Of course.
The demiplane might look unsettling at first glance.
But in truth, the thick death energy permeating the demiplane—made by Electrolux—was fundamentally derived from the attributes of light and life.
In other words, this eerie, spine-chilling death aura could actually be reversed into the heaven-and-earth elemental energy that soul beasts thrive on.
The problem?
It was extremely difficult—especially for natives of Douluo Continent.
However, long before the Ice Bear King, Xiao Bai, moved in, Electrolux had already prepared a suitable living space for it.
Not only that, but not long ago, Huo Yuhao and Electrolux had also transformed another section of the demiplane into an area fit for immortal herbs.
With the diligent (if temporary) gardening efforts of the Ice Bear King guarding it, this place had truly become a prime sanctuary.
"Huh… This?"
After listening to Huo Yuhao's earnest explanation, the immortal herbs grew even dizzier, their stems shrinking back instinctively.
'Why does this feel like we've boarded a black-market carriage?'
There wasn't a trace of light-element energy here—just an aura thick enough to be a holy land for evil soul masters. Who in their right mind would willingly step inside?
Yet, as the most perceptive among them cautiously probed Huo Yuhao's claims, they realized…
He was telling the truth.
The immortal herbs anxiety finally settled—if only slightly.
'Fine. We'll trust him for now.'
If not for sensing Huo Yuhao's sincerity, the bizarre purple sun looming overhead would've been enough to scare off most of them.
After a brief exchange—and with the herbs consent—Huo Yuhao began transplanting them, one by one, into his demiplane.
…
The purple sun hung high in the sky, casting its glow over the endless dark land.
Well, technically not endless—past its borders lay an abyss of nothingness, where any creature foolish enough to venture would be swallowed whole.
As Huo Yuhao transplanted the last immortal herb, a wave of harvest joy washed over him.
The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, once a blessed land for immortal herbs, was now a relic of the past.
In its place?
An immortal herb cultivation base within the demiplane!
Of course, compared to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, this new setup still had a long way to go—it was barely passable for now.
This was only possible because Huo Yuhao—thanks to his body's immunity to extreme elements—had collected water from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and constructed a small artificial hot spring in the demiplane.
Though it lacked the tenfold growth acceleration of the original, it was enough to sustain the herbs for years.
'Why not just move the entire Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?'
Simple—the corpses of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, both at God King-level, made that a fool's errand. For Huo Yuhao right now, attempting it would be more trouble than it's worth''.
…
Watching the immortal herbs fidgeting nervously by the pond, Qiu'er couldn't help but smile.
The scene reminded her of the peaceful (if dull) days she'd spent fishing in the Lake of Life.
Of course, this artificial hot spring was nowhere near as effective as the real deal.
'Maybe next time I visit home, I'll ask Master if I can bring some Lake of Life water back?'
It wasn't like that ultra-rich vitality was being put to good use just sitting there. Helping Huo Yuhao would be a far better purpose—and it'd further the soul contract initiative.
Even someone of Qiu'er's status was thoroughly satisfied after fusing with the 100,000-year immortal herb.
Thanks to the Earth Dragon's full cooperation, not only had her physical strength skyrocketed, but the integration of her golden bloodline had also improved dramatically.
Her power had risen by more than a full tier!
Such was the way of Douluo Continent—soul rings and soul bones could bring earth-shaking changes to a martial soul.
Even for someone like Qiu'er, born into privilege, the boost was undeniable.
Huo Yuhao's thoughts drifted to the Gold of Life.
In fact, the high-vitality zone in the demiplane owed its existence partly to his Knife of Life Watch.
Had the knife not already fused deeply with him and thus couldn't be easily dismantled, leaving a fragment of Life Gold behind to nourish the herbs might've been a good idea.
But Huo Yuhao wasn't short on intel.
Currently, there were two ways to obtain more Life Gold:
Send warmth to the Golden turtle.
And have a heart-to-heart with the Silver Dragon King.
Thus, his next target in the Star Dou Forest was clear—
The 100,000-year Golden Turtle that had stolen Life Gold in the original timeline.
Sure, he'd already established a mutual-aid relationship with Gu Yuena who even owed him a favor.
But the turtle?
Far more cost-effective.
…
Meanwhile…
A week prior, Gu Yuena had bid Huo Yuhao farewell.
Upon returning to the Great Fierce Land, she'd made a decision after summoning the beast kings to discuss the soul contract.
She was going all in.
Ahem—of course, this was under the assumption that Huo Yuhao was indeed the grateful, principled person she believed him to be.
From their brief interactions, Gu Yuena sensed genuine sincerity in his desire to cooperate.
Naturally, she wanted to bind this Son of Destiny to her cause.
As the saying goes: "To take, one must first give."
Thus, Gu Yuena began raising the stakes.
The Silver Dragon Scale was just the first step.
Next time, she'd prepare an even more suitable gift for him.
And from their meeting, she'd pinpointed the perfect item: Life Gold.
Whether for Huo Yuhao himself or the god-level remnant soul within him, vast vitality was essential for cultivation and recovery.
Without hesitation, Gu Yuena summoned a spatial rift leading to her secluded chamber.
When she reemerged, she held a basketball-sized green stone.
Had Huo Yuhao seen this, he would've gasped in disbelief: "How is it intact?! Where's the golden turtle? Save it!"
And more importantly—
"How is it so BIG?!"
Even Electrolux would tremble before such a massive chunk of Life Gold.
This was orders of magnitude beyond the tiny Knife of Life Watch Huo Yuhao wielded.
Even the Life Gold at the Lake of Life's depths paled in comparison!
If the lake's Life Gold had formed naturally over hundreds of thousands of years, the one in Gu Yuena's hands definitely had another origin—one that couldn't have occurred naturally on Douluo Continent.
This was a relic of the Dragon God—the very foundation of Gu Yuena's recovery.
As the Dragon God's incarnation, Gu Yuena had once wielded God King-level power.
But the Asura God's sword had severely damaged her origin.
To avoid alerting the God Realm—and with no access to higher-tier immortal energy—she'd resorted to using Life Gold's vitality to slowly erode the Asura God's power''.
Inefficient? Yes.
Safe? Absolutely.
The gap between mortal and godly power was simply too vast.
Even the Goddess of Life would've struggled to heal Gu Yuena's wounds—let alone sub-god-level Life Gold.
Yet even so, Life Gold remained a peerless treasure on Douluo Continent!
Just then, Gu Yuena's brow furrowed as she sensed something through the Life Gold.
Her gaze snapped toward the Lake of Life.
After storing the Dragon God's relic, she waved her hand—
The entire lake trembled as a pillar of water, brimming with life energy, erupted skyward.
At its crest was a stone-sized chunk of Life Gold—now clearly missing a bite-sized piece.
Gu Yuena's mood soured instantly.
She'd planned to gift Huo Yuhao a fragment of the Dragon God's Life Gold.
Now?
Plans had changed.
The jagged bite marks on the lake's Life Gold meant one thing: There was a thief among them.
This particular piece had been separated from the Dragon God's relic and nurtured by the forest's energy to benefit the soul beasts.
Only one possibility explained the missing fragment: Someone had stolen it.
Gu Yuena knew none of her beast kings would be foolish enough to bite directly into Life Gold—even the dimmest bear knew that'd backfire horribly.
Raw Life Gold would fight back against such crude consumption.
Though only a small piece was missing, the life force it contained was anything but insignificant.
Even 800,000-year-old Di Tian couldn't refine it raw—let alone lesser soul beasts.
The beast kings only used diluted lake water.
Gu Yuena had considered gifting Life Gold to Huo Yuhao precisely because he'd fused it with his mind, using mental resonance to harmonize with it—a method even she found ingenious''.
''Buzz—
Gu Yuena's godly spiritual power erupted, sweeping across the entire Star Dou Forest in an instant.
Most soul beasts noticed nothing, continuing their lives undisturbed.
Only the 100,000-year-olds sensed the soul-deep hum, stirring uneasily.
The beast kings, led by Di Tian, had just gathered when they felt Gu Yuena's unrestrained spiritual surge.
Shocked, Di Tian teleported over with his brethren.
"Master, what's—"
His question died as he took in the scene:
Gu Yuena's calm yet stormy expression, and the mangled Life Gold before her.
Di Tian understood immediately.
Centuries ago, a thief had evaded his senses, infiltrated the Lake of Life, and stolen a fifth of its Life Gold.
Back then, he'd searched fruitlessly—the thief's aura had been monstrously concealed.
Now?
Justice would be served.
Under Gu Yuena's divine detection, the thief stood no chance.
…
The Golden Turtle's territory.
As a protected species, golden turtles were considered auspicious—symbolizing longevity, fortune, and warding off evil.
They also possessed a unique ability to turn misfortune into blessing.
Their king, the Golden Hawksbill Turtle, was especially revered.
Though not as influential as the Three-Eyed Golden Lion (a true fortune-affecting imperial beast), it was still a monarch among turtles—the Turtle King!
Yet when Gu Yuena's spiritual power brushed over it, the turtle—sunbathing peacefully—was jolted awake by a premonition of doom.
Before it could burrow to safety, an overwhelming pressure pinned it in place.
Then—
A silver dragon's claw tore through space, yanking it into the air.
Dumped unceremoniously before Gu Yuena and the beast kings, the turtle's confusion lasted only until it spotted the Life Gold—and its own teeth marks.
Realization dawned.
'I'm dead.'
The theft from back then…
Had finally caught up to it.
"Spare me, my Lord! I admit my guilt! I was greedy—I overreached! I stole the Life Gold!"
The turtle kowtowed frantically, its voice trembling.
"I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Please, forgive me this once!"
Di Tian smiled coldly.
'You're not sorry.'
'You're just scared of dying.'
…
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