First Meeting with Huo Yu'er

After bidding farewell to Gu Yuena, Lin Shuo did not leave immediately. Instead, he instructed Di Tian to keep a close watch on the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.

The little one had only him as a playmate in the Star Dou Great Forest. Although the God Realm had vanished, he had to guard against any contingency plans Tang San might have left behind on the Douluo Continent before his departure. It was better not to let the Spirit Beast leave the Star Dou Great Forest alone while she was away from his side.

Having settled everything, Lin Shuo finally set off.

Chi Wang had long been waiting, prone by the Lake of Life. His three heads bowed in unison the moment he saw Lin Shuo. Lin Shuo vaulted onto Chi Wang's broad back.

"Let's go, to the outer perimeter." Lin Shuo patted Chi Wang's back.

With a low growl, Chi Wang—followed by the Sky Dream Iceworm—transformed into a streak of red lightning, sprinting toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Since Huo Yuhao was arriving at the Star Dou Great Forest around the time of the Shrek Academy entrance exams, Lin Shuo only needed to wait by the forest's edge to catch his prey.

"That's far enough, Chi Wang." Upon reaching the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest, Lin Shuo hopped off Chi Wang's back and began walking toward the forest's exit.

Chi Wang bowed slightly, watching Lin Shuo depart before turning to sprint back toward the core area.

"Tian Meng, use your spiritual detection to see if there are any spirit-type spirit masters nearby." Lin Shuo casually tasked Tian Meng with finding Huo Yuhao as he strolled through the forest. Although he had lived in the Star Dou Great Forest for the past twelve years, he could count the number of times he had visited the outer perimeter on one hand.

In his memory, he only recalled that Huo Yuhao met Bei Bei and Tang Ya outside the Star Dou Great Forest. Fortunately, the Sky Dream Iceworm possessed immense spiritual power, so he only needed to use it to scan the area.

Lin Shuo and the Sky Dream Iceworm searched outside the Star Dou Great Forest for an entire day.

Tian Meng's spiritual detection range was vast, covering almost the entire outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"My Lord, I've found a little girl! She seems to have a spirit-type martial soul!" The Sky Dream Iceworm shouted to Lin Shuo in excitement after making the discovery.

"A little girl?" Lin Shuo's footsteps faltered at the Sky Dream Iceworm's words, and he fell into a thoughtful silence.

Lin Shuo pondered for a moment. Was this just a chance encounter with another spirit-type spirit master, or was there something wrong with the Peerless Tang Sect world he had transmigrated into?

"Tian Meng, I'll go check it out alone. Keep the spiritual connection open and wait for my signal," Lin Shuo said to the Sky Dream Iceworm after a brief moment of reflection.

"Yes, My Lord!" Sensing that the little girl's spirit power fluctuations were very weak, Tian Meng felt relieved. He bowed slightly and watched as Lin Shuo headed off alone.

Following the coordinates provided by the Sky Dream Iceworm, Lin Shuo wove through the trees, walking toward the girl's location.

As the distance closed, Lin Shuo finally caught a clear view of the girl.

She was a very delicate-looking girl with blue hair, dressed in simple gray cloth. Her frame was slender and thin, her face slightly gaunt. Her features were soft, with a small, dainty nose. Beneath long eyelashes lay a pair of deep blue eyes. The girl had just finished cleaning the fish she had caught and was lighting a campfire to begin roasting them.

Seeing this scene, Lin Shuo's expression turned somewhat strange. Huo Yuhao had actually turned into a girl.

"Little girl, why are you here all by yourself?" Lin Shuo approached Huo Yu'er slowly.

Huo Yu'er looked up at the sound of his voice, and upon seeing Lin Shuo's handsome face, her complexion flushed slightly.

Seeing this, the curve of Lin Shuo's lips deepened slightly. Just like in the original story, Huo Yuhao was still a shy and timid little thing who would blush at the approach of someone of the opposite sex.

"My name is Lin Shuo. I'm here in the Star Dou Great Forest for training. Little girl, what's your name?" Lin Shuo walked over and sat on a rock beside Huo Yu'er.

"I... my name is Huo Yu'er," Huo Yu'er said, her small face turning a deeper shade of red.

Seeing this, Lin Shuo smiled slightly. "Miss Huo, since we've met, it's fate. Could you sell me one of your roasted fish?" Having come to the era of the Peerless Tang Sect, it would be a wasted trip if he didn't eat one of Little Huo's roasted fish.

"B-big brother, I'll treat you to one," Huo Yu'er said, her face flushing even more deeply at his request.

Lin Shuo laughed aloud at this. "Miss Huo, don't be nervous. We're likely around the same age. These are some seasonings and food I carry with me." As he spoke, Lin Shuo took out various jars and bottles from his storage ring, along with some spirit fruits, and handed them to Huo Yu'er. These spirit fruits had been gathered and contributed to him by other spirit beasts in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. Not only could they strengthen the body, but they could also accelerate the speed of spirit power cultivation.

Huo Yu'er took a small bite. The moment the fruit flesh melted in her mouth, she froze. The flesh transformed into a gentle, warm current that surged through her limbs and bones, automatically converting into spirit power that slowly dissipated within her body. The exhaustion from days of sleeping in the open and traveling was mostly dispelled in that instant. Even though Huo Yu'er didn't know what these were, she knew they must be incredibly valuable.

"Big brother, this is too precious..." Huo Yu'er looked up, her deep blue eyes filled with unease. She wanted to return the fruit but realized she had already taken a bite, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

"It's fine, Miss Huo. Besides, aren't you going to treat me to some roasted fish?" Lin Shuo interrupted her and asked, "Miss Huo, are you here to obtain a spirit ring?"

Huo Yu'er finished roasting the first fish and handed it to Lin Shuo, nodding slightly. Lin Shuo took the fish; the golden, slightly charred skin was evenly dusted with seasoning, and the aroma drifted into his nostrils. He took a bite—it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, savory and delicious, far superior to the one he had tasted earlier that was seasoned only with salt.

"The taste is excellent," Lin Shuo commented objectively after tasting it. A roasted fish made with such ingredients was truly exceptional; Little Huo's roasted fish lived up to its reputation.

Upon hearing this, the corners of Huo Yu'er's mouth lifted slightly before she quickly suppressed it.

"About your martial soul..."

"It smells so good!" A pleasant, surprised cry rang out from a distance. Following the sound, a vibrant, black-haired girl appeared. She was staring intently at the roasted fish in Lin Shuo's hand. Following behind her was a boy of similar age. It was none other than Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

As they drew closer, the refined and easygoing expression on Bei Bei's face instantly turned solemn. He looked at Lin Shuo in shock. Just a moment ago, his martial soul had sent out a frantic warning, and within a few short breaths, cold sweat had broken out on his back. One had to know that he possessed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul with the bloodline of the Radiant Sacred Dragon, yet in front of this youth, he felt an urge to kneel on the spot. This was a direct suppression at the level of the martial soul itself.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the agitation of his martial soul, stepped forward to shield Tang Ya behind him, and cupped his hands toward Lin Shuo. "I am Bei Bei, from Shrek Academy. This is Tang Ya, also from Shrek Academy. We are here to obtain a spirit ring. Please forgive our intrusion."

Lin Shuo took in Bei Bei's reaction, understanding everything. Although Bei Bei's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul possessed the bloodline of the Radiant Sacred Dragon, as long as it was a dragon-type martial soul, it could only be suppressed in his presence. Or rather, as long as it was a beast-type martial soul, it would naturally be inferior to him.