Although he was excited for finding such leads so quickly, he knew he shouldn't recklessly approach those areas. Those are ruins likely left behind by Gods!
For now, he's going to keep sending out shadow clones to scout and gather as much data as he could.
He's had two godly encounters—
*Flashbacks to the Ice God and the Heavenly Punishment he endured*
—both of which were not good!
'I can't rely on my shadow clones alone, who knows what other kinds of tricks those ruins have.' Huo Yuhao rubbed his chin, pondering his next move and smiled.
"Right. I should use that!"
Just as Huo Yuhao was about to walk to a dark alley to try his idea, he felt a tingling feeling.
His eyebrows raised in surprise and he started to grin.
"Well, that was sooner than I expected."
He then disappeared in a flurry of snow and ice.
.....
"Would he really be able to help me?"
Na Na pursed her lips as she looked out of the window, feeling desperate and helpless. It's always been that way ever since that "day".
The day when everything went to hell in her life.
Na Na was the daughter of a baron, considered as the lowest among all nobility in the Sun Moon Empire. Although they didn't have land, they had some estates and shops. They were quite well-off. Her mother was a talented soul master for a commoner that she respected, especially since she inherited her martial soul.
But one day, some time after her mother had come back with a new soul ring, a bunch of strangers came to their house. They had come for her mother. It was unknown to Na Na what they said to her, but she had to leave with them. Her father tried to stop them, but he couldn't.
From that day on, it became a nightmare for her family for the next few years.
And when Na Na turned twelve, her parents died.
No, murdered.
Her father was killed by her mother under the manipulations of the strangers who had come to her. Stricken from the grief and sadness of taking the life of her husband, Na Na's mother then took her own life right before her daughter's eyes.
As if that wasn't enough to traumatize the poor child, a stranger appeared right at that moment. He said insidiously, "You think you can escape by doing this? Death is nothing before us, and we can still inflict suffering upon you even after death! Jiejiejie." After that, Na Na felt a unique force coming from his body, and the spirits of her parents flew out of their bodies.
The man patted her on the head and said she would have to follow him if she wanted to see her parents again.
It turns out the man and others who manipulated her mother were part of the infamous organization of evil soul masters called the Holy Spirit Cult!
Na Na certainly didn't want to join the people who had ripped her family apart. But what choice did she have when her parents' spirits were taken hostage?
Under their orders and the threat of her parents' souls being tortured further, she was sent to study in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy and grow stronger until she reaches a certain cultivation level, that would be the time when she would become officially a part of their organization and have her parents' spirits be set free.
Na Na wasn't stupid. She knew how utterly vile the Holy Spirit Cult is. There was no way they would just let her and her parents go so easily.
She thought she had at least a few years left to think things through, to set a proper plan in motion, but something changed in the cult.
The cult has started getting more demanding of their lower members like Na Na to reach a higher rank of cultivation as soon as possible. No matter the method.
She witnessed some of the other outer members like herself get dragged into some room, screamed bloodily for hours, and came out looking pale and dazed—as if a part of their spirit and mind had been violated and twisted, turning them into mindless puppets.
They became stronger and more.... obedient.
Na Na was terrified. She didn't understand why they were being so ruthless all of a sudden.
The answer was because the Holy Spirit Cult's strength had diminished greatly after the attack they made on Shrek Academy.
They lost the vice sect leader, eight honorary elders, and two Worshipped Hall elders. They desperately needed to replenish their strength and they would do any method at their disposal to accomplish that.
Na Na knew that it was only a matter of time before it was her turn to become a soulless husk of the Holy Spirit Cult.
So she ripped the strange paper with mysterious symbols on it, hoping that Huo Yuhao could help her.
Obviously she investigated his background, and what she found had given her hope.
After all, as a student from Shrek Academy with the reputation of being powerful and righteous, Huo Yuhao would certainly have the means to help her.
'I would do anything if it means getting my parents' souls back safe. E-Even if it means I would give him everything that I have.' Na Na's cheeks flushed red.
She shook her head and thought. 'In the first place, why did he give this strange thing to me anyway? Wait, d-does he know that I'm...? No, it can't be. He would be truly terrifying if he knows about my true identity. Even the Hallmaster Jing Hongchen doesn't know about me.'
"Well, well. I didn't expect you to call for me so soon."
Na Na's eyes widened and she turned around to find Huo Yuhao leaning casually against the wall. His white blindfold, handsome face, and relaxed smile made him look like he owned the place—his very presence sent a chill down Na Na's spine.
This was her room. As an unwilling Holy Servant of the Holy Spirit Cult, Na Na made sure to keep her room plain and secured to keep others from snooping around and find out about her connection to the cult.
'It's one thing if I couldn't sense him, according to what I've found out about him he was a soul king a couple years ago with the strength of a soul emperor. By now, he should have the skills of a high level soul emperor or even an average soul sage!
But to even go undetected by the three class 5 detection soul tools I installed in my room, the detection capabilities of those soul tools could even detect an expert agility system soul sages—just how did he enter my room?'
Na Na's heart raced, subconsciously, she touched her storage soul tool which held her precious daggers. Not knowing how strong Huo Yuhao truly is.
The test results when Huo Yuhao was examined by director Lin Jiayi wasn't made public or archived in the records. Only those present in the examination and Jing Hongchen are the only ones who knew about Huo Yuhao's Titled Douluo strength.
"Sorry for dropping on you so suddenly, I thought you were in immediate danger when you ripped that talisman." Huo Yuhao said.
Na Na calmed herself and replied, "It's fine, thank you for coming here so fast."
"I am in need of help. Please." She pleaded as she collapsed to her knees, her voice shaking but sincere.
Before Huo Yuhao could respond, Na Na's entire figure seemed to become illusory. Her clothing slipped off her body, revealing her naked figure.
Her body was well-proportioned and curvy that it can make a lot of people gulping in astonishment, though she wasn't at the same level as Ma Xiaotao. Her white and flawless skin was extremely smooth and tender. Although her skin wasn't snow-white, it had a healthy sense to it. The curves of her firm breasts and perky supple buttocks could make any man's wood to harden in an instant.
"I'll do anything you'd ask of me! I'll give you my everything if you can help me..."
Huo Yuhao studied her quietly for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"...Explain."
And so she did. Na Na started explaining her whole backstory and that she wanted Huo Yuhao's help to get Shrek Academy to get involved to set her, her parents, and many others free from the Holy Spirit Cult.
She didn't realize just how strong Huo Yuhao truly was, and thought he'd ask an expert from Shrek Academy to get involved in helping her.
"This is the reason why I considered asking you for help. I don't have anything to bribe you with, except everything that I am. I will honor my word; I am willing to do anything for you if you can help rescue my parents' spirits and take them away from their suffering."
Huo Yuhao's lips twitched. "Be careful of what you say, Na Na. To promise your everything to me, that—"
"I've made my choice!" Na Na interrupted with a loud voice, though biting her lips. She was determined to do anything for her parents and her freedom.
Huo Yuhao hesitated. Not because he was afraid, he can easily wipe out a branch of the Holy Spirit Cult, but because he doesn't know what to do with Na Na.
He knew people like her. Even if he refused her offer, she would be so immensely grateful for him saving her parents that she would continue following after him and be extremely loyal.
If he accepted her offer, what the hell was he supposed to do with her?
'I suppose I can let her join or even become the acting head of the Shadow's Order. Elder Ma is... great. But he's too conspicuous in the Sun Moon Empire and has shown terrible leadership skills. Hmm. I'll see how Na Na fares being the leader and then decide later on.'
"Very well," Huo Yuhao stood straight and slowly walked towards Na Na. "I shall take this deal and offer you aid, in exchange, you will become...my shadow."
"Your...shadow?" Na Na was excited at first but became confused at his words.
Huo Yuhao grinned. "I'll tell you later. But first, can you tell me the location of their base?"
Na Na nodded and told him about the location.
"To think they were that close, Elder Ma, how utterly incompetent of you." Huo Yuhao muttered and from under the blindfold his eyes turned eerie gray, as a terrifying grey-golden soul ring manifested around him.
"Arise."
Na Na froze as an indescribable fear instantly engulfed her, her eyes widened as she felt her martial soul going deathly still. She felt even more fear as something from Huo Yuhao's shadow on the ground started moving! As if it were alive!
A shadowy figure then emerged, made entirely of darkness, smoke, glowing golden lights across their body, and had a feminine figure. She wore a black robe as she knelt before Huo Yuhao, a black bamboo hat obscured her face.
"What are my orders, my lord?" She asked respectfully.
Na Na didn't recognize her, but Zhongli Wu and Yan Shaozhe would recognize that voice and figure anywhere!
It was Feng Ling, the vice sect leader of the Holy Spirit Cult! After Di Tian captured her and the other surviving elders by Huo Yuhao's request, the latter interrogated(tortured) them for a while before reanimating them as his loyal undead.
Though he didn't manage to reanimate them all, as there was some difficulty with the spiritual imprint in their spiritual sea that would've annihilated their spirit.
But through trial and error, he managed to reanimate them as one of the highest tiers of undead category. A revenant!
Unlike mindless zombies, revenants retain their intelligence and memories from life, though these can become corrupted over time. They are often distinguished from other undead by their corporeal and often somewhat preserved form, which may appear alive, and their focus on a specific goal rather than just mindless decay or hunger.
With the necromancy and undead Titled Douluos, some who are even Transcendent Douluos, Huo Yuhao truly has the qualifications to wander the continent unhindered.
"Phoenix, you are to go to this location: xxxx. I want you to eliminate all high ranking evil soul masters, and leave the locked up spirits and low ranking members alone for a while. I'll judge them myself if they are worth sparing." Huo Yuhao ordered.
"Yes, young master!"
'D-Did I just made a deal with the devil...?' Na Na shuddered.