Spring went and autumn came; before they knew it, six years had passed.
Exotic flowers and rare herbs bloomed colorfully in the Dragon Valley, their rich fragrance permeating every inch of the air. Ancient and massive dragon tombs were scattered about, exuding a majestic aura precipitated by time, yet there were no traces of any other living creatures. Only a clear stream meandered through, playing a lonely melody, as if recounting the past glory of the Dragon Clan.
Deep in this dreamlike valley, there was an elegant wooden cabin. Lush vines climbed around the cabin, dotted with blooming flowers, making it look like a dwelling from a fairy tale. Huo Yuhao was sitting on a stone stool in front of the cabin. He had a handsome face and eyes as deep as the sea. The once somewhat immature young man had now grown into a calm and resolute man. His long black hair fluttered gently in the breeze, revealing a bit of laziness. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and scattered on his handsome face, creating mottled light and shadows.
Six years had passed. Huo Yuhao had successfully transferred the Golden Dragon King's origin bloodline into Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena's body, but he still retained all the blood and qi accumulated by the Golden Dragon King during its suppression by the Divine Realm.
This portion of blood and qi would no longer cause him any harm; instead, it could comprehensively enhance his physique. In terms of physical strength alone, even Di Tian could not harm him.
"Dad, Dad!" A crisp and childish call broke the silence. A little boy came running from behind the wooden cabin.
The child had thick, dark hair. His deep eyes, inherited from his father, flickered with agility and curiosity. His cheeks were rosy, carrying the unique vitality of a child. He ran all the way to Huo Yuhao's side, grabbed the corner of Huo Yuhao's clothes with his little hand, looked up, and his eyes were full of expectation: "Dad, my siblings and I found a super interesting dragon bone on the other side of the mountain today. There seems to be something shining inside. Will you go with me to take a look?"
Huo Yuhao looked at the child with a smile, reached out and gently rubbed the child's head, and said dotingly, "Alright, Yunhan, but be careful, don't run around." After saying that, he took his son's hand and stood up.
Perhaps dictated by fate, Huo Yuhao and Ju Zi's child was still the first to come into the world, naturally named Huo Yunhan.
At this moment, the door of the wooden cabin was slowly pushed open, and Ju Zi walked out. She had a graceful figure. A plain-colored long dress made her look even more gentle and moving. Her long hair hung smoothly behind her. Although her face bore some traces of time, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. Seeing the father and son preparing to go out, she asked softly, "Where are you going?"
Huo Yunhan answered first, "Mom, I found a beautiful dragon bone and I'm going to see it with Dad!"
Ju Zi showed a loving smile on her face, her eyes full of doting, "But you must be careful not to disturb the skeletons of those giant dragons."
"Don't worry, Ju Zi." Huo Yuhao looked at her, his eyes full of reassurance, "With me here, everything will be fine."
The family of three smiled at each other. That smile was full of happiness and peace. Subsequently, Huo Yuhao led Huo Yunhan towards the direction of the dragon tombs.
Over these years, whenever Huo Yuhao had excess energy with nowhere to use it, he would go and bury dragon bones. He had finally finished burying all the dragon bones in the Dragon Realm.
Along the way, Huo Yunhan was like a cheerful little sparrow, bouncing and skipping, constantly asking various questions.
"Dad, were there really many giant dragons in the Dragon Valley before? What did they look like? Were they super big, big enough to swallow us in one bite?"
Huo Yuhao answered patiently, "The Dragon Valley is the resting place of the Dragon Clan. In the past, there were naturally countless majestic giant dragons. They had massive bodies. Some had scales all over their bodies shining with metallic luster; some could breathe raging flames and soar in the sky. But now they are all sleeping here, guarding this final pure land belonging to them."
The father and son talked as they walked. Before long, they arrived in front of the dragon tomb Huo Yunhan had mentioned. Beside it, there was a group of delicate and beautiful women accompanying seven or eight children aged four or five, playing and frolicking freely.
"Oh, Yunhan is here." Zhongli Yu saw Huo Yuhao bringing Huo Yunhan over and immediately called out joyfully.
"Isn't this the tomb of the Dragon God's remains?" Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned. This place was located in the central area of the World Tree's roots, impressively the burial site of the Dragon God's skeleton.
The ground was partially covered by World Tree vines, faintly revealing a mysterious light. Huo Yuhao carefully pushed aside the vines and led his son down into the tomb. Embedded in the earthen walls of the tomb were many faintly glowing bones, illuminating the cave like stars in the night sky.
"Wow, so beautiful!" Huo Yunhan exclaimed, his eyes wide open, looking around curiously.
Huo Yuhao squatted down, pointed at those bones, and said to his son, "These are the bones of the emperors of the Dragon Clan. They contain very powerful energy inside. Don't touch them carelessly; it's very dangerous for you right now."
Huo Yunhan nodded obediently. Although his heart was full of curiosity, he still stayed close to his father's side. The father and son casually walked around the tomb. Relying on his omniscient knowledge, Huo Yuhao told his son the stories hidden behind them. Huo Yunhan listened with rapt attention, and time passed quietly without them noticing.
Huo Yuhao also felt somewhat strange about the anomaly of the Dragon God's skeleton. Logically speaking, the Dragon God's skeleton was the first to be buried, and its burial had been completed as early as seven years ago. Why would abnormal phenomena appear in the Dragon God's skeleton recently?
The Dragon God had its own pride; its remains naturally could not produce soul bones for human soul masters to absorb and fuse. Therefore, Huo Yuhao had never had any designs on the Dragon God's skeleton.
On the other side, the women were not idle in their temporarily built home. They came to the small vegetable garden next to the wooden cabin, which was full of various fresh vegetables, brimming with greenery. Several women skillfully picked up hoes to loosen the soil and weed, preparing to cook a hearty dinner for the family. Everyone's movements were light and adept, full of love for this big family. Before long, the children helped pick a full basket of vegetables...
Returning to the wooden cabin, several women skilled in cooking, led by Ju Zi, hummed little tunes as they walked into the kitchen and started to get busy. Smoke from the kitchen chimney rose slowly, and the aroma of the food gradually spread. The ingredients were all planted or raised by themselves; for instance, for the grilled fish Huo Yuhao was good at, he had specially dug a channel in the Dragon Realm and put in some fish fry.
Within the Dragon Realm, because the World Tree was constantly improving the environment, it was already worlds apart from when they first entered.
At this time, Huo Yuhao also embarked on the journey back with a few children. Along the way, the children excitedly shared the harvest of their play today with their father, their small faces brimming with contented smiles.
When they returned home, night had fallen. The Dragon Valley was enveloped in moonlight, as if draped in a silver veil. Warm light leaked from the wooden cabin. Ju Zi stood at the door, smiling to welcome her son Huo Yunhan: "Come in quickly, wash your hands, it's time to eat."
The dining table was filled with delicious dishes: aromatic stir-fries, steaming soups, and Huo Yunhan's favorite grilled fish. A family of twenty or thirty people sat around together, with laughter echoing in the wooden cabin.
"Mom, today's food is so delicious!" Huo Yunhan said unclearly, his mouth stuffed full.
Ju Zi smiled and wiped the corners of his mouth: "Eat slowly, don't choke. I learned your dad's craft, how is it?"
Huo Yuhao looked at his wife and children, his heart full of tenderness. He picked up a piece of fish and put it into Ju Zi's bowl: "You've worked hard too, eat more."
After the meal, Nanmen Yun'er and Zhang Lexuan cleared the dishes, while the rest came to the open space in front of the wooden cabin. Moonlight spilled over them like water. Huo Yunhan lay on the grass, pointing at the starry sky and asked, "Mom, Dad, what are all those stars in the sky? Are there deities living on them?"
Huo Yuhao and Ju Zi also lay beside their son. Huo Yuhao said softly, "Some of those stars are distant planets, and some are burning suns. Legend has it that many powerful deities live in the sky, and their duty is supposed to be guarding all things in the world."
Ju Zi gently added, "Perhaps they are also watching this world and blessing all the people."
Huo Yunhan blinked and nodded as if he understood. Before long, his eyelids started to grow heavy. Ju Zi gently picked up her son, went back to the wooden cabin with Ghost Nana, put him on the bed, and covered him with a quilt.
Under the starry sky, Bibi Dong and Zhongli Yu leaned into Huo Yuhao's embrace from the left and right, saying softly, "Days like this are really nice."
Huo Yuhao hugged them tightly, "Yeah, being with you all and the children, safe and sound, is my greatest happiness."
Outside the window, the moonlight remained the same, and the Dragon Valley was immersed in tranquility. The heartwarming story of Huo Yuhao's family continued to be written on this magical land. Every day was full of love and hope; peaceful years were nothing more than this.
In recent times, they basically lived such a leisurely and carefree life. In the early morning, sunlight spilled into the wooden cabin. Several women woke up early to prepare breakfast. Except for visiting Gu Yuena in the light cocoon, Huo Yuhao usually took Huo Yunhan and the other children for morning exercises in the Dragon Valley, teaching him some simple soul power cultivation methods. Huo Yunhan learned the most earnestly, his small body striving to circulate his soul power, his eyes showing determination.
Occasionally, partners outside the Dragon Realm would also return to the Dragon Realm to visit them. Several families would play together by the streams of the Dragon Valley. The cool stream water splashed and wet their clothes, and the cheerful laughter of Huo Yunhan and the other children echoed in the valley.
When it came to who liked these children the most, it was naturally the elders like Jing Hongchen and Ning Yunyuan. Through Beast God Di Tian, they could visit the Dragon Realm at any time. Although the continent had been embroiled in war for the past six years, it did not affect the normal maintenance of these forces that had deep ties with Huo Yuhao.
No matter how the continental situation changed, the legend of Demon King Huo Yuhao was still at its zenith on the continent, known to almost everyone. As long as there was no news of Demon King Huo Yuhao passing away or ascending, no one dared to lay a hand on the forces friendly with Huo Yuhao.
A year in the human world was but a day in the Divine Realm. The battle of the God Kings that caused the plane to be on the verge of collapse seemed to have only passed a few days in the eyes of the gods in the Divine Realm. The Divine Realm Committee, headed by the God of Destruction, extended their divine thought infinitely, searching for the coordinates of the Abyssal Plane in the Longma Galaxy.
This time, the God of Destruction did not recklessly expand the Divine Realm again. Instead, he fully listened to Huo Yuhao's advice and strengthened the Divine Realm's defenses. Furthermore, the Divine Realm's continuous transmission of mental power to maintain the stability of the Douluo plane also caused considerable consumption.
Right now, what Huo Yuhao cared about most was not the safety of the Douluo Continent, but the martial soul awakening of his eldest son, Huo Yunhan!
In a few days, it would be the martial soul awakening day for human soul masters, right? Huo Yuhao absolutely did not want Huo Yunhan to show him a Three-Eyed White Tiger martial soul; the cultivation ceiling of that martial soul was too low.
When it came to who liked Huo Yunhan, this eldest legitimate son, the most, it wasn't his biological father Huo Yuhao or biological mother Ju Zi, nor was it the Huang Bin couple who frequently visited the Dragon Realm. Rather, it was the current world's number one Soul Engineer, known as the Father of Soul Engineers, Kong Deming.
Like a pull of fate in the unseen world, Kong Deming saw a talent for Soul Engineers in Huo Yunhan and decided to choose him as the inheritor of his mantle.
On this day, it was again the annual gathering agreed upon by Huo Yuhao's group of partners. Except for Xie Huanyue, all the partners who had once fought together and a group of elders visited the Dragon Realm, getting together to drink and chat after a long time.
"Did that fatty not come back?" Cui Yajie asked Wu Ming with her hands on her hips. Their original Death-Fire-Sea trio group hadn't seen each other for five years.
Ji Juechen and Zi Mu exchanged a glance, their expressions inevitably strange. After their Straw Hat Brigade traveled around the continent once back then, Xie Huanyue set off alone. Over the years on the days agreed for gatherings, that guy responsible for livening up the atmosphere was nowhere to be seen.
"Mom, is Uncle Fatty very fat?" Cui Siting, the daughter of Cui Yajie and Huo Yuhao, asked timidly.
"That guy... when he first enrolled, he really was as fat as a pig, but later he somehow couldn't get fat no matter what..." Ning Tian recalled bits and pieces from the past and couldn't help but smile.
...
Huo Yuhao held Huo Yunhan's small hand and was walking towards the light cocoon in the center of the Dragon Realm.
Just to be safe, Huo Yuhao decided it was best for Gu Yuena to conduct the martial soul awakening ceremony.
As early as last year, he had completely finished transferring the Golden Dragon King's origin bloodline from his body, and Gu Yuena had thus entered an atavistic state.
"Dad, you said there is a very beautiful aunt inside?" Huo Yunhan asked curiously.
"Yes." Huo Yuhao rubbed Huo Yunhan's head, "She even held you when you were little, but you probably don't remember."
"Did you bring Yunhan?" Seeming to sense Huo Yuhao's approach, Gu Yuena's cold voice came from inside the light cocoon.
"Yes, sorry to trouble you to perform his martial soul awakening. I hope a good martial soul comes out," Huo Yuhao smiled.
"Come in." The light cocoon suddenly opened an entrance.
"Yunhan, be polite." Huo Yuhao patted his son's shoulder and walked in first.
Gu Yuena, dressed plainly as always, was sitting cross-legged in the center of the light cocoon. Seeing the man in front of her lead the child in, ripples formed in her beautiful eyes.
If not for the need to go all out to fuse the Golden Dragon King's bloodline, she would have wanted to have a cute child with him...
As soon as he saw Gu Yuena's breathtakingly beautiful face, Huo Yunhan's eyes immediately lit up: "Wow, Auntie, you are so pretty!"
In Huo Yunhan's view, even Zhongli Yu and Bibi Dong were not as beautiful as the Gu Yuena before him.
"Come, let Auntie give you a hug." Gu Yuena seemed to like children very much. A rare maternal smile appeared on her usually icy, pretty face.
"How do you feel now?" Huo Yuhao watched Gu Yuena pick up the child and couldn't help but chuckle. Sitting beside Gu Yuena, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist and asked.
"For now... there is still not enough energy. If the Abyssal Plane cannot be found within three years, I won't dare to rashly attempt to initiate the Dragon God inheritance," Gu Yuena answered while teasing the child.
Huo Yuhao nodded silently. The former Dragon God was a Supreme God King. Even Tang Xuanyu in the original timeline needed massive energy support to become a god.
"I'm planning to let Yunhan return to the Douluo plane to temper himself. We can't let the next generation live in a greenhouse for their whole lives," Huo Yuhao decided, looking at his sweetly smiling son.
"That is good too." Gu Yuena nodded, continuously teasing Huo Yunhan with her hands. He seemed to have inherited Ju Zi's skin texture. Even though Huo Yunhan was already six years old, he still looked as delicate and cute as a porcelain doll.
"However, if he lives in the outside world under his real name, I'm afraid it will attract quite a bit of attention," Gu Yuena reminded him.
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly upon hearing this. "Yun" (cloud) contrasts with "Yu" (rain), and "Han" (vast) contrasts with "Hao" (boundless). Coupled with his surname and a martial soul inherited from one of his parents, he would easily be targeted by outsiders. Although his people had the ability to ensure Huo Yunhan's safety, that would ultimately affect his normal growth.
"Then... let's call him Gu Han, okay?" Gu Yuena's eyes darted around, and she smiled beautifully.
"Gu Han?" Huo Yuhao paused for a moment, then laughed: "Since you've said so, then let's use this alias."
Gu Yuena seemed very satisfied with the name she chose. She grabbed Huo Yunhan's small hand, shook it, and said: "My cute little Yunhan, from now on, you must tell people outside that your name is Gu Han, understand?"
"Okay, Auntie Yuena."