However, Yuhao's identity was not simple.
Yuhao's mother had once been the White Tiger Duke's personal maid, growing up alongside the Duke from a young age. What a personal maid did, naturally, needed no further explanation. So, on a stormy night, things unfolded as one might expect, and afterward, Yuhao was born.
With a child born, his mother's status naturally rose. Yuhao, being the Duke's offspring, was given a small courtyard. Though the treatment wasn't particularly luxurious, it wasn't terrible either.
However, as the White Tiger Duke went to war and was rarely home, the estate fell under the control of the Duchess. Things took a turn for the worse when Yuhao turned six and did not awaken the White Tiger martial soul. Instead, he possessed the first-rank Spirit Eyes, a martial soul that offered little promise. Misfortune soon followed for Yuhao and his mother.
Perhaps because Yuhao's mother was beautiful and had grown up with the Duke, the Duchess grew jealous. They were driven out of their small courtyard by the Duchess and forced to live in the woodshed, with all financial support cut off.
Yuhao's mother had always been in poor health and, now under constant oppression by the Duchess's servants, her condition worsened. Two years ago, when Yuhao was beaten by servants on Dai Huabin's orders, his mother tried to protect him and was severely injured. Already frail, she held on for two more years before finally passing away, worn out and exhausted.
Since then, Yuhao had harbored a deep hatred for the White Tiger Duke's estate. And today, being beaten once again by Dai Huabin's lackeys had only reignited the resentment buried deep in his heart.
A dark hatred flickered in his blue eyes as his young face twisted with anger.
"Dai Huabin, Duchess, the White Tiger Duke's estate… one day, I will make you all pay!"
Hatred surged in Yuhao's heart as he began to contemplate leaving the White Tiger Duke's estate. After more than four years of hard training, he had finally reached Rank 9 soul power, just one step away from Rank 10. Once he reached Rank 10, he could absorb a soul ring and become a Soul Master.
As long as he became a Soul Master, he would have the ability to protect himself.
"Mom, watch over me from the heavens. No matter how much effort it takes, I will trample this place beneath my feet."
"I will make the Duchess and Dai Huabin pay the price they deserve. I will sever the White Tiger bloodline completely."
"I will make that man kneel before your grave and beg for forgiveness."
Yuhao's young face twisted further with hatred, his expression ferocious.
He swore in his heart that he would do everything in his power to achieve this goal.
"And finally, from this moment on, I will no longer carry the surname Dai. I will take your surname, Huo. From now on, my name will be Huo Yuhao."
"Mom, I hope your spirit in heaven will protect me so that I can avenge you soon!"
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists, his eyes burning with a hatred so intense it seemed capable of consuming everything.
...
Meanwhile, at Star Dou Forest, Lake of Life, several figures sat around a campfire, feasting.
By now, the sky had dimmed, darkness creeping in, but it did nothing to dampen their cheerful mood.
Di Tian and Bi Ji each held a skewer of roasted meat, eating slowly with an air of elegance. Beside them, a brawny man with dark golden hair devoured his food as if he hadn't eaten in days.
Between bites, he couldn't stop praising, "So delicious, so delicious. The meat the Young Lord grills is the best."
"Xiong Jun, can't you eat with a little more grace?"
A beautiful woman with purple hair, dressed in a revealing outfit, glanced at him with slight disdain while delicately nibbling on her skewer of meat.
Xiong Jun, the brawny man with dark golden hair, ignored her complaints, fully absorbed in devouring the roasted meat.
"Glutton," the purple-haired beauty muttered, smiling as she bit into her food with elegance.
"But I must say, the Young Lord's roasted meat does have a special flavor."
The woman, Zi Ji, leaned closer to Su Yu, her body tilting toward him as she whispered playfully into his ear. Her warm breath brushed against his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Well then, Sister Zi Ji, eat more."
Su Yu gently pushed Zi Ji away and stuffed a piece of spirit fruit into her mouth, cutting off her teasing.
This vixen was always flirting with him—and she was incredibly seductive, making his heart itch.
Hmph, just wait a few years. Once I'm older, if she still dares to tease me, I'll show her the power of my Golden Staff!
Zi Ji shot a resentful glance at Su Yu, her mouth full of spirit fruit. Su Yu, pretending not to notice, tore off a lamb leg and offered it to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion sitting beside him.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's golden eyes gleamed with joy as she took a bite. In no time, the entire roasted lamb leg, over a meter long, was devoured. Satisfied, the lion's mouth glistened with golden oil.
Su Yu wiped her mouth with a cloth before offering her another skewer of roasted beef.
"Here, you eat too!"
Three-Eyed Golden Lion shook her head and nuzzled Su Yu affectionately.
Su Yu smiled and quickly finished the skewer himself. It wasn't until the stars filled the sky and the moon hung high that their dinner finally came to an end. Everyone had eaten their fill.
Afterward, Su Yu and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion strolled by the Lake of Life. A gentle breeze carried the life-filled mist, enveloping the pair in a soothing atmosphere.
From a distance, Di Tian and Bi Ji watched the harmonious scene.
"What do you think of what the Young Lord said to Xiong Jun today?"
Bi Ji asked Di Tian. They never strayed too far from Su Yu, even in the Star Dou Forest, always on guard.
"Ah, that was just the Young Lord fooling Xiong Jun. In the past few years, apart from his training in the Star Dou Forest and the Extreme North, the Young Lord has only spent a month traveling the continent. There's one place he hasn't been to: Shrek City. So, there's no way he's met Taotie Douluo," Di Tian said confidently.
As Su Yu's protector, Di Tian knew exactly where Su Yu had been and what he had experienced.
"Then why did the Young Lord trick Xiong Jun? Now Xiong Jun probably wants to kill Taotie Douluo. Does the Young Lord have some grudge against Shrek Academy? And how does he know about Taotie Douluo?" Bi Ji was puzzled.
"I'm not sure," Di Tian replied, "but the Young Lord is mature beyond his years. I'm sure he has his reasons."
Di Tian spoke calmly, "The Lord has instructed me to fulfill the Young Lord's requests as much as possible."
"The Young Lord isn't someone who acts recklessly. When it comes to serious matters, his mind is always clear. If he has chosen to target this Taotie Douluo, there must be a reason behind it."
"After all, the Young Lord is the reincarnation of the Dragon God. Perhaps he can see things we cannot."
"You think the Young Lord believes this Taotie Douluo could become a future threat to our soul beast race?"
Bi Ji asked, her heart tightening.
"Perhaps," Di Tian sighed softly.
"How is that possible? The strength of this Taotie Douluo is, at best, comparable to the Myriad Demon King's, and he may not even be as strong as that," Bi Ji said, still puzzled.
"Besides, in the Star Dou Forest, we have you and Xiong Jun. How could Taotie Douluo pose a threat?"
After all, Xuan Zi was only a Rank 98 Super Douluo. While powerful, he wasn't invincible. In the Star Dou Forest, both the Myriad Demon King and Xiong Jun were stronger than him, not to mention Di Tian himself. In all of Douluo Continent, aside from the Lord, Di Tian was the strongest being.
What was Xuan Zi in comparison?
Moreover, Bi Ji was no ordinary presence either. Though not known for combat, her support abilities were formidable, enough to make any Super Douluo wary. With her around, the soul beasts of Star Dou Forest were in no immediate danger.
Given their power, what force on the Douluo Continent could stand against them?
"I don't know," Di Tian replied, "but speaking of Shrek Academy, they are no good either. Over the years, how many soul beasts have they slaughtered? They've even hunted our kind on a large scale to create those so-called secret Soul Bones. How cruel is that?"
A cold, murderous glint flickered in Di Tian's golden eyes.
"If it weren't for the bigger picture, I would've dealt with them long ago."
"Even though Shrek Academy has a crippled Limit Douluo, when have I ever cared about that? Now that the Young Lord has appeared, our soul beast race has a chance to rise again. I believe the Star Dou Forest no longer needs to stay as low-key as it has in the past."
"What do you mean?"
Bi Ji's expression changed slightly as she pressed for clarification.
"I mean, we should follow the Young Lord's will and let them know that the Star Dou Forest has its dignity. Anyone who dares to offend us will pay a heavy price."
Di Tian's tone was resolute, icy cold.
In truth, he had endured enough. Now, Taotie Douluo would be the first outlet for his pent-up anger. Through him, they would send a clear warning to the human powerhouses: the Star Dou Forest is not to be trifled with.
...
The next morning, at dawn:
Under a large tree by the Lake of Life, Su Yu rubbed his eyes as he woke up. The sky was still faintly glowing, and the sun had yet to rise. A refreshing breeze blew from the lake, ruffling his hair.
Su Yu stretched, his head brushing against soft, warm golden fur.
He looked at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, still soundly asleep beside him, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
Last night, he had slept with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, using her soft belly as a pillow. Honestly, it was an indescribably comfortable pillow—probably something only Su Yu could experience.
Seeing that the lion was still asleep, Su Yu quietly walked a short distance away to stretch and begin his morning training. Without hesitation, he dashed into the Lake of Life, gliding across the water with the ease of the wind.
His movement technique was top-tier: Chasing the Wind and Catching Shadows, the first form of the Wind God Leg.
Standing on the surface of the lake, a flash of light appeared in Su Yu's hand, and a long sword materialized in the air. As its sword energy surged, the surrounding water rapidly froze. Within moments, a large area had solidified into ice, a natural result of the sword's innate sword intent.
Su Yu grabbed the sword, and an intense, cold energy coursed through his body, resonating with the blade, and causing the temperature around him to drop further. He began practicing his sword movements on the ice, each swing releasing beams of light as if intent on shattering the world around them.
This sword, named Iron Horse Glacier, had a remarkable history.
Hailing from the Shaoge World, it ranked third on the Legendary Sword List, known as the coldest blade in existence. Its first wielder was the Immortal Sword Saint of Kunlun, Li Changsheng, and it was later passed on to the Snow Moon Sword Saint, Li Hanyi.
True to its name, Iron Horse Glacier bore a sword intent filled with frost and ice, its aura as fierce as an iron horse charging through the wilderness. Its cutting power was chilling and deadly, making it a perfect match for Su Yu's extreme ice abilities. It was by far the most powerful weapon he possessed.
Even his Overlord Ancient Spear paled in comparison.
To Di Tian and the others, it seemed like a fortuitous encounter Su Yu had during his travels on the continent, though in reality, the sword had been earned through years of hard work.
As Su Yu danced with the sword, sending sword energy flying, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and Bi Ji had awoken and stood watching from the shore.
"The Young Lord's sword is a fine weapon, and his self-created soul abilities are quite impressive," Bi Ji remarked, mistakenly assuming the sword techniques were Su Yu's creation.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion said nothing, silently watching.
As the sun's first rays reflected off the ice, the lake glowed brightly. Su Yu sheathed the sword and exhaled deeply. His figure blurred, leaving afterimages in his wake, and the blink of an eye, he had returned to shore.
"Aunt Bi Ji!"
Su Yu called out.
"Young Lord, it's time to wash up and have breakfast," Bi Ji replied with a gentle smile.
Su Yu nodded. After washing up, he sat with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to eat.
After breakfast, Su Yu prepared for the day's main task. Sitting cross-legged under the tree, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and a dark golden bone with sharp claws materialized before him.
PS: Bear Lord alias is Xiong Jun.