Huo Yuhao snapped off a branch, sharpened one end into a simple spear, and—guided by his Spirit Eyes for precise control—skewered a green carp. He sprinkled on salt and used simple seasonings to grill it.
Back in the duke's estate, when it was just him and his mother depending on each other, he often went to the creek outside the manor to catch fish to grill, so his skills were superb.
Before long, thin blue smoke curled upward.
The aroma drifted into the distance.
"Ahh, smells so good…"
Just as the boy swallowed his first bite of fish, a voice sounded from afar.
He looked up and saw a young man and woman in their mid-teens—about fourteen or fifteen—likely a couple, quite affectionate. Behind them were another boy and two girls who also looked like… couples. All of them were strikingly good-looking, and judging by their clothes alone, Huo Yuhao—raised in the duke's estate—could tell they weren't wearing anything cheap. Their fabrics and tailoring were on par with Dai Huabin, a legitimate young master of the duke's house.
"Hey, little brother, is that your grilled fish?" Tang Ya leaned in, making Huo Yuhao flush.
This was the first time he'd been so close to such a beautiful big sister.
"Mm." One hand subtly clenched his sleeve; he was a bit self-conscious. "If you're hungry, help yourselves. If it's not enough, there's more…"
Tang Ya thanked him, then unceremoniously picked up a fish and took a bite.
"Hey, not bad."
Tang Ya's eyes lit up.
"I'm Bei Bei, she's Tang Ya. And these are… Su Wen, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng," Bei Bei said, taking the lead socially.
"Oh, I'm Huo Yuhao…" the boy answered, a little stiffly.
Huo's grilled fish—one of the must-try Soul Land II delicacies.
Su Wen glanced silently at Ning Tian. She nodded obediently, her beautiful eyes signaling that Su Wen could decide; Wu Feng grumbled that she wanted a skewer too.
"Ding~"
Huo Yuhao blankly accepted a gold soul coin, which gleamed in the sunlight, radiating the aura of wealth.
"This is…?" His throat bobbed. Though he'd lived in the duke's estate, this was his first time handling a gold soul coin. Previously, the monthly allowance the estate gave his mother was only two silver soul coins. Faced with this gold coin, he couldn't muster any proud lines like "don't bully the poor youth."
"I'm not taking it for free," Su Wen said with a warm smile.
He snapped his fingers lightly.
Rustle—an old tree nearby shivered twice, dropping several purple-striped blackfish, each three to four times the size of the green carp. Even with Huo Yuhao's eyesight, all he caught was a vague flash of a white afterimage.
"Would you help grill these as well?"
"Gulp…" Still unfamiliar with the power of soul masters in this world, Huo Yuhao was shaken to the core.
Su Wen seemed around his age, yet his composed demeanor and unfathomable strength pressed down on him, making him feel even more inferior.
"I can."
He hesitated, then carefully slipped the gold coin into his pocket.
Then he focused on grilling.
The aroma grew richer.
Su Wen handed grilled fish to Ning Tian and Wu Feng, then tasted it himself.
The skin was crisp and the flesh tender. The technique was excellent; the only pity was the limited seasonings, but even so it was quite good. No wonder in the original story, when Yuhao set up a stall outside school charging a silver coin per fish, crowds still fought to buy.
Ning Tian stopped after half a fish. As the young lady of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, she wasn't like that pauper Tang Ya. Su Wen had his own reasons for his tastes; he'd tried every delicacy under the sun. This craft was good—but only just good.
She smoothed her hair, then fed the remaining half to Su Wen, wiping the corner of his mouth with a towel.
Huo Yuhao glanced over with envy, then turned away.
With his mother's vengeance looming, how could he think of anything else?
"Want to team up?" Bei Bei invited.
But Huo Yuhao shook his head and resolutely set off alone—also because his mother had warned him to always stay cautious outside…
"What a pity. I wanted to recruit him into the Tang Sect," Tang Ya said regretfully.
"The Tang Sect still exists?" Wu Feng asked in surprise.
"What are you talking about! Of course the Tang Sect still exists!" Tang Ya bristled like a cat with its tail stepped on.
"Wu Feng…" Ning Tian said softly.
"Oh, wasn't that sect wiped out a few years ago?" Wu Feng blurted. "Who'd have thought there'd still be someone…"
Everyone: "…"
Su Wen shook his head.
That girl's mouth really is venomous. But compared to the original, where Tang Ya reacted to Huo Yuhao saying he only had himself left at home with "That's wonderful," the two of them are equally bad.
They continued onward.
Meanwhile, perched on a branch of an old tree behind them, Gale climbed up and watched the direction Huo Yuhao had gone.
…
"Huff… so hot."
Huo Yuhao scooped up cool stream water and splashed his face, finally clearing his head.
The White Tiger Dagger in his hand loosened a little.
He'd spent a day on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest but hadn't encountered much danger. Seeing no soul beasts around, the boy sat against an old tree. Unconsciously, he took out the gold coin and held it up to the sun—brilliant, dazzling.
Su Wen, Bei Bei, Tang Ya… their figures rose in his mind.
Their poise was so at odds with his own near-fugitive state; the contrast couldn't be starker.
Swoosh!
As the boy reminisced—
A white gleam flashed.
"Something's wrong!"
His heart jolted with alarm.
"Danger!"
…
"Gale's gone, and now the Wind Baboon wants to play godslayer?" Su Wen mused.
The data panel showed that Wind Baboon's fate was pretty ordinary. Compared to Gale's extravagance, its potential wasn't even a one.
Still, the Child of Destiny does get special treatment, huh?
Skydream's appearance needs a plausible setup, and coincidentally, from a god's-eye view, Bei Bei and Tang Ya's route was gradually converging on Huo Yuhao's location.
"Wait and catch the rabbit."
Su Wen gave instructions.
His target was clear—not the Skydream Iceworm itself, but its molting. After its true body fully merged with Huo Yuhao, that molt would be a condensed essence, the last part to fuse. It might not hold 50% of Skydream's current spiritual source, but 30–40% for sure.
Although Skydream had been exploited by Star Dou Forest for ages like a power bank, even after all that draining, its remaining reserves were still considerable.
Perfect timing—his three pet beasts needed resources. This molt would probably feed them for years.
…
Huo Yuhao, relying on the White Tiger Dagger, struggled to take down the Wind Baboon; then Skydream made its entrance.
"Too bad your brother doesn't cry—otherwise I'd be in tears."
"Who—who's talking!" Huo Yuhao felt his scalp prickle, a chill running down his back.
The ground split, and a massive, lustrous white worm burrowed up from below, gazing down at the scrawny boy and sighing.
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