I'm Not Lying!

For the next half month, Huo Yuhao immersed himself entirely in cultivation.

With the championship rewards from the Freshman Assessment, combined with the Concentration Grass, Purple River Cart, and other precious treasures for nourishing spiritual power that Gu Yuan had specifically prepared for him, his progress was immense.

Piled high with these top-tier resources, his soul power soared as if strapped to a rocket.

Originally nearing level 26, his soul power broke through repeatedly over the half-month period, first to level 28, then 29, and finally, on the morning of the half-month mark, it firmly broke through to level 30, officially crossing the threshold of a Soul Elder.

The moment his level 30 soul power flowed steadily through his meridians, Huo Yuhao trembled with excitement.

He was only ten years old and had already become a Soul Elder! This was a rarity in the entire history of the Douluo Continent.

Just as he broke through to level 30, the chubby figure of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm popped out of his Spiritual Sea. Wiggling his eight short legs, his face was full of excitement: "Great, Yuhao! You reached level 30 so quickly! Our plan can finally begin."

Huo Yuhao's consciousness sank into his Spiritual Sea. Looking at the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, his eyes were filled with anticipation: "Brother Sky Dream, the plan you mentioned to forge the Ultimate Ice second martial soul—can we start now?"

"That's right!" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nodded heavily, his tone full of certainty.

"Your soul power has reached level 30, and your body, nourished by a million-year soul ring and countless treasures, has long surpassed that of soul masters at the same level. You are fully capable of bearing the power of an Ultimate Ice martial soul!"

"To forge the Ultimate Ice second martial soul, we must go to the Far North."

Tian Meng did not reveal the entire plan, fearing he might scare Huo Yuhao. To be honest, even Tian Meng had been shocked when he first heard Gu Yuan's arrangements, but since the Venerable had ordered it, he knew he was doing the right thing.

Huo Yuhao's heart couldn't help but beat wildly.

After the initial excitement, he couldn't help but frown, looking troubled: "But Brother Sky Dream, the Far North is at the northernmost end of the Heaven Dou Empire, tens of thousands of miles away from Shrek Academy. If I just leave like this, Brother Yuan and the others will definitely be worried."

He feared that leaving without saying goodbye would worry Gu Yuan and the others.

He was even more afraid that his trip to the Far North would bring trouble to Gu Yuan. Yet, he couldn't tell Gu Yuan the truth about this matter.

After all, the fewer people who knew about this, the better. He didn't want to drag Gu Yuan and the others into this storm because of himself.

"What are you afraid of? With me here, I'll ensure you have a safe journey!" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm patted his chest, then smiled slyly.

"If you don't want to tell them the truth, just make up a reason! Find any excuse, like saying you need to go out for training for a while, right? Besides, you've just broken through to level 30 and need to obtain your Third Soul Ring; that's the perfect excuse!"

Tian Meng didn't know how Gu Yuan would react to such a flimsy excuse, but he just hoped the Venerable wouldn't laugh out loud.

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up, then he hesitated. He had never lied to Gu Yuan, let alone fabricated an excuse to deceive him. But after thinking it over, this was the only way.

He gritted his teeth and made up his mind. To become stronger, to live up to Gu Yuan's expectations, and to avenge his mother with his own hands, he had to make this trip to the Far North.

That evening, in the small courtyard, Huo Yuhao shuffled over to Gu Yuan, twisting the corner of his shirt, looking as if he had something to say but couldn't bring himself to speak.

Gu Yuan was sitting by the stone table drinking tea with Gu Yuena. Seeing his expression, he couldn't help but smile: "What's wrong, Yuhao? If you have something to say, just say it. Why be shy with us?"

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, looked up at Gu Yuan, and stuttered out the flimsy excuse he had prepared: "Brother Yuan, I... I've broken through to level 30, and I want to... go out for some training to obtain my Third Soul Ring. And, by the way... I want to go back to the White Tiger Duke Mansion to see where my mother used to live and sweep her grave."

After saying this, he buried his head low, not daring to look into Gu Yuan's eyes, his cheeks burning hot.

He knew how pathetic this excuse was.

Obtaining a Third Soul Ring was something Gu Yuan and the others could handle easily; the Star Dou Forest had plenty of spirit-type soul rings suitable for him. And his mother's grave was not at the White Tiger Duke Mansion at all; he had moved it elsewhere long ago, a fact he had already told Gu Yuan.

He expected Gu Yuan to expose him and press him on where he was really going. He was so nervous that his palms were sweating.

But to his surprise, Gu Yuan didn't expose him. Instead, he just nodded with a smile and asked in a calm tone: "How long do you plan to be gone?"

Huo Yuhao was stunned. He quickly looked up, disbelieving: "A... about a month or two? I will be back as soon as possible!"

"Good." Gu Yuan nodded slightly and took a storage bag from his Soul Tool and handed it to him.

"Inside are enough Gold Soul Coins, some medicinal pills for healing and warding off the cold, and a few defensive Soul Tools. Be careful in everything you do while you're away."

At these words, Huo Yuhao froze in place, the storage bag in his hand nearly falling to the ground.

Brother Yuan... did Brother Yuan actually know he was going to the Far North?

His flimsy lie was completely transparent before Gu Yuan. Gu Yuan had seen through his purpose but hadn't pointed it out, even anticipating his trip to the Far North to the point of preparing cold-warding medicine for him.

Gu Yuan's stature grew even taller in Huo Yuhao's heart.

Huo Yuhao's eyes turned red. Feeling both guilty and warmed, his nose soured, and he nearly shed tears: "Brother Yuan, I... I didn't mean to lie to you, I just..."

"I know." Gu Yuan smiled and interrupted him, raising his hand to ruffle his hair, his tone gentle.

"You have your own path to walk and your own opportunities to seize; I won't stop you. Having your own thoughts and your own secrets is a good thing."

"Take care of yourself and come back safely."

Gu Yuena also looked at him with a hint of softness and spoke slowly: "If you encounter something you cannot solve, crush this, and a powerhouse will arrive immediately."

As she spoke, she handed Huo Yuhao a silver Dragon Scale Token. It was engraved with fine dragon patterns and emitted a faint aura of life.

Huo Yuhao took the token and the storage bag, his fingers trembling slightly, and the tears finally fell.

He bowed deeply to Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena, his voice choked with emotion: "I will not let you down, and I will definitely come back safely!"

Standing to the side, Jin Ruiqiu pouted. She tugged at the corner of Huo Yuhao's shirt, reluctant to let him go: "Yuhao, are you leaving? Can you take me with you? I can protect you!"

As she spoke, Jin Ruiqiu waved her small fists, as if to prove her ability.

Huo Yuhao squatted down and smiled, ruffling her curly hair.

"I'll be back soon, and I'll bring you something delicious, okay?"

"Really?" Jin Ruiqiu's eyes lit up instantly, but then she pouted again, clutching Huo Yuhao's arm and refusing to let go.

"Then you must come back early! You are not allowed to stay away for too long!"

"Alright, I will definitely come back early." Huo Yuhao replied with a smile, his heart filled with warmth.

Just as the group was saying their goodbyes, a pink figure stood outside the courtyard gate.

Wang Dong was holding the snacks he had just bought that Huo Yuhao liked. He had originally intended to congratulate Huo Yuhao on breaking through to level 30, but as soon as he reached the entrance, he heard the conversation inside and learned that Huo Yuhao was leaving Shrek Academy to go on a journey to a very distant place.

Wang Dong stood at the gate, his feet feeling as heavy as lead, unable to take a single step inside.

Watching Huo Yuhao laughing with Gu Yuan and the others in the courtyard, and seeing Jin Ruiqiu clinging to Huo Yuhao's arm with reluctance, a sudden, indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart. It felt as if something was blocking his throat, stifling and deeply unpleasant.

He had only just met Huo Yuhao, won the championship alongside him, and had only just begun to get to know this gentle yet resilient boy, yet he was already leaving.

He didn't even have the standing to utter a single word to make him stay. He and Huo Yuhao were merely classmates; what right did he have to stop him from going out to gain experience and becoming stronger?

Wang Dong gripped the snack box tightly, his fingertips turning slightly white. The bitterness in his heart grew more intense, making even his breathing feel heavy.

Just then, Huo Yuhao spotted him at the gate and waved with a smile: "Wang Dong, why are you here? Come on in."

Wang Dong snapped back to reality, forced a smile, and walked into the courtyard. He handed the snack box to Huo Yuhao, his voice slightly hoarse: "I heard you broke through to level 30, so I came to congratulate you. Just now... I heard you are going out to gain experience?"

"Yeah." Huo Yuhao nodded and said with a smile.

"I'm going out for a walk to obtain my Third Soul Ring and to temper myself."

"Then... when will you be back?" Wang Dong looked at him, his peach-blossom eyes filled with reluctance and a trace of panic he hadn't even realized himself.

"About a month or two, I suppose." Huo Yuhao said.

"Good." Wang Dong nodded heavily. It felt as if something was stuck in his throat; the thousands of words he wanted to say ultimately condensed into one sentence.

"Then... have a safe journey, and take care of yourself."

"Thank you, Wang Dong." Huo Yuhao replied with a smile, feeling a bit reluctant himself.

After fighting side-by-side for these past few months, he had long considered Wang Dong his best teammate.

As night deepened, Huo Yuhao shouldered his pack and left Shrek Academy. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had already mapped out the route to the Far North in his Spiritual Sea. One man and one silkworm set off into the night toward the Far North.

Watching Huo Yuhao's figure disappear into the night, Jin Ruiqiu was still waving, muttering that he must come back early.

Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena stood at the courtyard gate, exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but smile.

"This child, he can't even make up a convincing excuse; it's quite clumsy." Gu Yuan shook his head with a smile, his tone full of amusement.

"Indeed." Gu Yuena said faintly.

"With the divine sense of Electrolux in his Spiritual Sea, and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm that you have nourished for two hundred years, no one in the Far North can harm him."

"I know." Gu Yuan nodded, his gaze fixed on the north, a profound look flashing in his eyes.

"I just wonder if Yuhao will have this opportunity."

After a pause, he turned to look at Gu Yuena and Jin Ruiqiu and said with a smile: "Yuhao has gone to walk his own path, so it is time for us to set off as well. It has been two hundred years; it is time to go see the Douluo Hall."

Two hundred and forty years ago, Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue placed their first chess piece on the continent in the name of the Douluo Hall.

Two hundred years later, the Douluo Hall had grown into a behemoth standing on equal footing with Shrek, yet he, the true mastermind, had never truly set foot in the headquarters of the Douluo Hall.

Now that Huo Yuhao had gone to the Far North and there was nothing pressing at Shrek for the moment, it was time to go to the Douluo Hall and see what kind of fruit these two hundred years of planning had yielded.

Upon hearing that they were going to the Douluo Hall, Jin Ruiqiu's eyes lit up instantly, and she hopped about, saying: "Great, great! Let's go to the Douluo Hall! I've long wanted to see what the Douluo Hall that the Master speaks of looks like."

Gu Yuena nodded slightly, a faint ripple stirring in her heart. It was only right to go and take a look now.

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the three of them left Shrek Academy without alerting anyone, transforming into three streaks of light as they sped toward the Douluo Hall headquarters in the north of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The wind whistled past their ears, and the mountains and rivers beneath their feet retreated rapidly. Gu Yuan looked toward the distant horizon, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth.