Sky Dream Was Scared Witless, the Second Martial Soul: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path

Within the Sea of Consciousness, that smug voice rang out again.

"First, let me introduce myself. I am the embodiment of heroism and chivalry, the king among kings of Spirit Beasts, blessed with both wisdom and beauty! A peerless powerhouse who cultivated for a million years and set the longevity record for Douluo Continent—Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!"

The enormous silkworm wriggled his plump body, his tiny eyes glinting with golden light as though he awaited the boy's worship.

"Mm, you can call me—Brother Sky Dream!"

Huo Yuhao expressionlessly watched the fleshy worm indulging in himself.

A million years? He had merely slept for a million years.

"Speak, worm. What do you want?"

Huo Yuhao's voice was cold as ice.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's writhing body suddenly stiffened.

"W-Worm?!"

Disbelief appeared on his face.

"Kid, you'll regret speaking to me like that! I'm going to become your soul ring! The first intelligent soul ring in the history of Douluo Continent! At the same time, I'll give you the chance to obtain a second Martial Soul! This is a tremendous opportunity, do you understand?"

Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, his gaze remaining terrifyingly calm.

An intelligent soul ring? A second Martial Soul?

It sounded somewhat similar to the relationship between Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki in Naruto.

The difference was that Tailed Beasts were sealed, while you had delivered yourself to my door.

Seeing Huo Yuhao nod, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm assumed he had finally been moved by his offer.

He let out a breath, his massive head warily turning toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest—the source of his nightmares.

Those Beasts haven't noticed that I escaped yet, have they? I need to hurry.

He turned back to Huo Yuhao, his tone becoming gentler.

"I'm starting now. Don't worry, Brother Sky Dream will be gentle. It won't hurt too much. Your body is far too weak, after all. I have to seal away most of my million years of cultivation before you can absorb it."

Buzz—

The ten golden rings around Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's body seemed to come alive, beginning to pulse rhythmically.

Golden light blazed.

The ten rings swiftly flew out and enveloped Huo Yuhao's frail body.

Meanwhile, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's enormous main body transformed into a stream of white spiritual energy and surged madly into Huo Yuhao through his brow.

"Too weak... truly too weak..."

As he fused with him, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm muttered incessantly within Huo Yuhao's spiritual world.

"Your meridians and physical constitution are so poor. If it weren't for your spiritual attribute, Brother Sky Dream wouldn't even look twice at you..."

However, just as his source energy entered Huo Yuhao's body—

A sudden change occurred.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had been freely criticizing Huo Yuhao's body, suddenly changed his tune.

"Hm? What is this?"

To his horror, he discovered that deep within Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness, which should have been empty, stood a colossal entity.

It was an enormous, eerie statue the color of dead wood.

It sat cross-legged within a dark abyss, possessing nine tightly shut eyes and ten pillar-like protrusions behind its back.

It emanated a heart-palpitating aura.

Just as Sky Dream Ice Silkworm froze in shock—

Crack!

The deadwood statue—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—suddenly opened its mouth.

Purple Chakra Chains shot from its mouth.

"What is this?! You have Twin Martial Souls? No—Aah!!!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm let out a shrill scream.

The purple chains instantly wrapped around his spiritual source. They did not merely bind him—they devoured him!

An incomparably terrifying suction force erupted from the statue's mouth.

"No! No, no, no! Let me go!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm struggled desperately, his immense spiritual power surging wildly as he tried to shatter the chains.

"Damn it! There's something wrong with this human! What is this thing hidden inside his body?"

He had just escaped the nest of Di Tian and those Beasts, only to fall into another den of demons?!

He despaired.

He had thought he had found the perfect host.

Who could have imagined that inside this ant who appeared to be only level ten stood an eerie statue that devoured souls?!

Outside.

Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, sensing the drastic upheaval in his Sea of Consciousness.

Rather than panicking, he watched the scene with great interest.

"Hm? So this is the second Martial Soul that has never been able to undergo Martial Soul Possession?"

Huo Yuhao's consciousness floated above the Sea of Consciousness as he examined the enormous deadwood statue that was madly devouring Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

Deadwood-like material, nine eyes, ten protrusions...

This shape... wasn't it the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path?

So that was it.

My second Martial Soul was actually the Ten-Tails' shell—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had already been dragged to the mouth of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

"Kid! Make it stop! Otherwise, I'll detonate my source and perish with you!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm roared hysterically. "The self-destruction of a million-year Spirit Beast will kill you on the spot! If Brother Sky Dream dies, don't think you'll get off easy either!"

Huo Yuhao coldly watched the scene, a mocking curve appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Oh? Threatening me?"

If it had been the weak Huo Yuhao from the original story, perhaps he would have been afraid. But me?

"Then you can try."

Huo Yuhao's voice echoed through the Sea of Consciousness.

If it was the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the Ten-Tails' shell, then... did the source of a mere worm deserve to speak of resistance?

As if to confirm Huo Yuhao's thoughts—

Crack!

The purple chains suddenly tightened, and the suction force instantly increased tenfold!

"Worm, get into the trash can!"

"No—!!"

Accompanied by one final despairing scream, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's immense spiritual source, along with his consciousness, was swallowed whole by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Crunch.

The statue's huge mouth closed.

The world was quiet.

That incessantly chattering voice was gone.

"You wouldn't happen to delude yourself into thinking you could defeat me, would you? Laughable."

From this moment onward, Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness no longer contained the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, whose loyalty was not absolute. There was only an absolutely loyal spiritual source and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes.

An unprecedented sense of comfort spread through his entire body.

It was the sensation of being reborn.

The pure energy of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, transformed by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, was washing through Huo Yuhao's meridians.

His previously blocked meridians were forced open, and his Soul Power circulated dozens of times faster than before.

His bones crackled like popping beans, while his muscles became firmer.

More importantly, his Soul Power.

The bottleneck that had held him at level ten instantly shattered.

Level eleven, level twelve... it continued until level fifteen before slowly coming to a stop.

Huo Yuhao clenched his fist, feeling the surging strength within his body.

At his feet, a glowing white soul ring slowly rose.

Though it was white in color, Huo Yuhao could sense the terrifying power contained within this soul ring.

This was his first soul ring.

A million years.