Beside a stream some distance from the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Bye-bye, little Huo! Thanks for the meal. See you next time!"
With a hint of reluctance over parting from the delicious grilled fish—and with grease still all over her mouth—Tang Ya, who was still young but already a beautiful girl, waved at Huo Yuhao, just as reluctant to leave him.
Bei Bei stood beside her, his eyes carrying three parts helplessness and seven parts indulgence. He shook his head, then politely bade Huo Yuhao farewell.
The two of them soon left together, chatting and laughing.
"Phew..."
"I finally sent those two on their way."
"I'm exhausted!"
Huo Yuhao wiped away the sweat the heat from grilling fish had brought to his brow and let out a long breath.
He glanced at the pile of fish bones on the ground and couldn't help thinking with a touch of malice:
"Can Tang Ya ever stop eating?"
"How come she hasn't eaten herself into a huge chubby girl yet?"
After a thorough round of grumbling, Huo Yuhao leaned against a tree and slumped down, settling into a full-on Ge You recline as he gazed up at the sky.
To be honest,
his head was still a little foggy.
"I can't believe I really transmigrated."
"But why Douluo II?! Why Huo Yuhao?!"
He was on the verge of tears.
His original name had been Huo Gua. Perhaps because his name was so absurd, Heaven had rewarded him by sending him into the story of the second Douluo Continent novel, Peerless Tang Sect.
He had become the genuine article: "Huo Gua."
But he didn't have the transmigrator's essential system that made everyone love him. He had no invincible cheat, either—no Ding! followed by the press of a button that could kick the much-loved God King Tang three miles away.
He had simply awakened his memories—or perhaps his innate wisdom from a past life—when Huo Yuhao left the Duke Mansion. He had also conveniently remembered the entire plot of Douluo II.
But it would've been better if he hadn't remembered a thing!
By all rights, transmigrating into the protagonist's body and knowing the entire plot should've meant making good use of that advantage, seizing the initiative, and rising to the pinnacle of life!!
But you were Huo Yuhao.
What the hell could you do with that?!
There was no room to maneuver at all!!
Wasn't everything under your control, God King Tang??
As everyone knew, Peerless Tang Sect was nothing but a carefully orchestrated dog-training chronicle by you, God King Tang.
Never mind all the rest.
By the end, the original Huo Yuhao had even lost the surname of the mother he'd sworn to protect. He'd gone straight back to his roots and become "Dai Yuhao," turning completely into a loyal divine hound at the God King's beck and call.
And this story taught us one thing:
You could only take what God King Tang gave you.
If he didn't give it to you, you'd better not even think about it.
If you wanted to fight back, just look at the Valley of Love Inquiry.
So what if you were the child of destiny?
For a God King, messing with a little nobody like you was far too easy.
Though God King Tang was nominally forbidden from interfering in the lower realm as a God Realm Enforcer,
the reality was—
even if he really did interfere,
what could you say about it?
Go complain to the God Realm Enforcer?
What a joke.
Or go pick a fight with him.
All right, then. Your opponent was Lord Tang San, who wielded two Super Divine Artifacts and possessed the dual godhood of the Sea God and Asura. A man who'd already been able to defeat the combined assault of the Angel and Rakshasa Gods ten thousand years ago.
And what did you have in your hands?
A ridiculously sharp level-five Soul Tool!!
The White Tiger Dagger!!
Go on! Your chance to solo a God King was right in front of you!!
At the thought, Huo Yuhao nearly laughed at his own expense.
The White Tiger Dagger?
What kind of sick joke was that?!!
It wasn't that he hadn't considered skipping Shrek after receiving the starter pack and running away instead.
For instance, he could go to the Sun Moon Empire or the Body Sect, focus on cultivation, keep his head down and make big moves, lie low for a while, then ascend to godhood on his own, punch Little Scumbag in the face, kick that stinking Sea God aside, rule the Divine Realm, marry a rich beauty, and rise to the pinnacle of life!
But how could that possibly happen?
Did he really think the God King's spies in the lower realm were just sitting around doing nothing?
Huo Yuhao probably wouldn't even make it halfway before two burly men from some reclusive sect—who would rather not give their names—clapped him on the shoulder and said, in a very "kind" manner:
"Little friend, we hit it off at first sight, and now you're leaving. Why don't we send you off with..."
"A wife!"
Then they'd toss Tang Wutong out from behind them.
No, at this point, she'd still be Wang Dong.
Whatever. Same difference.
He couldn't win.
He had absolutely no chance.
The gap in strength was just too great.
Forget it. He'd give up.
After thinking it over, Huo Yuhao decisively abandoned the idea of struggling.
The world was vast, but all he wanted was to be a lazy salted fish.
He was guaranteed a godhood anyway, so things couldn't turn out that badly.
He'd better just follow the God King's plan obediently. Maybe then he'd get whipped a little less.
So the first thing he had to do was find Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and absorb the Million-Year Soul Ring.
Then, while he was at it, he'd unlock Electrolux's story route, build up some goodwill, and try to get him to cough up a few extra goodies in the end.
Of course, if it was possible, Huo Yuhao still didn't want Electrolux to sacrifice himself.
The man had an irresistible personality, after all.
Especially that line of his: "With the sun and moon in my hands, I pluck the stars; none beneath heaven can compare to me." It had completely swept Huo Yuhao off his feet.
His presence was in a whole different league from yours, God King Tang.
It was just a shame he'd ultimately been outmaneuvered and made the catalyst for the original Huo Yuhao's fusion with the Snow Empress Soul Spirit.
But no matter what, the current Huo Yuhao wasn't even allowed at the table, let alone in any position to save anyone from God King Tang's schemes.
All he could do was take it one step at a time.
Endure for now and plan slowly.
His most pressing problem was how he was supposed to beat that ten-year Wind Baboon.
He knew God King Tang wouldn't let him die so carelessly here, but Huo Yuhao still couldn't help worrying.
The fewer injuries he suffered, the better.
Several days later, after passing a warning sign that read "You are about to enter the Star Dou Great Forest," Huo Yuhao met his nemesis, just as expected.
The ten-year Wind Baboon.
It stood about a meter tall, covered in yellowish-brown fur. It had brown eyes, a pair of unusually long arms, sharp claws, and exposed canine teeth. Its eyes glinted with murderous intent.
Since he'd been expecting it, Huo Yuhao easily dodged its first sneak attack.
Next came a thrilling, spectacular battle as intense as the clash between two gods.
This round, well...
The mind games and maneuvering between the two sides were no less intricate than Zhongli's fake death.
Relying on the terrifying power of his level-five Soul Tool, the White Tiger Dagger, Huo Yuhao ultimately won, though the battle had been extremely difficult. He hadn't suffered any serious injuries, either.
The ten-year Wind Baboon lay on the ground, a white ring hovering above its head, its eyes wide open in death.
The godslayer had ultimately failed to save the future of the entire Soul Beast Clan in this life.
Oh, you lovesick godslayer.
Wait another lifetime.
Huo Yuhao gave a cold snort and kicked the Wind Baboon's corpse.
You should feel honored, you little bastard.
You almost killed me.
As our "theory invincible" expert would say, you almost killed a god!!
Huo Yuhao sat down, pretending to absorb the ten-year Wind Baboon's Soul Ring as he surveyed his surroundings.
Where was his cheat?
Why hadn't it arrived yet?
What kind of service was this?!
He was going to complain to the Divine Realm!!
Just as he was wondering, a delighted voice rang out in Huo Yuhao's mind.
"I've finally found a human with a Mental Attribute! What a pity I can't cry, or I'd be bawling my eyes out!!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!
Huo Yuhao was overjoyed. His first cheat had arrived.
So, following the script, Huo Yuhao began going through the motions with practiced ease.
"Wow, it's a million-year-old Soul Beast! That's incredible!"
"What? Fusion with me won't hurt you, brother?"
"Really? Then come on! It's my first time, so please be gentle with me..."
Tian Meng: "..."
Something felt off.
Was this kid brushing him off?
But he couldn't afford to worry about that now. If he hesitated any longer, he'd be caught and locked up in a dark room again.
So, after Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fiddled around for a while, they finally began their fusion.
And right then, the clear sky suddenly darkened. A thunderous boom rang out, and an overwhelming pressure descended from above.
Huo Yuhao was delighted. His second cheat was about to arrive.
So he opened his mind.
Come on! Even if it's two people, I can handle it!
Both of you, come at me together!
But he failed to notice that the gray stream of energy that should have descended with Electrolux had run into an even more powerful black cyclone halfway down. In an instant, it turned around and swallowed the gray stream whole.
After a brief, almost human hesitation, the black cyclone chose the same route as the gray stream and went straight into Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness.
Huo Yuhao immediately felt his head swelling.
Wow, was this Elder Yi's divine sense? It felt like he was about to be stuffed full.
Next came the poetry and showing off, right?
Huo Yuhao smiled, thoroughly pleased with himself.
Was he finally going to start enjoying his cheat-enabled life?
He couldn't wait!
The black cyclone didn't disappoint him, either. It spoke:
"My heart yearns, as the winds and clouds roll..."
The smile on Huo Yuhao's face stiffened.
Bu Dui!!!
Before you continue