Huo Yuhao and the Star Dou Forest

Half a month later, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.

Ning Huan stood atop the mountain peak, his robes fluttering in the wind, his gaze distant.

His ink-black short hair danced unrestrained and wild in the gale.

At this moment, he was looking toward a grand, palace-like complex of buildings over ten kilometers away, a playful smile on his face.

"Time is the most ruthless thing; before you know it, Huo Yuhao is already setting off."

"But then again, the White Tiger Duke Mansion covers over three thousand acres, more than twice the size of the Forbidden City."

"How exactly did a malnourished little Soul Master manage to slip out the back door right under the noses of so many guards?"

"Even with good luck, there has to be some basic logic to it!"

After muttering a few complaints, Ning Huan, unable to find an answer, shook his head and temporarily pushed his doubts aside.

Then, his soul power surged slightly, and in an instant, a palm-sized, emerald-green bird darted out from the void.

It circled rapidly in the high sky a few times before landing lightly on his shoulder.

"Go, follow him, and remember not to let him discover you."

"Chirp!"

With a cheerful cry, the little green bird spread its wings and vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

"Emerald Spirit Bird... its speed is no joke; it truly lives up to being a variant of the Emerald Demon Bird."

"The only drawback is that it's too small to serve as my mount."

As soon as this thought surfaced, he was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled.

"After three years of cultivating a calm heart, how have I become so greedy?"

"But relying on my own two legs to run everywhere isn't a long-term solution. Should I find a way to fix that?"

True to his nature of acting on his thoughts, Ning Huan did not hesitate; he immediately sat down in place.

While waiting, he prepared to take the opportunity to scout for a suitable soul beast.

However, before he could even begin, his train of thought was interrupted by constant fluctuations coming from his spiritual sea.

"So fast!"

The familiar sensation made Ning Huan exclaim softly.

It made sense; a soul beast mutated from the top-tier Emerald Demon Bird could hardly be weak.

Perhaps its offensive capabilities were not as terrifying as the latter.

But in terms of speed, it was absolutely not inferior in the slightest.

Covering over ten kilometers and searching for a target, three minutes was more than enough.

"Forget it, priorities first; the situation with Huo Yuhao is clearly more important than a mere mount."

As his voice faded, Ning Huan composed himself.

He then decisively activated the link with the Emerald Spirit Bird, adapting to the shift in perspective.

Though it was called a link, in reality, he was using the power of the [Contract] to forcibly take over the Spirit Body's five senses.

It worked fine on a weak Spirit Body.

If the target were someone like Chen Xin, his spiritual sea would likely be riddled with holes by Seven Kill Sword Qi on the spot.

Yet, even so, its utility could not be denied.

It was one of the little tricks he had figured out during his spare time.

Before long, the eager Ning Huan finally adapted to the bird's unique, wide-angle vision.

Incredible shock followed immediately after.

"Let me see Huo Yu... What the hell?!"

At this moment, he could not believe what his eyes were seeing!

The boy was still the same boy.

Small frame, black short hair, determined expression, and deep blue eyes filled with hatred.

Everything was exactly as it was in his memories and intelligence; nothing had changed.

Except...

Wasn't he a bit too ridiculously thin!

If he recalled correctly, the Huo Yuhao who had just stepped out of the White Tiger Duke Mansion was indeed small and thin.

But at least he could run, giving off a sense of yearning for the future.

Looking at the current version, it was truly miserable!

The boy wasn't just skin and bones; it looked as if a light breeze could blow him away.

Most importantly, his stumbling gait clearly showed an old, unhealed injury in his leg.

And the hatred radiating from his entire being was practically indistinguishable from that of an Evil Soul Master.

In such a wretched state, let alone reaching the Star Dou Forest, it was uncertain if he would even live to see the next day's sun.

What is going on... this makes no sense...

Seeing this, Ning Huan fell into a sudden silence, remaining quiet for a long time.

Of course, it was not out of pity, nor was it regret for his own actions.

What swirled in his mind was pure confusion.

After all, the target of his spell three years ago was Dai Huabin, which had nothing to do with Huo Yuhao.

Yet, the latter's current appearance did not seem unrelated to him.

Could it be that because Dai Huabin improved so rapidly, he became increasingly ruthless in his attacks on Huo Yuhao?

That seems to be the only explanation that makes sense...

Thinking of this, Ning Huan first let out a sigh.

Then, he looked up at the sky, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes and vanishing in an instant.

If his predictions were correct, neither the Will of the World nor Tang San in the God Realm would sit idly by regarding Huo Yuhao.

Therefore, even though he was physically disabled now, he would inevitably reach the Star Dou Forest in the end.

To welcome everything that belonged to the Child of Destiny.

Then, what Ning Huan needed to do was to get ahead of him as planned.

To secure the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Electrolux for himself as much as possible.

And then head to Shrek Academy to observe how the plot would continue to develop once the original opportunities were gone.

The benefits were many, but the risks were not small, leaving him feeling indecisive for a moment.

Time ticked away second by second, and Huo Yuhao, relying on astonishing perseverance, actually dragged his broken body out of the perimeter of the White Tiger Duke Mansion.

He vanished into the vast forest, leaving no trace behind.

Only after much deliberation did Ning Huan let out a long breath, completely dispelling all his previous gloom.

"I almost caught the same disease as Uncle Ning, hesitating even after I've already started."

"To fight is nothing more than life or death; not to fight is to have no chance at all."

As his voice fell, the massive soul power within Ning Huan began to radiate uncontrollably on its own.

His momentum surged at a speed visible to the naked eye, raging wildly in all directions with him at the center.

A moment later...

BOOM!

Level fifty-eight, achieved!

Ning Huan, having broken through unexpectedly without feeling a thing: "..."

What could he say?

It was just clearing a mental block.

He hadn't expected to break through either.

In the end, Ning Huan, who had gained the advantage and was acting coy, could only curl his lip and mutter:

"A fantasy world... even the floor tiles are subjective enough..."

Star Dou Forest, the largest gathering place for soul beasts on the Douluo Continent.

The resources were extremely rich, and the interior was fraught with danger.

Located to the north of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, the two places were not far apart, only about two or three hundred kilometers away.

As a high-level Soul King with profound soul power and the aid of a flying Soul Tool, Ning Huan easily reached the edge of the Star Dou Forest after rushing for only an hour or so.

During the journey, he even saw Huo Yuhao struggling with all his might along the path.

The soaring hatred on his body could be clearly felt even from a thousand meters away.

But so what?

Ning Huan, who only cared about seizing the day, had no grounds to sympathize with others.

"Finally here."

High above, the youth's expression was cold as he gazed into the vast, boundless ancient forest.

In his mind, he kept recalling the intelligence he had gathered before his departure.