Xu Sanshi's "Coming-of-Age Ceremony"

An anxious Xu Sanshi pulled up his pants and rushed into the small room. The moment he stepped inside, he froze.

What a girl she was! With skin like ice and bones of jade, she even possessed a head of short, ice-blue hair, radiating a faint, chilling aura.

Most impressive of all were those sparkling eyes—so bright, they seemed to hold a unique, divine charm!

"Damn it!"

At this moment, outside the Sky Screen, Huo Yuhao and Xu Sanshi both roared in fury!

"No, you can't! Don't do it!"

Outside the Sky Screen, Xu Sanshi's eyes were splitting with rage as he let out a pained howl at his own self within the projection!

For the first time, Jiang Nannan felt a sliver of... indescribable sympathy for the man she hated to the core!

"Taking the back door, isn't that what you like to do? This time, I'll satisfy you to your heart's content!"

Jiang Nannan touched the spot that was still throbbing with lingering pain, speaking with bitter resentment.

"No, Brother Xu, don't..."

"Let me take a look!"

People across the entire continent watching the scene on the Sky Screen could no longer hold it together! So this was what the "awakening" of the Mysterious Underworld Sect's martial soul was all about? Many long-standing, confusing puzzles were suddenly solved all at once.

And this Xu Sanshi, the current heir to the Mysterious Underworld Sect, was truly something else! One could say he had "carved out a new path" and "achieved enlightenment through alternative means"!

As for Xu Sanshi, who was being publicly executed in such a manner, he stood trembling, his face ashen.

It was over, everything was ruined! The reputation of the Mysterious Underworld Sect was destroyed, and as for himself...

From this day forward, even if he were to become a Titled Douluo, or even a Limit Douluo, the label of someone who loved the "back door" would follow him for the rest of his life, never to be washed away!

"Yuhao, is your name Yuhao? Yuhao, you are not allowed to leave!"

After the event, inside the Sky Screen, an exhausted Huo Yuhao tried to flee the Mysterious Underworld Sect, only to be tightly embraced by the pursuing Xu Sanshi.

"Let go of me! I am finished with your Mysterious Underworld Sect. Your martial soul has successfully awakened, what more do you want?"

Huo Yuhao struggled, speaking with fury.

"Yuhao, you really can't leave! If you leave, what will I eat? I mean—damn it, what will I do? I can no longer live without you!"

Xu Sanshi roared, speaking with righteous indignation.

"No, we can't do this. You know as well as I do, I... I am a man!"

Huo Yuhao in the Sky Screen was on the verge of tears. Yet, seeing Huo Yuhao's expression, Xu Sanshi felt even more heated. Even the slight sense of awkwardness he had felt earlier vanished completely!

"In any case, you aren't allowed to leave! I've already told my father that I want you to stay. And my old man, he actually! Agreed!"

Xu Sanshi's eyes burned with a touch of fanaticism as he suddenly spoke with fervor.

"That is correct!"

Just then, a middle-aged man whose face bore a five-part resemblance to Xu Sanshi suddenly appeared. Huo Yuhao was stunned into silence.

"Sect Master. What... what do you mean by this?"

"Ahem! What I mean is, I hope you, Yuhao, can stay in our Mysterious Underworld Sect. Our Mysterious Underworld Sect needs talent like you!"

The middle-aged man coughed, his face neither flushing nor his heart racing as he spoke.

This morning, after examining his son Xu Sanshi's body and martial soul, even with his high expectations, he had been slightly shocked.

Not only had Xu Sanshi perfectly completed his "coming-of-age ceremony" and martial soul awakening, but his Mysterious Underworld Shield had even transcended its original limitations, gaining a trace of an ultimate ice attribute!

Such a genius... no, such a perfect furnace. How could he let Huo Yuhao just walk away?

He never imagined that a whim of an experiment would actually open a new path for the Mysterious Underworld Sect's awakening methods!

Under normal circumstances, according to the rules of the Mysterious Underworld Sect, if a girl used for the awakening service refused to stay, they would not force her; at most, they would tell Xu Sanshi to think of another way later.

Although the Mysterious Underworld Sect had secretly ruined countless girls and committed many heaven-defying atrocities in the past to test this unspeakable cultivation awakening method, times were different now. When not strictly necessary, the Mysterious Underworld Sect was still willing to keep up appearances—after all, they were nominally a righteous sect! Everything was supposed to be based on mutual consent.

But this time was different! This was a great opportunity that could change the entire Mysterious Underworld Sect. He felt that there must be a massive, massive secret hidden within this Huo Yuhao!

If nothing else, he was very eager to observe whether, if Huo Yuhao continued to let Xu Sanshi harvest and extract his essence—or, to put it more nicely, "dual cultivate"—this mysterious ice-attribute power could continue to integrate into Xu Sanshi's martial soul.

Therefore, this time, even if he had to sacrifice his old face, he would personally intervene to keep Huo Yuhao here!

"No, how can your Mysterious Underworld Sect be like this! You have no integrity!"

Huo Yuhao was shocked and furious, struggling desperately, but he was held fast by Xu Sanshi's iron-like grip—how could he possibly break free?

"I haven't even mentioned that you originally promised the martial soul awakening would only happen once. But last night, I was almost killed by him!"

"And you still want me to stay! No, it's impossible, I will be tortured to death..."

As if he could already foresee his bleak fate, Huo Yuhao in the projection began to weep bitterly. At this moment, outside the Sky Screen, countless people felt a chill run down their spines, or perhaps a sense of sympathy for a fellow sufferer.

In the previous scenes of the Sky Screen, the Huo Yuhao who joined Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect had certainly lived a miserable life, appearing to many as if he were treated worse than a dog.

But what if he didn't join Shrek Academy? What would be the fate of a lone cultivator walking this continent without any faction to rely on?

With Huo Yuhao's heaven-defying talent, an existence akin to a child of destiny, could he really end up like this after being secretly targeted by a major sect while backed into a corner?

These major sects all appear bright and glorious on the surface, claiming to be the guardians of the commoners and the pillars of this continent. But in the shadows, how many dark and evil deeds have they actually committed?

It seems the biggest difference between them and an Evil Soul Master is that when they do bad things, they hide them away!

The Huo Yuhao in this world is truly tragic. No matter how high his talent, he is currently weak, helpless, and devoid of resources. How could he possibly resist a massive Mysterious Underworld Sect?

As for the Heaven Spirit Empire, slave trading has always existed there. The empire has always turned a blind eye to the major sects and nobles secretly keeping slaves. To resist the invasion of the Sun Moon Empire, the empire must rely on these very sects.