She's Had No Mother Since Childhood

Sunset Forest, outer region.

Huo Yuhao followed Spirit Hall's Soul Master Team as they moved through the outer region.

The outskirts were mostly inhabited by ten-year soul beasts, with the occasional hundred-year soul beast appearing now and then.

Spirit Hall's Soul Master Team did not rush recklessly ahead. After circling through the forest for an entire day, they were still within the outer region, which showed just how vast Sunset Forest was.

The Black-Robed Man leading the group ordered them to set up camp and rest. The soul masters immediately divided up the work: some pitched tents, some gathered dry branches for firewood, and some prepared the food.

Huo Yuhao found the scene rather familiar. Just as he was about to volunteer to gather firewood, someone stopped him.

That person was Xie Yue.

"Though this is the outer region of the Soul Beast Forest, there is still some danger. Let them handle those things," Xie Yue said.

Seeing how clearly the Soul Master Team had divided their tasks and how orderly they were working, Huo Yuhao naturally had nothing to say.

There were even people specifically assigned to cook, so there was no place for him to help.

Huo Yuhao even wondered whether they were guarding against him poisoning the food.

And so, he could only sit on a fallen, decaying log, raising a hand to brush over the soft Blue Silver Grass growing from the ground.

As the others busied themselves, Huo Yuhao watched for a while before falling asleep.

By the time he woke up, the sun was already sinking beyond the western hills, and the sky had begun to darken.

Huo Yuhao sniffed and caught the aroma of meat drifting over from nearby.

He turned to look and saw that the others were stewing some kind of meat not far away.

At that moment, Hu Liena walked toward him with a bowl of meat soup.

Behind her, Yan was grumbling and cursing, only to be stopped by Xie Yue, who wore a gentle smile. Huo Yuhao vaguely heard, "He's just a child. You're jealous over even this?" and, "You know Na'er has been without a mother since she was little."

"Here." Hu Liena handed the steaming bowl of meat soup to Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao hurriedly stood and accepted it with both hands.

"Thank you."

"What are they discussing over there?"

Hu Liena merely smiled faintly, gathering her skirt as she sat on the decaying log beside him.

"They're always like this. There's no need to mind them."

"What kind of meat is this? It smells so good." Huo Yuhao drank the soup curiously.

"Soft Bone Charm Rabbit. Its meat is tender, and it's one of the easiest delicacies to catch in the Soul Beast Forest," Hu Liena said with a smile.

Soft Bone Charm Rabbit?

Huo Yuhao's mind stalled slightly.

"What's wrong?" Hu Liena asked when she noticed the odd look on his face.

Huo Yuhao shook his head and emptied the entire bowl, meat and soup alike, warmth spreading through his stomach.

"It's delicious."

"Would you like another bowl?" Hu Liena asked with a smile.

"Not too much, not too little. This is just right," Huo Yuhao said.

"Are you sure? Opportunities to camp, light a fire, and cook like this only exist in the outer regions of the Soul Beast Forest. Once we go deeper, we'll only be able to eat dry rations," Hu Liena said with a smile.

Most low-level soul beasts feared fire and would cautiously avoid it when they saw flames.

In areas inhabited by ten-thousand-year soul beasts, let alone cooking, even simply lighting an open flame for illumination could very well bring about a fatal disaster.

"I've already mentioned it to the seniors. They'll help keep an eye out for soul beasts that suit you," Hu Liena said.

"Thank you." A hint of warmth rose in Huo Yuhao's heart. When someone truly treated you well, you could feel it.

That warmth reminded him of Sister Xiaoya.

"There's no news yet, so isn't it a little early to thank me?" Hu Liena said with a smile. "By the way, what direction do you plan to take in your future cultivation?"

Perhaps worried that Huo Yuhao did not understand, she deliberately explained further.

"For example, my martial soul is a fox. It naturally possesses traits of charm, agility, and cunning, so I chose the control-type cultivation path."

"Control type." Huo Yuhao gave a clear answer.

In his previous life, he had primarily cultivated the Spiritual Eye Martial Soul and followed the control-type path.

"Then what kind of effect do you hope your first soul skill will have?" Hu Liena asked curiously.

Huo Yuhao pondered slightly. "Mental Detection."

It was something he felt attached to, and he could not help feeling nostalgic about it.

"Mental Detection? That sounds more like an auxiliary-type skill," Hu Liena voiced her opinion.

"Control-type soul masters are responsible for controlling the overall situation."

"As long as you cut down everyone on the other side, wouldn't that still count as controlling the overall situation?" Huo Yuhao said with a smile.

Hu Liena laughed and scolded him fondly, "You're such a precocious little imp."

They watched the laughing, chatting scene beneath the tree.

"Don't stop me! Let me kill that little beggar!" Yan was practically possessed by rage, itching to charge in and go on a rampage.

"Even if I didn't stop you, what could you do once you got up there?" Xie Yue spread his hands helplessly, glancing back at the warm scene behind him.

"Besides, do you really think Na'er would develop any romantic feelings for an eleven-year-old child?"

Yan was instantly silenced.

Looking at it that way, it really did not seem like that. No matter how he looked at it, it was more like the affection between an older sister and younger brother.

But it still pissed him off, all right?

"In Na'er's eyes, she's simply treating him as a younger boy from the neighborhood," Xie Yue said seriously.

"Yan, after all these years, don't you understand Na'er's personality?"

"Sigh..." Yan wore a miserable expression.

That little brat would grow up someday. Either way, it made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Actually, you don't need to worry so much," Xie Yue said with a gentle smile.

Yan abruptly raised his head, ready to hear words of wisdom.

"Talent determines one's future. His martial soul isn't outstanding, and it's an extremely rare Spirit-type one. Even finding soul rings compatible with it would be difficult," Xie Yue said.

"At eleven, his soul power is level ten. His Innate Soul Power was probably around level two or three. Without some great opportunity, he will most likely never break through level thirty in his life."

Yan nodded slightly as he listened.

"Let me ask you this: when you were eleven, what level was your soul power?" Xie Yue asked with a smile.

"Level twenty-seven," Yan gave a precise answer.

"We are known as Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. In another two years, the Advanced Soul Master Competition will be the moment of our greatest glory. As for that boy, he will simply fade into the crowd," Xie Yue said calmly.

"To Na'er, when she looks back on this in the future, she'll only remember that she once helped a young boy. Even if he joins Spirit Hall, the two of them won't have much contact with each other," Xie Yue analyzed calmly.

"So what are you so anxious about?"

Yan was dumbfounded, then utterly convinced. He called Xie Yue "brother-in-law" and immediately wanted to go up and give him a hug.

Xie Yue slapped his hand away and laughed as he scolded him, "That's not for you to decide. My little sister has to acknowledge it first."

It was as if Yan had attained enlightenment. More than half the hostility in his gaze toward Huo Yuhao vanished.

Hmph, you're nothing more than an insignificant passerby. I can't be bothered to get angry with you.

Huo Yuhao noticed the chattering over there. The way that red-haired guy was looking at him made goosebumps rise all over his body.

Had this guy gone nuts?