A thunderclap suddenly exploded overhead, shaking the entire Star Dou Great Forest.

In an instant, black clouds churned across the sky, layer upon layer pressing down toward the earth.

The world darkened almost at once, and a stifling pressure filled the air.

A stream of gray energy descended from the heavens and plunged into the forest.

An elderly and majestic voice rang out: "With sun and moon in my hands, I pluck the stars from the sky. None in this world can compare to me. To think a wisp of my remnant soul survived."

The gray energy condensed into a dim orb that hovered in midair. It swayed slightly, seeming almost human as it weighed Huo Yutong against Tang Qi.

A moment later, it shuddered and shot toward Tang Qi with a whoosh.

"Oh? You dare touch someone I've set my sights on?"

With a sharp cry, Tian Meng flew from Huo Yutong's brow. She became a streak of light and charged, wielding a vast surge of spiritual power.

If the gray orb had chosen Huo Yutong, she would not have dared do this. The slightest misstep could have caused Huo Yutong's body to collapse.

"I'm a million-year Soul Beast, you know!"

But her hopes were bright and reality was cruel. The moment Tian Meng's spiritual power touched the gray orb, it struck an invisible wall and rebounded.

The gray orb sped on, straight toward Tang Qi's brow.

At that hair-raising instant!

Tang Qi slowly opened his eyes.

A brilliant golden Trident Mark suddenly lit up on his brow, blazing like the sun.

A sacred, boundless power surged from his body like ten thousand acres of ocean waves rolling back into the sky. Bearing an irresistible purifying force, it slammed into the gray orb.

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, Tang San's eyes were already bloodshot, and he breathed like a bull.

He had been in the middle of a "delightful conversation" with Tang Qi when the world outside suddenly changed. He sent his divine sense out to investigate.

He saw an orb wrapped in the aura of death and undeath hurtling toward Tang Qi's brow. He also sensed a fragment of divine consciousness within it.

He detected none of the corruption carried by the Fallen Soul Masters of Slaughter City.

But the aura of death alone was enough for Tang San to class it as an Evil Soul Master.

Evil Soul Master. Remnant soul. Sea of Consciousness.

Those three clues exploded through Tang San's mind.

One word surfaced beyond his control.

Possession!

Tang San snapped.

I don't care who you are or where you came from. You've chosen the path to death!

Unfortunately, only his consciousness was in Tang Qi's Sea of Consciousness. His true body and divine artifacts were in the Divine Realm. Even if his consciousness returned now, it would be too late to descend in person.

So Tang San had no choice but to draw on the Sea God's source power within the Sea God Martial Soul: Sea God's Light.

Boom—!

Outside, golden light blazed around Tang Qi.

Sea God's Light spread like a tide. Its powerful purifying force seemed almost solid as it enveloped the gray orb.

Bang!

Almost at the same moment, a mountain-like figure appeared beside Tang Qi with a crash. The earth shook violently.

Tai Tan's face was ashen, every muscle taut and ready to spring into action.

He had been to the Divine Realm and was certain he could sense that the divine consciousness within the gray orb was on a higher level than his own.

As a Divine Official in the lower realm, he could not use his full strength, but he could still sense clearly that the divine consciousness in the gray orb far surpassed his own.

Only when he saw the Sea God act did Tai Tan breathe a sigh of relief.

Hiss, hiss, hiss.

The purifying power of Sea God's Light burned like fire.

An elderly, feeble voice came from the orb, carrying a trace of sudden understanding:

"I remember now... My name is Electrolux."

His voice was like a candle guttering in the wind. As his words faded, several translucent wisps rose from the gray light.

The gray orb had lost all guidance from his will. It darted about in midair like a headless fly, then instinctively picked the softest target among Tang Qi, Tai Tan, and Huo Yutong and burrowed in.

Tian Meng: Hey! Am I that weak?!

Without the support of Electrolux's divine consciousness, Tian Meng could have driven the gray orb out with her Spiritual Origin.

But Tian Meng was utterly dumbstruck.

First, a mysterious power had erupted from Tang Qi. Then someone with an aura comparable to Xiong Jun of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts had appeared beside him out of thin air.

Tian Meng huddled trembling in the Sea of Consciousness. It took her a long while to recover, and her voice quavered: "What... what did I miss?"

But she had no time to regret anything. The uncontrolled gray orb was rampaging through Huo Yutong's Sea of Consciousness.

"What are you doing?! I blinked, and now you're tearing my home apart?"

On the verge of tears, Tian Meng immediately unleashed her million-year Spiritual Origin and pinned it down.

But pinning it down was all she could do.

She might have been a million-year Soul Beast, but she had spent those "million years" eating and sleeping. She had no idea what to do next.

Tian Meng immediately called to Tang Qi for help. Would that disgrace a "million-year" Soul Beast? Hardly. She had lost all face long ago.

Tang Qi promptly discussed the matter with Old Tang inside the Sea of Consciousness.

In the end, they agreed to use pure divine power, free of any will or attribute, to preserve this otherworldly power on the Douluo Continent in the form of a Martial Soul.

Tang Qi: Doesn't that violate the Divine Realm's rules?

Tang San cleared his throat. This power isn't native to the Douluo Continent. I'm handling its effects according to the rules.

Tang Qi knew perfectly well what was going on, but he did not call him out.

Huo Yutong was getting the benefit of being a girl this time. If it had been Huo Yuhao instead, Old Tang might well have brushed him off with a simple "Fate cannot be defied."

As Tang San withdrew his consciousness and returned to the Divine Realm to refine the divine power,

Tang Qi and Tian Meng told Huo Yutong, who had just woken, what had happened.

After a brief spell of panic, the girl quickly calmed down.

"Yutong, have you really decided?"

Tian Meng sat suspended above the Sea of Consciousness, her long, fair legs crossed. For once, she looked serious.

Huo Yutong nodded without hesitation. "I have, Sister Tian Meng."

"Brother Tang Qi is the first person besides Mom who's ever been so good to me. I trust him."

"What?"

Tian Meng's lovely eyes widened.

She zipped over to Huo Yutong, reached out with both hands, and vigorously kneaded the girl's soft cheeks. "Yutong, what about me? Haven't I been good to you?"

"Sister Tian Meng?"

Huo Yutong's face was squished out of shape, but her eyes still curved with her smile. "Of coursh you're shecond, Sister Tian Meng~"

You little brat, Yutong!

Tian Meng released her in a huff, crossed her arms, and turned away.

"Yutong, I'm going to start altering you now."

The girl nodded. A moment later, a chill swept over her head, and Huo Yutong lost consciousness.

Once Tian Meng's "anesthetic" took effect, Tang Qi activated his Sea God Martial Soul and guided the pure divine power Tang San had sent through Huo Yutong's brow into her Sea of Consciousness.

In the original story, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had carved a blank second Martial Soul of "ice" into Huo Yuhao's soul using part of his own essence.

This time, Tang Qi did much the same. First, he used pure divine power to build an Otherworldly Magic Framework deep within Huo Yutong's soul as the template for a Martial Soul.

Then he infused it with the light and necromantic magic and other substances contained in Electrolux's gray orb.

And so the first Artificial Martial Soul in Soul Master history was born.

Its name: Holy Necromancer.

Tian Meng: Huo Yutong got carried to victory. Tang Qi and I are the MVPs.

The entire process demanded intense concentration of spiritual power. By the time it ended, Tang Qi was drenched in sweat. Tian Meng, beside him, spoke thoughtfully.

"Hey, Qi, do you want another Martial Soul?"

Tang Qi: ?