A bizarre sight unfolded: Long Aotian's body stretched like a strand of noodles.
He stretched to a full four meters in length, and his arms underwent a strange transformation. Like molten dark-gold metal, they extended and changed shape without stopping.
In an instant, Long Aotian's arms became a giant axe. He drew it back, then his massive dark-gold body charged straight at Huo Yuhao.
With every step Long Aotian took, Huo Yuhao felt a sensation of weightlessness as the earth shook violently. Across the previously undamaged ground, broad patches of cracks spread one after another.
It seemed he was serious.
Sensing the Soul Power leaking from Long Aotian's body, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up with sky-blue and golden light.
Innate Gold-Rank Second Awakening against Innate Silver-Rank Second Awakening.
The giant axe fell straight down, and the First Soul Ring beneath Huo Yuhao's feet shone with a luminous white light.
The third minor Soul Skill within his First Soul Skill suddenly activated.
A vast amount of spiritual power invaded Long Aotian's consciousness.
Long Aotian's vision blurred slightly, and the giant axe that had been falling toward Huo Yuhao's head veered off course. Yet Long Aotian used his powerful body to twist its errant trajectory back around.
A flicker of surprise appeared in Huo Yuhao's eyes. Right then and there, he treated Long Aotian to a barehanded blade catch, forcibly stopping the giant axe as it struck his waist.
"Second Soul Skill, Ice Pupil!"
As Huo Yuhao's words fell, the Second Soul Ring beneath his feet flashed purple.
A spiritual attack carrying a piercing chill stabbed straight at the space between Long Aotian's brows.
Long Aotian grunted. He felt the chill spreading rapidly through his body, reaching every corner of him.
In the blink of an eye, the giant axe formed from his arms froze solid!
The ice then spread from his legs all the way up to his neck.
Only Long Aotian's head remained unfrozen.
His body was filled with the chill of Ultimate Ice. He felt so cold that he couldn't hold back a sneeze, which froze as soon as it left him.
Looking at Long Aotian, who had been frozen into an ice sculpture, Huo Yuhao said, "Well? Senior Brother Aotian, what do you think of my Innate Gold-Rank Second Awakening and thousand-year Second Soul Skill?"
"You really do understand me, kid." Long Aotian gave a bitter laugh. "I lost completely. You truly are a heaven's chosen who awakened an Innate Gold-Rank Second Awakening."
Crack.
The layer of ice on Long Aotian's body shattered bit by bit, breaking into tiny ice particles that scattered across the ground.
But the Ultimate Ice invading Long Aotian's body had yet to dissipate. Every little part of him, including his hair, was coated in layers of frost.
Long Aotian curled up, his body trembling constantly.
If you asked him how he felt right now?
He could only tell you: cold, cold, cold. Far too cold.
Even without personally visiting the Core Circle of the Far North, he could describe its environment in vivid detail.
"Senior Brother Aotian, next time we spar, give me a heads-up first."
Long Aotian objected, "That won't do. If I told you beforehand, would you have used your full strength?"
"I'd rather fight you at full strength than have you go easy on me."
Huo Yuhao looked at Long Aotian helplessly.
This guy... it seemed he wouldn't be getting much idle time from now on.
That was what his life was like.
Eating, sleeping, and cultivating-the three all packed together.
Occasionally, he sparred with Long Aotian to hone his combat instincts.
Now that the Ice Empress and Snow Empress had joined him, his life had gradually become more pleasant.
It was no longer monotonous; there was plenty of fun to be had.
During the time he had spent living with the Ice Empress and Snow Empress, Huo Yuhao had been able to sense their feelings for him.
Faced with the two women's advances, Huo Yuhao wouldn't simply accept them at once without a second thought, nor would he go along with everything they wanted.
He was assertive when he needed to be, and maintained an air of mystery when he needed to.
If he laid everything out on a platter, no amount of affection would do any good; they would gradually lose interest.
He, Huo Yuhao, also had to make the Ice Empress and Snow Empress understand the difference between who he was now and the Huo Yuhao in their memories of the original story.
Make them develop an illusion and innate
In this world full of love-struck minds, this move could be said to have never failed.
"Judging by the time, it's getting late. Senior Brother, I'm going to see Grandpa Du." Huo Yuhao said goodbye to Long Aotian.
Watching Huo Yuhao turn away, Long Aotian said, "Go on, go on."
"When the people from the White Tiger Duke's Mansion bring Dai Huabin and the duchess here, let me know. I'll go stomp on them to vent a little."
Huo Yuhao had only just taken a step when he heard Long Aotian's words. He replied, "All right."
Ever since they had returned from the Heavenly Soul Royal Family, every disciple of the Body Sect had learned about his story.
Almost everyone had prepared a sect-homecoming performance for Dai Huabin and the duchess.
They had already prepared the costumes, too.
Ginseng, one large and one small, just right.
The sect's main hall.
By the time Huo Yuhao arrived, Du Busi and the Snow Empress had already been waiting for quite a while.
Huo Yuhao looked up at Du Busi before him. "Grandpa Du."
Du Busi beckoned to Huo Yuhao and said, "Come here. The people from the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and Shrek will be here soon."
"All right."
Huo Yuhao walked over to the seat beside the Snow Empress and sat down.
The moment he sat down, a small, ice-cold hand reached over and rested gently on the back of his hand.
Feeling the chill on the back of his hand, Huo Yuhao turned to look at the Snow Empress. She was looking at him too.
The meaning in her eyes was self-evident.
Huo Yuhao turned his hand over and clasped hers, gathering her five slender fingers into his palm and using a warm current to drive away the cold.
The Snow Empress's steady gaze faltered slightly. Looking at Huo Yuhao, she showed a trace of panic in her eyes and suddenly tried to pull her hand away, but he held it tightly.
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow at the Snow Empress, as though challenging her.
Seeing this, the Snow Empress looked a little displeased, but quietly let Huo Yuhao keep holding her hand.
Only the tension in her body and the flush on her neck could not be concealed.
Du Busi paid no attention to the pair's little movements, his full attention fixed outside the hall.
A moment later, the faint sound of footsteps came from outside.
Dai Hao arrived before Huo Yuhao, the Snow Empress, and Du Busi, with Dai Huabin and the duchess following behind him.
Dai Huabin and the duchess could no longer use Soul Power. Their Soul Power had long since been sealed, and the haughty expressions had vanished from their faces forever.
Dai Huabin and the duchess both raised their heads. The first thing they noticed was Huo Yuhao sitting upright beside the Snow Empress, their fingers interlocked.
Dai Huabin's eyes went wide as he stared at the Snow Empress in disbelief.
The Snow Empress.
The foremost of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North.
One of Huo Yuhao's indispensable cheats.
Dai Huabin's head buzzed.
No, impossible!
He didn't believe it!
His memories of the future clearly established that Huo Yuhao had broken through to level twenty at the end of his first year.
Only a little over three months had passed since the start of the first year.
In just over three months, Huo Yuhao had raised his Soul Power by nine levels. How was that possible?!
He, Dai Huabin, was a widely acknowledged genius whose cultivation speed far exceeded others at the same stage, while Huo Yuhao was nothing but trash with level-one Innate Soul Power!