The air was filled with an eerie silence. Beibei and Tang Ya felt their entire worldview take a tiny bit of a beating.
The three of them looked exactly alike, yet had completely different auras. Were they really not the three brothers who'd jumped into the river?
The blond boy was the first to break the silence. His voice was steady and resonant. "My name is Huo Hao."
The black-haired boy gave a snort, amusement glinting in his purple eyes. "Huo Yu. Heh, how interesting..."
That left the blue-haired Huo Yuhao. He cautiously glanced at the two beside him, then spoke in a timid voice. "I... I'm Huo Yuhao."
Three names, three identical faces. Six pairs of eyes met, and a feeling of kinship, of blood ties, quietly rose in their hearts, as though it came from the depths of their souls.
They didn't know why the other two had appeared, but they knew there was an unbreakable bond between them.
"W-what exactly is going on?"
Tang Ya's brain had completely crashed. She looked at Beibei for help, hoping he could offer a reasonable explanation.
But Beibei looked no less bewildered. His brow furrowed as he stared at the scene before him, which was entirely beyond his understanding. What kind of Soul Skill could turn one person into three, each one an independent individual?
And what was the deal with that strange fellow? He'd made three people appear, then left without saying a word.
Just then, Huo Hao, who had the air of an eldest brother, spoke up. He rose to his feet and glanced at Huo Yu and Huo Yuhao, his voice deep and firm. "We don't know why we came into being, but fate brought us together here. This feeling of kinship, of blood ties, can't be wrong. From this day on, we are three brothers, united in heart despite having separate bodies!"
He held out his hand and looked at the other two, his tone resolute. "I am the eldest, Huo Hao. You are the second brother, Huo Yu, and you are the third, Huo Yuhao. The three of us will make our mark on this continent together!"
A playful smile appeared on Huo Yu's face as he reached out and placed his hand on top. "That sounds a lot more interesting than being alone."
Huo Yuhao looked at them, and his eyes reddened in an instant. He had suffered bullying all his life and had never known the affection of brothers.
Now, all at once, he had two older brothers who seemed dependable, and their words were full of sincerity. A great warmth welled up inside him. He couldn't hold back any longer. Choking up, he placed his hand on top of theirs. "Big brother! Second brother!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
River God Lin Feng excitedly waved his fists beneath the water. The deviation level on the system panel was skyrocketing.
"If Tang San wants to scheme against Huo Yuhao, one daughter won't be enough. Hahaha! Should I send Xiao Wu down too—and turn myself into a woman while I'm at it—so we can have a 'Heaven and Earth Inquiry of Love'?"
"Three young brothers!"
Tang Ya hurried over, wearing the most sincere and enthusiastic smile. "I'm Tang Ya, the sect master of the Tang Sect, and this is my senior disciple, Beibei. I can see how close the three of you are and how ambitious you are. Would you be interested in joining the Tang Sect?"
She began to paint a picture of their future. "The Tang Sect may be small now, but it was once the greatest sect on the continent! As long as we work together, restoring the Tang Sect to its former glory is just a matter of time! You three would be the perfect foundation for its revival!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered with interest.
The Tang Sect! He'd heard the name countless times. It was a legendary sect. Even though it had fallen into decline, joining a place like that seemed like a wonderful opportunity.
However, Beibei discreetly tugged at Tang Ya's sleeve and said in a low voice, "Teacher Xiao Ya, we need to think this over carefully. These three have such a strange background, and we don't know what kind of people they are. We can't just..."
Before he could finish, Huo Hao cut him off.
Huo Hao gave Tang Ya a polite nod. "Thank you for your kind offer, Sect Master Tang Ya, but the three of us prefer our freedom. We want to explore this world with our own strength, so we don't want to join any sect for now."
His words rang with conviction and carried a natural air of kingly authority, leaving no room for argument.
The spark of longing that had just kindled in Huo Yuhao was immediately snuffed out by his eldest brother's decision. After thinking it over, he decided that his brother was right. Better to roam the world together than live under someone else's roof. That sounded much more liberating! He immediately made up his mind and stood behind Huo Hao.
Huo Yu lazily yawned, seeming to have no interest in the Tang Sect at all.
Tang Ya's smile stiffened, and regret filled her heart. She wanted to try persuading them again, but seeing the determination in Huo Hao's eyes, she knew there was no point. She could only sigh. "All right. Everyone has their own ambitions, and I won't force you. So... what are you planning to do next?"
"We three brothers don't have Soul Rings yet, so we plan to obtain them and become true Soul Masters," Huo Hao said frankly.
"Obtain Soul Rings?"
Tang Ya's eyes lit up again.
"Then that's perfect! Beibei and I are here to get my third Soul Ring, so we can go together. We can look out for each other along the way!"
But Huo Hao shook his head once more, then said something that nearly turned Beibei and Tang Ya to stone on the spot.
"No."
Huo Hao gazed at Tang Ya with warmth and sincerity. "The three of us should help Sect Master Tang Ya obtain her Soul Ring first."
Tang Ya: "Huh?"
Beibei: "What?"
They were both completely dumbfounded. What kind of nonsense was this? Wasn't that backward? They were Soul Masters, and the three of them didn't even have Soul Rings. Why would ordinary people like them help?
Huo Hao seemed to see through their confusion. Calmly, he explained, "If Sect Master Tang Ya hadn't made the honest choice today, the three of us wouldn't be here, sworn brothers. We owe you this kindness, and it's only right that we repay it first. Please give us the chance to return the favor."
His explanation was reasonable and heartfelt, leaving Tang Ya and Beibei at a loss for how to refuse.
Beibei drew a deep breath. He still thought the whole thing was ridiculous, and he frowned. "Huo Hao, we appreciate the thought, but hunting Soul Beasts is no trivial matter. You haven't obtained Soul Rings, and you don't have Soul Skills. How can you..."
"Who says you can't help without Soul Skills?"
Huo Hao smiled calmly and slowly lifted his head. His golden eyes suddenly blazed with light! An illusory, vertical pupil, seemingly formed from countless golden patterns, flashed into existence between his brows.
"My Martial Soul is called the 'Eye of Sanction.'"
An invisible pressure spread outward, making Beibei and Tang Ya tense. Huo Hao continued, "Even without a Soul Ring, my Eye of Sanction can unleash a brief stare, enough to trap any enemy in absolute restraint for 0.5 seconds."
0.5 seconds!
Beibei's pupils contracted. For an ordinary person, 0.5 seconds was barely a blink. But in a battle between Soul Masters, 0.5 seconds of absolute restraint was enough to change the tide of battle, or even decide who lived and who died! This... this was practically a divine skill!
Huo Yuhao watched his eldest brother looking so radiant and thought of how his own Spirit Eyes Martial Soul only let him see farther and in greater detail, with seemingly no combat ability. Envy and a sense of inferiority rose in him, and he silently lowered his head.
Huo Hao keenly noticed his third brother's mood change. He turned and rested a hand on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, his voice gentle. "Third brother, don't be discouraged. Our Martial Souls are Body Martial Souls, which have the potential to awaken. Even if our Innate Soul Power is lacking, we can make up for those deficiencies with various Immortal Herbs and Precious Medicines."
His words were like a sudden awakening. The gloom in Huo Yuhao's heart vanished, and he nodded firmly, confidence once more burning in his eyes. "Yes, big brother!"
With Huo Hao's miraculous Eye of Sanction as their trump card, along with Huo Yu's ghostlike footwork and precise sense of timing, Tang Ya's hunt for her third Soul Ring went so smoothly it was almost unbelievable.
"Huo Hao, we couldn't have done it without you. Now let us help you get your Soul Rings!"
Beibei spoke from the heart. His opinion of the three brothers had completely changed. Huo Hao in particular would certainly become one of Shrek Academy's rising stars if he joined.
"There's no need," Huo Hao said, politely declining once again.
"True training means fighting with your own hands. Our path as brothers has only just begun."
They were utterly resolute. Beibei and Tang Ya knew they couldn't make them stay, so they could only regretfully let them go. The two groups parted at the edge of the Star Dou Forest.
As he watched Tang Ya and Beibei leave, Huo Hao turned toward the vast, boundless forest, full of confidence.
The three brothers walked side by side into the depths of the woods, and their figures were soon swallowed by the dense foliage.
They had no idea how long they'd been walking when a voice, filled with exhaustion and elation, suddenly boomed without warning through all three of their Seas of Consciousness:
"A million years... At last, at long last, this Heavenly Silkworm has found a host with a Mental Attribute! Eh? Why are there three of you?"
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