Chapter 39: Personal Disciple of the Body Sect Master? Huo Yuhao's Extreme Envy!
Amidst the howling wind and blinding snow of the Far North, Du Busi's figure flickered. In an instant, he materialized directly above the icy slope where Huo Yuhao lay hidden, as though he had simply stepped through the fabric of space itself.
He hadn't even summoned his Martial Soul. Yet, the mortal shell of a Level 98 Super Douluo had long since shed its earthly limitations, reborn into something terrifying. Even his casual, unhurried strides through the freezing air outpaced Liu Yuan's maximum speed with the Qilin Precious Technique fully unleashed.
Hovering effortlessly in the turbulent sky, Du Busi cast a heavy gaze downward, locking onto the thin, shivering youth buried in the snowdrift. Through his vast spiritual perception, he could feel the boy's mental fluctuations—erratic, highly active, and radiating an exceptionally pure Body attribute aura.
"A human?" Du Busi's thick brows furrowed. "And one possessing a Body Martial Soul?" A flicker of genuine surprise crossed his deep green eyes.
Below, Huo Yuhao froze. His breath hitched in his throat, his muscles locking up entirely. He stared up awkwardly at the imposing old man suspended in the sky, not daring to twitch a single finger. The sheer pressure radiating from the figure felt like a mountain pressing down on his fragile spine.
Deep within his Spiritual Sea, a terrifying quiet had fallen. The usually boisterous Skydream Iceworm and the fiercely arrogant Ice Empress were completely mute. Confronted by a pinnacle human powerhouse of this caliber, the two legendary entities had instantly retracted their auras to the absolute limit. They played dead, terrified that leaking even a fraction of their presence would invite immediate annihilation.
"Brat." Du Busi's voice boomed, deep and interrogative. He didn't shout, but his words were laced with dense soul power. The sheer acoustic force caused the surrounding snowbanks to shudder and collapse, triggering miniature avalanches down the icy slopes. "Why were you skulking in the shadows, spying on us?"
Huo Yuhao swallowed hard, his throat dry despite the freezing cold. He forced his trembling voice out. "Senior... I was merely passing through. I heard a massive commotion echoing across the tundra. Curiosity got the better of me, so I came to take a look." He kept his head lowered, adopting a posture of absolute submission. "But my cultivation is pitifully low. I didn't dare approach the battlefield, so I only watched from a great distance."
Du Busi did not reply immediately. He simply floated there, his scrutinizing gaze boring into the boy like a physical weight, weighing every syllable for falsehood.
A sudden crackle of blue lightning shattered the heavy silence. Liu Yuan finally caught up, his boots touching down lightly on the frozen earth beside Du Busi. The mystical light of his Double Pupils swept over the trembling youth in the snow. A flash of genuine surprise broke his usually calm demeanor.
"Huo Yuhao?" Liu Yuan called out, his tone laced with dry amusement. "What are you doing all the way out here?"
Hearing that familiar, steady voice, Huo Yuhao lifted his head. A myriad of complex emotions—relief, shock, and a bitter sense of inferiority—swirled in his eyes as he looked at Liu Yuan. He slowly pushed himself up from the snowdrift, brushing the icy powder from his thin clothes.
"Liu Yuan," he replied, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's been a long time." He paused, glancing at the devastated landscape behind them. "Your battle just now... I saw the whole thing. I never imagined you would have grown this powerful."
Liu Yuan shifted his gaze from Huo Yuhao to Du Busi. The divine light swirling within his Double Pupils gradually faded, returning his eyes to a placid, dark depth. A faint, pragmatic smile touched his lips. "Just a bit of luck," he said smoothly. "And an excellent Master to guide me."
Turning toward the imposing old man, Liu Yuan offered a respectful bow. "Master, this is an old acquaintance of mine. He is also the possessor of a Body Martial Soul—the Spirit Eyes. I can vouch for his character; he means no harm."
Hearing his prized disciple step forward to defend the boy, the razor-sharp hostility radiating from Du Busi noticeably softened. He let out a cold, haughty snort, his boots finally touching the snowy ground. "Since he is an acquaintance of yours, I will overlook this intrusion."
Liu Yuan closed the distance between them. He took in Huo Yuhao's pale, frostbitten complexion and the painfully thin clothes that offered little protection against the Far North's lethal cold. Reaching out, he gave the boy's shoulder a firm, grounding pat.
"Running into each other in a wasteland like this is fate," Liu Yuan said, his tone carrying a rare warmth. "Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, you treated me to your roasted fish. Today, I'm returning the favor. Come on. The flesh of a Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Gorilla isn't something ordinary people get to taste in a lifetime."
Huo Yuhao blinked, momentarily stunned by the casual invitation. The tension draining from his shoulders, he nodded mutely and followed Liu Yuan's steady footsteps.
The trio gathered around the colossal, battered carcass of the Ten-Thousand-Year soul beast. With practiced precision, Liu Yuan drew a blade and began carving out the most tender, energy-rich cuts from the Ice Gorilla's flank. Meanwhile, Du Busi strolled over to a massive, jagged ice boulder, claiming a sheltered spot behind it with the casual air of a king taking his throne.
Raising a hand, Du Busi pinched two fingers together and gave a dismissive flick. A brilliant, jade-green dome of soul power instantly expanded outward. It formed a perfect hemisphere, completely isolating the howling blizzard and the lethal frost of the Far North. Inside this artificial sanctuary, the biting cold vanished. The temperature climbed rapidly, soon settling into a comfortable, soothing warmth.
Liu Yuan quickly gathered kindling and sparked a roaring campfire. He skewered the thick slabs of Ten-Thousand-Year soul beast meat and set them over the dancing flames. Soon, golden grease began to bubble on the surface, dripping down into the fire with sharp, satisfying sizzles. A rich, mouth-watering aroma of roasted meat bloomed, filling the enclosed jade barrier.
"Here. Try it." Liu Yuan pulled a massive, perfectly roasted slab from the fire—its exterior seared to a crispy golden-brown—and handed it to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao accepted the skewer, the heat radiating against his numb fingers. He took a cautious bite. The moment the tender meat touched his tongue, a rush of savory juices exploded in his mouth. More, a potent, fiery surge of pure soul energy flowed down his throat, spreading rapidly through his meridians. The lingering chill in his bones was instantly banished, replaced by a deep, comforting heat.
"It's incredible," Huo Yuhao mumbled around a mouthful, his eyes widening. "Thank you, Liu Yuan."
They ate in comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, Huo Yuhao stole a cautious glance at Du Busi, who sat leaning against the ice boulder with his eyes closed in serene meditation.
Leaning closer to Liu Yuan, Huo Yuhao lowered his voice to a whisper. "Liu Yuan... this Senior... he must be a top expert from the Body Sect, right? Did you actually manage to find them?"
Liu Yuan took a slow bite of his own meal, chewing thoughtfully before nodding. A rare, subtle hint of pride colored his steady tone. "I found them. And he isn't just an expert. He is the Sect Master of the Body Sect."
"The Sect Master?!" Huo Yuhao choked. The skewer in his hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the precious meat into the snow. His jaw slacked as he stared at the resting old man in absolute horror and awe.
He had assumed the old man was merely a high-ranking Elder. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Liu Yuan had been taken in as the direct, personal disciple of the absolute highest authority within the legendary Body Sect. A heavy, suffocating wave of envy clawed at Huo Yuhao's chest. It was an ugly, bitter feeling, but he couldn't suppress it.
His thoughts inevitably drifted back to his own miserable reality at Shrek Academy. The savory taste of the meat suddenly turned to ash in his mouth. His shoulders slumped, a dark cloud of depression settling over his features.
He had bled for Shrek. He had pushed himself to the absolute brink of death, fighting tooth and nail alongside Wang Dong to secure the title of Freshman Tournament Champion. Yet, what was his reward? Because he carried the cursed label of Innate Soul Power Rank 1, the upper echelon of the academy had coldly barred him from becoming a Core Disciple of the Martial Soul Department. They had tossed him a token reward like a beggar, dismissing his blood, sweat, and tears as a mere fluke.
The crushing humiliation of being discarded and unrecognized by the so-called number one academy in the continent was now magnified a thousandfold. Sitting here, witnessing the sheer reverence and absolute backing Liu Yuan received, Huo Yuhao felt incredibly small.
Liu Yuan's sharp eyes didn't miss the sudden darkening of the boy's expression. "What's wrong?" he asked, his tone laced with genuine curiosity. "You look awful. Did you run into trouble back at Shrek?"
Huo Yuhao ducked his head, letting his messy bangs shadow his eyes. The shame of being deemed worthless by his own academy burned his throat. He couldn't bring himself to voice the humiliation out loud. He simply shook his head in silence.
Unaware of the exact nature of Huo Yuhao's inner turmoil, Liu Yuan casually stoked the fire. "The Body Sect is a good place," he continued smoothly. "Everyone there treats me exceptionally well."
"When I hit my Rank 30 bottleneck recently, Master pushed aside all his sect duties. He personally escorted me all the way to the Far North just to ensure I secured the most optimal soul ring."
"Master always says that for those of us with a Body Martial Soul, we must push our physical vessels to the absolute limit. We can't afford to be shackled by the rigid, outdated cultivation methods of ordinary Soul Masters."
Listening to Liu Yuan casually describe how a Level 98 Super Douluo took personal charge of his growth, and how an entire hidden sect tilted its vast resources solely for his benefit, Huo Yuhao's envy bled onto his face. Wasn't this exactly what he had been desperately praying for? A master who believed in him? A faction that offered tailor-made cultivation instead of blind prejudice?
Liu Yuan fell silent for a moment. He studied Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes intently, the firelight reflecting in his dark pupils. Then, his voice dropped into a tone of earnest, pragmatic invitation.
"Yuhao, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Since we both possess Body Martial Souls... why don't you consider joining the Body Sect?"
"Compared to a place like Shrek—an academy bloated on its own ancient reputation and suffocated by rigid, elitist rules—the Body Sect is where you truly belong."
"Here, no one will look down on you for your innate soul power rank or your mutated Martial Soul. The Sect Master and the Elders will teach you how to truly unearth the terrifying potential hiding within your eyes."
He held the boy's gaze, his offer hanging heavy in the warm air. "Do you want to leave Shrek... and come back to the Body Sect with me?"
Huo Yuhao's knuckles turned white as he gripped the wooden skewer. He stared blankly into the crackling flames, completely paralyzed by the weight of the offer, and fell into a long, suffocating silence.
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