Douluo Continent: The Cataclysm of the Dead - Huo Yuhao

Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned when he saw Xiao Xiao choose this restaurant.

This led Xiao Xiao to mistakenly believe that the restaurant had a bad reputation, and she couldn't help but quickly say:

"Yuhao, if you don't like this restaurant, you can choose another one."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao simply chuckled and shook his head.

"No, it's just that I have a friend who also likes this restaurant."

And this friend was none other than the Hongchen siblings.

When Xiao Xiao heard the name "friend," she felt a pang of disappointment for some reason, but she quickly suppressed it. The two of them then went inside.

The waiter approached Xiao Xiao with great enthusiasm, looking at her and offering recommendations.

"We are a long-established brand in Mingdu. How about trying our local specialty, Huasu cheese?"

Xiao Xiao readily nodded in agreement to the somewhat novel names.

After that, Huo Yuhao ordered several dishes with great skill.

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but cautiously ask.

"Yuhao, I'm curious about something. I heard that you weren't originally from one of the three kingdoms of the continent. Given your martial soul, why didn't you choose to join Shrek Academy? After all, Shrek Academy is undoubtedly the best in martial soul research, right?"

This is a question that Xiao Xiao has always been curious about: Huo Yuhao's martial soul is completely independent of the current classification of martial souls, and is based on an all-around martial soul positioning.

In your opinion, it would be better for such a martial soul to join Shrek Academy. After all, although Shrek Academy's Xiao Xiao also investigated some bad things, no one can say that Shrek Academy is more authoritative than Shrek Academy in terms of martial soul research.

When this matter was mentioned, a complex and ambiguous look appeared in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

He then chuckled softly and spoke frankly.

"You're really sending me to my death. I bet before I even get into the academy, the moment I reveal my martial spirit, I'll be hacked to pieces."

Huo Yuhao's teasing made Xiao Xiao chuckle, but she couldn't help but say, "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

Huo Yuhao, however, simply shook his head with a serious expression.

"I'm not exaggerating. At least based on the current investigation, Shrek Academy's purge of evil spirit masters in recent years has gone too far, whether it's ignoring some rules on the continent or having some extreme views on martial spirits."

"This has indirectly affected many ordinary Soul Masters, especially some Dark attribute Soul Masters, many of whom are innocent."

Speaking of this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but think of the two elders of the Holy Spirit Cult.

One elder, who just liked to drink beast blood, was forcibly labeled an evil soul master. That's one thing, but there was indeed a risk of him falling into the demonic path.

He Youwei was truly innocent. He was cultivating well, but because his martial soul was too terrifying, or more accurately, Shrek Academy had a precedent of this, namely Feng Ling.

On the surface, it appears to be a dark martial soul, but in the end, its evil nature was unleashed, transforming it into an evil phoenix.

It is precisely because of this that Shrek gradually became overly aggressive in its attacks on this aspect.

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but recall the past and nodded thoughtfully.

After that, the waiter brought out a plate of something that looked somewhat like ice cream.

It looked quite gorgeous, and in Xiao Xiao's eyes it looked more like an ornament.

Xiao Xiao carefully picked up the spoon, took a bite, and felt the icy coolness—a sensation she had never experienced before—accompanied by a rich milky flavor and even the refreshing aroma of several fruits.

She couldn't help but squint her eyes, her face full of enjoyment, and sighed.

"This tastes amazing!"

This also reminded Huo Yuhao of the first time Meng Hongchen recommended this item to him.

He looked so enthusiastic.

As the dishes were served, Huo Yuhao looked at Xiao Xiao in front of him and couldn't help but continue the conversation out of curiosity.

"By the way, Xiao Xiao, your family, or rather your father, seems to spoil you quite a bit, actually making you willing to come here."

When this was mentioned, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but raise her head with a hint of pride.

"Of course, my dad put in a lot of effort in this regard, and he was almost expelled from the family genealogy because of my insistence."

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao was somewhat taken aback.

Xiao Xiao continued to explain in detail.

"Actually, the faction I belong to is in the Heavenly Soul Empire. To be precise, my faction consists of old-timers."

“Even our family is the kind of family that is completely indifferent to soul tools, and even somewhat disgusted by them.”

"But your performance has completely surprised me, and you've recently established a controlled soul guidance system."

"I used this as my name, plus I wanted to learn about soul tools."

"After all, the path my family gave me, or rather, the path my martial soul was born with, seems to be that I should go down the defensive path, or rather, a path that leans towards support."

"I want to try and see if I can find another path with the help of a soul tool."

When Xiao Xiao finished speaking, her face was serious, and her stubborn defiance of fate moved Huo Yuhao somewhat.

"You're really amazing."

While praising him, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but ask a question.

"By the way, what does your family do? And why do you hate soul tools so much?"

It was just a casual question, but Xiao Xiao's answer made Huo Yuhao's breathing become heavy.

“My family is in Gengxin City, and my father is the vice president of the blacksmiths’ association.”

Chapter 110 Gengxin City

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh when she arrived here.

To be honest, even after she had been fighting against it, she once thought she saw no hope at all.

It should be noted that the Tang Sect, which was most affected by soul tools, still possessed some of its unique skills.

The Haotian Sect also preserves some of the Tang Sect's secret techniques, but they are kept in seclusion.

But the Blacksmiths' Guild is different; it truly enjoyed the same peak period, and most importantly...

Not only did it gradually decline, but it also lost its former position because of the soul tool.

The most ridiculous thing is that they are asked to refine rare metals for the Sun Moon Empire, or rather, for the Soul Masters of the original three great empires of the continent.

Only by doing so can the Blacksmiths' Association be preserved, which is like having someone pull you down from the highest peak.

What was given to you became your only hope for barely surviving.

This stark contrast is an intense humiliation that anyone who has witnessed the pinnacle of existence, or understands the immense status they held at that peak, would find unbearable.

But with no other choice, one must endure this humiliation in order to survive.

It's like being forced to act like a dog. This humiliation is ingrained in their bones, which leads to an almost self-evident level of aversion to soul tools.

Huo Yuhao was stunned at this moment, because what he was most worried about was what would happen after arriving in Gengxin City.

He could easily hire those master blacksmiths, which would give him some leverage. But if his identity as a Soul Master was discovered, would those blacksmiths, who had fallen from grace because of Soul Tools, still treat him well? Would they be willing to help him? This was his biggest headache.

Right now, the Xiao family is not only a major family in Gengxin City, but the father is also the vice president of the blacksmiths' association.

This not only directly dispelled Huo Yuhao's worries, but also...

This even excited Huo Yuhao, who was, after all, the vice president of the Blacksmith Association, even if he might not reach the level of a master craftsman.

At the very least, it can help him create a two-word battle armor, or even a three-word one, which is equivalent to at least helping him create a black-level mecha.

In this era, however, this is a revolutionary and overwhelming victory!

So, after Huo Yuhao realized what was happening...

This helped him understand how much Xiao Xiao had overcome to get here. After agreeing with her, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but reveal his own purpose.

"Xiao Xiao, you've really had a tough time. By the way, can I go back to Gengxin City with you?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao's pretty face turned red almost instantly.

Go home, and specifically, go home to your own home.

Given that she already had some feelings for Huo Yuhao in that regard, these words inevitably took on a slightly different meaning when they reached her ears.

However, Xiao Xiao was not stupid after all. To be precise, apart from that meeting, the two had not spent much time together. The other party probably did not mean that, but she could not suppress this thought.

However, she still raised her concerns.

"I've only just started school, hmm, I'm afraid it might be a bit difficult to get things done?"

"It's alright, I'll take care of this for you."

Huo Yuhao simply waved his hand, after all, given his current status at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, it wouldn't be difficult for him to ask for leave.

Seeing that Huo Yuhao had made such a statement, Xiao Xiao naturally had nothing more to say.

After the two finished eating, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but ask the question that had been troubling him.

“Xiao Xiao, under normal circumstances, your father should hate soul tools. Why would he let you, or rather, support you to come to the Sun Moon Empire?”

This is a logical flaw that Huo Yuhao discovered, or rather, the most illogical part of Xiao Xiao's story.

Would the vice president of the blacksmiths' association send his daughter to a place that specializes in learning soul tools?

This isn't unreasonable at all; it even has a touch of science fiction.

Xiao Xiao's eyes suddenly turned somewhat melancholy, and she explained with a bitter smile.

"This is also related to my background. My mother died in childbirth. My father loved my mother very much and has never remarried in recent years."

Huo Yuhao suddenly felt awkward.

A sense of guilt arose in my heart, and that so-called curiosity vanished at that moment.

A man who loved his wife dearly watched helplessly as she died before his eyes, leaving behind only an orphaned daughter.

It's no wonder that even the vice president of the blacksmiths' association would choose to support Xiao Xiao.

It was also because of the so-called guilt and love in my heart.

"Feel sorry."

As soon as Huo Yuhao figured this out, he immediately apologized.