Under the guidance of a maid, Huo Yuhao traversed through most of the Holy Spirit Sect's palace complex before finally arriving near its core area.
The Death God's Envoy had been residing at the outskirts of the sect's headquarters, which was why the journey took so long just to reach this central zone.
The maid led Huo Yuhao toward a palace, but there were no records of this place in the Death God's Envoy's memory. He had no idea what its purpose was, though he assumed the sect master might be inside.
This could either be the sect's grand hall or the sect master's personal palace. Either way, it was a place far beyond the reach of someone like the Death God's Envoy.
Neither Huo Yuhao nor the maid spoke along the way. The maid didn't feel like wasting words on the Envoy, while Huo Yuhao was busy pondering why the sect master would summon him.
He hadn't expected the first person to reach out to the Death God's Envoy after returning to the Holy Spirit Sect would be the sect master—someone who had nothing to do with him. Even if Tang Ya or Bei Bei had come in person, Huo Yuhao wouldn't have been too surprised.
"Death God's Envoy, go in."
They arrived before the palace gates, and the maid stopped, speaking coldly, as if letting the Death God's Envoy enter the palace was a tremendous honor.
Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes inwardly.
It's not even your palace. What are you so proud of?
Then again, considering the Envoy's apparent identity, it would be stranger if she treated him with respect.
According to the Holy Spirit Sect's records, the Death God's Envoy was at most a Soul Sage or Soul Emperor, not someone with a rare martial spirit. He had only been fortunate enough to receive a small reward from the Chief Consecrator.
No potential, no strength, no background—why would anyone respect him? People like that were at the bottom of the pecking order even at Shrek Academy, let alone in the vicious Holy Spirit Sect.
The maid herself was a Soul Sage backed by the sect master. She naturally had no regard for the Death God's Envoy.
Huo Yuhao didn't bother speaking with her either. He stepped directly into the palace, ready to face the Holy Spirit Sect's leader.
Whatever he wants from the Death God's Envoy—bring it on.
At worst, he could just die. This wasn't his real body, after all. If things went south, he'd just self-destruct and take a chunk out of the enemy. And once his true body descended, the Holy Spirit Sect would pay.
Destroying one of Brother Hao's zombie clones? The whole sect would suffer for it!
With no attachments, Huo Yuhao had no fear. He felt calm.
Inside, the great hall was unexpectedly sparse and chilling. Its wide, empty interior exuded coldness. Two rows of stone pillars flanked a several-hundred-square-meter open space paved with gray-black tiles.
The decor was simple—not luxurious. There weren't even soul tools for lighting. Instead, several braziers lined the sides, emitting dim, eerie green flames. It was unclear what fuel was being used, but the fire gave off no warmth—only a bone-deep chill. Unfortunately, the Death God's Envoy lacked a sense of smell, so Huo Yuhao couldn't analyze further.
Despite its simplicity, the hall retained a dignified aura characteristic of powerful forces. Grotesque carvings adorned the walls hidden in shadow and the stone pillars bathed in the ghostly green light, adding immense psychological pressure to the atmosphere.
None of this fazed Huo Yuhao. He strolled into the center of the hall—the brightest spot, where anyone standing there felt like they were under a spotlight, on trial.
Directly ahead, past the remainder of the hall, was a raised platform. At the top sat a domineering throne cloaked in darkness. Upon it sat a figure shrouded in shadow, their features indistinct.
There was no light above the steps, not due to lack of firelight, but because thick dark energy enveloped the area, making it impossible to see clearly.
After surveying everything in an instant, Huo Yuhao controlled the Death God's Envoy to bow slightly like any other cultist and croaked in a harsh, raspy, unnatural voice, "Holy Spirit Sect follower, Death God's Envoy, greets the Sect Master!"
The Envoy's bones were rigid—a slight bow was the most he could manage. Kneeling was out of the question.
The figure on the throne ignored this lack of decorum and instead chuckled, praising, "Not bad, very impressive. No wonder you've repeatedly evaded the Blue Silver Saintess. You've already reached the level of Soul Douluo. Quite surprising."
These words revealed two things: he knew about the Death God's Envoy's encounters with the Blue Silver Saintess, and he had seen through the Envoy's true strength.
The speaker was none other than the sect master of the Holy Spirit Sect—the current Death God Douluo, Zhongli Wu!
"A trivial matter, not worth mentioning," Huo Yuhao replied calmly as he straightened up.
Zhongli Wu narrowed his eyes slightly.
This Death God's Envoy is rather arrogant, huh? Does he really think being a Soul Douluo makes him untouchable?
Are you looking down on the Blue Silver Saintess? Or the Holy Spirit Sect itself? Do you think I, the Sect Master, have no temper?
"I heard you call yourself the Death God's Envoy. Do you worship the God of Death?" Zhongli Wu asked again, his calm voice echoing eerily through the hall, raising goosebumps.
Huo Yuhao replied evenly, "That's right. But not any specific deity. Strictly speaking, I worship death itself. So long as it helps me spread death, whoever that is becomes the god I follow."
"I see," Zhongli Wu laughed, seemingly satisfied with that answer.
Let's not forget—the Holy Spirit Sect is a cult with its own faith. Although Zhongli Wu bears the title "Death God," the sect actually worships the "Holy Spirit," aiming to bring its arrival into the world.
They never said what the "Holy Spirit" truly is, but it's certainly not the God of Death. Huo Yuhao's explanation had just barely passed muster. Had he declared faith in something else entirely, he might have been deemed a heretic.
Or worse—used as fodder for other evil soul masters.
"Death God's Envoy, you've been with our sect for over a year now, haven't you?"
"Thank you for your concern, Sect Master. Yes, it has been over a year."
"Yet records show that just a year ago, you were only a Soul Emperor. Now you're a Soul Douluo. I nearly thought the maid brought the wrong person."
"I owe it all to the Chief Consecrator's generous support. He gave me abundant resources, allowing for such swift progress."
"I see."
Zhongli Wu didn't press further into the Envoy's secrets. He had already taken an interest in him, and now that he saw real strength, he decided to offer a chance.
His tone softened. "Our sect rewards merit and punishes failure. The capable rise; the outstanding are rewarded. Death God's Envoy, you were about to be sent on assignment, but with your current power, you could remain at headquarters. What do you think?"
A multiple-choice question—stay at HQ or head to a branch.
Either way, loyalty to Zhongli Wu was now expected.
Normally, the safest answer would be: 'I leave it to the Sect Master's will.' But Huo Yuhao responded directly, "This disciple wishes to serve in a branch and spread the glory of the Holy Spirit and death throughout the Douluo Continent!"
Zhongli Wu: "…"
Are you doing this on purpose, or are you just naive?
Still, after two seconds of thought, Zhongli Wu nodded slightly.
"Very well. While a branch may not offer the same resources as headquarters, it provides more opportunities for tempering oneself."
"With your strength, serving merely as a regular cultist would be beneath you. I'll assign you to a branch in Mingdu as an elder."
"What do you think?"
As everyone knows, when a leader asks for your opinion on a job assignment, the best response is usually: no opinion at all.
Huo Yuhao was a bit surprised.
"Zhongli Wu actually wants the Death God Envoy to go to Mingdu and serve as a branch elder?"
Mingdu, the capital of the Sun Moon Empire.
The Holy Spirit Cult has branches all across the Sun Moon Empire, and Mingdu boasts more than one. However, the branches in Mingdu are rather special.
The peculiarity lies in their location—the imperial capital. Branches there hold higher status, possess greater power, and have far richer spoils. Naturally, they're also more heavily valued by the Holy Spirit Cult. The treatment isn't far off from that of the headquarters.
The Death God Envoy doesn't know much, but the souls of the bloodbags he's killed know everything clearly.
Undoubtedly, becoming a branch elder in Mingdu is an excellent post.
It also served as Zhongli Wu's price to win over the Death God Envoy.
Accepting the post meant accepting the offer—and inevitably repaying it in the future.
But if he doesn't repay it in the future… doesn't that just mean he never accepted in the first place?
Huo Yuhao, naturally, had no reason to refuse.
"Thank you, Cult Leader! This subordinate shall not fail your trust!"
The Death God Envoy bowed slightly again.
After all, he was heading to a branch, and the Mingdu branch was far better suited to the Death God Envoy's future development.
"Mm." Zhongli Wu nodded in satisfaction.
He had originally been merely curious about the Death God Envoy—mainly about why the Blue Silver Saintess targeted him. But after meeting him, Zhongli Wu quickly realized: the Death God Envoy was indeed a talent.
To his surprise, the Death God Envoy's strength was decent—making him worth using.
Otherwise, if the Death God Envoy had shown no real strength or ability, Zhongli Wu wouldn't have minded capturing and thoroughly interrogating him, digging out all his secrets and why the Blue Silver Saintess held such enmity toward him.
Now that it had turned into recruitment instead, so long as the Death God Envoy was under his command, Zhongli Wu would eventually uncover everything—and put him to good use.
He could use the Death God Envoy as bait, observe the Blue Silver Saintess's movements, and one day catch her red-handed.
For such a rare Saintess, Zhongli Wu naturally wanted to bring her under his control and strengthen his position. However, she seemed to be closer to the elders, and had recently been in frequent contact with the Chief Offering.
He had to stay on guard.
As for whether the Death God Envoy was all bark and no bite—once he reached Mingdu, the truth would come out. After all, while the treatment was good, Mingdu was a massive whirlpool of danger.
Without the restrictions of the headquarters' rules, if he lacked real ability, the Death God Envoy would be reduced to dust in no time.
Seeing that the Death God Envoy, though defiant, was at least sensible, Zhongli Wu's tone softened.
"Someone will inform you of the details later. Once you're notified, head to Mingdu to assume your post. Now that you're a Soul Douluo and branch elder, you're entitled to certain resources and benefits within the Cult. I'll have a handmaiden take you to receive them shortly."
"Thank you for your favor, Cult Leader!" Huo Yuhao, acting through the Death God Envoy, responded like a mechanical thank-you machine.
Zhongli Wu truly was being generous this time. After all, the Death God Envoy hadn't yet contributed anything to the Cult. Even if he hadn't been given resources or rewards, there would have been no complaints.
Not giving was expected; giving was a favor.
But as the saying goes—not returning it means not acknowledging it.
"You may go."
Zhongli Wu had no intention of wasting more time on the Death God Envoy.
"Your disciple takes his leave!"
Huo Yuhao manipulated the Death God Envoy's body, stiffly turning to leave.
It was only after watching him walk out and the grand hall doors closed that Zhongli Wu let out a quiet chuckle.
"He actually turned himself into a zombie? No wonder he's improved so quickly. But… that's also his greatest weakness. Still, truly insane—there are very few in our Cult who'd go that far."
Zhongli Wu had clearly seen through the condition of the Death God Envoy's body beneath the black robe. The Douluo Continent did have zombies, but they differed from the kind cultivated through cultivation techniques.
He believed the Death God Envoy's rapid improvement was closely tied to this extreme transformation.
And that left Zhongli Wu both shaken and even more appreciative of him.
Doing what others wouldn't—wasn't that reason enough to be admired?
Most importantly, Zhongli Wu believed he could control the Death God Envoy. Even if the Death God Envoy one day managed to break through to Titled Douluo, his zombie form would always be inherently countered by necromancers with corpse-control techniques—including Zhongli Wu himself.
Zhongli Wu's spirit, the Death Demon Marionette, could absorb souls to grow stronger, fuse soul and flesh, and control them.
Though he already had a life-bonded beast spirit, if his descendants inherited the Death Demon Marionette, they could control the Death God Envoy as well.
In fact, if the Death God Envoy proved exceptional enough, Zhongli Wu wouldn't rule out replacing his own life-bonded beast spirit.
In the original work, Zhongli Wu had even attempted to control Di Tian and replace his bone dragon life-bonded spirit with him.
"Letting the Death God Envoy serve as the Death God Douluo's envoy… how fitting." Zhongli Wu smiled, then vanished from his throne without a trace.
The Death God Envoy was just a minor pawn—Zhongli Wu had his own grand plans.
…
Outside the hall, while the Death God Envoy remained stoic, Huo Yuhao was deep in thought over what he had just seen.
When he met Zhongli Wu, Huo Yuhao had naturally activated his Aura Sight.
Though casting it through the Death God Envoy dulled its effectiveness, he still caught a glimpse of Zhongli Wu's unique martial soul shadow.
Zhongli Wu's soul shadow was different from most. It wasn't just a single martial soul.
It was a death scythe, poised at the throat of a Bone Dragon King, clearly signifying dominance. Within the Bone Dragon King roiled countless beast spirits' resentful souls. Inside the scythe, a pitch-black light point glimmered ominously.
"So that's the Death Demon Marionette spirit?"
Huo Yuhao pondered.
The Death Demon Marionette was a mutated form of the Blood Soul Marionette, also capable of controlling beast spirits. It grew stronger with soul feeding and personal strength.
Its mutation allowed for fusing flesh and soul. Zhongli Wu had fused the Bone Dragon King's soul and flesh into his martial soul, turning it into his life-bonded beast spirit.
He had then fed all the beast spirits he'd collected to the Bone Dragon King, turning it into a terrifyingly powerful being. Its special attacks could level entire mountains.
And yet—this wasn't the end of its evolution.
"To think that even after all that development, Zhongli Wu's spirit still hasn't reached its limit. There's still room to grow. Makes sense—Zhongli Wu still has potential for further breakthroughs."
"But…"
"Zhongli Wu's soul tastes even better."
His beast spirit was even more tempting than most hundred-thousand-year-old beast souls—even more than Ziji's.
Juicy. Desirable.
Just then, the same maid from before returned to Huo Yuhao. The one who'd originally guided him into the palace.
"Respected Elder Death God Envoy, please follow me to receive your monthly benefits from the Cult. You may call me Mei'er. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask."
This time, the once-proud maid was exceedingly deferential. She even gave her name and trembled slightly.
Clearly, she had received orders from Zhongli Wu and now understood the Death God Envoy's strength and status.
Mei'er wanted to cry.
Who would've thought this unheard-of Death God Envoy was not only a Soul Douluo, but now an elder of the Mingdu branch—and even vaguely a stand-in for the Cult Leader?
If he had punished her earlier for her disrespect, she might've died without a word from Zhongli Wu.
Rules always exist to restrain the weak.
Seeing Mei'er's transition from arrogance to groveling, Huo Yuhao nearly laughed.
If his true body were here, he would have wrung her dry without mercy. Even a fly's leg is meat, and a Soul Sage is no weakling. Whether sweet or foul, meat is meat.
Unfortunately, the Death God Envoy lacked that ability—and Huo Yuhao didn't want him messing around on home turf.
Mainly because Huo Yuhao intended to claim the Holy Spirit Cult for his true body.
Thus, he merely controlled the Death God Envoy to emit a hoarse, harsh, and eerie voice:
"Lead the way."
The maid, Mei'er, led the Death God Envoy to a special grand hall. This hall looked rather ordinary on the outside and was in a particularly desolate area. However, stationed outside were more than a dozen Evil Soul Masters standing guard. Leading the group were two Evil Soul Master Douluos at level 89.
Such a lineup signified a heavily guarded location even by Holy Spirit Sect standards—clearly, whatever was inside the hall was of extreme importance.
On the way there, Mei'er had taken the initiative to explain many things without the Death God Envoy even needing to ask. For example, she explained the benefits and treatment reserved for branch elders and Soul Douluos.
Generally speaking, only branch elders were qualified to receive benefits from the headquarters. For all other branch members, welfare and treatment were entirely decided by the branch elder. In other words, branch elders wielded tremendous power within their divisions.
Members at headquarters, on the other hand, all received a basic allotment of resources. In simple terms, there was a baseline level of guaranteed support. To obtain more, one had to complete missions to earn contribution points or curry favor with influential figures to be rewarded.
Only those who had reached the seventh soul ring—ascending into the upper echelons of the Holy Spirit Sect—could access the most precious benefits of all.
That benefit?
Secret Techniques of the Evil Soul Masters!
While other resources would be delivered directly to the Death God Envoy, secret techniques had to be personally selected.
This hall was precisely where such techniques were stored.
The Evil Soul Master guards stationed outside the hall were cold and professional, showing no signs of friendliness. Only after confirming the authenticity of the token Mei'er held did they allow the Death God Envoy to enter—alone.
It was clear that these guards were not ordinary cultists but elite members of the Holy Spirit Sect. They were more disciplined, more devout.
Huo Yuhao entered the grand hall alone.
As soon as he stepped inside, he could immediately feel eyes watching him from the shadows. Evidently, there were hidden overseers within the hall, closely monitoring his every move. This served as a silent warning to the Death God Envoy.
Yet, even under surveillance, Huo Yuhao remained calm and composed, calmly surveying the scene within while walking stiffly deeper into the hall.
The hall only had one level and felt vast and empty. Inside were more than a dozen display racks—each filled with tomes of secret arts.
Who knew how many years the Holy Spirit Sect had spent gathering these? It was an impressive collection.
Even at Shrek Academy, one would be hard-pressed to see this many secret techniques in one place.
Indeed, Shrek Academy possessed many such techniques, but most of them were actually in the hands of individual members rather than publicly accessible. They were typically passed down within families or between master and disciple—not placed on display or made available for exchange through contribution and rank.
To Shrek, this would be considered a gross violation of personal inheritance—an absolute taboo.
Although some secret arts did have limitations based on martial spirits or elemental attributes, Shrek's practices were conservative and old-fashioned.
In contrast, the Holy Spirit Sect was much more open. Secret arts could be exchanged based on one's identity and contribution, at least giving ordinary followers a means to obtain them. What's more, there weren't especially strict restrictions on spreading these techniques, which undoubtedly helped the sect expand.
After all, practicing an Evil Soul Master's secret technique would gradually corrupt the practitioner—turning them into an Evil Soul Master themselves, and thereby a natural recruit for the sect.
There were over a hundred secret arts on display in the hall, most of which were specific to Evil Soul Masters. Though the full contents were sealed, there were brief summaries attached to each technique on the shelves.
After browsing through the descriptions, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but sigh—evil cultivators across different worlds really were all the same in their depravity.
Flesh, souls, women, children... these were the primary "materials" for most of the techniques. The bloodthirstiness and cruelty were on par with the worst of evil cultivators—though the efficiency seemed low.
There was no doubt that most of these secret techniques had been created by the Holy Spirit Sect's Evil Soul Masters—tailored to their martial spirits and battle methods. They contributed these arts in exchange for contribution points and resources. While they weren't necessarily widely applicable, they broke free from the traditional constraints of soul rings and soul skills and were thus highly original.
Some of the techniques, despite having only simple descriptions, seemed to have the early makings of genuine cultivation methods. It was unclear if any were fully developed.
If these Evil Soul Master techniques were ever leaked, who knows how many Evil Soul Masters might be created? Among soul masters of limited talent but strong desire for power, the temptation would be overwhelming. Once they began cultivating these arts, they'd quickly be corrupted and transformed into Evil Soul Masters.
This leads us to the three main ways Evil Soul Masters are born:
Innately Evil Martial Spirits – These are rare. Tang Ya was one such example, born with an evil spirit.
Influence of Soul Rings or Bones – Also rare. Only after absorbing soul rings or bones from evil soul beasts might one be corrupted. The Death God Envoy leaned toward this category. His third soul ring originated from such a beast; just looking at it, one could tell it reeked of evil—a soul ring clearly meant for an Evil Soul Master. No proper soul master would have a ring oozing with malice.
By Cultivating Secret Techniques – This is the most common route. Practicing a secret art designed for Evil Soul Masters would grant their powers and potentially even corrupt one's martial spirit into an evil variant. For example, the conversion ritual used on Holy Servants was one such technique—capable of mass-producing Evil Soul Masters.
The existence of these secret techniques made it abundantly clear just how dangerous this hall really was.
Huo Yuhao wished he could take all of them and distribute them widely.
The more chaos on the Douluo Continent, the more excited he would become.
Because only in chaos would the world need a heaven-blessed savior like him to emerge!
And destiny's fortune would become easier to harvest.
Unfortunately, that was just wishful thinking.
These techniques could be spread—but not by him. Because his heaven-blessed destiny relied on the world's recognition.
The world might tolerate him turning evil—but not if he smashed the entire system.
So Huo Yuhao began carefully selecting his techniques.
According to Mei'er, Soul Sages at headquarters could pick one technique, Soul Douluos could pick two.
Which meant Huo Yuhao could choose three in total.
The secret techniques were divided into two categories: Evil Soul Master Techniques and Common Secret Techniques.
The common ones were rarer.
To his surprise, Huo Yuhao found a technique among them that allowed the user to materialize beast-type martial spirits into actual combat entities through the right combination of soul rings and unique methods. This kind of technique had appeared in the original series during the first Soul Master Tournament. However, it was of no use to Huo Yuhao.
Still, as he browsed the common techniques, one of them caught his eye.
It was a pleasant surprise.
The technique was titled: "Secret Art of Shield Condensation" ("凝盾秘法"). It allowed a defense-type martial spirit to be condensed and transformed into a shield.
Sound familiar?
It was strikingly similar to the ability of Xu Sanshi!
However, Xu Sanshi could directly summon his shield to fight, even unleash soul skills through it. His power came not only from technique but also from his unique martial spirit and bloodline.
This technique, on the other hand, allowed the user to condense a shield from their martial spirit, increasing its defensive strength. The downside was that the shield could only withstand a single blow—after which the technique would dissipate.
That was all the summary had to say.
But what truly intrigued Huo Yuhao was the final line in the description:
"Suspected to be capable of transforming the form of one's martial spirit."
That was something utterly inconceivable for most soul masters!
"No matter whether it can truly transform martial soul forms or not, it's better to get this secret technique and check it out first."
Huo Yuhao took the Condensed Shield Secret Technique.
After all, there weren't many appealing choices.
To be honest, out of the hundreds of secret techniques, not a single one truly impressed Huo Yuhao. At most, a few seemed mildly interesting—worth flipping through just for fun.
Kind of like reading wild webnovels to kill time and be amused.
Each secret technique came in booklet form, sealed inside a brocade box. Mei'er had warned him beforehand: once you touched a box or removed it from the shelf, it counted as your final choice—no take-backs.
Interestingly, the brocade boxes themselves had no anti-peeking mechanisms. Instead, it was the shelves housing them that emitted soul power fluctuations. These were clearly soul tools, specifically designed to block spiritual perception and most detection methods.
If Huo Yuhao's original body had been present, with his Evil Eye martial soul and spiritual detection techniques, he might've stealthily scanned every box without anyone noticing.
Unfortunately, he was currently controlling the Death God Envoy, so he had to play by the rules.
With two more picks allowed, Huo Yuhao turned his attention to the more numerous Evil Soul Master secret techniques.
After reviewing them, he found that Evil Soul Master techniques fell into three major categories:
Transforming a martial soul into an evil martial soul or enhancing existing ones.
Consuming life force, blood, or spiritual power to temporarily boost certain abilities.
Using materials to craft sinister soul tools.
This third type hinted at early-stage methods for refining artifacts—a potential precursor to a full-fledged soul-tool crafting system.
Beyond these, a few other oddball secret techniques existed—usually only one or two copies. For example, Huo Yuhao stumbled across a technique based on sexual cultivation—absorbing yang to replenish yin.
Most of the techniques on the shelves were underwhelming—many were crude and repetitive. Fortunately, their flaws and limitations were clearly stated in their descriptions, which came across as surprisingly honest.
It made sense when you thought about it. Only core disciples of the Holy Spirit Sect or powerful soul masters were allowed to choose from this trove. If the offerings were garbage, it could lead to discontent or even betrayal.
The rewards could be weak, but they couldn't be literal poison.
And besides, for Evil Soul Masters, flaws weren't deal-breakers. As long as it offered power or survivability, paying a price was part of the game.
In fact, a flawless technique would probably be ignored—too suspicious.
Of course, truly gifted disciples would never waste time with defective techniques that could harm their future potential.
Ultimately, Huo Yuhao chose two more secret techniques simply because their concepts were wild and imaginative.
One was for crafting soul tools that could control corpses—a necromantic vibe.
The other was a technique for cultivating evil soul beasts, presumably to produce soul rings more suitable for Evil Soul Masters.
Of course, none of the techniques in this hall represented the Holy Spirit Sect's true core secrets. These were more like novelty items—suitable for entertaining or distracting rank-and-file cultists.
The really potent techniques—like the one in the original story that significantly boosted Tang Ya's potential (at the cost of sanity)—were tightly held by the sect's upper echelons.
After stashing away the three secret techniques, Huo Yuhao left the main hall safely and uneventfully.
Mei'er was still waiting patiently outside. She escorted him back to the Death God Envoy's quarters before finally leaving—clearly relieved, like someone who had just escaped death.
If it wasn't absolutely necessary, Mei'er never wanted to see the Death God Envoy again.
Soon after, more cult members arrived bearing vast resources—hundreds of beast souls, various soul tools, ten Soul Sage corpses, and even two Soul Douluo corpses.
This was the Holy Spirit Sect's brand of welfare—simple and brutal: take from others, use for yourself.
Huo Yuhao, still operating through the Death God Envoy, accepted everything without a fuss. Then he left the envoy in standby mode in his quarters, awaiting his official appointment.
He didn't have to wait long.
The next morning, the appointment notice arrived, and Huo Yuhao immediately set off for Mingdu in secret, under the guise of the Death God Envoy.
—
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao's original body was traveling with his four female companions, and they had arrived at a major city in the Heavenly Soul Empire.
This city wasn't too far from Tian Dou City. To the north lay the Sunset Forest, and from the east, one could head to the Dou Ling Empire.
Naturally, the Heavenly Soul royal family was well aware of Huo Yuhao and his companions' movements, but they chose not to interfere—only offering subtle assistance behind the scenes.
This made the journey far more pleasant.
For instance, at various soul-fighting venues, the group was effortlessly granted access to VIP rooms—luxurious and private lounges.
These venues were similar to the grand battle arenas of millennia past, only found in large cities. Nowadays, these were state-run institutions, managed by local officials, who regularly sent large amounts of revenue and taxes back to the capital.
Corruption among officials wasn't unheard of, but as long as it wasn't egregious, the royal family turned a blind eye. Step over the line, though, and they wouldn't hesitate to crack down.
The royal family's strength was the ultimate law.
Because of the risks, blatant embezzlement was rare—most officials stuck to small-scale skimming. The real money came from the sprawling entertainment complexes that surrounded each battle arena, targeting soul masters as their primary customers.
Soul masters spent like royalty—far beyond what civilians could afford.
These entertainment hubs generated huge profits for local powers, tax revenue for the empire, and political credit for the officials. A win-win for everyone.
Naturally, soul-fighting venues were a must-visit for Huo Yuhao's group—more religiously visited than scenic landmarks.
They would only move to the next city after defeating the local powerhouses or rising talents. In return, these venues gladly rolled out the red carpet, offering up their best fighters to challenge Shrek's elites.
So far, Huo Yuhao's group had a flawless win record.
Ma Xiaotao's blazing strength, Ling Luochen's icy power and enhanced left arm, and Vena's healing support had earned them rising fame in the Heavenly Soul Empire's soul master world.
Zhang Lexuan, however, rarely participated in soul battles. She preferred light sparring with local Soul Douluo-level powerhouses. Most of her time was spent gathering knowledge and investigating Beibei's whereabouts.
She hadn't given up.
That night...
The soul-fighting arena was once again packed with an excited audience.
Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Vena had entered the competition.
Zhang Lexuan had gone to continue her investigation into Beibei.
Only Huo Yuhao remained in the VIP lounge, relaxing alone.
He rarely participated in battles himself. No one at his level could challenge him. Only if someone truly intrigued him would he fight—someone with a unique destiny, strong luck, or exceptional bloodline.
Mark them first, then harvest them later.
Leaning back on the sofa, the golden light in Huo Yuhao's eyes gradually faded. The Eye of All Laws settled into silence.
"This Condensed Shield Secret Technique is interesting. It really can transform martial soul forms. But due to the creator's limited vision and skill, it couldn't reach its full potential—and it carries serious risks."
Thanks to the Eye of All Laws, Huo Yuhao had fully mastered the technique and understood it completely.
Perhaps not even its creator or collectors realized that improper use of this technique could shatter one's martial soul entirely!
The capital of the Sun Moon Empire was called Sun Moon City, also known as Mingdu. As the political and economic center of the empire, the sheer size of this city defied the imagination.
Words alone could never do it justice. When Huo Yuhao viewed Mingdu through the eyes of the Death God Envoy, even he couldn't help but feel a flicker of astonishment.
"It's the first time I've seen such a modern-looking city on the Douluo Continent. For a second, I thought I'd transmigrated again," he mused inwardly.
By this point, Huo Yuhao had already maneuvered the Death God Envoy to Mingdu.
However, as an Evil Soul Master, he couldn't show himself publicly. The Death God Envoy was also best suited for nighttime operations. So, by the time he arrived, it was already night.
And it was precisely because it was night that Mingdu's magnificence struck even harder.
Looking around, one saw vast expanses of buildings stretching endlessly to the horizon. Most were at least five stories high, and some even soared over ten stories.
This architectural style was a far cry from that of the original three Douluo Kingdoms, where buildings of such height were exceedingly rare.
The reason was simple—those nations lacked the technology.
Farther out, a sea of lights bathed the city in radiance, as if vying with the starlit sky above. The massive use of soul tool lighting made the entire metropolis gleam like daylight.
Bathed in this light, one could clearly see the wide grid of stone-paved streets between buildings—many over 30 meters wide. Despite the late hour, the streets were lively, contributing to the city's aura as a never-sleeping capital.
Above, lights from soul tools streaked across the sky—people entering or leaving Mingdu overnight.
"This place is... pretty interesting," Huo Yuhao murmured with a smile.
Why smile?
Because despite the impressive glow, this era hadn't yet developed sealed soul power containers. Soul tools still required soul masters to continuously inject soul power. While lighting tools could remain active for a time after a charge, they couldn't stay lit indefinitely—especially the large ones scattered throughout the city, which consumed energy rapidly.
Moreover, soul tool flasks capable of storing soul power were rare, costly, and difficult to produce—sometimes more labor-intensive than simply using manpower.
In other words—
The brightly lit Mingdu was powered by countless soul masters acting as "human batteries", diligently channeling their energy to light the city.
The absurdity resembled hamsters on wheels powering light bulbs.
And yet, this couldn't diminish the dense aura of fortune that blanketed Mingdu's skies—far surpassing anything Huo Yuhao had seen above the capitals of the Star Luo and Heaven Soul Empires. The city's aura was not only strong but actively attracting external energy to grow stronger.
This was proof that the Sun Moon Empire was still on the rise—with a bright future ahead.
Huo Yuhao didn't let the sights distract him for long. He soon directed the Death God Envoy to the designated meeting spot. There was no need to signal; the waiting party would reveal themselves.
The rendezvous point was in a quiet forest outside the city.
The surroundings were pitch black. No light, no sounds of insects—only the rustling of leaves in the wind, which eerily resembled clapping hands, enough to make one's skin crawl.
Huo Yuhao didn't wait long.
Swish, swish, swish—
Three figures dashed from the darkness and landed before the Death God Envoy. They eyed him warily, remaining silent. All were clad in black robes, blending into the shadows of the forest. Their features were indiscernible.
If Huo Yuhao didn't speak correctly, they might treat him as an enemy and attack. All three had Soul Sage-level power.
Huo Yuhao adopted a pious demeanor and intoned the Holy Spirit Cult's code phrase, his voice raspy and unpleasant:
"Long live the Holy Emperor! May the Holy Maiden's beauty be eternal!"
The trio instantly relaxed and responded with the same fervent phrase:
"Long live the Holy Emperor! May the Holy Maiden's beauty be eternal!"
This was the cult's recognition code—used to confirm identities.
Once identities were confirmed, Huo Yuhao flicked his wrist and tossed out an appointment letter and a token.
The three quickly and respectfully caught both items.
The appointment letter, written in the Holy Spirit Cult's cipher language, outlined the Death God Envoy's background and mission. Upon confirming the code on the letter, the three were certain of his identity.
Anyone outside the cult wouldn't understand these ciphers.
The token symbolized authority.
It was round and pitch black, of unknown material, likely a rare soul-conductive metal. Two faintly visible skull engravings adorned its surface, with a puppet-like statue in the center—this was the Elder Token of a Division Leader.
It was only after obtaining this that Huo Yuhao truly understood the token system of the cult—details not mentioned in the original story.
The Holy Spirit Cult used these tokens to verify ranks. Ordinary members (disciples, followers, and servants) all had tokens marked with just the skulls—simple ID tools.
But elder tokens signified power and status.
Division Elder Tokens added a puppet engraving to the center—standard across all division elders. Huo Yuhao's main body even had a duplicate of this exact token.
No one really knew what the puppet symbolized. Some believed it was an idol of the Holy Spirit—but it didn't matter.
Above the division elder token were Headquarters Elder Tokens and even more advanced versions, each with additional engravings of the respective elder's martial spirit. The higher the rank, the more elaborate the carvings.
Then came the Worship Tokens, Cult Master Tokens, and others—each with its own design.
After learning all this, Huo Yuhao felt the tokens had an elegance similar to the Spirit Hall tokens from ten thousand years ago.
Once the three men confirmed the token and appointment letter, their tone turned even more respectful. They dropped to both knees, offering the items back with reverence:
"Greetings, Division Elder!"
"Mm."
Huo Yuhao responded calmly, taking back the token and letter before saying,
"Take me to my assigned division."
"Yes, Elder. Please follow us."
The lead agent stood and began to guide him.
These three weren't part of any division—they were stationed outside Mingdu as rendezvous agents. Still, they dared not act impudently toward the Death God Envoy.
After all, while most Division Elders were Seven-Ringed Soul Sages, this one was a Soul Douluo—far stronger, and not someone they could afford to offend.
As key rendezvous agents, their fanatic loyalty to the Holy Spirit Cult was unquestionable.
Though Mingdu was far larger and more grand than Star Luo City or Heaven Dou City, it lacked city walls—instead relying on advanced soul tool defenses.
Still, vulnerabilities existed.
Not technical flaws in the soul tools, but rather—flaws in the guards themselves.
So when Huo Yuhao was finally smuggled in as cargo within a trade caravan, passing through the city gates—
He was just as silent as the guard who had been bribed.
Why resort to complicated methods when bribery was far more cost-effective?