"Haodong Power..." Huo Yuhao murmured to himself. Yes, in this lifetime, in order to avoid entanglement with Tang Shenwang, he had resolutely chosen to keep his distance from Tang Wutong—who now went by the alias Wang Dong'er. As a result, the powerful fusion technique they once prided themselves on, Haodong Power, could no longer exist. But this time, things were different—because now, he had Bibi Dong by his side.
Held tightly in Huo Yuhao's arms, Bibi Dong felt an inexplicable stir of emotion. Once, when she was still a young girl, she too had longed to be embraced like this by the man she loved. But back then, due to her own inferiority complex, he had hardly even held her hand...
"Yuhao…"
In a quiet corner of the palace, the spiritual projections of Skydream Iceworm and Electrolux observed the intimate scene, both of them wearing what could only be described as doting, auntie-like smiles.
"Old man, take a guess—what do you think they'll do next?" Skydream Iceworm chuckled wickedly.
"My guess? An earth-shattering kiss!" Electrolux responded with shameless certainty.
"Maybe... Her Majesty the Empress will even let Yuhao carry her to bed and... you know." Skydream continued with a mischievous grin.
"It's hard to say. Back when I was young…"
But how could their conversation possibly escape Bibi Dong's divine senses?
Her face flushed bright red as she abruptly tore herself out of Huo Yuhao's embrace. With a cold, embarrassed glare and a sharp flick of her wrist, she unleashed a powerful energy blast at the gossiping duo.
"Spare us, Your Majesty!"
BOOM!
The Iceworm and the old man were sent flying by the explosion.
Scratching his head with a sheepish grin, Huo Yuhao watched as the furious Bibi Dong stormed off to chase the two troublemakers. Not daring to linger, he quickly exited the Sea of Consciousness.
Not far away, Wang Dong was already fighting several freshmen.
Shrek Academy was vast, with large open areas between buildings. After stepping out of the dorms, Wang Dong and a group of students had begun brawling right on the open ground.
Disguised as a boy, the already stunningly beautiful Wang Dong appeared breathtakingly handsome. Ironically, this only fueled the envy and hostility of his male peers. Most of them harbored some degree of resentment toward someone who was both better looking and stronger than them.
Although the academy had strict rules forbidding private fights, everyone tactfully avoided using their martial spirits. Relying instead on their physically refined bodies—hardened by divine energy—they clashed with raw strength. Even when outnumbered, Wang Dong still held the upper hand with ease.
Huo Yuhao smirked devilishly.
"Well then, let these rowdy kids give this spoiled little princess a good lesson."
He activated Spiritual Detection Sharing.
Suddenly, the surrounding students felt an overwhelming surge of spiritual power. Before they could react, their senses were linked through the spiritual network. To them, Wang Dong's movements began to appear full of openings.
"Get him! Beat him good!"
Someone shouted, and the tide turned.
Catching Wang Dong off-guard, a solid punch landed right on his eye socket.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In mere seconds, Wang Dong was struck several more times. Of course, the attackers had no idea this "guy" was actually a girl, so they hit wherever they pleased.
"Ahhh—!!"
Enraged after the barrage, Wang Dong's eyes flared with fury. With a shout, a golden trident symbol blazed to life on her forehead.
A wave of golden energy burst from her body, sweeping out in all directions. The overexcited freshmen were instantly knocked unconscious.
"Damn, if you can't handle it, don't start the fight in the first place!" Huo Yuhao quickly retracted his spiritual power and quietly backed away.
A real powerhouse makes all the difference.
As the biggest bug-level character in the story, even dozens of low-level students couldn't possibly harm Wang Dong. If things went too far, a divine Rain of Asura Swords might fall at any moment.
What happened next had nothing to do with Huo Yuhao. The sky was getting dark, and after a whole day of stirring up chaos, wasn't it about time he returned to his cozy haven?
Let them keep fighting. Let them keep dancing...
---
Back at the inn, the girls—Wufeng and her companions—were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a stranger stood waiting. Judging from his aura, he was at least a Soul Sage.
Where was the promised "gentle haven"?
Upon seeing Huo Yuhao, the stranger bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Young Master Huo. I am a retainer of the young mistress."
Huo Yuhao quickly understood. As the heir of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, there was no way Ning Tian would travel without some elite protectors in tow.
"She left you here. Did she have instructions for me?" Huo Yuhao casually sat on the bed, crossing one leg over the other with a faint smile as he sized the man up.
With so many powerful tools at his disposal, Huo Yuhao wasn't the least bit afraid of a mere Soul Sage.
"Yes, the young mistress recently acquired a residence in Shrek City, close to the academy," the man replied, inwardly shaken by Huo Yuhao's calm demeanor. "I was sent to invite you to visit."
"Lead the way."
Huo Yuhao had no intention of staying in this small inn forever anyway. With or without Ning Tian, he would've needed his own place in Shrek sooner or later.
"Please, follow me."
As they left, the guard led the way with Huo Yuhao trailing behind, hands behind his head, the picture of relaxed confidence.
"Young Master Huo," the man finally asked, unable to suppress his curiosity, "if I may be so bold—what is your relationship with the young mistress?"
"I'm her… furnace." Huo Yuhao replied nonchalantly.
Furnace?
The man nearly tripped over his own feet. His mouth twitched violently.
"Young Master Huo, that kind of joke… might be too much."
"Ask her yourself." Huo Yuhao shrugged, totally unfazed.
The guard fell silent, internally debating whether he should report this to the sect. After all, Huo Yuhao looked quite young. Their young mistress was just beginning to experience love… If anything really happened between them, fixing it later would be impossible.
Eventually, the two arrived at a lavish two-story villa surrounded by a man-made pond and a garden full of rare flowers. It was the kind of extravagant home only the wealthy could afford.
"Young Master Huo, we've arrived. I must take my leave now."
Huo Yuhao nodded, clearly not treating the man with much regard.
"One last word, if I may," the man said, just as Huo Yuhao reached for the courtyard door.
"The young mistress is a once-in-a-millennium genius. She carries the hopes of our entire sect. I hope you won't become too involved with her."
"I hear you." Huo Yuhao didn't even look back.
Come on. They're already sleeping together. It's only a matter of time before the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect gets an unexpected son-in-law.
The guard said no more, vanishing into the shadows.
This was no small matter. He had to report it immediately. With that, he picked up speed and darted toward the outskirts of Shrek City.
---
"Any man who threatens me… doesn't need to go back."
A voice as soft and intoxicating as silk sounded beside the guard's ear. Just as he tried to react, he realized—with horror—that he couldn't feel his legs.
They were gone.
Severed clean off.
Panic-stricken, he activated his Martial Spirit—Gale Wolf. Even without legs, he still had hope of escaping.
From the shadows, a graceful figure emerged. She was stunning beyond belief—her delicate features bathed in moonlight, her smile serene and unworldly.
"You… you're… Huo Yuhao's…"
The guard stammered, but couldn't finish his sentence. Because what he saw next was utterly terrifying:
Seven black rings. One red.
Eight soul rings slowly rose from beneath her feet. A bloody puppet flickered behind her, radiating deadly intent.
"These days, I've been in a terrible mood," Zhongli Yu said gently. "My Holy Son actually ran off to Shrek to fool around with a few little girls, leaving me behind."
"Tell me… doesn't that just piss you off?"
She admired her snow-white hand with an almost casual smile. Her expression was so calm, no one could ever associate her with the mutilated Soul Sage groveling before her.
"I was here first. So what gives your Nine Treasure Princess the right to interfere with our love?"
"I can't bear to hurt him…
"But you guys?
"Well, you'll do just fine."
(End of Chapter)
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