Huo Yuhao was utterly mortified. He felt that the impressive image he'd cultivated in his previous life in front of Brother Sky Dream and the Ice Empress had been utterly ruined.
Who could have known that after he'd gained such cool Bear Claws and an Evil Eye in his previous life, his first External Soul Bone in this life would be such a tiny thing?
Xiao Wu was the only one who didn't laugh. She grabbed Huo Yuhao's arm and exclaimed,
"That's wonderful! Yuhao has a tail just like me now. It's so cute!"
"..."
A few hours later.
"Huh? What's wrong? Why is everyone so quiet? What happened?"
A-Lu woke after absorbing the memories. She looked at Huo Yuhao, who seemed rather downcast, then at Tian Meng and the Ice Empress in his spiritual sea, who still hadn't quite recovered. She couldn't make head or tail of it.
Only after the Ice Empress explained everything did she finally understand.
"Is it not pretty? I saw Huo Yuhao staring at my tail, and thought he really liked it, so I made one for him too."
The matter had been about to blow over, but then Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the Ice Empress laughed even louder.
Only Huo Yuhao stared at the beautiful scenery before him, his eyes vacant, as if the world had lost all its color.
"Yuhao, I'm back! I had Er Ming catch lots of fish and some game, too. Tonight, let them try your cooking!"
Xiao Wu came bouncing over, with the Titan Giant Ape following behind her, its hands cupped together and holding fish and roe deer.
"Still feeling down? Don't worry. Lots of humans with Beast Martial Souls have tails. Trust me, your tail is definitely the prettiest!"
Xiao Wu cheered him on from beside him.
"Forget it. Let's cook."
Huo Yuhao sighed. There was nothing he could do. It had already happened, so he could only accept it.
Smoke curled upward, and a mouthwatering aroma mingled with Xiao Wu's furious shouts.
"Er Ming, you're not allowed to eat any more!! There are so many fish, and they still aren't enough to fill your teeth! Just taste them, that's all!"
"Sister Xiao Wu... I... just one... more bite."
"Aaaaaah! My beloved grilled fish! Da Ming, hurry and beat him up!"
"Ahem. Let me finish tasting it first. Yuhao, your grilled fish tastes really good."
"Thank you, senior."
"You two jerks!"
After they finished eating, the Titan Giant Ape plopped down beside Huo Yuhao, its enormous body making the ground shudder.
"Yuhao... Sister Xiao Wu said you have a... very strange skill... that lets you see other people's... movements. Can you... use it on me?"
Er Ming spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.
Huo Yuhao thought it over before realizing that he meant Spiritual Detection Sharing.
"I can give it a try. Senior Sky Azure Bull Python, would you like to try it too?" Huo Yuhao called to the Sky Azure Bull Python.
"Certainly. I'm curious about the skill Xiao Wu mentioned, too."
As Huo Yuhao's eyes changed, one white, one black, and one red Soul Ring appeared. Da Ming and Er Ming stared at them in astonishment...
The second black Soul Ring was the Simulation Soul Ring he had obtained in the Far North. Tian Meng's energy had now raised it to the limit his body could withstand, turning it into a thirty-thousand-year Ice Silkworm Soul Ring!
Then the white Soul Ring flashed, drawing the two Soul Beasts into Spirit Sharing.
"This..." Both Soul Beasts looked stunned. Everything within a radius of five hundred meters was crystal clear. Their minds picked up even the faintest stir of wind. This was the skill of a white Soul Ring??
"You really are remarkable... human."
The Sky Azure Bull Python marveled.
"With this... skill... I'll be even better... at fighting... other people. Yuhao... help me."
Er Ming's eyes shone with excitement.
The Sky Azure Bull Python shook its head. "Don't be ridiculous! What if Huo Yuhao gets caught in the crossfire?"
Huo Yuhao saw how crestfallen the Titan Giant Ape looked and smiled.
"It's all right, senior. My skill has a wide range. I can just stay farther away."
Hearing that, the Titan Giant Ape gazed pleadingly at his big brother.
The Sky Azure Bull Python saw the eager look on the Titan Giant Ape's face and could only sigh. "All right, then I'll go with you. At least I can protect you."
"Thank you, senior."
Before long, the Titan Giant Ape arrived at the territory of his old rival. He pounded his chest and let out a mighty roar.
Huo Yuhao sat atop the Sky Azure Bull Python's head and watched from a distance.
A roar answered from nearby. As if responding to the Titan Giant Ape, towering trees toppled to either side. A moment later, a Soul Beast that looked somewhat like a lizard appeared in front of him.
The lizard was a little fat and walked upright, its two short arms dangling in front of it. It was about the same size as the Titan Giant Ape.
"Big ape, haven't you had enough of getting beaten? You still dare come back?"
The lizard spoke in a human voice, much more fluently than the Titan Giant Ape. That alone showed it was far more cultivated.
"Hmph. This time... I'm not afraid of you. Come and fight!"
After speaking, the Titan Giant Ape roared again and swung a fist at the lizard Soul Beast.
Seeing the Sky Azure Bull Python watching from nearby, the lizard Soul Beast grew wary.
But then he thought better of it. He and the Titan Giant Ape had no blood feud. At worst, they just fought now and then. There was no reason for his big brother to come and gang up on him.
"Let's see if you've improved at all!" the big lizard roared, charging toward the Titan Giant Ape as well.
The two enormous Soul Beasts fought back and forth. The longer they fought, the more astonished the big lizard became.
Every time he attacked, the giant ape before him dodged. It was as if he could predict his moves. The lizard was stunned. How had the giant ape become so formidable in just a few days!?
What he didn't know was that the Titan Giant Ape had called in outside help.
The Sky Azure Bull Python had watched his younger brother challenge this big lizard many times, only to get beaten black and blue every time.
And yet, he kept going back for more. Seeing the battle turn completely opposite to how it usually went, the Sky Azure Bull Python couldn't fail to realize that the human sitting on his head was responsible.
He couldn't help marveling. The human Sister Xiao Wu had brought back this time really was extraordinary...
At last, the two giants' battle came to an end. The big lizard lay on the ground, too exhausted to fight back, while the Titan Giant Ape wore a triumphant, almost human expression.
"How did you improve so fast?" the big lizard asked, baffled.
"Se...cret."
"Hmph. I lost this time. We'll fight again next time!"
Having tasted victory, the Titan Giant Ape spent every spare moment afterward dragging Huo Yuhao along to fight.
The opponents he used to lose to all fell before him.
Spending every day together also brought Huo Yuhao, Da Ming, and Er Ming closer.
They truly came to accept the human Xiao Wu had brought back.
At last, the day came for them to return to the academy.
Da Ming and Er Ming were reluctant to see the pair go as they watched them pack their things.
"Yuhao, come visit me often. Without you, I'll get beaten up again."
The Titan Giant Ape chuckled. After spending this time with Huo Yuhao, his speech had become much more fluent; he no longer spoke in broken phrases like before.
The Sky Azure Bull Python nodded too, then said to Huo Yuhao, "I'll leave Sister Xiao Wu in your care. Come visit whenever you have time."
"We will. Goodbye, you two."
Huo Yuhao waved. He and Xiao Wu exchanged smiles, then set off on their journey home hand in hand.
Three years later.
Balak Kingdom, Suotuo City.
Three young men and women, their faces still bearing traces of childishness, arrived in this city known as the Balak Kingdom's granary.
"So this is where Shrek Academy is? The surroundings aren't bad."
The speaker was the girl among the three. Her scorpion braid fell to her calves, and her delicate face and large, sparkling eyes drew the attention of passersby.
Some were just about to strike up a conversation with her when they saw the boy beside her, her arms wrapped around his. They immediately changed their minds.
The two were clearly a perfect match. There was no room for someone like them to barge in and spoil the scenery.
The boy stood tall and straight, with a handsome face and sky-blue eyes full of curiosity as he looked around.
Remembering how Shrek Academy had been described in his previous life as rising from humble beginnings, he smiled faintly.
"I'm afraid it's not as good as you think."
The girl protested, "How would you know? I don't believe you. How bad could it possibly be? What do you think, Xiao San?"
As she spoke, she turned to look at the young man leading the way.