"He's awake."
After withdrawing the two Million-Year Soul Rings into his body, he gradually calmed the fluctuations of his Soul Power. The moment little Yuhao opened his eyes, he heard Baili Du's familiar, concerned voice. Then a cup made from a large leaf appeared before him, filled with emerald-green liquid that gave off a fresh, crisp fragrance with a hint of plants.
"Drink... it. It'll do your body a lot of good right now."
He shoved aside any weird ideas about bathwater. Who'd turn down a heavenly treasure just because it might be dirty...
"Thank you, Uncle." Little Yuhao never doubted anything Baili Du said. He took the leaf and drank it down in one gulp.
A dense vitality instantly filled his whole body, making him groan with comfort. This rich life force dispelled the fatigue of walking through the forest and greatly strengthened his physique. Even his delicate little face looked a few shades fairer and more luminous.
"..."
Baili Du's expression was strange. It wasn't because little Yuhao had drunk Gu Yuena's bathwater, but because of the way he looked right now.
Had he... raised him into a little girly boy?
Huo Yun'er and Dai Hao undoubtedly had excellent genes. As for why Huo Yuhao's looks had been rather average early on, it was mostly because congenital deficiencies had stunted his development. Once he got proper nutrition, he naturally grew into a handsome young man. Even if he couldn't compare to Tang Wulin or Lan Xuanyu, he was no less handsome than Tang San.
This little Yuhao had been nourished by the blood essence of two God Kings. Any congenital deficiencies or weak foundations had long since been made up for, but his development had gone a little too well...
Naturally shaped, soft brows, long eyelashes, a straight nose, fair skin, lips of just the right fullness—and, above all, those clear, bright eyes. If he dressed a little more androgynously, people might genuinely have trouble telling his gender.
...Forget it. No point thinking about all that.
Little Yuhao smiled excitedly at Baili Du. "Uncle Baili, I really got a Soul Ring!"
Baili Du smiled. "Mm-hmm. What's it like, fusing with a Million-Year Soul Ring?"
[Holy crap! How could this guy possibly know about Million-Year Soul Rings? And that stuff he just gave him was...!]
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, inside little Yuhao's Spiritual Sea, was instantly stunned. His extraordinary perception as a Million-Year Soul Beast seemed to suddenly catch a whiff of something from Baili Du...
He couldn't see through Baili Du's strength, the man knew about Million-Year Soul Rings, and he'd brought a cup of Life Water out of the Land of Great Evil without a scratch...
That meant this human was definitely even more terrifying than Di Tian, that big black dragon!
The corners of Baili Du's mouth lifted slightly. His smile was warm and utterly free of malice.
"Don't be nervous, Brother Sky Dream. Just like you, I want little Yuhao to have a good life... We're family from now on, so please get along with him."
Perhaps Baili Du's approachable manner helped put him at ease. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm cautiously asked...
[W-who are you, exactly? Why can't I sense your aura? And you—what do you know?]
Baili Du looked at little Yuhao, whose face was full of shock and confusion, and shrugged.
"Don't be so nervous. Let's explain everything to little Yuhao together."
After nearly half an hour of explanation, background, questions, and answers, Huo Yuhao finally understood just how incredible the fortune he'd gained was.
He owed it all to Baili Du!
Little Yuhao's eyes reddened, and he choked back tears. "Uncle Baili, thank you... I, I..."
"What's yours by fate will come to you; what isn't yours, don't force. These things were yours to begin with. No one can take them from you, and no one but you could have obtained them." As if he'd already seen what little Yuhao was thinking, Baili Du gently stroked his soft hair and spoke before he could. "If you're thinking of repaying me or something, don't. Remember what I told you: what you should use these powers for is something you must always think about."
"Mm. I'll work hard from now on. I absolutely won't let you down!"
"Good! I'll be keeping an eye on you. If you don't meet my standards, I'll give you a beating."
"Haha, I won't give you the chance, Uncle Baili!"
The two of them chatted and laughed as they left the Star Dou Great Forest and returned to their home outside Xingluo City.
On the way, Baili Du also learned about the Soul Skills Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had given little Yuhao as his Soul Spirit.
Whether it was because little Yuhao's Spirit Eye Martial Soul contained [emotional power] or because Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had completed the Soul Spirit ritual first, the skills weren't the familiar "Sky Dream four-piece set."
First Soul Ring: [Gold] Sky Dream Ice Silkworm (Spiritual Detection Sharing, Spiritual Interference Domain, Soul Protection, Spiritual Clone)
Second Soul Ring: [Gold] Sky Dream Ice Silkworm (Simulation, Spiritual Chain)
The effects of [Spiritual Detection] and [Spiritual Sharing], which had originally overlapped somewhat, had been combined into one skill, taking up just a single skill slot.
If it could share, why couldn't it detect? He seriously suspected Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had put skill points into the wrong places.
The original [Soul Shock] had been replaced with [Soul Protection], a budget version of [Life Reflection Shield] that could only defend against mental attacks. After all, as long as someone's cultivation was high enough, even a Soul Master who wasn't a spirit specialist could use a purely mental attack like [Soul Shock].
As for Spiritual Chain and Spiritual Clone, those were techniques Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had come up with himself—two skills that were practically made for beating up the weak.
He couldn't help feeling a little gloomy. Why hadn't he been this lucky back then...?
He let little Yuhao continue cultivating and learning to control his Martial Soul and two Ultimate Attributes, while Baili Du took the opportunity to inspect the overall state of Douluo Continent.
As expected! The person who had also awakened because of [Samsara Hurricane] and [Space-Time Turbulence] had already grasped the situation. Baili Du had thought he might make a move, but unexpectedly, the other party had held back and stayed put.
That didn't seem right... Though he'd never dealt with him directly, as the ruler of a plane, that fellow was clearly the sort to be proud and arrogant. After the Tang Family had tricked him so badly, he hadn't attacked?
What a shame. Baili Du had been rather covetous of his Super Divine Artifact...
After checking the movements of the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult, Baili Du turned his attention to the Dou Ling Empire.
When he saw that this little brat Lan Xuanyu had joined the Xuanming Sect as a servant just to awaken his Martial Soul, Baili Du nearly burst out laughing.
This time, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena weren't there to protect you. Let's see if you can still swagger around like before.
Baili Du remembered that at the Tang Family gathering, Tang Xuanyu had modestly claimed that [his strength was already extremely close to the peak of the Dragon God in his prime].
But when he'd first arrived in this era, he'd gone to Dragon Valley to take Dragon God Marrow from the Dragon God's remains, and had compared Lan Xuanyu with the first Dragon God.
Now it was clear he'd just been blowing his own trumpet. Close to the Dragon God? Keep practicing for a few more tens of thousands of years.
He'd leave Lan Xuanyu alone for now and let little Yuhao deal with him later. But there was one place Baili Du was still concerned about.
His gaze turned north.
That was... Shrek Academy.
He wasn't looking at Shrek Academy itself, but at the Golden Tree inside it.
He didn't have much time left on Douluo Continent. After thinking it over, he decided it would be best to go collect a little interest from the Tang Family now.
Before you continue