"Making him a suit of armor and an arm won't be very difficult!"
"Boy, let me see your Martial Soul!"
Fan Yu came over and circled Bai Qi a few times. Bai Qi immediately released his Martial Soul, and the Starry Night Demon Scythe appeared out of thin air in his hand.
The moment Bai Qi's Martial Soul appeared, Fan Yu could sense the Ultimate Darkness attribute within it. His eyes immediately lit up.
Fan Yu looked at Bai Qi as though he had discovered a rare treasure. Being stared at like that gave Bai Qi goosebumps all over.
"This Martial Soul is this heavy?"
Fan Yu took the Starry Night Demon Scythe from Bai Qi. If he hadn't released his Soul Power, he might have toppled backward.
Fan Yu handled the Demon Scythe, clearly sensing that it weighed 3,000 jin. He couldn't help marveling at why Huo Tian had taken Bai Qi as his disciple.
"Teacher Fan Yu, Bai Qi is rather interested in Soul Tools. If he has the talent, why don't you take him as your disciple?"
Huo Tian looked at Bai Qi, then at Fan Yu. Fan Yu immediately smiled. After all, what Soul Master with an Ultimate Attribute wasn't a genius?
Huo Tian was delivering charcoal to their Soul Tool Department in the snow.
"Hasn't he already taken you as his master? Wouldn't it be a little inappropriate for him to take another master?"
"What's wrong with that? I'll teach him about Martial Souls, and you'll teach him the Soul Tool Department's subjects. There's no conflict!"
Huo Tian's thinking immediately dispelled Fan Yu's concerns. Fan Yu clapped his hands together, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.
"All right, I'll take this disciple. I trust your judgment!"
"Bai Qi pays his respects to Master!"
Seeing the look Huo Tian gave him, Bai Qi immediately understood and hurriedly offered a disciple's salute.
Fan Yu helped Bai Qi up.
"Teacher Fan Yu, where did He Caitou go? I'm almost out of cigars."
"Come with me!"
The three followed closely behind Fan Yu. The four of them left Laboratory No. 1 and, after walking for a while, arrived at a combat zone.
A dark-skinned youth stood in the combat zone. His tall frame supported a Soul Cannon, which he fired continuously at the moving targets in the combat zone.
Noticing people approaching, He Caitou immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to look toward the entrance.
"Master!"
He Caitou came up to Fan Yu with a guileless grin, then smiled as he looked at Huo Tian.
"Caitou, take your junior brother around and help him get familiar with this place!"
Fan Yu looked at He Caitou. He Caitou nodded, his gaze settling on the one-armed youth before him as he rubbed the back of his head.
He Caitou reflected that Fan Yu had finally taken another disciple, so he wouldn't be bored anymore. However, looking at Bai Qi's scrawny frame, he worried that Bai Qi wouldn't be able to lift a Soul Tool.
"Brother Huo, the cigars are all inside."
An exquisite wooden box appeared out of thin air in He Caitou's hand. It gave off a faint fragrance from time to time. Huo Tian took the wooden box from him.
"Thanks. Teacher Fan Yu, we'll head back first!"
Huo Tian took Huo Yutong's little hand and turned to leave. Fan Yu and the other two exchanged farewells with them.
"Master, that student just now was so dark all over!"
Huo Yutong scratched her cheek, looking bewildered. Over the past year, Huo Tian had taken her traveling across the entire continent.
Huo Yutong really hadn't seen anyone that dark. If she had to say she had, it would only have been at the cotton farms in the Star Luo Empire.
"Ahem! People have different skin colors."
Huo Tian coughed awkwardly twice. As though recalling something, he accidentally laughed aloud.
Mostly, it was because He Caitou looked so much like the people over on Blue Star.
Huo Tian released his Martial Soul, a pair of Vermilion Bird fire wings unfolding behind him. She gathered Huo Yutong into her arms.
The two became a streak of light and flew out of the Soul Tool Department toward the apartment on Sea God Island. Along the way, Huo Yutong stayed pressed against the crook of Huo Tian's neck.
After flying for a while, Huo Tian finally returned to the air above his courtyard. At that moment, a white-haired old man was inside.
Mu En lay flat on a rocking chair, his hands pillowed behind his head as he lazily basked in the sun.
"Xiaotian, you're back!"
A walking stick appeared out of thin air in Mu En's hand, and he pushed off with his legs and sprang up.
Huo Tian slowly descended onto the grass in the courtyard. Huo Yutong carefully hopped down from his arms.
"Teacher!"
Huo Tian immediately walked over to support Mu En. A kindly smile appeared on Mu En's face. He released his Soul Power to probe Huo Tian's cultivation and was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Huo Tian's cultivation to have grown so much during his year away.
"Not bad. Your cultivation is almost at Soul Douluo!"
Mu En stroked Huo Tian's handsome face with a look of pride. Aside from his deep affection for Bei Bei,
Huo Tian came second. He had raised Huo Tian himself; how could he not have feelings for him?
"Little Yutong, greet your grandmaster!"
"Hello, Grandmaster!"
Huo Yutong trotted over to Mu En and greeted him in a soft, delicate voice, looking at the kindly old man before her.
"Good child!"
Mu En gently stroked Huo Yutong's head with his other large, aged hand. Huo Yutong didn't seem to mind being stroked like this.
Mu En's Martial Soul was the Radiant Sacred Dragon to begin with, and he occasionally gave off a reassuring light element.
"I won't disturb you two any longer!"
Smiling, Mu En walked out of the courtyard with his walking stick. Just then, a shriek rang out from next door.
"Brother Huo! You're finally back!"
A female voice echoed above the courtyard. Ma Xiaotao descended from the sky, wanting to throw herself into Huo Tian's arms.
Ma Xiaotao landed steadily on the grass and rushed toward Huo Tian. Huo Tian raised a hand and held it in front of her forehead to stop her.
Ma Xiaotao didn't get angry. She merely puffed out her cheeks and planted both hands on her hips.
"You're all grown up, yet you're still so rash."
With the air of an elder about him, Huo Tian scolded Ma Xiaotao.
"It's because I missed you! We haven't seen each other in so long."
Ma Xiaotao suddenly pressed close to Huo Tian's other arm, looping her right arm tightly around his.
Seeing this, Huo Yutong's long blue hair covered her face, her eyes filled with gloom.
Huo Yutong clenched both fists, veins bulging on her forehead. But her long hair concealed them, and Huo Tian didn't notice.
"Let's talk once we're back inside!"
Huo Tian freed his arm from Ma Xiaotao's hold and took Huo Yutong's little hand. He suddenly noticed that her arm was icy cold.
Huo Tian began to sense that something was off about Huo Yutong's mood. Seeing that she still hadn't responded, he bent down and gathered her into his arms.
Huo Yutong still didn't want to respond. She pressed her cheek against the crook of Huo Tian's neck. Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao froze.
"Brother Huo, who is this girl?"
Ma Xiaotao looked puzzled, a faint unease stirring in her heart. She immediately folded both arms across her chest.
"Go back first! Xiaotao, focus on your cultivation. There's only one year left until the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament."
Holding Huo Yutong in his arms, Huo Tian released his Soul Power to soothe her mood. The two pushed open the door and went inside.
"Oh!"
Ma Xiaotao rolled her eyes and replied with a speechless expression.