Zhu Ziyang returned alone from the Star Dou Great Forest to Shrek Academy. Why didn't Wu Huan'er come with him?
The reason was simple: Di Tian was unwilling to let the Auspicious Beast, bearer of the soul beast clan's fortune, leave the Star Dou Great Forest again, and Zhu Ziyang needed a liaison to maintain contact with the Star Dou soul beast clan, so Wu Huan'er stayed behind.
Of course, this was only temporary. Once Shrek Academy began constructing the soul spirit system, Wu Huan'er would no longer need to remain in the Star Dou Great Forest. At that time, even if Di Tian was unwilling, it would be useless.
Upon returning to Shrek Academy, Jiang Nannan, Qian Lingyi, and Ma Xiaotao were all in secluded cultivation, so he did not see them. After the three women returned to the academy, they rested briefly for a day or two before successively entering the underground world of the Golden Ancient Tree for secluded cultivation.
They had each set a goal. Ma Xiaotao was naturally aiming for the level 95 Super Douluo realm. Jiang Nannan, currently at level 86, planned to achieve the Title Douluo realm before she turned twenty-two—there was still about a year left. As for Qian Lingyi, she first needed to reach the Soul Douluo realm. Among the five beauties closely related to Zhu Ziyang, her cultivation was the weakest, though this wasn't her fault. After all, the others had the assistance of god trials, while she could only rely on her own cultivation.
However, despite lacking the extra boost of a god trial, Qian Lingyi, with her innate talent and opportunities, had now reached level 79. It was likely that in at most a month, she would reach the Soul Douluo realm. A twenty-year-old Soul Douluo would absolutely be one of the top-tier geniuses in the history of the soul master world.
A few days later, by the shore of Sea God Lake, Zhu Ziyang was playing with Xingcai and two Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear cubs that could now walk on their own, while also waiting for someone.
"Senior Brother, I'm here." The person he was waiting for soon arrived—it was Huo Yuhao. However, compared to the last time they met, Huo Yuhao now appeared quite haggard.
"Mm, let's go. I'll take you to a place." Zhu Ziyang said with a comforting expression, patting Huo Yuhao's shoulder before flying ahead toward the outside of the academy.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao immediately followed, chasing after him with all his might.
The two left Shrek Academy one after the other. With Zhu Ziyang deliberately slowing down, Huo Yuhao quickly caught up. After all, Zhu Ziyang was a level 97 Super Douluo, while Huo Yuhao was only a high-level Soul King in his fifties—their speeds were not on the same level.
"Senior Brother, where are we going?" Huo Yuhao asked breathlessly, barely keeping up with Zhu Ziyang at full speed.
"A treasured land. Your opportunity lies there." Zhu Ziyang said calmly.
"Oh!" Huo Yuhao didn't press further but showed a trace of gloom. "Senior Brother, the god who attacked Xiao Xiao—was it the Sea God?"
"Oh? Tell me your thoughts." Zhu Ziyang asked without changing his expression.
"Because of the Teacher's words," Huo Yuhao said. He wasn't stupid—on the contrary, he was very clever. After returning from the Heavenly Origin Pavilion that day, he had been pondering Zhu Ziyang's words and Mu En's words. Ultimately, he grasped the hidden meaning in Mu En's words. "Teacher left three final messages: one for you, Senior Brother; one for the Soul Guidance Department; and one that seemed somewhat inexplicable.
But I think Teacher changing the Sea God Pavilion to the Heavenly Origin Pavilion before his death was not without reason. The possible explanation is that the Teacher sensed the Sea God's ill intentions!"
"Mm!" Zhu Ziyang looked at Huo Yuhao with appreciation, thinking to himself that this kid was truly sharp—one hint and he understood. He said, "If it really is the Sea God, what will you do?"
"It really is the Sea God!" Huo Yuhao confirmed the correctness of his guess from Zhu Ziyang's attitude. A flash of hatred crossed his eyes as he asked, "Senior Brother, why did the Sea God attack Xiao Xiao?"
"Why?" Zhu Ziyang said calmly. "Very simple—because she is your lover!"
"Because she is my lover?" Huo Yuhao's body shook, his face filled with confusion and incomprehension. "Just because Xiao Xiao is my lover? But why?"
"Because you are creating a god!" Zhu Ziyang said in an extremely calm tone. "The Sea God will not allow you to succeed in creating a god."
"!!!" Hearing Zhu Ziyang's words, Huo Yuhao was completely stunned. He stopped in his tracks, looking at Zhu Ziyang in disbelief, stammering, "S-Senior Brother, y-you know about Brother Tianmeng's existence?"
"Mm." Zhu Ziyang didn't turn back. "Don't stop. Keep going."
"Oh, oh!" Huo Yuhao quickly caught up and asked, "Senior Brother, when did you find out?"
"Hehe, that's not important. What matters is that your plan with that big bug is good, but with the Sea God's existence, the chance of your plan succeeding is extremely slim—almost impossible." Zhu Ziyang said.
"Why? Just because we want to become gods, the Sea God has to strike against me?" Huo Yuhao couldn't understand. "We haven't even seen the shadow of a god, yet the Sea God is so eager to attack me and Xiao Xiao. Isn't that too overbearing and unreasonable?"
Huo Yuhao's face was now filled with disgust, unwillingness, and resistance—the normal reaction of an ordinary person facing oppression and enslavement.
"This world is, after all, one where strength reigns supreme!" Zhu Ziyang turned and patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "If you want to break free from this fate of being slaughtered and manipulated, the only way is to gain strength that can contend with it. So, Junior Brother, work hard. Your future has only one path: becoming a god—unless you are willing to watch Xiao Xiao die!"
"Senior Brother, I will definitely become a god!" Huo Yuhao's attitude was extremely firm. He shouted, "I will definitely storm the God Realm and seize Xiao Xiao back from the Sea God's hands!"
"Very good, ambitious!" Zhu Ziyang smiled and gave Huo Yuhao a thumbs-up. "Junior Brother, you are not alone. We will fight side by side."
"Mm!" Huo Yuhao nodded with eyes full of gratitude. At this moment, he still didn't know what Zhu Ziyang's words truly meant.
The two soon arrived at their destination: the Sunset Forest.
That's right—the treasured land Zhu Ziyang wanted to bring Huo Yuhao to was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. As the backup plan left by the Sea God Tang San in the human world, Zhu Ziyang was very curious about the book he had left for the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. Of course, sabotaging the Sea God's backup plan was the most important. A treasured land like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well belonged not to gods, but to the Douluo Continent. The Sea God's act of occupying the magpie's nest was utterly shameful.
"Where is this?" The two appeared in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Huo Yuhao looked in shock at the countless spiritual herbs shrouded in precious qi and asked curiously.
"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—a heavenly paradise for plants." Zhu Ziyang said, pulling Huo Yuhao to the spot between the two springs, where a large pink flower swayed in the wind.
"It's you! Why are you here again?" The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass immediately sensed Zhu Ziyang's aura and cried out in collapse.
"I'm here to pick some herbs and, by the way, brought you a person." Zhu Ziyang said calmly. In his heart, this Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was an immortal herb that absolutely had to be removed. As the Sea God's most loyal lackey on the surface of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Zhu Ziyang would never allow it to remain there.
"Huh?" The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass didn't react for a moment, but Huo Yuhao had already been pushed beside it by Zhu Ziyang.
"Huo Yuhao, heir of the Tang Sect—he should be the person you've been waiting for." Zhu Ziyang said.
"Really?" The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass's voice immediately filled with delight. Its huge flower swayed toward Huo Yuhao and asked, "Are you really from the Tang Sect?"
"Y-Yes." Huo Yuhao was a bit confused, not understanding why Zhu Ziyang had brought him here or why a large flower could speak human words. Still, he nodded in agreement. Although he now felt some aversion to his Tang Sect identity because of the Sea God, the Sea God was the Sea God, and the Tang Sect was the Tang Sect. The current Sea God was no longer worthy of the Tang Sect's worship!
Besides, the Sea God's Tang Sect had long been destroyed. The current Tang Sect belonged to them and could no longer be compared to the old one. This was evident from the sect leader, Tang Ya. However, the name Tang Sect was still prone to misunderstandings. Maybe when he gets back, he should ask Teacher Xiao Ya if they should change the name?
Huo Yuhao's mind wandered, but he had already begun exchanging signals with the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, starting its test to obtain the book left by Tang San.
Meanwhile, Zhu Ziyang began selecting herbs. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had a complete variety of spiritual herbs in abundant quantities. All the herbs Zhu Ziyang needed were here, and their quality was top-notch. As he picked them, the smile on his face never faded.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"The novel is already finished on Patreon."
[email protected]/facficmax10