Meeting Huo Yuhao

"Thanks, thanks."

Inside a house in the town, many people were lined up outside.

"What's this?"

Huo Yuhao sensed some Soul Power fluctuations inside. Was this... a Martial Soul awakening?

As a Soul Master, Huo Yuhao was very familiar with such fluctuations. It could be said that every Soul Master was, since this was the most important moment in a person's life.

The moment that determined one's fate.

The vendor beside him looked at Huo Yuhao, noticed his confusion, and explained:

"Inside that house is a kind-hearted Lord Soul Master. He's helping us awaken our Martial Souls."

"Awaken Martial Souls? Why not go to those professional Soul Masters?"

Huo Yuhao froze for a moment before continuing.

If they wanted to awaken their Martial Souls, why not go to one of those professional establishments? Why come here?

"Ah..."

At that, the vendor sighed. The deep disappointment in his weary eyes could not be concealed.

"It costs money..."

The money required to awaken a Martial Soul these days was simply beyond what ordinary people could afford.

Some nobles even required people to sign life-and-death contracts before they would awaken their Martial Souls. If one awakened a good Martial Soul, they might even receive that noble's cultivation.

As for those who awakened useless Martial Souls, no one knew what would happen. After all, no one would waste an awakening opportunity on a useless Martial Soul.

"Has that Soul Master been helping here for a long time?"

Sensing the old man's disappointment, Huo Yuhao did not ask further. It would have been impolite, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Yes. That Lord Soul Master has been helping people awaken their Martial Souls for free here for years. He's awakened the Martial Souls of so many children who couldn't afford it."

Mentioning that Soul Master, the vendor spoke happily. His own grandson had awakened a Martial Soul thanks to that person and was now studying at a junior Soul Master Academy. Maybe he could even break through to two rings in the future. Then he would be a wealthy old man too!

If not for that person, his grandson might have been setting up a stall and selling snacks alongside him.

"Mm."

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao lowered his head. He had never expected people outside to live like this.

Awakening a Martial Soul was actually so difficult.

If he had not been in the White Tiger Duke's Estate, perhaps he would not even have been able to awaken his Martial Soul.

It seemed that no Soul Masters were willing to voluntarily help ordinary people awaken their Martial Souls now.

"That Lord Soul Master is truly kindhearted, let me tell you..."

Listening to the uncle beside him ramble on, Huo Yuhao came to understand just how important that Soul Master was to the commoners of this small town.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao could not help but wonder why there was no organization dedicated to helping ordinary commoners awaken their Martial Souls.

Suddenly, a wave of Soul Power came from the main road nearby.

"Soul Master inside, come out! Who gave you permission to casually awaken Martial Souls for these commoners on our turf?! Don't you know whose territory this is?!"

An older Soul Elder with three rings approached menacingly, followed by quite a few Soul Grandmasters. It seemed that this Soul Master's efforts to awaken Martial Souls for commoners had already provoked the nobles' anger.

Following the Soul Elder's shout, the commoners who had been waiting in line glared angrily at first, but soon fled in fear.

Soul Masters... they couldn't afford to provoke them...

"Looking for trouble?"

A familiar voice rang out. Huo Yuhao froze upon hearing it, disbelief and shock appearing on his face as he stared at the young man walking out through the doorway.

"Brother Jiang?"

While Huo Yuhao was still astonished, the Soul Elder ahead narrowed his eyes at Jiang Bai and inwardly sneered.

At this age...

The Soul Elder sized Jiang Bai up. Judging from his aura, he was probably only one or two rings. Heh.

"Kid, if you're helping commoners awaken their Martial Souls here, either join our Kang Family or leave an arm behind."

The three-ring Soul Master named Lang Jiao spoke viciously to Jiang Bai. Three yellow Soul Rings rose behind him.

"Leave an arm behind? Really?"

Jiang Bai looked at the three-ring Soul Elder before him with interest as three Soul Rings lit up around him.

Yellow, purple, purple.

The Soul Elder went completely still upon seeing those three Soul Rings.

"Y-you... you... you!"

Seeing Jiang Bai's yellow-purple-purple Soul Ring configuration, Lang Jiao could barely speak. His entire body trembled.

Forget about such a configuration—this place rarely even saw standard Soul Ring configurations. They were almost exclusively found among the great families.

But who exactly was this person with yellow-purple-purple rings?

"Scram."

Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes slightly and barked the word. The three-ring Soul Master immediately turned and ran.

"The Kang Family."

The Kang Family had a Soul Emperor expert, while the others were at the Soul King level. That man had merely been an outside manager.

After hearing about his Soul Ring configuration, the Kang Family should not interfere with this matter again.

If they insisted on courting death, Jiang Bai would not mind visiting the Kang Family one night and leaving only their Soul Emperor alive. In this day and age, one could never go wrong killing nobles.

Killing them all might wrong a few innocent people, but killing every other one would definitely let some slip through.

Jiang Bai was an independent cultivator now. Being an independent cultivator was rather convenient.

After handling the matter, Jiang Bai looked at Huo Yuhao beside him.

"There's a restaurant ahead. I'm going to change clothes."

"Okay."

The two communicated mentally. Huo Yuhao walked to the intersection ahead and saw a Cloudside Restaurant.

"Why did you come to the Far North?"

At a dining table in the restaurant, Jiang Bai sat across from Huo Yuhao after ordering their food.

Although he knew why Huo Yuhao had come, he still had to put on an act.

"I came here..."

Huo Yuhao paused, hesitated for a while, and finally gave the excuse from the original story—that his Martial Soul had shattered.

"If your Martial Soul shattered, Wang Dong would definitely notice. It would be better to say that your Martial Soul has a tendency to mutate, and that its instinct drew you here afterward."

Jiang Bai's lips twitched. How could Wang Dong possibly not know if it had shattered? The two of them had a hundred-percent Martial Soul Fusion.

Huo Yuhao: "..."

"What second Martial Soul did you awaken?"

"Ice Jade Scorpion."

Hearing that, Jiang Bai raised his head and looked at Huo Yuhao.

"Ultimate Ice?"

"Yes."

Huo Yuhao nodded. It was indeed Ultimate Ice.

"Then what will you do when you return?"

Jiang Bai suddenly asked, then mentioned a name.

"Ma Xiaotao. The academy will definitely want you to deal with her Evil Fire, and they may even want you to become her partner."

Hearing that, Huo Yuhao immediately fell silent.

Huo Yuhao: "..."

At the thought of that crazy woman, Huo Yuhao's head began to ache. When they had first met, she had nearly killed him, and afterward she had forced him and Wang Dong to fight.

Thinking about those things, Huo Yuhao's favorable impression of Ma Xiaotao had dropped again and again.

"Brother Jiang, do you have a solution?"

Huo Yuhao asked. All at once, Jiang Bai seemed like someone who had a solution for everything. Jiang Bai had given him inspiration on many occasions before.

Thinking of that, Huo Yuhao's gaze suddenly dimmed.

Could Brother Jiang be...?

This seemed too much of a coincidence...

"After the Ice Jade Scorpion becomes your Martial Soul, its ice attribute may not fully awaken. As long as you suppress the source of Ultimate Ice within your body, there won't be any problem."

"After you return to Shrek, they'll only think that you haven't fully awakened."

Jiang Bai gave his solution. It was like Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi in the original story; both were in a half-awakened state.

Huo Yuhao could completely follow their example. When necessary, he could only restore his Ultimate Ice after paying a certain "price."

As for what that price was, naturally, Huo Yuhao had the final say. Whatever he said it was, it was.

"But after that, they'll keep a close watch on you, whether because of Ma Xiaotao or your Ultimate Ice."

Jiang Bai said that no matter what, after Huo Yuhao revealed the Ice Jade Scorpion, he could no longer be treated as before.

After all, this was Ultimate Ice. Even without Ma Xiaotao, Shrek would not let Huo Yuhao go.

"Brother Jiang, I..."

Huo Yuhao had wanted to say that he did not want to remain at Shrek in the future, that he would definitely leave one day, but he could not say it.

"What you say must match your strength."

Interrupted by Jiang Bai's words, Huo Yuhao wisely shut his mouth.

That was right. He lacked strength.

Even if he left Shrek, he would certainly be captured and brought back. If that Asura God discovered he had escaped his control, he might even take action against him.

No. Until he reached Soul Saint or had a way to oppose Shrek, he had to hide and develop steadily.

Huo Yuhao silently resolved to be careful.

Senior Ice God had said that as long as he did not act rashly, Tang San would not make a move lightly.

"I understand."

Huo Yuhao nodded. He always felt as though Jiang Bai knew something, but Jiang Bai's silence was probably meant to keep others from overhearing.

Thinking of that, Huo Yuhao felt a suffocating pressure surround him.

If not for Tang San, he would not need to live like this at all...

Damn Tang San, you have brought death upon yourself!

Huo Yuhao had never been the obedient type. Especially now that he had tasted revenge, he was no longer the blank sheet of paper he once was.

"Alright, we should be heading back in a few days."

Jiang Bai used his chopsticks to point at the large pork knuckle in front of them.

"Try this. It's especially delicious."

After dinner, Jiang Bai packed plenty of food for Xue Ying. Xue Ying could not conveniently come out now, so he had to go back to the inn to feed her.

Before long, only a few days of vacation remained.

If they set out now, they might even be late getting back. Fortunately, Jiang Bai had asked Wang Yan for a few extra days off earlier, and Wang Yan had agreed.

However, Huo Yuhao would need Wang Yan to arrange something for him too.

After all, Huo Yuhao had not requested leave.

As for whether Huo Yuhao should remain at Shrek, Jiang Bai still had plans. Huo Yuhao still needed to obtain some key opportunities.

The Life Blade, the Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone, and the Golden Tree's cultivation opportunity—none of them could be abandoned.

As for the auspicious beast, he only needed to manipulate a bit of the Ice God's divine power when the time came.

Nothing could happen to the auspicious beast. That had to be ensured, otherwise those creatures in the Star Dou Great Forest would not listen to reason.

Forget it. He would take things slowly. One bite would not make a man fat.

"Oh, right. If someone wants you to help Ma Xiaotao resolve her Evil Fire, remember to charge them. She's incredibly valuable at Shrek."

"Okay."