Strength Improved Further!

Before Huo Yuhao, Huo Qubing stood with his hands clasped in a bow. At his side stood a long spear that seemed capable of suppressing heaven and earth itself—the Army-Breaking Qilin Spear, Huo Qubing's weapon. A Heaven-Hunting Bow hung from his waist.

"I never expected you to be the second to awaken, Qubing!" Wei Qing's figure condensed behind Huo Yuhao as he looked at his nephew with a gratified expression.

"Of course. I shouldn't have awakened this quickly, but then I heard my lord say at Shrek, 'Today, I may not be a core disciple, but every day, I will see which core disciple can be my opponent.'"

"My blood started boiling on the spot, Uncle!" Huo Qubing grinned, looking like a hot-blooded youth set ablaze by a rallying cry. The spear in his hand trembled along with its master's enthusiasm.

"Then come on. Help the person Ju'er chose well!" Wei Qing's gaze sharpened as he stared at this brat who always seemed ready to fight at the slightest word.

"Of course. Don't worry—with me here, no one can touch my lord!" Huo Qubing looked smug as he flashed a wide grin at Huo Yuhao. Seeing Qubing's sincerity, Huo Yuhao chuckled and gave a slight bow.

"Naturally. Go inform your elder brother."

"Oh? Brother Qubing? Good, good, good! Then I'll call you Brother Hao from now on! Don't worry—with your big brother here, no one can touch you!" A cold gleam flashed through Qubing's eyes, as though he truly possessed such strength.

"Qubing, don't be rude!" Wei Qing barked. He was utterly helpless when it came to this thick-headed fellow.

"Don't worry, Uncle Wei Qing. We should head back now!" Huo Yuhao waved it off. With the Ice Empress's soul ring and energy supporting him, the snow and ice of the Extreme North no longer affected him much.

Over the following days, Huo Yuhao began his journey back to Dragon City.

Because she had only just fused with him, the Ice Empress had fallen into slumber. Beside her, the Snow-Treading White Wolf released energy to nourish her spirit and stabilize her soul essence.

After becoming Huo Yuhao's aid, Huo Qubing entered his Spirit Sea as well. The moment he arrived, he found it bustling: his uncle, a gray-robed man, and an ice silkworm transformed into a young boy.

"Oh, it really is lively here! Hello, everyone! My name is Huo Qubing, Champion Marquis of the Han Dynasty!" Huo Qubing greeted them with the ease of someone who had known them forever. Wei Qing did not even spare him a glance, his brows tightly furrowed as he studied the chessboard.

Elex had an exceptional ability to learn. After the rules and strategies of Go were explained to him once, Wei Qing found him difficult to deal with after only a few games.

Elex, however, appeared perfectly at ease. He greeted Huo Qubing, while Tian Meng looked half-asleep. If he had not been waiting for his Bingbing to wake up, he would have already gone off somewhere to sleep.

Huo Qubing immediately came over to Wei Qing and Elex. He watched the two play chess while chatting idly with Elex.

The atmosphere within the Spirit Sea did not become silent because of Huo Qubing's arrival. Instead, his liveliness made it even more bustling.

Wind and snow raged together. Dragon City stood between the icy plains and the lands inhabited by humans, its towering walls protecting the people behind it from the threat of the blizzard.

At the foot of the city walls, a beautiful figure stood quietly before the gates. Her eyes remained fixed on the direction of the icy plains, filled with longing and hope for her beloved's return.

"Is this... the how many-th time this week?" one guard asked his companion.

His companion sighed and spoke softly. "The seventh. She comes almost every day, and each time she waits the entire day. But it has already been a week. The person she is waiting for may have already met with disaster."

As the two guards murmured among themselves, Zhu Lu's eyes widened. A dark silhouette appeared amid the endless white snowstorm. As it drew closer, the person she had waited for so long finally came into view.

Seeing this, Zhu Lu's expression instead became calm. Her hands rested flat over her abdomen, but a closer look would reveal their faint trembling, exposing how excited she truly was.

Huo Yuhao slowly walked up to Zhu Lu. Dressed in a gray robe, he removed his hood, revealing his ice-blue short hair and familiar face.

"Welcome back!" Zhu Lu smiled. Her eyes were red, yet she still forced a happy expression, like a wife welcoming home her husband.

"Mm! I'm back!" Huo Yuhao opened his arms before her and drew her delicate body into his embrace, using his warmth to dispel the cold she had endured while waiting for him.

"Next time... next time, you can't take so long again. If there's another opportunity like this, we don't want it. Just come back alive, all right?!" Sensing the changes within Huo Yuhao's body, Zhu Lu gave him her earnest reminder, both distressed and happy.

"Mm! I'll listen to you!" He rubbed her little head, the doting look in his eyes almost overflowing.

"Come on, let's head back first. We'll warm ourselves by the fire, and I'll tell you about what happened to me!" After enjoying the tender moment for a while, Huo Yuhao stepped in front of Zhu Lu and crouched down, preparing to carry her back to the inn.

Zhu Lu chuckled at the sight, then hopped onto his back. Feeling the softness behind him, Huo Yuhao smiled and joked, "Let's go! We're going home!"

"Smooth talker!" Zhu Lu laughed and poked his back. Their figures headed toward the inn where they were staying.

The month-long holiday passed quickly, and Shrek Academy welcomed the beginning of a new term.

At the entrance to Shrek Academy, numerous students had gathered and were making their way into the academy. Along the way, everyone chatted about their holidays.

At that moment, two carriages slowly approached. The door of one carriage opened, and a petite figure jumped out. Her braided hair and pretty face were filled with anticipation.

"Xiao Xiao is back!" she cheered, spreading her arms as she prepared to go see her friends.

"Xiao Xiao!" X2

The door of the other carriage slowly opened. Ning Tian emerged with short golden hair, dressed in the Shrek Academy uniform and wearing a calm expression. Beside her stood Wu Feng, whose crimson hair was tied into a ponytail that highlighted her lively vigor.

"Ning Tian! Wu Feng!" Xiao Xiao waved happily. She had not expected them to arrive first. The three girls gathered together and chatted about their holidays and cultivation insights.

Just then, a beautiful figure flew over. It was Wang Dong, restored to her female form. Seeing the girl appear, the three of them happily greeted her, "Wang Dong! Happy holiday!"

"Hehe! This young lady is, as always, dazzlingly beautiful!" Seeing that she had drawn countless gazes, Wang Dong proudly puffed out her chest, leaving the other three girls to shake their heads helplessly.

"Eh? Yuhao and Zhu Lu still aren't back?" Wang Dong looked at Xiao Xiao and the other two with curiosity. The three nodded. For now, only they had gathered together.

"Looks like we need to give those latecomers a proper punishment!" Xiao Xiao flashed a wicked smile. Clearly, another mischievous idea had begun forming in her mind!