Fate's Deviation

"Heroes don't cry, you know."

A clear, gentle voice with the bright ring unique to a young boy suddenly sounded beside him.

Huo Yuhao's whole body stiffened. He snapped out of his excitement at once, whipped around, and warily looked toward the voice.

On a bluestone not far away sat a boy and a girl about his age, both of them looking around twelve.

The speaker was a boy dressed in a neat, dark outfit. His ink-black hair was tied high with a wooden hairpin, revealing a smooth, broad forehead.

He was exceptionally handsome, with smiling, curved brows and eyes. His gentle smile made him look like a young master from some prominent family—clean and bright.

Yet his dark eyes concealed a composure and insight beyond his years. Even sitting there casually, he had a strangely reassuring air about him.

A silver-haired girl leaned against his side.

She wore a long, moon-white dress, and her silver hair was loosely tied with a pale-purple ribbon. A few stray locks fell beside her cheeks, making her delicate face look even lovelier.

Her eyes were a beautiful purplish gold, like colored glass holding the last glow of sunset. Her demeanor was cool and composed. She sat quietly, playing with a tender green leaf in her hand, her gaze resting on him with mild curiosity.

These two were Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena, transformed into the forms of a young boy and girl.

To avoid frightening the sensitive, self-effacing boy, the two had deliberately reined in all their dragon might and aura, taking on the appearance of twelve-year-olds. They showed only the Soul Power fluctuations of Soul Elders, making themselves look like a pair of siblings from a prominent family out on a journey of experience.

Huo Yuhao's body tensed at once. He clutched the rust-speckled dagger in his hand and shrank back a little, warily watching the two.

At the White Tiger Duke Mansion, he had grown used to the bullying and malice of children his age. No matter how gentle these two older kids seemed, he didn't dare let down his guard.

Besides, this was the outskirts of Star Dou Forest. Two children around his age sitting here in perfect safety was unusual in itself.

"Y-You... who are you? Why are you here?" Huo Yuhao's voice trembled slightly as he gritted his teeth and forced himself not to show fear.

He could tell that even if these two looked young, their strength far surpassed his. If they wanted to harm him, he wouldn't have the slightest chance to fight back.

"Don't be nervous. We mean you no harm." The boy jumped down from the bluestone and walked toward him at an easy pace.

His steps were light, and his gentle smile never left his face. He showed no trace of intimidation, stopping two steps away from Huo Yuhao.

"My name is Gu Yuan, and she's my younger sister, Gu Yuena." The boy's voice was soft and warm, like a spring breeze, easing some of the wariness in Huo Yuhao's heart.

"My sister and I are traveling. We happened to pass by and saw you unconscious, so we treated your injuries and stayed nearby for a while, in case a Soul Beast carried you off."

Huo Yuhao froze for a moment, then instinctively touched his back. The broken bones there had already healed, and he didn't feel even a trace of pain. The blood and dirt on his body had also been cleaned away. Clearly, someone had taken good care of him.

Could they be the two powerful people Senior Electrolux had said helped him?

But they looked about his age...

Huo Yuhao still didn't know that these two would become his greatest support in the future, or that they would save him from the fate of wearing a dog collar.

"You... you were the ones who saved me?" Huo Yuhao still sounded uncertain, but he quietly lowered the dagger in his hand.

Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow, a fleeting smile passing through his eyes, and said lightly, "It was no trouble. We saw you lying beside the corpse of a Wind Baboon. You were badly hurt, and we were afraid you might not make it."

He said it as if it had been a trivial thing, but a storm surged through Huo Yuhao's heart.

Growing up, Huo Yuhao had known only the bullying of children his age. Now two strangers his age had come to his aid, saving his life in the dangerous Star Dou Forest. In an instant, his fondness for them soared.

He hurried to his feet and bowed deeply to Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena, bending his small body low. His voice brimmed with heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you both for saving my life. Huo Yuhao will never forget this!"

His bow was earnest. In ten years, no one had ever helped him without expecting something in return.

After his mother died, he had endured cold looks and bullying at the Duke Mansion. He couldn't even get a full meal, let alone find someone willing to reach out when he was in danger.

"Get up. There's no need to be so formal." Gu Yuan smiled and raised a hand. A gentle force lifted Huo Yuhao, keeping him from bowing any lower.

"We just happened to lend you a hand. What mattered more was how resilient you were."

Gu Yuena also came over from the bluestone. Her cool voice softened, carrying a hint of comfort. "Your Spirit Eye Martial Soul has great potential. Don't waste it."

She hadn't said much, but her words warmed Huo Yuhao's heart a little more.

He looked up at the gentle-faced siblings before him, and his eyes reddened again despite himself.

For ten years, no one had ever praised him like this. No one had ever told him he had talent.

At the White Tiger Duke Mansion, everyone called him a useless bastard. Only these two strangers had ever given him such affirmation and warmth.

"You two..." Huo Yuhao's voice caught in his throat, and for a moment he couldn't say another word.

Gu Yuan saw his reddened eyes and understood.

The boy had suffered since childhood. A little warmth was enough to stay with him for the rest of his life.

He gently patted Huo Yuhao's head, his voice warm. Every word struck home. "I heard you muttering about revenge just now. Did people from the White Tiger Duke Mansion bully you?"

Huo Yuhao shuddered and jerked his head up, his eyes full of shock. He had never told anyone about his background. How could this person know?

"Don't be surprised." Gu Yuan smiled and pointed to the half-pendant at Huo Yuhao's waist, engraved with the character "Yu."

"This style of jade pendant belongs to the White Tiger Duke Mansion. It wasn't hard to guess."

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and looked at the half-pendant in his hand. It was the only keepsake his mother had left him.

His fists clenched tight, his nails digging deep into his palms. Resentment and hurt churned in his eyes. "People from the Duke Mansion killed my mother. They all bully me and call me useless, a bastard..."

His voice grew quieter and quieter, betraying the hurt he couldn't hide.

Gu Yuan listened quietly without interrupting. Only after Huo Yuhao had finished did he speak. "You want revenge, right?"

"Yes!" Huo Yuhao lifted his head, his eyes filled with a determination beyond his years. He answered with absolute certainty.

"I'll get stronger! I'll avenge my mother! I'll make everyone who bullied me pay!"

Gu Yuan looked at him, then said no more about the subject.

"Your Soul Power is already at level twenty. You only need a Soul Ring to become a Soul Grandmaster. If you don't mind, Nana and I can help you obtain your Second Soul Ring."

Huo Yuhao was so touched he was about to burst. This big brother really was a wonderful person! He had not only saved him, but was also going to help him obtain his Second Soul Ring.

But pies didn't fall from the sky. Huo Yuhao had already been hit by one enormous pie, but surely they wouldn't keep falling forever!

Quick-witted as he was, Huo Yuhao knew these two were far stronger than him, and that they must have some reason for helping him. But he had nothing to his name. Other than his life, what could they possibly want from him?

As if he had seen through Huo Yuhao's thoughts, Gu Yuan smiled faintly and crouched down to meet his gaze. His voice was earnest. "Don't overthink it. We mean you no harm. Just think of us as a kind older brother and sister."

Gu Yuan's words flowed through Huo Yuhao like a warm current.

He looked at the boy before him, who was only two years older than he was, and saw the sincerity and gentleness in his eyes. Then he thought of his mother's expression before she died, and the scornful looks of the people at the White Tiger Duke Mansion.

Without the slightest hesitation, he dropped to one knee and bowed deeply to Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena. His small body was ramrod straight, his voice ringing with a young boy's fierce resolve.

"Huo Yuhao is deeply grateful to you both! From this day forward, whatever you ask of me, I'll do it—even if it costs me my life!"

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. When someone had spent too long in the dark and a ray of warmth suddenly entered their world, they would cling to it and never let go—even if they knew it came with an ulterior motive.

Besides, deep down, Huo Yuhao felt that befriending Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena could only benefit him. And he was greedy for this warmth.

"Get up. What are you doing?" Gu Yuan helped him to his feet again. Seeing his red eyes, he smiled reassuringly.

"There's no time to waste. Let's go now. The Second Soul Ring you need won't be easy to find."

As he spoke, Gu Yuan raised a hand, and a gentle, invisible force enveloped Huo Yuhao. Gu Yuena walked to his other side, and the three of them sped silently toward the depths of Star Dou Forest.

All that remained were the Wind Baboon's corpse in the woods and the bloodstains still wet on the ground, proof of what had just happened there.

A little while after the three had left, two figures raced through the woods and landed where Huo Yuhao had been.

The boy leading them wore a blue outfit. Handsome and gentle in appearance, he was Bei Bei.

The two stopped, and Bei Bei immediately crouched to examine the Wind Baboon's corpse. He then looked over the signs of battle nearby and furrowed his brow. "Xiao Ya, look. There was a fight here just now. Judging by the signs, whoever fought here was probably a young child, and their Soul Power wasn't very high."

Tang Ya crouched down too. She examined the blood on the ground, then looked around, frowning in confusion. "That's strange. Where did they go? Anyone who could kill a Wind Baboon should be a Soul Master here to obtain a Soul Ring. Why can't I see anyone?"

Bei Bei's expression grew serious as well. He circulated his Soul Power and carefully examined the surrounding auras, but aside from the faint smell of blood and a barely perceptible dragon might, he couldn't find a trace of anything else.

That dragon might, even though only a trace remained, made his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul tremble uncontrollably with awe.

"What a terrifying aura..." Bei Bei sucked in a breath.

"This aura completely suppresses my dragon-type Martial Soul!"

"Th-Then could that child have been taken away by them?" Tang Ya asked anxiously.

"Hard to say." Bei Bei shook his head, his brow furrowed.

"The signs of battle are intact, and there's no sign of a struggle. It doesn't look like the child was taken by force. But... who would take a child who'd just obtained a First Soul Ring deep into Star Dou Forest?"

The two exchanged glances, both of them confused and uncertain. They searched the area for a long time but found no clues. In the end, they could only give up and continue toward the outskirts of Star Dou Forest.

They would never know that they had just passed by the boy who, in the original course of fate, would join the Tang Sect and become its future pillar.

Divine Realm, Sea God Temple.

Deep within the temple, endless seawater surged. On the Sea God's throne at its center, a man clad in blue divine armor slowly opened his eyes.

He was handsome, with blue hair and blue eyes. The vast divine might of the Sea God and Asura God's Dual Godhood swirled around him. He was none other than the Divine Realm Enforcer, Sea God Tang San.

Between his fingers was a strand of golden fate. But the once perfectly clear strand had snapped just moments ago, scattering into a sky full of light that vanished into the void.

Tang San's brows drew together, and a cold glint flashed through his deep eyes.

He could clearly feel that Huo Yuhao's mark of fate had veered off the path he had laid out and had even vanished from his perception of fate.

He had originally calculated that Huo Yuhao would enter Star Dou Forest today, encounter Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, and obtain a Million-Year Soul Ring. Then he would meet Bei Bei and Tang Ya, join the Tang Sect, enter Shrek Academy, and step by step become another pawn in Tang San's plan to control the Divine Realm.

But now, everything had gone awry.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's sacrifice had taken place, but Huo Yuhao's fate had slipped from Tang San's control.

He couldn't even sense Huo Yuhao's exact location.

"What's going on?" Tang San tapped a finger lightly on the armrest of his throne, wariness flashing through his eyes.

"How could anyone alter the path of fate I laid out?"

He slowly rose to his feet, his gaze piercing the barriers of the Divine Realm to look toward Douluo Continent. The chill in his blue-gold eyes deepened.

He could feel that something on Douluo Continent had changed drastically.

It seemed a variable he had never accounted for had appeared in the game he had set up.

"Interesting." A cold curve appeared at the corner of Tang San's mouth.

"I'd like to see who dares touch one of my pawns."

An endless surge of Sea God Divine Power burst from within him, spreading toward Douluo Continent.

Far away, in Star Dou Forest on Douluo Continent, Huo Yuhao was protected by Gu Yuan's power and excitedly taking in all the strange flowers and plants around him. He chattered away, asking Gu Yuan all sorts of questions.

Gu Yuan patiently answered each one, and Gu Yuena occasionally added a few words. The three of them gradually disappeared into the dense forest of Star Dou.

Gu Yuan seemed to sense the divine consciousness crossing over from another plane. He glanced up at the sky, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint smile.

Tang San was already panicking? There were plenty more variables to come. We'd take our time and play.