DD Black White [232-234] (Patreon)

Chapter 232 – Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters

Because he had experienced the immense power hidden within Wang Dong'er, when Huo Yuhao sensed a similar force in the black-haired woman before him, his gaze toward her grew deep and probing, as if he wanted to see through her and uncover the nature of that power.

Besides Wang Dong'er's power, Electrolux's divine sense was also similar to the power within this black-haired woman. Huo Yuhao was thus certain she was connected to the gods; otherwise, her aura wouldn't be so similar to Wang Dong'er's and Electrolux's.

"Tch, just say you're interested in her looks. Men are all the same!" Third Enforcer Fei Yan sneered, full of disdain as she sized up the black-haired woman.

Even now, battered and wounded, the woman's beauty was flawless and unblemished. Her noble, mature aura stood out—ethereal and detached from the mundane, leaving a deep impression.

In Fei Yan's view, Huo Yuhao's decision to save this woman was simply because of her beauty. In her experience, men were always like this.

The night was as heavy as ink, pressing down on the Evil Demon Forest.

Ancient trees towered into the sky, their dense branches rustling in the wind, whispering eerily. Under the moonlight, shadows danced like ghosts. A meandering path led deep into the heart of the forest.

Carrying the unconscious black-haired woman, Huo Yuhao walked steadily down this path. The silence pressed in like a heavy curtain, broken only by the echo of his own footsteps, which sent chills through the air.

At the end of the path was the mysterious headquarters of the Holy Spirit Cult—a subterranean city sleeping in the abyss.

The underground city's entrance was a stone archway, ancient glyphs carved on it, untouched by time. As Huo Yuhao entered, a cold wind howled up from the depths, damp and musty.

Torches lined the walls, flickering dimly. Under their glow, the carved faces on the walls seemed lifelike, as if ready to leap out at any moment.

The slick stone floor reflected the torchlight. Each footstep echoed heavily in the stillness.

The corridors of the underground city were like a labyrinth, every turn hiding unknown dangers. Occasionally, patrolling cultists appeared, their sharp eyes scanning every corner for trouble.

Yet, when their gazes landed on Huo Yuhao, they immediately bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, Holy Son." Even seeing him carry a strange woman, none dared ask questions. Such was the Holy Spirit Cult's strict hierarchy and discipline.

At the end of the corridor lay a grand underground palace. The domed ceiling was studded with glowing gems, casting a blue radiance over the vast hall.

At the center altar stood a twisted statue, surrounded by leaping flames that seemed alive, emanating suffocating pressure. Cultists gathered around, performing a ritual. Deep chanting and rhythmic drumming echoed in the palace, creating a soul-stirring atmosphere.

All participants were expressionless and solemn, but fanatic light shone in their eyes. They were utterly lost in a faith beyond ordinary understanding.

This underground city was the true heart of the Holy Spirit Cult's power.

Each night, the Evil Demon Forest echoed with low, mysterious chants.

On the palace's high dais, a middle-aged man in a dark gold robe sat on a magnificent throne. With long dark red hair and a stern face, his eyes were deep and sharp. This was the Cult Leader, Zhongli Wu.

Beside him stood a beautiful woman with long black hair and a seductive figure, exuding charm with every gesture. She was Zhongli Wu's wife, the Cult's vice leader, Evil Phoenix Douluo Feng Ling.

"Yuhao, you're still young. Focus on your cultivation!"

Seeing Huo Yuhao carrying the black-haired woman, Zhongli Wu—already informed by the Third Enforcer—showed no surprise, only calmly admonishing him.

He had high hopes for Huo Yuhao, planning to pass on the position of Cult Leader to him, even at the expense of giving up his own disciple, Yan Feng, whom he had groomed as successor for years. This showed how much he valued Huo Yuhao.

Thus, upon learning Huo Yuhao had rescued a woman, Zhongli Wu waited here.

"Cult Leader, you misunderstand. I just thought she was very unusual, so I wanted to save her," Huo Yuhao replied, shaking his head helplessly.

Zhongli Wu didn't know about his physical condition—how could he think Yuhao acted out of lust?

In the entire Holy Spirit Cult, only Supreme Leader Ye Xishui and Supreme Enforcer Long Xiaoyao knew of his issue, and neither would ever reveal it, not even to Zhongli Wu.

After all, if word got out that the Holy Son was physically flawed, it would damage his prestige and jeopardize his future as leader.

"That's good then. Her injuries are severe; only your mother and Uncle Long may be able to save her." Zhongli Wu remained calm, trusting Huo Yuhao wouldn't be distracted by romance.

He was satisfied with Yuhao's ruthless methods, wisdom, and power, as well as his ability to manage the Cult's youth and even command Tang Ya, the Blue Silver Saintess. Such talent was the perfect candidate for leadership.

Yuhao was unsurprised; he had intended to seek Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao's help.

Ye Xishui's residence was deep within headquarters, accessible only to Zhongli Wu, Feng Ling, and now, Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya.

"Her injuries are grave. I can heal her with our secret technique, but this power…"

Ye Xishui eyed the black-haired woman Yuhao brought, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

She was very pleased with Yuhao—as Mu En's disciple, possessing twin martial souls and the necromancer's demi-plane, he was a natural fit for the evil soul master path. If not for the lack of godhood on Douluo Continent for ten thousand years, Ye Xishui believed Yuhao could become a god.

Because of Mu En, both Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao paid Yuhao special attention, and looked down on Shrek Academy for abandoning him so easily—what a lack of backbone.

"This force is even greater than soul power. The only thing I can think of is divine power!"

Long Xiaoyao, the tall, white-haired Dragon Emperor Douluo, also sensed the higher force within the black-haired woman—far beyond their own soul power.

"Teacher, you mean… she's a god?"

Yuhao's eyes sharpened in shock. He hadn't expected the woman he randomly saved to be a deity.

"She was. But she's gravely wounded. Though still a god in essence, recovering her peak will be near impossible," Long Xiaoyao said gravely.

Even a half-disabled god was an unparalleled treasure to them, offering a glimpse into the realms they longed for.

As Ye Xishui performed the healing ritual, a ten-thousand-year soul beast was brought to the stone platform. Forming seals with her hands, Ye Xishui chanted as a powerful force enveloped the beast, extracting its life force into the black-haired woman.

Wrapped in a blood-red glow, her horrific wounds healed at visible speed.

The Cult's secret technique could absorb the life force of others for healing. While not miraculous enough to regrow limbs, it was effective for severe injuries.

A ten-thousand-year soul beast's vitality was immense—enough to heal her outer wounds and save her life, though not her internal injuries.

After all, divine power within her still stubbornly sustained her life.

Logically, a god's life force should allow self-recovery, but her body contained chaotic spatial forces and a lingering, burning divine power, turning her condition into a mess. Surviving was already a miracle, let alone regaining her peak.

There were no resources on Douluo Continent to restore her. Only draining the Golden Tree at Shrek Academy might give her a chance—but even then, the divine realm was too unfamiliar.

Chapter 233 – Huo Yuhao Gets a Wife

Of course, Ye Xishui was no fool.

She knew that even a half-disabled god, once awakened, might not be someone she could contend with. Thus, she and Long Xiaoyao remained cautious in researching the divine power within the woman, probing only lightly and never crossing the line.

Provoking a god could turn gratitude into deadly enmity—a risk too great to bear.

Soon, the soul beast was drained to a pile of bones. The black-haired woman on the stone platform opened her eyes.

Her brown eyes were blank and lost, drifting, as if she'd lost all sense of self. She slowly looked around, fear and confusion in her gaze, before finally settling on Yuhao, Ye Xishui, and Long Xiaoyao.

"Where am I? Who am I? Who are you?" she asked, voice trembling.

Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao exchanged shocked glances.

"You don't remember who you are?" Yuhao asked, equally surprised.

Holding her forehead, the woman muttered, "I don't know. I can't remember anything. Do you know who I am?"

Ye Xishui's eyes narrowed, and, ignoring the startled looks from Long Xiaoyao and Yuhao, she quickly decided to test her luck: "Your name is Xiao Mei, he's your husband Huo Yuhao, and we're your teachers. You were badly injured and lost your memory."

"My name is Xiao Mei? I lost my memory? You're really my husband?" The woman stared at Yuhao in confusion, lost and helpless, like a lamb in the dark seeking support.

"I…" Yuhao's mouth twitched helplessly. But under Ye Xishui's icy gaze, he could only nod.

Ye Xishui clearly intended to take advantage of the god's amnesia for the Cult's benefit.

Long Xiaoyao, seeing this, also twitched but remained silent, supporting Ye Xishui unconditionally—even if it meant deceiving a god and risking their wrath.

Ye Xishui was daring to the extreme, gambling with everyone's lives—but this time, her gamble paid off.

The amnesiac black-haired woman believed her, accepting that she was Xiao Mei and Yuhao was her husband.

Ye Xishui's plan was to keep Xiao Mei in the Holy Spirit Cult. Forcing her would have backfired, but amnesia played right into her hands.

Seeing Xiao Mei trust her and snuggle into Yuhao's arms, Ye Xishui's eyes narrowed with new plans. It was now imperative to cure Yuhao's physical issue. If the god could bear Yuhao's child, that would be ideal. With Yuhao's talent and the god's bloodline, their offspring would surely be extraordinary.

This could finally allow the Holy Spirit Cult to rule Douluo Continent. And if they had a child, even if the god regained her memory, the rice would be cooked and, as the saying goes, even a tiger won't eat its own cub. As a mother herself, Ye Xishui was confident of this.

With Xiao Mei deceived, further study of the god's mysteries became possible. As long as one of them achieved godhood before Xiao Mei recovered her memory, they'd never have to fear her revenge.

And so, Huo Yuhao, not even twenty, unexpectedly ended up with a goddess wife.

…

"Pfft!" 

Lu Jingming couldn't help but spit out his tea.

Herta calmly raised a finger, a gentle light blocking the tea spray.

They were watching the scene unfold in Herta's magic mirror, hearing every word.

Lu Jingming couldn't take it anymore. With Herta's artifact, no spatial change escaped her notice. She'd detected the brief spatial rift on Douluo Continent and quickly recognized the falling person as Xiao Wu—who'd shielded Tang San from Ma Hongjun's sneak attack in the God Realm and fell into a black hole.

Herta had thought Xiao Wu would be obliterated, as only god-kings could survive in a black hole, and Xiao Wu didn't have that power. But as luck would have it, Xiao Wu was swept to Douluo Continent instead.

Herta notified Lu Jingming, who watched Yuhao pick up Xiao Wu and bring her to the Holy Spirit Cult. He also witnessed Ye Xishui's outrageous move of convincing Xiao Wu she was Yuhao's wife.

What a twist—mother-in-law turned wife, son-in-law turned husband. Lu Jingming didn't know where to start complaining. It almost felt like Aha had come to stir up trouble for fun.

"Herta, I didn't summon Mourning Actors, nor any other Masked Fool. Aha can't possibly sneak in through the internet, right?" Lu Jingming joked.

Herta replied calmly, "You know best. Besides, you love this kind of drama."

"True, this is just hilarious!"

Lu Jingming grinned, thinking of the day when Tang San, after the God Realm stabilized, would search for Xiao Wu—only to find her married to Yuhao, maybe even with a child. That would be a sight to see, especially since Yuhao was his chosen son-in-law.

Too bad about Yuhao's problem. Now, it was up to Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao to fix it.

"Well, the fun is over, are you ready?"

Herta rolled her eyes, uninterested in the drama. With a wave, the mirror's image disappeared.

"Ready whenever you are!" Lu Jingming became serious, taking out the Holy Grail he'd modified with the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and handed it to Herta.

Only Herta could integrate the rules of the Holy Grail War and implant the Grail into the planet, officially starting a Grail War on Douluo Star.

This Holy Grail War would not only select a new Sea God, but also purify negative energy from the planet.

As Herta worked, the planet's will seemed to awaken. The rules of the Grail War wove invisibly into the world, and the Grail was embedded within the planet.

At the same time, a flood of information reached the mind of every Titled Douluo on Douluo Continent—details of the Grail War.

…

At Shrek Academy, Xuan Zi's face became grave as he received the information. He immediately called a Sea God Pavilion meeting.

"You've all received the message, right? Holy Grail War—the winner will inherit the Sea God's position."

At the head of the pavilion, Xuan Zi spoke solemnly.

"Elder Xuan, what's going on? Is the Sea God passing down his position?" Yan Shaozhe's eyes sparkled with hope. It had been ten thousand years since anyone became a god.

A sudden Grail War, with the winner inheriting Sea God, reminded him of the legendary God Trials.

"Could this Grail War be a test arranged by the Sea God himself?"

"I don't know. The Golden Tree hasn't reacted, and the academy received no oracle," Xuan Zi shook his head in confusion.

By rights, Shrek Academy, as the Sea God's most devout followers, shouldn't have been left out—but they'd had no warning.

Chapter 234 – Du Busi Breaks Through

"In any case, we at Shrek must participate fully. Whoever seizes the Sea God's position will dictate the continent's future," Elder Song said gravely.

"Of course. But the Grail War's Masters are randomly chosen. Who knows which of our students will be the lucky one?" Yan Shaozhe frowned, fully aware of the impact a god could have on the world.

A thousand years ago, it was precisely the gods' intervention that reshaped the continent's order.

"Whoever our Master is, we must give them our full support. We absolutely cannot let the Sea God's position fall into outsiders' hands," Xuan Zi said firmly.

Everyone knew that if Shrek, as the Sea God's inheritors, lost the god's position, the academy's prestige would suffer a huge blow—especially with the Sun Moon Empire as a rival. They couldn't let Sun Moon win.

News of the Grail War spread like wildfire, shaking the soul master world. The chance to inherit a god's position was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating waves of excitement.

Everyone dreamed of being the lucky Master, summoning a powerful Servant, winning the War, and becoming Sea God, gaining unimaginable power and immortality.

…

At the Sun Moon Empire, Crown Prince Xu Tianran was among the first to learn of the Grail War. Outwardly crippled and dismissed as useless, he was in fact a genius, becoming a Titled Douluo in his thirties with his Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon martial soul.

Though aided by resources and medicine, his own talent was key—otherwise, the Sun Moon Empire would have produced an army of Titled Douluos long ago.

Now, sitting in his wheelchair, hand to his forehead, his eyes burned with ambition.

He'd tried everything to regain his manhood, but failed. Of the three things a man desires—power, wealth, women—he'd lost one, so he focused on the other two.

Wealth was no issue; he set his sights on power.

He'd survived the bloody struggle for the throne, hands stained with his brothers' blood, and held the title of Crown Prince at a heavy price.

"If I can become a god, I'll be whole again. Unifying the continent won't be just a dream."

His eyes blazed. Becoming a god had always been a distant fantasy, but now, the opportunity was real. He would seize it at any cost.

He knew that being emperor would only fulfill ambition, but lacking heirs, even uniting the continent would be a hollow victory.

But godhood was different: it meant eternal life, restored health, and descendants—ensuring the Sun Moon Empire's glory continued.

Winning the Grail War and becoming Sea God would grant him everything he wanted.

…

"Such troubled times… The continent is about to be thrown into chaos," mused Xu Jiawei, Emperor of Star Luo, gazing towards the Sun Moon Empire.

He'd long been aware of their ambitions, keeping the White Tiger Duke and elite troops on the border at all times.

Four thousand years ago, they'd defeated the Sun Moon Empire, but time had changed things. The Sun Moon Empire kept advancing, while the original nations stagnated.

His only consolation was the steady rise of Haiyuan City, whose commercial empire covered the continent, constantly bringing in wealth and resources.

With his support, the newly formed Fools recruited many soul masters, who, after training, became a force to be reckoned with—a fallback for the Star Crown line.

After all, Xu Jiujiu was as good as Haiyuan City's mistress.

The Grail War was unexpected, but perhaps not a bad thing. All forces would be drawn in to compete for the godhood, including those usually hidden. Amid chaos, there was opportunity—to probe the Sun Moon Empire's true strength and, if necessary, to align himself with Haiyuan City.

Xu Jiawei was pragmatic—if they lost, they would retreat and regroup. There was no shame in that.

…

In the Heavenly Soul Empire's Body Sect, a strange scene unfolded.

A green poisonous cloud shrouded the sky. Within the sect, soul power built to a peak before erupting like a volcano. The force shattered a mountain, sending stones flying and dust billowing.

Black spatial cracks spread like spiderwebs in the air. "Hahaha, I've done it!" roared a figure in dark green, shooting skyward as a giant phantom appeared behind him, towering a thousand meters.

"Grandpa broke through—wonderful!" Princess Weina of the Heavenly Soul Empire beamed with joy.

Du Busi had broken through to Ultimate Douluo—a massive boost for the Heavenly Soul Empire's security amid the coming chaos.

"This is the power of a Ultimate Douluo—truly incredible! It feels like I could tear space with a wave of my hand."

Du Busi reveled in his new strength. The gap between rank 98 and 99 was vast; with dual soul cores resonating, he was now so strong. He wondered if the yin-yang method could even let him challenge demi-gods.