A Heart in Turmoil

Huo Yuhao stared unblinkingly at the Life Gold in Gu Yuena's hand, its gentle glow seeming to slow his heartbeat at that moment.

He knew perfectly well how precious it was. Instinctively, he wanted to refuse, yet he seemed to have no reason at all to give up this piece of Life Gold.

"This is far too precious, but I really need it right now. Consider this a favor I owe you—I'll find a way to repay you in the future."

There was a trace of helplessness in Huo Yuhao's voice.

"No need. Just take this Life Gold as a gift from me. You don't have to repay me."

Gu Yuena blinked as she spoke to Huo Yuhao.

"How could that be? It's too precious. I'll definitely find a way to repay you someday, I promise."

After hearing Huo Yuhao's words, Gu Yuena blinked, the corners of her lips curling down slightly in a faint, imperceptible bitter smile.

Gu Yuena said softly, "I thought our relationship was already very good. I never expected that, in your heart, I'm merely an ally?" A hint of disappointment unconsciously seeped into her voice.

Soul beasts found it difficult to fall for humans, but once they truly did, their feelings were more sincere and more passionate than those of humans.

Over the past month or so of spending every day together with Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena had immersed herself in his gentleness. She had originally thought that Huo Yuhao felt the same way.

Giving Huo Yuhao the Life Gold this time had been a test. Yet his words left her feeling a trace of uncertainty and unease.

"We both carry too much on our shoulders. Right now, I don't want to talk about these things." Huo Yuhao lowered his head, his voice subdued as he did not dare look into Gu Yuena's eyes.

By now, Huo Yuhao could confirm that Tang San had also been reborn. He had once clearly sensed fluctuations from Tang San's Divine Sense.

Huo Yuhao knew exactly how powerful Tang San was. If he could bring back the Eye of Eternity, then Tang San could bring back the Asura God Sword.

Although Huo Yuhao did not know exactly how many Super Divine Tools Tang San had brought back, he could only assume the worst.

That was, Tang San had most likely brought back the trident, the Sea God Eight Wings, and the Asura God Sword together.

Although he had already reached the cultivation of a God King, Huo Yuhao still had no confidence when facing Tang San.

Even if he could always crush Tang San before they became gods, once the two of them attained godhood, the situation would reverse in an instant.

Huo Yuhao understood that after becoming gods, the balance of power between them would undergo a fundamental change.

Even Tang San, relying on the Sea God position while wielding the Sea God Trident and possessing the Sea God Eight Wings, could already fight him evenly. Not to mention Tang San as the Asura God.

As for killing Tang San before he became a god, that was sheer nonsense. He could unleash Divine Power for one or two seconds in an instant—did that mean Tang San could not? If they went to war ahead of time, the consequences would absolutely be more than either of them could bear.

As one of the people who had understood Tang San best in his previous life, Huo Yuhao knew Tang San's nature all too well. Not only was the man decisive and ruthless, holding grudges over the slightest offense, but he also had no bottom line in his actions.

Huo Yuhao had personally witnessed Tang San's methods before. It could be said that his wariness of Tang San had reached its peak.

Huo Yuhao did not dare gamble on whether Tang San would vent his anger on the entire soul beast race. If he truly lost, then once Tang San decided to take revenge on the soul beast race, the entire Soul Beast World would face utter destruction.

Huo Yuhao did not want to drag the soul beast race into the conflict between himself and Tang San.

The reason Huo Yuhao dared to unite the entire Spirit Hall's strength as his foundation was because the conflict between Spirit Hall and Tang San had already been irreconcilable.

But the Soul Beast World was different. Huo Yuhao did not want to drag the soul beast race into the conflict between himself and Tang San. He knew full well that the soul beast race was already in a precarious position, and he did not want them to become sacrifices in his struggle against Tang San.

Therefore, before he had absolute confidence in opposing the Asura God, Huo Yuhao did not want to become too entangled with Gu Yuena, lest he drag her into it. Working with Gu Yuena to promote Soul Spirits was already the limit of what he could do.

"So this is your reason for rejecting me? Don't you think it's ridiculous? I carry no less than you do." There was a trace of bitterness in Gu Yuena's voice.

"I..." Huo Yuhao wanted to say something more, but Gu Yuena cut him off directly.

"Enough, Huo Yuhao. You should leave. I'm a little tired. I'm going to rest at the Lake of Life. You can go back on your own."

A hint of exhaustion and resolve showed through Gu Yuena's voice.

After speaking, Gu Yuena turned and headed toward the Lake of Life. Di Tian hurriedly followed her inside.

Just as Gu Yuena was about to enter the Lake of Life, Huo Yuhao finally could not help calling out to her. "Can I... go see the Auspicious Beast?"

There was a tremor in Huo Yuhao's voice.

"What, you're afraid of dragging me into this, but you're not afraid of implicating the Auspicious Beast?" Gu Yuena turned to look at Huo Yuhao, complex emotions flickering in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Di Tian's gaze immediately turned alert. The Dragon God Claw on his right hand was already poised to strike. He looked like an old father whose daughter was about to be lured away by some blond punk, as if he would rush over and beat Huo Yuhao to death at any moment.

"I... I'll just see her once..."

"Huo Yuhao..."

Gu Yuena's voice echoed through the air, carrying an unquestionable resolve.

"Come back when you've thought things through."

Gu Yuena shook her head.

"Your heart is too unsettled right now. You're not suited to see her. I hope that after you return from the Extreme North, you'll have calmed down."

After saying that, Gu Yuena did not linger any longer. She turned and stepped into the Lake of Life.

Huo Yuhao and Qian Renxue stood by the lakeside, watching as Gu Yuena's figure gradually disappeared beneath the shimmering surface.

Huo Yuhao gently stroked Gu Yuena's Inverse Scale hanging around his neck. His emotions were a tangled mess, and his mind felt utterly chaotic.

Qian Renxue stood beside Huo Yuhao and gently leaned against him. "Alright, stop looking. She's gone."

Seeing Huo Yuhao like this made Qian Renxue feel terrible. In her heart, Huo Yuhao had always been a gentle, dependable, and very interesting youth. Yet now, he looked so lost and fragile.

Perhaps this was what he was truly like. The thought suddenly surfaced in Qian Renxue's heart. After all, everyone had a side they did not show to others, and Huo Yuhao was no exception.

Behind Huo Yuhao's strength and optimism, perhaps there lay much pain and struggle unknown to others.

Qian Renxue gently took Huo Yuhao's hand. "No matter what happens in the future, I'll stay by your side. Though I don't know what exactly you were talking about, I can tell that your current state of mind is just like mine was back then—lost and afraid."

Huo Yuhao, someone as outstanding as you—what exactly are you afraid of? And what could possibly be worth fearing?

Qian Renxue could not help thinking to herself.

"Alright, let's not talk about this for now. I'll take you back to Spirit Hall first. After that, I'll be heading to the Extreme North to obtain a Soul Spirit for my second martial soul."

Huo Yuhao's face once again returned to its usual sunny expression, as though nothing had happened.

"By the time we meet again, you probably won't be able to beat me anymore!"

Huo Yuhao winked at Qian Renxue and said with a smile.

"Pfft... all you know is how to brag. Maybe by the next time we meet, I'll already be a Soul Saint. Once I reach Soul Saint, my strength will be beyond the imagination of a little brat like you."

"Hahaha, not necessarily. After all, I'm a peerless genius..."

(The Extreme North arc officially begins