Soul Contract.
This is a method that Huo Yuhao proposed as a hypothesis, which he and Electrolux then initially perfected.
Based on their research into the fundamental logic and rules of Douluo Continent, the [origin] of soul beasts plays a crucial role in the formation of soul rings.
During their research, Skydream and Bingdi also collaborated to conduct some speculative experiments.
Skydream, in particular, as the first wisdom soul ring on the continent, along with the immense spiritual origin it bestowed upon Huo Yuhao, played a significant role in the creation of the soul contract.
Electrolux proposed that as a soul beast's cultivation level increases and its origin power grows, it gradually comprehends more innate skills.
Different bloodlines possess varying strengths of origin power, which is one of the reasons for the noticeable differences in the strength of soul beasts. After a soul beast dies, its remaining origin condenses into a soul ring or soul bone according to the rules, which can then be absorbed and fused by a soul master to form soul skills.
The reason why a hundred-thousand-year soul beast is guaranteed to drop a soul bone, and why a hundred-thousand-year soul ring grants two skills, is due to the immense residual origin power after their death.
The soul contract allows a living soul beast and a soul master to form a bond at the soul level, linking them as one.
This ensures that the soul beast's origin power is preserved as completely as possible, providing the soul master with soul rings.
As for the means at the soul level, Electrolux is an expert. As a deceased soul god, he has a deep understanding of such matters. Soon, an equal contract was created based on his past experiences.
This is the soul contract from the original story, designed to reconcile the conflicts between humans and soul beasts, and it comes with many restrictions.
While the intention was good, the system was hindered by insufficient technical strength, external constraints, and the subsequent ascension of its founder to godhood, leaving the entire soul system filled with unfulfilled potential.
Of course, the soul contract that Electrolux and Huo Yuhao initially perfected in just a few days is far inferior to the soul system developed later in the original work.
Currently, due to Huo Yuhao's cultivation level and practical limitations, it can only be applied to soul beasts that are "voluntarily sacrificed" and are over 100,000 years old.
The main issue is the severe lack of experimental materials. The research has been conducted in isolation, relying solely on Huo Yuhao's previous experiences with Skydream and Bingdi. After all, practice is the only path to true knowledge.
Soul beasts are easy to find, but directly interacting with their origin while they are alive is a complicated and risky endeavor. Most soul beasts have low intelligence and are difficult to communicate with, adding significant challenges to the experiments.
Soul beasts with high intelligence and a willingness to communicate are typically over 100,000 years old and are nearly impossible to approach. Therefore, as Electrolux put it, while the most difficult creation stage has been passed, the current soul contract is only a semi-finished product that will need to be refined over time.
Huo Yuhao shares the same view. In his vision, the soul contract could eventually allow soul masters to form a profession similar to beastmasters.
After the contract, soul beasts could grow and progress alongside soul masters, rather than having to abandon their physical bodies as in the original story. In short, the soul system still has a long way to go.
Huo Yuhao doesn't intend to achieve everything at once; for now, it's enough. His most urgent task is to improve his own strength.
…
"Yuhao, I'm going to start."
As the voice fell, Electrolux's figure emerged from the void. His golden robe was adorned with intricate patterns, his white hair and long beard giving him an air of wisdom and depth.
As Electrolux waved the staff in his hand, the incantation grew louder, and golden runes began to slowly but firmly take shape.
In the spiritual sea, Huo Yuhao raised his right hand and began chanting, his index finger tracing the air in sync with Electrolux's movements.
A trace of relief flashed in Electrolux's eyes. His apprentice's comprehension was exceptional. Electrolux had originally planned to assist Huo Yuhao in performing the first soul contract, but now it seemed unnecessary.
In the spiritual sea, Huo Yuhao's eyes turned a brilliant gold. A golden hexagram array enveloped him and the silkworm.
The golden symbols drawn by his right hand floated one after another toward Skydream. The once turbulent spiritual sea gradually calmed under her spell. Skydream, in her true form, slowly closed her eyes. As the runes settled on her body, a soft mental power surrounded her, and her aura began to undergo a wondrous transformation.
Skydream's originally illusory body gradually solidified while shrinking, and the aura of life grew more intense. Finally, as the last rune of Huo Yuhao's spell was successfully transformed, the contract was established.
A white light flashed, and Skydream's body shrank to the size of a palm, her small golden eyes filled with excitement. On her forehead was a purple-gold mark resembling a vertical eye—the mark of Huo Yuhao's contract.
Under Electrolux's guidance, Huo Yuhao and Skydream formally signed a soul contract, and the first soul on the continent—the Skydream—was born. It even granted Huo Yuhao a personal achievement.
[Achievement Unlocked: "Soul Contract" – Reward: Power Doubler Gu.]
[Power Doubler Gu: A fifth-turn Gu worm, specializing in assisting other Gu worms. It consumes extra soul power but can increase the effect of the assisted Gu worm up to five times.]
[Evaluation: This is our shocking Gu worm fusion skill!]
It must be said that while the Power Doubler Gu consumes a significant amount of soul power, it is undoubtedly one of the best auxiliary Gu worms!
Later, Huo Yuhao also signed a soul contract with Bingdi (Ice Empress). Since her origin was preserved in excellent condition, the process went smoothly. Thus, the blood-red soul ring with four golden patterns turned into an orange-gold hue.
Although the current soul contract is not yet fully mature, the advantage of providing multiple soul rings still exists.
Moreover, the soul power consumed by the soul master when using the soul skills provided by the soul contract is much less than that of ordinary soul rings, and the strength is more than doubled.
However, despite Bingdi's ability to provide multiple soul rings after becoming a soul, Huo Yuhao does not intend to directly absorb the soul rings she offers due to the unique characteristics of his Ice Soul Body Martial Soul.
Huo Yuhao discovered that, perhaps due to the existence of the Ice Soul Body-Mimicry Talent, the Ice Soul Body Martial Soul can continuously evolve.
In other words, the current Ice Soul Body is not yet perfect. Therefore, the position of the second martial soul's soul ring should not be wasted for now. If no suitable soul ring is found in the future, that will be another matter.
If others knew of Huo Yuhao's thoughts, they would undoubtedly be consumed with envy. This is the soul ring of a 400,000-year-old beast! Orange-gold! And yet, he's still hesitant?
As for Skydream, due to certain special reasons, Huo Yuhao can only add one more soul ring at most, and he plans to reserve it for the seventh-ring Martial Soul True Body (Martial Avatar).
A million-year-old Martial Soul True Body—just the thought of it is terrifying!
After the two soul contracts were signed, Bingdi made a suggestion.
Ice Empress spoke slowly: "Yuhao, let's go to the Extreme North. I think Snow Empress is nearing her limit…"
"Snow Empress?" Huo Yuhao was intrigued.
He recalled Ice Empress's second mission, [Find Snow Empress], which had been delayed for nearly a year. The past was the past! A year ago, he was timid, but now, a year later, he was ready to strike with full force.
Compared to a year ago, Huo Yuhao was now a completely different person, especially in terms of strength and character.
Huo Yuhao's normal strength had now reached the Soul Saint level, and with his powerful spiritual realm, he could protect himself unless he encountered Title Douluo-level experts.
Especially with the combination of time and space soul skills and the enhancement of the Gu worm, Huo Yuhao's means of survival were at their peak.
"Even Snow Empress can't survive this limit?" Hearing this, even Skydream's tone carried a hint of melancholy.
"It's possible, but will Snow Empress agree with your idea?" Huo Yuhao naturally knew that Ice Empress wanted to bring her good sister Snow Empress onto the path of godhood, but would the result really be so smooth?
Ice Empress fell silent, her heart filled with indescribable emotions.
Indeed, her agreement did not guarantee Snow Empress's consent. With Snow Empress's pride, how could she submit to a human? She would rather die in the heavenly tribulation than choose to become a human's spirit ring.
Initially, it was because Bingdi's time was truly running out, and she was bound by Skydream's remains and threatened with self-destruction. She also saw Huo Yuhao's potential. Under various circumstances, she agreed to take the path of least resistance.
However, Snow Empress's 700,000-year limit was approaching, and Ice Empress truly didn't want to see her die like this.
"Yuhao, let's go to the Extreme North. I will convince Snow Empress. Even if we fail in the end, for my sake, Snow Empress will never harm us," Ice Empress solemnly promised.
"I won't place my safety in the hands of others."
Just as Bingdi was about to feel disappointed, Huo Yuhao smiled calmly and changed the subject: "But since it's your request, I will go."
Ice Empress's information was clearly outdated. If nothing unexpected happened, Snow Empress should be using the Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus to begin her transformation into a human.
Huo Yuhao planned to go to the Extreme North to assess Snow Empress's situation. Whether Snow Empress would repeat the fate of the original story and be captured during her transformation was still unknown.
Huo Yuhao believed this was a low-probability event, especially since he had taken Bingdi a year in advance. In a whole year, a child could be born, let alone the transformation of a powerful beast.
Moreover, beings of Snow Empress's level, especially with the unique nature of the Heavenly Snow Woman, would be difficult for even Title Douluo-level experts to detect as soul beasts in human form once transformed.
Huo Yuhao believed that as the daughter of the Extreme North, Snow Empress had a luck bonus. As long as it wasn't an obvious "arrangement" like in the original story, she would never encounter a crisis so easily. In any case, it was worth going to take a look.
…
The Extreme North, Core Area.
The temperature dropped sharply, and fierce winds swept across the sky, but these had no effect on Huo Yuhao now. With the Light Rainbow Gu enhanced by the Power Doubler Gu, Huo Yuhao traveled at incredible speed, far surpassing even some high level flying soul tools.
"It feels so good to be back!" Ice Empress, revisiting her old home, showed a hint of emotion but quickly returned to her usual cold demeanor. She then said to Huo Yuhao, "Yuhao, I'm going to contact Snow Empress. You all get ready."
"Hmm."
Then, Ice Empress, in her true form, appeared on Huo Yuhao's shoulder and transmitted a message using his mental power.
Ice Empress's body trembled, and a turquoise light burst from her tail, dyeing the gray-white dark clouds the same color and spreading toward the deepest part of the Extreme North.
"Snow Empress, are you there?"
No one answered.
Silence was the only response in the Extreme North today.
"Hmm? That's not right. Where is the Heavenly Snow Woman? Her 700,000-year limit hasn't come yet."
After waiting for a long time, Ice Empress grew confused.
Huo Yuhao considered his words: "Ice Empress, is it possible that Snow Empress has successfully transformed into a human?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Ice Empress waved her hand in denial.
"Yuhao, you may not know this, but we soul beasts only have the opportunity to choose to transform into humans when we face our first 100,000-year heavenly tribulation. If we give up that opportunity, we can only continue on the path of fierce beasts until the end."
"And after reincarnating into humans, not only is the lifespan short, but there's also a great risk of exposure before the seventh ring. Very few soul beasts choose this path. Only those with inferior bloodlines, knowing they have no hope of passing the tribulation, would choose to transform into humans. Snow Empress has been cultivating for nearly 700,000 years. She lost the opportunity to transform into a human long ago!"
Indeed, from a universal perspective, what Ice Empress said was very reasonable. Even Skydream agreed: "That's right. If I hadn't avoided the heavenly tribulation by chance, I would definitely have chosen the path of transforming into a human."
"Ice Empress, you became my soul ring through various coincidences. Isn't it possible that Snow Empress also obtained a natural treasure and was able to walk the path of transformation again? That's also very reasonable, right?" Huo Yuhao smiled and spoke directly.
Ice Empress fell into a brief silence, then retorted, "No! Based on my understanding of Snow Empress, how could she transform into a human? And…"
And if Snow Empress had obtained a treasure like the Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus, there was no way Ice Empress wouldn't know about it.
"It is precisely because of her pride that Snow Empress might choose to transform into a human. After all, she knows there's no hope of breaking through her limit. Only by becoming a human can she have a slim chance of becoming a god. Therefore, if she obtained the opportunity to cultivate again, Snow Empress would definitely not give up easily."
Huo Yuhao paused and continued, "In any case, Ice Empress, we can now ask other soul beasts in the Extreme North. Perhaps someone knows Snow Empress's whereabouts."
"Okay."
If it was the Ice Bear King Xiaobai, he would definitely know Snow Empress's current movements.
…
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