"Even a rank ninety-three Titled Douluo couldn't withstand my full-power burst. Looks like I'll need stronger opponents to compare myself against. But my strength will definitely grow even faster from now on, so measuring it accurately will actually become very difficult."
Huo Yuhao let out a long sigh, seemingly sorrowful.
Still, discovering how to obtain withdrawal points was quite a gain. A Soul King gave thirty-two points, a Soul Emperor sixty-four, and a Soul Douluo two hundred and fifty-six. The points were actually awarded according to the deceased's strength while alive, doubling with each rank.
As for why the rank ninety-three Titled Douluo Evil Dragon had provided eight hundred withdrawal points rather than five hundred and sixteen, he had a few guesses.
Huo Yuhao suspected that, for experts at the Titled Douluo level, each additional rank might grant more withdrawal points.
But that was only speculation for now. To prove his theory, he would have to kill a few more Titled Douluos.
Returning from the bottom of the cavern to the altar, Huo Yuhao wanted to see whether there was any energy in the blood pool he could absorb. Although he was not an Evil Soul Master, his eyes possessed devouring power. After all, he truly was desperately short of energy now.
The cosmic energy on the Douluo Continent was far too sparse. He had spent the past six months absorbing it without sleeping or resting, and even with the vast quantities of Soul Power poured into him by four Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, his physical capabilities had only advanced from the peak of intermediate warrior general to advanced warrior general. Improving was simply too difficult, so now any sight of energy tempted him.
Besides cosmic energy, he could also convert the energy of the Douluo Star into genetic origin energy. But perhaps because they were different planes, the conversion rate from Soul Power energy into Swallowed Star energy was not even one percent.
Releasing his Spirit Eyes martial soul, Huo Yuhao began sensing and attempting to control his devouring power. Soon, two vortices suddenly appeared in his eyes.
The vortices drew the blood energy from the pool before him straight into his body. Two streams of blood immediately rose into the air, their blood flowing slowly but continuously into Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes.
With the feedback from his Spirit Eyes, both his Soul Power and physical capabilities steadily improved.
Evil Dragon had cultivated this blood pool for decades, slaughtering countless powerful snake and earth dragon Soul Beasts. Their blood, along with that of innumerable human Soul Masters, had gathered into this pool. Its energy was indeed abundant.
Yet Evil Dragon could never have imagined that his life's work, the welcoming gift he had prepared for the Holy Son, would all fall into Huo Yuhao's hands.
But just as Huo Yuhao was absorbing the energy without restraint, the pillar of blood that had just vanished from the pool suddenly began to reappear.
It actually began a tug-of-war with Huo Yuhao's devouring power. Huo Yuhao felt some of the blood energy he had just absorbed into his Spirit Eyes being pulled back out.
Someone was snatching food from the tiger's jaws. Thoroughly enraged, Huo Yuhao wanted to see exactly what was inside that pillar of blood.
Before Huo Yuhao could act, however, the blood pillar suddenly fell still again and even began to dissipate.
This time, the blood pillar seemed to be disappearing for good.
Once the blood pillar vanished, Huo Yuhao's pupils gradually widened, for he saw a blood-red figure in the air.
A completely naked girl floated in midair. Blood covered the intimate parts of her body, but that very concealment lent her faintly visible figure a hazy allure.
The girl had a head of white hair, clearly not its natural color. Nourished by the blood energy, her hair had actually regained its luster, but unfortunately, its original color had not returned.
Nourished by the blood energy, the girl's formerly emaciated body had also filled out, developing graceful curves.
Huo Yuhao frowned slightly and used his psychic power to draw the figure before him, then began examining her carefully.
The stunning white-haired girl appeared to be about his age. Her white snake martial soul now had two horns on its head and five claws on its feet. Blood-colored markings ran across its white body, while terrifying blood energy surged over its serpentine form. Judging by the aura it emitted, her martial soul had undergone quite an extraordinary mutation.
"Eleven years old, and her Soul Power went straight to rank twenty after her martial soul mutated into an evil martial soul? Evil Soul Masters really are blessed by heaven."
Huo Yuhao could not help marveling. Tang Ya had been the same in the original story: unremarkable early on, then soaring like a rocket after becoming an Evil Soul Master.
"Mmm..."
The white-haired girl slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Huo Yuhao, terror and despair immediately filled her pretty face.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao dropped her onto the ground and tossed a black robe over her to cover her alluring body. The girl looked as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her. Without even checking whether the black robe covered her body, she hurriedly knelt and begged for mercy again and again.
"My lord, please don't hurt my little sister! I survived! I survived the blood pool! You said that as long as I survived, you would let my little sister go!"
A flicker of surprise passed through Huo Yuhao's eyes.
Did she survive because she held such a powerful conviction in her heart?
The girl's pitiful appearance surprised Huo Yuhao somewhat. It seemed she still did not understand her situation and had mistaken him for an elder of the Evil Dragon Cult.
"You don't need to call me 'my lord.' I've already killed all these cultists. As for the little sister you mentioned, I'm sorry. You're the only person still alive here," Huo Yuhao explained.
Tears streaked the girl's face. After hearing Huo Yuhao's words, she began looking around.
The bloody scene made her vomit on the spot. Only after seeing the gnawed corpses of the Evil Soul Masters who had abused her lying on the ground did she realize that Huo Yuhao truly was not a member of the cult.
At the same time, Huo Yuhao's words turned her face deathly pale. Distraught, she immediately ran toward an underground opening, only to discover that the cell where she had once been imprisoned was now piled high with corpses.
Trembling, she walked inside and immediately spotted her once-lively, adorable little sister at the very bottom, now a corpse. She cradled her sister's body and began sobbing as though her heart were being torn apart.
"Little sister, it's all my fault. I'm sorry. I failed to protect you."
Huo Yuhao watched silently from the side, thinking that she was yet another unfortunate soul.
An hour later, somewhere in the forest of the Mixed Area.
Before a small mound of earth, the white-haired girl had changed into a close-fitting black outfit. She seemed to have cried all her tears dry. With both hands covered in blood and soil, she now looked utterly lost.
Her little sister was gone too. All her enemies were dead. She no longer knew what meaning there was in continuing to live.
As she stood lost in thought, Huo Yuhao's voice suddenly rang out.
"Finished taking care of everything? Then let's go. Since I've helped you this far, I'll see the Buddha all the way to the western paradise and take you out of the Star Dou Great Forest. You've become a genius now.
"Although your evil dragon martial soul is an evil martial soul, you can disguise it as a blood dragon martial soul. From now on, you'll have a brilliant, colorful life."
The white-haired girl smiled bitterly. If her little sister could come back to life, she would gladly give up this talent and spend an ordinary lifetime with her.
"My lord, I have no home to return to. Now that my little sister, the only family I had, is dead, my heart has died with her. I want to follow you."
The white-haired girl suddenly knelt and pleaded with Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao was immediately surprised by her words. This was a turn of events he had not anticipated.
Although the white-haired girl's evil dragon martial soul was an evil martial soul, her aura was perfectly normal. She had not been corrupted by its evil energy, which was quite remarkable. He suspected that it had something to do with her unwavering conviction.
Huo Yuhao immediately asked:
"What's your name?"
"My lord, my sister and I were both orphans. We don't have names."
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and said,
"Since you have no name and don't know what meaning there is in living, follow me from now on! Live for me."
"From now on, your name will be Zero."
(End of chapter)