Feelings in the Morning Light

Feelings in the Morning Light

Spring gave way to autumn, and Huo Yuhao turned eleven.

For an entire year, Huo Yuhao had obediently remained in the Holy Spirit Cult, tempering his body in the Blood Pool. Zhongli Yu, who was responsible for forcing him to cultivate, had also benefited from Huo Yuhao. She absorbed quite a bit of essence from the Blood Pool, and her Soul Power rose rapidly as well.

During that time, even Zhongli Wu and the other Holy Spirit Cult elders suggested taking Huo Yuhao out to relax and clear his mind, but Huo Yuhao refused them all.

What a joke. Wasn't cultivating while holding the Holy Maiden far more enjoyable? Huo Yuhao grumbled inwardly. Still, he understood why he avoided going out: he feared that his arrival from another world had already affected the worldline. The earlier the worldline changed drastically, the sooner his godlike perspective would lose its meaning.

Under normal circumstances, Huo Yuhao should have spent the previous year being bullied as a servant in the Ducal Palace. Yet the Huo Yuhao who had crossed over had already blown the Ducal Palace apart.

The destruction of a mere Ducal Palace would not have any major impact on the entire continent. At most, Duke White Tiger would grieve for a time over the death of his legal wife. Given Dai Hao's promiscuous nature, he would most likely marry another woman from the Star Luo Royal Family. This was also a customary method the Star Luo Royal Family used to keep its subjects in check.

Eleven-year-old Huo Yuhao was still a youth, but now that he understood the ways between men and women, the temptress Zhongli Yu rarely dared tease him anymore. Compared to Huo Yuhao at the same point in the original story, he was a full head taller, with a well-proportioned body brimming with explosive strength. Influenced by the Blood Pool, his entire being radiated a fierce, baleful aura, like a savage beast waiting to devour someone.

Within the Blood Pool, the once-scarlet water had completely returned to its clear state. Huo Yuhao leaned comfortably against Zhongli Yu's chest, washing his face in milk as he lounged in contentment.

Zhongli Yu's pretty face was flushed. Her seductive appearance could drive nearly any man mad. She was pleased by Huo Yuhao's infatuation with her. Over the past year, the brat had not hesitated to take liberties with her, and this Holy Maiden of theirs had long since been molded into his shape.

After a year of nurturing, their relationship had become inseparable. This was precisely the result Huo Yuhao wanted. Sooner or later, he would leave the Holy Spirit Cult. If possible, he would do everything in his power to take this woman with him.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" Zhongli Yu asked the Huo Yuhao in her arms, resting her cheek on her hand as her breath carried a fragrant sweetness.

"Mm. I brought it up with the Council of Elders. You'll come with me and protect me, so the Cult Leader and the others will be at ease," Huo Yuhao murmured hazily with his eyes closed.

The Blood Pool had probably completely lost its body-tempering effects half a month ago. Now, it was merely a natural bath for Huo Yuhao. After tests by the Holy Spirit Cult's higher-ups, his physical strength had unanimously been deemed comparable to that of a Soul Elder. Among those his age, every young talent on the continent could only look up at him.

"Are you planning to take me and run away together?" Zhongli Yu suddenly asked. Having stayed at Huo Yuhao's side for so long, she and he could understand each other's hearts at certain moments. Sometimes, she could tell that this Holy Son did not actually care much for the Holy Spirit Cult.

Over the past year, whenever Huo Yuhao was rarely serious, Zhongli Yu felt as though she was facing not a ten-year-old boy, but an adult man weathered by countless trials. Especially when he sank into memories, the sea of stars in his Spiritual Eye deeply captivated her.

"Could you bear to leave the Holy Spirit Cult?" Huo Yuhao suddenly opened his eyes, met Zhongli Yu's alluring gaze, and smiled.

Huo Yuhao's question immediately left Zhongli Yu speechless. Their eyes met, and after a long while, she resumed the cold, composed demeanor she showed before others. "I am the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Maiden."

Hearing Zhongli Yu's answer, Huo Yuhao said no more. Everything was understood without words. He stood up in the clear pool water, splashing water everywhere, then leisurely walked out, leaving behind a cold-faced Zhongli Yu.

Only after Huo Yuhao's footsteps could no longer be heard did the frost on Zhongli Yu's face slowly thaw. She gave a bitter smile, her beautiful eyes filled with melancholy. Yes, guided by a woman's intuition, she felt that she might not be able to keep this boy. Though she was clearly the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Maiden, she had not immediately told Zhongli Wu of her intuition.

Huo Yuhao was immersed in her tender charms, but had Zhongli Yu not also become intoxicated by the strange feelings Huo Yuhao brought her?

"Yuhao..." Zhongli Yu's beautiful eyes gradually turned dazed.

The following morning, on the outskirts of the Demon Forest.

Huo Yuhao and Zhongli Yu were fully prepared to depart, while the Holy Spirit Cult elders had all come to see off their Holy Son.

Unlike in the original story, where he had set out alone with a few daily necessities, Huo Yuhao, as the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son, was armed to the teeth. Aside from several Level Seven and Eight triggered Soul Guidance Shells lying silently within his Storage Soul Tool, Huo Yuhao had more than a hundred Triggered Invincible Shields on him. In Zhongli Wu's words, even if supreme experts like Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui attacked him together, Huo Yuhao would remain unharmed for several seconds.

The reason Huo Yuhao gave for this journey was naturally to pay respects to his mother, Huo Yun'er. The Holy Spirit Cult had been eager for him to stop cultivating and relax for a while, so there had been no obstruction when Huo Yuhao proposed a long journey. Besides, with a Holy Maiden nearing the level of a Titled Douluo accompanying him, they naturally had no concerns for the Holy Son's safety.

After all, a flower raised in a greenhouse could never become strong.

This was also Huo Yuhao's first time seeing Zhongli Yu's martial soul: the Death God Demonic Puppet, a top-tier evil martial soul inherited through the Zhongli lineage. Eight soul rings—seven black and one red—rose beneath her feet, forcing Huo Yuhao to reassess Zhongli Yu's true strength.

For this journey, Zhongli Yu carried Huo Yuhao through the air. Their speed was not much slower than when they had come. Huo Yuhao finally breathed fresh air again after so long. Having spent an entire year underground, the darkness and scent of blood had long exceeded what an ordinary person could endure.

Although Huo Yuhao had grown much taller than a year ago, there was still quite a gap between him and the slender Zhongli Yu. He simply lay on her back, inhaling her intoxicating fragrance and resting with his eyes closed.

"If you try anything, I'll throw you down," Zhongli Yu warned coldly.

Huo Yuhao froze upon hearing this, then laughed. However, he obediently refrained from doing anything strange. This left Zhongli Yu greatly annoyed. Whenever she had threatened him in the past, this shameless fellow would always seize the opening and push his luck. Why had he suddenly changed after coming outside?

Was it because of my rejection yesterday? Does he really want to leave the Holy Spirit Cult? At that thought, Zhongli Yu felt even more upset, and her gaze grew more complicated.

"Don't try any tricks. You are the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son. Once the most evil abilities of your martial soul are exposed, disaster will surely follow!"

Was she kindly warning me? Huo Yuhao found it amusing. Whether a person's martial soul was righteous or evil depended on that person's stance and code of conduct. There was no such thing as an absolutely evil martial soul—only an evil heart.

"Not necessarily." Huo Yuhao smiled lazily.

"You!" Zhongli Yu abruptly stopped in midair and grabbed Huo Yuhao by the collar. "If the Holy Son dares betray our Cult, we will hunt him down no matter how far he flees!"

Looking at the enraged, breathtakingly beautiful face before him, Huo Yuhao's heart softened. She had perfectly inherited Ye Xishui's peerless beauty in her youth, while her martial soul added a bewitching, wicked charm. In those narrow eyes, Huo Yuhao's handsome face was reflected, while the flickering light within seemed to be struggling with a difficult choice.

The mark Zhongli Yu had planted on Huo Yuhao had long been discovered by Bibi Dong in his Sea of Spirit. Let alone Bibi Dong, the Rakshasa God, even Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Electrolux, whom he would soon meet, could easily erase such a thing. He had merely allowed it to remain in his Sea of Spirit to numb the Holy Spirit Cult's higher-ups.

Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly became tender. He raised a hand and slowly caressed Zhongli Yu's exquisite cheek. In that instant, Zhongli Yu seemed to see only herself in Huo Yuhao's pupils. Yes, above and below the heavens, there was only her. Of course, this was merely an atmosphere Huo Yuhao had silently created with Spiritual Power.

"Could you bear to?"

Those four short words nearly left Zhongli Yu unable to breathe. At that moment, she did not know whether she should be angry or moved.

Could she bear to? Whether it was her or Huo Yuhao, neither was an emotionless machine. A year of spending every day together had long planted a seed deep within Zhongli Yu's heart.

"So you're quite the romantic, kid." Bibi Dong's strange voice rang in Huo Yuhao's mind, making him hurriedly laugh it off in his consciousness. Since ancient times, heroes had struggled to resist the allure of beautiful women, and Huo Yuhao was no exception. Before crossing over into this world, he had merely been an utterly ordinary, normal person.

Just as Huo Yuhao was trying to brush Bibi Dong off in his mind, Zhongli Yu pulled him into her arms. Without realizing it, her voice carried a faint sob.

"You're not allowed to leave! I won't let you leave..."

Ah... Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly. Sure enough, the favor of a beauty was the hardest thing to bear. He gently patted Zhongli Yu's back but gave no answer. He did not want to deceive this woman.

"Don't worry..."

The two hovered in the air, embracing tightly in the morning light. The gentle rising sun shone upon them, making the scene exceptionally warm—

Three updates. Request for recommendation tickets!

Brother Sky Dream is about to appear. Do you all like Zhongli Yu as a character? Tell me in the comments. Thank you.