Ju Zi glanced at Wang Dong beside Huo Yuhao and nodded. “As long as you’re alright. You should eat while the food’s hot, it’s not nice when it cools off. It’s getting late—I’ll visit again tomorrow. The higher ups in the military wanted to thank you personally, but I considered your identity and rejected them for you. It avoids unnecessary trouble this way.”
“Thank you,” Huo Yuhao replied sincerely, “We only fought to help you and Ke Ke, not for the Sun Moon Empire to quell this rebellion. It’s best that we don’t meet them.”
Ju Zi said, “Yes. Enjoy your meal, we’ll take our leave first.” She forced a smile at Huo Yuhao before she made for the exit with a heavy heart.
Ke Ke tugged at Ju Zi’s sleeves, but she just shot her a glare. Ke Ke was typically straightforward and casual, but she seemed a little meek as she stuck her tongue out and followed Ju Zi away.
Huo Yuhao watched their shadows disappear into the distance. He was a little confused as he muttered, “Why doesn’t it feel like we saved them, but like we offended them instead?”
Wang Dong smiled and said, “Can’t you tell? She really likes you, and feels very conflicted. However, she’s the prince’s consort, so you must be careful. Don’t drag me down with you if something happens.”
Huo Yuhao snapped, “Eat, eat. Stop spouting nonsense.” He felt a little down when he saw the expression on Ju Zi’s face, and he almost wanted to stop her to ask about it. However, he remembered that Ju Zi was the Crown Prince’s fiancee, and their paths ahead were destined to never intersect, so he had to swallow his emotions. It was better this way, so that he wouldn’t cause any trouble when he was supposed to let go and didn’t. This sentiment was similar to what Ju Zi had said when she sobbed beside his bed, “We should never meet again.” Both he and Ju Zi recognized the unsurmountable rift between them, and they understood it was best that they didn’t interact too much.
The food was delicious, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were a little astounded. Four meats and four vegetables dishes, and they were all warm. It definitely wouldn’t have been easy for them to put together a meal as sumptuous as this within their military camp. The soup was thick and rich, and Huo Yuhao knew with his experience in cooking that this was a taste that could only be achieved after prepping the food for an entire day.
Wang Dong found the food delectable, but Huo Yuhao could taste more than that. Even though Ju Zi didn’t say anything to him, Huo Yuhao could taste many different things in this meal—out of the eight dishes, three were sour, and sour to varying degrees; two were sweet, and the rest were bitter, spicy, and salty.
He could taste a mix of five different flavors in a simple meal, with an emphasis on sourness and sweetness. She was the daughter of a renowned chef, so she was surely able to make these dishes the way she intended.
There was a similarly large tent not far from Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Ke Ke stared at Ju Zi with a confused look on her face. “Why are you acting so weird today, Ju Zi? Are you…?”
Ju Zi shook her head softly.
Ke Ke dashed to the entrance and poked her head outside. She made sure that nobody was nearby before she darted back beside Ju Zi and whispered, “Have you really fallen for Huo Yuhao?”
Ju Zi glanced at her, but she still said nothing. However, Ke Ke knew the answer from the look in Ju Zi’s eyes.
“Since you like him, why did you leave back then? Why did you have to agree to marry the prince?”
Ju Zi answered plainly, “You don’t understand. There are some things that I cannot decide—my life has been drastically changed ever since my parents passed away. Emotions like these shouldn’t even be appearing in me.”
Ke Ke glared at her and said, “Then why did you work so hard to make his food?”
Ju Zi said, “I’m just trying to repay him for saving my life.”
Ke Ke raised her voice a little and said, “No, that’s absolutely untrue. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen you so focused. When you were cooking for him, your entire aura felt different—it wasn’t just focus in your eyes, I saw warmth and tenderness!”
Ju Zi shuddered. “You’re talking too loud! Do you want the entire camp to hear you?”
Ke Ke softened and said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Ju Zi. What’s the point?”
Ju Zi smiled, but there was a tinge of sadness in all that beauty. “You wouldn’t understand. Did you really think I’m suitable for him? Have you forgotten that I’m older than him by a few years? What kind of person is he, and what kind of person am I? You already know my status—I’m just one of the prince’s chess pieces, and a chess piece that will be completely destroyed until it can’t be used. All I can do is play my part as a chess piece. Do I have to drag him into this mess?”
Ke Ke leaned in beside her ear. “But you can run away!”
Ju Zi smiled again, but her smile was now one of despondence. “You still don’t understand. Feelings cannot bring you happiness just from wishful thinking. Perhaps he has good feelings about me, but I can tell that someone else is already in his heart. That’s not something that I can just force myself into, and that is the crux of the issue. Even if I’m willing to give my all for them, they must accept me too. Furthermore, how can I do that? I will have vengeance for the death of my parents—when they passed away that day, I swore that revenge would be the only thing motivating me to live for the rest of my life.”
Ke Ke grew silent for a while, then said, “You’re too extreme. Besides, how do you know he has someone else? Did he tell you that?”
Ju Zi shook her head and said, “He doesn’t have to tell me, I just know. You don’t need to care about this anymore—I don’t want to see him anymore. Send them away when they recover from their injuries. It’s late, you should go and rest.”
“Ju Zi…” Ke Ke was about to keep going.
“That’s an order!” Ju Zi said decisively, “Go and rest.”
Ke Ke heaved a sigh. She could clearly see that Ju Zi’s eyes were filled with tears, but she didn’t say anything more, instead she came to Ju Zi and hugged her softly before she turned around and left.
Only when Ke Ke left did the tears welling up in Ju Zi’s eyes trickle down like pearls cut from a necklace; they slid down her soft and tender cheeks.
So, this is how it feels to truly love someone. Why, why did you have to come into my life? I would’ve rather died at Zhao Yang’s hands than see you again—did you know that?
Ju Zi was shouting internally. Even though she knew very well that this was against her interests she was still replaying the various experiences she had from when they were still together in her mind.
She could vividly remember the determination in Wang Dong’s eyes when he answered her question. Even though it was just a heavy nod, it had completely severed that one last strand of hope and desire that she was so vehemently in denial of but had always been there from beginning to end.
The night went by in silence.
In the early morning, when the sun first peeked out from the eastern horizon, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were standing outside their tent. They faced eastwards as they inhaled and exhaled the dawn’s purple energy.
The Purple Demon Eyes relied on consistent accumulation. Huo Yuhao revealed the strongest characteristics of his body; over just one night of cultivation, the flourishing life energy in his body had caused the wounds on his back to scab over. He was in a daze for a day and a night from when he was injured before he awoke, and that meant that only two days had gone by. His regenerative ability could only be called unprecedented, utterly extraordinary, and never to be duplicated.
The purple energy dissipated as Wang Dong asked, “Yuhao, I’m not very comfortable here. We are ultimately in someone else’s territory. Can you walk?”
Huo Yuhao said, “It’s not a good idea to remain here for long, as I’m unwilling to interact with the Sun Moon Empire’s military too. I will be fine—it’s a pity that my flying-type soul tool is broken. If not, activating and controlling it wouldn’t have been a problem.”
Wang Dong asked, “When do we leave?”
Huo Yuhao answered, “I will bid my farewells to Ju Zi and Ke Ke after breakfast, and then we’ll leave.”
Wang Dong studied Huo Yuhao’s face solemnly. He could tell that there wasn’t a forced look in Huo Yuhao’s eyes at all, and the smile on his face became wider as he said, “Alright.”
Ke Ke delivered breakfast this time. It was much simpler compared to the previous night’s feast, consisting of steamed buns, salted vegetables, porridge, and sauced meat. The meal was simple, but sufficient.
“We only have this stuff left in the camp.” Ke Ke said a little apologetically.
Huo Yuhao laughed. “We aren’t privileged commoners used to living like royalty. A full stomach is enough for us. When I was young, I couldn’t even find bread to fill my stomach sometimes. How can I be picky with a fragrant and enormous white steamed bun?” He started munching on a steamed bun that was almost the size of his palm as he spoke.
Formidable life energy was one thing, but life energy also needed replenishment, and food was the optimal choice for that.
Wang Dong had a lot gentler eating mannerisms compared to Huo Yuhao. He pushed more food in front of Huo Yuhao, spread open a steamed bun, and placed the marinated meat inside before he ate.
Ke Ke sat to one side. She seemed to have already eaten breakfast, so she didn’t touch the food at all, but Ke Ke didn’t leave either.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong quickly devoured the meal. “I’m full now. Ke Ke, is Ju Zi free? My injuries are much better now, and we have some things to do. I wish to bid her farewell.”
Ke Ke frowned and said, “There’s no need for that, Yuhao. She’s very busy.”
Huo Yuhao was stunned for a while, then said, “She doesn’t even have time for a goodbye?”
Ke Ke’s eyes seemed apologetic as she stood up and said, “Come with me, Yuhao. I have something to tell you.”
Huo Yuhao said, “Wang Dong is my best friend. There is nothing you can’t say in front of him.”
Ke Ke lowered her voice and said, “No, this is something that only you should hear.”
Huo Yuhao glanced at Wang Dong, and Wang Dong said calmly, “It’s alright, go ahead. Everyone has his or her own secrets, and I don’t want to know them.”
Huo Yuhao stood up and followed Ke Ke outside.
Ke Ke didn’t slow down after coming out of the tent, and she walked ten meters out of the military camp before she stopped.
“What’s wrong? Is Ju Zi in some kind of trouble?” Huo Yuhao asked.
Ke Ke shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, Yuhao. You saved our lives, and we should be repaying you in kind. But Ju Zi’s emotions are unstable, so she wants me to pass on her gratitude, and she has requested that I escort the two of you out when you want to leave. She doesn’t want to see you anymore.”
“Okay.” Huo Yuhao already understood this sentiment. He heaved a sigh inside and said, “So be it, then. Can you help me pass a message to her as well? Tell her to take care of herself.”
“That’s it?” There was a strange look in Ke Ke’s eyes as she stared at him.
Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, “What else can there be?”
Ke Ke lowered her voice and said, “Do you not know how Ju Zi feels about you? I don’t believe that.”
Huo Yuhao quivered. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
Ke Ke’s eyes were overflowing with displeasure. “Why are the two of you acting like that? It doesn’t have to be this way.”
Huo Yuhao sighed and said, “Ke Ke, you have to understand nobody can decide other people’s fates, everyone’s fate is in their own hands. I only saw the path that Ju Zi has chosen with more clarity after meeting you guys again. The two of us are destined to be two parallel lines.”
Ke Ke asked, “Ju Zi said you like somebody else. Is that true?”
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. “I like somebody else?” The Goddess of Light’s image surfaced in his mind, and he paused before he replied, “You can say that, I guess.”
Tears seemed to well up in Ke Ke’s eyes. “Ju Zi’s life is so tough, Yuhao. I really want to help her.”
Huo Yuhao said, “I’m sorry, Ke Ke. There are some things that you can’t help with even if you want to. Ju Zi has made her decision, and nobody can help her. Furthermore, feelings can’t be forced…I admit that I like her, but that’s all it is; plus, she is now the Sun Moon Empire’s prince’s fiancee.”
Ke Ke grew silent. She felt as if she had matured a lot in this instant, and she could sense the exasperation in Huo Yuhao’s words.
“Do you know that Ju Zi joined the military the day the two of you separated? She has relied on her status as a soul engineer to reach where she is today. She didn’t rely on the crown prince’s influence and power; she made her own way, and had consistently accumulated exemplary accomplishments. She is incredibly talented at strategy and battle tactics, and she’s currently the soul engineer regiment’s number-one staff officer cum team leader. She will probably receive a promotion after this victory. She’s a general on the battlefield with impeccable planning and calculations, and the dire situation we were in was because of a spy within our camp. However, I can tell that she isn’t happy at all. She is reserved, and she hides her unhappiness well, but I can tell. I only discovered Ju Zi’s background after joining the military… It was the crown prince who rescued her back then, and it was also the crown prince who sent her into the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Her future is bleak.”
Huo Yuhao stared into Ke Ke’s eyes and asked, “What do you want me to do?”
Ke Ke shook her head blankly and said, “I don’t know either, all I wanted to do was to tell you everything about her. Promise me, Yuhao – if you guys meet again in the future, and she is in need, will you please help her?”
Huo Yuhao nodded gently and said, “You’re a kind and caring girl, Ke Ke. Ju Zi is lucky to have a friend like you. The two of you will always be my friends, just like this time, when we came to you without second thoughts. When you guys are in danger or trouble, I will definitely help you if I’m around. However, I want you to pass a message to Ju Zi – the Sun Moon Empire is ambitious, and she has also been blinded by vengeance and hatred. I do not wish for the day to come when we meet on the battlefield. If she’s willing, the Tang Sect will always be open to her. Even the Sun Moon Empire’s crown prince can’t reach or threaten her inside Shrek City.”
Ke Ke’s eyes sparkled as she nodded lightly. She knew that Huo Yuhao’s answer was already extremely satisfactory.
“Thank you, Yuhao. I will pass your message to her. The only thing is that her stubbornness and obstinacy has taken root deep inside her, and I can only slowly influence her from the side.”
Huo Yuhao smiled. “The Tang Sect will always welcome you too. If you guys are willing to give everything up and join us, I can cook for you too. I can make all the delicious food that you guys love to eat.”
“Alright.” Ke Ke answered heartily as she swallowed despite herself. She had been overthinking the entire morning, and hadn’t eaten breakfast.
Ke Ke sent Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong out of the camp discreetly, and avoided attracting anyone’s attention. If not for Ju Zi’s status as the crown prince’s fiancee, the military would have tried everything to keep Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong at whatever cost after their formidable display of abilities in front of everyone. Such powerful soul masters would be an unstoppable force on the battlefield if they joined the army. They were powerful enough to kill mighty Soul Sages – how incredible was that?
Ju Zi didn’t report Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s identity as students from Shrek Academy, and she only said that they were her classmates from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. She was the crown prince’s consort, so she held everyone back, and didn’t allow them to disturb Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
A pair of pretty eyes gazed far into the horizon from an observatory tower that was almost thirty meters high and watched as two figures walked out of the camp and gradually disappeared into the distance. Her vision was blurry as tears dripped from her eyes, and her red lips twitched as she mouthed, “Take care.” She didn’t make a real sound at all.
—
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong didn’t hurry along after leaving the military camp. After all, the wounds on Huo Yuhao’s back had yet to completely recover, and they were afraid of tearing them open again. However, he had another idea – he attached soul thrusters to his feet and skated forward, while Wang Dong followed closely by his side, so their movement speed wasn’t that slow.
They had requested a map from Ke Ke before they left. They wouldn’t get lost again, and they proceeded east as they went straight for the Sun Moon Empire’s eastern border, connected to the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Not being able to use flying-type soul tools was ultimately more troublesome. They travelled for a day, but realized that their movement was simply too slow. They decided to find a place to rest, while Huo Yuhao used the materials that he carried with him to forge another soul tool.
It took him two days to recreate another soul tool that was identical to the one before, and Huo Yuhao recovered from his injuries completely in that time.
They returned to their path, and they could finally soar through the skies. Their speed was greatly boosted as they quickly rocketed across the border and entered the Heavenly Soul Empire’s territory.
Wang Dong became the navigator once they entered the Heavenly Soul Empire. They flew deep into the Heavenly Soul Empire with the help of the map, and it seemed like their destination was the Heavenly Soul Empire’s capital, Heaven Dou City.
“Wang Dong, is your home actually inside Heaven Dou City?” Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
Wang Dong leaned against a tree to rest after eating some roasted meat that Huo Yuhao had made when they stopped to rest.
Wang Dong shook his head and chortled, “I told you before, my home is hidden somewhere deep in the clouds. Where are the clouds in Heaven Dou City? You’ll know if you just follow me. However, my house is indeed not far from Heaven Dou City.”
Huo Yuhao said, “It’s my first time visiting your house. Do I have to buy something for your family? You still haven’t told me what it is that your family actually does, even now. Are you even a bro?! You can’t possibly be waiting for me to embarrass myself, can you?”
Wang Dong giggled and said, “Yes! You guessed even that. You have some standards, after all.”
Huo Yuhao said angrily, “What’s in it for you if I embarrass myself? I’m your friend, and it will look bad for you if I embarrass myself. Furthermore, you still have to introduce your sister to me. If I leave a terrible impression on your family members, how will I continue mixing with them in the future?”
Wang Dong laughed and said, “Oh, please. Don’t worry, my family members are friendly, and they don’t really have many traditional formalities. All you have to do is be there. However, my sister is the pearl of the family. I talked about you when I last returned home, and I think they will evaluate you a little while you’re there. You should keep your spirits up.”
Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “Definitely. I’m not that bad.”
Wang Dong said seriously, “Yuhao, if you want to marry my sister in the future, your performance must be stellar, as my family members are extremely picky. I gave you a ‘vaccination’, so don’t be afraid or show weakness when the time comes. My family members are also soul masters, so I imagine they will also test your abilities and your fighting strength. Of course, they are more concerned about your personality.”
Huo Yuhao became more confused the more Wang Dong talked. He wanted to ask more questions, but Wang Dong refused to say anything more, so he decided to stop, as they would be arriving soon anyway.
They flew through the sky at an amazing speed. Huo Yuhao was quite a distance away from Wang Dong in cultivation level, but his soul power was incredibly resilient. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to chase Wang Dong for so long back then. The two of them rested for a while every two hours and strolled for a bit to recover their soul power before they continued to fly. They were taught a painful lesson when they met Ju Zi, so they maintained their soul power at seventy percent as they flew so that they would have enough to face any unexpected circumstances.
Just as Wang Dong had remarked, his house was inside the Heavenly Soul Empire, and it wasn’t far from the Heavenly Soul Empire’s capital, Heaven Dou City.
An enormous mountain appeared in the distance. This peak was majestic, and the mountain’s topography seemed steep and perilous. From a distance, the mountain appeared to have three sides that stretched upward vertically, as if they had been carved by a knife. Only one side was relatively flatter, but that was only relative to the other three sides. Normal people would have a very difficult time climbing this mountain. Only the relatively gentler slope had layers of vegetation growing along its surface.
The surrounding mountains meandered around this steeply sloped peak. However, even the tallest of the surrounding mountains only reached halfway up this kingly summit. An ocean of clouds drifted above the range of mountains, but an onlooker could only see the part of this peak that was below the sea of clouds; one would have to rise above the clouds to see what was above.
“We must be here. Truly hidden somewhere in the clouds!” Huo Yuhao exclaimed in awe. It wasn’t difficult for him to guess that they were nearing Wang Dong’s home with a sight as spectacular as this. However, what was up with this family? They actually built their home on a peak as steep as this!
This was the first time Huo Yuhao had ever come across something as magnificent as this. Furthermore, Wang Dong’s home was also there!
Wang Dong giggled and said, “Bingo! Let’s fly up. Do you think your flying-type soul tool can go that far up?”
Huo Yuhao said, “I don’t think it’ll be a problem. The only thing is that we will consume more and more soul power the higher we go. Why don’t we fly to the mountain’s waist, and then climb up? It’ll be safer that way.”
Wang Dong nodded and said, “Alright, let’s go then. Time to go home!” He shouted the last four words excitedly.
They unleashed their soul power and surged straight towards the steepest peak in the mountains. The distance was truly hard to gauge; it seemed from a distance that they were quite near, but it took them fifteen minutes just to reach it. Huo Yuhao could feel the immense pressure from the towering peak becoming stronger as they got closer. Its majesty and how tall it was made it seem like a sky pillar connecting the heavens to the earth.
They arrived on a smooth slope, and Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong withdrew the flying-type soul tools on their backs. Huo Yuhao looked around, feeling as if the clouds were right above his head, and he could touch them if he reached up.
Even this place was probably two thousand meters above sea level, and he still had no idea how high this peak actually was above the ocean of clouds.
He couldn’t wait to reach the top and look down at the all the tiny mountains below him. Huo Yuhao felt a rising elation in his heart, and couldn’t resist howling into the sky.
This howl echoed through the clouds, and even caused the surrounding mists to quiver and dissipate. Huo Yuhao’s eyes unwittingly turned golden as he gazed at the shifting clouds, and he sat down subconsciously. He seemed to grasp something at this moment, and his spiritual sea was faintly stimulated – it started to imitate the ocean of clouds drifting around.
The boundless spiritual sea could also be an ocean of clouds!
He sat there with his legs crossed as he stared into the distance with sparkling eyes. His entire body stopped moving.
Wang Dong landed on the mountain one step after Huo Yuhao did, and he immediately detected Huo Yuhao’s sudden transformation. Others would probably urge Huo Yuhao to hurry up the mountain, but not him. He was too familiar with Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong immediately realized after observing the look in his eyes and the soul power rippling through his body that something was happening to Huo Yuhao.
Sudden enlightenment? Is this the sudden enlightenment that our teacher talked about?
Wang Dong vividly remembered that Elder Mu had once said soul masters could gain more from a single moment of sudden enlightenment than from ten years of toiling cultivation. Such a thing wouldn’t boost your cultivation – it pushed the boundaries back. For spiritual-type soul masters like Huo Yuhao, pushing one’s boundaries and widening the ambit was slightly more important.
Why was he able to use Sovereign’s Descent to suppress Ji Juechen? Because the Sovereign’s Descent was in a far higher realm than Ji Juechen’s self-invented sword mantra.
Huo Yuhao had a great teacher, but Elder Mu didn’t guide him according to his own path. Instead, he had helped Huo Yuhao search for the path that was most suitable for him. And at this moment, he was experiencing sudden enlightenment. Wang Dong was a little exasperated, but he was more than happy for him. He would never risk disturbing or interrupting Huo Yuhao in a time like this, as one would never know when the next sudden enlightenment would come if he missed this opportunity.
The Radiant Butterfly Goddess’ wings unfolded, and Wang Dong turned around before he flapped his wings and flew through the layer of clouds. He turned back around after a moment, sat down beside Huo Yuhao, and followed his gaze, staring far off into the ocean of clouds.
After another moment, gray figures emerged soundlessly from within the clouds, and they formed a circle around Huo Yuhao at a distance when Wang Dong signaled to them. Every one of them looked high-spirited, and were between twenty-five to thirty-five years old. All of their eyes sparkled, and over twenty of them quickly formed a strict and orderly formation.
Wang Dong whispered, “Remain here to protect him. Don’t let anybody or anything disturb him, do you understand? I’m going to visit my eldest uncle and second uncle.”
All the grey-cloaked figures bowed toward him respectfully, and didn’t make a single sound as they faced outward, their backs to Huo Yuhao.
Wang Dong glanced at Huo Yuhao one more time, and then soared away through the clouds only after he ensured that Huo Yuhao was all right.
Huo Yuhao himself didn’t know what kind of state he was currently in. All he could feel was that his mind was a complete blank, while his spiritual sea rippled faintly and rhythmically. His spiritual sea was originally liquid, but a golden mist now began to evaporate from its surface. The mist was pale and thin, but it imitated the ocean of clouds before him and gradually took its form.
The sea was boundless, and had no end. The transformation in his spiritual power wasn’t as vigorous as the last qualitative change, but it gave Huo Yuhao a different sensation. His sudden enlightenment was best described with two words: transformation and conversion.
He had always been using his spiritual power directly. Spiritual power had always been a force that was similar in nature to soul power to him. However, he now began to grasp another form of spiritual power at this moment as he experienced a fundamental change in his understanding of it.
Spiritual power was different from soul power. Spiritual power was at a higher level, but it couldn’t be used directly and activated like soul power could. The circulation of spiritual power was also empirically different from soul power circulation – soul power emphasized absorbing the vitality of heaven and earth for personal use, and it was a force that was born from a martial soul. On the other hand, spiritual power was a representation of the power of one’s spirit. It was something that every living thing possessed, and it was also one of the most empirical and original forces, while also the foundation for one’s ability to activate soul power.
His spiritual sea was converted into vapor from liquid form. The transformation wasn’t that great, because it seemed aqueous anyway. However, this transformation process was invaluable for Huo Yuhao. It meant that he would gradually have more control over his spiritual power, and he could better grasp the fusion between his spiritual power and his soul skills. This didn’t just represent using Sovereign’s Descent to merge them together. He would obtain a deeper understanding on a spiritual level, so that he could have more control over everything.
Wang Dong returned after about an hour to Huo Yuhao’s side. Just when he was preparing himself to wait for as long as he needed, Huo Yuhao’s body shifted, and the golden light in his eyes slowly receded.
Is it over? So fast? Wang Dong didn’t know that Huo Yuhao was in a meditative state for almost half a year because of his spirit’s qualitative change, so he didn’t know that Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power had already gone through a qualitative change. This sudden enlightenment only helped him better understand his spiritual power.
A layer of pale white mist rose from Huo Yuhao’s body. The winds billowing through the mountains were strong, but they couldn’t touch this mist coming from his body. The white mist slowly drifted upwards, and gradually took the form a clean and white flower above his head.
Huo Yuhao raised his head and took in a deep breath. The enormous white flower reverted to a misty sphere and flowed in through his nose.
“Hey!” Huo Yuhao suddenly roared into the sky. The layer of misty golden light flowed out from his body in that instant – yes, from his entire body, and not just his head.
During the process of the golden light mist’s eruption, Wang Dong and the grey-cloaked figures on guard could feel their spirits go dim, as everything around them became murky and blurry.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his mind and heart, while his eyes flowed with divine light. The Eye of Destiny on his forehead opened, and the permeating golden light mist instantly transformed into specks of flowing light as they returned to his body.
He raised his head and gazed at the rolling clouds above him. He opened his eyes wide, as a purple-gold radiance flickered once and disappeared. Light didn’t come out this time, but his Spirit Eyes were now a different color. A tremendous whirlpool appeared in the ocean of clouds in the distance and spun vigorously. The whirlpool caused the clouds and mist around it to surge through the sky, and went on for about ten seconds before it was swallowed by the sprawling ocean of clouds once more.
“Oh…” Huo Yuhao reoriented himself, and there was only elation in his eyes. This sudden enlightenment undoubtedly gave him more control over his spiritual power, and that would be beneficial for his cultivation. Having more control over his spirit meant he would have better control over using his spiritual power to manipulate soul power, and better control naturally meant a faster cultivation speed.
When he suddenly discovered the grey-cloaked people around him, he immediately felt everyone staring at him as if he were a monster. It was clear that they had no clue what had just transpired.
Not even Wang Dong, who was beside Huo Yuhao, knew what had happened.
“Are you alright, Yuhao?” Wang Dong’s voice lowered the alarm and guard that Huo Yuhao had just raised.
“I’m alright. I think I suddenly understood something – I think this is what our teacher referred to as sudden enlightenment,” Huo Yuhao scratched his head as he spoke with a little embarrassment.
Wang Dong snapped, “Don’t you feel ashamed saying that? Your sudden enlightenment is fine, but you made me so worried! Thankfully, it didn’t take very long.”
Huo Yuhao chuckled and said, “I have to grasp the opportunity when it comes my way. Sorry, sorry. Are these your family members?” He pointed at the grey-cloaked people around them as he spoke.
Wang Dong nodded and said, “Yes.” He turned towards the grey-cloaked people and said, “Thank you, everyone. You can go back now.”
“Yes.” The grey-cloaked individuals finally spoke, their voices were organized and uniform. Nobody asked any questions, and it was obvious that they were extremely respectful toward Wang Dong. They leapt into the sky and vanished among the clouds.
