Fan Yu naturally recognized the eye-shaped phantom in the sky. The moment he saw Huo Yuhao step out the door, he immediately asked:
"Yuhao, have you broken through again?"
"Mm." Huo Yuhao answered, then continued chatting with Fan Yu.
Over the next month, Huo Yuhao spent his mornings exploring Shrek City and his afternoons cultivating Soul Power. Life was quite pleasant.
"Yuhao, tomorrow's the last day of the break. Go with your teacher's wife to Shrek City and buy some fine ingredients. Let's have a meal together," Fan Yu suggested.
"Sure. I'll ask Tang Ya and Brother Bei if they want to come. I heard they recently returned to the academy, too."
On the way back after buying the ingredients, Zhou Yi suddenly turned to Huo Yuhao with a solemn expression and thanked him.
"Yuhao, thank you. My approach to teaching really was wrong. I'm grateful you helped me see that."
"It was just a suggestion. I can't take credit for helping. If someone is evil at heart, trying to persuade them would just be a waste of time."
Huo Yuhao waved his hand, not making much of it, and called for Zhou Yi to keep walking.
That afternoon, Huo Yuhao unusually skipped cultivation and instead activated his Spirit Eye Martial Soul to roast some fish.
Five blue-green fish were laid out on a grill, and Huo Yuhao sat beside it, occasionally making slight adjustments to their position.
He Caitou prepared the ingredients to the left of the grill, exchanging a few words with Huo Yuhao from time to time.
By the stove, Fan Yu and Zhou Yi worked together on some home-style dishes. Fan Yu showed off his superb knife skills while Zhou Yi stirred the food in the pan.
Huo Yuhao loved the feeling of the moment. It made him feel as though he had found a bit of home in this other world.
Night fell, and a knock sounded at the door. Huo Yuhao opened it and invited Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Xu Sanshi inside.
But the instant he saw Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao's expression changed.
With his keen perception of life force, Huo Yuhao immediately sensed the life force on Tang Ya that didn't belong to her.
Huo Yuhao didn't say anything just yet. After everyone had taken their seats and he had helped Fan Yu and Zhou Yi set the dishes on the table, he called Bei Bei over.
"Brother Bei, come outside with me. There's something important I'd like to ask you about."
Bei Bei followed Huo Yuhao outside, and the two found a quiet spot to talk.
"There's something wrong with the life force on Tang Ya. It doesn't belong to her. I think it must be a Martial Soul Mutation; otherwise, there's no way to explain where that life force came from."
At Huo Yuhao's words, Bei Bei was startled. If the life force didn't belong to her, didn't that mean she'd become an Evil Soul Master?
"Yuhao, are you sure? Someone who absorbs life force is an Evil Soul Master, isn't that right? How could Xiao Ya have become one?"
"Brother Bei, don't panic. The life force on Tang Ya isn't mixed with any resentment. Most likely, it's just the life force of plants."
Seeing Bei Bei's concern cloud his judgment, Huo Yuhao spoke to reassure him.
"Yuhao, don't tell anyone about this yet. I want to try talking to Xiao Ya on my own first. Please," Bei Bei said, bowing to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao hurriedly stepped aside to avoid the bow, then agreed.
"It's the least I can do. Tang Ya cares about me, too, so helping her is only natural. But Evil Soul Masters can be emotionally unstable. Keep an eye on Tang Ya's mood, Brother Bei, and try to keep her from meeting her enemies."
Huo Yuhao warned him, and Bei Bei immediately remembered Tang Ya's old grudge in Heaven Dou City. Unease filled his heart.
"Brother Bei, if you can't handle it, get Elder Mu to help. Otherwise, if Tang Ya leaves on her own, we may never see her again."
Having said all he needed to, Huo Yuhao ended the conversation and led Bei Bei back inside.
The sight of everyone gathered happily together eased Huo Yuhao's worries for the moment, though a trace of sorrow still lingered between Bei Bei's brows.
"If only Nan Nan could've joined us, too," Xu Sanshi said after a few drinks, a little tipsy as he made his wish.
"If you hadn't come, I might actually have been able to invite Nan Nan. I still don't know what you did to wrong her back then to make her hate you so much."
Tang Ya doused Xu Sanshi with a bucket of cold water, sounding rather annoyed.
Xu Sanshi grew more and more melancholy as he drank, trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
Seeing the mood turn a little awkward, Huo Yuhao decided to bring out the gift he'd prepared for Fan Yu ahead of time.
"Teacher, I made you a new Battle Armor. You can keep the single-piece one from before as a collectible."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao handed Fan Yu a storage ring.
Everyone at the table turned their attention to them, curious to see Fan Yu's Battle Armor.
"You child, I told you there was no rush. You should've taken a proper rest," Fan Yu complained, though he was deeply touched.
Seeing how curious everyone was about the Battle Armor, Fan Yu put it on right away.
Huo Yuhao had made Fan Yu's Battle Armor during his evening cultivation sessions. It was black and gold all over, and the wings on its back looked more like a pair of thrusters, lending the heavy armor an imposing air.
Once Fan Yu had donned the full set of Two-Word Battle Armor, his Soul Power instantly surged past level 90, and the might of a Titled Douluo radiated from him.
Xu Sanshi's eyes went wide at the sight, and he immediately pleaded:
"Yuhao, could you make me a set of Two-Word Battle Armor, too? The academy offers a set of First-Class Battle Armor as a year-end exam reward, but it's nothing compared to this."
Bei Bei shot him down. "Don't even think about it yet. Never mind that a whole line of Soul Douluo teachers are waiting for Two-Word Battle Armor. You don't even meet the physical strength requirement of level 60 to wear it."
Xu Sanshi's expression immediately fell, but he soon put on a shameless grin again.
"Yuhao, once I reach level 60, put me down for a set in advance. I did provide the Mystic Water Pill, after all."
"Xu Sanshi, don't be so shameless. Was that something you gave Yuhao? It was compensation you owed him," Tang Ya immediately snapped, knowing the story behind it.
Seeing the atmosphere liven up again, Huo Yuhao was pleased and took out another storage ring.
"Tang Ya, this set of Battle Armor is for you. It isn't a spiritual First-Class Battle Armor, but it's made with a small amount of Cloud Gold mixed in, so the boost it provides is still quite substantial for First-Class Battle Armor."
Tang Ya cheerfully accepted the Battle Armor and joked:
"No wonder I recruited you into the Tang Sect, Yuhao. I'll leave the task of restoring the Tang Sect to you from now on. When the time comes, I'll hand the position of sect master straight to you."
Huo Yuhao's spiritual power was extraordinarily strong. Though Tang Ya hid it well, he still sensed a farewell in her emotions, as if she were entrusting him with her last wishes.
Bei Bei sensed something amiss, too, and immediately changed the subject, asking Tang Ya how much of a boost her Battle Armor provided.
Late that night, Huo Yuhao and the others ended their gathering.
Back in his room, Huo Yuhao's expression turned grave.
The upcoming Soul Master Tournament would be the moment Battle Armor truly showed its brilliance. He probably wouldn't have any time to rest over the next few months.
Before you continue