Of course, the Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye and Clone Shadow were still in their early stages.
They didn't yet pack much power. Even so, they were already enough to let him easily dodge attacks from dozens of Level 2 Soul Cannons.
Feng Piaoling hadn't neglected the cultivation method he had created earlier, either.
In the early stages, it focused mainly on laying a solid foundation and increasing the depth of his Soul Power. He had already cultivated it to the third stage, and since he was about to obtain his Third Soul Ring and break through to Soul Elder, creating the fourth stage was only a matter of time.
Based on the characteristics of his Martial Soul, he had chosen a fitting name: Green Lotus Sword Art.
He had also created a basic sword technique suited to himself.
This would lay the groundwork for creating more powerful Soul Skills in the future, and even divine skills.
Besides that, he hadn't neglected his research into Soul Tools. Before leaving the Sun Moon Empire, he had already become a Level 4 Soul Engineer.
In the truest sense, he had pushed his Heaven Rewards Diligence cheat to the absolute limit, leaving no path to becoming stronger unexplored.
If Huo Dog had raised his Soul Power from level one to level ten over five-plus years, and boasted that he had worked three times harder than an ordinary person,
then Feng Piaoling had worked three hundred times harder.
Thanks to his own efforts and the Whale Rubber provided by the Crown Prince's Mansion, he had obtained a seven-hundred-year First Soul Ring for his Talisman Martial Soul and a two-thousand-five-hundred-year Second Soul Ring.
As for his Third Soul Ring, he had broken through level thirty half a year ago, but still hadn't gone to obtain it.
First, he wanted to see whether he could beat Tian Meng to the punch.
Second, even if he failed, he could use Huo Yuhao's good fortune to find himself a top-quality Spirit Ring.
"Tang San only saw through the fact that Huo Yuhao is a Child of Destiny. He isn't omniscient. Otherwise, he could've had his own daughter snatch Huo Yuhao's opportunities for herself. Why go to all that trouble, splitting his daughter's soul into three parts and sending them to Douluo Continent? As long as I don't kill Huo Yuhao or that three-part daughter of his, I don't need to worry about being targeted."
With this in mind, Feng Piaoling shed his fine clothes and changed into ordinary blue-green cloth robes, making himself look like someone heading to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Spirit Ring. He followed Huo Yuhao from a distance while devoting part of his attention to cultivating the Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye.
Unlike the Purple Demon Eye, the Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye didn't require absorbing the first wisp of purple energy at sunrise. He only needed to channel spiritual power into his eyes, then nourish them with Soul Power using a specific method.
Just like that, the distance between Feng Piaoling and Huo Yuhao gradually closed.
Three days later, they happened to meet.
Feng Piaoling didn't speak to Huo Yuhao. He built a campfire nearby, took meat and water from the Storage Soul Tool at his waist—the Four Symbols Dragon Coiling Belt—and began roasting them on his own.
He had made the Four Symbols Dragon Coiling Belt himself.
Its capacity wasn't very large: each of the four gems at his waist had only three cubic meters of storage space. But one gem contained a space with a cooling effect that kept food from spoiling, so Feng Piaoling used it specifically to store provisions.
Because of the Duke's Mansion's mistreatment, Huo Yuhao had grown up withdrawn, insecure, and solitary. He didn't dare approach Feng Piaoling to greet him, either. He simply followed his example, building a campfire a short distance away and setting up camp.
When the smell of roast meat drifted over from Feng Piaoling's side, Huo Yuhao, who had been traveling on hard biscuits and wild fruit, couldn't help swallowing hard. At the same time, his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.
Feng Piaoling glanced at him, picked up a skewer of leftover roast meat, and tossed it over. It traced a stunning arc through the air.
With the help of his Spirit Eye Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao barely managed to make out the skewer's trajectory. He was startled, and by the time he reacted, the skewer was stuck point-first in the ground in front of him.
When he looked over at Feng Piaoling again, Feng Piaoling was already sitting cross-legged on a rock, beginning to meditate.
His meaning couldn't have been clearer.
Huo Yuhao swallowed hard and, after thanking him, wolfed down the meat.
Before this, he had encountered travelers in the wilderness more than once while camping, and they had helped him many times. So when Feng Piaoling tossed him the roast meat, he accepted it without hesitation.
Over the next few days, the two continued on their way.
Though they didn't say a single word to each other, Feng Piaoling tossed him a few skewers of roast meat each day. Huo Yuhao, who longed for companionship, gradually came to regard him as a friend.
Whenever they camped, Huo Yuhao would eagerly prepare the wild fruits he had picked for him.
Whenever they passed a stream or river, he would catch fish and roast them for him.
Feng Piaoling didn't eat the wild fruit. As for the grilled fish that the original story had praised to the skies, he tried a little, but it was nothing special.
It was nowhere near as delicious as the skewers he made from Soul Beast meat and vegetables.
At best, it was a change of pace.
Three days passed like this.
They were drawing closer and closer to the Star Dou Great Forest.
As they passed another stream and Huo Yuhao set up a campfire to grill fish, a delighted cry shattered the quiet.
The two looked in the direction of the voice and saw two people walking along the stream.
The one in front was a girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen, with a black ponytail and a fitted, pale-blue outfit that gave her a vibrant, youthful air.
She had phoenix eyes, large and lively, a high nose, and a beautiful face touched with delight. Her eyes were fixed intently on the grilled fish.
Behind her walked a boy who looked about her age. He had short, pale-blue hair, a tall, slender build, and a refined air. A lazy, gentle smile lingered on his handsome face as he looked this way with his hands clasped behind his head, seeming intrigued.
But he wasn't looking at the grilled fish. He was looking at a person—Feng Piaoling, to be precise.
He looked no older than twelve, yet his Soul Power was at level thirty.
A genius Soul Master who could rival the original Shrek Seven Devils?
The young man at the front quickly walked over to them, looking like a greedy little kitten. "Hey, you two little brothers, are you selling that grilled fish? It smells so good! How did you make it?"
Bei Bei and Tang Ya?
Feng Piaoling had already guessed who they were, but said nothing.
Huo Yuhao had never been this close to a pretty girl before. His little face flushed, and he stammered, "I... I'll treat you to some."
Seeing how shy Huo Yuhao was, Tang Ya burst out laughing. "Little brother, who'd have thought you were so shy? Unlike that rude guy beside you..."
As she spoke, she took the grilled fish Huo Yuhao offered her and began wolfing it down nearby, without a care for her image. At the same time, she couldn't resist sneaking a glance at Feng Piaoling.
Looking at that flawless, handsome face, she blushed faintly and muttered inwardly, He's a regular clam, and such a waste of a pretty face.
By then, Bei Bei had also come over, and Huo Yuhao offered him a grilled fish as well.
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