Grand Ceremony

"This...!"

Huo Yuhao widened his eyes, staring at the bead. How could he not know what had happened? If the bead previously only possessed the three attributes of wind, thunder, and evil, it now contained seven!

"I must admit, that old man in your spiritual space has quite the imagination. I merely helped bring his ideas to fruition."

Gu Yuena's calm voice rang out, sounding somewhat weaker than before. She had been nursing unhealed wounds, and one could only imagine the heavy price she had paid for this feat.

Huo Yuhao pursed his lips, moved by her actions, and silently bowed solemnly toward Gu Yuena.

"Enough. That human custom of yours isn't practiced here. Since you are the one who was chosen, I still trust in your character."

This remark left Huo Yuhao even more bewildered. Chosen by whom? What exactly had he done?

Why had Gu Yuena's attitude toward him changed so drastically? Unlike the other soul beasts in his mind, she had not spent his past life by his side.

Stealing a glance at Gu Yuena, who had closed her eyes once more, Huo Yuhao sighed softly. He knew that even if he pestered her, she wouldn't tell him.

However, the help she had provided was tangible. Huo Yuhao kept this debt firmly in his heart, determined to repay this leader of the soul beasts should the opportunity arise.

"Recover from your injuries here before you leave. I will notify Di Tian; if you need any assistance in the future, you may speak to him."

"Many thanks, Dragon King."

A hint of gloom flashed across Gu Yuena's massive eyes. She snorted, a puff of white mist erupting from her nose, and said with some displeasure.

"Do not use such titles in the future. You are different from Di Tian and the others. Di Tian calls me Boss; you may just call me Gu Yuena. I am going to sleep now; you may leave on your own when the time comes."

"Understood, Drag... Gu Yuena..."

Instantly sensing a killing intent, Huo Yuhao quickly corrected himself. Watching the now-motionless Gu Yuena, he turned his gaze toward the Gold of Life beside him.

"Teacher, such a large piece... how should I use it?"

Electrolux's chuckle echoed in his mind.

"You do not need that much. Use your carving knife to shape it into the form it had in your past life; that will suffice. Return the rest. This Gu Yuena relies on that Gold of Life to mend her wounds, so take as little as possible."

"Yes, Teacher."

Huo Yuhao nodded gently, then took out his carving knife to shape the Gold of Life, carefully collecting even the smallest shavings for fear of wasting a single bit.

Electrolux continued.

"In truth, the most precious item is that Evil Tiger Bead she improved. I originally intended for you to use that bead only after finding the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well from your past life. Combined with the fire-attribute spring water and that fire-attribute immortal herb, your Spirit Eye would have possessed the four ultimate attributes of evil, wind, thunder, and fire. Now, with the help of this Gu Yuena, there is no need to wait for that time."

At this, not only Huo Yuhao but the other three in his spiritual space could no longer sit still.

"Old man! Does that mean the bead, after being improved by Gu Yuena, is now..." The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice trembled with excitement.

"You guessed correctly. I suspect Gu Yuena's ability is the control of seven elements; otherwise, the Snow Empress would not have lost her powers in an instant. She has separated a portion of her own bloodline power into that bead. Now, that bead can grant seven attributes to Huo Yuhao's martial soul."

"This... this is nothing short of a miracle. If it truly succeeds... even a God King might not possess such an ability..."

The Ice Empress exclaimed in awe; in the memories of his past life, no God King possessed such a terrifying capability.

Electrolux nodded. "Those God Kings tend to walk the path of a single ultimate attribute rather than this kind of omnipotence. It cannot be denied that once this omnipotent ability matures, it will be exceptionally powerful."

"Of course, the elements Gu Yuena gave to Yuhao are very weak. Aside from the Ultimate Evil inherent to the bead, the other attributes are far inferior to Yuhao's own Ultimate Ice. But this is her limit; if she gave any more, her own cultivation realm would begin to decline."

Tian Meng still seemed unsatisfied.

"Ah? Then it isn't much of a help, is it? It feels far inferior to Gu Yuena's own elemental control."

"Heh, that is where Gu Yuena's shrewdness lies. She infused her own bloodline into that bead. As the wielder of the Dragon God's elemental authority, she possesses a high degree of adaptability toward the attributes of other dragons, allowing her to evolve her own attributes by absorbing their power."

"And beyond seeking out dragons, there are countless opportunities across the continent to enhance elemental quality. Take the most recent example: Yuhao, do you remember what happened when you pressed your forehead against the Auspicious Beast in your past life?"

Huo Yuhao nodded. "My spiritual power underwent a qualitative leap at that time. Wait, Teacher, are you saying..."

Electrolux nodded. "Exactly. If your martial soul had possessed light and fire attributes back then, those two attributes would have also been elevated to Ultimate Light and Ultimate Fire during that contact. While such encounters are rare, there are surely many across the world. As long as you are lucky enough, you will always find them."

Everyone's eyes lit up. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm chuckled.

"I never expected Gu Yuena to be so generous. I truly look forward to seeing what Huo Yuhao's martial soul will become after absorbing the bead."

"Yuhao, if this succeeds, your future will be limitless. Plan your path as you see fit. Once your injuries are healed, begin absorbing the bead."

Huo Yuhao nodded. His carving knife finally finished its work. He carefully placed the collected shavings and the excess Gold of Life together, then stood up and approached the main block of Gold of Life beside Gu Yuena.

As he drew near, the Gold of Life in his hand was instantly drawn to the larger mass, quickly detaching from his palm to fly toward the main body and fuse with it.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao scratched his head and let out a sigh of relief. It was fortunate he didn't have to worry about it; he had been fretting over whether he could put it back.

He then took out the carving knife he had just crafted, which was brimming with life force.

Swallowing hard, he thrust it fiercely into his forehead. The intense pain made Huo Yuhao's body tremble; the agonizing, tearing sensation in his brain was something he would never forget, even having experienced it in his past life.

Beside him, Gu Yuena opened her eyes slightly, glancing at the Gold of Life. A look of surprise flashed in her eyes, and as she looked at the trembling Huo Yuhao, her gaze held a measure of approval.

"Hmph." With a soft snort, she closed her eyes once more.

Outside the space, Di Tian was pacing back and forth, occasionally lifting his eyes to look at the spatial rift.

"Di Tian." An ethereal voice rang in his ears.

Di Tian's face lit up with joy. He immediately knelt on one knee, bowing his head.

"Boss!"

"I am already clear on this human's origins; he is the key to breaking this deadlock. If he ever seeks your help in the future, you must do your utmost. This is a gamble that requires us to stake everything; we have no way to remain on the sidelines."

"Ah? Yes... I understand."

"Do not interfere too much with his choices. Let him find the meaning of this journey on his own. He will not disappoint us."

Di Tian's lowered face was filled with disbelief. To think the Boss would hold this human in such high regard!

Although he also felt this human was indeed extraordinary, he had not reached a level worthy of the Boss's discerning eye. Even though he was filled with utter confusion, out of trust for the Boss, he chose to obey the order.

If it were said that the Auspicious Beast was young and easily bewitched, that would be one thing, but with the Boss's strength, such a possibility was entirely non-existent. Thinking of how the Snow Empress had gone so far as to incite a war just to protect this human, Di Tian narrowed his eyes...