A moment ago, Qian Daoliu's heart had been softened, and fatherly love had stirred within him. But when he heard those words from his rebellious son, his expression changed at once.
Ever since his child was born, he had never laid a hand on Qian Xunji outside of their sparring sessions.
As luck would have it, Ji'er had now become six years old. He could make up for an entire childhood's worth of discipline.
A ferocious grin spread across the usually stern face of Golden Crocodile Douluo. "Big Brother, ever since Xunji took over as Pope, he's slacked off on his cultivation. Why not arrange an hour of practical combat training for him every day? This old man would also like to stretch his limbs a little more, before they rust."
Huo Yuhao stayed silent, playing the part of an inconspicuous background extra.
Senior Brother, even if you want to drag someone else down with you and watch Master and Teacher Golden Crocodile suffer, you could at least do it where they can't hear you!
"Father, Uncle Golden Crocodile, you've got it wrong!"
Qian Xunji realized he had said the wrong thing at the wrong time. He hurried behind Huo Yuhao, hiding as he tried to defend himself.
"Yuhao is a support-type Spirit Master. This is the only one of his Soul Skills that can even be considered somewhat offensive. It's a key skill for Yuhao when fighting enemies, so of course he needs to understand it as thoroughly as possible!"
"Whether it can affect Titled Douluo like you two, and how long Yuhao can keep them under control—knowing that could save Yuhao's life!"
Qian Xunji insisted that everything he had done was for his junior brother's sake!
Heaven and earth could bear witness!
Golden Crocodile Douluo listened, his expression growing composed. He slowly nodded. "Xunji has a point. If even you, Big Brother, can't break free of Yuhao's skill..."
Then it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Huo Yuhao could stand undefeated among human Spirit Masters.
Qian Daoliu also thought Golden Crocodile Douluo made sense, and set aside the matter of beating his son for the time being.
"If Yuhao's skill has such an astonishing effect, it must have some kind of limitation."
Qian Daoliu, Golden Crocodile Douluo, and Qian Xunji all turned to look at Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, does using this ability have any harmful effects on you?"
Turning someone into the version of themselves they had been at six years old involved the domain of time.
Qian Daoliu was worried that using it too often might affect Huo Yuhao's own lifespan.
Huo Yuhao slowly shook his head. "I only used a weakened version of the ability on Senior Brother. The full ability involves the life and death of both parties. When it's used, we both return to the state we were in at six years old. But my Second Martial Soul removes that limitation."
"Big Brother, in that case, it's certainly worth a try!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo looked grave.
Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul had absolute suppression over beast-type Martial Souls, but whether it would affect tool-type Martial Souls was still unknown.
After all, the Clear Sky Sect, which refused to submit to the Spirit Hall, was still out there.
Those hotheads from the Clear Sky Sect were simple-minded, stubborn, and especially hostile to the Spirit Hall. They couldn't stand it.
Of course, they also had a fine tradition: beat the younger ones, and the older ones came after you; if the older ones couldn't win, then a whole group would show up.
Huo Yuhao could already contend with Golden Crocodile Douluo through sheer physical strength. With a skill like this, he could keep hammering them into the ground.
That is, if Huo Yuhao's skill really worked on Titled Douluo.
"Ji'er, go back first."
After thinking it over briefly, Qian Daoliu agreed to Golden Crocodile Douluo's proposal.
Qian Xunji: "???"
He was being sent away at such a crucial moment?
"Father, I may be the Pope, but if I show up in the Pope's Palace looking like this and the other Spirit Masters see me, wouldn't that bring shame upon our ancestors?"
If he said he'd bring shame on himself, his old father would definitely still tell him to leave.
But bringing shame upon their ancestors was another matter entirely.
Qian Daoliu valued the Angel Clan's glory above all else!
Sure enough, after Qian Xunji said that, Qian Daoliu didn't urge him to leave again.
"Yuhao, can you undo it for Ji'er ahead of time?"
If not, they would have to wait until Yuhao came to the Worship Hall tomorrow to test it.
They could just keep Qian Xunji outside then.
Even Qian Daoliu didn't want to become the same age as his son one day.
The Martial Arts Arena, Worship Hall.
As usual, Huo Yuhao was sparring with Golden Crocodile Douluo.
Their fists and feet moved like the wind, each strike holding the power to split mountains and shatter stone.
Suddenly, Golden Crocodile Douluo's whole body stiffened. An indescribable sensation swept through him.
He looked down at his hands. They were no longer rough, calloused palms that held terrifying strength, but a pair of small hands belonging to a child.
The muscles around his body rapidly shrank, while his aged face grew younger at a speed almost impossible to see.
In less than half a minute, this Peak Douluo of level 98 had become a six-year-old child.
Huo Yuhao thought back over the most miserable things that had happened in his previous life. He even felt that wasn't enough, so he recalled the tragic experiences of Huo Yuhao in his memories. At last, he managed to press down the corners of his mouth, which had been creeping upward.
Teacher Golden Crocodile had been pretty... robust as a child, too.
The Golden Crocodile King was also a Martial Soul passed down through the family. They had trained from a young age and undergone medicinal baths, so at six years old they were more robust than ordinary children.
Even so, he was still just a child.
"When did you use your Soul Skill?"
When Spirit Masters used their Martial Souls, they had to summon them first. And when they used a Soul Skill, their Soul Rings would flash in unison.
Experienced Spirit Masters took advantage of this. They would either activate their own Soul Skills in advance to counter it or dodge ahead of time.
But this time, Huo Yuhao had given no warning at all!
While fighting Huo Yuhao, Golden Crocodile Douluo had been watching his eyes the whole time. He hadn't expected to fall for it anyway.
"Actually, I've been using it the whole time."
Huo Yuhao pursed his lips and dispelled Simulation.
At that moment, he wasn't just using his First Martial Soul; he had also activated Martial Soul Possession with his Second Martial Soul.
"It seems we underestimated Simulation."
Qian Daoliu, who had been watching from the sidelines, walked over with a beaming smile.
It was no wonder Ji'er had wanted to drag someone else down with him. Seeing someone older than you suddenly turn into a child really could stir up an indescribable feeling.
"Golden Crocodile, did you notice anything wrong before your body started changing?"
Little Golden Crocodile Douluo shook his head. "Just a strange sensation. There was no way to resist it."
This Soul Skill was outrageous!
At six years old, even if he went all out, he wouldn't be a match for eight-year-old Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao explained to the two of them, "When I marked Teacher Golden Crocodile with my Spiritual Power, I sensed that affecting him with the Soul Skill would take a lot of Soul Power and Spiritual Power. So I tried using Martial Soul Possession with my Second Martial Soul. It cut the cost in half, and that was just enough to make the skill work on Teacher Golden Crocodile."
His Second Martial Soul really was so useful!
Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression turned grave. "Big Brother, you've already reached level 99. There's a huge gap between us, and you can also borrow the Angel God's divine power. Maybe you can help Yuhao uncover more of its flaws!"
Before you continue