Even with the Martial Scripture, Huo Yuhao did not believe he could grow on his own without the backing of an organization.
Leaving everything else aside, an individual could never match an organization in the efficiency of acquiring resources alone.
"Brother Hao."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm struck up a conversation with Huo Yuhao. "Since the Body Sect is a secluded sect, how are we supposed to find them?"
Huo Yuhao turned the Soul Beast meat over and scattered a handful of seasoning bought in Shrek City over it. Golden droplets of fat instantly dripped into the fire, sending wisps of white smoke curling upward with a sizzle, and the aroma filled his nostrils.
He tore off large mouthfuls of roast meat and answered indistinctly, "It's not as difficult as you think."
"The Body Sect is the sect that protects the Heaven Dou Empire. Once we get to Di'ao Academy and speak to their people, we won't have to worry about finding it."
"Di'ao Academy?" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked in confusion. "What does it have to do with the Body Sect?"
Huo Yuhao cut another piece of meat from the Wind Tiger's carcass. "Di'ao Academy is commonly known as Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, and the emperor of Heaven Dou is its honorary headmaster. What relationship do you think it could have with the Body Sect?"
"Oh, oh, I see. Now I understand."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had racked his brains just to create this opportunity to flatter him.
He wriggled his body and said ingratiatingly, "As expected of a god's inheritor-you even know information like that. Compared with you, Brother Hao, I've practically lived my million years for nothing."
Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes at the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his Sea of Consciousness.
Flattery this crude and deliberate was truly difficult to enjoy.
He began examining the map, working out how much longer he needed to reach the Far North.
Throughout the journey, Huo Yuhao had been cultivating constantly. Even when resting at night, he used the Martial Scripture cultivation method in place of sleep.
By now, he had converted all his Soul Power into the Soul Power cultivated through the Martial Scripture, and even his spiritual power had improved considerably.
At the same time, Huo Yuhao's physique had improved further, and his foundation had grown increasingly solid. He had even opened one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, reaching level fifteen as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
All of this came from the accumulation of his previous cultivation, a deep reserve finally bearing fruit. Raising his level this quickly again would be very difficult.
Yet Huo Yuhao was not disappointed.
Even if his cultivation speed had declined, he still held an enormous advantage over those so-called geniuses on the Douluo Continent.
According to his own estimates, with the current results of his cultivation, obtaining a Thousand-Year Soul Ring at level twenty would be as easy as turning his hand over.
Spiritual herbs and precious medicines were scarce on the Douluo Continent, but Soul Beasts contained considerable energy within their bodies.
Over the past few days, Huo Yuhao had been eating Soul Beast meat to replace the role of medicinal herbs in tempering his body.
"I just replenished my supplies in Shrek City today."
Huo Yuhao traced his finger northward across the map. "It's over eight thousand li from here to the Heaven Dou Northern Frontier. Allowing for the necessary time to replenish supplies and rest, it should take about seven days to get there."
"At my current rate, I still need two months to cultivate to level twenty. I'll take my time and treat it as a chance to experience the Heaven Dou Empire's local customs."
Huo Yuhao packed his belongings and was just about to leave when he suddenly heard a female voice tinged with pleasant surprise.
"That smells wonderful! Little brother, were you roasting meat just now? Could I buy a piece from you?"
Huo Yuhao looked toward the voice and saw a couple emerge from the bushes not far away.
"Oh, if you're hungry, help yourselves to that meat."
"I'm full already, anyway. Leaving that meat there would just be a waste, so you can have it."
Although he was short of money now, he had not fallen so far that he needed to make a living selling roast meat.
Huo Yuhao had found a shop in Shrek City and sold everything he had gained from hunting Soul Beasts over the past few days, so he still had some Gold Soul Coins in his cloth pouch.
"Thank you, little brother! I happen to be hungry."
Tang Ya skipped over to the Wind Tiger's carcass, then exclaimed in surprise, "A hundred-year Wind Tiger? Did you hunt this yourself, little brother? That's amazing!"
Tiger-type Soul Beasts were already exceptionally powerful among Soul Beasts, and Wind Tigers were outstanding even among them. Their speed surpassed even that of the king of tigers, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, and ordinary Soul Masters were far from a match for them.
Bei Bei stared at Huo Yuhao's departing figure and frowned in thought. "I know everyone in the academy capable of hunting a Wind Tiger alone, but he looks completely unfamiliar."
"He might be someone from another academy who came nearby for Soul Hunting." Tang Ya rekindled the fire. "Bei Bei, hurry over and help me roast the meat."
Bei Bei took a dagger from the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges and walked over to the Wind Tiger's carcass, glancing back repeatedly as he went.
"That's not right." Bei Bei noticed something unusual and quickly picked up the Wind Tiger's ferocious-looking head. "This head wasn't cut off after death. It was severed with a single strike from a sharp weapon during battle."
He began inspecting the Wind Tiger's carcass closely.
Although Huo Yuhao had already left most of its hide in tatters, Bei Bei could still determine, thanks to his outstanding store of knowledge, that all the cuts in the hide had been made with a dagger after the Wind Tiger's death.
Bei Bei could not help sucking in a breath of cold air. "He killed a Wind Tiger with a single strike so cleanly and decisively. Which academy or sect is he from? And why did he come Soul Hunting alone? Where are his teachers and elders?"
"No, no, he's too young. Even if he looks sturdy, he can't be older than twelve."
"Twelve years old, Soul Hunting alone... Xiao Ya! Forget the Wind Tiger meat for now! Hurry and come after that young brother with me!"
"Huh?" Tang Ya pouted in displeasure. "But I'm really hungry."
Bei Bei grabbed Tang Ya's arm and, ignoring her startled cry, took her running swiftly in the direction Huo Yuhao had gone.
"Bei Bei! You're hurting me! Let go! I can run myself!" Tang Ya cried out in pain.
"He could very well be a student who was rejected by the admissions office because he didn't have a recommendation letter!" Bei Bei said.
Tang Ya's eyes instantly widened. "How is that possible?! How could someone capable of killing a Wind Tiger alone at his age not have a letter of introduction?"
"There are always Mutated Martial Souls that people overlook." Bei Bei poured Soul Power into his legs. "He has no teacher or elder protecting him during Soul Hunting, which means he could very well be a commoner, or even an orphan."
"And he was leaving from the direction of Shrek City. I suspect he wanted to join Shrek Academy, but perhaps the admissions staff were lazy and drove him away for not having a recommendation letter, without even asking about his Martial Soul or Soul Power Level!"
Tang Ya caught on. "You want him to join the Tang Sect?"
"If things really are as I suspect, he will absolutely be the greatest hope for the Tang Sect's revival!"
Bei Bei ran faster and faster. "At any rate, I wasn't capable of slaying a Wind Tiger in a single strike at his age. That means his Martial Soul could very well be a super Martial Soul! It might even be a super Martial Soul on par with the Radiant Sacred Dragon!"
Hearing this, Tang Ya hurriedly poured Soul Power into her legs and followed Bei Bei in swift pursuit of Huo Yuhao.
However, Huo Yuhao was moving far too quickly with the Supreme Purity Sky Roaming Steps. Even after Bei Bei and Tang Ya used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, they could only see his figure from far behind.
"Young brother! Please wait!"