"Yuhao? You guys are back quick." Ma Xiaotao commented as Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao dropped down, revealing their faces.
It was already night and Ma Xiaotao had prepared a tent and small fire with what remained of the Armoured Beast the roasting over the flames, its rich aroma filling the air.
Ning Tian was behind Ma Xiaotao, cross-legged and eyes closed as she calmly absorb her soul ring. Judging how only 20% of the soul ring has been absorbed, it would likely take her at least 20 hours to fully absorb it.
"We've got a bit of a...problem." Huo Yuhao said. He then explained the identity of the Skysplitting Demon Dragon and a guardian that would be seeking vengeance.
Ma Xiaotao looked unbothered and said, "Why are you so worried about it? Even if we can't handle it, teacher is on standby and would help us deal with that soul beast."
Huo Yuhao wryly smiled. 'That's because you don't have a certain worm in you.'
If the guardian of the Skysplitting Demon Dragon was a hundred thousand year old soul beast, there would be a likely chance it would discover the existence of Skydream in his body. And if that happens, most of the hundred thousand year old soul beasts would be after him!
Even Yan Shaozhe couldn't handle such a situation.
And in the unlikely chance that it would only send in a subordinate to deal with him, a ten thousand year old soul beast, Huo Yuhao wanted to be prepared to deal with them on his own than just face them head-on with Yan Shaozhe.
He hasn't gotten any proper and fair challenge for a while now. A ten thousand year old soul beast should be strong enough to handle him.
"I just want to be careful. This is the territory of soul beasts, even Yan Shaozhe couldn't handle a horde of soul beasts on his own, can he?" Huo Yuhao said to the girls to justify his caution.
Ma Xiaotao tilted her head. "Hmm. That's true... Plus it's night time. Most bloodthirsty soul beasts would be active during this time."
Huo Yuhao nodded and waved his hand, bringing out the carcass of the Skysplitting Demon Dragon. "Xiao Xiao, absorb its soul ring."
Xiao Xiao nodded and sat cross-legged right before it, her Myriad Dragon Cauldron appeared before her. The soul beast's soul ring shone and slowly becoming one with the martial soul.
"Well, I should get some rest as well." Huo Yuhao said, rolling his shoulders and sat on a wooden log facing the campfire.
Ma Xiaotao slightly smiled and plopped down besides him, without any hesitation, she rested her head against his shoulder.
Huo Yuhao slightly blushed at the sudden closeness but didn't move away. Instead, he let out a small sigh and relaxed, allowing the warmth of the fire and Ma Xiaotao's presence to ease his tension.
"Bold of you to do this in front of others." Huo Yuhao said, wrapping his arm around her slim waist and pulling her just a little closer. Though he almost pulled back
He didn't know why he wrapped his arm around her. Was it instinct? Still, they haven't properly addressed the current nature of their relationship so he wasn't sure if he should do this!
'Damn you previous incarnations! You were all popular with women, but you all got shitty experience in flirting with them!'
But he was also thankful for their experience in masking one's emotions, because he damn well would've shown an awful expression.
"Oh? I'm bold? Putting your arm around me like this..."
Ma Xiaotao smirked, her eyes half-lidded as she leaned into him, admiring his handsome face; skin as fair as jade white and smooth as silk, contrasted by his sharp, light blue eyes that held a mysterious depth. The firelight danced across his features, highlighting his good looks.
"Oh please, they won't notice us with their current condition. Plus, it's hot, and you're cold. I'm just taking advantage of a nice and cool body." Ma Xiaotao teased, pressing herself a little closer, relishing the refreshing chill that naturally emanated from Huo Yuhao's body.
"I think that's the first anyone would use to flirt with someone."
"Oh shut up. It's true and~" Ma Xiaotao smirked and cupped his chin with her fair fingers. "Doesn't it turns you on~?"
"Don't be such a tease." Huo Yuhao smiled and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
Ma Xiaotao cutely stuck her tongue out and laid her head back on his shoulder, enjoying his cold body. She then interlocked her fingers with his, their soul power naturally blended with one another in harmony.
Ma Xiaotao might not have 100% martial soul fusion at the same level as Wang Dong'er, but after that session they had, their connection was almost at the same level. Connecting her martial soul with his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion would increase his cultivation and also speed up his soul power recovery.
They sat in silence for a while before Huo Yuhao tended to the roasting soul beast meat, adding in spices and turning it over the fire to ensure it cooked evenly.
The rich aroma of the sizzling meat filled the air, making Ma Xiaotao hum in approval.
"....Yuhao, what are we, exactly?" She asked out loud.
Huo Yuhao paused for a moment and replied, "I'm sure you're not talking about an existential crises of being a human, so I'm guessing you're asking about our relationship?"
Ma Xiaotao snorted. "Yes, you little nerd. I'm asking what our relationship is."
"Oh. Right..." Huo Yuhao went quiet for a while at that.
Uchiha moment right there. Indra, who was curiously watching the outside world, shook his head.
Himself, his incarnations, and his descendants were powerful Shinobis and could do all sorts of things—but being in a relationship? He doesn't even remember his wife. And almost all of his incarnations didn't put much importance towards their significant other either.
'Dammit, was this another curse in the Uchiha clan or something?' Both Huo Yuhao and Indra thought.
Ma Xiaotao flatly stared at the back of his head.
She let out a sigh. "It's fine. By Sea God, I should've expected this. You're young, you shouldn't be pressured into.... labeling something you're not ready for."
Huo Yuhao turned to look at her, his light blue eyes reflecting the fire's glow. "What? No, no. It's not that I don't want to start seeing you as my girlfriend, but it's just that..."
"Just what?" Ma Xiaotao narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.
Huo Yuhao let out a deep sigh and sat down besides her. "Xiaotao, I like you. I really, really like you. Not just because we had sex, even before that. I liked you first for being hot."
"Reasonable." Ma Xiaotao nodded, her head high in pride.
"I then started liking you for your fiery personality, your strength, and the way you never let anything keep you down," Huo Yuhao continued, his voice sincere. "You're passionate, confident, and you push forward no matter what. You're just so... something! I don't know what I'm saying."
Ma Xiaotao softly giggled. "No, no. I get what you're saying."
Huo Yuhao let out dry chuckle, looking a bit guilty. "But I also...like others as well. My heart and soul feels strangely at peace with Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, Wu Feng, Ning Tian, Tang Ya..."
"Oh." Ma Xiaotao blinked in surprise. "You're worried about getting together with other girls, is what you're saying?"
Huo Yuhao nodded shyly.
Ma Xiaotao let out a deep sigh and muttered. "And here I was thinking that you didn't want to get together because there was something wrong with me."
"Huh?"
"Never you mind!" She quickly said. She glanced at him, scratched her cheek and said. "What I want to say is, I... I'm okay with you dating other girls as well."
"Huh?" Huo Yuhao stared, dumbfounded.
Ma Xiaotao snorted at his dumb look and said, "Yuhao, honestly, I like you as well. But I'm not... exactly ready to start dating with you yet, I want to focus on passing my graduation exam and becoming a honorary elder of the inner courtyard."
"Plus, I don't feel like I've known you too well. I haven't even told you my childhood, before I became a student of Shrek Academy. And I don't want to use the situation of us having done "it" to start dating; it was out of necessity to save my life, not out of love."
"Oh." Huo Yuhao was completely out of his depth when it came to relationships, but he respected Ma Xiaotao's honesty. He quietly processed her words before nodding.
"I understand," he said. "I don't want to rush anything either, and I definitely don't want you to feel like you have to be with me just because of what happened before."
Ma Xiaotao relaxed slightly. "Good. But just because I said I'm okay with you dating other girls doesn't mean I won't fight for my place. If, eventually, I decide I want to be with you officially, I won't hold back."
Huo Yuhao chuckled. "That sounds like you."
She smirked. "Damn straight. If there's anything I don't like the most, it's losing."
A comfortable silence settled between them again. Huo Yuhao took the roasting meat from the campfire and started preparing it for everyone, slicing it into portions and handing some to Ma Xiaotao first. He placed some on his plate while having the rest placed in a container and putting it into his storage belt.
Ma Xiaotao accepted her meal with a satisfied hum, taking a bite and savoring the well-seasoned, tender meat.
"Hmm~! So good!"
Huo Yuhao smiled and he opened his mouth to say something when he sensed the disturbance in the hybrid region coming towards their area.
'That guy sure took his time. But to think it'd be a ten thousand year old Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear. Is this guy really that dragon's backer? No, he's too dumb to be the one to do it. Hmm.' Huo Yuhao contemplated on how to deal with this soul beast.
Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear is one of the most powerful bears within history and when mature, it would not need to fear any predator, not even true dragons. If a battle between titans occured, the outcome would be difficult to guess.
Their speciality lay in both offense and defense, with their dark golden furs giving them a powerful defense and with their terrifyingly sharp dark golden claws which their name comes from, giving them formidable attack power. A 10,000 years Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear is comparable to an ordinary 100,000 years spirit beast—and the one coming towards them was one such creature.
'Tch. He's not a suitable soul ring for either me and Xiaotao. Hmm. I want to have a precise calculation to my true strength, fighting that guy would be a good benchmark,' Huo Yuhao thought, his eyes narrowing.
He glanced at Ma Xiaotao, who had already noticed the shift in his expression. She swallowed her food quickly and stood up, dark flames flickering in her eyes. "What is it?"
Huo Yuhao sent all four of his clones towards the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear before turning towards Ma Xiaotao. "I gotta go deal with that problem of ours."
"I'm coming with you."
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "No, you have to stay here and guard the Xiao Xiao and Ning Tian. Don't worry, the soul beast is just around ten thousand years old. He's no threat to me."
If it were anyone else who said that, who doesn't have his fifth soul ring yet, Ma Xiaotao would've stopped them and scolded them for being an absolute idiot.
A ten thousand year old soul beast! That was a creature even a Soul Sage would have trouble taking down all by themselves without giving it their all.
But this was Huo Yuhao saying it. Ma Xiaotao saw him performed all kinds of miracles that she trusted him absolutely, especially since he saved her life.
Ma Xiaotao hesitated for a moment before nodding in reluctant understanding. "Alright. But the moment when things get rough, you pull back and call for teacher, got it?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Got it."
Ma Xiaotao narrowed her eyes and grabbed his shirt, pulling him towards her face. "Be safe." She said, before kissing him deeply, her lips soft and warm against his lips.
Huo Yuhao was surprised for a moment before returning the kiss, their lips molding together in a moment of shared passion.
She pulled away slightly, her forehead resting against his as her blazing red eyes locked onto his light blue ones. "That's for good luck," she murmured, her breath warm against his lips.
Huo Yuhao chuckled softly, his hand lingering on her face for a moment before he finally let go. "Then I'll make sure to come back in one piece," he promised.
He turned around and his body disappeared blurred, utilizing the Body Flicker Jutsu, and disappeared into the night sky.
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AN: Sorry for taking a while to upload. I was binge watching some shows and anime—finally watched Dandadan! Damn, I was so unprepared for the comedy and sad backstory the anime had. Also, fuck that cliffhanger!
Next is gonna be Bleach TYBW and Rezero s3
1/3 chapters of the week