Dai Yuhao? Huo Yuhao?

He slept unusually deeply and peacefully. When Dai Yuhao opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a smooth, spotless ceiling above him, not the familiar dark gray beams of his home, marked with tiny cracks and rain stains.

He blinked and sat up in confusion.

The quilt covering him was white and soft, its texture unbelievably delicate, completely different from the hard, thin old cotton quilt at home.

He looked around. The room was not large, but it was exceptionally clean and bright. The walls were an even white, the floor gleamed like a mirror, and there was neither the familiar damp smell nor any signs of patchwork repairs.

Everything silently told him that this was not the Small House he shared with his Mom.

"Awake?"

A gentle voice came from beside him.

Dai Yuhao turned toward the sound and saw a tall, graceful figure approaching the bed.

She had a head of vivid red hair, like flames and rich wine, its unique luster flowing beneath the soft indoor light and making it impossible to ignore.

Dai Yuhao's Eyes widened abruptly, his little mouth falling slightly open as he cried in disbelief, "A-Aunt Leng?!"

That beautiful yet slightly cold face before him was clearly the Aunt Leng from that wonderful Dreamscape last time—the one who had shown him countless novel things and treated him with such gentle care!

He was both startled and curious, with a trace of childish excitement mixed in.

Could it be... could dreams continue from where they had left off?

This discovery temporarily made him forget his unease in the unfamiliar surroundings.

As Leng Yaozhu watched the undisguised shock on Dai Yuhao's face, an extremely sharp glint flashed through her eyes.

A child's expression was the purest and hardest to fake. This reaction... was rather strange.

He had clearly only slept once. Why did he look as though they had not seen each other for a long time?

She did not show it on her face. She merely bent down slightly, bringing her gaze level with the child sitting on the bed. "What? Is Xiao Yuhao so surprised to see Auntie?"

Dai Yuhao was only three years old, so he naturally had none of those complicated thoughts. He simply said whatever was on his mind.

Looking at Leng Yaozhu without the slightest guard, he answered, "I didn't expect to see Aunt Leng in a dream again, so I was surprised!"

"A dream..."

Leng Yaozhu repeated those two words inwardly, her gaze carefully sweeping over every genuine expression on the child's face.

Having seen countless people, she could naturally tell truth from falsehood. Dai Yuhao seemed to truly believe that everything happening now was only a Dreamscape.

Outwardly, she maintained her gentle smile, but a hidden thread of spiritual power quietly extended out, sweeping over Dai Yuhao's body and mind like a breeze over a lake's surface as she carefully examined him.

A moment later, her heart sank slightly.

There was no lingering Mental Imprint, no fluctuation from external interference, and absolutely no sign that he had been controlled or influenced by any Spirit Type Soul Master.

Suppressing the many doubts in her heart, Leng Yaozhu's smile became even gentler, as though she were merely following the child's words in casual conversation. "Then... you just woke up from your dream, right?"

Dai Yuhao nodded hard. "Mm!"

"After waking up, did you see your Mom?"

"I did!"

At the mention of his mother, Dai Yuhao's eyes brightened.

Step by step, Leng Yaozhu asked in a relaxed tone, "Then what fun things happened these past few days? Tell Auntie about them, okay?"

Dai Yuhao was usually confined to the Small Courtyard. Apart from his Mom, he had almost no one to talk to.

Now, gently guided by Leng Yaozhu, the experiences he had kept bottled up in his heart flowed out like a stream released from a dam.

Sitting on the soft edge of the bed, his little legs swinging gently, he began describing things in fits and starts.

At first, Leng Yaozhu kept a gentle smile as she listened, as though hearing a child's innocent fantasy.

However, when Dai Yuhao waved his arms about while describing his father—the one who "wore shiny clothes" and whom "lots of people called Duke"—the curve of her lips abruptly froze.

White Tiger Duke Dai Hao.

That name stirred layer after layer of shock and doubt within her. Though she had never conducted special research into Star Luo's affairs Ten Thousand Years Ago, she still possessed a basic understanding of the continent's historical development.

She clearly remembered that after the Star Luo Empire left for overseas and established itself anew Ten Thousand Years Ago, the throne had passed once more from the Xu Clan to the White Tiger line.

And after that, there had been no more White Tiger Dukes!

If Dai Yuhao was telling the truth, then the father he spoke of pointed to... a figure from Ten Thousand Years Ago?

"Grrrrumble..."

A clear Stomach Rumble came from Dai Yuhao, interrupting Leng Yaozhu's grave thoughts.

She instantly concealed all her shock and suspicion. A smile returned to her face, and her voice regained its earlier softness. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

Dai Yuhao's little face reddened slightly as he nodded shyly.

"Come." Leng Yaozhu naturally reached out and took Dai Yuhao's somewhat thin little hand. "Auntie will take you to eat something delicious."

The words "something delicious" seemed to possess magic, instantly lighting up Dai Yuhao's eyes.

In his limited understanding, the unprecedented delicacies Aunt Leng had brought him in his dreams were undoubtedly his greatest temptation and joy.

Anticipation shone across his face as he let Leng Yaozhu lead him out of bed, already imagining what strange and wonderful flavors he would taste next.

Shrek City, Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, 101st Floor Library.

Leng Yaozhu sat alone in a secluded corner. Spread across the broad table before her was a heavy volume: History of Star Luo.

Her gaze was sharp as she scanned the slightly blurred records line by line and word by word. Her fingertips slowly moved across the yellowed pages before finally stopping on a passage.

[Dai Hao, the last White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire, a Level 95 Title Douluo, titled "White Tiger"...]

[His Main Wife was Zhu Yunqing, and his Concubine was Huo Yun'er...]

[The son born to Huo Yun'er was originally named Dai Yuhao. He later took his mother's surname and changed his name to Huo Yuhao, becoming the Spirit Ice Douluo revered by later generations, as well as the Founder of the Spirit Pagoda...]

She slowly closed the book before her, then leaned her whole body back into the high-backed chair. Her eyes closed, and her brows were filled with an irresolvable heaviness and unbelievable shock.

If that child had not lied, then this Dai Yuhao was the Founder of the Spirit Pagoda, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao!

But how could that be possible?!

Spirit Ice Douluo was a man from Ten Thousand Years Ago!

Even with her composure, she could not remain completely calm at this moment.

After a brief silence, Leng Yaozhu slowly opened her Eyes, a sharp gleam bursting forth from their depths.

The corners of her lips lifted, but the smile she formed held not the slightest warmth.

Dai Yuhao indeed came from the Star Luo Dai Clan.

But not the present-day Star Luo Dai Clan, far away overseas. He came from the Dai Clan of the White Tiger Duke Mansion Ten Thousand Years Ago.

And Dai Yuhao was none other than Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, the man who had founded the Spirit Pagoda with his own hands, ascended to God Rank, and left his name echoing through eternity!

To her, such a conclusion was naturally absolutely impossible!

In her view, this had to be an arrangement made by that Mastermind for some ulterior purpose.

Sending a legend who had founded the Spirit Pagoda Ten Thousand Years Ago before her—the current Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda—could not possibly have a simple purpose!

But how could Spirit Ice Douluo be so easily impersonated?!

Dai Yuhao was only three years old. According to the traditions of Douluo Continent, children could only awaken their Martial Souls at Six Years Old.

At that time, the power sleeping within his bloodline would reveal everything.

No matter how extraordinary the other party's methods were, they could not decide or disguise a child's Innate Martial Soul in advance.

Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao's signature Body Martial Soul, the Spirit Eyes, had not left behind a stable bloodline inheritance on Douluo Continent!

Thinking of this, Leng Yaozhu's heart settled.

She rose to her feet, walked to the bookshelf, and returned the heavy History of Star Luo to its place.

When she slowly walked out of the silent library, she had already made her decision!

Three years was no more than the flick of a finger to her.

She had enough patience, and enough strength, to protect this child and uncover the final answer.