Di Tian's Letter Demanded Qiu'er, but Yuhao Refused to Let Her Go

The meeting for the abandoned post road mission was even more like a small-scale war council than Huo Yuhao had expected.

In the side hall of the Sea God Pavilion, Tang Ya spread old trade route records across the table. Bei Bei held down the curled edges, He Caitou drove a row of silver formation spikes into the map, Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan handled the outer support plan, and Xiao Xiao took notes. Ma Xiaotao leaned against the doorway, twirling a wisp of dark-red flame around her fingertip.

This was no longer a private matter involving just a few people. It was Shrek's counterattack after the Holy Spirit Cult had struck right at their doorstep.

Xuan Lao tapped the end of the old trade route. "Zhang Peng's coordinates are here. The abandoned post road has not seen merchant caravans for three years. It now seems the Holy Spirit Cult had planted the remnants of an altar formation there long ago."

He Caitou placed a dismantled black formation spike beside the map. "The casing bears the Holy Spirit Cult's crude workmanship, but there are simplified Sun Moon guiding patterns inside. It is not a complete standard military design, but someone definitely sold them technology from the Sun Moon side."

Xu Sanshi frowned. "The Holy Spirit Cult, Sun Moon, the Emperor Auspicious Beast... why is everything converging on our Yuhao?"

Everyone looked at Huo Yuhao. He placed the Soul Power Monitoring Rubbing in the middle of the map, and icy-blue patterns lit up along the old trade route.

"Zhang Peng did not truly intend to take Qiu'er away." His voice was steady. "He was testing whether we could coordinate our formations, and whether my Soul Power Monitoring Rubbing could capture Titled Douluo-level Blood Fiend frequencies."

Dong'er continued, "So there must be a second layer to the formation at the abandoned post road."

Xuan Lao swept his gaze over them.

"The roster is set. Yuhao, Dong'er, Qiu'er, and Ma Xiaotao will form the frontline squad. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, and He Caitou will handle outer support and the evacuation route. Tang Ya will remain at the academy to compare old records and relay messages at any time."

Tang Ya was dissatisfied. "I can't go?"

Bei Bei said gently, "The old records you dug up are more useful than us stumbling around blindly in the forest."

Tang Ya glared at him. "Stop sweet-talking me."

Xu Sanshi immediately teased in a low voice, "Eldest Senior Brother's skill at coaxing people is something Yuhao should learn."

Jiang Nannan rolled her eyes at him. "Have you learned it?"

Xu Sanshi wisely shut up.

The tense atmosphere eased for a moment, but soon settled back down. Xuan Lao looked at Huo Yuhao. "You are the core of this team. Remember, this time, you are not chasing the enemy. You are the one luring them in."

Huo Yuhao nodded. "I understand."

"No, you do not understand enough." Xuan Lao knocked on the table and looked at him, the usual amusement rare in his eyes. "Your greatest problem right now is not tactics. It is that you always want to bear every consequence alone."

It was exactly right. Huo Yuhao had no way to refute it.

Xuan Lao continued, "Why did Zhang Peng dare to make a move? Because he saw that Qiu'er, Dong'er, Xiaotao's backlash from her evil fire, your companions at your side, and the reactions of your own Spirit Eyes could all force you to act. You are too easily moved by sincerity and danger."

Ma Xiaotao chuckled. "Is Xuan Lao calling him softhearted?"

"Yes," Xuan Lao said. "And reminding all of you as well."

He looked at them. "If you truly intend to stand beside him, then do not only think about competing for whom he favors. You must also be responsible for dragging him back from danger."

Xuan Lao then put away the map. "We leave at dawn tomorrow. Rest up tonight, and do not wear yourselves out."

With that, Xuan Lao left the side hall, muttering with a low laugh as he went, "Brat, your life is tough, but your romantic debts are just as tough."

Just before they departed for the abandoned post station, a leaf covered in ancient golden patterns suddenly drifted down from above the Sea God Pavilion. Every soul tool lamp dimmed for an instant, as though an ancient will beyond human formations had forcibly descended.

Qiu'er's golden eyes turned cold. Huo Yuhao pressed down on the leaf immediately, and the golden leaf split open by itself, revealing a line of forceful golden characters within:

"The Emperor Auspicious Beast must return to Star Dou. —Di Tian"

Xuan Lao's wine gourd froze in midair.

Di Tian, leader of the Ten Great Savage Beasts and the true ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest. He rarely intervened in outside affairs directly, yet this time he had personally sent a message through a golden leaf—this was not an invitation, but an order.

Wang Qiu'er raised her hand to crush the golden leaf, but Huo Yuhao caught her wrist. The chill of Ultimate Ice seeped from his fingertips, steadily suppressing the Beast God's aura leaking from the leaf.

"Don't destroy it." Huo Yuhao's voice was low. "This letter came too conveniently. Zhang Peng had just finished testing us, the abandoned post road coordinates had just appeared, and Di Tian came to demand you back. Someone wants to force you out of Shrek."

Wang Qiu'er turned to look at him. Her wrist was still in his grasp, yet she did not pull away.

"They want me to go back."

"I know." Huo Yuhao's gaze was steady, but his hold tightened slightly as he touched her wrist. "But if you return now, you will be playing right into the Holy Spirit Cult's hands."

Qiu'er looked at the fingers around her wrist, and a faint warmth rose in her eyes. Ma Xiaotao chuckled by the door. "Even the overlord of Star Dou has stepped forward. Junior Brother, your romantic debts really are substantial."

Dong'er glanced at Ma Xiaotao but did not argue. She merely said quietly, "I agree with Yuhao's judgment. Di Tian's letter is more like pushing you into a trap. Someone wants to force you out of Shrek."

Qiu'er looked at Dong'er in surprise, her voice calm yet carrying a rare gentleness. "You do not want me to leave?"

Dong'er's ears reddened slightly. Rather than answer directly, she continued explaining, "Once Star Dou comes to demand you, if Shrek refuses, it can be accused of a human academy privately detaining the Emperor Auspicious Beast. Then they would have grounds to launch a beast tide. If Shrek lets you go, the Holy Spirit Cult will lie in wait along the way. Even if they cannot truly harm Qiu'er herself, they can still uncover the strength of Shrek and Di Tian."

Qiu'er fell silent for a moment, then softly murmured, "Mm." Huo Yuhao gently released her wrist, but before withdrawing his hand, he lightly pressed his thumb over her pulse, like a silent reassurance. Qiu'er's expression quietly softened, and she did not evade him.

After leaving Shrek, the old trade route grew increasingly desolate. Grass roots had split the stone paving, ancient trees on either side blotted out the sky, and the air carried the scent of damp earth mixed with faintly decaying soul power. Huo Yuhao walked at the front, his Spirit Eyes continuously maintaining spiritual detection within a radius of three hundred paces. Dong'er stayed close to his left, her aura of light wrapping around his spiritual net like gauze. Qiu'er guarded the right with the Golden Dragon Spear, her arm brushing Huo Yuhao's from time to time as they walked.

Qiu'er suddenly stopped. "I smell Star Dou."

"Direction." She pointed into the depths of the wild forest.

Ma Xiaotao raised her eyes. "There is Blood Fiend energy too."

Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, extending his spiritual net underground. Soon, he saw black formation spikes buried beneath the old trade route. Scorpion-tiger patterns were carved into their tips, while their bases were wound with golden false patterns imitating Qiu'er's aura.

This was a cage built specifically for Wang Qiu'er.

Qiu'er's breathing turned cold.

Huo Yuhao reached out and pressed down on her wrist. "Do not step into it directly."

"They came for me."

"Which is why we cannot give them what they want." Huo Yuhao looked toward the wild forest ahead. "Qiu'er, release a strand of your aura as bait. Dong'er, wrap it in your aura. Sister Xiaotao, when the Blood Fiend Formation activates, burn its shadow anchors."

Ma Xiaotao laughed. "Junior Brother, you are getting more and more used to ordering me around."

Huo Yuhao said seriously, "Because you can do it."

Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up, and she did not tease him further.

"Release it."

In the next instant, the formation spikes deep in the wild forest lit up one by one. The enemy had indeed taken the bait.

A second coordinate appeared on Huo Yuhao's Soul Power Monitoring Rubbing.

At the end of the abandoned post road, beneath the old post station.

He looked up. "We camp tonight. We are not going in."

Qiu'er frowned. "Why?"

"Because they expect you to act impulsively." A cold gleam flashed through Huo Yuhao's eyes. "So we will make them wait instead. When they lose patience, we strike."

Dong'er looked at his profile, and the trace of jealousy in her heart was suppressed by another emotion—Huo Yuhao, so calm and powerful like this, was indeed difficult to belong to only one person.

Qiu'er's voice became much softer as she answered him. "You decide."

The feelings between them quietly deepened with every time they fought side by side, every touch.