"By the way, Brother Tianmeng, if possible, can you make my first spirit ring appear as a yellow hundred-year ring instead? A million-year ring looks way too flashy, and with my current body, I probably couldn't handle that."
"That's possible," Tianmeng Iceworm said with some difficulty. "But if I use my power to disguise it, the spirit ring's original effect might be weakened. You should know, I carefully adjusted it based on your body's current condition."
"It's fine. Just conceal it for now. After all, I shouldn't stand out too much in public."
"Alright, alright. Poor me, having to waste my power on something like this again."
Hearing Tianmeng Iceworm agree, Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction. He definitely didn't want to end up like the Huo Yuhao in the original story,walking around with a bright white spirit ring, getting ridiculed by others before showing off later. That would just be a waste of time and effort.
Soon, Huo Yuhao felt as though his "body," under Tianmeng Iceworm's guidance, was being pulled out of his spiritual sea.
When he opened his eyes, the colorful scenery around him was still the same, but the pain in his body was gone. It seemed Tianmeng Iceworm had healed him.
"What the heck, why is it still like this? Don't tell me I've really gone blind…"
As he thought helplessly, a startled voice rang out, followed by two glowing figures rapidly approaching him while speaking.
"Oh no! We're late! Little Brother Yuhao seems to have been attacked. These soul beasts are getting bolder,they've even come outside the Star Dou Forest!"
One of the figures sped up and stopped beside Huo Yuhao.
Before they could get closer, Huo Yuhao waved his hand to show he was fine.
He glanced at his own hand,it, too, was made of light and mist like the others.
So the problem wasn't with them but with himself. After merging with the original host's memories, Huo Yuhao already understood how to use spirit energy and martial souls.
Finally, he "closed" his Spirit Eyes, and his vision returned to normal.
The glowing mist beside him transformed into a young girl,graceful and lively, charming and pure. On Earth, she would have been an extraordinary beauty. But in Huo Yuhao's current eyes, her beauty felt unreal.
After all, who glows from head to toe like that?
Though she didn't know what Huo Yuhao was thinking, Tang Ya asked anxiously, "Little Yuhao, are you alright? Are you hurt? Why are your clothes all torn?"
"If I hadn't insisted on washing my hands and face, we wouldn't have been delayed. If something had happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."
Seeing Tang Ya's concern, Huo Yuhao smiled awkwardly and said, "Sister Tang, I'm fine, really."
"What's with her? Why is Tang Ya acting so emotional? According to memory, she and Huo Yuhao haven't known each other for long."
He didn't have time to think too much. He just wanted to handle the situation and later sort out his thoughts and plans.
Nearby, Beibei had gone to check the Wind Baboon's condition before looking at Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao's interaction with gentle eyes.
Seeing Tang Ya flustered, Beibei stepped forward and said, "Teacher Xiaoya, don't worry. Yuhao looks fine. Try sensing his body's blood and spirit energy flow,everything's stable. He was probably just knocked out when the Wind Baboon slammed him into a tree."
Huo Yuhao nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Yes, it was reckless of me to come to the Star Dou Forest alone. Thank you, Brother Bei and Sister Tang, for worrying about me. If it weren't for the protective item my mother left me, I'd have been in real danger."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao felt a pang of sadness welling up, tears threatening to fall. He didn't suppress them. He knew these emotions came from the lingering feelings of the body's original owner. After all, he had taken over this person's life,it was only right to fulfill his regrets.
Seeing his sadness, Tang Ya quickly said, "Little Yuhao, are you okay? I didn't mean to bring up something painful."
"I'm fine, Sister Tang. Thank you for your concern. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Wiping his tears, Huo Yuhao looked calm again.
"Wait, Little Yuhao!" Tang Ya called out. "Would you like to join our sect?"
When she'd first met Huo Yuhao and tasted his grilled fish, Tang Ya had felt a strong urge to recruit him into the Tang Sect.
Although Beibei teased her that it was just because she liked his cooking, Tang Ya was completely serious.
For some reason, she had a feeling,if Huo Yuhao joined the Tang Sect, she could definitely revive it someday.
So when she saw him about to leave, she couldn't hold back any longer and invited him.
Beibei, however, looked helpless. He didn't quite understand Tang Ya's decision. Even if the Tang Sect had declined, one couldn't just recruit anyone without an assessment. Normally, a sect would evaluate a person's talent, temperament, and background before accepting them.
After all, both he and Tang Ya were students of Shrek Academy,top-tier students. Though Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass martial soul made her admission somewhat special, it was still impressive.
But to invite a stranger they'd just met, without knowing his background or talent? That was a bit reckless.
Huo Yuhao was stunned. "A sect? What sect?"
"Seriously? Can't escape this fate, huh?" he thought. "But should I join? If not Shrek, then maybe the Sun and Moon Empire?"
"But the original Huo Yuhao's memories don't include a map to the Sun and Moon Empire. Wouldn't that be risky? And it's hard for a native of the three Douluo nations to even get accepted there."
He thought deeply. At this point in time, only two destinations were truly worthwhile,the Sun and Moon Empire or Shrek Academy.
The Sun and Moon Empire had abundant resources, and with his knowledge of soul tools, he could possibly gain favor there. But it might take a long time to find an opportunity.
Shrek Academy, though full of pitfalls, was still the continent's number-one academy. It was famous, and following the original story's trajectory might make things easier.
As for the Body Sect? It was a reclusive organization,nearly impossible to find without making a name for oneself first.
Waiting for them to show up would waste precious time. Though Huo Yuhao's innate talent wasn't great, he could still cultivate. Missing the best years for training would make things much harder later.
He had just arrived in this world. Rather than wandering aimlessly, it was better to follow the original path and adapt from there.
Having made up his mind, he waited for Tang Ya's response.
Meanwhile, Beibei pulled Tang Ya aside. "Xiaoya, are you sure about this? You really want to take Little Brother Huo into our Tang Sect? Don't tell me it's just because of his grilled fish."
Tang Ya pouted slightly. "No! Look at him,he came to the Star Dou Forest alone. When he mentioned his mother, he looked so sad. He's still so young, so he probably doesn't belong to any other sect. Otherwise, even an academy would have sent a teacher to accompany him."
"We've waited this long, and no mentor has shown up. Besides, as you said yourself,he's mature and brave. Definitely a good seedling. And you agreed before, didn't you?"
Beibei sighed. "Fine. You're the sect master, after all. I won't object. But we should at least run some tests first. Leave that to me,don't say anything yet."
Then Beibei approached Huo Yuhao and said, "Our sect is the Tang Sect, once the number-one sect on the continent. But today, it has declined and lost its former glory."
"Teacher Xiaoya and I are its last disciples. She's also the current sect master."
His tone grew solemn. "Although the Tang Sect has fallen, we still have the ancestral techniques and some remaining resources. We can provide a place and means for your cultivation. If you wish, you can even use our Tang Sect status to enter Shrek Academy, the continent's top academy."
"So, Little Brother Huo, I must ask,are you willing to join the Tang Sect and take on the duty of reviving it?"
"Joining a sect is no small matter. Though the Tang Sect is no longer powerful, it was once the greatest sect in the world. If you ever betray it in the future, neither I nor Tang Ya will forgive you."
"Now, please consider carefully."
Behind Beibei, Tang Ya looked at Huo Yuhao expectantly, her heart filled with both hope and anxiety, afraid he might reject them.
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. "Brother Bei, Sister Tang, may I have some time to think about it?"
"Of course," Beibei said. "It's an important decision. For now, I need to accompany Teacher Xiaoya to hunt a spirit ring. Would you like to come along? We can escort you back to the city later."
Huo Yuhao nodded. Beibei then handed him a spare piece of clothing. "It might not fit perfectly, but wear it for now."
After putting it on, Huo Yuhao followed Beibei and Tang Ya deeper into the Star Dou Forest.
Now that he finally had some peace of mind, he began sorting through all the information since arriving in this world,his new soul skill from Tianmeng Iceworm, and the changes in his Spirit Eyes after transmigrating.
He didn't believe the Spirit Eyes' perception in the original world had been like this. Most likely, his arrival had caused a mutation.
As they walked, Huo Yuhao activated his Spirit Eyes, and with their enhanced physical abilities, he barely managed to keep up with Beibei and Tang Ya. Without their deliberate restraint, he would've struggled far more.
Thanks to this, Huo Yuhao started understanding his martial soul's true abilities.
Setting aside the four soul skills given by Tianmeng Iceworm, his Spirit Eyes had changed drastically compared to the original,so much that they could hardly be called the same.
Perhaps due to his status as an otherworldly soul, the Spirit Eyes now analyzed the world in layered detail, breaking everything down into intricate components.
For example, Beibei, Tang Ya, even himself,under his Spirit Eyes, they were deconstructed to their most fundamental structures, which he could rearrange or re-layer through conscious control.
He called the deepest layer the "soul." Through observing it, he noticed subtle differences between his own soul and theirs.
Beibei and Tang Ya's souls were distinct from each other, yet both belonged to the same plane.
At Tang Ya's soul's head region, there was a faint blue-golden light. Huo Yuhao didn't yet know what it was, but he memorized its structure carefully.
Beyond the soul layer was the spiritual layer, and beyond that, the physical layer. For instance, he could now clearly see the flow of soul power and blood energy within Beibei and Tang Ya's bodies.
"So this is the Xuantian Technique? It does look superior to my own basic soul power method."
"But it seems the soul power deliberately avoids certain meridians, not interacting with the blood energy in those areas. Looks like Tang San must've cut out those parts."
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