The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the carved window lattices, spilling into the spacious courtyard of Huo Yuhao's home in the Dragon Realm, draping a warm golden veil over this long-awaited gathering. In the courtyard, several quaint wooden tables were already filled with a dazzling array of delicacies. The rising steam intertwined with the overflowing aroma, sketching a warm and inviting picture.
Huo Yuhao stood at the door, his eyes full of excitement and anticipation, occasionally standing on his tiptoes to look towards the end of the path. Not far away, a group of familiar figures gradually came into view. A brilliantly radiant smile instantly bloomed on his face, and he dashed towards them.
"Oh, my little Yunhan, my little baby!"
Huo Yuhao, bringing Huo Yunhan back from Gu Yuena's dragon cocoon, was caught right in the act by Kong Deming, who had been lying in ambush here early on.
Watching this old man run towards his son completely devoid of his usual image, Huo Yuhao felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. Perhaps because he was childless, Elder Kong seemed to have a heartfelt love for children.
"Hello, Grandpa Kong," Huo Yunhan answered timidly. This weird old man usually looked very stiff and rigid, but the moment he saw him, it was as if he had turned into a completely different person.
"Oh my—my little Yunhan!" Kong Deming scooped Huo Yunhan up and rubbed his wrinkled old face against the child's chubby little cheeks. The level of craziness sent a chill down Huo Yuhao's spine.
"Grandpa Kong, your face is wrinkly!" Huo Yunhan cried out in dissatisfaction.
"How is it? Has Yunhan awakened his martial soul?" Kong Deming asked Huo Yuhao while holding Huo Yunhan, his old face smiling like a blooming chrysanthemum.
"Yes, it has awakened," Huo Yuhao nodded, urging Huo Yunhan, "Come, let Grandpa Kong see your martial soul."
"Okay, Dad." Huo Yunhan proudly raised his head and circulated his soul power.
The others present couldn't help but look over, especially Ju Zi, whose heart was in her throat.
What mother wouldn't want her child to awaken a powerful martial soul?
As the soul power circulated, a phantom abruptly appeared behind Huo Yunhan. Especially that pair of deep, hollow pupils, it gave people a shuddering feeling.
"Martial soul, Demon Eye Death God, Innate Full Soul Power." Huo Yuhao came to Ju Zi's side and introduced, "Perhaps because my third martial soul was the first to achieve ten rings, Yunhan's martial soul is similar to a combination of my Evil Eye and the Necromancy Saint Law God."
Looking at her son's martial soul, Ju Zi couldn't help but ask with some concern, "If we return to live on Douluo next, Yunhan won't be mistaken for an evil soul master, right?"
To this, Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "Now that the continent no longer has brainless supervisors like Shrek Academy, who would arbitrarily define a six-year-old child's martial soul?"
"Besides, the reason evil soul masters are evil is only because no one correctly guided their values, not because of the martial soul itself."
Seeing Ju Zi still looking somewhat worried, Huo Yuhao gently held her soft hand, "Don't worry, on this Douluo Continent, no one can hurt my, Huo Yuhao's, son."
Saying that, Huo Yuhao looked at Kong Deming, who was lost in thought, and introduced, "Yunhan's martial soul leans towards the spiritual type. This martial soul can double his speed in crafting soul tools."
"Really?" The crowd could almost see dazzling rays of light shooting out from Kong Deming's eyes.
"This is truly wonderful!" Kong Deming couldn't care less whether Huo Yunhan's martial soul was righteous or evil. This child, who had been passionate about soul tool toys since he was little, was highly favored by him. Now, learning of Huo Yunhan's talent in soul tools made him overjoyed.
"Elder Kong, how about you let me have this kid?" Even Jing Hongchen couldn't help but want to take Huo Yunhan as his closing disciple.
"In your dreams, step aside!" Kong Deming immediately hugged Huo Yunhan tighter, as if afraid he would be abducted by the other party in the next second.
"Yunhan ah, this Jing Hongchen's skills are not that great, you absolutely must not learn from him..."
"Kong Deming, you old bastard..."
Watching these two centenarians stiffen their necks and bicker, everyone felt somewhat helpless. And this was just one of Huo Yuhao's children.
For a time, the leaders of the major factions attending the gathering couldn't help but size up Huo Yuhao's other children. With Huo Yuhao's talent and bloodline, these children who hadn't yet reached the age of martial soul awakening probably wouldn't be bad either.
Thus, many people's minds began to work actively. It was hard to get direct support from Huo Yuhao himself, but if Huo Yuhao's descendants were also that outstanding...
At this time, the crowd walked into the courtyard talking and laughing. The elders exchanged pleasantries, recalling the eventful years of the past, occasionally letting out hearty laughs; the young people gathered in twos and threes, sharing their recent interesting anecdotes. Huo Yuhao's women busied themselves, warmly greeting every guest, always wearing friendly smiles on their faces.
"Come, everyone, don't just stand there, sit down, sit down!" Marshal Evil Dragon's loud voice rang out, and everyone took their seats. Instantly, the courtyard became exceptionally lively, with the sounds of chatting, laughing, and clinking tableware weaving into a moving movement.
The games continued amidst the cheerful chatter and laughter. Everyone was immersed in it, forgetting the passage of time. The sky gradually darkened, and bright red lanterns were lit in the courtyard. The soft lamplight and the smiles on people's faces complemented each other, sketching a dreamlike picture.
The older generation looked at Huo Yuhao and his partners' children playing so happily, their hearts filled with emotion. Jing Hongchen couldn't help but sigh, "Seeing them reminds me of when we were young, just as carefree. Now that they have all grown up and shouldered their own responsibilities, us old folks can finally rest assured." Everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes full of expectations for the younger generation.
The children, tired from playing, sat around the bonfire, sharing their dreams with each other.
Huo Yunhan looked at the blazing bonfire, his eyes full of longing, "I hope to become a powerful soul master in the future, just like our ancestors, guarding the Douluo Continent so that everyone can live a happy life."
Huo Siting clenched her small fists and chimed in, "I will also cultivate hard and fight side by side with Big Brother Huo!"
The night grew deeper, and stars scattered across the night sky, like gems inlaid on a black canopy. Although everyone still felt they hadn't had enough, gatherings eventually must come to an end.
The elders exhorted Huo Yuhao's wives one by one to pay attention to their health and live a good life with Huo Yuhao; the children, with slightly red eyes, reluctantly bid farewell to the elders.
Right at this time, as the banquet was about to conclude, three figures arrived in the valley using the silver dragon scales.
Seeing one of the familiar figures, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but exclaim, "Fatty?"
"Xie Huanyue?"
This familiar figure who caught up at the moment of parting, wasn't it Xie Huanyue who had been missing for five years?
"Everyone, sorry about this, I'm late."
Xie Huanyue was a head taller than he was five years ago, and his figure appeared much more proportionate. Beside him stood an aloof blonde woman and a chubby, pink little girl.
"Fatty, could they be your..." Zi Mu seemed to have thought of a certain possibility and asked in disbelief.
"This fatty has seen the light?" Wu Feng looked as if she had seen a ghost, exchanged a glance with Ning Tian, and muttered.
Facing the curious and shocked gazes of the crowd, Xie Huanyue scratched his head in embarrassment.
"This is my wife, Xue Zili. She is the 18th Princess of the former Dou Ling Empire's royal family. And this is our daughter, Maron."
Marshal Evil Dragon was the first to rush forward. Looking at the adorable little girl who looked like she was carved from pink jade, he was instantly in tears.
"Wuuuu, my Xie family has a descendant—"
Who would have thought that the usually domineering Marshal Evil Dragon would actually howl out loud for a granddaughter? This showed just how dense the previous Xie Huanyue used to be.
"The 18th Princess of the Dou Ling royal family?" Huo Yuhao looked at the aloof blonde woman named Xue Zili with great interest. According to the partners' recollections, at the Sea God's Fate blind date event in Sunrise City, a full three princesses had expressed their feelings to this fatty, yet they were all brushed off by this guy. Now, he actually chose a princess from the last of the original four great empires of the continent.
Seeing the partners' curiosity, Xie Huanyue had no choice but to recount his experiences over these years—
It turned out that after everyone parted ways back then, Xie Huanyue led the members of the Straw Hat Brigade on a tour around the continent, and then returned to Heavenly Soul all by himself.
On the way, Xie Huanyue encountered remnants of the Dou Ling royal family being hunted down by rebel forces, and he conveniently saved them.
Given Xie Huanyue's personality, he naturally had to hold a banquet to mingle. So, disregarding everything else, this guy pulled the others around a bonfire to sing and dance.
This made the members of the Dou Ling royal family, who had been destitute and wandering all the way, feel a long-lost joy. Ever since Xu Sanshi disbanded the Dou Ling royal family, they hadn't relaxed like this in a very long time.
And it was exactly that night that Xue Zili acted on a sudden impulse and took the initiative to kiss Xie Huanyue on the cheek.
This kiss was a big deal; it almost directly unblocked the meridians of Xie Huanyue, an idiot in romance, causing unusual ripples to rise in the heart of this carefree and easygoing guy for the very first time.
From then on, Xie Huanyue stayed by her side, repelling all pursuit forces from the major powers.
The two also logically came together and had a daughter.
The daughter's name was taken from the small town where they got married. The reason they didn't use the family surname was the same reasoning behind Huo Yunhan using the alias Gu Han.
Hearing this, all the partners present who knew Xie Huanyue's personality inside out had strange expressions. You must know, neither Xu Jiujiu, Wei Na, nor Xu Tianzhen managed to conquer this fatty.
In the end, he was actually snatched away halfway by the 18th Princess of Dou Ling.
"Fatty, you really did it." Huo Yunhan patted Xie Huanyue's shoulder. He was truly happy for the fatty. If Xie Huanyue had remained the way he used to be, how lonely would he be in the days when he grew old?
"Greetings, Demon King," the 18th Princess Xue Zili greeted Huo Yuhao, her eyes complex. Their royal family was forcibly disbanded by Xu Sanshi following Huo Yuhao's request. Losing their former noble status, they lived in constant fear every single day before meeting Xie Huanyue.
Huo Yuhao nodded at her, looked at Xie Huanyue, and said with a half-smile, "Your spring has finally arrived, kid!"
"Young Master Huo, you have so many wives, you have to treat me to a wedding drink no matter what, right?" Xie Huanyue looked around at the women beside Huo Yuhao and chuckled.
"Damn fatty, you got married and had a daughter without even inviting us!" Cui Yajie couldn't help but kick this thick-skinned guy.
"Beat him up!" Nanmen Yun'er suggested.
"Don't, everyone, let's talk this out nicely..." Xie Huanyue couldn't help but wail.
"You kid, you're a winner in life!" Long Aotian glanced at the remarkably beautiful Xue Zili, and as someone who was still single, said with resentment.
"Beat him hard. If he gets crippled, I'll have his wife heal him!" Xiao Hongchen chimed in.
"Beat this kid..."
Just as the crowd was planning to give this guy, who forgot his brothers once he got a wife, a good thrashing, Maron's timid voice rang out.
"Don't hit my daddy—"
Ji Juechen's fist immediately stopped in mid-air, and then he pulled it back.
This guy said coolly, "Let's not fool around in front of the kids."
"Don't be afraid, Maron..." Ling Luochen gently picked Maron up. "They just like to mess around. They won't really hurt your daddy."
"Alright, enough fooling around." Huo Yuhao pulled Xie Huanyue up. "We are no longer teenagers; the elders and the children are watching."
Sensing the aura on Xie Huanyue, Huo Yuhao was instantly somewhat surprised, "Fatty, you broke through the limit?"
Xie Huanyue scratched his head, "I'm not sure either. It should be the True God level tier you mentioned."
True God level?
To most of the older generation, this was undoubtedly a new vocabulary. Only the partners who had fought alongside Huo Yuhao knew the weight of this term.
True God level, Super God level—these were rankings that only existed during the Ultimate Douluo era, and they would only be born after Douluo Planet underwent evolution.
Although the current Douluo Continent had not evolved, the Divine Realm had been continuously transmitting mental power to the Douluo plane. This allowed some soul masters who had been stuck at the Ultimate Douluo tier for a long time to use this opportunity to take that step.
Although they didn't possess any god positions, the True God level and Ultimate Douluo were completely on different dimensions.
After becoming a True God, a soul master's lifespan would also very likely break through the thousand-year mark.
Xie Huanyue's breakthrough brought pleasant surprises to many companions who were still stuck at the Ultimate Douluo level. They were also Yin-Yang Complement three-core Ultimate Douluos; breaking through from Quasi-God to True God didn't seem like it would be too difficult.
"You kid coming to find me now, I'm afraid it's also because you want me to help your daughter awaken her martial soul, right?" Huo Yuhao easily guessed Xie Huanyue's intention.
Xie Huanyue didn't deny it and nodded with a smile. Because his own martial soul had defects in the early stages, he didn't want such defects to appear in his daughter as well.
"In another ten months, Maron will be six years old. I'm worried there will be problems when she awakens her martial soul, so I wanted to ask for your help."
"Alright." Huo Yuhao nodded. He knew very well what Xie Huanyue's Sun God Ape martial soul needed. "I will send people to help you find the relevant bloodlines. During this time, you can take your wife and daughter to Heaven Dou and wait for my news. I also need to take Yunhan outside to see the world."
"Then I'll leave it in your hands!" Xie Huanyue chuckled. He and Huo Yuhao were straightforward with each other and didn't need to be overly polite.
After exchanging pleasantries with the crowd again, Xie Huanyue also took his wife and daughter and followed the crowd to leave the Dragon Realm.
In the courtyard, the lingering sounds of cheerful chatter and laughter seemed to still echo. The partners who had once spent day and night together embarked on their respective journeys, continuing to write their legendary stories.
"Dad, we also want to go to the Douluo Continent to take a look." The other children also cast their gazes at Huo Yuhao. Although life in the Dragon Realm was wonderful, it could get boring over time.
The wives also slightly raised their eyelids one after another, waiting for Huo Yuhao's decision.
With the Golden Dragon King's origin blood and qi completely gone from Huo Yuhao's body, there was no need for them to stay here any longer to share his pain.
"Darling, I'll listen to you," Zhongli Yu held onto Huo Yuhao's arm and smiled beautifully.
"Mmhmm, then let's pack up. Tomorrow the whole family will move back to Douluo." Although Huo Yuhao also wanted the children to continue nourishing their physiques in the Dragon Realm, since his problem was resolved, keeping a group of wives and children huddled in the Dragon Realm was indeed not very humane.
"Yay—" The children instantly cheered and jumped for joy.
Watching the excited expressions of the children, a gentle curve couldn't help but form on the faces of Huo Yuhao and his wives.
Right at this moment, Gu Yuena's voice echoed leisurely across the sky above the Dragon Realm—
"The God of Destruction has sent a message to the Dragon Realm, saying that the Abyssal Plane has been found!"