The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn

The first light of dawn pierced through the thin mist, gilding the streets of Heaven Dou City with a pale golden edge.

The rented carriage sat before the house, its wheels creaking as they rolled over the stone pavement.

"Mother, Aunt Jiang, we're heading out now."

Huo Yuhao stood by the carriage, waving to Huo Yun'er and Jiang Wanhua behind him.

Jiang Nannan's vacation had ended, and she had to return to Shrek Academy.

As for him, he happened to need a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.

The reason Jiang Wanhua was living with them now was a decision Huo Yuhao had reached after much deliberation. It would be far too lonely for his mother to remain in Heaven Dou City all by herself.

Moreover, once Jiang Nannan returned to the academy, Jiang Wanhua would be left living alone as well.

Thus, after obtaining Huo Yun'er's consent, Huo Yuhao consulted with Jiang Nannan and had Jiang Wanhua move into his home.

It was better for them to have someone to look after each other in their daily lives.

Though when he first told Jiang Nannan about the arrangement, she had looked at him with a hint of suspicion, she eventually agreed.

Jiang Wanhua had naturally tried to decline at first, feeling it was too much trouble, but she finally relented after their persistent persuasion.

However, Huo Yuhao always felt that on the day they helped Jiang Wanhua move, the smile at the corners of her mouth had been impossible to suppress.

"Be careful on the road, and don't get into any conflicts with others."

Huo Yun'er stepped forward slowly, raising her hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Huo Yuhao's ear, her eyes filled with concern.

Jiang Wanhua stood to the side, and upon hearing this, she let out a light laugh, teasing with a relaxed tone: "Don't worry, Yun'er. With Yuhao and Nannan together, what could possibly go wrong?"

Her words were casual but carried a hint of mockery, and as her gaze fell upon Huo Yuhao, the smile at the corners of her mouth deepened.

"I know, Mother."

Huo Yuhao leaned against the edge of the carriage and nodded toward Huo Yun'er and Jiang Wanhua.

His excuse for leaving home this time was still that he needed to go to Shrek City to purchase rare metals for crafting Soul Tool components.

He had originally intended to leave earlier, but while Huo Yun'er wasn't worried about Huo Yuhao, she was deeply concerned for Jiang Nannan's safety.

Jiang Nannan was beautiful and gentle, and she was deeply loved by Huo Yun'er.

She had even vaguely sensed that Jiang Nannan seemed to have a bit of interest in her son.

Huo Yun'er naturally tried every way to bring the two together, which was why she had kept Huo Yuhao waiting until now so he could travel to Shrek City with Jiang Nannan.

She even wanted Huo Yuhao to stay in Shrek City afterward to keep in touch with Jiang Nannan and foster their relationship.

Once Shrek Academy went on break, he could then return with Jiang Nannan.

During this past month, although Huo Yuhao lacked the assistance of a spirit ring from the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, his mastery of Soul Tool crafting—which far surpassed this era—made it easy for him to produce several second-level Soul Tools.

The cost of a second-level Soul Tool was no more than a hundred Gold Soul Coin, but he could flip them for nearly a thousand Gold Soul Coin.

Because of this, Huo Yuhao had stopped his grilled fish business.

Grilling fish was just a way to live; selling Soul Tools was his profession.

As the carriage slowly pulled away, the wheels ground against the bluestone, the sound fading into the distance.

Huo Yun'er followed the carriage with her eyes until it vanished completely at the end of the street, only then pulling her gaze back with reluctance before returning inside with Jiang Wanhua.

Outside the Star Dou Great Forest.

Huo Yuhao stood shirtless in the middle of a clear stream.

He stared down at the water, his right hand suddenly plunging in, slicing through the surface and sending up a spray of water.

"Pfft—"

With a flick of his wrist and a quick turn, a green fish, half a foot long, was hauled steadily out of the water.

Water splashed everywhere, and crystalline droplets slid down his toned muscles, leaving behind streaks of moisture.

It had been only two short months since his rebirth, but relying on the immense vitality provided by the Golden Dragon King Divine Core, combined with targeted training, Huo Yuhao's physique had undergone a remarkable transformation.

His once frail body had become lean and sturdy, with clearly defined lines.

Even his height had grown at an astonishing rate; he had previously been a head shorter than Jiang Nannan, but now he was only half a head shorter.

As for Jiang Nannan, she had already returned to Shrek Academy. Huo Yuhao had not told her the truth about this trip. Otherwise, given her personality, she would have insisted on coming along if she had known.

But this trip wasn't just a simple excursion to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest; he couldn't let Jiang Nannan get involved in such danger.

If I want to become stronger, I have to take some risks.

Huo Yuhao thought to himself as he pulled several more lively green fish from the stream.

Once he had cleaned the fish, he gathered dry wood and skillfully lit a campfire.

Under the roasting heat of the flames, the skin of the fish gradually turned golden-yellow, emitting a sizzling sound.

The rich aroma of grilled fish began to permeate the air, enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Huo Yuhao sat quietly by the campfire, his thoughts churning. In his previous life, when he first arrived at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, it was right by this stream that he had grilled fish and encountered Sister Xiao Ya and Senior Brother Bei Bei.

Now that times had changed, the trajectory of his fate had undergone a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering transformation.

After finishing the grilled fish, he washed the grease from his hands and retrieved a box from his storage ring. As he opened the lid, a pungent medicinal scent immediately permeated the air.

Since his fate had already changed, it was naturally impossible to encounter the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm on the periphery of the Star Dou Great Forest as he had in his past life; thus, venturing deep into the Star Dou Great Forest had become a necessity.

This beast-repelling ointment could effectively mask his scent, lowering the probability of being discovered by soul beasts. Although, for certain soul beasts with extremely keen senses, its effectiveness might be somewhat limited.

"It is time to set off."

After applying the ointment, Huo Yuhao put his clothes back on, extinguished the campfire, and headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest without hesitation.

Not long after setting off, he saw a wooden sign standing by the side of the road.

"Fifty miles ahead, you will enter the territory of the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul beasts roam here; proceed with caution."

Unfortunately, no Wind Baboon jumped out this time. When he passed the location where he had met the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his previous life, Huo Yuhao even paused for a moment.

He waited quietly, hoping that a familiar voice would ring out in his mind. After waiting for a while and finding that no strange voice echoed in his head, he continued on his way.

As the sun gradually sank into the west, the sky began to dim.

Huo Yuhao finally arrived at the edge of the Mixed Zone. He lifted his head, a bright light flashing in his eyes as his gaze swept over the gnarled, strangely shaped tree trunks and the shadows of birds that occasionally swept overhead with low cries.