Unconsciousness

After signing the contract with Xiao Bai, Huo Yuhao didn't go outside. She stayed in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. At that moment, Huo Yuhao was unusually free, and after chatting with Octagonal for a while, she wandered around, looking at things.

Perhaps it was because she had been reborn as a girl and her mindset had changed, too. The person she used to be would never have had the leisure to look at flowers and plants. Although the greenery and flowers Huo Yuhao was looking at were all medicinal herbs, they were still quite beautiful.

Huo Yuhao could have studied Soul Tools to pass the time. After all, she still hadn't figured out how the Wishful Treasure Bag was made. But perhaps because of that momentary daze earlier, Huo Yuhao decided to give Soul Tool research a miss for the day and look at the flowers to relax instead. She would wait for Big Sister Tian Meng and the others to return. When she came to a rock, Huo Yuhao stopped. The rock was black all over, and a white flower grew on it, with no leaves or stem. Several of the petals of this peony-like flower were red. This was the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

Huo Yuhao knew the story of this flower. She had once picked one for someone else, and someone had picked one for her, too. But now, as Huo Yuhao thought back on everything she had done for it, had she really picked that flower because of love?

If it wasn't love, then what could it have been?

Did only those who loved one another and would live and die together count as being in love?

These questions circled in her mind, but she couldn't come up with any answers. Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help smiling a little. It wasn't for any particular reason; she was simply laughing at herself. That was right. She couldn't even figure out what love was, so how could she understand what she had been thinking back then?

Huo Yuhao gently touched the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, then left.

The sunset's afterglow was so beautiful. After making dinner, Huo Yuhao stood and quietly watched the sun slowly set. Tian Meng's voice came from beside her.

"Bingdi, human cities are so much fun. I've been there so many times, but I never get tired of going."

Li Ya agreed. "Exactly! The people at the opera house here may not sing as well as I do, but there's just something different about listening to someone else sing."

"It's fun, but have you noticed that a lot of strange people have appeared in the city? They're always sneaking around and observing something," Raven said, unusually serious.

A Ling agreed. "That's true. Those people are strange."

Tian Meng was still smiling as she said, "Who cares? It has nothing to do with us. Bingdi, let's go again next time."

"Fine, I will." Ice Empress held Snow Empress's hand and smiled helplessly.

Huo Yuhao smiled at them and said, "Welcome back. I've finished making dinner, so come over and eat."

"Little Yuhao, you're the best!" Tian Meng said, running over with a smile.

Huo Yuhao smiled. "I can form my third Soul Ring now, too."

"That's great! Then let's hurry and sign the contract. I can finally become a Million-Year Soul Beast without worrying about the Heavenly Tribulation."

"Don't rush. Let's eat first." Huo Yuhao looked at everyone.

After everyone had finished dinner, Big Sister Tian Meng hurried over to Huo Yuhao and said, "I'm ready. Let's begin."

Huo Yuhao smiled and agreed, then activated her Spirit Eyes Martial Soul and began signing the Soul Spirit Contract with Big Sister Tian Meng.

Then a platinum-colored Soul Ring appeared in front of Huo Yuhao. It still had four Soul Skills, but some of them were different from before. The Soul Skills "Spiritual Detection" and "Spiritual Sharing" hadn't changed.

Of the other two Soul Skills, the former "Soul Shock" had changed into "Simulation."

And "Mental Interference" had directly become "Tian Meng's Domain." Unlike the Tian Meng's Domain that had evolved from Mental Interference in the past, the effects of this version were completely different. Within Tian Meng's Domain, it could increase the Spiritual Power of allies by twenty percent while reducing the Spiritual Power of enemies by twenty percent. It could also reduce the speed of enemies within the domain by fifty percent.

After signing the contract, Tian Meng sensed the changes in her Cultivation, then looked up at the sky. The bright moon hung high, the stars twinkled, and not a cloud marred the sky. There was no sign of the Heavenly Tribulation descending. Tian Meng let out a sigh of relief, then said with great pride, "Well, Little Yuhao? Aren't my Soul Skills as a Million-Year Soul Beast amazing?"

Huo Yuhao was just about to answer when she felt a cool sensation at her nose. She instinctively touched it with her hand, and there was blood flecked with Green Light on her fingertips. Before Huo Yuhao could think about it, a powerful dizziness shot straight to her brain, as though a huge hammer had smashed into the back of her head. Just before she completely lost consciousness, she heard Big Sister Tian Meng ask in a tearful voice, "Yuhao, what's wrong?" Then she passed out completely.

When everyone saw Huo Yuhao collapse, they hurried over to check on her. Tian Meng caught Huo Yuhao before she hit the ground, then asked everyone what was happening, her voice choked with tears.

After Huo Yuhao passed out, her consciousness once again entered the dream. It was still the same Wood Shed, and the same scenes, but everything was accompanied by a woman's wails and sobs. The voice didn't belong to her mother or Dong'er... It wasn't in Huo Yuhao's memories. She had never heard it before, but it felt strangely familiar, as though she had heard it somewhere. The scenes changed. She fell into the abyss once more. It was still that enormous, fiery maw, but this time, after it swallowed her, she didn't wake up. She kept falling. There was no standard by which to prove that time existed here, and nothing to use as a reference for direction. There was only darkness. Huo Yuhao seemed to merge with it, and couldn't help wondering to herself, "Was I turned into darkness by the abyss, or was I darkness to begin with?"

The dream didn't end. She was still falling-or was she not falling? The darkness made it impossible for Huo Yuhao to tell what state she was in, but the wailing, sobbing voice beside her didn't stop. Suddenly, a cool sensation in her mind "woke" her.

In the real world, everyone was at a loss over Huo Yuhao's unconsciousness. Tears glistened in Tian Meng's eyes. Tian Meng didn't know what had happened, but still blamed herself.

Seeing this, A Ling could only comfort Tian Meng, telling her not to be like this and that they would find a way.

In the Sea of Consciousness, the instant Huo Yuhao passed out, Electrolux awoke from his slumber. After watching everything that had happened outside, Elder Yi had no choice but to awaken Huo Yuhao. Seeing Huo Yuhao's condition in the Sea of Consciousness, Elder Yi breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't too serious.

Elder Yi raised a finger and pointed toward the upper part of the Sea of Consciousness. He recited a profound incantation, and light flickered at his fingertip. Then the light grew brighter and brighter, shooting straight toward the top of the Sea of Consciousness. After a ripple passed through it, Huo Yuhao awoke in the Sea of Consciousness.

Pulled back from the dream, Huo Yuhao looked at Elder Yi and asked, "Elder Yi, what happened to me?"

Elder Yi's voice sounded somewhat tired as he said, "The balance between the Soul Power in your body and that Chaos Power has fluctuated, but not by much. It may have been caused by the impact of absorbing that Million-Year Soul Ring. You shouldn't cultivate Soul Power for a while. It'll be enough once I refine a few more pieces of Bones for you."

"Sorry to trouble you, Elder Yi."

"That's nothing. But because I woke up early this time, I may have to extend my slumber for a while. Also, don't stop cultivating your Spiritual Power. Set aside some time to review your combat skills, too. Simply cultivating isn't enough. All right, that's all. I'm going back to sleep, so hurry and leave."

"Understood, Elder Yi." With that, Huo Yuhao left the Sea of Consciousness.

Huo Yuhao opened her eyes again. The first thing she saw was Big Sister Tian Meng, her eyes red as she looked at Huo Yuhao. Then Tian Meng's choked voice came from beside her. "Yuhao, you're awake... That's wonderful."

The others all asked about her condition.

"Everyone, don't worry. I'm fine." Huo Yuhao looked at Big Sister Tian Meng and asked, "Big Sister Tian Meng, what's wrong?"

"Yuhao, I'm sorry. If you hadn't signed the contract with me, you wouldn't have passed out."

Huo Yuhao heard her sobbing and patted Big Sister Tian Meng's head to comfort her. "It's not your fault, Big Sister Tian Meng. You're just too powerful, and I couldn't handle it all at once. I'm the one who should work on getting stronger. Besides, Big Sister Tian Meng, the Soul Skills you gave me are amazing, so please don't be like this." As she spoke, Huo Yuhao activated Simulation and changed into Big Sister Tian Meng's appearance to demonstrate the Soul Skill.

"Am I really useful?" Big Sister Tian Meng watched Huo Yuhao use Simulation and gradually stopped sobbing.

Huo Yuhao smiled. "That's right. Big Sister Tian Meng, you're very useful, so don't blame yourself anymore."

"All right, now that Yuhao is awake, everyone can go back and let her get some proper rest." After Snow Empress spoke, Ice Empress beside her took Big Sister Tian Meng's hand and led her away.

After hearing this, everyone dispersed. As Ice Empress led her away, Big Sister Tian Meng kept looking back at Huo Yuhao as she walked. Seeing her like that, Huo Yuhao smiled and waved at her.

Although there had been some twists and turns this time, Huo Yuhao had obtained a Soul Ring by signing a contract with Big Sister Tian Meng, and her Soul Power had also reached level thirty-three.