A sudden thunderclap exploded across the sky, shaking the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
In an instant, black clouds churned overhead, pressing toward the earth in layer upon layer.
The whole world darkened almost at once, and an oppressive weight filled the air.
A gray current descended from the heavens and plunged into the forest.
An elderly and majestic voice rang out: "With sun and moon in hand, I pluck the stars; none in this world can rival me. To think a wisp of this old man's remnant soul could still survive."
The gray current condensed into a dim orb of light. It hovered in midair, swaying slightly as it weighed Huo Yutong against Tang Qi with an almost human air.
A moment later, it shuddered violently, then shot toward Tang Qi with a whoosh.
"Oh? You dare lay a hand on someone I've taken a liking to?"
A sharp feminine cry rang out. Tian Meng flew from between Huo Yutong's brows, turning into a streak of light as she launched a brazen attack with her immense spiritual power.
Had the gray orb chosen Huo Yutong, she would never have dared do this. The slightest mishap could have caused her body to collapse.
"I'm a million-year soul beast, you know!"
But dreams were beautiful, and reality was cruel. The moment Tian Meng's spiritual power touched the gray orb, it struck what felt like an invisible barrier and was instantly bounced away.
The gray orb charged on unabated, heading straight for the space between Tang Qi's brows.
At that hairbreadth moment!
Tang Qi slowly opened his eyes.
A brilliant golden Trident Mark suddenly lit up between his brows, blazing like the sun.
A vast, sacred power surged out of his body, like an ocean's boundless waves rolling backward into the heavens. Bearing an unquestionable power of purification, it slammed toward the gray orb.
Meanwhile, inside the Sea of Consciousness, Tang San's eyes were already bloodshot, and he was panting like an ox.
He had been having a "delightful conversation" with Tang Qi when the world outside suddenly changed. He extended his divine sense outward.
He saw an orb shrouded in the aura of death and the undead charging toward Tang Qi's forehead, and he sensed a fractured divine consciousness within it.
He had not sensed the same depraved aura carried by the fallen soul masters in Slaughter City.
But the aura of death alone was enough for Tang San to classify it as an evil soul master.
Evil soul master. Remnant soul. Sea of Consciousness.
Those three key terms exploded in Tang San's mind.
One word surfaced uncontrollably.
Possession!
In an instant, Tang San was triggered.
Who cares who you are or where you came from? You've already earned yourself a death sentence!
Unfortunately, only his consciousness was inside Tang Qi's Sea of Consciousness. His true body and divine artifacts were all in the Divine Realm. Even if his consciousness returned now, it would be too late for a god to descend and save the day.
Thus, Tang San could only draw upon the Sea God's source power within the sea god martial soul: Sea God's Light.
Boom!
Outside, golden light blazed around Tang Qi.
The Sea God's Light spread like a tide. Its powerful purifying force seemed almost tangible as it enveloped the gray orb.
Bam!
Almost simultaneously, a burly figure towering like a mountain appeared beside Tang Qi with a thunderous impact. Even the earth shook violently.
Tai Tan's face was ashen, every muscle in his body taut and ready to spring into action.
He had been to the Divine Realm, and he believed he could clearly discern that the divine sense within the gray orb was on a higher level than his own.
As a divine official in the lower realm, he could not wield his full strength. Even so, he could clearly sense that the divine sense contained within that gray orb far surpassed his own.
Only when he saw the Sea God exert his power did Tai Tan breathe a sigh of relief.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss."
The purifying power of the Sea God's Light burned like a raging fire.
An aged, feeble voice sounded from within the orb, carrying a trace of realization:
"I remember now... My name is Electrolux."
His voice was like a candle guttering in the wind. As his words faded, several translucent wisps of mist drifted from the gray light.
The gray orb completely lost the guidance of his will and darted about in midair like a headless fly. Then, among Tang Qi, Tai Tan, and Huo Yutong, it instinctively picked the softest persimmon to squeeze and burrowed into her.
Tian Meng: Hey! Am I really that weak?!
Without Electrolux's divine sense reinforcing it, Tian Meng could actually have used her spiritual origin to drive the gray orb out.
However, Tian Meng was utterly dumbstruck at that moment.
First, a mysterious power had suddenly erupted from Tang Qi. Then, an entity whose imposing aura rivaled Xiong Jun of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts had appeared beside him out of thin air.
Tian Meng cowered, trembling, inside the Sea of Consciousness. It took her ages to recover, and her voice carried a tearful quaver. "W-what exactly did I miss?"
But there was no time for regret. The uncontrolled gray orb was rampaging through Huo Yutong's Sea of Consciousness.
"What are you doing?! I blink once, and my home gets demolished?"
Tian Meng wanted to cry but had no tears. She immediately mobilized her million-year spiritual origin and trapped it firmly.
Trapping it was one thing, but that was all she could do.
She might have been a million-year soul beast, but those "million years" had been spent eating and sleeping. She had no idea what to do next.
Tian Meng immediately appealed to Tang Qi for help. Would that disgrace her as a "million-year" soul beast? Not a chance. She had long since lost every scrap of face.
Tang Qi promptly began discussing the matter with Old Tang inside his Sea of Consciousness.
They ultimately 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 coughed lightly. "This isn't a power native to the Douluo Continent. I'm handling its effects according to the rules, too."
Tang Qi knew exactly what was going on, but he did not call him out.
This time, Huo Yutong had benefited from her gender. Had it been the male Huo instead, Tang San might have simply said, "Heaven's mandate cannot be defied," and ignored him.
And just as Tang San withdrew his consciousness and returned to the Divine Realm to refine the divine power...
Tang Qi and Tian Meng explained what had happened to the newly awakened Huo Yutong.
After hearing them out, the girl briefly panicked, but then surprisingly composed herself very quickly.
"Yutong, have you really made up your mind?"
Tian Meng sat suspended above the Sea of Consciousness, her long, fair legs crossed, wearing a rare look of seriousness.
Huo Yutong nodded without hesitation. "I've decided, Sister Tian Meng."
"Brother Tang Qi is the first person besides Mom to treat me so well. I trust him."
"What?"
At those words, Tian Meng's beautiful eyes widened.
She swooped over to Huo Yutong with a whoosh, reached out with both little hands, and vigorously kneaded the girl's soft cheeks. Her voice was full of disbelief. "Yutong, what about me? Haven't I treated you well?"
"Sister Tian Meng?"
Her face was being squished out of shape, but Huo Yutong's eyes still curved into smiling crescents as she mumbled, "Of course you're second, Sister Tian Meng~"
Haji-Tong, you little rascal!
Tian Meng released her in a huff, folded her arms across her chest, and turned her head away.
"Yutong, I'm going to start modifying you now."
The girl nodded. In the next instant, a chill rushed into her head, and Huo Yutong lost consciousness.
Seeing that Tian Meng's "anesthesia" had taken effect, Tang Qi activated his sea god martial soul and channeled the pure divine power Tang San had sent through Huo Yutong's forehead into her Sea of Consciousness.
In the original story, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had used a portion of his own origin to carve a second, blank "ice" martial soul into Huo Yuhao's soul.
This time, Tang Qi did much the same. First, he used pure divine power to construct an otherworldly magic framework deep within Huo Yutong's soul, using it as the blueprint for a martial soul.
Next, he infused it with the substances within the gray orb, including Electrolux's light and necromantic magic.
Thus, the first artificial martial soul in soul master history was born.
The martial soul was named: Holy Necromancer.
Tian Meng: "Huo Yutong's a carry-me freeloader. Tang Qi and I are the MVPs."
The entire process required intense concentration of spiritual power. By the time it ended, Tang Qi was drenched in sweat. Beside him, Tian Meng spoke thoughtfully.
"Old Qi, do you want another martial soul?"
Tang Qi: "?"
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