Electrolux Makes a Different Choice, the Primordial Spirit Black Lotus Gives Birth to Ultimate Light (thanks to "Tangbao Ze" for the tip)

The brilliant sun hung overhead, the sky bright and the clouds thin.

A sign reading "Star Dou Great Forest ahead, danger" flashed past their eyes as a middle-aged man and three youths strode into the trees with all the swagger of Jiangnan's Four Great Scholars.

The middle-aged man had stern, martial features and looked like a soldier. Of the three youths, one aspired to become a pillar of society, one racked his brains over swordsmanship, and one had outrageously bad luck.

"So this is the Star Dou Great Forest? The air really does smell sweet."

Xiao Hongchen, who strutted most proudly of the four, held a camera soul tool and snapped pictures left and right like a groundhog that had just crawled out of the dirt and discovered the sky.

"Could you stop embarrassing us? You're taking pictures just walking into a forest."

Yu Tianjun, whose appearance had become utterly ordinary after he put on the Sun Moon Formless mask, curled his lip.

Xiao Hongchen clicked his tongue. "You don't get it. Sword Fanatic and I came, but Meng didn't. That's a serious problem."

"That's what I don't understand. Sword Fanatic has actual business here. You shamelessly tagged along to foot the bill."

"Women won't listen to all those explanations. She'll just think we went out to have fun without inviting her."

Wearing an expression that said, "I've weathered life's storms, while you're still young, lad," Xiao Hongchen tutted.

"If I don't bring back some pictures for her, a cup of Vermilion Sunny Ice Toad Poison tea will be waiting for me. All poison, no tea."

"Actually, there's another way."

Yu Tianjun offered a sincere suggestion. "When we hunt a soul ring for Sword Fanatic, charge out in front. Go home covered in wounds, and you can prove you weren't out having fun."

"Great suggestion. Don't make another one."

Xiao Hongchen ground his teeth. Asking a ranged bombardment soul engineer to fight in close combat—was that something a human being would say?

"All right, let's keep heading deeper."

Somewhat disappointed that his suggestion hadn't been accepted, Yu Tianjun turned his gaze toward Ji Juechen. "Sword Fanatic, what are you aiming for in a soul ring?"

"Under twenty thousand years. As long as it doesn't hold me back."

Ji Juechen's voice was firm. "My cultivation focuses on insight. Soul rings are external things. A Metal-Attribute Soul Beast will do."

Yu Tianjun nodded. After his martial soul awakening, Ji Juechen had fallen in love with his sword and spent every day doing nothing but studying and practicing swordsmanship. At eight, he had entered a soul beast habitat alone, hunted down a hundred-year soul ring within three days, and enrolled at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

From then on, there had been no stopping him. Through his insights into the sword, he had forced his cultivation speed to match that of the greatest geniuses without taking any drugs.

Unfortunately, his age put him in an awkward spot. He had been a Soul Ancestor during the previous tournament, and he was over the age limit for this one. Otherwise, Ma Rulong would never have gotten to wield the Sword of Judgment.

"Speaking as an old veteran, I think you could aim a little higher."

Liao Mengkai, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. The former commander of the Terror Claw Soul Engineer Legion carried twin blades on his back, his eyes brimming with appreciation for talent.

"You're an exceptionally rare combat genius. You gain insight whether you win or lose. A strong body gives a sword cultivator an advantage in close combat and keeps his own sword from turning its power back on him."

Over the past few months, while secretly protecting Yu Tianjun, Liao Mengkai had watched Sword Fanatic challenge Qilin every day and unexpectedly discovered his talent.

He couldn't steal Qilin away just yet, but Sword Fanatic was his for the taking!

Ji Juechen frowned in thought. After a moment, he asked, "If my body is stronger, I can unleash more dangerous, more lethal sword strikes and bear a greater load, right?"

The smile froze on Liao Mengkai's face. I meant improving your endurance in prolonged combat, and you took that as risking your life to increase your attack power?

How does Sword Fanatic's brain work? We saber cultivators can't understand it.

"You could put it that way," Yu Tianjun affirmed at just the right moment.

"Good." Ji Juechen nodded and asked, "Can we look for a dark gold terrorclaw bear? I've heard it's the strongest metal-element soul beast."

Xiao Hongchen's cheek twitched. "A ten-thousand-year dark gold terrorclaw bear's claws can tear apart an ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beast. You go ahead. I'll be watching from behind."

If those bear claws caught him, it wouldn't be a matter of going home covered in wounds. Little Meng and his grandfather would head straight to his funeral feast to mourn the fall of their family's greatest genius in a thousand years.

"Of course we can."

Yu Tianjun affirmed it again, smiling as he pointed at Liao Mengkai. "Allow me to make a grand introduction. This is the former commander of the Terror Claw Soul Engineer Legion, the empire's foremost close-combat soul engineer, Demon God Twin Blades Liao Mengkai. Catching a bear will be child's play."

"We should consider this carefully..."

Liao Mengkai's expression stiffened. Dark gold terrorclaw bears were rare... Who knew whether they could summon Xiong Jun?

"Don't worry, Dean. I hear Xiong Jun is incredibly lazy. All he does is eat and sleep. Catching one should be fine."

"Then let's do it."

"Achoo!"

In the Great Ferocious Land, Xiong Jun sneezed and grumbled curses, rolled over, and continued digesting the energy from his Sky Dream takeaway.

"I'll keep eating and sleeping, and someday I'll defeat Snow Empress, stomp Evil Eye's head, beat Di Tian, and restore the glory of the bear race."

Meanwhile, the Mingdu Four-Person Group chatted and laughed as they undertook a pastime shared across all worlds and planes: plotting to steal soul rings from the dark gold terrorclaw bear clan.

Suddenly, a frail figure passed through their field of vision. Huo Yuhao, dressed in rags, met the four's eyes, and his heart jolted.

Why is Xiao Hongchen here? Is that Old Ji beside him? I don't recognize the other two.

People from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy actually dared to come soul hunting in the Star Dou Great Forest?

"I'm too weak right now to do anything about this. I'd better go find Brother Sky Dream."

Huo Yuhao took a long look at Ji Juechen, then hurried away.

Xiao Hongchen raised an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like he looked down on me? And you rarely see such a frail Level 10 Soul Scholar. Can he really hunt a soul ring in there?"

Xiao Hongchen looked at Ji Juechen. Sword Fanatic had gone through the same thing, so he had the most authority to speak.

Ji Juechen frowned. "Depends on his luck."

That person looked at me so strangely just now.

"It really does depend on luck."

Xiao Hongchen agreed. Seeing that Yu Tianjun hadn't spoken and still looked thoughtful, he couldn't help asking, "Do you have a different opinion?"

Yu Tianjun's expression grew solemn. "I think there was something off about his gaze."

Unusual eyes, ragged clothes, level ten, faint fluctuations of mental power—this was undoubtedly Huo Yuhao.

His miserable childhood had made him sensitive, but what had that been just now?

Yu Tianjun was certain that he had looked down on Xiao Hongchen a little. His glance at Yu Tianjun and Liao Mengkai had been indifferent, and only when he looked at Ji Juechen had there been a trace of warmth.

Those shouldn't have been the eyes of Huo Yuhao fresh out of the Duke's Mansion.

Has he been reborn? Should I be calling him Dai Yuhao now?

"So what if something's off? He's just a Level 10 Soul Scholar. Let's go."

Still carefree, Xiao Hongchen urged everyone into the forest to catch a bear.

The four strode into the forest, and Yu Tianjun put himself on full alert.

There was no crowd-pleasing battle between the young God of Emotion and a wind baboon. Violet light flashed through Huo Yuhao's eyes—a mental shock—then the White Tiger Dagger stabbed into a vital spot, ending the fight.

A white soul ring rose into the air. Huo Yuhao used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, leaving the others nothing but an afterimage.

Looks like he really is Dai Yuhao. What a pity.

At that instant, Yu Tianjun became completely certain that Huo Yuhao had been reborn, and he shook his head inwardly.

He had once sympathized with Huo Yuhao's experiences and wanted to lend him a hand, bringing him to Sun Moon.

He wouldn't insist on succeeding. He simply remembered telling Miss Hongchen that a warm heart must never be allowed to die.

Huo Yuhao had suffered a miserable childhood and possessed exceptional talent with soul tools. Bringing him over to their side could have gained them a valuable ally.

But now he was the Huo Yuhao whom God King Tang had already remolded, with nothing in his head but Tang Wutong and Tang San. Helping him would be courting death.

Out of self-preservation, Yu Tianjun didn't want to get close to someone so abnormal either. Huo Yuhao had let down everyone who had helped him.

"A mental-type soul master, and a Level 5 Close-Combat Soul Tool."

Liao Mengkai's eyes were extremely sharp. He recognized Huo Yuhao's means of attack and the dagger in his hand.

"He seems to know some unusual combat techniques?"

Ji Juechen's attention was on Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

Xiao Hongchen rubbed his chin. "Just a little trick... Huh? An earthquake?"

The ground suddenly trembled.

"Watch out!"

Sensing the sudden chill beneath the ground, Liao Mengkai's expression changed. He drew the Demon God Saber from his back, nine rings rose into the air, and he shielded the three behind him.

Of the three, Xiao Hongchen and Ji Juechen were the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's greatest headaches—both headaches and trusted insiders. As for Yu Tianjun, no mishap could be allowed at all.

Setting aside his little scheme to steal Master Kong's prized talent, Liao Mengkai considered himself the empire's foremost Level 9 Close-Combat Soul Engineer. How could he let anything happen to them right before his eyes? He'd be reduced to sitting at the same table as Zheng Zhan.

Come, enemy! Whether you're a ferocious beast or a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—even if you're Di Tian himself—my all-out strike will knock off a few Dragon Scales!

Liao Mengkai stared at the cracking ground, his fighting spirit surging. He believed the most unforgettable battle of his life was about to begin.

But he was overthinking it.

As a vast, boundless wave of mental power spread in an instant, this patch of woodland—and the Star Dou Great Forest for a hundred miles around—became like a paused game screen. Everything fell silent.

A million-year mental-power soul beast went all in, and a Level 9 Soul Engineer was mercilessly sealed.

The ground before Huo Yuhao kept splitting open, widening from a crack into a pit several yards across, from which golden-white light shone.

"I finally get to see daylight again, but why did heaven send me such a frail mental-type soul master? Level ten is bad enough, but his body's a complete mess too."

A round head emerged from the pit. Its plump face had two tiny golden eyes and was filled with lamentation.

"Brother Sky Dream, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you for so long!"

Huo Yuhao gazed excitedly at Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, his expression visibly blazing with enthusiasm.

"Huh? You recognize me before I've even introduced myself? How do you know what I call myself?"

His round body escaped the pit and returned to daylight. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm slowly wriggled, but the moment he heard Huo Yuhao's words, he didn't dare move another inch.

I've already escaped, and Di Tian's still chasing me? Are you a ferocious beast in human form?

"Don't be afraid, Brother Sky Dream. I'm Huo Yuhao. In our previous lives, we were good partners who fought side by side... Anyway, we'll definitely ascend to godhood and take Ice Empress with us. Come on."

Huo Yuhao showed Sky Dream Ice Silkworm his Divine Sense, as weak as a candle flame, and launched into a barrage of persuasion.

Every detail of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's plans had been laid bare. He extended his mental power outward. There were four other humans nearby, but none had the mental attribute. He could only sigh.

"I don't know whether what you're saying is true, but I was going to choose you anyway. I hope you're not lying to me."

With a defeated sigh, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm revealed his entire body. Bands of golden markings encircled his white-jade skin at regular intervals, ten in all.

"I still have to introduce myself. I'm the supreme among the supreme, the ferocious beast among ferocious beasts, the unprecedented million-year soul beast, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!"

"Nine hundred and ninety thousand years in the Far North, ten thousand in Star Dou! A million years have passed, and the divine throne is mine by right! Don't scorn this silkworm for being poor!"

Huo Yuhao smiled without speaking.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm felt even more defeated. White-jade light blossomed from his body, and ten golden halos separated from him, descending around Huo Yuhao.

"Didn't you say you were a reborn god? Why is your body so weak? The great Brother Sky Dream will have to seal himself."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, whose first sacrifice had burst a Titled Douluo apart, had developed his own Sealing Art. He gradually sealed his origin power to adapt to his new host.

After hearing the fellow boast so much, he had thought his body would be incredibly strong. Instead, he was a weakling.

Huo Yuhao spoke with certainty. "With our combined strength, returning to the Divine Realm will be easy. A teacher will arrive soon too, and walk this path alongside us."

Speaking of Electrolux filled Huo Yuhao with excitement. This teacher had saved him with his own life, passed soul spirits on to him, and left him an Undead Demiplane.

With the Necromancy Elder Yi had taught him and the Undead Demiplane, he had repeatedly saved Shrek and the Original Three Kingdoms from fire and flood.

"All right, all right, I believe you..."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm really wanted to see what other mighty figure would appear.

The enormous energy field warped even the space of the Star Dou Great Forest for an instant, creating spatial turbulence.

Suddenly, a gray current burst out of the spatial turbulence. A hazy figure crossed the planes, so weak that he resembled a guttering candle in the wind.

Yet when he spoke, an indescribable, boundless majesty rang out, making heaven and earth resonate.

"With sun and moon in hand, I pluck the stars; none in this world can rival me!"

"Heaven has not forsaken me. This wisp of my remnant soul has been fortunate enough to survive, and even arrive in a new world..."

Electrolux's opening words commanded the heavens. He extended his senses in search of a suitable host.

"This world actually has a genius of pure darkness to match a Child of Light—and Gold of Life as well! Haha, fate has brought us together!"

The gray current condensed into a gray orb the size of a soybean and shot into Yu Tianjun's brow. The instant he moved in, Electrolux couldn't help exclaiming in admiration.

"It truly is Gold of Life. My remnant soul can stabilize quickly. I hope you won't mind this old man's uninvited arrival. I won't stay for free. I'll help stabilize your Sea of Consciousness."

Of the five people present, Liao Mengkai was old, Ji Juechen was wooden, Xiao Hongchen was goofy, and Huo Yuhao was weak. Electrolux made his choice at lightning speed, and Yu Tianjun won by an overwhelming margin.

The radiance of life was stirred and drawn into the Sea of Consciousness. Yu Tianjun clearly felt a current surge from his brain through his entire body. The Dark Qilin's origin received some kind of stimulus and underwent a transformation, turning adversity into fortune.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the Dark Origin merged into a Primordial Spirit Black Lotus. A faint, flickering Ultimate Radiance emerged from its heart, holy and immaculate, like the first ray of dawn as the sky began to brighten.

That strand of pure light felt immensely familiar to Electrolux, its purity matching that of the strongest Child of Light.

This radiance shared Electrolux's origin. On the Douluo Continent, it was called ultimate light.

The Holy Necromancer had transformed from a Child of Light into the Undead Calamity, with light and darkness coexisting within him. Stimulated by him, the Dark Qilin advanced more swiftly along a path of transformation that was the exact opposite: Ultimate darkness giving birth to ultimate light.

Electrolux didn't compete with Sky Dream Ice Silkworm for living quarters. The gray orb flew into the Black Lotus's heart and drew in vast quantities of Light and Dark Elements from outside, stabilizing the Primordial Spirit Black Lotus.

"Ah, that feels good..."

Outside, the million-year sacrifice reached a perfect conclusion, and heaven and earth returned to normal.

Yu Tianjun's consciousness had already broken through Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's mental field when the Primordial Spirit Black Lotus appeared. Now he felt refreshed, his mind teeming with thoughts.

In another timeline, the Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Bed had blown Electrolux sky-high in the Clear Sky Sect. The final protection and inherited knowledge he had left his disciple had been ruthlessly crushed by that great figure in the Qiankun Asking Love Valley.

His disciple's soul had been shattered hundreds of times in the Qiankun Asking Love Valley, then remolded into the Tang family's loyal hound, every conviction broken, before being sent back outside. Everything from his past had been forgotten, as if he had never possessed any of it.

Now Electrolux had escaped that great figure's targeting, and Yu Tianjun's own Sea of Consciousness had undergone a wondrous change. Both of them had bright futures.

The plan has changed. I can be a little more aggressive now.

Yu Tianjun's gaze shifted, thoughtful.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao had waited and waited without Electrolux arriving. Puzzled, he asked, "Has Teacher not arrived yet?"

"Was the teacher you mentioned a gray current more terrifying than anything I've ever seen?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice sounded faintly.

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"That current seems to have flown toward those people."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm pointed at the Mingdu Four-Person Group.

"How is that possible?"

Huo Yuhao abruptly turned, his Spiritual Eyes locking onto the Mingdu Four-Person Group.

Unexpectedly, he pushed off a little too hard. The edge of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's pit cracked, and he nearly fell in.

"Brother Sky Dream, the hole you dug is too big."

Huo Yuhao sprang forward two steps, silently embarrassed.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed faintly. "I didn't expect you to react so strongly either. And why do you spout wild boasts without thinking, just like me? We really are two world-shaking worms."

Huo Yuhao: ...