Over the past few days, Huo Yuhao had kept running into Xiao Xiao unexpectedly, at corridor corners and the cafeteria serving window. Whenever their eyes met, the girl's lively almond-shaped eyes darted away in a panic, like a startled fawn.
Her fingertips turned slightly white as she twisted the hem of her clothes, her eyelashes trembling constantly. The words she had prepared circled on the tip of her tongue, only to come out as a halting stammer.
A blush spread from the tips of her ears across her cheeks, like sunset clouds coloring the horizon. Head lowered, she watched her little leather shoes trace tiny arcs on the floor. Her slender, fair calves appeared and disappeared beneath the hem of her uniform skirt, shining like pearls in the sunlight.
After only a few words, she hurriedly bowed and left. Her skirt lifted in a gentle arc as she turned, leaving only a faint trace of jasmine fragrance in the room and an unfinished silence lingering in the air.
Huo Yuhao paid it little mind. He only had a vague sense that certain barely perceptible changes were quietly brewing, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings, silently changing everything around him. The butterfly effect seemed a reasonable explanation.
The Golden Dragon King Core gradually settled in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, withdrawing its sharp edge like a beast returning to its den. His Time Sea of Consciousness, however, grew increasingly restless. No matter how Huo Yuhao tried to suppress it, he could hardly calm its surging waves.
That day, he entered the Time Sea of Consciousness once more, trying to find out why. Just then, a clear peal of bells suddenly rang out. "Clang, clang, clang." Like a revelation from the Divine Realm, it echoed through the silent space.
Immediately afterward, streams of white power converged from every direction, crossing and entwining in the air like nimble silver threads, weaving a mysterious pattern. At last, the streams gathered before the enormous clock to form a white curtain of light that gave off a gentle glow.
Before Huo Yuhao could react, the white curtain of light swept toward him like a surging tide. He hurriedly tried to defend himself, but the sudden attack caught him off guard.
The instant the curtain blazed with light, the white Soul Power that burst forth coiled tightly around him like a python and swept him inside.
Huo Yuhao struggled instinctively, trying to break free of the power binding him. Yet the curtain seemed to contain the mysteries of space and time, perfectly bearing the workings of their power. No matter how hard he struggled, it was useless.
After a dizzying whirl, Huo Yuhao saw a brilliant light before him. The fierce sunlight stung his eyes so badly that he could not open them, as though it would scorch his skin.
At the same time, the familiar scent of decaying leaves and damp earth swept over him. Faint birdsong came from the distance, the distinctive calls of avian Soul Beasts.
Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes and instinctively raised a hand to shield them from the glaring sun. Once he had adjusted to the light, he stood up and warily examined his surroundings. The sight that met his eyes made his heart jolt-the scene was so familiar!
No way, the Star Dou Great Forest? How did I end up here? Huo Yuhao was filled with shock and confusion. He had set foot in nearly every corner of the Star Dou Great Forest, yet after being reborn, he had returned to where it all began. The coincidence was simply too bizarre.
Huo Yuhao had no time to dwell on it. Relying on his memory, he ran in the direction of Shrek Academy. On the way, he privately wondered whether he had accidentally gained a spatial skill when his Martial Soul mutated, causing him to arrive here.
Things, however, were far more complicated than he had imagined. As soon as he entered a nearby city, he noticed something was amiss. Everything before him looked remarkably old-fashioned, vastly different from the bustling, developed sights he remembered. The way people dressed was also worlds apart from that of his era.
Something's wrong. This isn't the Heaven Dou Empire. Alarm bells rang in Huo Yuhao's mind. His distinctive clothing stood out sharply in the crowd, drawing quite a few sidelong glances.
People's gazes lingered only briefly, however. Perhaps the bearing he gave off led them to mistake him for a noble.
To avoid drawing attention, Huo Yuhao took a black robe from his storage bag and put it on. He blended into the crowd and discreetly observed what was going on around him.
Just as I thought, this isn't my era. Could it be... A bold guess suddenly sprang to Huo Yuhao's mind. This is the past!
Then another question rose in his mind. If this is the past, how many years ago is it? Could all this have something to do with his Martial Soul and the giant clock in the Sea of Time?
Huo Yuhao already had an idea. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly in a meaningful smile. Heh, if that's really the case, then this is quite interesting.
Just as he was about to act, however, a rumbling sound came from his stomach. Huo Yuhao gave a helpless, wry smile. Fortunately, the storage bag he had obtained from Xiao Ye contained quite a few Gold Soul Coins, enough to see him through whatever situations lay ahead.
With so little information at hand, Huo Yuhao decided to conceal his presence for now and consider his next move carefully. He went to a nearby restaurant, intending to fill his stomach while gathering some information.
"Waiter, which empire and city is this?" Huo Yuhao asked a passing waiter.
The waiter looked astonished at the question. Thinking that Huo Yuhao must have come from a small village and could not even recognize all the cities in the empire, he made a perfunctory attempt to leave.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao casually took out two Gold Soul Coins and gently placed them on the table. "I've just arrived and know neither the people nor the place," he said sincerely. "I'd be grateful if you could tell me about it."
The gesture instantly caught the waiter's eye. He privately guessed that this young fellow might be a Soul Master, given how generously he spent, and that he must not treat him carelessly.
The waiter immediately put on a smile and said respectfully, "I failed to recognize Mount Tai! This is Suotuo City in the Balak Kingdom. There are two great empires on the continent, the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire. We're in the south of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the southern part of the Balak Kingdom borders the Star Luo Empire directly. That's why our Balak Kingdom's military is also the strongest, and why we're the gateway to the Heaven Dou Empire..."
"Silves," "Hagen-Dazs," "Balak Kingdom"-as Huo Yuhao heard these names, the history of the Douluo Continent flashed rapidly through his mind. Drawing on his extensive knowledge, he quickly determined what era he was in.
This is ten thousand years ago, Tang San's time!
Stormy waves surged through Huo Yuhao's heart. Then another thought followed. Tang San is at Shrek Academy? Doesn't that mean I can take revenge? I wonder what level he is now? At the thought, excitement and anticipation flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and a wicked smile curled his lips.