The Second Martial Soul

The Far North. The bitter wind howled.

Daylight was growing shorter and shorter, and the polar night was nearly upon them. This was normally a forbidden zone for humans—a time when ice and snow Spirit Beasts could roam freely and stretch their limbs. Yet among the snow swirling through the air, a figure pressed forward. He struggled to walk; the wind was simply too strong. Only the Spirit Beasts that had lived here for generations could thrive in such conditions.

Even more terrifying was the extreme cold. Aside from the strongest humans, no one wanted to come here at this time—and no one else had the ability to. Yet it seemed to have no effect on this person. The cold wasn't a problem for him; the gale was the real danger. Several times, it nearly swept his frail body off his feet. This person was naturally Huo Yuhao.

He had come here following Tian Meng's directions. Thanks to the Silkworm Slough, he could avoid the effects of the extreme cold, but it was still unpleasant. Finding something to eat had become a major problem: anything he took out froze solid, and even with his strong teeth, he couldn't keep using them like this every day. He was teething, after all, and had already chipped several teeth biting into steamed buns as hard as rocks.

Even if those teeth were going to fall out anyway, it still hurt. In his misery, Huo Yuhao found himself missing his days at Shrek. After winning the championship, he had been badly injured. Most of the damage had been caused by his own power rebounding on him; his body simply couldn't withstand a Spiritual Shock of that intensity. That was when the Green Aura came into play, repairing his injured Spirit Eye and restoring his sight as quickly as possible.

Life without sight had been miserable. Even with Spiritual Detection keeping his life from becoming a complete mess, it was still awkward. Before, going to the bathroom had been something he could do without thinking. Now he had to carefully observe human waste with Spiritual Detection. Huo Yuhao felt as if his mind had been contaminated, and he lost his appetite for several days.

Xiao Xiao's injuries were much like Huo Yuhao's, but not as severe. She was able to move normally after just one day. She simply couldn't use her Martial Soul—but she had another one. Before this competition, nobody had known that Xiao Xiao had Twin Martial Souls. She had certainly kept it well hidden. Now Huo Yuhao had even more reason to keep his own Second Martial Soul a secret.

Xiao Xiao had been a good example for Huo Yuhao, but there was no way to explain why her Soul Power was so low. That was something Wang Yi could worry about. Huo Yuhao put it out of his mind. He didn't know exactly what had happened to Dai Huabin and the others; they had been taken away immediately. The injuries sustained during a Martial Soul Fusion Skill were shared by both parties unless they separated at once. Given the circumstances, they had clearly been forced to separate.

It was still the most impossible kind of attack to defend against: a mental skill. A Spirit Power attack at the six-ring level was no joke. The six rings referred to a Spirit System Soul Master's six rings, not an ordinary Soul Master's. It would have been strange if Huo Yuhao hadn't absorbed some of Tian Meng's Spirit Power. This could even be considered a blessing in disguise: for the first time, Huo Yuhao had controlled all of his own power.

With experience, it would be easier the next time. At the very least, he could greatly increase the amount of Spirit Power he was able to control. Ever since the competition ended, Huo Yuhao had been practicing how to control his Spirit Power. But he hadn't been able to reproduce the ability he'd displayed during the match. The timing, the setting, and all the other factors had been perfect then; it would be difficult to recreate.

Otherwise, he would have had a trump card against Martial Soul Fusion Skills. It was a little disappointing. As for what had happened to Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, Huo Yuhao didn't want to pay attention. Their Sea of Spirit had been shattered, after all, and they had no one to repair it for them. Wang Yi still hadn't finished dealing with the cracks in Huo Yuhao's mind. They no longer affected his daily life much, so he had more or less given up on them.

No matter how much he let things slide, the Second Martial Soul was a matter of absolute importance. Everything else had to wait. Thanks to the prize money from the championship, Huo Yuhao could afford to take a Soul Guidance Train here. The Soul Guidance Train had come from the Sun Moon Empire. It hadn't yet become widespread, and it was still very expensive. Huo Yuhao had only gotten a place in line by showing his Shrek identification.

He had Tang Ya to thank for the Storage Soul Tool. It kept him from starving to death in the Far North. When he had first arrived, the place had seemed devoid of life.

But now the polar night had fallen, and only the aurora lit the sky with dazzling colors. Huo Yuhao was amazed by the sight. The ground had also undergone a complete transformation: countless ice-aligned plants had broken through the earth, sparkling in all sorts of colors, mostly blue and green. The storm had settled, the plants were in full bloom, and life had returned.

Then the extreme cold set in, and the temperature plummeted. Even more dangerous was the increased activity of the Spirit Beasts. Normally, only a few kinds of Spirit Beasts in the Far North were active, and most of them appeared in the central region. Now, most of them had begun to stir. Huo Yuhao was witnessing a spectacle that few people in history had ever seen.

The Far North, which humans thought of as a barren wasteland, was actually brimming with life. The roars of Spirit Beasts answered the rustling of plants. Huo Yuhao was stunned. There was no record of this in any book.

Tian Meng hadn't mentioned that the scene would be like this, either. Maybe he hadn't thought it was important. Perhaps everyone already knew. But it wasn't Huo Yuhao's turn to act now. Tian Meng would have to handle what came next.

The Sea of Spirit began to stir again. This time, Tian Meng didn't simply leave as he had before; he went out with all of his seals. All of Tian Meng's essence filled his Silkworm Slough, while he continued to protect Huo Yuhao. One careless moment, and Huo Yuhao could freeze to death.

Then came a long period of waiting and negotiation. Tian Meng handled all of it, while Wang Yi and Huo Yuhao watched from the sidelines.

As Tian Meng poured out his heart and soul, Wang Yi used the example to give Huo Yuhao a lesson.

"Yuhao, there's a scientific explanation for this. You mustn't get confused."

"What science?"

"There's a term in psychology called the 'suspension bridge effect.' It refers to how people in tense or stimulating situations can mistake the physical reactions those situations cause for attraction to someone nearby. That kind of setting can lead to affection or even love, but it's a mistake."

"Right now, it's just a bug's excitement before it dies. You can't believe in love because of that. There's also something called Stockholm syndrome, where victims willingly submit and develop affection, usually amid conflict and shared circumstances."

Huo Yuhao's eyes widened to show that he'd learned something new. He learned even faster with a real-life example right beside him. Wang Yi added one more thing.

"What I mean is, pay attention to the first one. It's easy to develop a crush on someone of the opposite sex while you're studying. Don't go down the wrong path." Wang Yi patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder earnestly and continued, "Our future is the stars and the sea. Look up—the countless stars hang overhead, and beneath the aurora, all things grow. You absolutely mustn't become a useless person by falling in love."

Wang Yi was about to say more when Tian Meng couldn't take it anymore and cut him off. "What exactly are you two trying to do? Wang Yi, don't think I can't tell you're mocking me. And Huo Yuhao, why are you joining in? This is about your Second Martial Soul!"

"Oh." The two of them looked at him disdainfully and gave him a cold reply. Making a business negotiation about romance was a little too shameless. And Tian Meng's attitude was far too groveling. How embarrassing.

They didn't say it outright, but their attitude made their feelings clear. Tian Meng, who lacked the words to respond, fell silent. The Second Martial Soul stopped paying attention to him and turned to negotiate with Huo Yuhao instead. Huo Yuhao had no idea how to handle that, and his composure fell apart in a second. He stammered out an answer, and in the end, Wang Yi had to take charge. He began negotiating with the Ice Empress.

Although the situation was one where she was the lamb and they held the knife, they still had to give the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North some respect. Even surrender had its rules. They needed to make clear what they would and wouldn't do before this was over, or a sudden conflict later could be fatal. Besides, what if she grudgingly agreed and then set a trap? Cooperation worked best when both sides agreed.

A melon forcibly plucked might quench your thirst, but there was no harm in waiting until it ripened and turned sweet. The Ice Empress's reasoning was clearly much better than Tian Meng's. Her status as a ruler was well deserved. It was no wonder she looked down on Tian Meng. Her conditions and her own standing made her expectations perfectly clear. Above all, she would not negotiate on one point: Tian Meng had to stop bothering her.

Wang Yi readily agreed to that simple request. None of the previous demands mattered as much as this one. The Ice Empress understood that when you were under someone else's roof, you had to bow your head. After the fusion, wouldn't the other side be in charge anyway? At most, she'd have a little autonomy. If things went too far, they'd pay for it eventually. This was the one point that mattered most to her; it was her real objective.

Tian Meng's wishes mattered less. Nice guys finished last. If he had ever stood up for himself, things wouldn't have come to this. The weak had no voice in diplomacy, and that settled the matter. All that remained was Huo Yuhao's part. Could he withstand the fusion? In fact, that wouldn't be a problem.

The only questions were how much it would take out of him and how much progress he could make. The fusion process was an excellent way to train his Spirit Power; he wouldn't get another chance like this. Even without a qualitative change in his Spirit Power, simply gaining control over it would be a huge leap forward. He'd no longer be a support Soul Master who could only stare helplessly—he'd be a Soul Master who could stare helplessly several times.

And so, in the silent Far North, Huo Yuhao began the true process of remaking himself. The Ice Empress's pressure had driven away every living creature nearby, leaving only the countless stars and the aurora for company. The most astonishing experiment in history was about to begin: an artificially created Second Martial Soul, one that truly defied the laws of the world.

A Martial Soul was like a gene: it was determined from birth. Soul Power came later, and one's aptitude could be changed after birth. But no one had ever spoken of creating another Martial Soul. If word of this got out, it would upend the entire field of Martial Soul Theory. It would mean that humans could change their fate, fundamentally altering the spiritual control of the gods.

If it could be done once, it might be possible to lower the requirements after countless attempts. Then there might be a way to mass-produce geniuses, and the dream of Titled Douluos everywhere could become reality. But the most practical result would be gaining control over the essence of Martial Souls, making Martial Soul Mutations easier. After all, a Martial Soul Mutation was the last hope for many Soul Masters with poor talent.

A mutation could give someone the chance to leap into the ranks of the most gifted Soul Masters. This technique would be the second most direct way to recruit Soul Masters from the lower classes, but that was still a long way off. At least now there was a glimmer of hope. It would have to wait until Huo Yuhao grew stronger.

This was the first step toward that strength. Huo Yuhao wasn't afraid of pain, but now it was becoming more than a human could bear. The Ice Empress's power was nothing like Tian Meng's gentle energy. And back then, Huo Yuhao had been unconscious. Now he was fully alert, feeling everything from his body to his Sea of Spirit being torn apart. The pain had left him unable to make a sound.

Wang Yi could have cut off his sense of pain, but if he stepped in, Huo Yuhao would lose an opportunity to master himself. Extreme pain made the body instinctively protect itself, and his Sea of Spirit was being drawn into action as well. His body and mind were more active than ever before. Destruction wasn't only a challenge; it also brought new life.

Huo Yuhao tried to focus his mind, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't even form a single clear thought. In the midst of such agony, Huo Yuhao even thought that dying might be a relief. But he wasn't going to get his wish. The Ice Empress's domineering power flowed endlessly from her true body into him, destroying his cells even as it brought them back to life.

Tian Meng also released one of his seals, giving the Ice Empress the support she needed. The Ice Empress's power alone wasn't enough to sustain such delicate work; she needed outside help. That power was also necessary to preserve her independent consciousness and prevent it from dissipating.

It seemed there wouldn't be enough time left on the Soul Ring Tian Meng had left him. By the time Huo Yuhao was ready to use it, various mishaps would have consumed all of it. But that was all right. His Second Soul Ring could make up for the lack of years on the Soul Ring. He just needed to wait until he reached a higher level before absorbing a Soul Ring from a high-level Spirit Beast. For now, building a solid foundation was the most important thing.

Wang Yi thought it over and decided not to step in. He would help Huo Yuhao only when he could no longer endure it. And so they waited for a long time without Huo Yuhao breaking down. That truly surprised everyone. The cracks in his Sea of Spirit had multiplied, though, which left Wang Yi in a bind. Those were all his job to fix. They kept multiplying, and his hands were getting numb.

But Huo Yuhao had made it this far; there was no reason to interfere now. They had already sunk too much into it to turn back. If he endured, he'd undergo a qualitative transformation. The Ice Empress also slowed the flow of energy. She had originally wanted to test the potential of the person they all believed in, but there was no need now. Everyone had seen Huo Yuhao's potential.

His will was strong enough. This was a process of defying fate. Talent wasn't important; it could be improved. Character was the hardest thing to come by. It had to be cultivated from childhood, but who could guarantee they would raise a good person? All you could do was take a chance. Huo Yuhao was an excellent choice.

As the pace slowed, the pressure on Huo Yuhao eased considerably. Even a small difference meant the difference between heaven and hell. At that moment, Tian Meng's Spirit Power also began to nourish Huo Yuhao. Although it was only a tiny fraction of his power leaking out, it was enough to ease the pressure.

Two days later, the fusion was complete. Second Martial Soul: Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. First Soul Ring: four hundred thousand years. Complete!