Song Yunzhi complained—
"Later, there were too many soul beasts, and they hadn't witnessed the Ice God's aura, so they were quite disobedient."
"Among them were many 100,000-year soul beasts. The Emperor Ice Penguin couldn't control the situation, and I didn't dare to act rashly and trigger a slaughter."
"We still need Elder Mu to take action and suppress them."
Many 100,000-year soul beasts?
Mu En became interested, just as he was about to take action.
Over on Huo Yuhao's side, the snowflake mark between his eyebrows suddenly flared with intense light.
At the same time, the Ice God's cold voice echoed within his mental world.
[Ice God's First Trial: Create the Ice God Temple and Gather Faith — Completed!]
[Reward Received: Ice God Soul Ring Year +100,000 Years, Ice God Affinity +10%!]
[Ice God's Second Trial Initiated: Spread the Name of the Ice God, Proclaim to the World that the Ice God Still Exists!]
An inexplicable pressure spread from the snowflake mark.
Ordinary people merely felt some pressure, but when it fell upon the soul beasts of the surrounding Extreme North, they one after another devoutly knelt and bowed towards Huo Yuhao.
[Altered Huo Yuhao's Fate, +12 Fortune Points!]
[Altered Huo Yuhao's Fate, +81 Fortune Points!]
[Altered Huo Yuhao's Fate, +51 Fortune Points!]
The dense stream of system notifications made Huo Yuhao realize he could reap a wave.
He immediately activated his mental force to rise into the air, standing atop the Ice God statue, fully activating the 10% Ice God Affinity he had just obtained to stimulate a trace of divinity within the Ice God mark.
The Extreme North was born from the fall of the Ice God, subsequently giving rise to the current soul beast tribes. Their faith in the Ice God was engraved deep within their bloodline.
Now, sensing the Ice God's aura, they immediately knelt and bowed, offering their faith and loyalty.
And these would transform into Fortune Points, becoming tangible gains.
The frenzied, screen-flooding system notifications nearly made Huo Yuhao laugh out loud in delight.
But that would severely damage the Ice God's image, so he shifted most of his consciousness into the secret technique clone within the half- plane of Undead.
There, he discovered some interesting things.
Down below.
Xiao Xiao and the others stood with their mouths agape. Except for Mu En, who was in the know, their brains had shut down.
What's going on?
Their schoolmate, whom they spent every day with, was actually a deity?
The kind even 100,000-year soul beasts would worship?
Zhang Lexuan and the others who had come to join the Ice God Temple were completely stunned.
So the one they were believing in was Huo Yuhao all along?
This...
The contrast was far too drastic.
Even though Huo Yuhao had frequently displayed his saintly nature publicly, greatly training their ability to withstand shocks.
They still couldn't accept this change in identity.
Martial Soul suppression, mysterious techniques, monstrous learning ability—those still fell within the human's ability.
But now, he was no longer human; he was a deity!
A deity that even the Dragon God Douluo, Elder Mu, had painstakingly pursued but failed to reach!
"No wonder..." Zhang Lexuan murmured.
So Elder Mu was willing to become the High Priest of this Ice God Temple... it was because this Ice God Temple truly had a God!
Thump!
Thump!
It was Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, kneeling together in worship.
Long Xiangyue, a bit slower on the uptake, realized he was now a member of the Ice God Temple, making Huo Yuhao their ultimate leader.
He too knelt down and kowtowed.
Zhang Lexuan hesitated for a moment, then also knelt on one knee.
Seeing this, Jiang Nannan and Xu Sanshi followed suit, kneeling on one knee...
Only Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng remained, looking at each other.
"Should... should we worship too?" Wu Feng whispered.
"Probably not, right? We're from the Spirit Transmission Pagoda branch of the Holy Flame Sect, not part of the Ice God Temple," Ning Tian replied quietly.
Both girls looked at Xiao Xiao.
Feeling she was closer to Huo Yuhao, she might have a constructive suggestion...
Who knew Xiao Xiao's eyes were shining, staring fixedly at Huo Yuhao.
"The class monitor is so handsome!"
"But he's a deity now... getting further and further away from me..."
"Yet I like him even more!"
Ning Tian, Wu Feng: "..."
A love-struck fool is truly formidable, not even afraid of a deity.
"God!"
"It really is the Ice God!"
"Great Ice God above, the 100,000-year soul beast Emperor Crab—"
"The 100,000-year soul beast Extreme Ice Fox—"
"The 100,000-year soul beast Extreme North Musk Ox—"
"The 100,000-year soul beast Black-browed Albatross—"
"The 100,000-year soul beast Ice Horn Whale—"
"Pays loyalty to the great You!"
Five 100,000-year soul beasts appeared at once!
Together with the first to submit, the Emperor Ice Penguin, that made a total of six 100,000-year soul beasts!
Yet now they knelt uniformly before Huo Yuhao, bowing their heads in submission.
This wasn't the kind of "cooperation" like at the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, nor the teacher-student relationship of Shrek Academy, nor the superior-subordinate dynamic of an empire.
This was the faith-based relationship between believers and a deity!
Coupled with the kneeling groups of soul beasts on the scene.
The foundation Huo Yuhao now controlled was already no less than that accumulated by the White Tiger Duke's Mansion over ten thousand years—including the White Tiger Legion under his command!
And this was only the beginning.
With just a bit more accumulation, spreading the Ice God's name throughout the entire Extreme North, this force would inevitably become even more vast.
By then...
Establishing a new, fifth empire would be a mere thought for Huo Yuhao.
But!
Huo Yuhao, who had already received 600,000 Fortune Points, declared—who would establish an empire? Only a fool would!
How would he reap Fortune Points from the entire continent then?
Through conquest and annexation?
That's too exhausting.
With the two great tools of Spirit Souls and Spirit Pills, establishing an entity similar to the former Spirit Hall, radiating across the entire continent and transcending the empires...
Isn't that much better?
Once he reaped enough Fortune Points and ascended to Godhood at level 100.
The entire continent would naturally fall under his rule.
"The plan is perfect, but hold your planning for now." Zhuge Lan reminded: "Your Ice God's Second Trial is a bit troublesome. You have to proclaim your existence to the world. Have you figured out how to manage it?"
Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment.
"Brother Lan, I have three strategies—superior, middle, and inferior. Please listen."
This piqued the interest of everyone in the mental world.
"The inferior strategy is to have my teacher, in the name of the Ice God Temple, visit the major powers. The Second Trial would naturally be completed quickly."
"The middle strategy is to train Sister Lexuan to take my teacher's place in announcing our existence to the world. If there are any who disobey, then my teacher can act, kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, and intimidate the world. The effect would certainly be better."
"The superior strategy involves next year's Soul Master Grand Tournament. With Brother Sanshi, Sister Nannan, and the others, we can quickly establish a new academy. Then, make a big splash at the tournament, which can both spread our name and reap a wave of Fortune Points."
"Moreover, during the tournament, we can have Brother Sanshi and the others reveal their Spirit Souls, giving the Spirit Transmission Pagoda good publicity and seizing the opportunity to promote it across the continent."
"Brother Lan, which one do you think is suitable?"
Ho!
Zhuge Lan and Electrolux in the mental world exchanged a glance.
They both felt a sense of "our child has grown up" pride.
"Not bad ideas. This old man suggests using them all together." Electrolux optimized: "Have Zhang Lexuan lead the team, find a few examples to make an example of. If any foolhardy ones bully the young with their experience, then have Mu En come out to kill a chicken and scare the monkeys. Finally, win the championship of that Soul Master Grand Tournament."
A three-pronged approach?
Huo Yuhao secretly lamented that his own vision was still too small.
"Then why not be even bolder!"