Clearwater City
Huo Yuhao followed Hu Liena and the others as they exited Wuhun Hall. Just as he stepped outside, he suddenly felt a chill and instinctively looked up—only to meet a pair of cold, sharp eyes.
It was a middle-aged man clad in a dark robe. A silver-black Spirit Hall medal hung on his chest, faintly gleaming. His face was stern and expressionless, and behind him stood a team of soul masters, neatly arranged beside a carriage bearing the emblem of Wuhun Hall.
"This is Senior Fang, who is responsible for the safety of our journey,"
Hu Liena introduced with a gentle smile.
Huo Yuhao glanced at the black-robed man, felt a strong sense of pressure, and immediately addressed him respectfully.
"Senior."
The man in the black robe did not respond. His gaze merely swept over Huo Yuhao briefly before turning away.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao did not mind. After Hu Liena gestured, he stepped onto the carriage.
The horses pulled forward slowly, and the wheels rolled as the carriage gradually left Clearwater City.
The interior of the carriage was spacious and well-furnished. Soft leather seats lined the sides, and a small table in the center held preserved fruits and fermented vegetables. Four people sat inside without feeling crowded at all.
Huo Yuhao chose a corner seat. He lifted the curtain slightly and looked out.
The sun hung high in the sky, its warm light falling gently on his plain, youthful face. For a brief moment, he felt a rare sense of warmth.
"Xiao Yuhao,"
Xie Yue asked casually,
"where is your hometown?"
Judging by the temperament Huo Yuhao displayed, it was clear that it was not something an ordinary civilian background could cultivate. His calmness and bearing were more like someone who had once lived among powerful figures.
Huo Yuhao lowered the curtain and cast his gaze downward.
"That place… can't be returned to."
To outsiders, the words sounded quietly sorrowful, as though touching upon an old wound.
Can't go back?
Several possibilities flashed through Xie Yue's mind.
Hu Liena immediately understood the implication.
Perhaps his hometown had already been destroyed. Otherwise, why would a child this young be wandering alone?
"Since you don't have anywhere to return to,"
Hu Liena said softly,
"have you considered joining Wuhun Hall in the future?"
Yan raised his eyebrows immediately.
"Hey, Na'er, there's a requirement for that. He hasn't even obtained his first soul ring yet."
"My cultivation is still shallow,"
Huo Yuhao replied with a faint smile.
"If I get the chance in the future, I'll naturally try."
His answer was polite, measured, and flawless.
Xie Yue smoothly changed the subject and began asking Huo Yuhao about various aspects of soul beasts.
Conversation was the easiest way to expose a person's depth.
The more someone spoke, the easier it was to reveal flaws—and thus approach the truth.
Huo Yuhao was extremely familiar with this principle.
He spoke fluently, describing soul beast habits, environmental preferences, and even unique reaction patterns of certain species. Many of these details caused Hu Liena and Yan to widen their eyes in surprise.
Xie Yue's gaze gradually grew strange.
These reserves of knowledge were absolutely not something ordinary soul master academies could teach. Some of the insights Huo Yuhao casually mentioned even surpassed current mainstream theories.
Yet whenever Xie Yue tried to probe deeper, Huo Yuhao would modestly respond that he only knew a little and had not grasped the core.
In reality, this was deliberate.
What Huo Yuhao revealed was merely the tip of the iceberg—just enough mystery to draw attention, but never enough to expose his true depth.
After all, his cultivation level was currently too low. Until he grew stronger, he needed to rely on external forces.
From these exchanges, Huo Yuhao also gained a clearer understanding of the three of them.
The girl in the black dress was Hu Liena, fifteen years old. Her martial spirit was the Demon Fox, and her soul power had reached Rank Forty. This journey was for her to obtain her fourth soul ring.
The calm white-haired youth was Xie Yue, Hu Liena's brother. Sixteen years old, soul power Rank Forty-Three, a genuine Four Ring Soul Ancestor.
The short-tempered red-haired youth was Yan, also sixteen. His soul power was Rank Forty-One, and he had only recently obtained his fourth soul ring.
In addition, the carriage was followed by a team of Wuhun Hall soul masters serving as open protection.
Huo Yuhao could tell at a glance that the backgrounds of these three were far from simple.
At fifteen or sixteen years old, reaching the Soul Ancestor realm—
In the Peerless Tang Sect era, such cultivation would not stand out much. But this was ten thousand years earlier, and such achievements were undoubtedly those of heaven-favored geniuses.
These three were precisely the future figures known as the Golden Generation of Wuhun Hall, who would rise alongside Tang San.
For such an important soul ring hunt, it was naturally impossible for Wuhun Hall to leave matters entirely to chance.
Besides the black-robed man escorting them openly, there were almost certainly hidden experts accompanying them in secret.
Huo Yuhao did not concern himself with that.
As long as he could safely reach the Sunset Forest, everything else was irrelevant.
The journey was long. Huo Yuhao leaned against the carriage window, lifting the curtain slightly as he watched the scenery roll by.
...
A winding mountain road
The carriage bearing the emblem of Wuhun Hall gradually disappeared into the distance.
In a nearby valley, faintly translucent humanoid figures emerged one after another, finally condensing into two black-robed men.
"Has the boy's background been verified?"
one of them asked calmly.
"Reporting, sir,"
a subordinate replied,
"we can only confirm that the youth entered Clearwater City early yesterday morning. Tracing his origins will require more time."
"Continue investigating. Report again once there's progress,"
the black-robed man ordered.
"Yes."
The subordinate accepted the order and withdrew.
The black-robed soul master gazed at the carriage in the distance.
That girl was personally valued by His Holiness the Pope. Although this journey was framed as experience, their safety could not be compromised.
A wandering boy at Rank Ten.
Even if he harbored ulterior motives, the strength and intelligence of those three would be more than enough to handle any unexpected situation.
...
Several days later
The carriage flying the banner of Wuhun Hall finally arrived at the outer boundary of the Sunset Forest.
Beyond this point lay the territory of soul beasts—an area no carriage could enter.
The overall command of the operation rested with the black-robed man. Even Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan had to obey his arrangements.
"Entering a soul beast forest is no trivial matter,"
the man said coldly.
"One careless mistake can wipe out the entire team."
He then explained key precautions and taboos in detail—knowledge that could save lives in emergencies.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan listened attentively.
Huo Yuhao stood among them, equally focused.
He did not know the exact cultivation level of the black-robed man, but he could clearly sense that this was someone of formidable strength.
Moreover, aside from the visible team, there was a high probability that other powerful Spirit Hall experts were concealed nearby to respond to unforeseen dangers.
The black-robed man swept his gaze across everyone present—and paused when it reached Huo Yuhao.
His eyes were sharp and oppressive, like those of a hawk.
Huo Yuhao felt pressure descend on him instantly and subconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.
"If anything unexpected occurs,"
the man said coldly,
"report immediately. Do not fall behind the formation."
"Yes, sir."
Huo Yuhao straightened his posture and responded firmly.
The black-robed man turned away.
After a final inspection and confirming there were no issues, he raised his hand and issued the order:
"Move out."