Huo Yuhao jumped in fright. Although his Spirit Eyes martial soul had no soul ring attached, his perception of his surroundings far surpassed that of ordinary people. Yet despite how close the voice was, he had noticed nothing.
He hurriedly looked around, only then spotting a blond man dressed in white hovering a short distance away in midair on a flying sword.
"Y-you... who are you? How do you know me?" Huo Yuhao asked, stammering.
The newcomer was none other than Qian Chen. With a light lift of his foot, he jumped down from the Seven Kill Sword hovering in midair. The instant he landed, Qian Chen deftly checked his momentum, stirring not a speck of dust from the ground. Huo Yuhao marveled at the sight.
"What, Yuhao, don't you recognize me?" Qian Chen asked, then reminded him, "We met five years ago, when you awakened your martial soul."
"It's you! It's you! I remember you now! You're that Lord Soul Master with eight soul rings!" Huo Yuhao said incoherently.
"That's right, it's me. But you'll have to address me as Your Eminence, Titled Douluo now," Qian Chen said.
"I'm sorry, Lord Soul Master. My mother wouldn't let me become your disciple back then. Now I'm already eleven, and I've only just broken through to rank ten. My potential has basically reached its limit," Huo Yuhao said, feeling inferior.
"It's all right. I truly think highly of your eye martial soul. Yours is an exceptionally powerful body martial soul. That's why I've always wanted to take you as my disciple."
Hearing that Qian Chen was actually still willing to take him as his disciple, Huo Yuhao's eyes shone with golden light. He had never imagined he would have another chance to become his disciple.
Before Huo Yuhao could formally become his disciple, Qian Chen asked another question. "Yuhao, do you want revenge?"
"Of course I do! I want to destroy the entire White Tiger Duke's Mansion!" Huo Yuhao shouted resolutely.
"Good. Become my disciple, and I'll teach you to cultivate and give you the strength to destroy the White Tiger Duke's Mansion," Qian Chen said confidently.
Huo Yuhao immediately dropped everything in his hands and knelt before Qian Chen. "Please accept me, Teacher, and teach me the skills to avenge my mother!"
"Very well."
Seeing Qian Chen agree, Huo Yuhao immediately performed the entire discipleship ceremony from beginning to end. Qian Chen stepped forward and helped Huo Yuhao up. "All right. From this day forward, you are my disciple, the disciple of Qian Chen."
Gripping Qian Chen's hand, Huo Yuhao said urgently, "Teacher, I have to grow stronger quickly!"
Qian Chen held Huo Yuhao back and said, "Yuhao, don't rush. Your teacher isn't a god, either. I can't make you powerful all at once. But with my help, I believe the day you take revenge with your own hands won't be too far away."
Qian Chen knew full well that the gods of the Divine Realm could easily observe the Douluo Continent. He did not know whether Tang San was watching Huo Yuhao at that moment, so he could only take him as his disciple first and teach him gradually later. If Tang San discovered that he was guiding Huo Yuhao to hate him, he would probably attack Qian Chen immediately.
Qian Chen's concerns were not misplaced. This was precisely the crucial moment for getting Huo Yuhao to join the Tang Sect, and Tang San was watching him.
Tang San hated this Qian Chen who had suddenly appeared so much that his teeth itched. In Tang San's eyes, by interrupting Huo Yuhao's journey and disrupting the meeting he had arranged between Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya, Qian Chen had already courted death. It was just that killing Qian Chen now would cost too much and yield too little.
Fortunately, Qian Chen had done nothing out of line to Huo Yuhao and had merely accepted him as his disciple. On second thought, Huo Yuhao now had a Titled Douluo as his teacher, and that teacher was even from Shrek. Perhaps this had been fate's arrangement all along. Ten thousand years ago, Tang San himself had also had a Titled Douluo for a father.
Huo Yuhao said, "Teacher, I've already reached rank ten and need to obtain a soul ring. Please help me."
Qian Chen recalled the Plane Consciousness telling him that Huo Yuhao was about to experience a tremendous surge of fortune. Taking him to hunt for a soul ring might alter the course of that fortune. So he said, "Yuhao, you must understand that you can't rely on your teacher forever. I hope you can become independent and strong through your own efforts."
After speaking, Qian Chen tossed out seven or eight Class 2 soul tools-some for defense, some for attack, and some for supplies-arming Huo Yuhao to the teeth almost instantly.
So moved that tears streamed down his face, Huo Yuhao dropped to his knees before Qian Chen again on the spot. "Teacher, I'll remember your kindness for the rest of my life!"
Qian Chen reminded him, "Yuhao, you needn't be afraid, either. Although I won't hunt soul beasts for you, I won't be far away. I'll protect you from the shadows."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Huo Yuhao grew even more excited.
Then Qian Chen took a nutritionally balanced meal from his Storage Soul Tool and said, "Grilled fish may smell delicious, but it doesn't provide enough nutritional variety. Trade your teacher some grilled fish for a balanced meal. After that, continue on your way according to your own plans."
With that, Qian Chen picked out the largest of Huo Yuhao's grilled fish, turned, and vanished into the woods.
Having become Qian Chen's disciple and received a batch of soul tools that armed him to the teeth, Huo Yuhao's confidence soared. After quickly finishing his meal, he continued toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
By the next day, Huo Yuhao had reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Low-level soul beasts appeared from time to time, some a few years old and others over a decade old. But now, covered in soul tools, Huo Yuhao was brimming with confidence and felt no fear at all.
To Huo Yuhao's surprise, he came across another little river. He set to work again, and before long, several fish that had been swimming in the river became grilled fish, giving off their distinctive fragrance.
Standing in a tree more than ten kilometers away, Qian Chen watched Huo Yuhao's every move from afar. He inwardly marveled that the boy really did have a knack for grilling fish. The one yesterday had indeed tasted good. Just then, Qian Chen frowned as two figures entered his field of vision. They were none other than Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
"Why are they here?" Qian Chen murmured. Then he recalled that Tang Ya was an orphan of the Tang Sect, while Bei Bei had, of all people, fallen for Tang Ya, whose circumstances and aptitude were both quite ordinary, and loved her to death. Qian Chen immediately guessed that Tang San had very likely placed the two under Consciousness Control and was manipulating them into doing what he wanted.
Let's see what they want to do. Qian Chen did not intervene. He knew he absolutely could not come into direct conflict with Tang San in the Divine Realm right now.
"Wow, little brother, your grilled fish smells so good! Could you sell me a few?" Tang Ya approached and asked.
At that moment, Huo Yuhao knew Qian Chen was nearby and was brimming with confidence. Naturally, he would not be as abject as before, giving away his food while going hungry himself.
"Sorry, this is all my food for today. I really don't have any extra to give you. I still have to hunt for a soul ring after I eat," Huo Yuhao said.
With that, he picked up his grilled fish and started eating. Bei Bei and Tang Ya stared with wide eyes, at a loss for words.
After finishing his grilled fish, Huo Yuhao pointed at the little river nearby and said, "Big sister, big brother, there's a river over there with plenty of fish. Grill some yourselves."
With that, he packed up his equipment and headed into the Star Dou Great Forest.
Tang Ya stamped her feet in anger. Bei Bei hurried to her side and said, "Teacher Xiao Ya, don't worry. I'll catch some fish for you right away and grill them myself for you to eat."
Hearing Bei Bei's words, Tang Ya looked at him with tenderness filling her eyes. "Thank you, Bei Bei."
Instantly, Bei Bei seemed as if he had been injected with chicken blood. Patting his chest, he said, "Teacher Xiao Ya, just wait. I'll go right now!"
He rushed to the riverbank in a few strides and immediately activated Martial Soul Possession. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's powerful lightning struck the river, and dozens of fish of various sizes instantly floated to the surface. Bei Bei grinned goofily, hurriedly picked out several of the largest, and excitedly went back to grill fish for Tang Ya.