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Huo Yu'er's family was part of the first generation of nobility, not a lineage passed down through generations. Their title and land were granted due to their contributions during the war with the Star Luo Empire over a decade ago.
The strongest member of the family was Huo Yu'er's grandmother, who had reached the peak of Soul Sage. Her title was that of an earl, which placed her in a middling position within the Tian Dou Empire—better than some, worse than others. If her status were transferred to one of the subordinate kingdoms or duchies, her power and standing could even rival that of a marquis. Considering they started from humble beginnings, this was already quite an achievement.
Because they were a first-generation noble family, Huo Rui didn't carry much airs and held no prejudice against Ye Wen for his commoner background. The two ended up conversing quite pleasantly.
"Grandma Huo, the reason I came back with Yu'er this time is to ask for your help—or that of another elder—in hunting for my first soul ring," Ye Wen said with slight embarrassment.
It couldn't be helped. Though he had grown accustomed to relying on connections, Ye Wen, who had always prided himself on being self-reliant, was still unused to "eating soft rice," especially when it came to asking favors from someone of Grandma Huo's stature.
However, Huo Rui didn't feel burdened by Ye Wen's request at all. On the contrary, her eyes lit up with excitement.
From their earlier conversation, she had learned that this boy was a soul master of commoner origins. Despite only being in soul master training for about a year, he had already reached Level 10. While his talent might not match her granddaughter's, it was still quite impressive.
More importantly, her granddaughter had taken a liking to him.
They shared mutual affection, and the gap in their talents wasn't too vast, which meant the likelihood of future disagreements over emotions would be minimal.
Thinking of her granddaughter's future happiness, Huo Rui's face softened into a warm, grandmotherly smile.
"No problem at all. Leave your soul ring to me, Grandma will take care of it," Huo Rui confidently assured him.
Ye Wen was momentarily stunned. He had expected her to send at most a Soul Elder or Soul King to assist him—not that she herself would personally step in.
Instinctively, he tried to decline.
But Huo Rui, who had once lived among the common folk, immediately saw through Ye Wen's thoughts and preemptively cut him off.
"There's no need to feel burdened. We're all family now. There's no need to draw such clear lines."
As she spoke, her eyes brimmed with emotion.
She recalled how her younger brother, overly stubborn and unwilling to accept her help, had perished prematurely in the soul beast forest.
Since then, Huo Rui had vowed that as long as someone was family, they would face any problem together. She wouldn't let anyone risk danger out of pride.
Ye Wen opened his mouth, wanting to say that such excessive favoritism amounted to spoiling and could weaken a child or destabilize the family's future.
But the feeling of having such a powerful ally who genuinely wanted to protect him was undeniably comforting.
At that moment, Ye Wen silently swore to himself: Once he grew stronger, he would help elevate the Huo family to new heights.
'Hmm, after Tang San ascends to godhood and leaves this world, I'll take down the Star Luo Empire. This Huo family must be the ancestral root of Huo Yun'er, the mother of the protagonist in Douluo II. I'll nip that future tragedy in the bud.'
"Thank you, Grandma. And I promise—I will treat Yu'er well in the future," Ye Wen earnestly vowed.
Huo Rui nodded in satisfaction. It seemed her future grandson-in-law was not only talented but also quite intelligent.
Beside them, Huo Yu'er listened to Ye Wen's promise without saying anything outwardly. However, her delicate cheeks flushed red with delight, clearly overjoyed. This made Xiao Wu, standing nearby, grow increasingly irked.
"You despicable little human brat, how dare you steal Sister Yu'er from me. You're done for!"
After another round of familial pleasantries, Huo Rui finally steered the conversation toward the main topic.
"By the way, Little Wen, what kind of soul beast are you looking for? Tell Grandma about it—I might know where to find it."
Ye Wen honestly shared his intention to hunt for the Parasitic Fungus Demon.
"A Parasitic Fungus Demon?"
Upon hearing the name, Huo Rui's expression turned serious.
Ye Wen noticed the change and cautiously asked, "Is there something wrong with this soul beast, Grandma Huo?"
Huo Rui shook her head. "No issue at all. Your first soul ring will require a Parasitic Fungus Demon of around four hundred years, which is no challenge for me.
However, because of its high medicinal value, many soul masters these days aren't hunting it for its soul ring but specifically for its other uses. As a result, I'm not sure where to find one right now.
So, I want to ask you—are you certain you only want this specific soul beast? Do you have no other alternatives?"
Ye Wen's lips twitched, his expression turning bitter. Now he understood why the newer edition of 'Basic Knowledge of Soul Beasts' had removed information about this soul beast.
Clearly, excessive hunting had driven it to the brink of endangerment.
Still, this was unsurprising. Whenever something proved profitable, humans would go mad pursuing it. Without the Spirit Hall suppressing soul masters in this era, soul masters would have hunted soul beasts even more recklessly. By the time of Douluo III and IV, soul beast forests had become cages, and some soul beasts were forced to flee to other planets in outer space.
Ye Wen shook his head bitterly. "I'm sorry, Grandma Huo. My martial soul is rather unique. After researching for half a day, I've determined that this soul beast is the only one suitable for my early soul rings."
Huo Rui nodded thoughtfully, her gaze growing more appreciative of Ye Wen.
He was a good child who knew how to study and think critically.
Having risen from the lowest rungs to her current position, Huo Rui understood that a soul master needed not only formidable strength but also a sharp mind. Otherwise, they'd end up like those clueless fighters in the spirit arenas, dying without knowing why.
And because she had come from humble beginnings, Huo Rui knew Ye Wen's access to books was limited. She called for the steward and handed over all the soul beast books in her possession to Ye Wen.
Seeing the towering pile of soul beast books—taller than both him and Xiao Wu combined—Ye Wen was utterly astonished. 'What kind of angel investor is this?!'
Huo Rui smiled kindly. "Take your time reading through these books. Then tell me what kind of soul beast you're looking for. If you still can't find what you need in these guides, I'll go to the trouble of helping you locate a Parasitic Fungus Demon."
"All right, Grandma Huo!" Ye Wen replied with excitement and gratitude.
For the next several days, Ye Wen and Xiao Wu spent their time studying and enjoying themselves at the Huo residence, living quite leisurely.
However, only Huo Yu'er noticed a persistent shadow following them.
"Just one Soul Sage, huh? I thought this hundred-thousand-year soul beast had been abducted," Tang Hao observed silently from the shadows.
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