"Bai Qi, if you want to become stronger, my training will grow increasingly strict from now on. You need to prepare yourself mentally."
Huo Tian pressed his hand onto Bai Qi's shoulder with a serious expression, and Bai Qi was awed by the imposing aura radiating from him.
"Yes."
Bai Qi gazed at Huo Tian with determination in his eyes. As long as he could become stronger, what did it matter if his skin peeled off and his bones broke? Strength was all Bai Qi pursued.
Huo Tian tied his red hair, which hung loose around his waist, into a ponytail, revealing his delicate, feminine face. He was about to repair the scar on Bai Qi's face.
"Lie flat on the other bed. Your master will repair the scar on your face!"
Bai Qi nodded silently and let his whole body sink onto the soft mattress, his long black hair spilling across his cheeks.
Huo Tian took out the jar of crystal-clear whitening cream and rested it in his palm, digging his fingers into the soft cream inside.
Huo Tian's entire hand was covered in pale, silky whitening cream. With his other hand, he brushed aside the hair covering Bai Qi's face.
A horrifying scar was exposed before Huo Tian's eyes. It stretched from his forehead all the way to the corner of his mouth, giving Huo Tian a fright.
If a scar like that landed on his own face, Huo Tian felt that living would be worse than death. He gently spread the whitening cream on his hand along the length of the scar.
Huo Yutong had already woken up by then. She propped her fair chin in both hands and silently watched the master and disciple, feeling that the atmosphere between the two was rather strange.
Once the whitening cream covered the scar, it immediately began giving off a scorching heat. Bai Qi felt as though his entire face were being torn apart, and his cries of pain echoed through the room.
Huo Tian immediately pinned his limbs down hard to keep Bai Qi from escaping. Bai Qi truly had not expected it to hurt this much, and he clenched both hands into fists.
The whitening cream began eating away at the scab over the scar. Before long, it completely lost its luster and merged into the scar on Bai Qi's face.
After two hours of scar repair, the scar on Bai Qi's face gradually vanished, revealing his exceptionally fine-featured face.
Huo Tian stood up and looked at the one-armed Bai Qi, sinking into thought. Once they returned to Shrek Academy, he had to have a soul tool arm made for him.
Bai Qi's martial soul and cultivation aptitude had now both been transformed. All he lacked was a complete arm to become the perfect ultimate weapon.
"Let's go. It's time to get Little Yutong her first soul ring!"
Huo Tian clapped his hands and straightened his clothes. Bai Qi got out of bed, took out a pair of scissors, and cut his long hair short. He wanted to bid farewell to his former self this way.
"Master~! Tongtong can finally become a Soul Master!"
Huo Yutong sprang up from the mattress and stood straight on the floor. She threw herself fiercely into Huo Tian's arms, and he held her with boundless affection.
The three strode out of the inn, then bought a horse-drawn carriage along the way and quickly climbed inside.
The black horse neighed and immediately set off, pulling the carriage far away from Lingdou City. Huo Tian's yearlong journey around the continent had finally drawn to a close.
Huo Tian had not expected to gain not only a cute Little Huo Girl, but also a disciple with an unwavering will.
"Once we've gotten Little Yutong her first soul ring, we'll return to Shrek. I'll enroll you both as first-year students."
"There are plenty of monsters at Shrek Academy, but don't be discouraged. You're even more monstrous."
Huo Tian placed a hand on each disciple's shoulder, encouraging them.
"Mm!"
Huo Yutong nuzzled Huo Tian's palm while Bai Qi nodded silently beside her. He had never imagined that he would one day join Shrek, the continent's number one academy.
The carriage raced across the boundless grasslands for two days and two nights, finally leaving the Heavenly Soul Empire's frontier behind and heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest. Along the way, Huo Tian wondered whether the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was male or female.
If the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was male, Huo Tian would have to castrate him or change his sex. He could not let him harm Huo Yutong. If he was female, that would be another matter.
Electrolux had only a shattered fragment of divine consciousness left, so he should not pose much of a problem. Over the past year, Huo Tian had fed Huo Yutong so many heavenly treasures that his storage ring was nearly empty.
After Huo Yutong absorbed the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's origin power, her first soul ring would definitely be a purple thousand-year soul ring. That would be enough, though; as her strength increased later, it would become a million-year soul ring.
For Huo Yutong's second soul ring, Huo Tian wanted her to absorb a ten thousand year soul ring if possible. Even if it was not a ten thousand year soul ring, it had to be over eight thousand years old, and then the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's origin power could evolve it to the ten-thousand-year level.
"We're here. Get out."
Holding Huo Yutong's hand, Huo Tian stepped down from the carriage. Bai Qi, who had been cultivating beside them, woke with a start and followed closely behind.
The three were currently in the outer region. They strode deeper into the new forest, and after they had walked for a while, a ten-year Wind Baboon emerged.
Huo Tian flicked the Evil Fire from his hand, and the ten-year Wind Baboon instantly turned to ash, which a light breeze swept away into the air.
Huo Tian's stomach rumbled, and he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Master, let me grill some fish for you! I'm really good at it."
Huo Yutong tugged at the cuff of Huo Tian's red robe, and the two headed toward a stream, with Bai Qi following silently.
The aroma of grilled fish filled the air beside the stream. Three figures sat around a campfire grilling fish, and the fish on the stone slab sizzled over the flames.
Huo Tian could not help marveling at how delicious Huo Yutong's grilled fish was! He had fallen completely in love with it. If he did not eat it every day from now on, he would feel uncomfortable all over.
"Little Yutong, you really know how to grill fish."
Holding a skewer of grilled fish, Huo Tian ate until his mouth was slick with grease and his whole face was covered in sweat. Huo Yutong grilled fish in her hands, delighted to see how much he liked her cooking.
"As long as you like it, Master, Tongtong will grill it for you every day!"
Huo Yutong handed the freshly grilled fish to Huo Tian. Bai Qi quietly gnawed on his beside them, finding it utterly delicious.
"It smells so good!"
A lovely female voice reached their ears. All three looked toward the voice, where a young man and a young woman were walking over.
The graceful young woman was none other than Tang Ya, and beside him was Bei Bei. Seeing a familiar face, Bei Bei smiled and immediately quickened his pace.
"Brother Tian, fancy meeting you here!"
Bei Bei crouched beside Huo Tian, looking excited. Huo Tian was not particularly surprised; he had already expected to encounter these two NPCs, Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
"I'm getting my disciple her first soul ring!"
Huo Tian handed the grilled fish he was holding to Bei Bei, who took it and placed it in Tang Ya's palm. Stars flashed in Tang Ya's eyes, and she immediately began tasting it.
"You must be Brother Huo Tian!"
Tang Ya remembered something. A few days earlier, the Tang Sect's sect master from ten thousand years ago had appeared in her dream, telling her to find Huo Tian and transfer the Tang Sect to her. Tang San had given the entire Tang Sect to Huo Tian.
Tang Ya had never expected that she would get to meet Sea God Tang San, and agreed without hesitation.