Xiao Wu and Tang San stared at Dai Mubai, who still wasn't getting up anytime soon, their mouths hanging open.
"Xiao San, Yuhao didn't use Simulation Soul Skill, did he?"
"No... I didn't notice any flaws. Either the higher his level, the fewer flaws there are in Yuhao's skill, or... it was his speed!"
Tang San took a deep breath. The gap between them was simply too great...
Huo Yuhao walked straight over to Dai Mubai, straddled him, and punched him in the face, expressionless. One punch followed another.
The calm look on his face sent a chill through anyone watching.
"Yuhao, that's enough. Stop." Tang San was afraid Huo Yuhao might beat Dai Mubai to death.
Huo Yuhao nodded. Dai Mubai beneath him was already bruised and swollen, but Huo Yuhao had known exactly how hard to hit.
He turned and saw the waiter and a somewhat older man standing nearby, trembling. He had no idea how long they'd been there.
"How much is it? I'll pay." Huo Yuhao nodded to them. He couldn't very well beat someone unconscious and then make them pay for it.
The manager could only nod with a wry smile.
After all, Huo Yuhao had earned quite a bit over the years at Notting Academy by selling Soul Tools through various channels. Paying a little compensation was no problem.
He waved at the twins, signaling them to carry Dai Mubai away.
"Oh, right." Huo Yuhao's voice rang out.
The twins, each supporting one side of Dai Mubai, immediately shuddered.
"When he wakes up, tell him that if he keeps living in debauchery and refuses to fight for his future, he might as well give up on competing for the throne."
The twins nodded like pecking chickens, then hurried off with Dai Mubai. They didn't want to stay another moment.
By then, the waiter had arranged rooms for them. The manager had waived the room fees, so Huo Yuhao only paid the compensation.
They went upstairs, and the three of them arrived at their rooms. Huo Yuhao and Xiao Wu's room was called Red Ocean, while Tang San's was called Green Parting...
"Wow!" Xiao Wu was stunned by the lavish decor as soon as she stepped inside. Huo Yuhao glanced in, shut his eyes, and pressed a hand to his forehead.
Just as he'd expected...
"Heh heh heh, Yuhao, this place is nice! I kind of want to come experience it with Bingbing."
Tian Meng's lecherous voice sounded in his mind again.
"Keep dreaming!"
Ice Empress's furious voice rang out, followed by the sounds of a beating and Tian Meng's anguished cries echoing through Huo Yuhao's mind.
A-Lu popped out too, standing on top of Huo Yuhao's head as she curiously surveyed the room.
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up when she saw A-Lu appear. She was just about to greet her when A-Lu spoke.
"So this is the kind of place humans sleep in when they mate?"
"...?"
Huo Yuhao's face visibly reddened. Xiao Wu's cheeks turned just as red.
She lowered her head and fiddled with her hands, then glanced at the awkward Huo Yuhao, gave a quiet scoff, and went back to fiddling with her hands.
"Ahem. We've been tired for days, Xiao Wu. You can sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."
Huo Yuhao coughed twice, trying to ease the awkwardness.
A-Lu hopped onto the bed. Feeling the softness and spring beneath her feet, her eyes brightened, and she began bouncing up and down.
Huo Yuhao was about to meditate when he saw her. He smiled faintly and closed his eyes.
"A-Lu, you're the king of your kind. So, do you have any experience in that area?"
Xiao Wu glanced at Huo Yuhao and asked with a grin.
"Which area?"
A-Lu looked confused. Why had Xiao Wu left her question unfinished?
"I mean what you just said..." Xiao Wu couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Oh! Mating! No."
"Our kind are born with great intelligence. When I was young, I kept working hard at cultivation because of what happened to my parents. I had no time to worry about such things. After I became king, I devoted myself to breaking through the next heavenly tribulation and changing the fate of my people." A-Lu spoke with a serious expression.
"But now that you mention it, I'm a little curious. It's a shame I don't have a physical body anymore. Maybe once I can freely take human form like Ice Empress."
Then A-Lu turned to Huo Yuhao.
"By the way, Yuhao, what kind do you like? I can transform into that when the time comes."
"???"
Tian Meng perked right up in the spiritual space. "Goodness... Bingbing, Yuhao's got way too much charm!"
Ice Empress rolled her eyes. "That's just natural talent. What, do you have ideas too?"
"Don't say that! You're the only one in my heart. I'm just marveling at how, in both his past and present lives, Huo Yuhao is just so..."
"Hmph. You pass."
Unable to keep pretending he hadn't heard them, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes helplessly. "Just become the way you like. You don't need to ask me."
A-Lu nodded thoughtfully.
"But I want to become the way you like. What's wrong with becoming the way my host likes?"
"A direct hit! How will Huo Yuhao respond?"
Tian Meng writhed with excitement in Huo Yuhao's mind as he shouted.
Now neither Xiao Wu nor Huo Yuhao could keep their composure.
"Enough! I'm really tired. A-Lu, come back. I'm going to meditate."
A-Lu's blunt words had left Huo Yuhao speechless. If they kept talking, Tian Meng in his mind would laugh himself silly.
"Yuhao, brother's got your back all the way!"
"Okay."
A-Lu nodded, bounced over, and slipped into Huo Yuhao's chest.
Xiao Wu shot Huo Yuhao a meaningful glance and muttered, "Someone sure is popular."
Huo Yuhao could only pretend he hadn't heard...
The night passed.
"Yuhao, let's go out and look around! You promised me yesterday!"
"Sure. After breakfast, we can ask Xiao San if he wants to come." Huo Yuhao replied indistinctly, his mouth full of breakfast.
After quickly finishing their meal, they went to Tang San's room and knocked.
"Xiao San, Xiao Wu and I are going out to look around. Want to come?"
A moment later, Tang San's voice came from inside.
"I'll pass. I'm staying at the hotel to cultivate."
The two outside exchanged a glance. Huo Yuhao shrugged helplessly.
"He really works hard..." Xiao Wu muttered.
"What's wrong with working hard? Look at how lazy you've gotten."
"Hmph. I'm a genius!"
"All right, all right, great genius! Let's go."
The two walked leisurely toward the city center. The streets were lined with all kinds of shops, and pedestrians hurried along amid a bustling scene. Compared with Suotuo City, the Nuoding City where they'd lived for six years could only be considered a small town.
"Yuhao, what do you think of this one?"
In a clothing store, Xiao Wu held a dress against herself and asked Huo Yuhao with a smile.
"Hmm... wouldn't it get in the way if you had to fight in it?" Huo Yuhao gave her his honest opinion.
"..." Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at him.
"What a blockhead."
Then she turned to the saleswoman beside her, who was trying not to laugh. "Please wrap it up for me."
After Huo Yuhao paid, he pressed the bag against his belt, and it vanished from his hand.
It was Huo Yuhao's new Storage Soul Tool.
Thanks to Xiao Wu's good luck, Huo Yuhao had discovered quite a few more Starlight Sapphires when the two of them had gone shopping two years earlier.
He'd used them to make a storage belt. A ring of evenly sized Starlight Sapphires was set into the silver-white belt, making it look both stylish and attractive.
Each sapphire was considerably larger than the one on his bracelet, and the storage space was correspondingly much bigger.
If the bracelet had been a small space, then the belt held more than a dozen large spaces. It could store more things and made it convenient for Huo Yuhao to keep everything sorted.
He'd wanted to make one for Xiao Wu too, but she treasured her bracelet and stubbornly refused to use anything else.
So Huo Yuhao had to store a lot of her things for her, like the dress she'd just bought.
"All right, all right. You buy so many clothes, but I hardly ever see you wear them. That's enough." Huo Yuhao smiled wryly.
Xiao Wu pouted. "Hmph. A girl's greatest joy is shopping and buying pretty clothes."
Still, she followed Huo Yuhao out of the clothing store, and they continued wandering.
Before long, they stopped in front of an unusual shop. What made it stand out was its sign, which resembled the emblem of Spirit Hall.
Curious, Huo Yuhao led Xiao Wu inside.
"Hmm? Soul Tools?"