every word cutting to the heart.

"The gap between us..."

"Spend your whole life trying to catch up."

After that little incident, the rest of the training continued as usual.

Soon, Shrek Academy's annual holiday arrived.

That also meant Huo Yuhao's Akatsuki assessment for Tang Ya had officially begun.

Early morning.

Huo Yuhao did not say goodbye to anyone.

He changed into a black robe, carried a simple pack on his back, and slowly walked out through Shrek City's grand gates.

After he left Shrek City, within a dense forest.

Several pairs of cold eyes stared fixedly at his solitary figure through gaps in the leaves.

They belonged to several soul masters dressed in black robes, their auras concealed.

The leader held a portrait in his hand, compared it with the target, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Target confirmed."

"It's him, Huo Yuhao. A first-year freshman from Shrek Academy."

One of the black-robed men beside him curled his lip disdainfully.

"Just a one-ring soul master?"

"I really don't know what the Young Master is thinking. To kill an ant like this, he actually had to send several of us? He even brought in you, Captain, a Soul Emperor?"

"This is using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken."

The leading Soul Emperor coldly put away the portrait, a glint of frost flashing through his eyes.

"Shut up."

"Whether he's a one-ring soul master or an ordinary person."

"We simply carry out the Young Master's orders."

"Remember, the Young Master said he wants him to suffer a fate worse than death."

"Move!"