Back at the hotel suite, Huo Yuhao pushed open the heavy solid-wood door and immediately saw Huo Yan'er, whom he had not seen for a full year.
Warm-toned Spiritlight Crystals cast a gentle glow through the room, bringing the little girl's figure into sharp relief.
The passing year had left almost no trace on Huo Yan'er's appearance. Her delicate features were unchanged, her skin luminous and fair, and her long, pale-silver hair, threaded with black, fell softly over her shoulders. To look at her, one might think time had not marked her at all.
But Huo Yuhao's spiritual power had long since surpassed the limits of ordinary Soul Masters. His senses pierced the surface and clearly caught the power surging within her.
Outwardly, she was unchanged. Inside, heaven and earth had been overturned.
The power of the Path of The Permanence was like a dark river that never ceased rushing onward. It expanded wildly in the depths of Huo Yan'er's body, without boundary or visible end, seeping into her bit by bit.
This was not power piled up through Soul Rings and Soul Bones. It was a transformation brought about by the Path itself—silent, yet terrifying beyond measure.
Sensing Huo Yuhao's gaze, Huo Yan'er looked up at once. Her clear blue-violet eyes lit up, and she hurried over on little feet, stretching both tender arms high. Her soft voice brimmed with the joy of reunion. "Daddy, hold me! Yan'er hasn't seen Daddy in so long."
The softest part of Huo Yuhao's heart stirred. A faint smile spread across his face as he stroked her delicate cheek, then bent to lift his little daughter into his arms.
Huo Yan'er was light, but as he held her, Huo Yuhao could distinctly feel the dense pulse of life brought by the power of