Huo Yuhao: Wait Until I Come Back to Protect You!

Of course.

They did more than wander through the towns.

Whenever they reached the outskirts, Qian Renchuan would sometimes ask the carriage to stop so they could rest.

If he spotted a particularly scenic place, he would take drawing boards and sketching pencils from his Storage Soul Tool.

He would even coax Qian Renxue and Huo Yuhao out of the carriage, seat them on the grass or a rock, and draw their portraits.

This was where Qian Renchuan's talent for dabbling in everything came in handy.

He had tried his hand at nearly every practical skill.

Drawing

was no exception.

Before long, a doll-like little girl and a handsome young boy took shape on the paper.

Seeing how lifelike their portraits were, Qian Renxue and Huo Yuhao both broke into rare smiles.

Huo Yuhao, in particular, treasured the drawings. He carefully tucked them into his Storage Soul Tool.

Sometimes, while resting in the carriage,

Huo Yuhao would take out a portrait and stare at himself on the page, lost in thought. No one knew what was on his mind.

Now,

the closer they drew to the Star Dou Great Forest, the more Huo Yuhao struggled with his decision.

The less he wanted to leave.

The more he wanted to stay beside his big brother.

He wanted to protect his big brother and safeguard the bond of family he had yearned for throughout his previous life and had finally found in this one.

But he knew all too well that he had to go.

He still had a blood feud to settle.

And there were people he wanted to find, people he wanted to make things right with, waiting for him.

Brother Sky Dream and Qiu'er were both people he had to seek out—opportunities he needed and knots in his heart he had to untangle.

If he stayed in Spirit Hall,

the Pope would have her eye on his every move. He would never have a chance to carry out his plans.

Big brother, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't stay with you forever.

Once I've gained the power that belongs to me, once I'm strong enough, I'll come back for you.

Then you can take it easy.

I'll protect you!

Because Qian Renchuan kept stopping along the way to enjoy the scenery,

a journey to the Star Dou Great Forest that should have taken a little over two weeks took a full month and a half.

When the five of them finally reached the forest's outskirts, the sun stood high overhead, spilling golden light across the land.

The scenery was more beautiful than anything Huo Yuhao had rarely seen in his previous life.

As soon as they entered the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest,

the terrain grew treacherous.

Thick roots crisscrossed the ground, while waist-high weeds and thorny bushes sprang up everywhere.

The carriage could go no farther.

At Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's suggestion, the five left it behind for the time being and entered the forest on foot.

The moment they stepped beneath the trees,

the temperature seemed to drop.

Towering trees shut out the sky. Their dense branches intertwined overhead, letting only slivers of sunlight fall on the leaf-strewn earth and scatter it with patches of light.

The air carried the rich scent of soil and the freshness of growing plants.

All around them,

the forest was quiet.

Only the occasional roar of an unknown Soul Beast sounded in the distance, a reminder of how vast and wild this ancient forest was.

Only then did Yue Guan stop and turn to the three children to discuss the matter at hand.

"Eldest Young Master, Miss Xue, Third Young Master."

"We've entered the Star Dou Great Forest."

"From here on, we could encounter dangerous Soul Beasts at any time."

"Do the three of you have anything in mind?"

"Tell us what kind of Soul Beasts you want and roughly how old they should be. That way, Old Ghost and I can keep an eye out."

The moment Yue Guan finished speaking,

Qian Renxue stepped forward without hesitation.

"Elder Yue Guan, I want a Light Butterfly over a thousand years old for my first Soul Ring."

"And a Golden-Feathered Vulture around two thousand years old for my second."

At those words,

the air fell silent.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo stared at her, stunned.

Under Qian Renxue's original plan, her first Soul Ring would have come from a Light Butterfly around seven hundred years old.

Her second would have come from a Golden-Feathered Vulture around a thousand years old.

But after the premium Whale Rubber strengthened her body, Qian Renxue believed her limits had risen far beyond what she had expected.

She could challenge far older Soul Rings!

Yue Guan recovered first. Shaking his head furiously, he refused.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Miss Xue, have you mixed up the ages?"

"The limit for an ordinary Soul Master's first Soul Ring is only four hundred and twenty-three years. For the second, it's only seven hundred and sixty-four!"

"And you want a thousand-year Soul Ring for your first and a two-thousand-year one for your second?"

"Your body couldn't possibly withstand them!"

"That much Soul Power would burst your body apart!"

Gui Mei frowned deeply beside him, just as anxious.

"Miss Xue, Old Chrysanthemum is right."

"This is no laughing matter."

"If a Soul Ring exceeds what your body can bear, you could lose the use of your meridians and your cultivation. Worse, your body could explode on the spot."

"We cannot let you take that risk!"

But Qian Renxue did not back down in the face of the two Titled Douluo's objections. Her resolve was unshakable.

"Elders, I know exactly what I'm saying."

"My body has undergone special training. I'm far beyond the limits of an ordinary Soul Master now."

"I wouldn't ask for Soul Rings of those ages if I weren't confident I could absorb them."

Yue Guan was so frantic he nearly jumped.

"Miss Xue, no matter how strong your body is, you're still only six years old!"

"Those ages are far too high. We can't take responsibility for this!"

Qian Renxue's voice hardened.

"Don't worry. I've already discussed this with Grandpa."

"He agreed. Even if something does go wrong, neither of you will be blamed."

"You only need to find those two Soul Beasts for me."

"Beat them within an inch of their lives. Leave the rest to me."

Hearing Qian Renxue invoke Grand Priest Qian Daoliu, Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance. Both looked deeply troubled.

The Grand Priest had agreed?

How was that possible?

He doted on Miss Xue. How could he agree to something so reckless it bordered on suicide?

Yet Miss Xue sounded so certain that she hardly seemed to be lying.

Neither man could shake his doubts.

And neither dared agree so easily.

Those ages were simply too high. An ordinary Soul Master would burst apart.

If anything happened to Miss Xue on their watch, the Pope and the Grand Priest would skin them alive.

But Qian Renxue was adamant, leaving no room for negotiation.

For now, the two could only set aside their worries.

They had not found the Soul Beasts yet. They would deal with it when the time came.

If all else failed, they could catch two younger Soul Beasts and try to pass them off instead.