Awakening

Within the Sea of Spirit.

Tianmeng Iceworm rolled up his sleeves, and his vast spiritual power transformed into golden waves that crashed fiercely toward the mass of gray airflow.

The gray airflow did not sit still and await death either.

An aged, deathly power spread from within it and collided head-on with Tian Meng's spiritual origin.

Boom!

The instant the two forces collided, violent turbulence swept through the entire Sea of Spirit.

The previously tranquil pale-gold space twisted continuously, while fine cracks rapidly spread in every direction.

In the depths of the Sea of Spirit.

Huo Yuhao's consciousness was left dazed by the shockwave.

He had originally been observing the fusion process of the Wisdom Soul Ring, but in a moment of inattention, Tianmeng Iceworm had started fighting the latecomer.

And judging by the situation, neither side had any intention of stopping.

"Both of you, stop!"

Huo Yuhao shouted.

Unfortunately, neither of them paid him any attention.

Although Tian Meng's physical combat power was pitifully weak, he was still a million-year soul beast. What he lacked least was spiritual power.

As for that mass of gray airflow.

Huo Yuhao did not need to think to know that it was the remaining divine consciousness of Elex, the Holy Necromancer God and Calamity of the Undead.

Though this man was now left with only a trace of lingering will.

At his peak, he had been a genuine demigod-level powerhouse.

If not for the fact that becoming a god on the Holy Demon Continent meant merging with the Dao and returning to heaven, completely becoming one with the world and part of the rules that governed it.

If the Holy Demon Continent had possessed a true path to godhood, Elex attaining the position of a true god would not have been a problem.

And even if these two great beings were merely engaging in the most basic probing, the aftershocks they produced were far beyond what a level-twenty little nobody like Huo Yuhao could withstand.

If they truly went all out, no one knew who would win or lose.

But Huo Yuhao would most likely die first.

"This is my Sea of Spirit. Could you two please show some respect to the homeowner?"

Huo Yuhao's face darkened.

Watching the cracks in the Sea of Spirit multiply, he no longer bothered to hide anything.

His consciousness swiftly sank into the deepest depths.

The next moment.

An ancient cauldron that had lain silent for a long time slowly emerged from the boundless mist.

The cauldron was only palm-sized, its entire body a chaotic dark-gray color.

Its three legs stood steadily in the void, its two handles thick and heavy. It bore no ornate decorations, only nine faintly visible Dao patterns circling its body.

Huo Yuhao's thoughts shifted.

"Suppress!"

Buzz.

An ancient, weighty hum instantly spread throughout the entire Sea of Spirit.

There was no violent eruption of energy.

Nor were there any earth-shattering phenomena.

Yet the instant the sound rang out, the turbulent golden waves immediately calmed, and the cracks in the surrounding space vanished at a visible speed.

Tianmeng Iceworm froze in midair.

The spiritual power he had just mobilized was directly forced back into his body.

He could not even raise a hand.

"What is that thing?"

Tian Meng's eyes widened, his fair little face filled with shock.

He had lived for a million years.

Although he had spent most of that time sleeping, this was still the first time he had seen something so terrifying.

Just a single hum had forcibly suppressed his spiritual origin.

Was that even reasonable?

On the other side.

The gray airflow also came to a halt.

The shattered divine consciousness that had been operating only on instinct gradually regained some clarity beneath the cauldron's hum.

The gray airflow continuously contracted.

At last, a vague, aged figure slowly appeared.

He raised his head, first glancing at Tianmeng Iceworm before turning his gaze toward the center of the Sea of Spirit.

There, the Heavenly Creation Cauldron floated quietly.

It did not emit the slightest pressure, yet it seemed as though it had existed since time immemorial, steadily suppressing this spiritual world.

Elex fell silent for a moment.

Then, an ancient yet proud voice slowly rang out.

"With sun and moon in hand, I pluck the stars; none in this world are like me."

Tianmeng Iceworm:...

Huo Yuhao:...

The moment he regained consciousness, he immediately put on a grand display.

As expected of him.

Tian Meng's mouth twitched, and he could not help muttering softly, "Arrogant. He's arrogant beyond all limits."

Elex ignored him.

Those vague eyes remained fixed on the Heavenly Creation Cauldron, and for the first time, a clear change appeared in his expression.

In their world, there were no true gods, yet gods still existed. He had seen quite a few divine artifacts and had even created divine artifacts himself.

Among them, the most powerful was undoubtedly the Throne of Eternity and Creation.

Yet the cauldron before him felt even more unfathomable.

The two were simply not on the same level.

If the Throne of Eternity and Creation was a powerful divine artifact, then the cauldron before him was more like something that transcended the very concept of divine artifacts.

Elex could not determine its origin.

He did not even dare to probe it with his divine consciousness.

Huo Yuhao's figure finally condensed within the Sea of Spirit.

He looked at Tian Meng, then at Elex, his tone extremely serious.

"Gentlemen, this is my Sea of Spirit."

"I'm only a level-twenty little soul master. I really can't endure the two of you wreaking havoc."

Tianmeng Iceworm coughed lightly and silently lowered his rolled-up sleeves.

"Brother was only testing him just now."

"After all, this guy's origins are unknown. He suddenly barged into your Sea of Spirit. What if he means you harm?"

He spoke with complete confidence.

As though the furious fellow who had just been ready to fight someone to the death had not been him at all.

Huo Yuhao did not expose him.

Elex was much calmer.

He lowered his head to look at his illusory body, and a trace of weariness flashed through his eyes.

"This old man's divine consciousness is incomplete, and many memories cannot be recovered."

"Being able to retain a trace of consciousness is already fortunate."

"This awakening has consumed much. Next, this old man will fall back into slumber."

After saying this, he glanced once more at the Heavenly Creation Cauldron.

Then Elex's figure gradually scattered, turning back into a loosely condensed mass of gray airflow that quietly floated in one corner of the Sea of Spirit.

Tianmeng Iceworm did not stop him.

He turned around and examined Huo Yuhao once more.

A naturally awakened spiritual-attribute martial soul.

A Sea of Spirit absurdly vast in scope.

A mysterious gray old man of unknown origin.

And an ancient cauldron that even he could not comprehend.

Tian Meng suddenly realized that perhaps he had not found a perfect host.

Perhaps he had stepped into something truly extraordinary.

As for whether these variables would be good or bad for his god-creation plan, he had no idea.

But now that things had come this far, it was too late for regret.

Good or bad, he had to talk him into it first.

Tian Meng composed himself and once again revealed a confident smile.

"Little Yuhao, perhaps you still don't know just how great Brother's god-creation plan truly is."

"As long as you follow Brother's arrangements step by step, you will definitely have a chance to touch that legendary realm in the future."

"Godhood."

Tian Meng deliberately lowered his voice, trying to create an atmosphere that was both mysterious and solemn.

Huo Yuhao nodded.

"I know."

Tian Meng froze.

"You know?"

"Mm. I'll become a god someday."

Huo Yuhao answered naturally, then raised a hand and pointed at him.

"So I need the help of a million-year soul beast like you."

Tianmeng Iceworm opened his mouth.

He had prepared an entire grand blueprint, but suddenly, he could not say a single word.