Eighteen to Two

Early the next morning.

After a night of rest, the two of them embarked on the road home.

Their hand-in-hand silhouettes gradually lengthened under the morning sun, a pair of bracelets emitting a soft blue glow.

"Yuhao, how much further is it?"

On the rugged dirt path, two young figures walked along, the girl among them speaking in a bored tone.

"Almost there, we'll arrive just ahead."

Huo Yuhao looked at the outline of the houses in front, his heart filled with excitement.

In just one short year, he had already become a Soul Grand Master. One had to realize he was only seven years old; even in the history of the Douluo Continent, there shouldn't be anyone who cultivated this quickly.

"Ha! Finally here."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she pulled Huo Yuhao along, quickening her pace.

"I wonder how Grandpa is doing."

Huo Yuhao muttered to himself.

Hearing this, Xiao Wu suddenly realized she was about to meet Huo Yuhao's family.

Although she had boasted at the academy about not being afraid, looking at the small village now within reach, she couldn't help but feel nervous, her grip on his hand tightening.

Huo Yuhao noticed Xiao Wu's anxiety, squeezed her hand, and said with a smile.

"Know fear now? Don't worry, my grandpa is very kind."

Reassured by Huo Yuhao, Xiao Wu relaxed a little. "Hmph, I'm not afraid at all."

Old Jack's house was deep in the village, while Tang San's house was at the entrance. As Huo Yuhao passed by, he saw Tang San's door tightly shut, looking as if no one lived there, which left him feeling puzzled.

Soon, the two arrived at Old Jack's doorstep, where they happened to run into Tang San coming out.

Before Huo Yuhao could even ask, Tang San spoke up first, explaining the situation with some embarrassment.

It turned out that Tang Hao had left, leaving only a note behind. With nowhere else to go, Tang San had been taken in by Old Jack to stay at his home temporarily.

"San, who are you talking to? Is that Yuhao back?" Old Jack's voice drifted from inside the house.

Hearing the voice, Huo Yuhao couldn't hide his excitement. "Grandpa, it's me, I'm back!"

"You brat, I thought you'd forgotten about your grandpa! So you know how to come back! And who is this?"

Old Jack walked out of the house, scolding Huo Yuhao, but immediately noticed Xiao Wu by his side.

She looked lovely and shy, her two hands nervously fidgeting in front of her as she stammered out her words.

"Hello, Grandpa... I... I am Huo Yuhao's classmate from the academy... My name is Xiao Wu... I'm here to visit Huo Yuhao's home..."

Seeing Xiao Wu's nervous appearance, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but laugh out loud, earning a shy, angry glare from her, and his waist immediately suffered the consequences.

"Good, good, good. I was worried Yuhao wouldn't be able to make any friends. This is great."

Seeing the two of them, how could Old Jack not know what was going on? He beamed with joy.

He stepped aside to let them in. Xiao Wu took out the gift she had prepared from her bracelet and handed it to Old Jack.

The sharp-eyed Old Jack immediately noticed the matching bracelets on the two, his smile widening even further. He accepted the gift and looked at Huo Yuhao with satisfaction, practically wanting to give him a thumbs up—what a good lad!

Watching the harmonious trio, Tang San felt like an outsider, feeling completely out of place.

"Yuhao, you and Tang San go catch some fish. We can't treat our guest poorly."

Old Jack felt the two boys were in the way, so he waved his hand to give them something to do.

"Alright, alright. Anyone who didn't know better would think Xiao Wu was your granddaughter."

Huo Yuhao smiled helplessly, gave Xiao Wu a look that said "good luck," and headed toward the village creek with Tang San.

"San, thank you for taking care of my grandpa these past few days."

Once they reached the spot, Huo Yuhao spoke while his hands kept moving.

Tang San waved his hand. "Your grandpa took me in voluntarily; I didn't do much."

One using Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon and the other using his Spirit Eye, they soon had a pile of green fish on the bank.

"That's enough for two meals. Let's go, time to head back."

Guessing that the two at home were probably done chatting, Huo Yuhao suggested.

Tang San nodded. When they returned to the house together, Grandpa was already calling Xiao Wu "dear granddaughter." Xiao Wu was no longer nervous, laughing and chatting with him.

For lunch, Huo Yuhao cooked personally, and everyone enjoyed the meal, though Xiao Wu, who usually could eat quite a bit of grilled fish, restrained herself and didn't eat much.

Huo Yuhao was puzzled. Is my cooking not good? It should taste the same as before.

"What's wrong, Xiao Wu? Is your appetite bad? You usually..." Ouch!!

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden, sharp pain in his waist made Huo Yuhao cry out.

Watching the two flirting, Grandpa stroked his beard with a smile.

Tang San wore an expression as if he had just been forced to watch a public display of affection.

I should be under the table...

After lunch, the three of them were kicked out of the house.

In the words of Old Jack, "Young people should go out and play more; what are you doing staying at home all the time!"

Helpless, the three had no choice but to come to their usual spot on the mountain. Under the brilliant sunshine, looking out at the swaying sea of trees in the distance, their moods relaxed.

Having eaten their fill, the restless Xiao Wu pulled Huo Yuhao up, demanding a spar.

Huo Yuhao had not participated in any sparring matches during his year at the academy; his experience from his past life meant he had no need to hone his skills through such methods.

However, after breaking through to become a Soul Grand Master, he felt a bit of an itch, so he agreed to Xiao Wu's request.

"Tang San, you and Xiao Wu come at me together."

Huo Yuhao already had one more soul ring than Xiao Wu; a fight like this would have no suspense.

Tang San, who had long been curious about Huo Yuhao's strength, did not pass up this rare opportunity and nodded.

The three of them took their stances and released their Martial Souls.

It was then that Tang San and Xiao Wu realized Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul seemed different...

Previously, when Huo Yuhao released his Spirit Eye Martial Soul, his pupils would turn from black to gold.

Now, in addition to the golden pupils, there was a slowly rotating black ring around them. If one looked closely, they could see unknown runes covering the ring.

His entire temperament had also become a bit more somber, with faint gray currents of air swirling around him. Combined with his blue, black, and gold eyes, he appeared somewhat sinister.

"Yuhao, you look... even cooler like this!" Xiao Wu exclaimed.

Huo Yuhao smiled; this was the first time he had released it in front of others since his Martial Soul Evolution.

"My Martial Soul underwent a slight mutation when I obtained my second soul ring; it seems to have evolved."

This was the evolution the Spirit Eye had undergone in the Far North with the help of Elder Yi.

He named it the Dark Spirit Eye, possessing both dark and spiritual attributes.

After a series of tests upon obtaining his second soul ring, he received results that delighted him.

Just as Elder Yi had envisioned, he could now cast necromancy using only the Dark Spirit Eye.

One must know that in his past life, before obtaining his third Soul Core, Huo Yuhao could not drive three Martial Souls simultaneously. Yet now, even without a Soul Core, he could release them at the same time.

Xiao Wu pouted. It was already a two-ring soul master fighting a one-ring soul master, and now that his Martial Soul seemed even more powerful, their chances of winning were even lower.

"Are you ready?" Huo Yuhao asked with a smile, looking at the two who had become even more nervous. Seeing them nod, he said, "If you're ready, then... begin!"

As soon as his voice fell, he shot toward the two like an arrow released from a bow. Seeing Huo Yuhao cover half the distance in an instant, Tang San's pupils constricted.

He couldn't even see Huo Yuhao's movements clearly. How were they supposed to fight? He couldn't even track him with his eyes, let alone use his Binding skill to restrain Huo Yuhao.