Second Martial Soul

In the Far North, the cold wind howled.

At this time of year, the days were growing shorter, and the polar night was fast approaching. Normally, this period was a forbidden zone for humanity, a time when icy soul beasts would stretch their limbs freely. Yet, amidst the snow being whipped up by the relentless wind, a human figure pushed forward. This person moved with great difficulty; the wind was simply too powerful, a force that only the soul beasts born and raised here could navigate with ease.

Even more terrifying was the extreme cold. It could be said that aside from the most elite human powerhouses, no one would want to enter at this time, nor would they have the capability to do so. However, it seemed to have no effect on this person. The cold was not the issue; rather, it was the gale-force winds that posed the greatest threat, nearly sweeping his frail body away several times. This, naturally, was Huo Yuhao.

He had come here following the guidance of Tian Meng. Thanks to the Silkworm Slough, he could avoid the effects of the extreme cold, but it was still far from comfortable. The problem of eating became a major issue; anything he took out would freeze solid, and no matter how strong his teeth were, he couldn't keep doing this every day. He was currently in the middle of losing his baby teeth, and he had already broken several of them on buns as hard as rocks.

Even though those teeth were meant to fall out anyway, it still hurt. In his pain, Huo Yuhao missed the days at Shrek. After winning the championship that day, Huo Yuhao had been severely injured, mostly due to the backlash of his own abilities. His current body could not withstand a spiritual shock of that intensity. At that moment, the Green Aura had appeared once again, tending to his injured Spirit Eye and restoring Huo Yuhao's vision as quickly as possible.

The days without sight had been unbearable. Even though he had the Spiritual Detection skill to keep his life from falling into complete chaos, it was still incredibly inconvenient. Things that used to be simple, like going to the bathroom, now required him to use Spiritual Detection to carefully observe human waste. Huo Yuhao felt as though his spirit had been polluted, which caused him to lose his appetite for several days.

Xiao Xiao's injuries were similar to Huo Yuhao's, though not as deep. She was able to move normally after just one day, though she couldn't use her martial soul. However, she had a second one; the competition had revealed to everyone that Xiao Xiao was a twin-martial-soul user. One could only say she had hidden it well. Now, Huo Yuhao had even more reasons to justify his own second martial soul.

Xiao Xiao served as a good example for Huo Yuhao, though there was no way to explain why his soul power was so low. But that was a matter for Wang Yi to worry about; Huo Yuhao was content to stop thinking about it. As for the specific situation of Dai Huabin and the others, he didn't know much, as they had been taken away immediately. The damage from a martial soul fusion skill was shared, unless it was broken apart at the very first moment, but in that situation, it was clearly shattered by force.

It was the most unsolvable type of spiritual skill. A spiritual attack at the six-ring level was not easy to endure—and by six-ring, this referred to the six-ring of a spirit-type soul master, not an ordinary one. It would be abnormal if he hadn't absorbed a portion of Tian Meng's spiritual power. This time, one could say it was a blessing in disguise; for the first time, Huo Yuhao had gained control over his full power.

With this experience, the next time would be much easier. At the very least, it would significantly increase the total amount of spiritual power he could mobilize. Since the end of the competition, Huo Yuhao had been practicing controlling his spiritual power, but he hadn't been able to replicate the ability he displayed during the match. It could be said that the timing, the location, and the circumstances had all aligned perfectly, making it difficult to recreate.

Otherwise, he would have had a trump card for dealing with martial soul fusion skills, which was a bit of a pity. As for the fate of Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, Huo Yuhao didn't want to pay attention to it, because no matter what, it was a rupture of the Sea of Spirit. They didn't have anyone to help them repair it. Wang Yi hadn't even finished dealing with the spiritual cracks in Huo Yuhao's mind yet, but since it no longer affected Huo Yuhao's normal life, he had become a bit lazy about it.

However, no matter how lazy he got, the matter of the second martial soul was an absolute priority; everything else had to make way for it. And because he had the prize money from the championship, Huo Yuhao had the funds to take a Soul Guidance Device train to get here quickly. The Soul Guidance Device train was a technology from the Sun Moon Empire; it wasn't widespread yet and was very expensive. Huo Yuhao had only managed to cut the line by showing his Shrek identification.

Thanks to the storage Soul Guidance Device given by Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao wouldn't starve to death in the Far North. When he first arrived, there seemed to be no signs of life.

But now, as the polar night descended, only the aurora brought colorful light, opening Huo Yuhao's eyes to a new world. The ground had also undergone a earth-shattering change, with countless ice-type plants breaking through the soil, shimmering with various colors, primarily blue and green. Thus, the wind and snow settled. The blooming flowers brought an aura of life.

What followed was the extreme cold, with temperatures dropping rapidly. Even more dangerous was the activity of the soul beasts. Originally, only a few types of soul beasts were active in the Far North, and most of them haunted the central regions. Now, most of them had begun to move, and so Huo Yuhao witnessed a spectacular sight that few in history had ever seen.

The Far North, which humans perceived as a barren wasteland, actually had such a vibrant side. The roars of soul beasts and the swaying of plants echoed each other. For a moment, Huo Yuhao was stunned; there had never been a record of this in any Book.

Tian Meng had never mentioned such a scene either. Perhaps he thought it wasn't important, or that everyone already knew. But now, it was no longer Huo Yuhao's turn; it was Tian Meng's turn to resolve the matters that followed.

Subsequently, fluctuations began in the Sea of Spirit. This time, it wasn't a simple exit like before, but an exit carrying all the seals. All of Tian Meng's essence flooded into his Silkworm Slough, while simultaneously shielding Huo Yuhao; one moment of carelessness and he could be frozen to death.

Then came the long wait and negotiations. This was all for Tian Meng to handle, while Wang Yi and Huo Yuhao watched from the sidelines.

While Tian Meng was pouring his heart and soul into expressing his feelings, Wang Yi was using this example to give Huo Yuhao a lesson.

"Yuhao, this problem can be explained by science. You must not be confused."

"What science?"

"In psychology, there is a term called the suspension bridge effect. It refers to when a person is in a tense state or a stimulating environment, they are prone to misattributing the resulting physiological reactions to the attraction of someone nearby. In such an environment, it is easy to develop affection or love, but this is a mistake."

"Right now, this is just the excitement of a bug before it dies. You cannot believe in love just because of this. There is another term called Stockholm syndrome, which refers to victims willingly submitting and developing affection, usually accompanied by hostility and similar situations."

Huo Yuhao widened his eyes, indicating that he had learned something new, especially since having a real-life case study nearby helped him learn faster. Then, Wang Yi added one more sentence.

"The reason I say this is to tell you to focus on the first point. It is very easy to develop feelings for someone of the opposite sex while studying. Don't go astray," Wang Yi said, patting Huo Yuhao on the shoulder earnestly before continuing, "Our future is the sea of stars. Look up; thousands of stars hang high above. Under the light of the aurora, all things grow. You must never fall into so-called love and become a good-for-nothing."

Wang Yi wanted to say more, but an exasperated Tian Meng interrupted him, "What exactly are you two trying to do? Wang Yi, don't think I can't hear that you're mocking me. And Huo Yuhao, why are you egging him on? This is about your second martial soul!"

"Oh." The two looked at him with disdain and responded coldly. Talking about romance during business was too unprofessional, and your posture was too low; it was embarrassing.

Although they didn't say it explicitly, their attitude was clear. It left the uncultured Tian Meng speechless. Then, the second martial soul stopped paying attention to him and turned to negotiate with Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao had no idea how to handle this; he broke down in a second, answering with stutters, until finally, Wang Yi stepped up to take the lead and began negotiating with the Ice Empress.

Although this was a situation where she was the fish and he was the knife, one still had to give the three kings of the Far North some face. Surrender also had its rules; what could and could not be done had to be clarified before the end, otherwise, it would be fatal if a conflict suddenly arose later. Moreover, if she was unwilling, what if she set a trap? This kind of cooperation was best when both sides agreed.

A forced melon might quench thirst, but it wasn't too late to wait for it to grow sweet before picking it. The Ice Empress's logic was clearly much better than Tian Meng's. Her status as an overlord was well-deserved; it was no wonder she looked down on Tian Meng. Her conditions for the deal and her own status had very clear requirements. The most important point, which was non-negotiable, was that Tian Meng was not to harass her.

For this simple request, Wang Yi naturally agreed immediately. None of the previous requirements were as important as this one, because the Ice Empress understood that when one is under someone else's roof, one must bow their head. After the fusion, wouldn't she be the one in charge? At most, she would have some autonomy; if she went too far, she would pay for it later. Only this one point was her core objective.

As for Tian Meng's wishes, they weren't that important. A sycophant would never come to a good end. If he had stood up for himself even once, he wouldn't be in this position. Weak nations have no diplomacy; the matter was settled just like that. The rest was Huo Yuhao's problem: whether he could withstand this fusion. In truth, there was no real problem.

It was just a question of how much energy would be consumed and how much progress Huo Yuhao could make. The fusion process was an excellent way to train his spiritual power; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even without considering a qualitative change in his spiritual power, just gaining control over it would be a leap forward. He would no longer be a support soul master who could only stare blankly, but a soul master who could stare with purpose.

Thus, in the silent Far North, Huo Yuhao began his journey of true rebirth. Because of the Ice Empress's pressure, there were no living creatures active in the surrounding area, only the thousands of stars and the aurora for company. The most shocking experiment from ancient times to the present had begun: the artificial second martial soul, which truly defied the rules of the world, had appeared.

A martial soul was like a gene; it was something determined from the moment of your birth. Soul power came later and could be changed through effort, but no one had ever spoken of recreating a martial soul. If this were to get out, it would overturn the entire field of martial soul theory. Humans seemed capable of changing their destiny, fundamentally altering the spiritual rule of the gods.

If there was a first, there would be a second. After countless attempts, there might be a way to lower the standards, which would provide an opportunity to mass-produce geniuses. Having Title Douluo everywhere would no longer be a dream. However, the most realistic aspect was mastering the essence of martial souls, making martial soul mutation simpler. One had to know that martial soul mutation was the only glimmer of hope for many soul masters with poor talent.

As long as there was a mutation, there was a chance to leap into becoming a top-tier genius soul master. This technology was the most direct way to recruit low-level soul masters, though it was still a long way off. But now, there was a glimmer of hope; it just required waiting for Huo Yuhao to grow stronger.

Now was the first step toward that strength. Huo Yuhao wasn't afraid of pain, but this was now exceeding the range of what a human could bear. The Ice Empress's power was not as gentle as Tian Meng's. Moreover, Huo Yuhao had lost consciousness back then, but now he was fully awake, feeling the sensation of his body and his Sea of Spirit being torn apart. The pain was so intense that he couldn't even make a sound.

Wang Yi could have cut off the sensation of pain, but if he intervened, Huo Yuhao would lose an opportunity to master himself. Extreme pain would cause the body to spontaneously protect itself, and the Sea of Spirit would also be mobilized. His body and spirit were more active than ever before; destruction was not just a hardship, it also brought forth life.

Huo Yuhao tried to focus his mind, but he couldn't do it at all; he couldn't even form a single clear thought. In such agony, Huo Yuhao even thought that it would be better to just die, but his wish would not be granted. The Ice Empress's overbearing power was continuously transmitted from her main body, bringing destruction while simultaneously causing his cells to regenerate.

Tian Meng also unlocked a seal to provide enough support for the Ice Empress. The Ice Empress's strength was not enough to support such delicate activity; external help was necessary. Furthermore, to maintain the independence of his spirit so it wouldn't dissipate, this power was also required.

The age of the soul ring Tian Meng had left behind seemed insufficient. By the time it was used, it would likely have been exhausted by various accidents. But that didn't matter; the second soul ring could make up for the age of the soul ring. As long as he waited until he was at a higher level to absorb a high-level soul beast's soul ring, it would be enough. At this stage, laying a good foundation was the most important thing.

Wang Yi thought about it and decided not to intervene, waiting until Huo Yuhao couldn't take it anymore before helping. As a result, he waited for a long time without Huo Yuhao collapsing, which truly exceeded everyone's expectations. It was just that the cracks in the Sea of Spirit had increased significantly, which troubled Wang Yi; these were all his chores. And they kept increasing, making his hands feel numb.

However, since they had already made it this far, there was no reason to intervene now. The sunk cost had already appeared, so he might as well see it through to the end. If he survived, it would be a qualitative change. The Ice Empress also slowed down the intensity of her energy transmission. Originally, she had wanted to test the potential of this person who was so highly regarded, but now there was no need; everyone had seen Huo Yuhao's potential.

His willpower was strong enough. This was inherently a process of defying heaven and changing fate. Talent didn't matter as it could be improved, but character was the hardest to come by. This had to be cultivated from childhood, but who could guarantee they could raise a good person? One could only draw cards, and the current Huo Yuhao could be said to be a very excellent card.

As the rhythm slowed down, Huo Yuhao's pressure eased significantly. This difference was the gap between heaven and hell, and it happened in just an instant. Tian Meng's spiritual power also began to nourish Huo Yuhao; although it was only a tiny fraction of what was leaking out, it was enough to alleviate the pressure.

Two days later, the fusion was complete. Second martial soul, Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, first soul ring four hundred thousand years, success!