Douluo Continent: Little Huo Niang Taken Away by Di Tian

Xu Tianming's gaze swept past the group who were packing their things and landed precisely on Huo Yutong, who was dressed casually and about to get up.

"Miss Huo Yutong," Xu Tianming's voice was gentle and refined, "Ever since we met at Mingde Hall, your star-like eyes have been deeply etched in my heart. Would I have the honor of inviting you to dinner tonight?"

The private room was completely silent.

Ning Tian and Xiao Xiao stared wide-eyed, He Caitou subconsciously took a step back, and Meng Hongchen gasped, instinctively wanting to stand in front of Huo Yutong.

Huo Yutong frowned slightly. She clearly hadn't expected that the Third Prince, who was usually elusive, would come here to ambush her.

She gave a polite but distant bow, her tone calm and unwavering: "Thank you for your kindness, Third Prince. But I already have someone I love, so please respect yourself."

"Oh?" Xu Tianming raised an eyebrow, his smile faltering slightly, but he quickly regained his dashing demeanor, even displaying a hint of inquisitive interest. "To win Miss Huo's heart so deeply, that young master must be an exceptional individual, right?"

The air was deathly still.

Xiao Hongchen's perpetually icy face was now as if struck by lightning, displaying a striking contrast of pale and bluish-white hues.

"She...has someone she likes?"

From childhood to adulthood, as the high-ranking young master of the Hongchen family, he had been accustomed to flattery and had never been so moved by a girl.

That was the first time he felt the sunshine of the whole world dim simply because of one person's smile.

"Who is it?! What makes him better than me?" Xiao Hongchen clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force.

A kind of jealousy and resentment, unlike anything he had ever experienced before, overwhelmed him like a surging tide.

As soon as Xu Tianming left, the stagnant air in the private room seemed to start flowing again.

"Yutong, you wouldn't happen to... like your uncle, would you?" Xiao Xiao asked tentatively, half-jokingly.

"She must admire someone similar to that senior," Ning Tian chimed in.

Two blushes rose on Huo Yutong's cheeks, but she nodded gently: "Yes."

"What?!" Xiao Xiao and Ning Tian exclaimed in unison, their expressions filled with disbelief.

"I only want to marry him." Huo Yutong's voice was not loud, but it conveyed an undeniable firmness.

"But that senior already..."

"They all know," Huo Yutong said, blushing, which was considered an admission.

Xiao Hongchen, standing to the side, felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind, and his heart sank into an ice cellar, shattering completely.

Hearing this conversation, Meng Hongchen looked completely bewildered and finally couldn't help but ask, "Who are you talking about?"

"He's my uncle..." Huo Yutong said with affection, "He has always been my hero."

The moment those words left her lips, Meng Hongchen clearly heard Xiao Hongchen beside her, as if she had been shattered into dust with a crisp "crack".

Xiao Hongchen had no memory of what happened after that.

He only vaguely remembered his grandfather and sister supporting him on either side as he staggered back to his room, and then he threw himself heavily onto the bed, using sleep to forcibly isolate himself from this cruel world.

Jing Hongchen was still enjoying tea in the quiet room, waiting to hear her grandson's amusing stories, when she saw her beloved grandson being helped back looking like he had lost his soul, and she was stunned.

After settling Xiao Hongchen in with Meng Hongchen, he asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

"Grandpa, my brother... he's heartbroken." Meng Hongchen sighed. "He doesn't even have the chance to get close to the starting line."

"Oh? Who is this person?" Jing Hongchen was quite surprised.

"I'll inquire about that in more detail next time. It was the Third Prince who came to cause trouble... Later, when he learned that Yu Tong had someone she loved, my brother's condition changed, so we came back first." Meng Hongchen briefly recounted the commotion that had just occurred.

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen's expression turned serious: "Meng'er, you and your brother must remember to stay away from any members of the royal family recently. Your studies are your top priority right now."

"I understand, Grandpa."

Regarding the undercurrents between the two princes of the Sun and Moon Imperial Family, Jing Hongchen once consulted Kong Mingde. He only replied with three words: "His Majesty is here."

With just three words, Jing Hongchen understood everything.

The final decision rests with Xu Mu.

But has His Majesty truly chosen Xu Tianran or Xu Tianming?

Jing Hongchen sneered inwardly. All the subjects of the Sun and Moon Empire knew how this Emperor had ascended the throne, treading on blood and bones.

"Usurper," "Brother Killer"... these titles are not only known in the Sun Moon Empire, but also in Shrek Academy and even the entire continent.

In the days that followed, Meng Hongchen continued to invite Huo Yutong and the others on outings.

The girls' friendship deepened with each conversation, and she felt a bright and joyful heart to have them as friends.

But her curiosity was hard to suppress, and she secretly inquired about the background of that "uncle".

To avoid touching a sore spot for her brother, she secretly passed the information to her grandfather.

Xiao Hongchen also forced himself to start letting go. Who told him to have hesitated and shrugged off in the first place?

He often wondered if the outcome would have been different if he had pursued Huo Yutong with all his might during the previous All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

—Actually, no. If he really did that, it would only make Huo Yutong realize sooner and more clearly that the one she admires is Di Tian.

…………

But he was ultimately unwilling to accept it.

If he can't see this "love rival" in person and figure out exactly where he lost, he'll probably never be able to swallow this bitter pill.

Later, his grandfather comforted him by saying, "Compared to him, at least you're a human being..."

His sister comforted him by saying, "Compared to him, brother, you're still young..."

Xiao Hongchen admitted that in terms of charm and strength, he was indeed inferior to him.

But Grandpa, Xiaomeng!

This isn't comforting him; it's like stabbing him in the heart! They're practically asking if the blood isn't cold enough already!

Of course, that's all in the future.

Time flows like a gentle stream, quietly passing by at its own pace; half a year has already passed.

Huo Yutong has finally reached a bottleneck and is about to go into seclusion to attempt to become a Soul Emperor.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen will also embark on a journey to obtain their own souls.

Before leaving, Huo Yutong solemnly handed a storage soul tool that she had prepared in advance to Meng Hongchen, asking her to pass it on to Huo Biling, Huo Ziyan and others at the Spirit Pagoda.

With this, Huo Yutong officially went into seclusion. Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen and his group, along with a group of Soul Masters from the Sun Moon Empire who had recently advanced and needed to acquire Soul Spirits, as well as several Soul Douluo powerhouses from the Sun Moon Legion, formed an elite team and marched grandly toward the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda.