Huo Yuhao nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "Sect Master, how exactly do I begin the first step of the initiation?"
Du Busi did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Huo Yuhao with a deep, meaningful gaze.
Huo Yuhao blinked twice, asking in confusion, "Uh... why are you looking at me like that?"
Du Busi gave Huo Yuhao's head an annoyed smack. "You brat, are you actually smart or just playing dumb? You're learning the exclusive secret technique of my Body Sect. Shouldn't you be calling me 'Master'?"
"Oh, oh..." Huo Yuhao immediately called out respectfully, "Master."
"Mm... that's more like it."
A satisfied smile instantly appeared on Du Busi's face; being tsundere isn't just for little girls.
"The Innate Secret Technique is the fundamental ultimate method of the Body Sect. Having talent alone isn't enough; it must be passed down to the future Sect Master of the Body Sect."
"Yuhao, on the way here, I already examined your body. The strength of your meridians and muscles surpasses any young man of this generation. You've even condensed a Blood Essence Vortex. Although I don't know how you did it, this undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for you to cultivate the Innate Secret Technique."
Then, Du Busi said gratifiedly, "Because you have already completed more than half of the most difficult start of the Innate Secret Technique."
It is incredibly difficult for a human without a special bloodline to condense a Blood Essence Soul Core. This was the primary reason why neither Long Aotian nor Du Busi could master the Innate Secret Technique. It wasn't a matter of willpower, but a matter of bloodline.
"Eat these first, then I'll take you to experience the mysteries of the Innate Secret Technique."
With a wave of Du Busi's large hand, three plates appeared before them, all filled with fresh, brightly colored raw seafood.
"This is..."
Among these few types of raw seafood, the only one Huo Yuhao recognized was the Purple Crystal Lobster; he hadn't seen the others before.
Du Busi said nonchalantly, "Because of the unique nature of our Martial Souls, our Body Sect has very high requirements for food quality. As the saying goes, 'those near the mountains eat from the mountains, and those near the sea eat from the sea.' We might lack other things, but there's no shortage of fresh treasures from the ocean."
"These are the claws of the Magic Rock Giant Crab. They nourish the skin and are among the few things that can restore mental energy. The flavor is delicious; you must try them."
"This is the flesh of the Abyssal Sea Salmon, which has the effect of restoring vitality."
"This is the Icy Rock Starfish..."
Huo Yuhao nodded with some admiration as he listened, but then he noticed something was off.
"These all seem to be soul beasts from the deep sea. Catching them shouldn't be easy, right? Could it be that our Body Sect has a specialized fishing fleet?"
A trace of a strange smile appeared on Du Busi's face as he joked, "You'll know when it's time for your Martial Soul's Second Awakening. Eat up. After you finish, I'll take you to experience the mysteries of the Innate Secret Technique."
Despite having a bad feeling, Huo Yuhao honestly stuffed the raw seafood into his stomach.
To be fair, these things were indeed highly nourishing. After devouring the meal, Huo Yuhao felt his Blood Essence Vortex swell significantly.
"Full?"
Seeing Huo Yuhao nod, Du Busi said in a low voice, "The first step of the Innate Secret Technique is Body Tempering—using the Heaven and Earth Origin Power to grind and nourish the Innate Qi within the fetus. You should feel it first."
Du Busi waved his hand, and his powerful Soul Power drew in various attributes of Heaven and Earth Origin Power from all directions, which then surged frantically into Huo Yuhao's body.
The beginning of everything is difficult. Compared to the three subsequent levels, the Body Tempering via Origin Power is undoubtedly the most painful. It is equivalent to shattering the body and then constantly reshaping it, step by step increasing the body's strength and condensing the Blood-Qi Core. The difficulty is extreme.
But in Du Busi's view, Huo Yuhao, who already possessed a Blood-Qi Vortex, had at least an 80% chance of passing this stage directly. As for willpower... would a Mental-type Soul Master lack willpower?
Even if he couldn't complete it, the baptism of Body Tempering would make the subsequent Second Awakening of the Martial Soul easier, sparing him from suffering at sea.
Huo Yuhao's reaction was exactly as Du Busi expected: calm and composed, without a single ripple of disturbance.
But as time passed, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Origin Power was completely absorbed by Huo Yuhao's body. He even started using his own mental power to attract even denser Origin Power. Seeing this, Du Busi's expression gradually turned strange.
What's the situation? Could it be that he's completing the Body Tempering right here and now?
While the Body Sect's Innate Secret Technique was powerful, it was also extremely difficult to cultivate. Among this generation of Body Sect disciples, including himself and Long Aotian, not a single person had completed this step.
This kid is something else!
Du Busi was already imagining the shock Huo Yuhao would bring to the world of Soul Masters once he possessed the Golden Flawless Body.
When the time comes, Huo Yuhao will punch the Heavenly Dragon Gate and kick the Bear Lord. Those Tang Sect, Shrek, and Evil Soul Masters will all be nothing more than minor nuisances before the righteous iron fist of my Body Sect.
Even...
Du Busi took a sharp breath in excitement. The hope for the Body Martial Soul to evolve to the God-level might very well lie with Huo Yuhao.
Hehe, when that happens, will the position of our Body Sect as the number one sect in the world ever be in doubt?
...
What Du Busi didn't expect was that Huo Yuhao's single session of Body Tempering lasted for a full week...
Although his cheeks occasionally tensed, he never made a sound, remaining as calm as still water the entire time.
Du Busi patted the shoulder of Long Aotian, who was nearby. "How is it? Now you know there's always someone better, right?"
Long Aotian nodded silently and said sincerely, "I am in awe of Brother Yuhao's talent! Giving him the position of Young Sect Master is indeed the most correct choice."
Du Busi looked at Long Aotian with some surprise. "You... actually think that?"
Long Aotian shrugged naturally. "I can tell he didn't use his full strength that day. I only hope that after he finishes his cultivation, we can fight once more."
Clearly, compared to some title of Young Sect Master, combat was more capable of piquing Long Aotian's interest.
Du Busi shook his head. "I didn't say that. You have your own strengths; the position of Young Sect Master isn't something just anyone can sit in."
"You should practice here as well. Carefully feel how he operates his Soul Power and the Innate Secret Technique; it will naturally benefit your own cultivation."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
...
Douluo God Realm, Sea God's Palace.
Tang San rubbed his brow with some annoyance. The development of matters on the Douluo Continent was getting a bit out of control.
Simply put... Shrek's side seemed to be "lying flat" (slacking off).
The fundamental base of faith for the Sea God was marine life. Adding the prestige he had built for himself 30,000 years ago, Tang San wasn't worried about the Sea God's faith.
But the God of Asura required the faith of slaughter. If the continent was at peace, where would this faith of slaughter come from?
So, over these past ten thousand years, he had allowed his great-grandfather Tang Chen to hold the authority of the High Priest of Asura, making the City of Slaughter—where those who fled from slaughter gathered—the Holy Empire.
Tang Chen happened to have been the King of Slaughter for a long time, so he was a perfect fit for the job. Coupled with the cover provided by his father Tang Hao, who was currently replacing the master of the Plane, it was nearly impossible for anyone to discover it.
Evil Soul Masters created slaughter on the continent; he could absorb the Asura God faith generated by that slaughter, and then let Shrek Academy act as supervisors in the name of the Sea God to harvest another portion of Sea God faith.
It was truly a win-win.
But now... after Shrek Academy was taught a lesson by the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Tool Academy and the Holy Spirit Cult, they should have rallied for a counterattack according to logic. Instead, why did the Master of the Sea God Pavilion look like he was just giving up?