Huo Tian held his hands behind his back and continued deeper with a composed expression. The farther he went, the more fiercely the fire elements burned.
Huo Tian's heart remained unruffled now, too. He had thought he had always been an orphan, on Blue Star and on Douluo Star alike. He had never expected to be a child of the Vermilion Bird Clan left behind in the outside world.
A cluster of light flickered not far away. Huo Tian quickened his pace and finally reached it. A pair of Vermilion Bird External Soul Bones and the dead Vermilion Bird's divine fire origin floated there.
"Child, you're finally here!"
An aged voice echoed through the surroundings, and a sliver of power from the divine fire origin condensed into a white-haired old man.
"Absorb my divine fire origin completely, and reforge your Vermilion Bird body!"
The old man leaned on a bone, gazing kindly at Huo Tian, his heart full of joy, while his other hand stroked his long beard.
Just as Huo Tian stood there looking bewildered, the old man dissipated once more. The divine fire origin and the Vermilion Bird External Soul Bones merged completely into his body.
"Fuck!"
Huo Tian had never expected it to happen so suddenly. The evil fire throughout his body began to churn, burning his meridians, his internal organs, and every limb and bone.
Huo Tian cried out. The red robe covering the front of his body burned to nothing, and his Vermilion Bird Martial Soul manifested behind him, crying out in agony.
Huo Tian sat cross-legged and circulated the Soul Power in his dantian, continuously channeling the evil fire within him. The divine fire origin merged into his heart, while the Vermilion Bird Wind Wings merged into his Vermilion Bird Martial Soul.
Huo Tian felt his heart pounding ceaselessly like a perpetual motion machine. Evil fire filled his surroundings, encircling him completely.
"To think, to think he's actually the descendant of a Demonic Vermilion Bird and a Li Fire Vermilion Bird!"
"Ah..."
The old man behind Huo Tian had not entirely departed. Instead, he watched Huo Tian with a grave expression. This old man belonged to the Li Fire Vermilion Bird Clan.
The Demonic Vermilion Bird and the Li Fire Vermilion Bird represented the evil and good of the world. By rights, they should have been incapable of producing offspring.
"Master!"
Huo Yutong's voice came from the bathroom. She had finished bathing and was dressed in a lovely blue dress, all the grime on her body washed away.
Hearing no reply from Huo Tian, Huo Yutong poked her head out worriedly, but saw no sign of him.
"Master, where are you?"
Huo Yutong silently walked to the bed and sat upright, her legs pressed together, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Four hours passed without Huo Tian appearing, and Huo Yutong began letting her thoughts run wild.
"That's right. Who would be willing to take someone like me as a disciple, with no talent for cultivation and such a lowly background?"
"I was bullied from childhood, called a bastard! Told I didn't deserve to live in this world..."
"Mom! I miss you so much..."
When Huo Tian still failed to appear, Huo Yutong thought he had abandoned her completely. Having only just stepped back into the light, she plunged into darkness once again.
Huo Yutong did not blame Huo Tian. She simply felt she was unworthy of becoming his disciple.
Huo Yutong curled up at the foot of the bed, her two fair little hands tightly embracing her thighs, which were pressed together, and silently shed tears.
Huo Yutong had grown up without a father, with only Huo Yun'er to depend on for survival. After her mother died, nothing but pitch-black darkness remained in her heart. She lacked any sense of security.
"But still, thank you, Master. I'll leave tomorrow."
Huo Yutong wiped the tears from her eyes, a smile appearing on her face as she stroked the Storage Soul Tool Ring on her finger.
The ring Huo Tian had given her contained quite a few Gold Soul Coins, an advanced meditation method... Those Gold Soul Coins were the spending money Huo Tian had given Huo Yutong.
As she kept thinking, Huo Yutong closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. How she hoped she would see Huo Tian tomorrow.
Inside the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm.
"Aah-!"
A cry pierced the clouds. Fire elements constantly gathered toward the center of the volcano, where the lava kept boiling.
The Vermilion Bird Martial Soul behind Huo Tian began to cry out. After merging with the Vermilion Bird External Soul Bones, it had evolved completely. Its feathers, mingled with evil fire, were brighter in color, making the Vermilion Bird look even nobler.
The evil fire around Huo Tian gradually withdrew into his body. Not a single part of him was covered now.
Huo Tian opened his eyes, the divine statue of the Vermilion Bird reflected within them. His appearance had changed completely.
Huo Tian's formerly fiery-red hair had turned dark red. His muscles were sharply defined, and his fair skin was smoother and softer. His long hair covered half his face, making him look even more melancholy.
The power of the two elements within Huo Tian's Vermilion Bird Martial Soul, ultimate fire and ultimate darkness, had risen several levels compared to before, but the evil fire inside him was more prone to erupting.
"Damn, merging with the divine fire origin changed so much! And I can't just get angry anymore, or I'll be in trouble if the evil fire erupts."
"Now that I have the Vermilion Bird Domain, I should more or less be able to try creating my own godhood once I become a Titled Douluo!"
Huo Tian felt the endless flow of Soul Power within him. His cultivation had now reached that of a rank-seventy-six Soul Saint, invincible below Titled Douluo.
[Congratulations to the host on successfully merging with the Vermilion Bird Domain!] [The host has accepted Huo Yutong as a disciple.] [Her cultivation will be shared with you. Even lying down, you can improve your cultivation!]
The panel abruptly popped up again. Speechless, Huo Tian tapped the system panel three times.
"Where the hell did you disappear to just now?"
Huo Tian looked displeased.
[Host, your guts are positively chubby!] [I went on a blind date just now!]
A yellow kangaroo appeared before Huo Tian, stroking its big belly with a triumphant look.
"Unbelievable. Send me back, or Little Yutong will start overthinking again."
Huo Tian was afraid Huo Yutong would let her thoughts run wild again. Children like her lacked a sense of security the most and found it very difficult to trust others.
[All right!]
A flash of golden light swept past, and Huo Tian escaped the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm, landing bodily on the floor. The noise woke Huo Yutong from her deep sleep.
"Hm! Who's there?"
"Master! Your disciple thought you didn't want Yutong anymore!"
Huo Yutong had initially looked wary, but upon seeing that familiar figure, she immediately threw herself into Huo Tian's arms and burst into tears.
"Little Yutong, don't cry! Master just went to take care of something! Since I've accepted you as my disciple, I certainly won't abandon you."
Huo Tian wiped away her tears with his broad hands, soothing her gently as he used Soul Power to examine the condition inside her body.
The meridians in Huo Yutong's body were blocked, and there seemed to be hidden injuries as well, probably caused by beatings when she was little.
"Your cultivation is only rank eight now, but Master can tell you've truly worked hard at cultivating!"
"Little Yutong, you're no worse than anyone else! You must believe in yourself."
"Mm-hmm!"
Huo Yutong listened quietly, nodding furiously.
"Eat this. It'll cleanse your meridians and marrow, and improve your aptitude, too."
Huo Tian took a Mystic Water Pill out of his Soul Tool and placed it in Huo Yutong's palm.