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"I never expected… he'd choose me."
Beneath that wave of spiritual energy, the forest fell into an eerie, tomb-like silence. Only Chen Junting—shielded by Electrolux's presence—remained fully conscious.
He touched his forehead, where the gray tendril had vanished. No pain. No discomfort.
If not for the lingering echo in his mind—"I grasp the sun and moon and pluck stars from the sky—none in this world compare to me"—he might have thought the whole thing a hallucination.
Tentatively, he called out: "…Elder?"
Silence.
"Guess he's gone into slumber," Chen Junting murmured. He didn't dwell on it. He couldn't access his own spiritual sea yet—and he trusted Electrolux would reveal himself when the time was right.
"For now… let's check on Yuhao."
With that thought, the Seven Kill Sword beneath his feet surged forward—cleaving the air as he descended beside Huo Yuhao.
The area had already returned to calm. The spectacle of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's arrival had vanished—leaving only the corpse of a ten-year Wind Baboon lying near Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao? Yuhao!"
Chen Junting gently shook the boy's shoulder. Receiving no response, he propped him upright into a meditative pose. Then, placing his right palm on Huo Yuhao's Lingtai acupoint—between the shoulder blades—he channeled a vast, pure stream of soul power into the boy's meridians.
As the energy circled through Huo Yuhao's body, Chen Junting also cautiously probed his eyes. Even without martial soul manifestation, a faint but unmistakable thread of soul power linked his eyes directly to his brain.
"So I wasn't mistaken," he confirmed inwardly.
But the longer his soul power circulated, the more complex his expression became. He knew Huo Yuhao's physique was poor—but the reality was far worse than he'd imagined.
Blocked.
Blocked.
Blocked everywhere!
With a body like this, it was a miracle the boy could cultivate at all.
"Only a true Child of Fortune could survive this," Chen Junting sighed.
Anyone else with such a constitution would've maxed out at Soul Grandmaster—if they were lucky.
Since he'd already decided to bring Huo Yuhao into the sect, Chen Junting used his soul power to gently regulate the boy's meridians one last time. Then, from the ring on his finger—a flash of blue light—and a porcelain vial appeared. He tipped out a single deep-blue pill and placed it in Huo Yuhao's mouth.
The Mystic Water Pill.
Originally meant as welcome gifts for new recruits once they reached Shrek Academy, it was fitting to use it here now.
Moments later, a ripple of soul power pulsed from Huo Yuhao's body.
Mist began to rise. Chen Junting knew the pill was working.
He summoned his Seven Kill Sword and slashed outward—sending arcs of sword qi into the surrounding trees. Trunks toppled like wheat. With swift, practiced motions, he erected a crude but solid enclosure around Huo Yuhao, sealing him inside.
Then he stepped back several meters—well out of range of the coming stench.
Not long after, Ning Tian and Wu Feng arrived.
"Sword-jerk—where's Huo Yuhao?" Wu Feng asked, scanning the area. Seeing only Chen Junting, she frowned.
Before he could answer—
"Ugh! So foul!"
The stench hit her like a wall.
Ning Tian reacted instantly. From her storage-type soul-guided bracelet, she produced a compact barrier device—one that blocked odors and sound while filtering breathable air. With a soft click, a translucent dome enveloped the three of them, cutting off the reek completely.
"Brother Junting," Ning Tian said, eyes fixed on the makeshift wooden cage, "you gave him a Mystic Water Pill."
Her gaze then drifted to the dead Wind Baboon nearby—and a sinking feeling gripped her chest.
Wu Feng followed her look—and her eyes widened in shock.
"Hey! I was right—he did run into a ten-year Wind Baboon! And he actually killed it himself! Wait…" Her voice dropped. "He didn't… absorb its soul ring, did he?"
Seeing no ring hovering above the corpse, she instantly understood Ning Tian's dread. After all, they'd only been separated from Huo Yuhao for less than an hour.
"This kid's future's ruined," Wu Feng blurted—blunt as ever.
Ning Tian shot her a sharp glance, but didn't deny it. That was exactly what she'd been thinking.
A ten-year soul ring… meant permanently stunted growth.
"Given his physical condition," Chen Junting said calmly, "he probably couldn't absorb anything stronger."
He then laid out the full truth: he'd confirmed Huo Yuhao's martial soul was indeed linked to his brain—a top-tier Body Martial Soul. Once his physique and cultivation improved, a second awakening could yield a high-grade soul ring. And if his soul engineering talent held true, progress in that field would be exponential.
He also addressed the core challenge: spiritual-type soul beasts were rare, and cultivation paths for spiritual soul masters were notoriously difficult.
He presented the pros and cons—fair, balanced, unvarnished.
"So… Huo Yuhao…" Ning Tian's eyes flickered with hesitation—then hardened with resolve. The aura of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's heir blazed forth.
"A ten-year first ring? Fine! If he's truly worth cultivating, we'll forge his body into something stronger! With his spiritual martial soul as an advantage, we'll push him to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring by his fourth—I refuse to believe we can't overcome this ten-year limitation! And yes, spiritual soul beasts are rare—but they exist. If his innate talent is weak? Then we'll do what the Sun-Moon Empire does: we'll stuff him with pills to greatness!"
She turned to Chen Junting, her gaze softening. "With you here, our sect will never lack top-tier soul masters. But we do lack top-tier soul engineers. And if money can build his foundation… then we'll spend it. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has never been short of gold!"
"Wow! Ning Tian, you're so *cool*!" Wu Feng gushed, stars practically sparkling in her eyes.
Chen Junting promptly flicked her forehead—snapping her back to reality.
Then, without a word, he took Ning Tian's hand—his silent affirmation of her decision.
Meanwhile, deep within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea—
"Woooh! So refreshing! Just as I was worrying little Yuhao's talent was too poor—bam!—someone sends a gift to boost it!"
Tianmeng the Ice Silkworm wriggled his plump, white body, basking in the glow of his own good fortune. His awareness of the outside world dimmed to near nothing.
"Someone sent me something to boost my talent?" Huo Yuhao asked, stunned. He knew how priceless such a thing was.
But… who would waste it on him?
"Look—him," Tianmeng said, conjuring Chen Junting's image in the spiritual sea with a ripple of mental energy. After sensing the outside world again, he added Ning Tian and Wu Feng's likenesses. "These three humans are actually pretty decent! Ate one meal of your grilled fish—and they're already going this far for you!"
"Little Yuhao… was your grilled fish that good?" Then, remembering he no longer had a physical body, the giant worm drooped in despair. "Ugh… what a shame. Big bro can't taste it."
But Huo Yuhao wasn't listening to Tianmeng's antics. Staring at the three figures in his mind, warmth flooded his chest—tears welling in his spiritual eyes.
"I never thought… anyone besides Mom would care about me. Let alone treat me this kindly… Brother Junting… Ning Tian… Wu Feng…"
If this weren't the spiritual sea, he would've been sobbing. But this moment—this kindness—was etched into his soul forever.
"Alright, don't cry," Tianmeng said gently, waving his stubby antennae. "Big bro's here for you now. And hey—the pill's effects are nearly done. Time to wake up."
Before Huo Yuhao could dwell further in gratitude, his vision blurred. The world spun—then plunged into darkness.
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