A Loving Family

Since they had decided to properly explore Shrek City, they couldn't just stay in the hotel resting and sleeping...

So, after finding a place to stay, Liu Yuan decided to take Huo Yuhao out to have some fun in the city.

"Really expensive..."

It was Huo Yuhao's first time staying in such a grand hotel, and he immediately felt the enormous gap between people.

Just one night cost twenty Gold Soul Coins?!

Wasn't that robbery?!

Seeing his pained expression, Liu Yuan could not help but chuckle. "What? Does it hurt you to spend the money?"

"Mm..."

Huo Yuhao nodded awkwardly.

A single Gold Soul Coin had once been enough to cover a month of living expenses for him and his mother, with some left over.

It was only after he entered the Liu Family a year ago that the concept of living expenses had gradually faded from his mind.

But today's shock had brought it all back.

"Actually, this is normal." Liu Yuan's tone remained unchanged, as though he had long grown accustomed to it. "Big cities are like this. Prices have all soared into the sky."

So that was how it was...

A trace of conflict flashed across Huo Yuhao's face.

At that moment, there were only two thoughts in his mind. Star Luo City was also a big city. Brother Liu's family had supported him for a whole year and even used resources to nurture him. How much money must that have cost? Was his life really worth all those Gold Soul Coins?

Noticing that Huo Yuhao had suddenly fallen silent, Liu Yuan stopped and turned to look at him.

"Yuhao, what are you thinking about?"

As he spoke, Liu Yuan's keen mind caught onto Huo Yuhao's uneasiness.

So he placed a hand on his head, interrupting the inferiority ingrained deep in his bones, and asked again:

"Yuhao, what are you thinking about?"

The warmth in his voice pierced straight into Huo Yuhao's heart.

That tone... Almost instinctively, Huo Yuhao told him everything he was thinking without holding anything back.

By the time he came back to his senses in a daze, he realized that he had said everything he should and should not have said.

"So that's what you were thinking." Facing those azure eyes, Liu Yuan's expression went blank. Raising his hand, he made a motion as though he were about to strike.

Following instinct, Huo Yuhao closed his eyes.

Then, smack!

He only felt a weight settle on his left side.

When he opened his eyes again, the descending hand had landed on Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "Yuhao, you're wrong. Ever since you started coming to my house every day to repay our kindness, we gradually came to see you as part of our family. And I truly came to regard you as my little brother. Just like you do."

Liu Yuan pointed lightly at Huo Yuhao's chest.

He did not deny that, at first, he had chosen to help Huo Yuhao out of a mixture of pity and self-interest.

But people were emotional creatures, after all.

As time passed, feelings naturally grew.

Besides, Liu Yuan could hear the sincerity in the way Huo Yuhao had gradually begun calling him "Brother."

You called me "Brother,"

So naturally, I treated you as my own little brother.

"Brother!"

Huo Yuhao's eyes instantly reddened.

Hearing those words, he wanted to cry!

"Enough!"

With a soft laugh, Liu Yuan placed his hand atop his head. "A real man does not shed tears lightly."

Wiping away his tears, Huo Yuhao smiled and retorted,

"Uh... I'm happy."

Liu Yuan said, "Then you have even less reason to cry."

[ Ding! ]

[ Notification: Obtained 20% luck. Current Platform Panel upgrade progress: 55.1% (Emperor Auspicious Beast: 25%↑; Child of Luck: 30.1%↑) ]

Liu Yuan: ???

Hey! An unexpected bonus. He had not expected that simply confirming their relationship would earn him so much luck.

After giving it a quick glance and seeing that nothing else was happening, Liu Yuan did not pay it any further attention.

With a thought, he closed the Platform Panel and continued speaking to Huo Yuhao. "Anyway, stop thinking about all that nonsense and focus on cultivating. Once you've achieved something in your training, go back and make Aunt Yun'er happy."

"Okay!" Huo Yuhao agreed immediately, though he still glanced somewhat apprehensively at the hotel behind them.

"Brother, since we're family now, can I earn some money myself and help cover the living expenses? After all, there are plenty of places where we need money..."

He could not help it. He had been afraid of poverty since childhood!

"Earn money?"

Liu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Did this kid want to set up a stall and grill fish or something?

Wouldn't it be better to spend that time cultivating?

So he waved his hand and decisively refused.

"Don't worry, our Liu Family isn't that poor. We can easily afford tuition and living expenses. So forget about earning money. As students, our first priority right now is cultivation!"

Although Liu Family Pharmacy in Star Luo City still looked the same on the surface, after obtaining the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, its true circumstances had long changed dramatically.

"Enough!"

Liu Yuan patted Huo Yuhao's head. "Stop thinking about unnecessary things. I'll take you around."

After arriving in Shrek City, there were naturally two places they had to visit. The first was shops related to Soul Masters.

But though they were said to be for Soul Masters, most of the shops along this street actually sold Soul Tools.

After all, Soul Tools had already become mainstream in this era. Although quite a few teachers and students at Shrek Academy still clung to old-fashioned ideas, Soul Tools had become an unstoppable trend that no one could avoid.

"Wow—"

"So there are this many kinds of Soul Tools."

As they entered a shop, Huo Yuhao's eyes revealed pure curiosity as he looked over the Soul Tools.

Seeing this, Liu Yuan said,

"What? Are you interested?"

"Not exactly interested."

Scratching the back of his head, Huo Yuhao looked away. "I'm just curious, that's all."

"Curiosity is the beginning of interest."

As he played with a ring-shaped Storage Soul Tool, Liu Yuan nodded in satisfaction and paid for it directly.

"Actually, Yuhao, your talent is well suited for the path of Soul Tools. Maybe you should give it a try."

"Soul Tools..."

Huo Yuhao took the suggestion to heart. Seeing him lost in thought, Liu Yuan did not disturb him.

In this era of the Peerless Tang Sect, the T0-tier powerhouses still favored the power of Martial Souls.

But Liu Yuan naturally had his reasons for mentioning this to Huo Yuhao. Within the Douluo Multiverse, there were quite a few worlds connected to the era of Legend of the Dragon King, and even eras further in the future than that.

In those eras, Soul Tools had developed to a formidable degree. Battle Armor was one of the products born from that development.

Sooner or later, Liu Yuan would obtain the technology for Battle Armor.

But if he wanted to fully develop it...

He would need highly talented people.

Though Liu Yuan did not quite want to admit it, as a humanities student, he clearly had no talent in that area.

But Huo Yuhao was different.

He had the ability and the talent.

For now, Liu Yuan was merely planting a seed in his heart. As for what Huo Yuhao would ultimately choose, Liu Yuan would naturally respect his decision.

If he wanted to study it, then he could study it.

If he didn't want to...

At worst, Liu Yuan could ask Sun Moon for some talent in the future.