The alchemical fire had cooled, but a new, more potent fire now burned within Huo Yuhao. The breakthrough to Soul Rank 20 was more than a numerical advancement; it was a chasm crossed, a new plateau of power reached. For several days after consuming the last of the pills, he did nothing but consolidate, his small form a statue of focus at the edge of the Lake of Life.
He practiced the Spiritual Compression his teacher had taught him, feeling his newly strengthened Soul Power, now that of a Soul Grandmaster, resisting his will with even greater force. But his spirit, nourished by the pills and his own diligent cultivation, was stronger too. The battle of wills was still strenuous, but he could now maintain the pressurized, needle-thin stream of azure energy for minutes at a time.
His physique, once a frail and pathetic thing, had been reborn. The Mystic Water Pills had scoured away years of ingrained weakness, and the constant nourishment of the forest had rebuilt him from the inside out. He was still lean, but there was a wiry, resilient strength to his limbs, a healthy, vibrant glow to his skin that spoke of deep vitality. He felt ready. The promise he had made to his first and most loyal companion, the path laid out by the book of fate, was now within his grasp.
After a long, silent communion with the excited voice of Brother Skydream in his mind, the decision solidified from a distant goal into an immediate, unwavering objective. The time had come.
He did not shout his intentions to the wind. He did not simply run off. The past months had taught him the value of his new family, of their wisdom and their strength. He formally requested an audience.
The Ferocious Beasts gathered in their customary clearing, a council of kings and queens in their powerful human forms. Di Tian stood with his regal, hands-off authority, his golden eyes holding a flicker of curiosity. Bi Ji's gentle face was alight with a maternal pride in his recent breakthrough.
Xiong Jun, Chi Yan, and the others like Zi Ji watched, their expressions ranging from gruff interest to silent analysis. They were all there, even the quiet and ancient Uncle Yao Ling, who had emerged from his grove for the occasion.
Huo Yuhao stood before them, not as a child seeking permission, but as a partner proposing a vital expedition. The air of a forgemaster and alchemist clung to him, but today, it was overshadowed by a new, serious gravity.
He bowed respectfully. "Lord Di Tian. Aunt Bi Ji. Uncles."
He paused, meeting their powerful gazes without flinching.
"I have consolidated my new rank," he announced, his voice clear and steady. "Now, to grow stronger, I must take the next step. My second Soul Ring cannot be acquired here. For that… I must travel to the Extreme North."
The words dropped into the tranquil clearing like stones into a placid lake, sending ripples of shock and concern through the assembled titans.
Bi Ji's hand flew to her mouth, her face etched with a sudden, motherly worry. "The Extreme North? Yuhao, child, that is one of the most dangerous places on the continent! The air itself is a weapon. The cold can freeze the very soul of a Titled Douluo, let alone a boy who has just reached the level of a Grandmaster."
Xiong Jun let out a disapproving grunt that sounded like rocks grinding together. "Are you crazy, brat? What could possibly be in that frozen wasteland that you can't find here? This is the Star Dou Great Forest! We have every kind of beast you could ever want. Spiritual-type beasts are rare, but not impossible to find!"
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, the excited voice of Skydream prompting him in his mind. He began to explain, patiently and clearly, laying out the full, staggering scope of his ambition.
"My second Martial Soul," he began, and even that simple phrase made some of them raise their eyebrows, "was a gift from Brother Skydream's million-year origin. It is not a beast or a tool. It is a formless attribute: Ultimate Ice."
The beasts remained silent, their expressions unreadable. A twin spirit was rare, but not unheard of in their long lives. An ultimate attribute, however, was a matter of great significance.
"To give this attribute form," Huo Yuhao continued, his voice steady, "to make it a true, top-tier Beast Martial Soul, its very first Soul Spirit must be impossibly powerful and perfectly compatible. It must be a creature of Ultimate Ice itself. There is only one viable candidate on the entire continent."
He looked them each in the eye. "She is one of the three great rulers of the North. The 400,000-year-old Ice Jade Empress Scorpion."
He revealed the final, crucial piece of his plan, the leverage that turned an impossible dream into a calculated gambit. "Brother Skydream knows her. And he knows her time is running out. She is approaching her great tribulation, the 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation. It is a trial she has no hope of surviving on her own. We are not going there to conquer her. We are going to offer her a deal: a second life as my Soul Spirit, or utter annihilation under the heavens. It is a choice between continued existence and certain death."
The clearing fell into a profound silence as the Ferocious Beasts processed the sheer audacity of the plan. A twin spirit of an Ultimate attribute, bonded to a 400,000-year-old empress of the North… The potential was staggering, a path to a level of power that had rarely been seen in the world.
Di Tian's regal calm was finally broken. He closed his eyes for a long moment, his mind, a repository of ancient knowledge, analyzing every facet of the proposal.
'A twin spirit,' he thought, a flicker of awe piercing his monarchal composure. 'And one of an Ultimate attribute. That great, cowardly bug actually bestowed a heaven-sent fortune upon the boy. If he succeeds, his future potential will be truly limitless. He could become a force that could shift the very balance of this world… But the risk… The North is not our domain. It is the land of the Snow Empress. And the Snow Empress is no trivial matter.'
Xiong Jun, whose mind always gravitated towards the most direct and violent solution, was the first to break the silence.
"…Is that so?" he rumbled, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face. "Then that is good. Excellent, even. So what if she's a ruler? So what if she's an old scorpion? She's facing her doom. The choice is easy. We go there, I'll punch her a few times until she sees reason, and she'll happily become your little ice-bug spirit. Simple."
Chi Yan, the Scarlet King, slammed a fist into his palm, a jet of flame erupting from the impact. "He's right. My flames are the perfect counter to her ice. Between the two of us, we can subdue her easily. She won't have a choice."
Even the gentle Uncle Yao Ling offered his support. "Even in the frozen north, plants find a way to grow," he mused, his voice a soft rustle. "I could bind her with Tenacious Ice Vines, giving you time to persuade her without a need for violence."
Di Tian's eyes snapped open, his golden gaze silencing their brutish proposals with a single, sharp glare.
"Your thinking is too simple," he stated, his voice calm but firm, a king rebuking his overeager generals. "You see the target, but you are blind to the true nature of the battlefield. The Ice Empress is not the primary threat. She is not alone."
He let his words sink in, commanding their full attention. "Her power in the North is second only to one other. She is not just a ruler; she is a friend and sworn sister to the true sovereign of that land: the Snow Empress."
The name fell with the weight of an epoch. Even the belligerent Xiong Jun shifted uncomfortably.
"If we march into the Extreme North and openly attack the Ice Empress," Di Tian continued, his voice a low, serious rumble, "the Snow Empress will undoubtedly intervene. Here, in my forest, I am supreme. My power is absolute. But in the heart of the Extreme North, a domain bathed in the very essence of Ultimate Snow and Ultimate Ice, the Snow Empress's power is amplified to a level that even I cannot confidently face without consequence. I would win, of course, but a direct, protracted conflict with a being of her level, on her home ground, is troublesome. It would weaken us both, and give the prying eyes of the humans an opportunity to take advantage of our strife."
As the other beasts fell silent, the weight of Di Tian's wisdom settling upon them, a clear, confident voice cut through the tension.
A flash of gold streaked forward. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the Emperor Auspicious Beast, stood before them, her form shimmering with the light of destiny.
"Then I will go with him."
Her declaration was not a suggestion; it was a statement of fact. She looked at the other, older beasts, her youthful confidence absolute. "My presence is the blessing of our race's collective fortune. No Soul Beast, not even the proud and ancient rulers of the North, would dare to actively harm me. To attack the bearer of their own destiny would be to invite a calamity upon themselves. The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress may be powerful, but they would not risk such a catastrophic act. With me by his side, they will be forced to listen."
Di Tian looked at the young Emperor Beast, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Your logic is sound against beasts, Emperor Beast. Your protection is indeed absolute in that regard."
He paused, his gaze turning serious. "But you have overlooked the most dangerous predator of all. How do you propose to reach the Extreme North? You must cross the breadth of human civilization. Your journey will take you through their empires, past their cities, near their sects. Your aura, even suppressed, is a beacon of unparalleled fortune. If a powerful human Titled Douluo, a hungry sect leader were to discover the Emperor Auspicious Beast traveling openly… they would not hesitate. They would see you as the ultimate prize, a walking path to godhood. The risk from humans, little one, is far, far too great."
The obstacle seemed insurmountable. Her divine protection was useless against the greed of humanity. The other beasts nodded in grim agreement. The plan was dead.
But the Auspicious Beast did not falter. She did not back down. She drew herself up to her full, graceful height, her three golden eyes blazing with a fierce, stubborn, and indomitable light. She looked not at Di Tian, but at the faces of all her comrades, her family.
"Then I will not travel as a beast."
The declaration was a thunderclap in the quiet clearing.
"I have made my decision," she said, her voice ringing with an unstoppable will. "I will use my one-time transformation. I will become human."
"NEVER!" Xiong Jun's roar was a physical force, shaking the leaves from the trees. He took a threatening step forward, his face contorted with rage. "YOU ARE THE HOPE OF OUR RACE! YOU WOULD FORSAKE YOUR TRUE FORM, YOUR BIRTHRIGHT, TO WALK AMONG THE VERMIN?!"
"It is a betrayal of your bloodline!" Chi Yan snarled, his hair flaring like a miniature sun. "Unthinkable!"
Bi Ji rushed forward, her face pale with worry. "Child, please, reconsider!" she pleaded, her voice trembling. "Do you understand what that means? It is permanent. For you, there is no going back to this form. Ever."
The Auspicious Beast stood firm against their storm of fury and fear, a small, golden island of absolute resolve.
"My mind is made up," she said calmly, her voice cutting through their emotional outbursts. She met Xiong Jun's furious gaze without flinching. "As a human, my aura of destiny will be completely hidden, veiled by my human body. No human, no matter how powerful, will be able to detect my true nature. In this form, I can protect Yuhao more effectively, especially when we are in their cities."
She then turned to Huo Yuhao. "And besides, that big bug's silver tongue might not be enough to persuade a proud empress on the verge of death. My presence, even in human form, will carry the subtle weight in case she cannot ignore. I can help convince her when she hesitates."
Skydream Iceworm's spiritual form shot out from Huo Yuhao's forehead, buzzing with indignation. "Hey! Who has a silver tongue?! And what do you mean might not be enough?! Bingbing and I go way back! I'll have her wrapped around my little finger… er, beautiful body!"
The Auspicious Beast just snorted, a very un-ladylike sound. "She would more likely devour you for your million-year origin energy before you could finish your first sentence, you foolish worm."
Skydream deflated, muttering about a lack of respect, and zipped back into Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea.
She then addressed them all, her voice softening slightly, but losing none of its conviction. "I also… wish to see the human world he came from. To understand it. And you know my transformation is different from yours. I will not start as a weakling. I will retain a great deal of my power, enough to match a human Soul Emperor from the very start. As a human, my cultivation speed will increase dramatically. I will be able to comprehend the laws of the world faster, and in turn, bless our kind with my destiny more profoundly and more widely than I ever could by simply sitting in this forest. This is not an abandonment," she finished, her gaze sweeping over them all. "It is an evolution. For me, and for us."
Her logic was flawless. Her will, as tangible and unshakeable as a mountain, had silenced their fury, leaving only a deep, sorrowful reluctance. They could not stop her. Her will was destiny itself.
Di Tian let out a long, heavy sigh, the sound of a king conceding defeat. "Her will is set. Arguing is pointless…" He looked at the small golden beast, then at the determined human boy beside her. "If you are to do this… this foolish, reckless, incredibly brave thing… then you will not go unprotected."
He raised a hand. The air shimmered, and two scales, each the size of a man's palm, materialized from his body. They were not the normal black of his dragon form, but a deep, dark gold, pulsing with an ancient and terrifying power.
They were his Reverse Scales, the single most potent part of a true dragon, shed only during a life-or-death tribulation.
"I will give one to each of you," Di Tian declared, his voice a solemn vow. "These are intrinsically linked to my soul. Should you face a threat you cannot handle, a true life-or-death crisis where escape is impossible, infuse your soul power into the scale. I will tear open the fabric of space itself and appear at your side, no matter where you are on this continent."
It was the ultimate promise of protection, an absolute guarantee of their lives from the strongest being in the world.
Seeing their king's decision, the other beasts reluctantly, sorrowfully, accepted the inevitable. The tense debate transformed into a solemn, heartfelt farewell ceremony.
Bi Ji stepped forward, a tear glistening in her emerald eye. She plucked a single, long strand of her vibrant green hair. It glowed with a life force so pure it was almost painful to look at.
"This contains my essence," she whispered, handing it to Huo Yuhao. "If either of you are on the very brink of death, a wound beyond normal healing, place this on it. It will grant you one chance at recovery, one final burst of life."
Xiong Jun lumbered forward next, his anger replaced by a gruff, paternal concern. He presented a single, massive claw, dark-gold and wickedly sharp. It was not his own, but an heirloom from a fallen brethren.
"This holds a sliver of my Darkgold Terrorclaw essence," he grunted. "Channel your soul power into it. It will unleash a single attack with the power to kill a newly advanced Super Douluo. Don't waste it."
Chi Yan pulled several coarse, red strands of fur from a pouch at his waist. "Weave these into your clothes," he ordered. "My fire essence will grant you an unparalleled resistance to the extreme cold of the North. It will keep your blood from freezing."
Uncle Yao Ling approached, his bark-like hand extending. He opened his palm, and a small, living branch, no bigger than a finger, rested there.
"Carry this," he said, his voice a soft whisper. "The plant Soul Beasts of the North will see you as a friend, not a foe. You can use it to hide your aura amongst any dense vegetation, and it will guide you to the few plants that can sustain you in that frozen land."
Finally, Zi Ji, the silent and deadly Abyssal Demon Dragon, drifted forward. She materialized one of her own reverse scales, a sliver of polished, purple-black obsidian that seemed to drink the light.
"Infuse this with your soul power," she stated, her voice a silken whisper. "It will unleash my Abyssal Dragon's Binding. It can entrap even a Super Douluo for several breaths. Use that time to escape."
Huo Yuhao was overwhelmed. He accepted each gift with a deep, profound bow, his heart aching with a gratitude that words could never express. He understood the immense trust, the incredible value, the sheer love packed into each of these parting gifts.
They were not just items; they were the protective arms of his family wrapping around him as he prepared to step out into the dangerous world.
The Auspicious Beast, in contrast, accepted the gifts with the quiet grace of a princess receiving her due tribute. Her mind was not on the dangers, but on the adventure. A brilliant, excited light shone in her three golden eyes. The human world, the Extreme North, the grand quest… it was all finally beginning.
She looked at her family, then at Huo Yuhao, and made her final declaration.
"I will need a few days to prepare my spirit," she said, her voice buzzing with anticipation. "To gather my essence for the transformation. Soon, we will depart."