In the end, the Snow Emperor did not follow Huo Yuhao out of the Extreme North.
The convergence of faith in the Extreme North required the Snow Emperor to lead the way; only with her initiative and recognition could Huo Yuhao better obtain the power of faith from the Extreme North.
Sitting atop a Class 9 flying Soul Tool, Huo Yuhao recalled the sudden embrace the Snow Emperor had given him before his departure.
The Protection of the Snow Emperor.
It granted him the ability to resist a single fatal blow, with a specific upper limit roughly between the levels of a standard Level 98 and Level 99 Limit Douluo.
Instinctively, he reached out to touch the ice-blue mark on his chest—the physical manifestation of that protection.
His mind grew even more troubled...
Huo Yuhao lowered his gaze slightly, fully aware of his own thoughts.
He wanted to hold onto more people... but the price of holding onto more was that they would all remain by his side, and he could not bear to abandon any one of them.
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, feeling as though he would be torn into four pieces while welcoming a bright future.
While Huo Yuhao was lost in thought, within his Sea of Consciousness, the Ice Emperor sat listening to Skydream explain the basic knowledge of the human world and the current situation.
To be honest, although Skydream was quite annoying, he was actually quite responsible when it came to teaching various subjects.
Unfortunately, the Ice Emperor was currently miles away mentally, her mind filled with the embrace the Snow Emperor had given Huo Yuhao before they left.
On what grounds?!
The little scorpion was extremely indignant and somewhat depressed. After a long silence, the Ice Emperor suddenly interrupted Skydream:
"Why... do you trust him so much?"
"Huh?" Skydream blinked, dazed for a moment before realizing what the Ice Emperor was referring to.
Skydream fell slightly silent, then spoke hesitantly: "How should I put it? Actually, from the first moment I saw Yuhao, I had a strange sense of familiarity.
"It wasn't my feeling toward him, but rather his toward me—it was as if he had already known me for many, many years.
"Gentle, patient, mindful of my feelings... honestly, it's hard for me not to trust him."
Skydream spoke softly, while the Ice Emperor stared blankly at the happy smile that unconsciously crept onto his face.
This guy... has already fallen?!
"...Anyway, once you live with Yuhao for a while, you'll understand."
Skydream looked at the Ice Emperor with the air of someone who had already experienced it all.
The Ice Emperor was still conflicted, but she nodded in silence.
She distrusted humans from the bottom of her heart... but Huo Yuhao truly seemed a bit different.
Hesitating, she looked at Skydream again and asked, "Can you tell me more about him?"
"About Yuhao?"
"Yes."
The Ice Emperor spoke seriously.
At this moment, her curiosity toward this human youth was spinning out of control.
...
Time moved forward to a morning one week later.
Huo Yuhao, bringing along the Ice Emperor and Skydream, rang the doorbell of his home.
Ding-ling...
"Coming, coming!"
His mother's voice drifted from inside. A moment later, the door opened, and the figure of his mother, Huo Yun'er, appeared.
After two years of Huo Yuhao nurturing her with herbal medicines regardless of the cost, Huo Yun'er's body had recovered to the level of a normal person. Her complexion was rosy, lacking that sickly, deathly pallor of the past.
Huo Yun'er knew her son had gone out again, the reason given being to obtain a Soul Ring. Naturally, she hadn't stopped him, and with that young girl named Xiao Meng accompanying him, she hadn't been too worried.
After all, that Miss Xiao Meng seemed very powerful, and it was obvious at a glance that she liked her son; she would definitely protect Yuhao well.
As the door opened, Huo Yun'er immediately saw the youth before her who had undergone a massive transformation. She was stunned for a moment, and only after quite a while did she speak uncertainly:
"Yu... Yuhao?"
"It's me, Mother."
Hearing the familiar voice, Huo Yun'er dazed again. She stared intently at the youth, scrutinizing him for a long time before she could recognize traces of his former self in his face.
Huo Yun'er breathed a slight sigh of relief, then shifted her gaze to the side, where she saw a smiling Skydream.
"Hello, Auntie!"
"Mm, it's Little Dream. Welcome home."
Huo Yun'er smiled, then looked further to the side—and froze.
Beside Huo Yuhao stood a petite girl with green hair, looking at her with a hint of hesitation.
Huo Yun'er blinked, looked at the Ice Emperor, then at her precious son. For a moment, she was utterly speechless.
A short while later, everyone was seated on the sofas in the living room.
Huo Yun'er had readily accepted the fact that her son had drastically changed in appearance.
After all, while the occurrence of absorbing a Soul Ring, followed by a Martial Soul mutation and a change in physical appearance was rare, it wasn't unheard of. Huo Yun'er could accept it.
The only problem was...
How did my precious son kidnap another young girl back home!!!
That's the third one already!!!
Two years ago, while they were preparing to move to Shrek City, he had picked up that girl named Gu Yuena on the road.
Then, just one day after they settled in Shrek City, he brought home the girl named Xiao Meng.
She thought that was the end of it, but her son had suddenly snatched another one!
Huo Yun'er took a sip of the medicinal tea her son had brewed for her, her gaze drifting involuntarily to the green-haired girl beside Huo Yuhao.
My son is really "achieving" a lot...
She then let out an involuntary, soft sigh.
I just hope my precious son doesn't let these girls down...
Another short while passed.
After a brief chat to get acquainted, Huo Yuhao helped set up a room for the Ice Emperor. It had to be said that the decision to rent a larger house was the correct one; this way, no matter how many people came, there was room to stay.
After tidying up, Skydream took the Ice Emperor to get familiar with the surroundings, while Huo Yuhao headed to the basement.
The moment he returned to the basement, Huo Yuhao let out a slight sigh of relief.
To be honest, the person Huo Yuhao feared most upon his return wasn't his mother not recognizing him—it was Gu Yuena!
Fortunately, the Gluttonous Dragon King was not at home. Instead, she had used an array to protect the entire villa. Moreover, it seemed that to fulfill his request, she had left a necklace containing power and a tracking function for his mother to ensure her safety.
Has she returned to the Star Dou Great Forest?
Huo Yuhao guessed as much. He was somewhat concerned about Gu Yuena's whereabouts, but considering her strength, he felt somewhat at ease.
Calming his mind, two silver-glow Soul Rings flashed. Huo Yuhao's physical form shifted, and after changing his clothes, he headed directly for the Treasure Pavilion.
From the time he left for the Extreme North until his return, more than three weeks had passed. Huo Yuhao believed that Shrek Academy must have reached a decision.
Now it was time to inspect the results.
His form shifted once more, simulating a change in aura as well. Soon, a middle-aged man with black hair, gray eyes, and a black hood—completely shrouded in black robes—reappeared.
The Class 8 Soul Engineer, Skydream!
Huo Yuhao lowered his eyes slightly, a glint flashing through his disguised gray eyes as a faint smile played on his lips.
Shrek... I hope you don't disappoint me...