Huo Yuhao dragged Xue Qinghe along as they fled, but they were no match for the sheer number of Soul Beast, and the Titan Giant Ape caught up with them.
"Damn it, we're surrounded," Huo Yuhao muttered, activating his Spiritual Detection to its fullest extent, and a map showing the distribution of Soul Beast within a kilometer radius appeared in his mind.
Three ten-thousand-year-old Netherworld Wolf were in front, five thousand-year-old Amethyst Lion were on the left, and the most troublesome was the enormous Titan Giant Ape behind them—the oppressive aura of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast made the air thick and sticky.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xue Qinghe's fair forehead, and his right hand unconsciously reached for his chest. With just a thought, he could unleash his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, carrying the two of them away from danger. But that would mean revealing his identity, which he had concealed for many years...
"Watch out!" Huo Yuhao suddenly shouted. A Netherworld Wolf seized the moment when Xue Qinghe was distracted and pounced in a black shadow. Xue Qinghe only felt a blur before his eyes, and Huo Yuhao was already in front of him, his eyes blazing with purple-gold light.
"Get out of my way!" Huo Yuhao unleashed his right fist, a seemingly ordinary strike that carried the chilling force of Ultimate Ice. The Netherworld Wolf froze into an ice sculpture in mid-air, before being shattered into pieces by the ensuing Spiritual Shock.
Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted slightly. This young man's Soul Power fluctuations were clearly only at the Soul King level, and he showed no signs of recovery, yet he could instantly kill Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Just who is he...?
Before he could think further, the ground suddenly shook violently. The Titan Giant Ape slammed its fists into the ground, and the shockwave spread out in a ring, snapping trees in half wherever it passed. Huo Yuhao turned around abruptly, shielding Xue Qinghe beneath him, and Soul Power shield instantly formed.
"Brother Huo!" Xue Qinghe supported his swaying body.
"It's nothing." Huo Yuhao wiped away the blood, a resolute glint in his eyes. A scarlet killing aura suddenly spread around him. Wisps of bloody mist swirled around him, tinging the moonlight with a chilling aura.
He suddenly turned to face Xue Qinghe, and the Ultimate Ice power manifested once more, revealing a pale smile amidst the swirling ice crystals, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get out of here alive."
Moonlight pierced through the tree canopy, landing precisely on the boy's blood-stained cheek. Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he felt that this boy, a few years younger than himself, was like a drawn sword, sharp yet reassuring.
"Roar--!" The Titan Giant Ape's roar pulled Xue Qinghe back to reality. With a beast horde in front and the Titan Ape behind, Xue Qinghe was in dire straits, his teeth clenched. So be it, he might as well be exposed...
Just then, Huo Yuhao suddenly swept him up in his arms. Xue Qinghe felt a sudden lightness in his body, and his whole body was suspended in mid-air.
"Brother Huo?!" Xue Qinghe exclaimed in surprise. His royal upbringing made him immediately suppress his instinctive struggle, but the tips of his ears still involuntarily turned red. From childhood to adulthood, who had ever dared to treat him like this?
"Don't move," Huo Yuhao said tautly, "Hold on tight."
Seven-colored wings unfurled from Huo Yuhao's back, but faded in an instant, turning into pure white wings. With a surge of Soul Power, the two soared into the sky, narrowly avoiding the giant palm of the Titan Giant Ape.
Xue Qinghe instinctively wrapped his arms around Huo Yuhao's neck, a gust of wind rushing towards him. He squinted and was shocked to discover that the pair of white wings were not Martial Soul, but rather composed of countless intricate parts...
" Soul Tool?!" Xue Qinghe exclaimed incredulously. "This looks like Flying Soul Tool?"
Huo Yuhao didn't answer, focusing entirely on steering. Suddenly, his expression changed. "Hold on tight!"
Three eagles swooped down from the clouds, their sharp beaks aimed directly at the two of them. Huo Yuhao spun around sharply, throwing Xue Qinghe against his chest. Through the fabric, he could clearly feel Huo Yuhao's rapid heartbeat and taut muscles.
Huo Yuhao carried Xue Qinghe as they flew at breakneck speed, the wind whistling past their ears, the roars of the beast tide fading into the distance behind them. He glanced down at the person in his arms; Xue Qinghe's brows were slightly furrowed, but her gaze remained steady, clearly pondering a way to escape.
"This is really troublesome..." Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly, "To gain his trust, I have to act like someone who hasn't fully recovered from a serious injury."
He deliberately made the light of his Flying Soul Tool flicker, creating the illusion of unstable Soul Power. At the same time, his face paled and his breathing became heavier.
"Brother Xue..." His voice was hoarse, as if he were forcing himself to stay awake, "I'm afraid I can't hold on much longer."
Xue Qinghe looked up at him, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
Huo Yuhao gave a wry smile and continued his performance, "Back then, in the battle against Clear Sky Douluo, my Soul Power and mental strength were greatly depleted, and I haven't fully recovered yet... Facing the beast tide now is really a bit of a struggle."
He deliberately made his arms tremble slightly, as if he was almost exhausted from holding Xue Qinghe.
Xue Qinghe's eyes flickered slightly, and he thought to himself, "As expected, how could a battle at the Titled Douluo level be without consequences? It's already a miracle that he survived a battle of that level..."
Seeing Huo Yuhao's pale face and his forced posture, Xue Qinghe felt a pang of pity.
"Brother Huo..." he whispered, "If all else fails, we can—"
Before he could finish speaking, Huo Yuhao suddenly groaned, and the light from his Flying Soul Tool abruptly went out!
"Oh no! My Soul Power is exhausted!" he cried out weakly, and then he seemed to lose his support and fell straight down!
Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted, and he subconsciously reached out to grab Huo Yuhao's collar, but the two of them still uncontrollably plummeted towards the river below!
"Splash--!"
The icy river water instantly swallowed the two of them. The moment Huo Yuhao entered the water, he deliberately relaxed his body, letting the current wash over him, and pretended to be unconscious.
"Brother Huo!" Xue Qinghe's voice was muffled in the water, but Huo Yuhao could feel that the other was struggling to pull him toward the shore.
"Very good, the plan is going smoothly." Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, calmly analyzing the situation.
The icy river water soaked through his clothes. Huo Yuhao closed his eyes tightly and let Xue Qinghe drag him towards the shore.
" Huo Lai! Wake up!"
Xue Qinghe's voice carried a rare hint of panic as he patted Huo Yuhao's cheek, but the boy in his arms remained unresponsive.
"Damn it..." Xue Qinghe gritted his teeth, his fingers trembling slightly.
He couldn't just stand by and watch Huo Yuhao get into trouble.
"He's just someone I've known for a short time..." he struggled internally, "But..."
This person, however, was the one who made him experience for the first time the feeling of being protected with one's life on the line. "Brother Huo, you risked your life to protect me today, so... I will never abandon you."
Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes.
"Fine, so be it, my identity's been exposed!"
--A golden light suddenly erupted!
A dazzling light burst forth from Xue Qinghe's body, and his figure gradually changed within the light. The originally gentle and refined face of the young man shed its disguise, replaced by an exquisitely beautiful and aloof face.
Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul!
Golden wings unfurled behind her, and Qian Renxue finally returned to her original form.
She looked down at Huo Yuhao in her arms, a wisp of sacred light gathering at her fingertips, and gently pressed it against his chest.
" Huo Lai..." she whispered, "Don't die."
A warm, luminous power flowed into my body.
"Heh heh heh," he sighed inwardly, "Finally exposed, Qian Renxue."
Qian Renxue was unaware of his pretense and remained focused on healing his wounds. Her fingertips gently brushed his cheek as she whispered:
"He was injured like that himself, yet he still stubbornly tried to protect others... What an idiot."
Huo Yuhao's heart stirred.
Is she... worried about him? It seems the plan has been largely successful.
Qian Renxue seemed to realize her lapse in composure, coughed lightly, and composed herself. She glanced around, and after confirming it was temporarily safe, whispered, "What an interesting person, Brother Huo. I'm really growing to like you more and more."