Encounter

Huo Yuhao sat before the campfire and glanced back at the two tents behind him; Xiao Wu had already fallen asleep.

"Teacher, do you think Brother Sky Dream will come?"

It was the first day of entering the Star Dou Great Forest. Huo Yuhao sat by the bonfire, watching the dancing flames as he communicated with Electrolux in his spiritual space.

"Although they cannot find you from afar as I can, the moment you stepped into the forest, that big bug must have sensed you. Now, we simply need to wait patiently."

"But he doesn't know me yet. Our meeting isn't supposed to happen until ten thousand years later."

Huo Yuhao felt a bit troubled; what if Brother Sky Dream didn't trust him?

Huo Yuhao could already imagine himself running up to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, blurting out a bunch of inexplicable things, and being treated like a lunatic.

"I can transmit your memories to him, but I cannot predict what choice he will ultimately make."

Sensing the hesitation in Electrolux, Huo Yuhao smiled slightly.

"It's fine, Elder. Even if Brother Sky Dream chooses not to follow me, I have the confidence to become a god. Once I ascend, I will bring them to the God Realm. It will just be a bit more work, that's all."

"In my past life, you all helped me so much. In this life, no matter what choice they make, they will always be my friends!"

As he said this, Huo Yuhao looked up at the sky, his gaze shifting as the myriad stars of the firmament reflected in his eyes.

"Silly child... I believe they will make the same choice."

Electrolux felt moved in his heart. Huo Yuhao was just like this; it was precisely this character that had made them stay by his side until the very end in his previous life.

Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile. The exhaustion from days of travel made him yawn, and after scratching his head, he entered the other tent and fell asleep shortly after.

In his dreams, he saw the companions he had longed for, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.

In the middle of the night, a pair of tightly shut eyes quietly opened, and a figure peeked out from the tent stealthily.

Seeing that there was no movement from the neighboring tent, she tiptoed to pack her belongings, finally placing a letter inside Huo Yuhao's tent.

Patting her face, she headed off into the darkness...

The next morning.

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to obtain my soul ring too; I can't let you leave me behind ╭(╯^╰)╮"

After reading the short note, Huo Yuhao scratched the back of his head, feeling a sense of relief.

This is for the best; at least I don't have to think of an excuse for her.

"Then, I shall begin as well..."

He wasn't worried about Xiao Wu's safety. Just kidding—her returning to the Star Dou Great Forest was like returning home; what was there to worry about?

Huo Yuhao was more concerned that he might become a soul beast's snack before he even managed to wait for Brother Sky Dream.

He began his journey to find Brother Sky Dream, though calling it a search was really just wandering around aimlessly.

With the warning capabilities of his God King-level spiritual power, Huo Yuhao didn't encounter any danger.

By the afternoon, a cheeky voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Little human, what are you looking for? Do you want Big Brother to help you?"

The voice from his memories resonated in his mind. Although he hadn't seen him since his rebirth, six years was nothing compared to the decades of his past life.

"I'm looking for a chubby silkworm who calls himself Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. Do you know where he is?"

Huo Yuhao feigned calmness as he joked, though his slightly reddened eyes betrayed that his heart was not at peace.

"Oh ho, as it happens, I do know him. The most handsome one among all soul beasts, right? Do you have business with him?"

Rolling his eyes, Huo Yuhao decided to stop playing games with Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

"Brother Sky Dream, I came here specifically for you. Let's meet; I will tell you everything."

"..."

There was no further response. Huo Yuhao didn't speak either, simply waiting quietly.

About an hour later, the ground suddenly trembled. A round, plump body burrowed out from the earth and appeared before Huo Yuhao, its small golden eyes staring intently at him.

"A human actually knows me, and you even have my aura on you. So, what exactly is your secret?"

Huo Yuhao didn't respond, silently calling out to Electrolux in his heart.

A moment later, a gray-robed elder appeared beside Huo Yuhao, nearly startling Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. The elder then pointed a finger, and a cluster of golden light erupted from Huo Yuhao's forehead—it was his memories, wrapped in spiritual power, flying toward Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

"How can this be! A child actually possesses spiritual power of such a realm!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm almost thought he had fallen into a human trap; had he not sensed that neither of them held any malice, he would have already fled.

"This is..."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm tilted his head back, watching as the orb of light merged into his large brain.

The moment it entered, countless images flooded his mind, and his entire body fell into a state of stupor.

Huo Yuhao watched silently, pursing his lips without a word. Electrolux looked from Huo Yuhao to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm from time to time, stroking his beard.

The time it took for Tian Meng to digest the memories was long. Night fell, and Huo Yuhao lit a fire beside him, skillfully roasting the ingredients he had gathered along the way.

Just as the meat was about to be finished, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm finally moved.

"Get me two skewers of meat. Watching myself eat with such gusto in those memories has me drooling."

In his past life, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm only tasted Huo Yuhao's cooking after becoming a spirit with a physical form; this time, he was determined to feast while he still had a body.

"Alright."

Huo Yuhao nodded, focusing even more intently on the remaining steps.

"Done."

He held out the skewers to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. The silkworm's mouth was only slightly larger than his eyes, and the way he nibbled on the meat made him look exactly like a silkworm munching on mulberry leaves.

One skewer after another—one grilled, one ate—both tacitly avoiding any mention of the memories.

"Phew... I'm stuffed. The memories didn't lie."

After devouring two roe deer and four fish, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm let out a long sigh and smiled.

Then, his small eyes fixed steadily on Huo Yuhao, as if trying to carve the boy's image into his mind.

Compared to his past life, this boy was five years younger, yet his body was far from the frail, wind-blown state he had first encountered.

"When do we start?"

The voice broke the silence of the night.

Huo Yuhao shuddered, looking up to meet Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's glittering golden eyes, seeing the resolve within them.

"What? Has my little Huo Yuhao become a god and now looks down on Brother Sky Dream? Wuwuwu, I'm so heartbroken. It seems I'll just have to let Di Tian catch me and use me as a furnace, draining me until I die."

Huo Yuhao kept his head low, his body trembling as large, bean-sized tears fell.

"Thank you, Brother Sky Dream..."

"Hmph, you're already a god-tier being, yet you're still so naive. Can you really manage without my guidance? If you and that stinking old man in your head were gone, wouldn't I die of loneliness?"

Tian Meng held his head even higher, his voice brimming with smugness.

Electrolux, who often bickered with Tian Meng, remained silent, appearing to be in a deep slumber.

"But since I haven't been absorbed by Di Tian and his lot yet, I have a bit too much energy, and I lack experience... Give me two days to study this."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm continued to ramble, shaking his large head, seemingly quite pleased with himself.

In this life, he was complete, and as the first million-year soul beast, his energy was beyond imagination.

Two days passed in a flash, and the surroundings had gained something new—a golden-furred Three-Eyed Golden Ni...

She was much smaller in size, passing by the area several times as if by accident, glancing over with curiosity before walking away.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had noticed her long ago. Having seen Huo Yuhao's memories, he naturally knew who she was, but he didn't tell Huo Yuhao.

Contacting Three-Eyed Golden Ni too early might draw the attention of Di Tian; it wasn't the right time yet.

In any case, he believed their fates were already inextricably linked. You think you can run away? Just stay put and be a wife for our Yuhao, hehehe...