"Who?!"
Huo Hao and Huo Yu reacted with lightning speed, instantly taking positions on either side of Huo Yuhao to shield him. The three stood back-to-back, adopting the most wary defensive stance they could.
Their scalps prickled. To send a voice directly into their Sea of Consciousness without them noticing took strength far beyond anything they could hope to contend with!
As they stood on guard, a clump of bushes not far ahead began to rustle. A moment later, a creature impossible to describe in words slowly crawled out.
It was a giant silkworm, crystal-clear from head to tail, as if carved from ice. Its body was the color of white jade, and its head bore a pair of glittering golden eyes. Starting half a meter from its head, a golden ring encircled its body at regular intervals. There were ten in total.
But what the three brothers found most jarring was the giant silkworm's "face."
The tiny eyes on its enormous, round head stared fixedly at them. Its huge insect face wore an intensely human expression—an utterly bewildered mixture of wild delight and confusion.
"A Soul Beast... that can talk!"
Huo Yuhao's voice trembled.
Huo Hao's expression was graver than ever. Once a Soul Beast could speak, it had to be a Ferocious Beast that had cultivated for at least a hundred thousand years! How could an existence of that caliber be in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest? It made no sense!
Huo Yu's gaze was cold, dangerous light flickering in his purple eyes. If things turned bad, he would strike first, even if it was futile.
River God Lin Feng lounged underwater with his legs crossed, watching the scene through a projection of divine power. He looked just like someone enjoying a 3D blockbuster at the cinema.
"Here we go! The protagonist's first cheat has arrived! Though something seems a little different this time. Tian Meng, how about you try splitting into three, too?"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had evidently recovered from its initial bewilderment. Looking at the three nervous young men, who all had identical Mental Attributes, it cleared its throat and spoke in a weathered, mournful voice. "Young men, don't be alarmed. I mean you no harm."
It launched into its tragic tale: how it had fallen into an ice fissure and encountered Ten Thousand Year Cold Marrow, how it had somehow survived for a million years, and how, with its time running out and terrifying Ferocious Beasts hunting it down, it had fled here with nowhere else to turn.
"...So I need a host, someone with a Mental Attribute, to bear my million years of cultivation and wisdom. We'll fuse, and I'll become an unprecedented Wisdom Soul Ring! And you are the perfect candidates I've dreamed of!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's little golden eyes roved over the three of them, full of hope.
"So, which of you would like to become the owner of a Million-year Soul Ring?"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was genuinely at a loss. It had spent all these years without finding a suitable Soul Master with a Mental Attribute, and now three had appeared at once.
Huo Yuhao was stunned. A Million-year Soul Ring? What did that even mean? His heart was pounding so hard it felt ready to leap out of his chest.
Just then, Huo Hao spoke in a low voice. He glanced at his third brother, who was clearly feeling inferior, and said firmly, "In that case, why not give the Soul Ring to our third brother?"
"Big brother?!"
Huo Yuhao jerked his head up, staring at Huo Hao in disbelief.
A tender warmth shone in Huo Hao's golden eyes. "Third brother, your Innate Soul Power is only rank one. That's your biggest weakness. If your First Soul Ring is at the million-year level, it'll make up for all your shortcomings. Second brother and I both have rank ten Innate Soul Power. Even without a million-year First Soul Ring, we'll still be invincible. Besides, we're brothers. We should make progress together."
A rush of warmth swept through Huo Yuhao, breaking through every last one of his defenses. His eyes reddened once again.
So this is what it means to have an older brother? To have family? Faced with such an enormous temptation, Big Brother's first thought had been of me!
"I disagree."
A cold voice cut through the touching moment.
Huo Yu folded his arms, a cunning gleam in his bewitching purple eyes. He looked at Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, then at Huo Hao, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful smile.
"Big brother, have you forgotten how we came to be?"
Huo Hao paused, then a glint flashed in his eyes.
"You mean..."
"Exactly."
Huo Yu kept it brief.
"If one Huo Yuhao can become three, why can't one Sky Dream Ice Silkworm become three?"
Silence fell over everyone.
Huo Yuhao's moved expression was instantly replaced by shock.
Right! Why hadn't they thought of that?
The bewildered look returned to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's enormous insect face, now even more pronounced than before.
"Th-three of me? What nonsense are you talking about?"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hadn't read anyone's memories yet, and was still completely bewildered. A Million Year Soul Beast was already one of a kind. And now these three brats wanted to split one among themselves? What kind of daydream were they having?
But Huo Hao and Huo Yuhao had already been won over by this brilliant idea. They exchanged a glance and nodded together.
"That's what we'll do!"
"Let's go!"
Without another word, the three brothers turned and headed back the way they had come.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was dumbfounded. This wasn't how the story was supposed to go! Weren't the three brothers supposed to fight over it? Even arguing over who got it would have made sense.
How had this turned into them taking it somewhere?
Its head was full of questions. But as it watched the three walking away, intense curiosity got the better of it. In the end, it wriggled its massive body and followed them.
Before long, they reached the unremarkable little river again.
Huo Yu pointed to the calm water and said succinctly to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, "Jump in."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm: "???"
It looked down at the clear, shallow river, which was less than five meters deep, and felt nothing but disdain. What kind of joke was this? It was a Million Year Soul Beast! A little river couldn't drown it, let alone an entire ocean!
"What are you three up to?"
"This is how the three of us appeared. If you jump in, you can split into three, too. Besides, you won't drown."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's golden eyes widened. Its million-year-old mind raced, and a bold idea came to it.
What if... what if the other two versions of me turn out to be even stronger? Then the three of us could join forces. We wouldn't have to fear Di Tian or the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts! We could rule the Star Dou Great Forest!
The temptation was simply too great!
"Splash—!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm threw its enormous body into the river, sending up a towering spray of water.
"Woohoo! Another customer!"
Lin Feng snapped his fingers at the bottom of the river. A familiar BGM seemed to ring in his ears.
He rose slowly from the water, dressed in white as radiant as snow, elegant and dashing, a warm yet peculiar smile on his lips.
"Young Huo Yuhao, did you drop this golden Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?"
As he spoke, he lifted a silkworm with a dazzling golden body in his left hand. Its golden eyes brimmed with boundless pride and authority. It looked like a divine beast from the Divine Realm. It gave the three brothers on the bank a disdainful glance, then raised its head haughtily.
"No."
The three brothers answered in unison, as honest as could be.
"Oh?"
Lin Feng nodded approvingly.
"Then did you drop this silver-white Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?"
With his right hand, he lifted another silkworm, almost completely transparent, its faint silver outline only visible in the light. Its aura was so subtle it seemed as if it could blend into the air at any moment. Its silver eyes were full of timidity and shyness, and as soon as it was picked up, it tried desperately to hide behind Lin Feng.
"Not that one either."
"Then did you drop this ordinary Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?"
Lin Feng lifted the original Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who was still splashing in the water, utterly bewildered.
"Yes! That's the one!"
Hearing their answer, Lin Feng broke into a dazzling smile. He gave them a thumbs-up and praised them loudly.
"You really are a bunch of honest, good kids! As a reward for your honesty, I'll give you all three Sky Dream Ice Silkworms!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The three giant silkworms traced perfect arcs through the air before thump! Thump! Thump! crashing onto the grass and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lin Feng sank back into the water, thoroughly satisfied. A heavenly chime rang out in his mind.
[ Ding! Detected an epic deviation from the worldline! The form of the Child of Destiny's first cheat has undergone a fundamental change! ] [ Deviation level: Extremely high! ] [ Calculating rewards... ] [ Congratulations, host! You have received the reward: Super Divine Artifact River God's Staff. Your strength has increased to God King level. ]