Huo Yuhao glanced at Beibei, then at Tang Ya, who stood behind him with a regretful look. He nodded, his tone still even. "Mm. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
With that, he turned to leave.
He didn't want to get entangled with the people of the Tang Sect.
Seeing that Huo Yuhao was really leaving, Tang Ya grew anxious.
It was so hard to come across a boy who seemed kindhearted, appeared to have decent talent, and had no one to rely on. This was the perfect opportunity to bring fresh blood into the Tang Sect, which was dwindling by the day!
She forgot her regret and hurriedly poked her head out from behind Beibei, looking at him anxiously and signaling frantically with her eyes: Hurry up! Stop him!
"Brother Li, please wait!"
Beibei sighed inwardly. But seeing the yearning in Tang Ya's eyes—the desire to revive their sect—he still spoke up, his tone sincere. "Brother Li, since you're alone now, with no ties or burdens, why not consider joining a sect? At least you'd have someone to look out for you."
Huo Yuhao paused, but didn't immediately leave.
Seeing this, Tang Ya was overjoyed, thinking there was a chance. She immediately stepped forward and spoke faster, doing her best to sell the idea. "That's right! Our sect has quite a history!
"It was once the greatest sect on the continent! You'd never lose out by joining! And our sect's secret arts are incredibly powerful, especially suited to your cultivation!
"Look at you—you're all alone, and so young. You'll need resources and connections to cultivate and make a living.
"If you joined a sect, we'd all be family. We could look out for one another. That's better than you recklessly roaming the world alone, isn't it?
"After all, you can't count on being lucky every time. What if you run into real danger while you're on your own?"
Her words were full of warmth and concern, painting a picture of a fallen sect that still had deep roots and a close-knit, caring family.
Huo Yuhao turned around. His calm gaze swept over Tang Ya's anxious face and the gentle but expectant look in Beibei's eyes. He slowly shook his head and spoke with clarity and resolve.
"Thank you both for your kindness. But I bear a blood feud, and revenge is the only reason I'm alive. I have neither the desire nor the ability to join any sect, and I don't want to drag anyone else into this."
At the words "blood feud," Tang Ya's delicate frame trembled, as though he had struck the most sensitive chord in her heart.
Hadn't she herself borne the blood debt of her sect's destruction and her parents' deaths?
The Iron Blood Sect... Its name pierced her heart like a poisonous thorn.
A wave of sorrowful kinship and powerful sympathy surged within her, nearly making her blurt out that she would fight alongside him.
She suppressed her churning emotions and the tears that almost spilled from her eyes, forcing a smile. Her voice quavered ever so slightly. "Little Brother Li, your enemy... Perhaps if you told us, we might... might be able to help. There's strength in numbers..."
Seeing the genuine sympathy and eager impulse in Tang Ya's eyes, Huo Yuhao felt little stir within him. Instead, he was all the more certain that he needed to put an end to their hopes.
He no longer avoided the question. Looking straight at Tang Ya, he asked with an almost cold calm, "Tang Ya, since your sect was once the greatest on the continent and has such a deep foundation, I'd like to ask: does your sect still have a Titled Douluo backing it? Or are you confident you could call upon someone of that level?"
"A Titled Douluo?" Tang Ya was stunned. Then her eyes dimmed, and she shook her head, her voice dropping. "No... If we had a Titled Douluo senior, our sect wouldn't have..."
She didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
"Why are you asking?" she said, looking up at Huo Yuhao in confusion.
Meeting her gaze, Huo Yuhao spoke each word with perfect clarity. "Because the force behind the person I seek revenge on has at least Soul Douluo-level power. They may even have ties to a true Titled Douluo.
"Without the strength of a Titled Douluo, or the confidence to stand against one, you don't even have the right to demand an explanation from them, let alone take revenge."
His words doused the spark of passion and enthusiasm that had just begun to flare within Tang Ya like a basin of ice water.
Soul Douluos... Titled Douluos... To Tang Ya and Beibei, who were only Soul Grandmaster and Soul Elder and whose sect had dwindled to just the two of them, those were unreachable, immovable behemoths.
Tang Ya wanted to say something more. Her lips moved, but Beibei gently caught her by the arm.
Beibei gave her a slight shake of the head, his eyes filled with reassurance and clear-eyed reason.
He looked at Huo Yuhao. His tone remained gentle, but now carried greater solemnity and understanding. "Brother Li, we understand. I'm sorry, but with our abilities as they are, we truly can't give you the help you need. Forcing you to join us would be irresponsible.
"I hope you... get your wish soon, and take care along the way."
Beibei put it well. He admitted they were powerless, while also expressing respect and offering his good wishes. That avoided any awkwardness or conflict and allowed both sides to part with dignity.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Beibei, thinking a little more highly of him for his clear-eyed pragmatism.
He said no more. He merely nodded once, then turned and strode without hesitation deeper into the forest. The dense trees soon hid his figure.
Tang Ya stared blankly in the direction Huo Yuhao had disappeared, disappointment and reluctance plain on her face.
Beibei patted her shoulder and said softly, "Xiao Ya, everyone has their own path to walk.
"His path is too dangerous for us to bear right now. Don't forget, we have our own business to take care of."
Tang Ya came back to herself, remembering why they had come—to hunt a third Soul Ring for her.
She took a deep breath, tamped down her many emotions, and nodded firmly. "Mm! Let's go!"
The two didn't linger. They turned and walked in a different direction from Huo Yuhao, their figures gradually vanishing among the trees.
About the time it takes an incense stick to burn after Tang Ya and Beibei left, a figure soundlessly returned like a ghost to the place where Huo Yuhao had fused with Tian Meng and Tang Ya and Beibei had stood guard.
It was Huo Yuhao.
He stood silently where he was, his sharp gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
In the Sea of Spirit, Sister Tian Meng's voice rang out, tinged with curiosity and confusion.
"Yuhao, from the way those two described their sect, it sounds a lot like the Tang Sect left behind by that man who became a god—Tang San.
"Though it's fallen on hard times, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The 'Tang Sect Secret Arts' they mentioned, especially the Mysterious Heaven Skill and Purple Demon Eye, are excellent cultivation methods. They should be a great help with building your foundation right now.
"Are you really not going to consider joining?"
Drawing on her million years of experience and what she knew of the human world, Sister Tian Meng offered what seemed like sensible advice.
Huo Yuhao sent his reply through spiritual force, his voice cold and decisive. "No need. I've already planned out my future. Their secret arts are of no use to me."
In his heart, there was another sentence he didn't say aloud, one even more resolute: Besides, a sect founded by Tang San... Even a dog wouldn't join!
The blood feud and manipulation from his previous life had made him loathe everything connected to Tang San and avoid it at all costs. How could he possibly join of his own accord?
Hearing Huo Yuhao's firm, subtly hostile reply, Sister Tian Meng was a little puzzled, but knew better than to press him.
It made no difference to her whether he joined or not. She had only made the suggestion based on "common sense." Since the "Chosen One" had his own ideas, she would go along with them.
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