11: Chapter 11 Departure, to Shrek! Nana's Kiss~

"Tang Ya, lower your wrist a bit more."

"Like this, Benefactor?"

"No, you're swinging a sword, not cracking a whip. The core of power generation is the waist, which drives the shoulders, and finally the wrists. Watch."

In the courtyard, Huo Yuhao stood behind Tang Ya and held her hand holding the wooden sword, guiding her to make a standard slash and thrust motion.

A year had passed, and Huo Yuhao was already seven and a half years old.

He had grown quite a bit taller, shedding some of his childish innocence, and his facial features had become more defined.

Those deep eyes, merely gazing calmly ahead, naturally carried a reassuring power.

Tang Ya's cheeks grew slightly warm.

She could clearly feel the warmth coming from Huo Yuhao's palm, as well as the faint, pleasant scent on his body.

Every time she received guidance like this, her heart would unconsciously beat faster.

"Hey! Huo Yuhao! You're biased!"

A disgruntled voice came from the roof.

Tianmeng was lying spread-eagle on the roof tiles, sunbathing with a blade of grass in her mouth, shouting in dissatisfaction, "You've been teaching Little Ya for half an hour! Come teach me too! I want you to teach me hand-in-hand as well!"

Huo Yuhao didn't even look up. "You're a million-year Spirit Beast. What do you need me to teach you?"

"I don't care, I don't care!" Tianmeng rolled around on the roof. "I want Huo Yuhao's personal guidance too!"

Huo Yuhao ignored her antics, let go of Tang Ya's hand, and said, "Practice it yourself another hundred times. Remember the feeling of how you generated power just now."

"Yes, Benefactor!" Tang Ya immediately began to swing the wooden sword seriously.

Huo Yuhao walked over to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down, picking up the tea his mother had brewed for him long ago, taking a gentle sip.

A year had passed.

Under Electrolux's guidance, the massive spiritual origin brought by the Tianmeng Iceworm, and his own hard cultivation, his Soul Power had successfully risen from rank three to rank twenty.

A bottleneck.

He needed a second spirit ring.

But he was in no hurry.

Ordinary Spirit Beasts wouldn't be of much use to him.

What he was waiting for was a better, more suitable partner with whom he could sign a "Spirit Contract."

Over the past year, besides cultivating his Soul Power and Mental Energy, he spent most of his time studying the theories of necromancy taught by Electrolux.

It was a World of power completely different from the Douluo Continent's Spirit Master system—profound, complex, yet filled with infinite possibilities.

At the same time, he had also been secretly gathering news from the outside World through various channels.

He knew that the place that had changed his destiny, the continent's number one monster academy, was about to begin its admissions for this year.

Only three months were left.

It was time to leave.

...

After dinner, the living room of the small villa was brightly lit.

The atmosphere was somewhat unusual.

Huo Yuhao sat in the main seat of the living room. This was originally Huo Yuner's place, but now, everyone tacitly agreed that this family centered around him.

A detailed map of the Douluo Continent was spread out in front of him.

Gu Yuena sat on his left as always, quietly wiping a silver dagger she had gotten from somewhere.

Tianmeng restlessly tried to squeeze onto Huo Yuhao's chair. Stopped by a look from Huo Yuhao, she had to settle for second best, leaning on the armrest of his chair to his right like a clingy cat.

Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya sat somewhat stiffly on the sofa opposite, not knowing what important matter Huo Yuhao was about to announce by suddenly gathering everyone.

Huo Yuner came over carrying several cups of hot tea, handing one to each of the girls before sitting down on the adjacent single sofa with a smile, looking at her son lovingly.

The living room was quiet, and everyone's eyes were focused on Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao's finger traced from the location of Heaven Dou City on the map all the way south.

Finally, it tapped on a specially marked city.

Shrek City.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and then announced his decision in a calm yet firm tone.

"I have decided. I am going to Shrek Academy."

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.

The first to react was Gu Yuena.

She didn't even look up, and her hand wiping the dagger didn't pause for a second. She simply said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm going too."

It was as if Huo Yuhao was not going to some holy land of Spirit Masters, but just going to the corner of the next street to buy groceries.

"I'm going too, I'm going too!"

Tianmeng immediately raised her hand high, afraid of being left behind. "Wherever Huo Yuhao goes, I will go! I'll follow you to the ends of the earth!"

A flash of surprise first crossed Jiang Nannan's face, which then turned into a look of yearning.

She had heard that name; it was the holy land that all commoner Spirit Masters dreamed of.

She hesitated, her hands resting on her knees clenching into fists in nervousness. But when her gaze met Huo Yuhao's, that hesitation instantly turned into determination.

"I... I want to go too."

She mustered her courage and said aloud, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "I heard of Shrek Academy a long time ago, and I've thought about... applying one day. If... if I can be with Benefactor..."

Her voice grew softer and softer toward the end, but her meaning was already crystal clear.

Tang Ya's reaction was the most direct and resolute.

Almost the moment the words left Huo Yuhao's mouth, she stood up without hesitation and bowed deeply to him.

"Wherever Benefactor goes, Tang Ya will go!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was filled with power. "My life was saved by Benefactor, so this life belongs to Benefactor from now on. Even if it means stepping into a mountain of daggers or a sea of flames, I will follow Benefactor!"

Huo Yuhao looked at the scene before him—one cold and proud, one clingy, one shy, and one loyal.

Four pairs of eyes of different styles but equal beauty were all filled with the words: "Following you."

He felt his temple throb slightly, a bit of a headache, but more than that was a heartfelt sense of contentment and warmth.

In this World, besides his mother, he was no longer alone.

He nodded, responding to everyone's requests.

"Alright, then let's go together."

He picked up a pen from the table and circled several points on the map.

"Shrek City is very far from Heaven Dou City. Even taking the fastest carriage, it will take nearly two months. We can't waste all our time on the road. Therefore, we must set off early."

His gaze turned to Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya.

"Both of your Soul Powers are currently in the teens, and you've built a good foundation, but you lack actual combat experience and don't have suitable spirit rings."

"So, along the way, I will take you into some Spirit Beast forests for real combat training. At the same time, I will find suitable Spirit Beasts for you to sign Spirit Contracts with."

"Signing a Spirit Contract?" Both Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya showed puzzled expressions.

Tianmeng immediately puffed up her chest proudly, appearing before everyone in her human form, and said boastfully, "It's the kind Huo Yuhao did for me! You don't have to kill the baby Spirit Beasts to get spirit rings and Spirit Bones, and you get an extra partner who is as cute and capable as me! Amazing, right?"

Hearing this explanation, both girls' eyes filled with shock and yearning.

This simply overturned the common knowledge of the Spirit Master's world!

Huo Yuhao continued, "I have already planned the route. We will pass through the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, which will give us enough time to complete our training."

"Three months later, we will meet directly in Shrek City to take the admissions exam."

His arrangements were orderly and logically clear, not at all like those of a seven-and-a-half-year-old child, but rather like a general strategizing.

Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya nodded repeatedly as they listened, their admiration for Huo Yuhao deepening by another notch.

At this moment of detailed planning and harmonious atmosphere, an unexpected event occurred that no one could have anticipated.

Gu Yuena, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up.

She put down the dagger in her hand, took a step with her long legs, and walked step by step to stand before Huo Yuhao.

All sounds in the living room vanished.

Everyone's eyes focused on her.

Under everyone's gaze, Gu Yuena slowly leaned down.

Her silver hair, as smooth as moonlight, slid from her shoulders, with a few strands even lightly brushing against Huo Yuhao's cheek, bringing a cool sensation.

Then, her slightly cool, soft lips gently pressed a kiss onto Huo Yuhao's smooth forehead.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

One could hear a pin drop in the entire room.

Jiang Nannan's mouth opened slightly, forming a cute "O" shape.

Her mind went completely blank, and her cheeks flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if they were about to bleed.

Tang Ya's eyes widened. She was completely stunned by the scene before her, even forgetting to breathe.

Tianmeng let out a small gasp of "Wow," quickly covering her mouth with both hands.

But those bright eyes of hers were sparkling entirely with little stars of "excitement" and "gossip."

Even Huo Yuner, who was used to seeing great storms, paused with her hand holding the teacup in mid-air, before immediately revealing a meaningful smile.

Gu Yuena stood up straight, ignoring the reactions of the others.

She only looked at Huo Yuhao, his reflection completely filling her beautiful purple eyes.

In an incredibly serious, oath-like tone, she said word by word:

"I will protect you along this journey."

"But, remember this."

"You are my possession."

"I will always be watching you."

Having said that, she turned and went back to her seat, picking up the silver dagger again to continue wiping it.

It was as if that earth-shattering action just now had not been done by her at all.

The living room remained in a dead silence.

Huo Yuhao touched his forehead, where a trace of that cool sensation seemed to linger.

He looked at the red-faced Jiang Nannan, the dumbfounded Tang Ya, and Tianmeng, who was so excited she was about to roll around on the spot.

Finally, he glanced at Gu Yuena, who was completely composed as if nothing had happened.

He let out a deep, deep sigh.

It seemed that this journey to Shrek Academy was destined to be anything but peaceful.