Settling Down in Douyi

The faint glow of the Bronze Gate dissipated, and the surrounding scenery had already changed completely.

The cold, cramped woodshed vanished without a trace, replaced by a clear, boundless blue sky.

A breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees brushed against their faces, refreshing their spirits.

Beneath their feet, the soft, damp soil mixed with the crisp fragrance of grass was full of vibrant, warm vitality.

"Is this... the world on the other side of the gate?"

Huo Yun'er gently held onto Huo Yuhao's shoulder, her breath slightly short, her complexion a shade paler than before.

The spatial travel through the Bronze Gate had taken a significant toll on her already frail body, yet as she gazed at the natural scenery—so starkly different from the cold, opulent luxury of the White Tiger Duke's mansion—a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes.

"Uh... yes."

Huo Yuhao's expression, however, was somewhat complex.

The moment he stepped into this world, the Bronze Gate had transmitted relevant information into his mind.

This was also a world dominated by Spirit Masters and Soul Beasts, where the three great empires of Heaven Dou, Star Luo, and Sun Moon existed, alongside the transcendently influential Spirit Hall, and the illustrious Clear Sky Sect, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

It was unmistakably the world of Douluo Dalu I.

He just didn't know what year it was, or if that "God King Tang" had already been born.

At the thought of coming face-to-face with this "pure and noble" Young Master Tang San, a trace of anticipation flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Without the advantage of becoming a god ahead of time, what would this God King Tang use to oppose him?

That useless teacher who remained stuck at level 29?

Or the Blue Silver Grass that had been trained into complete waste?

He was truly looking forward to meeting the God King Tang of the Douluo I world!

Just as Huo Yuhao was about to explain the details to Huo Yun'er, he saw a middle-aged man walking slowly toward them, carrying a hoe.

The man was about forty years old, his skin tanned dark and shiny by the sun. His limbs were thick and sturdy, and his face was etched with the wear and tear of years of labor, yet his eyes held the simple, clear honesty unique to mountain villagers.

The man caught sight of Huo Yuhao and his mother and paused, stopping in his tracks. A kind smile bloomed on his face as he asked, "Are you two refugees?"

Although Huo Yuhao and Huo Yun'er's clothes were clean, they were patched. Coupled with Huo Yun'er's weak complexion and Huo Yuhao's small, thin frame, anyone would assume they had suffered some misfortune.

Huo Yuhao's heart stirred; he immediately seized this first opportunity to integrate into the world.

He pulled Huo Yun'er forward quickly, his voice carrying the timidity and sorrow of a child: "Uncle, our village was caught in the crossfire of some Spirit Master lords fighting... many people are gone..."

As he spoke, he gave Huo Yun'er's sleeve a subtle tug.

Huo Yun'er understood immediately. Her face, already tinged with melancholy, took on an air of pitiful helplessness, and she managed to squeeze out a gentle, wan smile: "We suffered such a disaster and feared those Spirit Masters would return, so I brought Hao'er and fled. We've been walking for a long time and don't know where we are; we only hope to find a place to stay before nightfall."

Her voice was soft, her brows gentle, and her helpless appearance instantly stirred the man's compassion.

Upon hearing this, the smile on the middle-aged man's face faded slightly, and his gaze toward the mother and son grew more sympathetic.

"To be caught in a Spirit Master battle and survive is already a great stroke of luck." Fearing that mentioning the past would reopen their wounds, he quickly changed the subject, explaining in a kind tone: "This is Guyan Village, located on the outskirts of the Balak Kingdom, bordering the Star Dou Great Forest. It's usually quiet here, just a bit remote."

He looked up and down at the mother and son's thin frames and tattered clothes, his pity deepening. He waved his hand and said, "You two must be exhausted. I'll take you to see the village chief first and see if we can find a place for you to stay."

"Thank you, Uncle!" Huo Yuhao quickly thanked him in a crisp voice, then turned to Huo Yun'er with a smile. "Mother, the people here are so kind. If the village chief agrees, can we live here from now on?"

Without any proof of identity, establishing a firm foothold in this village and solidifying their status was the best destination for them right now.

Huo Yun'er also bowed to the middle-aged man in thanks, her eyes filled with gratitude as she said softly, "Yes."

It was time to say goodbye to the past and start a new life.

The middle-aged man laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Don't worry, the village chief has a soft heart; he'll definitely agree!"

With that, he walked ahead with his hoe on his shoulder, intentionally slowing his pace to accommodate the mother and son behind him.

Huo Yuhao held Huo Yun'er's slightly cold, rough hand, following slowly behind while his gaze swept over the surroundings without drawing attention.

Guyan Village was not large, consisting of about forty households. The outskirts of the village were vast stretches of cultivated farmland. Most of the villagers wore coarse cloth garments, working in the fields in twos and threes, a scene of peace and tranquility.

Occasionally, someone would catch a glimpse of these two outsiders, and while they cast curious looks, they all nodded and smiled in a friendly manner, showing no malice.

Before long, the three arrived in front of a spacious wooden house near the front of the village.

This wooden house was slightly larger than the others in the village. Several elderly people sat at the entrance basking in the sun; seeing the middle-aged man bring two strangers over, they all raised their heads to look with curiosity.

"Village Chief, are you home?" the middle-aged man called out toward the wooden house.

A moment later, an old man with graying hair and a slightly hunched back, yet still appearing vigorous, walked out of the house.

He wore a cyan coarse-cloth coat and leaned on an old vine cane. Although his eyes were somewhat cloudy, they held the shrewdness of someone who had seen many people in his life.

His gaze landed on Huo Yuhao and his mother, carrying a faint sense of scrutiny.

"It's Old Four, what is it?" the old man asked, his tone calm.

The middle-aged man known as Old Four quickly stepped forward and briefly recounted the mother and son's ordeal.

Finally, he pleaded, "Village Chief, these two are truly pitiful. Do you think you could let them stay for a while? Isn't that empty house at the edge of the village still vacant? It could be lived in after a little cleaning."

The village chief stroked his white beard, his gaze lingering slowly on Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao.

He saw that Huo Yun'er was gentle and proper, her eyes clear and devoid of any cunning.

Looking at Huo Yuhao, though he was young, his eyes were bright; he did not shy away from the scrutiny, instead revealing a hint of cleverness.

He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "Our village is located on the frontier and is not wealthy. If you and your mother don't mind, you may stay for the time being. That empty house hasn't been lived in for a long time; I will have someone help you tidy it up. You can help with some light chores around the village in exchange for meals, which should provide some stability."

Huo Yuhao felt a surge of joy and immediately put on a naive, childlike expression, thanking him crisply, "Thank you, Grandpa Village Chief! We finally have a home again!"

The village chief looked at his malnourished, thin frame and, recalling his circumstances, felt a surge of pity, asking, "Your name is Hao'er, right? How old are you this year?"

"Grandpa Village Chief, I am six years old this year," Huo Yuhao replied obediently, feeling quite fond of the village chief who was willing to take them in.

"Six years old..." The village chief sighed.

At six years of age, his build looked more like that of a four or five-year-old child.

The village chief asked again, "Has your martial soul awakened?"

Huo Yuhao instinctively wanted to nod.

But then he thought, he certainly wouldn't be an unknown person in the future.

And many famous people liked to trace their origins.

His Spirit Eye martial soul was too unique; even if his innate soul power wasn't high, it would still stir up some discussion in a small village where soul masters almost never appeared.

It would be safer to pretend he had missed the Spirit Hall's awakening ceremony and find an opportunity to awaken it openly later on.

Thinking this, he shook his head gently, his tone tinged with a hint of disappointment, "The village met with disaster before the Spirit Hall's soul master arrived..."

The village chief sighed again, "The soul master responsible for our village's awakening left two days ago. If you want to awaken your martial soul this year, you can only go to the Spirit Hall in Feimu City."

If one were to ask which village was furthest from Feimu City, their Guyan Village was undoubtedly it!

"It doesn't matter, Grandpa Village Chief, I can wait until next year to awaken."

Aside from the Bronze Gate, which allowed him to travel between two worlds, he surely possessed other hidden cheats; otherwise, his innate soul power wouldn't be two levels higher than in the original work.

It was just that from the time of his martial soul awakening until now, time had been too tight for him to explore them.

He hoped to use these cheats to break through to level ten within a year, at which point he would return to the Dou-II world and reclaim the golden finger that belonged to him.