Soul Ashes

Huo Yuhao's figure was hidden in the beast tide, like a small boat in a raging storm. Because of the Simulation, the surrounding magical beasts could not find him.

Huo Yuhao's mental energy entered the body of a magical beast, scanning its entire interior.

Muscles, blood, bones, energy—everything about it was laid bare in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Huo Yuhao's brows furrowed even more deeply. There was indeed no fluctuation of soul energy, but—they weren't puppets either; these magical beasts' bodies maintained a strange, chilling vitality.

"This state is very similar to that of undead creatures—" The thought flashed through his mind, "It shouldn't be like this, they don't have Soul Fire within them."

A strong sense of unease lingered. Huo Yuhao focused his mind again, like the most patient hunter, and once again infused his mental energy into the bodies of these strange magical beasts.

Time passed amidst the roars of the monsters, and through repeated observations, Huo Yuhao discovered a problem.

He infused his mental energy into the body of a fourth-tier bear-type magical beast, focusing on its brain and spinal cord. Finally, Huo Yuhao discovered the places where he had suddenly become anxious earlier. These two places had extremely subtle soul fluctuations, like a candle flickering in the wind.

Huo Yuhao's heartbeat quickened slightly! He held his breath and focused his mind, his spiritual power transforming into an invisible hand, carefully enveloping the strange substance that existed in a specific area of his brain and spinal cord.

Within his mental vision, a pale, crystalline mass was slowly extracted. It floated silently in his mental vision, emitting a faint, almost imperceptible soul fluctuation.

"This is... ashes?"

Looking at the pale substance, a strong sense of familiarity welled up inside him. Huo Yuhao suddenly slapped his forehead, a look of realization flashing in his eyes. "So that's it! This is the residue after the Soul Fire has been extinguished!"

His thoughts suddenly clicked. Huo Yuhao surveyed the horde of beasts, his tone tinged with astonishment. "The remaining soul fluctuations are because the Soul Fire didn't burn cleanly enough." He hadn't expected that the ashes left from this incomplete combustion could still power these bodies.

"No wonder the Soul Blast didn't affect them; their souls are already dead." What's left isn't even a fragment of a soul.

Having grasped this point, the eerie veil of these magical beasts vanished in Huo Yuhao's eyes. He no longer hesitated and carefully examined the Soul Ashes within each magical beast.

Soon, Huo Yuhao discovered that these Soul Ashes only gave the magical beast's body certain instincts when they existed in the brain and spinal cord, the two nerve centers.

Their ability to fight normally and launch an organized attack on the Jia Nan Academy is not instinctive; someone must be controlling these magical beasts.

"So there are necromancers in this world too!" Huo Yuhao sighed, then a smirk appeared on his lips. "Then let me tell you why necromancers don't use such methods."

Huo Yuhao flew into the air and chanted softly, the syllables mysterious and obscure. As the incantation flowed, in a short while, a gray mist, invisible to the naked eye, silently spread out from him, like a tide of death, quickly covering the beast horde below.

A miracle occurred! All the magical beasts that came into contact with the gray mist, regardless of size or strength, whether they were charging or...

Whether biting or roaring, the movements froze instantly! As if a pause button had been pressed! The surging tide of beasts transformed in a moment into a deathly silent group of sculptures!

[Mass Undead Control]!

If a genuine necromancer were here, they would immediately understand that Huo Yuhao had simply used the most basic Necromancy to reignite the partially burned Soul Ashes, instantly seizing control of all the undead beasts.

It's still that unknown place.

Buzz-!

"Ugh--!!!"

The black-robed man, who had been sitting upright, was struck on the head as if by an invisible giant hammer! He clutched his head and let out a shrill, distorted scream!

A soul-rending pain and dizziness erupted in his mind.

Thump!

Its heavy body, having lost all support, fell straight down onto the cold ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The stopped monsters were quickly killed by the Jia Nan Academy students. Huo Yuhao did not stop them. The Soul Fire rekindled from the ashes could not even be maintained, so keeping it was of no value; it was better to let them vent their anger.

Huo Yuhao revealed himself and returned to Hu Gan's side.

"Hey kid, you did this, didn't you?" Hu Gan patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and chuckled, "Didn't you say soul attacks were useless? You were hiding something from me!"

"It wasn't a soul attack." Although the battle was over, Huo Yuhao didn't relax. "I only severed other people's control over these magical beasts."

"Control?" Hu Gan in astonishment.

"Vice Dean, does the academy have any enemies? The kind that are good at manipulating souls or corpses?" Huo Yuhao asked in a deep voice.

"That's hard to say." Hu Gan patted his sleeves, recalling in his mind, "There are some forces in the Black-Corner Region that probably have the methods you mentioned."

"So, someone is deliberately retaliating against our academy?" Hu Gan narrowed his eyes. "No wonder Elder Huo and Elder Wu Tian of the Law Enforcement Team are not here at this time."

"However, the highest-ranking of these magical beasts is only fifth-tier," Huo Yuhao said. "That enemy couldn't possibly be unaware of your strength, Vice Dean, so what exactly is their purpose this time?"

"Alright! Huo, go celebrate with your friends!" Hu Gan grinned and patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder forcefully. "I'll investigate these matters, you don't need to worry about them!"

"Then the vice dean needs to be extra careful," Huo Yuhao said with a smile. "By the way, the Magic Core of these magical beasts are usable, but the meat is no good; it's all zombie meat from who-knows-how-long corpses."

The clamor of the beast tide was finally swallowed by the night. On a secluded platform behind the Jia Nan Academy, a campfire crackled, and the aroma of roasted meat mixed with the scent of wine filled the air. Five people sat in a circle, including Huo Yuhao, Lin Xiuya, and others who had just experienced a great battle.

"Come on! First bowl, to Old Huo!" Yan Hao stood up first, his dark face flushed with excitement. Holding a wine bowl bigger than his face, his voice boomed so loudly it shook the campfire. "If it weren't for your amazing trick of stopping the beast tide at the last moment, we brothers would still be fighting those brainless bastards to the death! Cheers!"

Huo Yuhao picked up a normal-sized wine bowl, smiled helplessly, but there was also a hint of relaxed warmth in his eyes, "It's just a matter of everyone working together."

"Huo Yuhao, you don't need to be so modest." Lin Xiuya glass with an elegant posture, the firelight reflecting on his gentle profile. "Without you, we would probably be in a long and arduous battle. This glass is for you." He took a small sip, his refined movements contrasting Yan Hao, who was chugging down drinks next to him.

"That's right, that's right, Brother Huo Yuhao is the best!" Xiao Yi Xian secretly switched her wine bowl with Huo Yuhao's, and clinked glasses with Huo Yuhao using the switched bowl.

Han Yue, sitting quietly in a corner, was chewing on her grilled meat without a care in the world, a satisfied blush on her face.

Huo Yuhao looked at his laughing and joking companions, the firelight flickering in his eyes. He raised his bowl, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears. "Tonight, everyone, we won't leave until we're completely drunk!"