Niu Tian and Tai Tan didn"t see him again. Instead, they had Clear Sky Sect disciples escort him out of Clear Sky Castle.
Huo Yuhao stepped out of Clear Sky Castle and watched its large gates close. He took a deep breath and swore to himself that he would have the strength of a t.i.tled Douluo when he returned the next time. It would be best if he could bring Dong"er back with him at that time!
He tapped his foot on the ground and leapt down from Clear Sky Peak, just like that. He bounced off the side of the mountain continuously as he rushed down as quickly as he could. He plummeted through the clouds before he extended his flying-type soul tool and activated his soul power, transforming into a ray of flowing light as he disappeared into the distance.
---
Back inside Clear Sky Castle...
Niu Tian and Tai Tan watched Huo Yuhao leave as they stood by the window in the highest room in the castle. They wore different expressions on their faces.
Tai Tan looked a little gloomy. Evidently, he hadn"t gotten over the fight he had just had with Huo Yuhao. He muttered under his breath, “Life has been hard on this guy! But his mind seems a lot more resilient and resolute than last time.”
Niu Tian"s face was full of admiration and appreciation. “Yes! It wasn"t easy for him to become like that at such an age. Hopefully, he can meet that fellow"s requirements as quickly as possible. In truth, I can"t bear to watch this kid being tortured like this. Dong"er – oh, I mean our little phoenix – I wonder what she"s doing at the moment? I"m hoping that they can meet each other outside...”
Tai Tan said, “That fellow is so cruel. He has quite some skill at torturing people... but do you think our sister knows about this?”
Niu Tian chuckled and said, “It would be strange if he dared to tell her. However, I can understand what he"s feeling. He"s a man, and when the daughter you love most is being stolen by another man, your mood can"t be too good.”
---
Huo Yuhao didn"t proceed towards Shrek Academy after he left the Clear Sky Sect. Right now, he was overwhelmed with emotions, and not just because he had received the good news that Dong"er had recovered. He was also excited because of what he was going to do next.
He had to stop and rest after every two hours because of the state his body was currently in. He found a small city when night fell and stayed the night in a hotel. He continued on his way when dawn broke the next day.
He took another four hours before he finally left the Heavenly Soul Empire"s borders and entered the Star Luo Empire"s borders. He went straight for the Star Luo Empire"s capital city, Star Luo City.
It was midday before Star Luo City was within sight. Huo Yuhao slowed down, descended from the sky and landed on the ground.
Star Luo City was the Star Luo Empire"s capital, and their air defenses were very tight and strict. He could run into trouble at any moment within fifty kilometers of Star Luo City, so Huo Yuhao landed on the ground well before that. Furthermore, he didn"t have to go into Star Luo City to reach his destination.
Huo Yuhao found a quiet and isolated place that was devoid of people and removed his flying-type soul tool. He withdrew everything that was relatively eye-catching from his body and placed them into his storage-type soul ring. He turned his ring around so that his Starlight Sapphire was facing his palm. Unless he opened his hand for others to look at, n.o.body would see the dazzling jewel.
He removed Shrek"s uniform and put on some hemp clothes before he took out a series of bottles and cans of paints and cremes.
Changing his appearance was part of the training he had received during the Ultimate Soldier Plan. Even though he felt a little unfamiliar with the process as he put on his disguise, his standards were still there.
It didn"t take long to change his appearance to that of an una.s.suming youth who seemed as typical as could be. He looked very simple and honest, and very modest at the same time. He looked like he was a little over twenty years old, his appearance was the kind that was hard to distinguish in a crowd of people.
Huo Yuhao inspected his appearance after making himself up and nodded satisfactorily before he began walking towards Star Luo City. However, his destination wasn"t Star Luo City.
---
He didn"t use soul power, so he didn"t move that quickly. After about one hour, a bunch of structures entered his vision.
Huo Yuhao immediately stopped in his tracks when he saw these structures. He clenched his fists slowly and pressed his lips tightly together.
Where was this? This place used to be his home! The White Tiger Duke"s residence, the place he had sworn to come back to so that he could avenge his mother. Ever since his mother had pa.s.sed away, this place was no longer his home. Instead, this had become a place where his enemies lived.
The White Tiger Duke, Dai Yueheng, and Dai Huabin"s faces swiftly surfaced in his mind. The hatred and vengeance that Huo Yuhao had suppressed deep within his heart instantly erupted like a fountain.
“I"m back, mother! Even though I"m not strong enough yet, I will be in the future, and I will definitely avenge you for good!”
He picked up his pace as he walked briskly towards the White Tiger Duke"s residence. Of course, he wouldn"t enter the White Tiger Duke"s Mansion. Instead, he proceeded towards a small patch of hills to the side that bordered the White Tiger Duke"s residence.
Huo Yuhao had grown up in this place, and he was still very familiar with it even though he hadn"t been back here for many years.
He quickly found his destination.
A tall gravestone appeared in the distance. This gravestone was at least two meters tall, and both wide and s.p.a.cious. Its surroundings were renovated and ornamented with granite and seemed fine and exquisite. There were even carvings of the Emperor Beast on the gravestone"s surface, watching over the one interred there.
There was a grave behind this stone, also constructed from granite.
Huo Yuhao"s eyes grew wet when he saw this gravestone. He took a few quick steps forward, and the writing on the gravestone"s surface was clearly presented to him.
“The Grave of my Wife, Huo Yun.” Dai Hao"s name was etched below this inscription.
This was the grave of Huo Yuhao"s mother, but it was very different from when he had departed this place.
Back then, he was still young and didn"t have the means to give his mother a grand burial. He could only use a wooden grave marker that he had carved and sculpted with his own hands, and some loess.
At this moment, his mother"s gravestone had been renovated, but it was still located where it used to be. However, it looked entirely different from before.
He had not been back here before, and now someone had renovated his mother"s grave. Huo Yuhao was a little dazed as he slowly knelt down in front of his mother"s gravestone. The roiling hatred and vengeance in his heart subconsciously dampened, but tears surged out uncontrollably as he placed his head down in front of his mother"s gravestone and sobbed loudly.
“Mom! Mom, I"m back! I"m here to see you!” Huo Yuhao had been gone for so many years, and this was the first time that he had returned to pay respects to his mother. His heart was full of guilt.
Huo Yuhao had become increasingly powerful over the years and had worked so hard that he almost didn"t rest at all. He didn"t even dare to think about his mother, because he was afraid that he wouldn"t be able to resist the impulse to avenge her.
More than eight years had gone by since he had left this place. Huo Yuhao had transformed from a weak child to a powerful Soul Sage with twin martial souls after eight years, and everything had changed. He finally had the courage to come back and pay his respects to his mother.
His greatest wish was to avenge his mother, and for the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, to kneel in front of his mother"s grave and repent.
His mother"s grave had been renovated, and Dai Hao had rebuilt her gravestone and called her his wife. That was always what mom wanted the most!
But why didn"t Dai Hao do that for her all those years ago? He never visited us, and you had to die so violently in the end...
Huo Yuhao"s longing and yearning for his mother, and the grief carried deep within his heart surged forth continuously, and manifested as tears that splattered all over his mother"s gravestone.
The pressure that he had to bear in his heart over these days, his longing for Dong"er, and his guilt towards Qiu"er seemed to be released through his bitter sobs as his tears flowed uncontrollably.
Huo Yuhao laid down on his mother"s gravestone and fell asleep at some point, and this nap was exceptionally sound and steady.
---
He had a dream... he dreamed that his mother was back, and the White Tiger Duke had his hand wrapped around his mother"s waist. The White Tiger Duke had a warm and faint smile on his face he softly called out her name, while his mother"s expression was full of bliss and happiness as she leaned into the White Tiger Duke"s embrace.
Unfortunately, it was all just a dream. Dawn broke on the second day when Huo Yuhao woke up from his dream, his clothes were wet from morning dew, but he felt as if all his grief and despondency had drained out through his tears.
Huo Yuhao knelt down in front of his mother"s gravestone again and kowtowed nine times solemnly.
Huo Yuhao lowered his voice and said, “Don"t worry, mother. I will always remember this hatred, and I will prove to that person that your son is stronger than he is. I can do what he can, and one day, I will return to this place, the White Tiger Duke"s Mansion, rightfully and fairly, and I will tread on every single one of them. I will make everyone repay you with ten times, a hundred times the hurt that they caused you. I will force the White Tiger Duke to welcome you back into the White Tiger Duke"s Mansion and admit that you are his official wife. I will force him to kneel down before your grave to repent!”
Huo Yuhao took out the offerings that he had prepared after his speech and laid them out before his mother"s grave, one by one. He kowtowed heavily a few more times before he stood up. He turned away, yet glanced at his mother"s gravestone because he couldn"t bear to leave. He wiped the tears from his face, and his eyes became resolute and determined once more as he strode off into the distance.
He didn"t proceed towards Star Luo City. Instead, he picked up his pace as he traveled west. He ran some distance before unleashing his flying-type soul tool and flying rapidly into the distance.
------
After two hours, he stopped at a mid-sized city within the Star Luo empire. He created a new ident.i.ty for himself and purchased doc.u.ments for thirty golden soul coins, having a light meal before he resumed his journey.
Imperial Radiant City was located in the Star Luo Empire"s northwestern corner and was less than a hundred kilometers away from the Ming Dou Mountain Range. It was less than five hundred kilometers from the Heavenly Soul Empire"s borders and was one of the Star Luo Empire"s important strongholds to defend against the Sun Moon Empire. This city was one of the most important cities in charge of resupply for the front line camps.
There were two reserve legions stationed in this city.
Reserve legions typically had one and half times the troops that regular legions had, and they went through tough and strict training, just like the regular legions. As soon as the regular legions suffered losses on the frontlines, these reserve legions would muster the soldiers to replenish the regular legions.