"Mm... This should be enough." Huo Yuhao looked at the heap of raw fish he'd gathered on the shore, figuring it would be enough to feed three people for several days.
He was confident in his cooking. These grilled fish should make more than enough provisions for the next few days.
"Yuhao, you've caught so many. Are we really going to finish them all?" Bei Bei looked at the heap of fish, seeming a little troubled.
"Hehe, just you wait, Big Brother Bei Bei. I guarantee you'll be satisfied! Besides, we'll be staying here for several days, so these fish will make good provisions."
Hearing Huo Yuhao's words, Bei Bei finally understood and smiled. Then he took a neatly shaped hardtack from his Storage Soul Tool.
"Yuhao, there's no need to worry about provisions. This isn't a private Soul Hunting trip; it's sponsored by Spirit Hall. We even have tents, so how could we be short on food?"
Bei Bei smiled helplessly. After thinking it over, he tossed Huo Yuhao a bracelet set with a blue gem.
"It's a Storage Soul Tool made by Spirit Hall, the most basic model. They usually only issue them to students after formal enrollment."
"The two cubic meters of storage should be enough for the extra fish. If your cooking really is that good, it'd be a shame to waste them."
After Bei Bei explained how to use it, Huo Yuhao put it on his wrist. He set aside four or five fish to grill later and stored all the rest.
Huo Yuhao realized he'd been thinking himself into a corner. Right, he wasn't alone this time.
Having someone to rely on at a time like this... It really did feel pretty nice.
By the time they built the fire, Wang Hong had already set up the tents. He also laid a Soul Power barrier around the area to keep the heat from the flames from attracting other Soul Beasts in Star Dou Forest.
After all, even Wang Hong found himself craving some when the smell of the grilled fish reached him.
As always, Huo Yuhao's grilled fish earned unanimous praise. According to Bei Bei, it rivaled the most expensive dishes at Spirit Soul Academy.
Bei Bei even suggested that Huo Yuhao get a part-time job in the cafeteria. He'd definitely make a considerable amount of pocket money.
In short, the grilled fish had completely won over Bei Bei and Wang Hong's taste buds. Even Wang Hong, who'd been rather quiet earlier, now had Huo Yuhao firmly in mind.
"For tonight, the two of you should get a good rest. We'll begin the Soul Hunting in earnest tomorrow," Wang Hong told them. Many dangerous Soul Beasts prowled Star Dou Forest at night, but Wang Hong's Spirit Skill could conceal them from the surrounding beasts. As long as they stayed inside the barrier, they'd be safe.
That night, Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao slept in the tent while Wang Hong kept watch outside by himself.
They'd probably find the Soul Beast Bei Bei needed tomorrow. The real challenge would be finding a Mental Attribute Soul Beast for Huo Yuhao.
They might even need to venture deeper into the Core Area. If that happened, they'd have to send Bei Bei out first, then call in some reinforcements.
Late at night, under the moonlight, Huo Yuhao was fast asleep in the tent.
At that moment, Huo Yuhao was dreaming.
In his dream, he stood upon a motionless sea beneath a night sky strewn with stars.
To Huo Yuhao, this place had a far more familiar name:
"The Sea of Consciousness?" Huo Yuhao raised both hands. He could still sense his body normally, yet it felt like a mass of transparent gelatin.
But the next moment, he heard a familiar voice, carrying a hint of cheeky smugness.
"Who would've thought? A six-year-old human has such a vast Sea of Consciousness!"
"And he just happens to be a Mental Attribute Soul Master, too..."
"Too bad I can't cry. Otherwise, I'd be bawling my eyes out!"
That was... Brother Sky Dream's voice!
Huo Yuhao whirled toward the sound, only to realize that the voice came from every direction. There was no way to pinpoint its source.
Just then, a milky-white glow slowly appeared before him and took shape, eventually forming a milky-white silkworm.
It had a pair of pure golden eyes and a magnificent crown of horns. Most importantly, its body bore ten intricate golden markings.
Those were the Ice Silkworm Clan's distinctive markings, a sign that its cultivation had crossed the threshold of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
And those ten golden markings meant that the Ice Silkworm before him had cultivated for a full million years!
"Hmm? You've got some guts, human. I thought you'd be so scared you'd fall over." The Ice Silkworm twisted its body and moved closer to Huo Yuhao's face. Even when it was almost touching him, he showed no sign of panic.
That left the Ice Silkworm rather surprised. He was only a six-year-old human child, after all.
Could it be... that he was captivated by my handsome appearance?
The Ice Silkworm naturally arrived at that possibility.
But in truth, Huo Yuhao was doing his best to suppress his feelings, trying not to let anything slip.
He knew the Ice Silkworm before him. He knew its name, its past, and its future. But right now, they were strangers to each other. If he acted oddly, he'd ruin this hard-won miracle with his own hands.
They had met again. On his first trip into Star Dou Forest, he'd 'met' Sky Dream Ice Silkworm once more.
"W-who are you?"
Huo Yuhao asked a little timidly. He couldn't let the other party grow suspicious. He had to treat this meeting as the one and only chance he'd ever get, for his sake and for Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's!
"Me? Hahaha! I forgot I haven't introduced myself."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm twisted his body and spoke in an utterly smug tone:
"Human, standing before you is the embodiment of heroism and chivalry, the Soul Beast king who combines wisdom and beauty, an unparalleled powerhouse who has cultivated for a million years and set the record for the longest lifespan on Douluo Continent: Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. Well, you can call me Brother Sky Dream."
"Are you surprised? Excited? You're the first human ever to see my true form!"
"Y-you're amazing! I'm not dreaming, am I?" Huo Yuhao said blankly.
"Heh heh, you might as well think of it as a dream. But through my exquisite control over the Mental Attribute, I've directly connected my consciousness to your dream."
Listening to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's self-satisfied tone, Huo Yuhao couldn't help chuckling to himself.
Ever since he'd truly become a god in his previous life, he hadn't heard Brother Sky Dream talk in that cheeky, conceited way for a long time. Most of the time, after all, he was off bothering Ice Empress.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was Ice Empress's... uh, lovesick worm. But even by the time Huo Yuhao became the God of Emotions, he still hadn't managed to win her over.
At this point in time, Ice Empress should still be living carefree in the Far North as its second-in-command.
"Then... what do you want?" Huo Yuhao continued, trying to recall the conversation from his first meeting with Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was a little surprised. This human seemed to be taking it all in rather well.
He must still think I'm just someone from his dream.
But... that was exactly what Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wanted. The boy didn't seem wary at all. The plan was going far more smoothly than expected!
"I want to become your Soul Ring—the first Wisdom Soul Ring in the history of Douluo Continent!"
Before you continue