Huo Loli's Hug

After that day, Qian Chaoguang no longer paid any attention to his martial soul, which he had no idea what use it had.

Aside from his fixed five hundred saber swings every day, he practically lived in the Blacksmith Shop.

This method of tempering his body through forging was far better than tempering it through simple meditation.

In the midst of forging, Qian Chaoguang also discovered some differences between how blacksmiths forged now and how blacksmiths had forged ten thousand years ago.

The first was a matter of technique.

The changes of ten thousand years had gradually caused the violent casting methods once represented by the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer to fade from blacksmiths' sight.

The blacksmiths of today had already begun to gradually control the force they used when forging, rather than blindly pursuing greater and fiercer strength.

Whether one could use extreme methods to remove large amounts of impurities in a short time was no longer the standard for judging whether a blacksmith's skill was superb.

Highly accomplished craftsmen such as Old Blacksmith had gradually begun walking the path of Spirit Forging.

Though it was still some distance from the Hundred Refinements of ten thousand years later, it could absolutely be said to have already taken initial shape.

When Qian Chaoguang forged, he had already done his best to control the force of his strikes, recalling the forging techniques from the original text of Soul Land 3 in his mind and consciously trying to "communicate" with the metal.

Amid this fulfilling and exhausting forging life, more than two months had already passed.

With high-intensity tempering, along with Old Butler frequently buying medicinal herbs for Qian Chaoguang to take medicinal baths, the cultivation speed of the Golden Body Art increased by another large margin, steadily advancing toward the threshold of the Flawless Body.

By now, he had already preliminarily tempered his body once.

Although his Soul Power Level still remained at rank one, his physical quality could already compare with that of a Beast Martial Soul Power Attack System Battle Soul Master.

If his own martial skills were included, then with a saber in hand, killing a Soul Grandmaster with a Beast Martial Soul or Weapon Martial Soul would definitely not be difficult.

Element System and Control System ones were a bit trickier.

Even if his physical quality was powerful now, it was still a mortal body, wasn't it?

If he got burned by fire, he would still blister all the same.

Early that morning, Qian Chaoguang was swinging his saber in the courtyard as usual, chopping at the wooden stake.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Who is it?"

Qian Chaoguang put down the long saber and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

A little head poked in through the crack in the door and called out timidly.

"Chaoguang Gege."

Seeing who it was, he could not help smiling. "Hm? It's Yutong. Long time no see. How have you been lately?"

During these two-plus months of frantic training, he had spent almost every day living between two fixed points, so naturally, he no longer had the time or energy to deliver food to the Huo mother and daughter.

Before Huo Yutong could reply, Old Butler walked out from inside the house.

"Little—cough, cough, cough, cough—Xiao Tong hasn't had an easy time lately. Cough, cough, cough."

Qian Chaoguang hurriedly ran to his side and patted Old Butler's back to help him catch his breath.

"It's fine, I'm fine."

Old Butler waved his hand.

"That stinking woman has been acting like she swallowed a tiger's gall lately. Her oppression of the two of them, mother and daughter, has become more and more brazen. Sometimes even when I go to bring them food, I get stopped. What a venomous woman! Xiao Tong is a soul master, so she's still all right, but Huo Yun'er's body has always been weak. I'm truly afraid... sigh!"

Old Butler did not continue, merely letting out a heavy sigh.

He had already retired for many years, and the coldness that came after one left power was displayed to the fullest in this Prince's Mansion. The fact that he had been able to protect himself all these years was only thanks to the prestige he had left from many years ago and his own cultivation as a Soul Saint.

The only person who would show him respect, Dai Hao, had to constantly guard against sneak attacks from the Sun Moon Empire in the Mingdou Mountain Range. On top of worrying about the Old Emperor's suspicion, he had not returned home for several years already.

Around this enormous residence, there were no small number of spies sent by the emperor, and the movements of the entire family were subject to all kinds of restrictions.

The White Tiger Duke had originally had several chances to return home, but they had all been brushed off by his wife with various excuses.

Old Butler's only backer was not in the residence, and for the Duchess, who monopolized all authority, bypassing him to oppress a pair of weak mother and child with no strength to resist was simply all too easy.

Being able to send the Huo mother and daughter some food every few days and teach Huo Yutong some knowledge about cultivation was already the greatest limit of what the Duchess could tolerate.

Any more, and that venomous woman would probably completely tear apart face with Old Butler.

Old Butler did not bring up matters related to Huo Yun'er again, turning his head to ask, "Xiao Tong, how are the preparations? Is everything all right on your mother's side?"

Huo Yutong nodded lightly.

"Grandpa Zhu, I'm all prepared. Mom said she would have no problem staying in the mansion by herself during this period."

"Good. Then wait for Grandpa to pack up, and we'll set off right away."

As he spoke, Old Butler said to Qian Chaoguang, "Xiao Guang, you go back and rinse off, change your clothes, and bring that saber you forged yourself. We're going on a long trip."

"Huh? No, Grandpa, what's going on? Where are we going?"

Qian Chaoguang, who had been an outsider to the conversation for ages, looked utterly bewildered.

"To the Soul Beast Forest, where else? Xiao Tong already cultivated to rank ten yesterday. Once she obtains a Spirit Ring, she'll be able to become a true soul master."

Old Butler's annoyed voice came from inside the house.

Huh?

She was already at level ten?

Only then did Qian Chaoguang react, looking at Huo Yutong with excitement all over his face.

He had already spent more than two full months forging iron. Judging by how hard she worked and her Innate Soul Power, it was about time for her to level up.

"Ah, look at this brain of mine—I completely forgot about that. Xiao Tong, congratulations. You're about to become a true Spirit Master!"

"Thank you, Chaoguang Gege."

Only then did a faint smile squeeze onto Huo Yutong's gloomy face.

"Once I become a Spirit Master and can earn money, I'll definitely take Mom and move out of the Duke's Mansion."

"Keep it up. A better life is waiting for you."

Qian Chaoguang made as if to give Huo Yutong a hug.

However, when he stepped forward to embrace her, he realized that his upper body was still bare, and he was covered in stinking sweat.

Hugging her like this didn't seem too appropriate.

Unexpectedly, in that brief moment of hesitation, Huo Yutong instead hugged him on her own, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Feeling the little head buried beside his neck and the faint fragrance drifting from her flowing black hair, Qian Chaoguang froze in place for a moment, somewhat at a loss.

"N-no, Xiao Tong, I'm all sweaty. I'm dirty."

It would have been better if he had not said anything. Once he did, Huo Yutong hugged him even tighter.

Soft, warm breaths brushed over his skin, bringing with them an oddly tingling numbness.

Whether in his past life or this one, Qian Chaoguang had never had such close intimate contact with someone of the opposite sex.

Even if Huo Yutong was still only a six-year-old little girl right now.

A few hot tears suddenly slid down Qian Chaoguang's chest. Huo Yutong had already begun to sob quietly.

That was right. She was still only a six-year-old little girl. How could she have the firm mentality of the Huo Yuhao from the original novel, who had been conditioned into enduring everything without resistance?

"You silly boy, hug her. What are you waiting for?"

Old Butler's voice transmission reached his ears, and the stiff Qian Chaoguang subconsciously closed his arms, gently holding Huo Yutong in his embrace and lightly patting her back.

Please keep following the updates, guys xd. Only with enough follow-up reads can this get recommended, and Douluo fanfics need even more follow-up reads than books in other genres if they want recommendations. Please, please, everyone, don't stockpile chapters before it goes premium—it's easy to stockpile it to death!