Third Soul Ring Skill: Time Cage

Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, the Emperor Auspicious Beast lying beside him, full and content, squinting its eyes for a nap.

Its already lustrous golden fur appeared even softer and more radiant after days of Huo Yuhao's constant grooming and feeding.

Though he didn't have much of an affinity with cats, having an Emperor Auspicious Beast to pet wasn't half bad.

"Mmph..."

The Emperor Auspicious Beast let out a soft murmur as it was petted. It opened its eyes and snuck a glance at Huo Yuhao, then, perhaps lost in thought, stole another look at Gu Yuena, who had been quiet this whole time.

Sovereign had not objected, which meant it was allowed.

It raised its head and nuzzled against Huo Yuhao's sleeve, looking charming and naive.

"In one more day, the vitality of heaven and earth in the core area will recover. By then, you can go and condense the second soul ring for your Ancestral Dragon Spirit."

Huo Yuhao's hand paused mid-stroke, and he glanced at the Emperor Auspicious Beast, which was still enjoying the attention.

He planned to return as soon as he condensed the second soul ring for his Ancestral Dragon Spirit.

He was actually feeling a bit reluctant to leave this cute little golden beast.

The Emperor Auspicious Beast had no idea its feeder was about to leave; it was still stretching its body, emitting a comfortable purring sound from its throat.

"I won't be able to eat the food Yuhao makes for a few days, so I should eat a bit more tonight."

The gluttonous beast nudged Huo Yuhao's leg and began ordering, "Yuhao, can I have grilled brains today?"

"Sure. I'll prepare extra food for you, but don't eat it all at once."

That was supposed to be its rations for the coming period.

The Emperor Auspicious Beast nodded. It was only a few days; it could force itself to eat leftovers.

The Emperor Auspicious Beast, never imagining that Huo Yuhao would leave the Star Dou Great Forest, even waved its paw at him as he left the Lake of Life to condense his soul ring, looking quite happy.

"Yuhao might be absorbing energy for several days this time, I have to ration my food."

Facing the small spatial soul tool Huo Yuhao had left behind, the Emperor Auspicious Beast couldn't stop drooling as it looked at the vast stockpile of food inside.

How could this food be so delicious that one never grew tired of it?

A Vitality Vortex formed once again in the core area at the center of the Star Dou Great Forest, lasting even longer this time.

Seven days later, the spiritual energy vortex dissipated.

The Emperor Auspicious Beast waited and waited at the Lake of Life, but its feeder never returned.

Finally, it couldn't help but go find Di Tian.

"Di Tian, Di Tian, why haven't the Sovereign and Yuhao come back yet?"

Di Tian looked at the beast, which had been completely bewitched by food, with a complex expression. His little "cotton-padded jacket" was about to grow legs and run away.

"Di Tian?"

Seeing that Di Tian hadn't replied for a long time, the Emperor Auspicious Beast nudged his leg again.

"The Holy Son is the Holy Son of Spirit Hall in the human world, and he spends most of his time living there. Humans level up much faster than Soul Beasts. In a few years, the Sovereign and the Holy Son will return."

The Emperor Auspicious Beast: "!!!"

The sky had fallen!!

Upon learning that Huo Yuhao had successfully obtained his soul ring and returned to Spirit City, Qian Xunji abandoned his official duties and headed straight for the Offering Hall.

Qian Xunji couldn't understand what his ancestors of the Qian Family had been thinking when they built the Offering Hall so high.

It was a mercy there wasn't some ridiculous rule stating that one couldn't use soul power or soul skills to reach the Offering Hall and had to walk up on foot.

"Junior Brother, you've come quite quickly."

Huo Yuhao hadn't expected that Qian Xunji—who in the original story committed a grave error, was cursed from beginning to end, and left a legacy of infamy—would have such a personality in reality.

By that logic, did his teacher also have a hidden side?

It couldn't possibly be because of him.

"With that Sovereign helping you obtain your soul ring, it took you such a long time; your soul skill must be quite extraordinary."

Huo Yuhao was just about to speak when he saw the curiosity on Qian Xunji's face.

"Senior Brother, it's hard to explain just by talking. Why don't we put it to the test?"

Qian Xunji was a bit puzzled, but he knew Yuhao wouldn't harm him, so he readily agreed.

He was nearly fifty levels higher than Yuhao, after all; could he really be taken down by a mere Soul Master like Yuhao?

A smile that couldn't be hidden spread across Huo Yuhao's face.

Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo, who hadn't been very interested initially, saw that smile and, in a tacit understanding, stood up together and walked to the plaza outside the Offering Hall.

"Senior Brother, I'm starting then."

Huo Yuhao smiled happily, his eyes curving into crescents, carrying a clearly malicious intent.

It made Qian Xunji's heart skip a beat.

At this moment, why did his Junior Brother look so evil?

His Angel Spirit was practically on the verge of a stress reaction!

Three soul rings manifested around Huo Yuhao's body.

The first two were black, with golden patterns coiling around their edges.

The third soul ring was a blinding, piercing red.

After Huo Yuhao attached soul rings to his second martial soul, his physical constitution had improved significantly, allowing him to bear a soul ring age of up to one hundred thousand years.

Once his physical fitness had increased, the origin of the Sky Dream Iceworm helped the third soul ring of Huo Yuhao's Eye of Life—the sixty-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger soul ring—increase its age to one hundred thousand years.

In reality, his first two soul rings had also changed, though the transformation was not as obvious.

Huo Yuhao's third soul ring flickered, and a third eye appeared on his forehead, sending a silver-gray ripple radiating outward.

"Third Soul Skill: Space-Time Cage."

Qian Xunji, standing not far in front of Huo Yuhao, felt his strength draining away and his field of vision dropping lower, all under the stunned gazes of Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo.

In the blink of an eye, the dignified and handsome Pope had transformed into a six-year-old little boy.

Huo Yuhao finally couldn't help but shake his shoulders as he laughed.

"Senior Brother, you were so cute when you were little!"

The golden-haired little boy, sporting a delicate, adorable face that looked like it could drip water, began to fumble all over himself.

"How did I become like this!"

The clothes he wore had changed, appearing to be the garments he had worn as a child.

His voice, physical skills, and soul power level had all reverted to how they were when he was six years old.

With a single soul skill, his Junior Brother had made him thirty years younger!

But this was a youth he absolutely did not want!

"This is my third soul skill, Space-Time Cage. It can force anyone marked by my spiritual power to revert to their six-year-old state."

This soul skill was derived from the Life-Death Arena of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.

In fact, the restriction that one must die to leave the arena had been preserved, though whether or not to enforce that limitation depended entirely on Huo Yuhao's will.

He couldn't possibly let his Senior Brother actually die from this skill.

"There are a few ways to break this state. First, defeat me completely, and the effect will vanish automatically. Second, wait for the skill's duration to expire, which depends on how much soul power and spiritual energy I used at the time. For you, Senior Brother, you'll recover in twelve hours~"

Qian Daoliu also found it quite miraculous.

Six years old was the weakest period in any soul master's life, and even he was no exception.

If Huo Yuhao had wanted to kill his opponent, this single soul skill would have been more than enough.

No wonder it had taken so long to develop; it seemed the Soul Beast that provided this skill was no simple creature.

"It has been a long time since I've seen Ji'er in this state." Qian Daoliu looked at his son, who had suddenly become a child, and felt his heart soften considerably.

Qian Xunji: "..."

"Junior Brother." Qian Xunji's childish voice suddenly rang out. "Does this soul skill of yours work on Title Douluos too? It just so happens that my father and Uncle Golden Crocodile are here..."