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Huo Yuhao broke off a tree branch, sharpened one end into a makeshift spear, and used his Spirit Eyes for precise control to harpoon a green carp. He sprinkled it with salt and used some simple seasonings to grill it.
During the days when he and his mother depended on each other in the Duke's mansion, he would often go to the creek outside the estate to catch and roast fish. As a result, his grilling skills were masterful.
Before long, wisps of fragrant smoke curled into the air.
The delicious aroma wafted into the distance.
"Ah, that smells so good…"
Just as the boy swallowed his first bite of fish, a voice called out from afar.
He looked up and saw a young man and woman, who appeared to be a couple, about fourteen or fifteen years old. They seemed quite intimate. Behind them were another young man and two young women—also likely couples. All of them were exceptionally attractive, and judging by their clothing alone, Huo Yuhao, who had grown up in the Duke's residence, could tell these were no cheap fabrics. Their garments were of the same quality and material as those worn by Dai Huabin, a direct son of the Duke's family.
"Hey, little brother, is that your grilled fish?" Tang Ya leaned in, causing Huo Yuhao's face to flush red.
It was the first time he had ever been this close to such a beautiful girl.
"Mm." He nervously clenched his sleeve, feeling inferior. "If you're hungry, go ahead and eat. There's more if you need it…"
Tang Ya thanked him and, without hesitation, picked up the grilled fish to try it.
"Wow, this is delicious."
Tang Ya's eyes lit up.
"I'm Bei Bei, she's Tang Ya, and this is… Su Wen, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng," Bei Bei said, showing his social skills.
"Oh, I'm Huo Yuhao…" the boy replied, somewhat reserved.
Huo's grilled fish—one of the must-try delicacies in Soul Land II.
Su Wen silently looked toward Ning Tian, who nodded obediently, her beautiful eyes signaling for him to take the lead. Wu Feng pouted slightly, also wanting a skewer.
Ding~
Huo Yuhao blinked in confusion as he was handed a gold soul coin. It gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight, radiating an aura of wealth.
"This is…" The boy swallowed hard. Even though he lived in the Duke's mansion, this was his first time ever touching a gold soul coin. The Duke had only given his mother two silver soul coins a month. Faced with this coin, he found himself unable to utter defiant words like, "Don't underestimate a boy just because he's poor."
"I don't take things for free," Su Wen said with a gentle smile, his gaze warm.
He snapped his fingers lightly.
Rustle, rustle—a nearby ancient tree trembled, and several large black fish with purple markings dropped from its branches. Each was three to four times the size of the green carp. Even with Huo Yuhao's sharp eyesight, he only barely caught a fleeting glimpse of a faint white shadow.
"Could you grill these fish for me as well?"
Gulp… Huo Yuhao, who did not yet have much understanding of the power of soul masters, was completely stunned.
Su Wen was about his age, yet his calm, composed aura and mysterious, formidable strength made Huo Yuhao feel even more inferior.
"I can."
He hesitated for a moment, then carefully slipped the gold soul coin into his pocket.
Then, he focused on grilling the fish.
The aroma was rich and enticing.
Su Wen handed grilled fish to Ning Tian and Wu Feng before finally tasting it himself.
The skin was crispy and the meat was tender; the technique was truly superb. The only shame was the lack of seasoning, but it was still excellent. No wonder in the original novel, Huo Yuhao could charge a silver soul coin for a skewer at his stall outside the academy—and people still scrambled to buy it.
Ning Tian stopped eating after half a fish. As the heiress of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, she wasn't like the penniless Tang Ya. She and Su Wen had tasted all kinds of delicacies from land and sea. This cooking was decent—but merely decent.
She brushed her hair aside and fed the rest of her fish to Su Wen, holding a napkin in her other hand to gently wipe the corner of his mouth.
Huo Yuhao glanced at them with envy before quickly turning away.
With the matter of avenging his mother at the forefront of his mind, how could he have the heart to think about anything else?
"Want to travel with us?" Bei Bei extended an invitation to the team.
But Huo Yuhao shook his head and resolutely set off on his solitary journey. Of course, this was also because his mother had always reminded him to remain cautious when traveling alone…
"What a shame. I was planning to recruit him into the Tang Sect," Tang Ya said with regret.
"The Tang Sect still exists?" Wu Feng asked in surprise.
"What are you saying?! Of course the Tang Sect still exists!" Tang Ya flared up like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
"Wu Feng!" Ning Tian warned softly.
"Oh, wasn't that sect wiped out a few years ago?" Wu Feng said carelessly. "Who would've thought there was anyone still left…"
Everyone: "…"
Su Wen shook his head.
This girl truly had a sharp tongue. But compared to the original novel, where Tang Ya had responded with "That's great!" after Huo Yuhao said his family was all gone, the two of them were two peas in a pod.
The group continued on their way.
Meanwhile, high up in a nearby ancient tree, Hurricane clung to a branch, watching the direction in which Huo Yuhao had departed.
…
"Huff… so hot."
Huo Yuhao scooped up some cool creek water and splashed his face, feeling more awake.
His grip on the White Tiger Dagger relaxed slightly.
He had spent an entire day on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest but hadn't encountered much danger. Scanning his surroundings and seeing no soul beasts, the boy sat down against an ancient tree. He unconsciously pulled out the gold soul coin and held it up to the sunlight—it was dazzlingly bright.
The images of Su Wen, Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and the others appeared in his mind again.
Their composed, unhurried demeanor was a stark contrast to his own near-refugee state. The difference couldn't have been more obvious.
Whoosh!
Just as he was lost in his memories, a flash of white light streaked past.
"Something's wrong!"
He was instantly on alert.
"Danger!"
…
"Hurricane is gone, and now a Wind Baboon thinks it can slay a god?" Su Wen mused.
His data panel showed that the Wind Baboon's destiny rank was quite ordinary. Compared to a magnificent being like Hurricane, its potential was less than one.
Still, it seemed the Child of Destiny was receiving his fated treatment. Tianmeng's appearance needed a reasonable explanation, after all. And coincidentally, from a god's-eye perspective, the paths of Bei Bei and Tang Ya were slowly converging with Huo Yuhao's location.
"We'll lie in wait."
Su Wen instructed.
His goal was clear: not the Skydream Iceworm itself, but its shed cocoon. After its main body fully fused with Huo Yuhao, this cocoon would remain as a container of its essence. He couldn't say for sure if it held fifty percent of Tianmeng's current spiritual origin, but it certainly had thirty to forty percent.
Although Tianmeng had been used as a living power bank by the Star Dou Great Forest for a long time, the residual power it contained was still substantial.
Conveniently, the three pet beasts were in need of resources. This shed cocoon would likely be enough to sustain their growth for several years.
Relying on his White Tiger Dagger, Huo Yuhao barely managed to defeat the Wind Baboon. Immediately after, Tianmeng made its grand entrance.
"It's a pity I can't cry, otherwise I'd be weeping tears of joy right now."
"Who—who's talking?!" Huo Yuhao felt his blood run cold, a chill creeping up his spine.
The ground cracked open, and a giant, glowing white insect drilled out from below. It looked down at the small, thin boy and sighed.
(End of Chapter)