Electrolux

Inside Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was preparing to begin his sacrifice.

Yu Xiaogang instinctively wanted to berate the intruder, but he soon discovered that, before such immense spiritual power, his wisp of a soul could not even make a sound. The newcomer paid him no attention at all.

Yu Xiaogang could only swallow his anger and hide off to one side, secretly watching the ball of white light to see what it intended to do.

"You're too weak! This is just miserable. Poor me!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice echoed through the Sea of Spirit, thick with mocking disdain. "How many seals am I going to need to put on myself before your feeble body can handle me? Being an intelligent Soul Ring is no easy job."

Outside, Huo Yuhao pursed his lips in embarrassment but did not argue. Compared with the relentless put-downs Yu Xiaogang had subjected him to over the past two days, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's straightforward grumbling almost felt friendly. It barely bothered him.

Suddenly, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm broke off. "Huh? Someone beat me to this good-for-nothing?"

Before he finished speaking, a vast wave of spiritual power, almost tangible, burst outward from Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Huo Yuhao.

Not far away, violet-gold light flashed in Gu Mingyuan's eyes as he activated his Purple Emperor Eyes.

At the same time, the Demon's Contract on the back of his left hand grew warm. A pitch-black rift tore open, and he pulled out the Sin-Cleaving Scythe. The blood-red eyeball at the end of its handle rolled about, radiating an eerie excitement.

At that very instant, the perfectly clear sky darkened. Darkness swallowed the sun's light completely.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had just rushed headlong into Huo Yuhao's body, froze.

His vast spiritual net immediately detected Gu Mingyuan nearby, but he had no attention to spare for that human. The moment the darkness descended, a stream of gray energy had appeared!

"Now a third person wants to fight me over this good-for-nothing?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was furious. He was a mighty Million-Year Soul Beast, yet even when he eagerly offered to become a human's Soul Ring, he still could not be the first!

He could put up with a lot, but not this!

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm instantly drew on his immense spiritual power and raised a defensive barrier around the Sea of Spirit.

Inside it, Yu Xiaogang had been about to put on airs and launch into a long self-introduction to establish his authority. But he sensed how extraordinary the gray energy was—and felt the pressure from Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

His conclusion: neither was someone he could afford to provoke.

Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat and promptly took two steps back, retreating to the farthest corner of the Sea of Spirit without a word.

A hazy gray figure slowly appeared in midair.

An aged voice rang out across the world:

"I grasp the sun and moon and pluck the stars from heaven. No one else in this world can compare to me. To think a wisp of my soul still survives..."

Just as the gray figure was about to dive toward the body below, the mark of the Demon's Contract on Gu Mingyuan's left hand suddenly turned scorching hot and began to glow faintly.

The hazy figure in midair visibly paused.

He seemed to sense something. He turned his head in midair, gray energy churning around him. After a brief hesitation, he abandoned Huo Yuhao and headed straight for Gu Mingyuan.

Below, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm saw that presence turn and flee, and immediately grew smug. "Thought you could steal my human? Hahahaha! I'm finally free!"

With that, the immense spiritual power that had covered a hundred-li radius contracted completely. A luminous white ring appeared beneath Huo Yuhao, and icy blue markings began to spread across his skin.

Huo Yuhao's eyes rolled back. He slowly slumped beneath the tree and lost consciousness completely.

Meanwhile...

The gray energy streaked toward Gu Mingyuan like lightning, then slipped into the back of his head with a whoosh and vanished.

Gu Mingyuan touched the back of his head. He felt nothing unusual.

He knew this remnant soul was far too weak. All he had to do now was wait for Electrolux to slowly awaken inside him. With that, he had accomplished half of what he had come to the Star Dou Great Forest to do.

Gu Mingyuan glanced down at the Demon's Contract.

Electrolux had chosen him at the last moment not because of the Purple Emperor Eyes or the Sin-Cleaving Scythe. It was entirely because of his second martial soul!

It seemed this martial soul from the demon plane still held many secrets he had yet to uncover.

With a thought, the enormous scythe became a streak of black light and sank into his palm.

Gu Mingyuan dusted himself off. It was time for him to make an appearance.

After all, he still needed those two "kindhearted" Shrek Academy students to help their prospective junior find a suitable Soul Ring.

Gu Mingyuan walked over to Huo Yuhao and crouched down. He was just about to make a show of patting him on the shoulder to wake him up.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two figures shot through the trees and landed steadily nearby.

The young woman in front spotted Huo Yuhao lying motionless, then looked at the unfamiliar young man beside him. Alarmed, she strode forward and pointed at Gu Mingyuan.

"Hey! Who are you? Huo Yuhao was alone before. Why did he pass out as soon as you showed up?"

Gu Mingyuan found that ridiculous. "He passed out because I showed up? Then I could just as easily say he passed out because you showed up. From the looks of it, he met you first, didn't he?"

"You!" Tang Ya had no answer. Her large eyes widened in a glare.

The gentle-looking young man beside her pulled Tang Ya behind him and stepped forward, quickly sizing up Gu Mingyuan.

"Sorry about that," Bei Bei said with a slight nod. His tone was polite, though wary. "Xiao Ya was worried, and we phrased that badly."

Gu Mingyuan decided not to press the point. His mind was already working out how to get their help hunting a Soul Ring. He could not afford to sour their relationship.

So he softened his tone and pointed to the bloody baboon corpse nearby.

"I came to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring. I happened to pass by and saw him unconscious beneath the tree. Judging by the wound on his shoulder and that dead Wind Baboon, he was probably badly hurt in the fight and collapsed from exhaustion."

"These Soul Beasts are getting completely out of hand! We're still outside the Star Dou Great Forest!" Tang Ya hurried over to check on Huo Yuhao, her face full of worry.

Gu Mingyuan stood and moved aside. Tang Ya's personality reminded him a little of Xiao Wu. He just did not know whether her concern came from friendship, the grilled fish, or her Tang Sect.