Chapter 44: Silent Strength, Then Destroying the Enemy's Entire Clan
Outside the gates of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
Huo Yuhao stood quietly, clad in a dark silver, rune-etched ice-silk trench coat. The hem of the robe drifted like cold mist, while its surface shimmered faintly with a bluish crystalline sheen, as though refracting the glow of ice crystals. His aura remained aloof and indifferent, giving off a sense of unapproachable coldness.
Of course, if the elegant yet slightly mischievous young girl at his side weren't there, his aura would be even more perfect.
"Yuhao, what kind of soul beast are you planning to choose for your third soul ring?"
Meng Hongchen tilted her head, gazing at his side profile with gentle, doting eyes, a trace of curiosity lacing her tone.
"I've already thought of some options," Huo Yuhao replied calmly. "But the exact choice will depend on what we encounter in the Jingyang Mountain Range."
His decision was clear—he wanted his third soul ring to come from a soul beast with metal control abilities. After all, this ability had enormous advantages when it came to soul guidance devices.
Of course, if he could find a soul beast that not only controlled metal but also possessed spiritual attributes, that would be perfect.
He knew he was being greedy. Metal-controlling soul beasts were already rare, and expecting one to mutate with spiritual abilities as well was almost impossible—on par with the rarity of that Elemental Silver Wolf King.
In truth, his ideal choice was none other than a soul beast like Xiao Hongchen's Three-legged Golden Toad. But such creatures typically lived near rich, high-grade mineral veins, and finding one of suitable age was no easy task.
This time, their hunting ground was the Jingyang Mountain Range, located southwest of Mingdu, the Sun Moon Empire's capital.
This mountain range wasn't only rich in mineral resources but also had nurtured many rare metal-attribute soul beasts. Moreover, spiritual-type soul beasts weren't uncommon either.
The Jingyang Mountains bordered the Evil Demon Forest, where the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters resided. But with Jing Hongchen personally overseeing their expedition, none of the three felt any fear of danger.
Watching his younger sister chat happily with Huo Yuhao, Xiao Hongchen pursed his lips and deliberately looked away. He definitely wasn't going to play the role of a third wheel.
"How are the preparations?"
A calm voice drifted over as Jing Hongchen arrived, his sharp gaze sweeping over his grandson, granddaughter, and Huo Yuhao, noting the closeness between them. He pressed his lips into the faintest of smiles.
"Grandpa. (Dean.)"
The siblings and Huo Yuhao greeted him in unison.
Waving his hand, Jing Hongchen produced a flying-type soul guidance device and handed it directly to Huo Yuhao.
"This time, while you acquire your soul rings, I will protect you from the shadows. But unless necessary, I will not intervene. Everything will depend on the cooperation between the three of you. Do you understand?"
The three exchanged glances and nodded without objection.
"Good. Then let's go."
Led by Jing Hongchen, the trio soon arrived at the outer periphery of the Jingyang Mountain Range. As promised, once they entered the hunting grounds, Jing Hongchen concealed his presence in the dark. Unless they encountered a life-and-death crisis, he would not appear.
Naturally, unlike the Holy Spirit Cult's so-called elder—who seemed to turn every soul beast hunt into a near-extermination—Dean Hongchen's reputation was solid and beyond reproach.
"Let's take a short rest first."
Reaching the edge of the mountains was easy. The true challenge lay in finding soul beasts suitable for their cultivation and attributes.
Fortunately, there was still more than a month before the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament began. They had plenty of time to search.
From his Starlight Ring, Huo Yuhao took out ingredients and began preparing a meal on the spot.
"Wow, Yuhao, you can cook?"
"No way, Yuhao! With skills like this, why didn't you tell us earlier?"
The siblings crowded around curiously. It was their first time seeing him handle ingredients with such practiced ease in the wild.
"Don't act so surprised," Huo Yuhao said lightly. "You both know I'm an orphan. I made my way alone from the Star Luo Empire to the Sun Moon Empire. If I couldn't cook, I wouldn't have survived, much less be standing here talking to you now."
Hearing that, Xiao Hongchen fell silent. He knew Huo Yuhao's background better than most. Precisely because of this, he didn't know how to respond for a moment.
He lifted his eyes slightly, looking at Huo Yuhao. Perhaps… that was why Yuhao, despite his heaven-defying talent, still trained harder than anyone else every single day.
Meng Hongchen, on the other hand, was far more sentimental. She immediately reached out and held Huo Yuhao's hand.
"Yuhao~"
"Stop right there."
Huo Yuhao cut her off before she could continue. He wasn't trying to elicit pity. To him, those childhood experiences were simply facts of life—his, and also Huo Yuhao's. Yes, he was an orphan, but he didn't feel the need to milk sympathy from anyone.
Cheesy words of comfort? He had no use for them. The weak wallowed in the past. The strong… became silently powerful and then annihilated their enemies' entire clan.
Hearing this, both siblings smiled. Yes—this was the Yuhao they knew.
And no matter what, when Yuhao sought vengeance in the future, they would be the first to stand by his side.
Before long, the ingredients he had taken out were transformed into an array of delicious dishes. Strangely enough, though his cooking methods were simple, the flavor was inexplicably mouthwatering.
Perhaps this was the power of 'I think'.
"Here. I even grilled a few fish—come and try."
The aroma had long since tempted the siblings, who immediately pounced on the food.
"Mmm! So fragrant! Not fancy, but it just… hits the spot. Like the taste of childhood."
"Hah, I don't care—today I'm going to eat until I can't move! Yuhao, from now on, you're responsible for keeping me fed!"
Huo Yuhao could only shake his head with a laugh. Too exaggerated. It wasn't as though his ingredients glowed with divine light—how were they eating as though they'd fallen into an illusion?
"Speaking of which," Yuhao said casually, "when I first enrolled in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, if not for the Dean and Director helping me, I had planned to make a living selling grilled fish."
An orphan, in a foreign land with no connections—if not for Lin Jiayi, he truly wouldn't have known how to survive in the Academy.
Of course, the man had recognized his talent. But his help had been genuine, not superficial.
Compared to Huo Yuhao's early struggles in Shrek Academy, Yuhao's own journey could almost be called a perfect start.
Hidden in the shadows, Jing Hongchen couldn't help but smile. What a good child. At least, not an ungrateful one.
Gurgle~
A sudden stomach growl echoed faintly. Jing Hongchen's old face flushed red. The smell really was too good. This kid, Yuhao… to think he even had such talent! No, he definitely had to find a chance to taste it in the future.
"Selling grilled fish?" Meng Hongchen's eyes curved in delight. "If you did, business would surely boom."
"True, Yuhao's grilled fish is incredible," Xiao Hongchen nodded earnestly, clearly not catching his sister's underlying meaning.
"No, no," Meng Hongchen said with a sly grin, "I mean, just look at how handsome Yuhao is. Even if he sold each grilled fish for a gold soul coin, tons of female students would still line up to buy!"
Hopeless. His sister was a complete fangirl—utterly hopeless.
After their meal and a short rest, the trio resumed their trek deeper into the mountains.
—Three days later, deep within the Jingyang Great Forest—
On a mountain peak, Huo Yuhao and the Hongchen siblings concealed their presence with a soul guidance device, quietly observing the distance.
There, amidst a rare metal vein, a massive wolf with golden-brown fur and blood-red eyes was devouring chunks of ore.
"A Golden Wolf King," Huo Yuhao explained. "A gold-attribute wolf-type soul beast. It feeds on rare metals, is violent and bloodthirsty, and often serves as a guardian for Elemental Silver Wolves. A ten-thousand-year Golden Wolf King can match the strength of a Level 5 Soul Engineer."
"Normally, Golden Wolf Kings act in trios. This one must have strayed from its pack."
He glanced at Xiao Hongchen.
"What do you think? Sixteen thousand years of cultivation. Its age and attributes match you perfectly. Want to give it a try?"
—
End of Chapter