Chapter 193
Chapter 193: Two Uncles? Huo Yuhao was astonished by their speed and realized that they were all probably at least Soul Kings. Their movements were elegant, and their figures were agile, which meant that they probably had relatively high cultivation levels. Furthermore, they hadn’t flown using formless soul power, which was essentially the trademark of a soul engineer. Wang Dong smiled and said, “Leave your questions for later. You’ll learn everything once you reach my home. Let’s go.” Once he’d finished speaking he took the lead and began scaling the steep mountain path. Huo Yuhao didn’t dare to wait, so he followed closely behind him. The moment they entered the layer of clouds, Wang Dong suddenly grabbed Huo Yuhao’s hand and said, “Let me show you where to go, it’s easy to get lost in the fog. This is one of my family’s defense mechanisms—one misstep and you’ll plummet from the mountain.” Huo Yuhao chortled and said, “You’re forgetting that I don’t really need my eyes to see where I’m going.” Wang Dong laughed alongside him and said, “You can try to use your Spiritual Detection, but even it isn’t omnipotent.” Huo Yuhao was immediately unconvinced when he heard Wang Dong’s remark. He’d just experienced another epiphany regarding his spiritual power, thus he was extremely confident in himself. He immediately released his Spiritual Detection and attempted to perceive his surroundings. His first attempt almost made him jump out of his skin. He quickly realized, to his intense shock, that his surroundings were completely empty to his Spiritual Detection—he couldn’t feel anything at all! He couldn’t even feel himself and Wang Dong; it was as if they were simply levitating in the clouds. However, they were quite obviously standing on solid ground atop the mountain! Astounded, Huo Yuhao hurriedly strengthened his Spiritual Detection and activated his Eye of Destiny. He’d never made a mistake since he’d obtained the Spiritual Detection soul skill, thus he refused to believe that his Spiritual Detection couldn’t even take on the clouds surrounding them. However, he only became more bewildered when he activated his Eye of Destiny—he still couldn’t detect a single thing! The only thing that had changed was the color of the clouds around him. The clouds turned golden when he gazed at them with his Eye of Destiny, and he felt as if he couldn’t grasp their destinies. No matter how much he attempted to extend his Spiritual Detection, he still wasn’t able to see anything. The clouds gave him a feeling of endlessness and infinity. “How can this be?” Huo Yuhao muttered, astonished. “It’s a secret. Come on, let’s go.” Wang Dong replied, dragging him forwards, to which Huo Yuhao could only stumble and follow behind him when he did so. The path wasn’t smooth, as it was made of only stone and rock, and the trail wasn’t clear at all. Huo Yuhao would really have had a problem without his Spiritual Detection if Wang Dong hadn’t been there to guide him. “Can we fly across? The clouds around your house are quite sinister.” Wang Dong chortled and said, “We could. In fact, only the clouds around the main peak have this special effect. However, a special bird-type soul beast known as the Killer in the Clouds inhabits these clouds. Many of them are ten thousand year soul beasts, and they travel in groups. As such, it’s not that easy to fly across.” Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, “I suddenly regret following you here. Can you even call this a home? It’s a lion’s den!” Wang Dong laughed. “Watch what you say. You’ll have a tough time if eldest uncle and second uncle hear that.” “Eldest uncle, second uncle?” Huo Yuhao asked in surprise, “You have two fathers?” “Pui! You’re the one with two fathers. Actually…” His voice became a little sullen, “I don’t know where my father is. Eldest uncle and second uncle are my father’s elder brothers. I’ve never seen my father or mother before. Both eldest uncle and second uncle have told me that my father and mother are out there, somewhere far away. However, when I grew up, I could guess that my parents were…” Huo Yuhao hurriedly grabbed Wang Dong’s hands when he heard the gloom in his voice. “I’m sure that uncle and auntie will be fine, Wang Dong. Don’t think like that!” “Yes.” Wang Dong answered softly. He had originally been in a jovial mood to return home, but it seemed to have been greatly affected by this. …… The path in front of them finally cleared up, and the surrounding clouds that had constantly hovered over their heads were now beneath their feet. Standing atop a sea of clouds brought about a completely new feeling, and a strange light continuously sparkled in Huo Yuhao’s eyes. Wang Dong stared at him speechlessly. Is he going to have another epiphany? Unfortunately, epiphanies didn’t appear so easily. Huo Yuhao simply gaped at the magnificent spectacle in front of him before quickly returning to normal. He then looked up, only to find himself looking at a castle. Indeed, roughly three hundred meters above his head stood a majestic castle. It was nestled atop the mountain summit’s, high above the ocean of clouds. The greyish castle felt ancient, and gave of a feeling of standing on top of the world. Huo Yuhao couldn’t fathom how a castle such as this had been constructed amongst the rolling clouds and on a peak as steep as this. Previously, he’d been awed by the Sun Moon Empire’s Radiant City’s construction. It could be said that those structures were representative of the Sun Moon Empire’s technological advancements, and that they were also a symbol of how powerful the Sun Moon Empire’s soul tools were. The tremendous castle on the mountaintop could only be described as a miracle. Soul tools had been developed to a point where they could change an entire nation, but constructing a castle such as this one on a such a steep mountain was nearly impossible. And yet, the truth lay before his very eyes, leaving Huo Yuhao no choice but to believe it. Wang Dong continued to lead them up the mountaintop. Several hundred meters wasn’t much to them, so it didn’t take long before they reached the summit and stood before the mystical castle. The mountain winds were stronger and sharper on the mountaintop, and carried a dense amount of moisture. However, no matter how powerful the winds were, the castle stood proudly atop the summit with ease. The castle’s gate was shaped like an arch, and had three words embedded on it: Clear Sky Castle. Huo Yuhao didn’t know why, but he felt a sense of familiarity when he saw this name. “After you.” Wang Dong gestured towards Huo Yuhao. A proud grin appeared on his face as he observed the astonished look on Huo Yuhao’s face. Huo Yuhao laughed and said, “Even though I don’t want to admit this, I have to admit that I’m quite stupefied. My man—you’ve given me such a pleasant surprise!” Wang Dong replied, “You’re the first person that I’ve taken home. We don’t usually have guests around here.” Huo Yuhao snickered and said, “I’m pretty sure that your house doesn’t have guests because of the frightening ocean of clouds surrounding it.” “Who says that we don’t have guests?!” At that moment, a clear and deep voice resounded from within the castle. Huo Yuhao was taken aback as a tall figure emerged from the castle. The arriving figure was an extremely muscular and well-built middle-aged man. He had a head full of short, prickly hair that resembled steel needles, and a very grand appearance. He had tough, chiseled facial features, while his eyes were brownish-yellow and flickered faintly with golden light. His long grey robe couldn’t mask his bulging muscles. When Huo Yuhao saw him, he could instantly feel a formidable and intimidating pressure from him. The middle-aged man’s eyes were fixated on Huo Yuhao from the moment he appeared. The pressure that came from this man wasn’t just from his aura; it was also accompanied by a frightening spiritual pressure. Huo Yuhao felt as if this immense power was about to trample all over him, and tidal waves appeared inside of his spiritual sea. Skydream and the Ice Empress had been in a deep sleep inside of his spiritual sea, but they were immediately jolted awake. They were both clueless and terrified, but the strength of Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was displayed at this moment. His eyes turned golden from the shock, and his body began to emanate a blurry golden layer of mist that enveloped him within—it was as if he’d become a man made from gold in the blink of an eye. What was even more peculiar was that one could faintly see rippling brown streaks of air rushing against him, akin to the raging tide slamming into the shore. However, the golden radiance around Huo Yuhao’s body made him as stable as a boulder. Even though his body was quivering faintly, ultimately, he was able to resist the pressure. The pressure didn’t last very long, and was over after two to three seconds. However, two to three seconds was enough for Huo Yuhao to break out into a cold sweat. He was acutely aware that he wouldn’t be able to resist that level of intense pressure for even a minute with his current level of spiritual power. What kind of power could produce such tremendous spiritual pressure? Huo Yuhao felt petrified as he stared at the middle-aged man before him, and a look of respect appeared on his face. Wang Dong glared angrily at the middle-aged man and said, “What are you doing, second uncle? We’ve only just returned, yet you’re already bullying my friend!” The middle-aged man chuckled and said, “It’s his fault for saying that our family doesn’t have any guests. Little fella, it’s not because our place doesn’t receive guests, it’s because there aren’t many people worthy of entering Clear Sky Castle. Hmm… with your level of spiritual power at your age, you are indeed worthy. Back in the day… Ahem, when I had your level of spiritual power, I was already… Alright, enough talk. Come in.” Huo Yuhao respectfully said, “Greetings, uncle.” He could tell from the middle-aged man’s voice that he wasn’t nearly as young as he looked. Wang Dong said, “This is my second uncle. You can address him as such.” The middle-aged man shot Huo Yuhao a look and said, “It might be too early for you to call me second uncle, little fella. My surname is Tai, and you can address me as uncle.” (TL: This section may sound a little strange because English isn’t as nuanced as Chinese in terms of nicknames and addressing family members. This translation is in order to remain faithful to the original text.) Wang Dong stared at the middle-aged man indignantly, but his second uncle didn’t pay any heed to him as he went back inside the castle. Huo Yuhao didn’t feel any hostility at all from this ‘Uncle Tai.’ However, he could feel the man’s great arrogance, and that ‘Uncle Tai’ hadn’t completely accepted him yet.
“It’s alright, Wang Dong. Let’s listen to him.”
Wang Dong murmured unhappily, “They just don’t trust me. Hmph!”
Huo Yuhao chuckled and said, “It’s alright as long as you treat me like a brother. I’m sure I will be nice to your family. Take me around the castle, and then we’ll find a place to stay.”
“Alright.” Wang Dong took Huo Yuhao into the castle.
There weren’t many extravagant decorations or ornaments inside the castle. Everything was mainly black or grey in color, with occasional traces of green. There were two flights of stairs on each side, and leading to higher levels. The castle’s structure wasn’t complicated, having only three levels, but every level covered a great deal of space.
Wang Dong introduced things to Huo Yuhao. “The people from my sect reside in the Clear Sky Castle. The second level is for hosting guests, and is also where the sect’s elders stay. Eldest uncle, second uncle, and me stay on the third level. Oh yes, my sister also stays on the third level.”
“Sect? Clear Sky Castle? Clear Sky Sect!” Huo Yuhao shuddered. He finally understood why the name felt so familiar. Yes! Clear Sky – doesn’t that mean it’s the Clear Sky Sect?
He had seen the Clear Sky Sect’s information in detail before in the Sea God’s Pavilion’s archives. In Shrek Academy’s collection of information regarding sects, the Clear Sky Sect was ranked at the forefront, along with the Body Sect. It was clear that they were a powerful sect.
According to the archives’ introduction, the Clear Sky Sect had been around even before Shrek Academy. It was an ancient sect that had existed for at least ten thousand years, with a history even longer than the Body Sect. Ten thousand years ago, the Clear Sky Sect was touted as the number-one tool soul sect, and even the reputable Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was inferior to them. Huo Yuhao had never even imagined that his best buddy was from the Clear Sky Sect. Since that was the case, Wang Dong’s second martial soul must be the Clear Sky Sect’s principal martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer!
According to the records, the leader of Shrek Academy’s first generation of Shrek’s Seven Monsters, who was also the Tang Sect’s founder, Tang San, came from the Clear Sky Sect. His father was known as the Clearsky Douluo, and was extremely powerful! Tang San also had twin martial souls, and one of them… was the Clear Sky Hammer!
However, Shrek Academy’s archives also recorded that the Clear Sky Sect had gradually disappeared about a thousand years ago. It was said that people from the sect were no longer seen on the Continent, and were thought to be gradually approaching extinction. However, not only was the Clear Sky Sect still around, but they also possessed this miraculous castle deep in the clouds.
Wang Dong looked him, amused, and said, “You only guessed that now? You’re slow enough.”
Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, “You’ve never given me any hints at all, so how could I have guessed that? You’re from such a powerful sect that’s been around for a long time – I feel very pressured! We -”
Wang Dong interrupted him unhappily and said, “Why are you like all the rest? Are statuses and whatnot that important to us?”
Huo Yuhao chortled and said, “It’s alright that I’m just a pathetic loser. If you don’t think that’s important, then it’s not important.”
Wang Dong giggled and said, “Pathetic loser doesn’t sound nice at all. You should stop using those two words in the future. Let’s go, you’re staying on the second floor.”
Huo Yuhao chuckled and replied, “Alright, I’ll stop saying it.”
—
People clad in grey cloaks occasionally walked past them as they walked through the castle. Huo Yuhao could tell from their auras and their soul power fluctuations that the grey-cloaked individuals that he had encountered earlier were at the lowest level. Several grey-cloaked individuals possessed power that was unimaginably great; they were at least Soul Sages. The Clear Sky Sect truly has many hidden greats and mighty beings! However, how can they live in such a steep and perilous mountain range? Huo Yuhao had been full of questions ever since he had entered Clear Sky Castle.
Wang Dong took Huo Yuhao to the second level, and arranged a room for him.
The room couldn’t be considered big or spacious. The bed frame, tables, chairs, and even the wardrobes were made of stone. The furniture was extremely simple.
“It’s like that around here, conditions are a little simple and modest. I hope you don’t mind!” Wang Dong said apologetically.
Huo Yuhao laughed and said, “You don’t have to get all polite with me. It’s an honor to stay in the Clear Sky Sect, a place hidden deep in the clouds. You should go meet your family since you’ve just returned. You don’t have to worry about me, I want to rest for a bit.”
“Alright. I’ll send you a bedsheet and a blanket in a while,” Wang Dong said as he turned and left.
Huo Yuhao started to inspect his room once Wang Dong left. The room was about twenty square meters, and had its own bathroom, with a water basin filled with clear water. Huo Yuhao reached out to scoop out some water to wash his face, but he got a shock when placed his hands in the water.
The water was freezing. Even with his Ultimate Ice, he still shivered from the cold, and a lot of the water spilled out of his hands.
It’s so cold! What kind of water is this? Huo Yuhao hesitated, but splashed the clear water on his face anyway. A clean coldness that seemed to reach into his bones instantly coursed through his entire body, and his entire being was energized and invigorated. He shivered from the cold once more, and felt as if the fatigue and exhaustion in his body were being washed away; it just felt unbelievably comfortable. The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion was also excited by this splash of cold water, and her enormous tattoo soon shimmered on his back. Huo Yuhao was astonished at what was happening – his golden-red soul ring rose from his feet and immediately reflected off the walls as it caused the entire room to turn golden.
——
On the Clear Sky Castle’s third level…
Wang Dong pouted as he stepped into a large room with a look of displeasure. His second uncle was sitting in the room, while another middle-aged man sat in the main seat.
The middle-aged man in the main seat had a head full of long green hair that was draped over his broad shoulders. His eyes were green as well, and though seemingly simple, they carried a special, indescribable quality when he blinked from time to time. It felt as if he had trouble suppressing the immense power contained in his body.
He was clad in a white warrior robe that covered his tall and sturdy frame. He was currently conversing with the other middle-aged man, who had short black hair that resembled steel needles.
“What’s going on, eldest uncle, second uncle? He’s a guest from a faraway land. What was that, second uncle? What if you’ve scared him?” Wang Dong began speaking furiously as soon as he walked into the room.
The short-haired man laughed heartily and said, “Xiao Dong’er, you haven’t been home for so long, yet you’re already throwing your temper around at eldest uncle and me, that’s not right. As for your friend, if he couldn’t even pass my test, he wouldn’t have been worthy to enter Clear Sky Castle. He does have some standards, but he’s still far from our Xiao Dong.”
Wang Dong immediately disputed his words unhappily. “What? You guys don’t understand him at all. Huo Yuhao is very outstanding – he also has twin martial souls, and his second martial soul is one of Ultimate Ice. I thought I said this before when I came back the last time? Are you guys still doubting my choice?”
The man in white on the main seat smiled faintly. He lowered his voice and said, “Don’t fool around, Xiao Dong. It’s not that we don’t trust your choice. We still have to look out for you, right? Besides, your second uncle didn’t overdo it, no?”
Suddenly, both of their faces changed, and surprise flowed from their eyes as they glanced at each other. The man in white asked Wang Dong, “What room did you arrange for your friend to stay in?”
Wang Dong said, “The Icejade Chamber! I said before that he has an Ultimate Ice martial soul – that place will be beneficial for his cultivation.”
The short-haired man’s eyes sparkled. He squinted faintly and contemplated for a moment before he said, “How much do you know about this friend of yours, Xiao Dong? How much do you know of his identity?”
Wang Dong replied, “I told you everything I know last time. You interrogated me as if you wanted to know his ancestors eight generations before him. What else can I keep from you?”
The short-haired man said, “Your friend is very sophisticated. Do you know that he has a hundred-thousand year soul ring? Furthermore, it’s not just any hundred thousand year soul ring. If I’m not wrong, that soul probably had about four-hundred thousand years of cultivation. Can a Soul Ancestor that’s a little over Rank 40 possess a soul ring like that? This is the first time I’ve come across something as peculiar as this.”
“Four-hundred thousand years?” It was Wang Dong’s turn to be surprised. “That’s not possible. I know Huo Yuhao harbors certain secrets, and he can probably guess that I have some of my own. We have a tacit understanding, and we don’t normally interrogate each other about them. But how can he have a four-hundred thousand year soul ring? Are you sure you’re correct, second uncle?”
The man in white said, “Even if your second uncle is wrong, can it be that I’m also wrong? It is four-hundred thousand years. Perhaps he was stimulated by the coldness of the Icejade Chamber, so he released his martial soul. This martial soul may only have one ring, but that ring does indeed have four-hundred thousand years of cultivation.”
“He’s only a youth that’s not even twenty years of age, and he’s barely above Rank 40. There is only one explanation for how he can possess a four-hundred thousand year soul ring, and that is a four-hundred thousand year soul beast was sacrificed. Furthermore, the soul beast would have to suppress its own soul power and form a seal within his body, so that he could fuse itself with him. You really do know how to choose!”
Wang Dong’s eyes were full of doubt and surprise. “But, eldest uncle and second uncle, I am very sure that Yuhao is true and sincere to me. He has never known my identity, and he knows nothing even at this point. He will do nothing to harm me, so what if he has a four-hundred thousand year soul ring? I…”
The man in white waved his hand and interrupted him. “You have to listen, Xiao Dong. Your parents made us responsible for taking care of you, so we must be responsible. We can’t let you be with such a mysterious person – at least, we have to be sure of his abilities. Alright, you don’t have to bother yourself with this anymore. I will handle it with your second uncle. Your cultivation has reached a bottleneck, so second uncle will escort you to the Ascension Chamber to find a suitable soul ring later.”
Wang Dong didn’t seem like he was afraid of his second uncle at all. However, he was much more respectful towards his eldest uncle. He said urgently, “You can’t hurt him, eldest uncle, second uncle! Yuhao doesn’t have any ulterior motives with me. You can test him, but you absolutely cannot hurt him. Otherwise, I will refuse to continue living!”
Wang Dong displayed acute determination and strength when he uttered that last sentence.
The man in white, “eldest uncle”, said plainly, “I will handle things with your second uncle. We really won’t do anything to him—even if we discover that he does have ulterior motives, we’ll probably just teach him a lesson and throw him out. You’ve just returned from a long trip, go and get some rest. I will discuss how to test that little fella with your second uncle. He’ll have to pass our assessments if he wants to be with our little Dong’er—if he doesn’t, it’s impossible, and your relationship is not worth mentioning.”
His eyes flickered with azure light, and his tone was equally determined. However, the pressure emanating from his body rendered Wang Dong speechless, and all he could do was leave with a look of dissatisfaction.
The short-haired man watched Wang Dong leave, and when he was gone he turned towards the man in white. “Big brother, it seems like Xiao Dong really has something for the guy. But this fella’s identity is unknown, and he possesses such special powers—we should just throw him off Clear Sky Peak. His looks are so average, how can be a match for Xiao Dong?”
The man in white glared at him and said, “How old are you? How can you still be so reckless? Can’t you tell that Xiao Dong really does truly like him? It doesn’t really matter what abilities he has—his personality and thoughts are more important. Can a normal person be a match for Xiao Dong?”
The short-haired man seemed afraid of his big brother, and said hurriedly, “What should we do then, big brother? I’ve tested his abilities—his cultivation isn’t high, but his foundations are solid. His cultivation feels continuous, nigh endless even. Furthermore, he cultivates the Mysterious Heaven Technique, and I can’t detect any other techniques on him. However, what surprises me the most is his spiritual power. I wanted to teach him a lesson with a show of strength, but this guy was actually able to fuse his spiritual power with his soul power to resist my pressure, and eventually succeeded in doing so. The level of his spiritual power is quite impressive.”
The man in white nodded and said, “Our assessments will have to focus more on his nature and personality, not just on his abilities. We’ll have to discuss this carefully.”
…
Huo Yuhao had no idea that unwittingly releasing his Ice Empress Jade Scorpion would bring so much trouble. He washed his face, and walked over to the room’s only window, casting his gaze outwards.
The window frame was shaped in an arch, and there was a layer of crystal-like glass covering it. The rolling clouds outside that fell into his eyes made him feel like he was in a saintly paradise. Their beauty stunned and dazzled him. He thought about when he released his spiritual power to resist the pressure from that “second uncle” earlier, and Huo Yuhao felt his spiritual improvements.
He leapt onto the stone bed and sat down with his legs crossed. He would have to consolidate his gains today with meditation, so that he could securely remember these improvements.
He’d only just sat down when the Ice Empress’ voice rang out in his mind. “Yuhao.”
“Eh? What’s wrong, Ice Empress?” Huo Yuhao asked in surprise.
The Ice Empress muttered solemnly, “That person is very powerful and extremely frightening.”
Huo Yuhao replied, “Are you referring to Wang Dong’s second uncle?”
“Yes,” the Ice Empress continued, “His aura frightens me, and even Skydream. I am sure that his martial soul isn’t a spiritual-type one, but his spiritual power has reached a level of consolidation and coalescence—higher than yours. That’s not all, I couldn’t feel his cultivation in the slightest, which means that he’s probably stronger than I was at my peak. He is at least as strong as that Elder Xuan from Shrek Academy.”
“Ah?” Huo Yuhao was taken aback. He could tell that the short-haired man was extremely powerful, but had never expected that even the Ice Empress would hold him in such high regard.
The Skydream Iceworm chimed in. “Ice Empress is right. That person is mighty indeed—even though his spiritual power isn’t as vast as my former spiritual powers, his level of coalescence and consolidation is superior. I could also sense that his spiritual power contained intense brutality, a tinge of invasiveness and hostility. It also had an aura as if it were high above everything. If he were a soul beast, he would definitely be ranked amongst the Ten Great Savage Beasts, and probably amongst the top five. However, he’s definitely a human, not a soul beast. Of all the humans that I’ve seen, only Elder Mu’s spiritual power was superior to his. And this person’s soul power seems far more terrifying than his spiritual power.”
Huo Yuhao said, “The Clear Sky Sect has more than ten thousand years of history. Ten thousand years isn’t much for soul beasts, but ten thousand years is extremely long to humans. Wouldn’t you say it’s normal for the Clear Sky Sect to have such substance? After all, the Clear Sky Sect used to be as reputable as the Body Sect, and was perhaps even more famed at some points. The fact that Wang Dong’s family is mighty is not a bad thing—so why do I feel like you guys are worried about me?”
The Ice Empress said, “I’m not worried—I just feel that he is extremely dangerous. With power like that, he can probably discover my existence if he tried. I felt that Elder Mu could probably sense my existence, except he didn’t mention it to you. Perhaps he didn’t do so because he guessed my intentions, but Skydream’s spiritual power was stronger, so he remained undetected.”
“He can detect your presence?” Huo Yuhao was astonished when he heard her words. The Skydream Iceworm, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, Elder Yi, and even the Snow Lady were his biggest secrets, and they were secrets that people simply couldn’t know. He instantly started to feel nervous.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao suddenly felt cold, and even the soul power circulating through his body slowed down, almost as if there were some resistance.
“Eh? Why do I feel cold?” Ever since he had fused with Ice Empress, he no longer knew what it felt like to be cold. But this was already the second time today that he’d felt chilly.
The Ice Empress said, “Wang Dong is truly nice to you. The water that you just used to wash your face is a kind of spring water, and if I’m not wrong, it should be a Frozen Spring. Something that’s born from absorbing the cold between heaven and earth, so even though it’s water, its coldness can rival the Manifold Mysterious Ice in the core regions of the Extreme North. However, it contains much more energy of heaven and earth—you must have felt invigorated when you washed your face just now. However, this isn’t a luxury that anyone can have—if someone else had been in your shoes, he or she would’ve been frozen solid from a single touch. The stone bed beneath you is even more impressive. It should be made from the jade essence of a piece of Frigid Jade, and that is rarely seen even in the core regions of the Extreme North. This is the first time that I’ve seen a piece as large as this.”
The Skydream Iceworm said, “I’ve seen jade essence like this before, during my first hibernation and my first transmutation. However, that piece of jade essence cracked, and the liquid within flowed onto my body, so I entered my first hibernation. The fact that I have lived for so many years is strongly related to that ten-thousand year jade essence. You should guide these icy energies into your body and merge them with your soul power. Cultivating while sitting on something like this will probably resolve the Ultimate Ice martial soul’s speed problems most effectively.”
Huo Yuhao said, “Then your worries…”
“There’s nothing much to be worried about.” Electrolux’s elderly voice could be heard. “That person harbors no hostility at all against Yuhao. I could feel his aura of justice and righteousness. The most he will do is chase you away because of the number of secrets that you have. My guess is that he will continue testing you, and all you have to do is face them properly. The only thing you can’t reveal is what I’ve taught you, Necromancy—everything else is usable. That person’s spiritual level is higher than the bug’s estimation, and is very unique.”
“High to what kind of level?” The Skydream Iceworm asked curiously.
However, Electrolux didn’t respond, it was as if he’d returned to his deep slumber.
Huo Yuhao was no longer able to communicate with the two soul beasts at this moment, because the chills coming from beneath him were increasing in intensity. He needed to focus everything he had on circulating his soul power to resist the cold.
The chill didn’t rush into him all at once. Instead, it diffused into his body gradually. Huo Yuhao didn’t feel much of anything at the start because of his Ultimate Ice martial soul, but this cold was different from his own.
Ultimate Ice was the most powerful ice-type existence, but the cold diffusing into his body was like the pure and pristine origin energy of heaven and earth, which belonged to no one. It wasn’t invasive, but it was fundamentally different from the Ultimate Ice’s nature.
Simply put, Huo Yuhao’s Ice Jade Empress Scorpion was like a weapon, but the chill from this bed made of Frigid Jade essence was more akin to a delicacy made from the origin energy of heaven and earth—except this delicious food’s temperature was a little on the low side, to the point where Huo Yuhao had to channel every ounce of his strength to fuse his soul power with this extremely cold and pure energy, and eventually guide it to fuse with his own martial soul.
The Ice Empress’ voice rang out again in Huo Yuhao’s mind. “It doesn’t matter whether that person is a threat to you or not. This opportunity is too great for you to let it slip by—with this bed made of Frigid Jade essence, no ice-type force would rebel, and it can calm the fires in your heart. You will never run the risk of going mad. If I had this manifold Frigid Jade essence back then, breaking through the bottleneck to four hundred thousand years wouldn’t have been a problem. Pay attention, Yuhao. I’m going to open a seal, and release some of the power that I have suppressed in your body. I will use the cold of this bed and its mystical properties to interact with you. Use your soul power to protect your meridians.”