Collecting Interest from the Tang Family (Seeking Favorites, Seeking Reads)

"You're awake."

As the two million-year soul rings retracted into his body and his soul power fluctuations gradually calmed, little Yuhao had just opened his eyes when he heard the familiar, concerned voice of Baili Du. Before him appeared a large leaf wrapped around a jade-green liquid, emitting a crisp, plant-like fragrance.

"Drink it... it will be very beneficial for your body right now."

He pushed aside any strange thoughts about bathwater; one doesn't turn up their nose at heaven-sent treasures.

"Thank you, Uncle." Little Yuhao never doubted Baili Du's words, so he took the leaf and drank it in one gulp.

A rich, vibrant life force instantly flooded his entire body, causing him to moan in comfort. This dense vitality dissolved the fatigue from his trek through the forest and significantly enhanced his physical constitution, leaving even his delicate little face looking fairer and more radiant.

"..."

Baili Du's expression was strange. It wasn't because little Yuhao had consumed Gu Yuena's bathwater, but because of how he looked right now.

I... I didn't accidentally raise him into a little girl, did I?

The genes of Huo Yun'er and Dai Hao were undoubtedly excellent. As for Huo Yuhao's initially average appearance, it was largely due to malnutrition from his congenital deficiencies. Once his nutrition caught up, he would naturally grow into a handsome young man—even if he didn't quite reach the level of Tang Wulin or Lan Xuanyu, he wouldn't be inferior to Tang San.

This little Yuhao had been tempered by the essence blood of two God King-level beings; any congenital deficiencies or foundational issues had long since been mended, but he had developed a bit too well...

His naturally shaped, smooth eyebrows, long eyelashes, straight nose, fair skin, and perfectly proportioned lips—especially those clear, limpid eyes—made it hard to tell his gender if he were dressed more neutrally.

...Forget it, forget it. Stop thinking about such nonsense.

Little Yuhao smiled at Baili Du with genuine excitement: "Uncle Baili, I really obtained a soul ring!"

Baili Du smiled. "Mm, how does it feel to fuse with a million-year soul ring?"

Holy crap! How could this guy know about million-year soul rings? And wasn't that cup of stuff just now...

Inside little Yuhao's spiritual sea, Tianmeng Iceworm was struck with sudden, utter shock. As a million-year soul beast, his super-sensory perception seemed to sniff something out from Baili Du...

He couldn't fathom the man's depth, yet he knew about million-year soul rings and could bring a cup of Life Water out of a Great Fierce Land without a scratch...

That meant this human was absolutely more terrifying than that big black dragon, Di Tian!

Baili Du's lips curled slightly upward into a kind, gentle smile, devoid of any malice.

"Don't be nervous, Brother Tianmeng. Like you, I only hope for little Yuhao to have a good life... We are a family from now on, so please get along well with little Yuhao in the future."

Perhaps because Baili Du's approachable aura lowered his guard, Tianmeng Iceworm tentatively asked:

You... who exactly are you? Why can't I sense any aura from you? And you—what exactly do you know?

Baili Du looked at the shocked and bewildered little Yuhao and shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't be so tense. Let's explain the whole story to little Yuhao together."

After nearly half an hour of explanation, popular science, questions, and clarifications, Huo Yuhao finally understood what a terrifying stroke of fortune he had received.

Everything he had gained was because of Baili Du!

Little Yuhao's eyes turned red, and he sobbed: "Uncle Baili, thank you... I, I..."

"What is destined to be yours will come to you; what is not, do not force. These things were always meant for you; no one else could take them, and no one else could obtain them." Seeming to have seen through what little Yuhao was thinking, Baili Du gently stroked his soft hair and spoke first: "If you're thinking about how to repay me, don't. Remember what I said: what you use these powers for is something you should always be reflecting on."

"Mm, I will definitely work hard in the future! I will never let you down!"

"Very good! I will be watching you closely. If you don't meet my requirements, I'm going to spank you."

"Haha, I won't give Uncle Baili the chance!"

The two left the Star Dou Great Forest laughing and chatting, returning to their home on the outskirts of Xingluo City.

On the way, Baili Du also learned of the soul skills that Tianmeng Iceworm had granted little Yuhao as a soul spirit.

Whether it was because little Yuhao's Spirit Eye martial soul possessed [Emotion Power] or because Tianmeng Iceworm had completed the soul spirit ritual first, it wasn't the "Tianmeng Four-Piece Set" he was familiar with.

First Soul Ring: [Gold] Tianmeng Iceworm (Spiritual Detection Sharing, Spiritual Interference Domain, Soul Protection, Spiritual Clone)

Second Soul Ring: [Gold] Tianmeng Iceworm (Simulation, Spiritual Chain)

The originally overlapping skills of [Spiritual Detection] and [Spiritual Sharing] had been merged into one, occupying only a single skill slot.

If you can share, why can't you detect? I really suspect this guy Tianmeng Iceworm messed up his skill tree.

The original [Soul Shock] had been replaced by [Soul Protection], a junior version of the [Life Reflection Shield] that could only defend against spiritual attacks. After all, a pure spiritual attack like [Soul Shock] could be used by any soul master with sufficient cultivation, not just spiritual-type ones.

As for the Spiritual Chain and Spiritual Clone, they were techniques Tianmeng Iceworm had comprehended himself, counting as two "noob-stomping" god-tier skills.

He felt a bit depressed; why hadn't he been this lucky back in the day...

He let little Yuhao continue practicing how to control his martial soul and his two ultimate attributes, while Baili Du took the opportunity to examine the overall situation on the Douluo Continent.

As expected! A certain someone who had also awakened due to the [Samsara Hurricane] and [Space-Time Turbulence] had already grasped the situation. Baili Du had originally thought he would make a move, but he hadn't expected the other party to endure it and remain completely still.

This isn't right... Although we haven't officially dealt with each other, as the master of a plane, that guy is clearly the arrogant type. To be schemed against by the Tang family like that and not strike back?

A bit of a pity. I'm still quite covetous of his super-divine artifact...

After confirming the movements of the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult, Baili Du turned his gaze toward the Douling Empire.

When he saw that grandson Lan Xuanyu had actually joined the Xuanming Sect as a servant just to awaken his martial soul, Baili Du nearly laughed out loud.

There's no Tang Wulin or Gu Yuena here to escort you this time. I hope you can still be as cocky as you used to be.

Baili Du still remembered that during a previous Tang family gathering, Tang Xuanyu had feigned humility, saying, "My strength is already extremely close to the peak of the Dragon God back in the day."

Yet, when he had first arrived in this era and gone to the Dragon Valley to extract the Dragon God Marrow from the remains of the Dragon God, he had compared the gap between Lan Xuanyu and the original Dragon God.

Looking at it now, he had just been blowing hot air; catching up to the Dragon God... he would need to practice for another few tens of thousands of years.

He would leave Lan Xuanyu aside for now and let little Yuhao deal with him later, but there was one place that still occupied Baili Du's mind.

His gaze turned toward the north.

That was... Shrek Academy.

He was not looking at Shrek Academy itself, but at the Golden Tree within it.

He did not have much time left on the Douluo Continent, and after thinking it over, he decided it would be better to collect some interest from the Tang family now.