Douluo Continent: Little Huo Niang Taken Away by Di Tian

"Besides," Xiao Mo suddenly laughed, a hint of embarrassment in his smile, yet utterly frank, "Yu Tong, Di Qiu, Tian Meng, and I have already played together! We had a lot of fun! We got along well!"

"Isn't the purpose of a soul contract to find a family member who understands you, is comfortable with you, and can grow together?"

Everyone had their own thoughts.

Di Tian and the Demon King exchanged a glance.

The Demon King spoke up: "Abe's strategy is worthy of a commander; Axiao's devouring is a sharp blade; Xiaocai's illusions are ever-changing. All are top-notch abilities."

Di Tian continued, "However, what Xiao Mo said demonstrates a deep understanding of the true meaning of the Soul Contract. Taking all factors into consideration... in this round of debate, the Dream Eater King Xiao Mo wins."

"yeah--!"

The little tapir jumped up and down excitedly, but quickly regained its balance and politely bowed slightly to the other three competitors:

"Thank you so much, Grandpa Abe, Mr. A-Xiao, and Sister Xiao-Cai! From now on, we're partners, so please take good care of me!"

Abe nodded gracefully. Axiao let out a low, short cry, as if in response. Xiaocai flew gracefully closer, scattering a cloud of dreamlike, ethereal blessings.

Huo Yutong stepped forward and extended her hand to the little tapir.

"Welcome, Little Baku. Looking forward to working with you from now on."

The little tapir gently pressed its forehead against Huo Yutong's palm.

The warm, soft touch warmed Huo Yutong's heart.

At this moment, deep within the sea of ​​the spirit.

Several consciousnesses that had been "observing" the whole thing finally couldn't hold back any longer and began to "speak up".

"Wow! We won! We won! Little Mo won! I knew it!" Tianmeng excitedly rolled around in her sea of ​​consciousness. "That's so true! Souls are family! How can you judge family members just by how well they fight!"

"Little Tapir is so nice. She can play with us and give us sweet dreams... and she hasn't finished making the beautiful dream she promised to me yet!"

That ice marrow mountain and autograph session last time were absolutely perfect! Just for that alone, I have to support Momo!

"Hmph, Tianmeng, all you know how to do is play around." Hyotei habitually complained, but there was no blame in her tone. "However, what this little dream-eating beast said is indeed not without reason."

From a purely combat support perspective, the Purple-Gold Wolf's tactical deduction, the Devouring Demon Owl's negative emotion manipulation, and the Mysterious Butterfly's illusion creation each have their irreplaceable strengths, and some are even surprisingly effective in specific situations.

"But a soul contract is not a one-off deal, but a symbiotic relationship that lasts for a long time."

"Hyotei is absolutely right," Ilex's voice rang out. "This debate is quite profound. The first three's arguments are all based on 'application,' using their own strengths to supplement Amemum's needs, making them the talents of generals and the choices of sharp blades."

"But Xiao Mo's words are closer to the 'Tao'. She revealed a deeper essence of the soul contract—it is not only an accumulation of power, but also an intertwining of lives, a companionship and mutual growth of souls."

"Little Mo... what a warm and intelligent child," Crescent Moon said softly. "I look forward to walking a longer road with her. She will definitely be the one among us who knows best how to make everyone happy and how to heal wounds."

The little tapir once devoured the lingering nightmares for Crescent Moon, and also wove warm dreams for her of her husband and eldest son still being alive.

Crescent Moon has never forgotten that sentiment.

Next, the first fishing competition in the Starry Sky Forest is in full swing along a shimmering stream.

Emperor Tian, ​​the King of Ten Thousand Demons, Zi Ji, Xiong Jun, the Red King, and others all sat down, each holding a pole.

In this contest of patience and composure, Xiong Jun achieved the "good result" of being the first to give up.

"How long has it been! Why isn't this dead fish taking the bait?!" Xiong Jun angrily swung down his fishing rod, splashing water everywhere.

In fact, only fifteen minutes had passed.

But for Xiong Jun, this was already a tremendous amount of patience.

Not far away, the Red King's three heads were whispering anxiously to themselves:

"Fish, come quick, come quick..."

"It took the bait!"

"Pull it quickly!"

As a result of being too hasty and flustered, the fish got away.

All three heads drooped down at the same time, sighing and groaning.

Zi Ji crossed her long legs and sat on the rock next to Di Tian.

After fishing for a while without any luck, she simply shoved the fishing rod into Di Tian's hand.

"You help me."

Left with no other choice, Di Tian could only hold a fishing rod in each hand and silently shoulder the double burden.

As for Di Qiu, she was still in her beast form. Her furry paws couldn't grip the slender pole, so she could only squat on the bank, staring longingly at the water, her tail slapping the ground impatiently.

An hour slowly passed.

Suddenly, the pole in Di Tian's hand dipped slightly.

He calmly lifted the rod and fished up a rusty tin can, which still smelled of human food.

Di Tian: "..."

This was clearly a "gift" that a certain Soul Hunting Squad casually threw into the river after finishing their dry rations.

Di Tian expressionlessly placed the jar aside and put away his fishing rod.

I'm not fishing anymore.

These humans don't know how to protect the environment.

Huo Yutong, on the other hand, had quite a harvest; several small silver-scaled fish were already swimming in the wooden bucket beside her.

However, the champion of this competition undoubtedly belongs to the Demon King.

He sat there from dawn till dusk, for a full six hours, his body as still as an ancient tree.

He eventually filled his basket with fish and remained calm.

King of Ten Thousand Demons: Win! We must win!

Happy times always fly by.

Since Xie Lin had settled in Xingdou, Zi Ji and Huo Yutong only took a week off, and before they knew it, it was time to return to Shrek Academy.

"Zi Ji, Qiu'er and I will see you off this time," Di Tian said.

His feelings at that moment were exactly like those of a parent seeing their child off on a long journey. When his gaze fell on Huo Yutong, it was filled with the kindness of an elder.

"How about I carry you on my back?" Di Tian asked.

Huo Yutong's face flushed red instantly: "No, no need!"

"No need to be so polite." Zi Ji chuckled, reaching out to lift Huo Yutong up and gently placing her on one of her broad shoulders. "Or perhaps, you prefer to sit like this?"

"Didn't Dad carry you on his back a long time ago?" Di Qiu leaned closer and blinked. "When we went to Sunset Forest, the Far North, and the Demon Forest... Dad carried us on his back the whole time."

Huo Yutong's ears burned, and she whispered, "Then... thank you, Uncle."

Di Tian smiled and gently lifted her off his shoulder, then knelt down on one knee.

"Come up."

Huo Yutong slowly climbed onto that broad back, reached out, and wrapped her arms around Di Tian's neck.

His steps were steady, and his body heat emanated from his clothes, making him feel grounded and warm.

Huo Yutong gently pressed her cheek against it and closed her eyes.

When she was a child in the Duke's mansion, she often saw servants' children being carried or held by their fathers, their laughter filling the courtyard.

She could only watch from afar, the emptiness in her heart letting in a draft.

And now...

She secretly hoped that the area of ​​the Starry Sky Forest could be expanded tenfold or a hundredfold.

In this way, the road can be a little longer, and then a little longer still.

Unfortunately, the area of ​​forests does not grow at will.

The outer area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest soon came into view.

"We'll stop here." Di Tian squatted down and gently put Huo Yutong down.

Then he raised his hand and gently patted the tops of Huo Yutong's and Zi Ji's heads in turn.

"Take good care of yourself."

After saying that, he and Di Qiu turned and walked into the woods.

After a few steps, his figure blended into the lush trees and disappeared from sight.

Zi Ji and Huo Yutong stood there, gazing in the direction they had disappeared, and watched quietly for a long while.