"Yuhao..." Wang Dong frowned as he looked down at the empty bed in front of him.
'So you still haven't return.' He clenched his hands, not knowing what to do.
He still couldn't believe what happened last night.
Wu Feng confessed her feelings and Huo Yuhao up and vanished on her? What the hell was that! That wasn't something Yuhao would do!
Wang Dong wasn't the only one who knew this. Him, Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian and Wu Feng knew enough of his personality that they gave him the benefit of the doubt.
But, he couldn't help but feel a uneasy feeling.
After they had tried doing a martial soul fusion, although they haven't explored more into it, Wang Dong felt a slight subconscious connection towards Huo Yuhao and it might even be vice versa.
It was like that myth of twins having some kind of telepathical connection. Wang Dong could vaguely Yuhao's emotions, his struggles, even when they were apart. And right now, his friend was clearly in turmoil.
Wang Dong knew he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He had to find Yuhao, to talk to him, to comfort him...
*Ding, dong, ding~*
Wang Dong's face was immediately drained of all colors.
"Oh no, the tournament!" He exclaimed, realizing that he had completely forgotten about the tournament they were supposed to participate in.
Wang Dong quickly slammed the door open and rushed out of the room, thankful he was awake enough to change into his school uniform.
He sprinted through the hallways of the dorm and headed straight towards the assessment arena with full speed.
As Wang Dong arrived, he was stunned to find Huo Yuhao standing at the side with Xiao Xiao by his side, the latter looking worried.
'Oh thank Sea God...' He let out a relieved sigh as he approached them.
Just as he was about to call out Huo Yuhao and ask him where he had been the entire night and why he had just bailed on them, Xiao Xiao grabbed his arm and shook her head at him.
"Xiao Xiao? What..."
"Shh. Come with me for now," She hurriedly pulled him to the side, she let out a deep breath and said. "listen, something's up with Yuhao."
Wang Dong furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. "Yeah, he bailed on us last night and made Wu Feng cry. We need answers from him."
Xiao Xiao had a bitter expression as he glanced back Huo Yuhao's silent figure, "You think I didn't try to? When I saw him, I shared the same intention as you and walked up to him for answers."
"But," Her lips trembled as a look of helplessness and confusion appeared in her eyes. "I didn't dare to. Especially with such a look on his face."
"What?" Wang Dong frowned and tilted his head towards Huo Yuhao, specifically his face, trying to see what made Xiao Xiao so–
"Yuhao...?" Wang Dong lightly gasped as he saw the ice cold, expressionless face of Huo Yuhao.
His eyes, once warm and filled with light, were now hollow and devoid of any emotion. It was as if his soul had been sucked away.
But that wasn't all.
Wang Dong, now that he was near Huo Yuhao, could feel the latter's inner feelings.
He wasn't empty, sad, in despair or anything else like that. No, it was something that caused a slight fear to appear in Wang Dong's heart.
It was anger, rage, and hatred above all else. Powerful emotions that could threatened the world if left alone.
Wang Dong wasn't a stranger to such feelings but that much hatred swimming through his friend's mind right now...
"He... doesn't look like the Yuhao we know," Wang Dong whispered, his voice filled with concern.
Xiao Xiao nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I tried talking to him, but he didn't respond. It's like he's shut himself off from the world."
Wang Dong clenched his fists, a mix of anger and worry surging through him.
'Yuhao, what happened?'
Huo Yuhao silently stood by, his face expressionless and numb. As if he had became a statue. But his eyes always followed the one head full of gorgeous flowing blonde hair in the crowd of people.
'Dai...Huabin...' A fierce cold light flashed in his eyes.
'My...half-brother...'
Let's go back to last night.
.....
"Little Yuhao, are you certain in your decision?" Skydream Iceworm's lazy tone of voice transmitted in Huo Yuhao's ears.
Huo Yuhao let out a puff of cold breath, jumping up and to different tree branches before arriving at the back of the male school dorm.
"Yes, I'm sure. I've been playing around in this place for far too long." Huo Yuhao said in a indifferent tone of voice.
"Is it because of what that little dragon girl said?" Skydream softly asked.
Huo Yuhao flinched, a complicated expression appeared on his face before shaking his head. "She just made me realize something important and although I feel guilty for leaving her like that I... my goal is more important than anything. I promised myself that, and a man keeps his promises."
"..." Skydream went silent, not knowing what to say right now.
He turned towards Ancestor for assistance but the featureless old man was just quiet.
'Ugh, what should I do...?' Although he wanted to see Bing'er soon, but he also didn't want to see Huo Yuhao acting this way.
They've only known each other for a few months but that amount of time was enough for the million year soul beast to care about the human as a....friend, something he never thought he would have after so many years.
Just as Skydream was struggling for a solution, his body trembled, a intense feeling of shock spread throughout his body as he sensed a sudden terrifying disturbance rippling throughout the spiritual sea.
The once illusionary blue sky turned red and dark, as if a storm was brewing. The once vibrant and beautiful forest dimmed, as if it lost all colors, while the majestic and magnificent large golden lake turned blood red.
It was as if the entire spiritual sea had been tainted by a dark and malevolent force.
"What... what is happening?!" Skydream exclaimed in alarm, his voice filled with panic.
"This feeling...again...?" The grey ball of light that had been silently suspended in midair alongside the ten golden seals, said.
"Now, what got you worked up this time..." Ancestor slowly muttered as he raised his head.
Skydream turned towards him in question but he turned his head up as well, finally sensing where this sudden change of the spiritual sea came from.
"Little Yuhao?"
Huo Yuhao stood still, dumbfounded, his pupils instantly contracted as he stared at the two figures that were having a sparring session with another under the moonlight, sweat covering their bodies.
It wasn't anything surprising, thre was a competition going on and of course there'd be some zealous students training as much as they could.
But what caught Huo Yuhao's attention entirely was the handsome young man with gorgeous flowing golden hair and deep blue eyes with double-pupils in each eyes, making him look exotic.
To anyone out there, who had read a bit of Douluo Continent's history, they would recognize the young man as the descendant of one of the original Seven Shrek Monsters, Dai Mubai.
He was Dai Huabin, one of the sons of the White Tiger Duke.
To Huo Yuhao, he was his half-brother. But also...his archenemy.
'Dai...Huabin...' Huo Yuhao's Sharingan snapped opened in a just a blink, righteous fury flashed in his eyes as he fiercely scowled.
This boy, this half-brother of his...
Is one of the reasons why his mother had died!
'I'll KILL YOU!!' He waved his hands and inbetween his knuckles several kunais appeared, gleaming with a deadly light. Without thinking, he took a step towards Dai Huabin, his heart filled with nothing but rage and the desire for revenge.
However, before he could charge over towards him, his body inexplicably froze up. His wide eyes slowly narrowed down, the kunais he brandished out disappeared into his storage belt.
"My incarnation, calm down." Huo Yuhao said, but his tone of voice sounded deep and older. It was obvious that this wasn't him, made obvious by his Sharingan pupils being black than gold.
"Ancestor?!" Huo Yuhao said in shock, finding himself in his spiritual sea, but his shocked expression dipped into rage. "Why are you stopping me!? One of my mother's killers is standing right in front of me and you expect me to just stand here and do nothing?!"
Ancestor remained calm, his voice holding a hint of authority. "Calm down, Huo Yuhao. Your emotions are clouding your judgment. Look."
Huo Yuhao furrowed his brows and looked around his surroundings, a grim expression appeared on his face.
"Dammit!" He muttered in frustration as he saw three figures hiding in the shadows, all brimming with a powerful aura in their bodies.
He could that these three were just a bit weaker than Zhou Yi, a Soul Emperor, so they were at least a Soul King!
He was confident he could pull all three of them and the girl Dai Huabin was with into an illusion.
But he wasn't confident that he could keep them in it for long with Dai Huabin in front of him, his concentration and focus would be divided. And if he let his guard down for even a moment, they could escape the illusion and attack him.
Moreover, if it did succeed, he would've become a likely suspect. After all, who here in this entire school has the power to put Soul Kings into an illusion?
There might be some teachers who can do that but they've been in this school for years, almost everyone would know about them, and wouldn't pin the blame on them.
Him, however? A total nobody that appeared out of nowhere and can easily access the spiritual mind of a Soul Emperor...
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists, his anger bubbling inside him. He knew he couldn't act recklessly, not when there were others around. But the urge to confront Dai Huabin was overwhelming.
'They haven't sensed me yet?' He asked, gritting his teeth. He kept his cool in the end, slaying Dai Huabin wasn't never his true goal.
His step-mother, the duchess, took that spot.
Ancestor's replied indifferently, "They have, but they just think that you're just strolling around. Thankfully they haven't seen you brandishing your weapons or sensed your killing intent as well, or you would've been dead at the spot."
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists, the urge for righteous vengeance was strong, but he knew Ancestor was right. Acting impulsively would only lead to his own downfall.
So, he stealthily walked back, blending himself into the darkness as he run up the the walls of the dormitory and hid on the roof.
"As expected of the son of the Duke... He even has powerful bodyguards protecting him in the shadows." Huo Yuhao bitterly said to himself, his eyes filled with anguish and frustration. "Why, why didn't you protect us like this as well? You bastard old man..."
"You can't take revenge just yet," Ancestor continued. "My incantation, I understand how you feel and I have promised you that I will make you stronger to achieve your vengeance. However, that will not happen if you just charge intp danger without any self preservation. Not only will that not achieve anything, but it would also make you a fool."
Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth, his anger still burning within him. But he understood that Ancestor was right. He needed to bide his time, gather strength, and make a plan. Revenge would not come easily, and rushing in blindly would only end in disaster.
Taking a deep breath, Huo Yuhao calmed himself down and nodded. "I understand, Ancestor. I will be patient and wait for the right opportunity."
Ancestor nodded in approval. "Good. Remember, revenge is a long and arduous journey. But with determination and careful planning, you will succeed."
Huo Yuhao took another deep breath and let go of his anger, for now. He needed to focus on his training and becoming stronger. Revenge would come in due time.
Actually... "He'll be participating in the competition, right?" Huo Yuhao asked, a ruthless glint flashed across his eyes.
Ancestor was quite and let out a sigh, understanding his incarnation's intention. "Yes, from what I've seen and analyzed, he's likely a first year and would participate in the competition."
Huo Yuhao's deep blue eyes glowed under the darkness of the night, his Sharingan activated once more as he stared at his half-brother.
"Looks like I'm going to stay here for a while."
....
"Team Huo Yuhao, would you please enter the arena?" The proctor announced, pulling Huo Yuhao out of his thoughts.
Huo Yuhao slowly turned his head towards the proctor, his expression still devoid of any emotion. He nodded silently and walked towards the center of the arena, his footsteps light and almost ghost-like.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao exchanged worried glances before following him. They couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as they watched their friend, their teammate, behave so differently.
As they entered the arena, Huo Yuhao's eyes scanned the surrounding crowd, his gaze stopping on Dai Huabin. Although his expression remained unchanged, the burning anger in his eyes was unmistakable.
'I can't kill you now, but I will make sure I make your life a living hell.'
....
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