An Ancient Clan Dou Zun Arrives
The Guardian Mirror had overheard Huo Yuhao talking about the relationship between Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan during some leisure time. Therefore, the Guardian Mirror felt it was really at a disadvantage.
"Is it worth using all your cultivation to exchange for someone you've only met a few times?"
"That's good." Huo Yuhao smiled. "If I lose my cultivation, I can cultivate again. Besides, my realm is still intact, so it won't take long to recover my cultivation."
"Gu He -senpai—he's someone I don't want to lose either!"
"Young Huo, you—" The Guardian Mirror ' voice paused for a moment, then weakened. "That's so cheesy!"
Seeing Huo Yuhao close his eyes again, preparing to cultivate there for the night, the Guardian Mirror advised again, "Are you sure you can manage? I can take over the night watch. You should go and get some sleep!"
Huo Yuhao did not answer, but increased the speed at which he circulated his cultivation technique.
Nothing more was said that night.
The next morning, a slightly noisy commotion came from the front hall of the auction house, waking Huo Yuhao from his cultivation.
He opened his eyes, took a deep breath to suppress the lingering weakness, straightened his robes, and walked towards the front hall.
Upon arriving at the front hall, they found Xiao Zhan, Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, and the three elders of the Xiao Clan already there.
At this moment, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were looking at Hai Bodong with surprise.
Xiao Ding stroked his chin, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Hey? Little friend, you look just like Senior Hai Bodong! Could you be his grandson?"
Xiao Li chimed in, "Little one, call me 'brother,' and I'll give you candy!"
Hai Bodong's face turned bright red with anger, and he smacked Xiao Li on the forehead with the lollipop in his mouth. "You two little brats! I am Hai Bodong!"
"Huh?!" Xiao Ding Xiao Li froze instantly, staring dumbfounded at the little kid who wasn't even as tall as their waist and was jumping up and down in anger. Their jaws practically dropped to the ground. "Senior Hai Bodong?!"
Xiao Zhan, standing to the side, exclaimed with shining eyes, "Senior, you have such an amazing way of preserving your youth! What's your secret?"
Hai Bodong tilted his head. "Hmph! This is talent, you can't learn it!"
Xiao Zhan, however, wouldn't let it go, lifting Hai Bodong high in the air. "Tell your uncle! Your uncle will take you to see the goldfish!"
Hai Bodong clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, and kicked Xiao Zhan in the face, leaving a clear slipper mark.
"Oh no! I just got a tan!" Xiao Zhan cried out, clutching his head.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smile slightly, his suppressed emotions easing a little.
Upon seeing Huo Yuhao emerge, Xiao Zhan and the others immediately came to greet him.
"Huo Yuhao, let your father see if you're hurt."
Huo Yuhao shook his head and asked with a smile, "Father, why did you come with my eldest and second brothers?"
Xiao Zhan's face immediately darkened. "It was an unexpected encounter. I was buying gifts for you in Starwind City, next to Jia Ma Sacred City, with a few elders, when these two unfilial sons showed up there and insisted on bidding against me!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li said with dissatisfaction, "Father, my elder brother and I came to Starwind City to buy gifts because there were no good things in Stone Desert City, and the distance was far and we were in a hurry."
Why are you only buying a gift here now?
"Hmph!" Xiao Zhan raised his chin, looking down at Xiao Ding and Xiao Li with his nostrils. "I only helped them because I encountered some pitiful people on the road!"
Just then, the First Elder and Third Elder of the Xiao Clan suddenly attacked from the left and right, suppressing Xiao Zhan: "Don't listen to his nonsense. This bastard was out of his mind and forgot to bring it when he set off."
After a round of laughter and commotion, Xiao Ding keenly noticed the problem: usually at this time, there would be a very cheerful voice joining in the commotion.
His gaze swept over Huo Yuhao's back, but he didn't see Xiao Yan. He couldn't help but ask, "Huo Yuhao, where's Xiao Yan? Why isn't he with you?"
Huo Yuhao's heart tightened, but he remained calm and said evasively, "Father, eldest brother, second brother, you don't need to worry. Xiao Yan —he has made some progress and is currently in seclusion to consolidate his cultivation. It's not convenient for him to disturb us for the time being."
Xiao Zhan stopped joking around. He noticed that beneath Huo Yuhao's seemingly calm and normal expression lay an undisguised weariness and an even more suppressed negative emotion.
He had only seen Huo Yuhao Huo Yuhao this state during the first few years after he adopted him.
He stepped forward, gently patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder, and asked in a warm and concerned voice, "Huo Yuhao, tell your father what happened? You look terrible, did something happen?"
Huo Yuhao lowered his eyelids, avoiding Xiao Zhan's gaze. "Father, eldest brother, second brother, you really don't need to worry, we're fine. It's just that—there was a little trouble at the Misty Cloud Sect yesterday, but it's been resolved."
Just then, a powerful aura quietly descended upon the Mittel Auction House.
An elderly man dressed in a blue robe, with an aura as deep and imposing as a mountain, appeared silently in the hall. He was the Dou Zun expert that Gu Yuan had sent to secretly protect the Xiao Clan.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Xiao Zhan quickly bowed and said, "Senior, what brings you all the way from Wutan City? Has something happened to the Xiao Clan?"
The Ancient Clan's Dou Zun waved his hand, but his gaze immediately fell on Huo Yuhao. Although his eyes were gentle, he went straight to the point. "I sensed an extremely terrifying power fluctuation coming from the direction of the capital while I was in Wutan City."
"I just went to check the place where the aura erupted. That space is extremely unstable, and there is a remnant of an extremely large Spatial Wormhole."
"Brother Huo, do you know what exactly happened? Who did it?" the Ancient Clan's Dou Zun asked with a smile.
Huo Yuhao remained unfazed. "Senior, you're referring to the location of the Misty Cloud Sect, right? That's because people from the Soul Hall came to capture us."
"Oh? The Soul Hall pulled this off?" The Ancient Clan's Dou Zun raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you escape? This is probably the power of the Dou Sheng family, isn't it?"
Huo Yuhao nodded with lingering fear. "The Soul Hall sent two Dou Zun, but thanks to our Jia Nan Academy's Dean, Senior Mang Tian Chi, who came as a guest, we were able to eliminate those two Dou Zun from the Soul Hall."
The Mang Tian Chi? That's somewhat possible. The Ancient Clan's Dou Zun nodded, glancing at Huo Yuhao. Surely this little guy couldn't have created it, could he?
Huo Yuhao changed the subject, asking with a puzzled look, "Senior, what is this Spatial Wormhole you mentioned earlier?"
The Ancient Clan's Dou Zun patiently explained, "Spatial Wormhole is a stable passage formed by Dou Zun or higher-level expert forcibly connecting two distant spatial nodes using spatial power. It allows people to travel quickly between the two locations. Such things are quite common in the Central Plains."
"However—the scale and energy of the wormhole that remained yesterday are probably beyond the capabilities of Dou Zun." The expression of the Ancient Clan Dou Zun became serious.
"It seems that Dean Mang Tian Chi of your academy has probably already broken through to the Dou Sheng realm."
Seeing the thoughtful look on Huo Yuhao's face, the Ancient Clan Dou Zun immediately warned, "Remember, never approach or attempt to enter the unstable Spatial Wormhole out of curiosity!"
"Without the protection of a spaceship, or if one's own strength is not at the Dou Zong, it is impossible to survive inside."
The Ancient Clan's Dou Zun seemed to suddenly remember something and added, "By the way, where is Brother Xiao Yan? Miss Xun'er has been worried about him and hopes I can bring back news of Brother Xiao Yan's recent situation."