In the Star Dou Great Forest, the rage of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast rolled across every inch of land like thunder. The deep roar of the Sky Azure Bull Python shook the ancient trees, causing them to shed splinters. Its vertical pupils, as cold as icy pools, burned with an unprecedented ferocity.
--Simply because the human titled Douluo Bibi Dong poisoned Xiao Wu, she angered the guardian at the very top of this forest. As an emperor who has occupied the core area for hundreds of thousands of years, its enormous body stirred the surrounding elemental forces, and the dark green energy halo flickered between its scales.
With a flick of its long tail, it summoned the Thousand-Year Soul Beast and several ten- Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast to its front. These usually majestic beasts all bowed their heads and listened attentively, even their breathing became slow and gentle.
"Have you caught a whiff of that human woman?" The Sky Azure Bull Python's voice was deep and heavy, like the grinding of Shi Mo. "Send your tribe out to search. Don't let any trace slip through the Star Dou Great Forest." Those who find her must report immediately—any negligence will become my meal.
Before the words were even finished, the Titan Giant Ape beside him impatiently pounded its chest, the thunderous roar cracking the ground. This volatile beast had long been unable to contain itself.
Its large, copper-bell-shaped eyes were bloodshot. "Stop dawdling! By the time you find her, that woman will be long gone!" It abruptly tore through the thorns beside it, its mountain-like body carving a path through the dense forest, each step causing the earth to tremble slightly. "I'll go myself!"
As the commands of the two overlords were given, the entire forest seemed to transform into a giant hunting net, with the heavily wounded human woman at its center. The roars of Soul Beast and the sounds of snapping branches echoed through the forest, causing all the Soul Beast within the Star Dou Great Forest to begin their search...
Meanwhile, at the hidden cave entrance, Electrolux looked in Huo Yuhao's direction and said, " Yuhao, this step you took was indeed risky. That woman is now being watched, and you are also in danger, although I am not afraid of those two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
Huo Yuhao leaned against the cave wall, transmitting his thoughts in his mind. "Teacher, the Spirit Hall has a great reputation within the Empire, and she is the inheritor of the Rakshasa God's divine power. She is of great value; the greater the storm, the greater the reward." A cold, sharp smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Electrolux suddenly chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes. "I think this girl is quite beautiful and has a good position. Why don't you hook up with her? That way, you can roam freely across this continent..."
Huo Yuhao said, "Teacher, when did you develop such a wicked sense of humor?"
The stones inside the cave gleamed with a damp, cold light. Bibi Dong sat on a dark rock, her long black robe trailing on the water-soaked floor, outlining her lean and muscular figure.
She gazed at the flickering campfire, as if toying with some kind of emotion. The wind outside the cave swept in, carrying the sound of the pines, causing the stray hairs on her forehead to tremble slightly. Her eyes, usually covered with icy edges, were now filled with an unusual emptiness, as if waiting for a silhouette that had been long overdue to return.
Suddenly, very light footsteps came from the cave wall. Huo Yuhao slowly walked back. Bibi Dong's injuries recovered quickly thanks to the herbs and the Power of Life in Huo Yuhao's blood. She had recovered about 40% of her injuries. However, her level 40% injury was still not enough to withstand a group of thousand-year or even Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
After Huo Yuhao returned, he said, "Those two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast seem to be searching for you everywhere outside. What did you do to provoke them?"
Bibi Dong twitched the corners of her mouth, but the curve hardly resembled a smile, "How would I know? It's common for animals to attack humans."
Huo Yuhao said nonchalantly, "You're right. You can hide here for the next few days. I've used my Soul Skill here to Simulation and conceal our presence; they won't be able to find us."
The campfire crackled and popped. He took out the fish he had just caught from his Soul Tool and set up the grill. Sparks hit the moss on the cave wall and went out instantly. Huo Yuhao squatted in front of the grill and began to cook.
Bibi Dong had somehow appeared beside the grill, the hem of her black dress almost touching the flames. She watched the boy skillfully flip the fish, pressing fine oil droplets onto the skin with his fingertips, and said, "I didn't expect you to know so much at such a young age."
Huo Yuhao added a piece of dry firewood to the fire. "This is the skill that kept me alive. You must try it later. My grilled fish is second to none in the world. It's an old habit of mine; I always carry a grill and seasonings with me. That's how I survive in this world. After all, not everyone is a young master or disciple of some sect."
Bibi Dong gazed at his profile, reddened by the firelight, and a sudden tightness gripped her throat. She had seen too many fawning faces, but never a boy so openly discussing the hardships of survival. Her fingers, hidden beneath her cloak, unconsciously twisted the tassel as she carefully chose her words: "You're Soul Master, right? Then you can collect your monthly stipend from the Spirit Hall branch, right?"
Huo Yuhao sprinkled seasonings in his hands, and the fish slowly released its aroma. "Yes, I'm already Four-Ring Soul Ancestor now. The Spirit Hall's subsidies are good, but if it's just for basic sustenance, that's enough. If I want to become stronger, I still need more resources."
While grilling the fish, Huo Yuhao continued, "By the way, after saying so much, I still don't know your name. What's your name?"
Bibi Dong hesitated slightly before saying, "My name is... Luo Dong."
Huo Yuhao thought to himself, " Luo Dong, Luo is the Luo of the Rakshasa God, and Dong is the Dong of Bibi Dong. People from this era might be fooled by you, but unfortunately, this kind of disguise is like writing the answer out in front of me. The Rakshasa God Bibi Dong is called Luo Dong, so what should I, the God of Emotion Huo Yuhao, be called? Qing Hao?"
"Ahem, "Huo Yuhao coughed twice, then said seriously, "My name is... Hao Yi."
Here, Huo Yuhao handed the grilled fish that had already been cooked to Bibi Dong, but Bibi Dong seemed a little embarrassed to take his grilled fish.
Aren't you going to eat?
Bibi Dong resisted the temptation and turned her head to the side.
Won't you eat? It's free, unlimited, and this is a one-time offer, there are no other branches here!
Looking at Bibi Dong's hesitant and timid manner, she's completely incomparable to the female Pope who just returned a couple of days ago.
You really don't want to eat it? Okay then, I'll just eat the grilled fish myself.
Huo Yuhao deliberately spoke loudly enough for Bibi Dong to hear, putting on an exaggerated air, "What a pity, the person we just saved is going to starve to death again."
But that has nothing to do with me.
"Wait, wait, "Bibi Dong's voice trailed off, because her stomach was growling loudly.
Seeing the grilled fish Huo Yuhao handed him, he said, "Eat up!"
The aroma of grilled fish, mingled with the faint scent of soap emanating from the boy, wafted over. Bibi Dong's fingertips touched the warm wooden skewer, and her tongue felt slightly numb. She turned her head away from the firelight, her voice so soft it was as if afraid of startling something.
"Have you always been alone?" Bibi Dong took a small bite of fish, chewing elegantly. Despite her tattered clothes, she still exuded the noble air of the Pope of the Spirit Hall. Her silver-purple eyes gleamed with inquisitive light in the firelight.
Huo Yuhao added a piece of firewood to the fire, sparks crackling as it went. "I suppose so," he said calmly, his gaze never leaving the grilled fish.
"I also had a teacher who was very good to me and taught me a lot, but..." Her voice trailed off, carrying a hint of barely perceptible nostalgia and regret.
(Note that this is Huo Yuhao acting to fool Bibi Dong.)
Bibi Dong keenly sensed this emotion. She put down the grilled fish in her hand and gently wiped her lips with a silk handkerchief. "A boy your age should be joining some academy."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying just the right amount of concern, "Wandering alone is always somewhat dangerous; after all, hunting Soul Beast can easily end in death if you're not careful."
Huo Yuhao looked up, the firelight dancing on his handsome face, outlining his distinct features. "I once wanted to join an academy called Shrek Academy." He spoke casually, as if discussing the weather.
" Shrek Academy?" Bibi Dong's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, but her voice remained steady. "You're a student at the Shrek Academy?"
"I don't think so," Huo Yuhao scratched his head, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his face. "After all, they kicked me out."
Bibi Dong put down the grilled fish in her hand, her movements elegant yet carrying an undeniable sense of pressure. "Why?" She looked directly into Huo Yuhao's eyes, her tone sharper.
Huo Yuhao shrugged casually, as if telling a joke that had nothing to do with him, "Because I said a few bad things about that famous Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, I got into a fight with his good-for-nothing disciple. And since the dean is an acquaintance of Yu Xiaogang, they kicked me out."
He tilted his head and looked at Bibi Dong, a sly glint in his eyes. "Wouldn't you say I was manipulated behind the scenes?"
"What? Yu Xiaogang!" Bibi Dong's reaction was unexpectedly intense. The grilled fish in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud," covered in dirt. Her face instantly turned pale, then quickly flushed red. Her chest heaved violently, and her Soul Power leaked out uncontrollably, causing the surrounding air to tremble.
Huo Yuhao sneered inwardly, but remained calm on the surface. "Sure enough, I heard that Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong had a secret affair. Because of this affair, Bibi Dong provided Yu Xiaogang with a lot of resources and helped him a lot later on."
However, this is the time to test whether Bibi Dong will kill me, her savior, because of Yu Xiaogang. If she dares to make any move, I certainly won't hesitate to kill this person I just rescued on the spot.
Presumably, it wouldn't be impossible for the Rakshasa God to directly possess this body, or for her soul to possess it again and erase her memories of me. In any case, whether it's interference from time itself or my own actions, as long as the timeline proceeds smoothly, that's all that matters.
In the dimly lit cave, the campfire flickered, illuminating Huo Yuhao's profile as he focused intently on grilling fish. The fish skin gradually turned golden brown under the heat of the flames, and the oil dripped into the fire, making a sizzling sound.
"What kind of person do you think Yu Xiaogang is?" Bibi Dong suddenly asked, her voice echoing through the cave.
Huo Yuhao paused slightly, his hand holding the grilled fish fork. He thought to himself, "Why did she suddenly ask this?" He calmly flipped the fish, his tone flat yet tinged with sarcasm. "In my opinion, he's nothing but a self-important fool, a useless piece of trash with a hollow reputation."
"Oh?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that? He has researched the ten core competitive theories of Martial Soul and is revered as Grandmaster."
Huo Yuhao chuckled and handed the grilled fish to Bibi Dong: "Regardless of what's being said outside, I don't think there's no basis for my opinion that he's an idiot. I've investigated his background before."
"First of all, if he really did come up with all of these ideas, I would think more highly of him. But he shouldn't embarrass himself by showing off such basic theories. It is said that Yu Xiaogang once stayed in the Spirit Hall for a period of time."
He served as an honorary elder of the Spirit Hall and had a close relationship with the current Pope; whether Pope Bibi Dong was involved is another matter.
Bibi Dong looked at Huo Yuhao at this moment, thinking to herself, "This little guy's teacher must be extraordinary. He should be Titled Douluo from some reclusive sect, otherwise he wouldn't be able to find out about Yu Xiaogang's background."
"And then there's his statement, 'There are no useless Martial Soul, only useless Soul Master,'" Huo Yuhao continued, his tone clearly sarcastic. "Isn't he himself the best example of that? He stopped progressing at level twenty-nine, yet he shamelessly pontificated. Those words not only exposed his incompetence but also insulted all commoner Soul Master, and he insulted all commoner Soul Master in general."
He picked up another fish and began grilling it. " In the Douluo Continent, one's origins are extremely important. A good Martial Soul is the upper limit of a Soul Master's potential. Which one with a high-quality martial Martial Soul isn't a strong person, and which one with a poor-quality Martial Soul isn't a weak person? This is an indisputable fact. So-called 'theoretical Grandmaster ' are nothing more than packaging common sense as profound theories."
Besides, have you ever seen anything he said correct? Absorbing Soul Ring can actually be done across levels, it just requires some special guarantees or risks. He's exaggerating common knowledge about Soul Master into something out of a mystery, and he even has the nerve to claim that he developed it himself.
While grilling fish, Huo Yuhao explained all the flaws in the core competitiveness theory of Martial Soul...
"It's only because his disciple is a genius; otherwise, that guy would have been killed by Yu Xiaogang on the very first day of teaching."
"In my eyes, you are nothing but a mere speck of dust."
"He's just a useless theorist trying to prove himself."
" Gangzi is nothing compared to me." Huo Yuhao curled his lips contemptuously, casually poking at the campfire with the grilled fish skewers in his hand, sparks flying everywhere.
He silently added in his mind, "Compared to my teacher, Gangzi is miles behind. His rudimentary theories don't even compare to the superficial things my teacher casually taught. He thinks he's taught a god; it's laughable."
From within the Sea of Consciousness, an aged voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, rang out. "You brat, talking good things about me behind my back, huh?" Electrolux's voice held an undisguised chuckle, "But that's not untrue."