When Did You Get the Illusion That I Didn't Use Simulation?

"When... when...?" Huo Yuhao's voice was weak and intermittent, and blood slid down the corner of his mouth.

The Elder Huo's aged face lost its usual impatience, replaced by a twisted smile that sent chills down one's spine, "After the beast tide—this old fellow's soul will already be my plaything!"

Wu Tian and Hu Gan also flew over and hovered in front of Huo Yuhao. Their faces now bore the same eerie expression as Elder Huo's, and their voices were perfectly synchronized. "You clearly broke the beast tide—why were you so careless this time?"

"Impossible—I can sense that their souls are still there!" Huo Yuhao retorted through gritted teeth, trying to mobilize his remaining energy, but he couldn't, and could only cough violently.

"Heh," the three of them simultaneously let out a chilling sneer, "Thanks to your help during the beast tide! I originally intended to directly control these two Dou Emperor puppets."

The three men's lips parted, uttering the same sound, "But your strange backlash made me realize that the Ash Secret Art ' still has flaws. And then—" a triumphant grin spread across their faces simultaneously, "And thus came this even more exquisite ' Soul Ash Attraction '! With just a wisp of Soul Ashes as a guide, it can take over their soul consciousness."

All three wore smug expressions. "These puppets are far superior to those defective ones that only have instincts left!"

Once it was confirmed that Huo Yuhao was no longer capable of resisting, the will hidden in the shadows began to beckon. "Young Elder Huo, your abilities, especially your exquisite soul mastery, are naturally meant to belong to my Soul Hall!"

With your talent, you might even receive training from the Soul Clan and one day reach the level of Dou Sheng! Why waste your time here?

"Who exactly are you?" Huo Yuhao gasped for breath, his gaze fixed on the puppet before him.

"I Xue Lin, Earth-Grade Protector of the Soul Hall!" The voice carried an arrogant and condescending tone. "You may address me Xue Protector."

Huo Yuhao's lips curled into a slight smile, "You're just telling me that? Aren't you afraid—"

"Afraid?" Xue Protector's piercing laughter came through the three puppets. "What else can you do? Rely on your hidden protectors? A mere Dou Emperor would probably have already run away by now!"

Huo Yuhao's pupils contracted slightly: "How did you know—"

"You think you're the only one skilled in the ways of the soul?" Xue Protector's voice was full of sarcasm. "That game at Black Mark City was meticulously prepared for you and your protectors! What a pity you didn't participate, causing me to lose two pawns, Yuan Yi and Fan Lao, for nothing!"

The expressions on the three puppets' faces instantly turned cold. "Alright, you've stalled long enough. My patience is waning. Choose: submit to the Soul Hall and enjoy unparalleled glory? Or—be refined into the next exquisite puppet by me?"

Huo Yuhao seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and whispered, "Of course—"

Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred!

Huo Yuhao, who was pierced through by Elder Huo's palm and was on the verge of death, disappeared into the air silently, like a bubble in water!

at the same time-

An extreme chill, enough to freeze one's soul, erupted without warning behind Elder Huo!

A snow-white palm, devoid of any worldly warmth, gently pressed its tip against Elder Huo's back.

[Emperor Palm - Great Cold Without Snow - Heart Force Fusion]!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a sudden spread of blue-white ice crystals!

The bright red flames burning on Elder Huo's body were frozen solid the instant they came into contact with the cold air, remaining in a vibrant form and turning into a flame sculpture! His twisted smile and horrified eyes were also Ice Seal!

A lifelike ice sculpture, exuding a terrifying chill, is frozen in mid-air!

"How is this possible?!" Wu Tian and the Hu Gan puppet roared in shock and anger at the same time. They reacted instantly, their blood-red Dou Qi and green wood vines protecting them, and their figures retreated like lightning!

"What you've captured is merely a wisp of my avatar." Huo Yuhao's figure slowly solidified not far from the ice sculpture, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"You actually possess a Dou Technique!" Wu Tian's puppet eyes flashed red, its voice filled with disbelief, "Even so, do you think you can contend with two Peak Dou Emperor? Your strength is barely comparable to a low-level Dou Emperor!"

"And—" A sinister smile crept across the Hu Gan puppet's face, "you thought you'd escaped—"

"Are you referring to the pill Elder Huo gave me?" Huo Yuhao twirled a pale green pill between his fingers, his tone flat. "Unfortunately, I didn't take it."

Huo Yuhao flicked his finger casually, and the pill hit Hu Gan's face.

"When did you find out?!" The two puppets' voices were filled with astonishment.

"There are countless flaws along the way, so I won't go into detail." Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly sharpened like a knife. Without further ado, he rapidly formed hand seals and began chanting mysterious and obscure syllables. Each syllable seemed to influence the surrounding Heaven and Earth Origin Qi(heaven and earth energy), producing subtle ripples of vibration.

"Stop him!" Wu Tian and the Hu Gan puppet shouted fiercely, as crimson sword energy and countless thorny vines surged forth like a raging dragon!

Huo Yuhao moved with Gui Mei speed and agility within the confined space, narrowly avoiding several fatal attacks, his incantation continuing unabated. As the last syllable faded, a chilling light flashed in his eyes, and he roared, "Startling-Dream!"

Buzz!

An invisible Soul Shock spread instantly like ripples on water! Wu Tian and the Hu Gan puppet, who were rushing towards them, froze abruptly!

The violent glint in their eyes belonging to Xue Protector receded like the tide, leaving him instantly empty and bewildered. All attacks ceased abruptly, and he hung suspended in mid-air like a puppet with its strings cut.

Huo Yuhao's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, his face instantly drained of color, turning ashen white, fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his body swayed slightly, as if the secret technique he had just used had greatly depleted his energy.

Huo Yuhao wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath, and was about to begin regulating his breathing.

Sudden!

A terrifying, suffocating pressure descended like a towering mountain!

A hand shrouded in dense black energy silently pressed down on Huo Yuhao's crown!

"So this is the move you used to break my Ash Secret Art, wasn't it?" A voice as cold as the winds of the deepest abyss rang out, as if it were directly engraved into the depths of Huo Yuhao's soul!

Xue Lin, Earth-Grade Protector of the Soul Hall, has finally made his appearance!

The pressure from the Six-Star Dou Zong was like a physical shackle, instantly imprisoning the space around Huo Yuhao, making him unable to move even a finger!

"What a pity! My improved secret technique no longer carries the risk of backlash, yet you still overlooked one crucial factor!" Xue Protector's voice was filled with suppressed anger.

"You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences! Use your body as the price for destroying my puppet!"