Fierce Soul Heavenly Demon Transformation

Huo Yuhao listened, then asked Dai Hao in confusion, "If we lost men killing that hundred-thousand-year soul beast, why did its soul bone end up in Shrek Academy's hands?"

Dai Hao gave a bitter laugh, then told Huo Yuhao, "Because that generation couldn't take down the Winged Heavenly God Tiger, they called in a few classmates from Shrek. Later, once the soul hunt was over, one thing led to another at the victory banquet, and they donated it to Shrek Academy—half willingly, half guilt-tripped into it."

Huo Yuhao could only roll his eyes in speechless disbelief. Never mind whether they guilt-tripped you beforehand. If you donated it willingly, there really isn't much you can complain about.

"It's been a thousand years. Even if that soul bone still has some energy left, there probably isn't much," Huo Yuhao said casually, trying to console him.

Along the way, Dai Hao had taught him a few things about soul bones, so he was no longer stumbling around blind. That remark did not seem out of place.

"Whatever the case, it's good that we spotted it early. That Winged Heavenly God Tiger back then was vicious beyond belief. Even its roar carried the howl of wind. One sweep of its great tail cracked the head of the Dai Family's patriarch at the time. From then on, that sound haunted him for the rest of his life."

"Whenever he saw something long and thin waving near his head, he'd panic and instinctively unleash his strongest soul skill. Eventually, a mosquito flew past while he was sleeping, and the streak it left scared him into using a soul skill. He struck himself in the head... and that was the end of him."

After finishing, Dai Hao seemed embarrassed by his predecessor's absurd behavior himself, and he could not help sighing.

"Anyway, this Winged Heavenly God Tiger is no ordinary beast. Once I make my move, you need to finish it off quickly. These beasts develop intelligence extremely early and know all about humans' soul hunting operations. If you don't kill it immediately, it might blow itself up so you can't get its soul ring."

Dai Hao looked at Huo Yuhao as he warned him. Huo Yuhao nodded to show that he understood and drew the White Tiger Dagger.

At the sight of the dagger, Dai Hao seemed to recall what he had been thinking when he first gave it to him. The corner of his mouth twitched awkwardly, then he turned away and shifted into combat mode.

Dai Hao certainly lived up to his profession as a soldier. One moment, he had been laughing and chatting with Huo Yuhao about old family stories; the next, he shot forward like lightning.

Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly. You're an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo. You really don't spare a thought for the reaction speed of a soul master without a single soul ring.

Left with no choice, Huo Yuhao immediately activated his martial soul possession. Qiongqi's black wings snapped open behind him. With the speed of flight, he just barely managed to keep up with Dai Hao's casual push off the ground.

Dai Hao completed his own Martial Soul Possession as he glided forward. Eight soul rings in the ideal configuration pulsed beneath his feet as he leaped directly above the Winged Heavenly God Tiger.

Then his hand shot out and seized the Winged Heavenly God Tiger by the neck. His claws sliced like blades across the back of its neck, and he ripped out its spine.

Huo Yuhao froze where he stood, stunned by the bloody sight. Dai Hao instantly flung the Winged Heavenly God Tiger in front of him and roared, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and do it!"

Only then did Huo Yuhao snap out of it. He sharply turned the White Tiger Dagger and drove it straight into the Winged Heavenly God Tiger's skull.

With a savage twist of the blade, the Winged Heavenly God Tiger's eyes rolled white. Its head lolled, and it collapsed to the ground.

"Whew..."

Feeling the Winged Heavenly God Tiger's hot blood splashing over him, Huo Yuhao sat on the ground and watched the deep yellow soul ring rise.

Dai Hao ran a hand over the Winged Heavenly God Tiger's body, then said regretfully, "A pity. It's only a hundred-year Winged Heavenly God Tiger, after all. No soul bone."

Huo Yuhao nodded and told Dai Hao, "Finding a mutated soul beast that only appears once in a thousand years is already good enough. If it had a soul bone too, that kind of luck would offend the harmony of heaven."

Dai Hao nodded, then smiled again and said to Huo Yuhao, "But you really are lucky, kid. Not only did you find a mutated soul beast that only appears once in a thousand years, it was even an eight-hundred-and-fifty-year soul beast perfectly suited to your soul power level."

Huo Yuhao smiled, not bothering to ponder how Dai Hao had determined the soul beast's age so precisely. He reached out and guided the yellow soul ring onto his Qiongqi martial soul.

Two hours later, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes. Dai Hao asked with some excitement, "Well? How's the soul skill you got?"

Huo Yuhao flexed his hand and murmured to himself, "So this is what it feels like after absorbing a soul ring. Amazing."

Watching Huo Yuhao's reaction, Dai Hao actually felt a faint pang of heartache.

He seemed to have imagined the abnormal upbringing Huo Yuhao had endured at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

Huo Yuhao's behavior now was less like that of his son, the White Tiger Duke's son, and more like a commoner's child whose martial soul had awakened by chance, experiencing the absorption of a ten-year soul ring.

A soul master's greatest trump card was their soul skills. In later years, the Body Sect had even devoted research to combat techniques specifically to reduce the use of soul skills.

Although Huo Yuhao was not a member of the Body Sect, he still wanted to conceal his soul skill's effects as much as possible, so he deliberately exaggerated his amazement after absorbing the soul ring.

Of course, he had no intention of fobbing off the White Tiger Duke with that reaction alone. He was merely considering the enhancement his soul skill provided, and how much he could understate it while remaining plausible and concealing part of the truth.

His soul skill was called Fierce Soul Heavenly Demon Transformation. Once activated, it would increase all his attributes by seventy-five percent for the next hour and grant him immunity to negative status effects.

Huo Yuhao thought for a moment, then decided to conceal the immunity to negative status effects and tell Dai Hao only about the enhancement.

Dai Hao was quite satisfied with that. After all, however rare it was, it was still only an eight-hundred-year soul beast. Expecting an effect that could carry him to heaven in a single step was asking too much.

Huo Yuhao's soul skill already ranked among the best at its level.

"Not bad. But your first soul skill is only the beginning. You still can't slack off in your daily cultivation. As a battle soul master, you need to look farther ahead. Never fixate on the gains and losses of one or two soul skills. The key is managing the combination of all nine of your soul rings. Our White Tiger martial soul has endured for ten thousand years precisely because we combine our soul rings properly."

Dai Hao patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder as he offered this earnest advice.

Huo Yuhao nodded, and Dai Hao led him out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

As soon as they left the Star Dou Great Forest and boarded the carriage, Huo Yuhao felt that something was wrong. This did not look like the road back to Star Luo City. He immediately asked...