16: Chapter 16 Huo Yuhao... This time I will never let you be alone again! You are mine~ Mmm~

"Hey, do you think... Huo Yuhao going alone, is it really okay?"

In a temporary camp, Tianmeng Iceworm poked her head out from the backpack Huo Yuhao had left behind, looking anxiously in the direction where he had disappeared.

"This is the Star Dou Great Forest! What if he encounters some ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast? He's only level twenty!"

"Shut up and eat your food."

Gu Yuena sat cross-legged on a clean rock, replying without even lifting her head.

In front of her lay a few unknown red wild fruits that Huo Yuhao had left for her beforehand.

"But I'm worried!"

Tianmeng puffed out her cheeks. "Aren't you worried at all? That aura, although very pure, is also very powerful! What if they start fighting..."

"He is not going there to fight."

Gu Yuena finally stopped what she was doing, lifted her indifferent purple eyes, and glanced at Tianmeng. "He is going to meet an old acquaintance."

"An old acquaintance?"

Tianmeng was stunned. "Here? How is that possible? Didn't he grow up in the White Tiger Dukes Mansion? How could he have an old acquaintance in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Gu Yuena did not answer; she simply picked up another fruit and began eating it in small bites with an extremely elegant motion.

The more she acted mysteriously, the more Tianmeng felt as if her heart were being scratched by a cat's claws.

"What kind of old acquaintance is it exactly? Male or female? Do they look good? Are they as good-looking as you? No, no, they definitely aren't as good-looking as you... Oh, just tell me!"

Gu Yuena finally grew impatient with her nagging and gave her a faint glance.

"Want to know?"

"Mm-hmm!" Tianmeng's little head bobbed like a pestle pounding garlic.

"Then follow him and see for yourself."

After speaking, Gu Yuena stood up, brushed off the non-existent dust from her body, cast a protective barrier for the two, and really began to follow in the direction Huo Yuhao had left, unhurriedly.

"Hey? Wait for me!"

Seeing this, Tianmeng didn't care about eating anymore; she scrambled out of the backpack using all fours, transformed into a stream of light, and caught up with Gu Yuena.

She burrowed into her sleeve, poking out only her little head, her eyes filled with the excited glow of someone about to see a good show.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was traveling alone through the dense jungle.

He did not intentionally speed up, but simply followed the increasingly clear sense of attraction deep within his soul, walking forward step by step.

The surrounding Spirit Beasts seemed to sense the formidable aura on him and took the initiative to avoid him, making his journey exceptionally smooth.

He didn't know how long he had walked, but the trees in front of him gradually became sparse, and a soft golden light shone through the gaps in the trees.

Huo Yuhao pushed aside the last giant banana leaf blocking his view, and the scene before him made him freeze in place.

It was an open, circular clearing.

On the clearing, there were no weeds, no scattered stones, only an endless expanse of blooming golden wildflowers.

Each flower was like a tiny sun, radiating a warm and pure life aura, dyeing the entire clearing into a brilliant golden ocean.

And in the very center of the sea of flowers, a figure stood quietly.

It was about two meters long, with a robust build and smooth lines, resembling a majestic lion.

Its golden fur, reflected by the light of the surrounding flowers, seemed to be burning with golden flames, sacred and noble.

Most eye-catching was its forehead.

There, a golden vertical pupil, deeper and more brilliant than the brightest star in the night sky, was quietly open, as if it could perceive all the fate and causality in the world.

Three-Eyed Golden Lion.

Wang Qiuer.

She stood there as if she had been waiting for a thousand or ten thousand years.

Huo Yuhao stood at the edge of the clearing, gazing at her from afar.

His lips moved slightly, but he couldn't make a sound.

An indescribable, complex emotion, mixed with bitterness and warmth, surged out from the deepest part of his heart without warning, instantly drowning his reason.

Seemingly having sensed his arrival, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in the center of the sea of flowers slowly turned around.

She tilted her large, fluffy head, and those eyes, also golden and pure without a trace of impurity, curiously examined the human boy standing in the shadows.

She was not afraid of him.

On the contrary, from the depths of this human's soul, she sensed a "fate" aura that she found incomparably familiar and intimate.

That aura was as if it were a part of her own body, having wandered outside for a long, long time, and finally returned home today.

Tentatively, she took a cautious step in the direction of Huo Yuhao.

Seeing that Huo Yuhao did not move, she took a second step, a third step...

Finally, she seemed unable to suppress the impulse in her heart any longer.

With a push of her four hooves, she gave up on testing and turned into a streak of golden light, trotting straight to Huo Yuhao.

She stopped at his feet, raised her head, and first sniffed him with her nose.

Then, she affectionately rubbed her large, fluffy head against Huo Yuhao's chest.

In her throat, she made a satisfied "purr-purr" sound, like a kitten acting spoiled.

Huo Yuhao's body trembled slightly.

He slowly, slowly raised his hand and let it fall onto her warm head.

That familiar touch, soft with a tingling sensation like a faint electric current, was like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of his memories.

His eyes instantly grew sore.

Seemingly sensing the fluctuation in his emotions, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion rubbed even more vigorously.

She suddenly stepped back two steps excitedly, and then, with a joyful "woof" sound, like a large golden sheepdog meeting a long-lost master, she pounced toward Huo Yuhao!

"Bang!"

Huo Yuhao was caught completely off guard, or rather, he had no intention of defending himself.

He was knocked to the ground by this huge impact, the soft sea of golden flowers becoming the most comfortable mattress.

Wang Qiuer's entire body pressed down on him, using her large head to rub vigorously against his face, neck, and hair.

She stuck out her warm, rough tongue and enthusiastically licked his cheeks.

She was too happy!

Although she didn't know why she was so happy, her instinct told her that the person in front of her was the most important and closest being in her life!

She wanted to tell him all of her joy!

"Woo-woo... woo-woo..."

While rubbing and licking, she made sounds that were both aggrieved and happy.

Huo Yuhao was covered in her saliva, looking disheveled, but he laughed.

He didn't push her away; instead, he stretched out his arms and hugged her furry, warm neck tightly.

He buried his face in her soft golden fur and took a deep breath.

That familiar fragrance with the scent of sunshine made his world-weary heart feel a long-lost peace.

He whispered into her ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"I'm back."

This soft murmur seemed to carry a strange magic.

Wang Qiuer's incredibly enthusiastic movements suddenly stopped.

She slowly raised her head, her body, which was pressing on Huo Yuhao, did not move.

She just looked at him quietly with those golden eyes that held a hint of confusion.

Then, she aligned her forehead with Huo Yuhao's brow.

That third eye, deep as if it contained the entire starry sky, shone brightly.

The power of fate, at this moment, reconnected the two souls that had spanned time and space.

Huo Yuhao's long and painful memories from his previous life, like a bursting river, flooded into Wang Qiuer's mind in an instant!

She saw it.

She saw a boy named Huo Yuhao struggling to survive amidst the bullying in the White Tiger Dukes Mansion.

She saw him enter the Star Dou Great Forest with hatred, merge with Tianmeng Iceworm, and begin his legendary life.

She saw his growth, his struggles, his joys, and his pains.

She saw him burning his own Divine Soul for his companions.

She saw him leading the Tang Sect step by step to the pinnacle of the continent.

She saw him ascend to the Divine Realm and become the revered God of Emotions.

Then, she saw him learn the truth about Wang Donger and Wang Qiuer from Tang San.

She saw him in front of the Divine Realm's hub, holding that cold fragment, letting out that heart-wrenching roar.

Finally, she saw him use all of his power to detonate his own Divine Soul.

Just to break free from the pathetic fate that the high-and-mighty "God" had arranged for him!

"Woo..."

A suppressed sob, filled with endless pain, came from the depths of Wang Qiuer's throat.

Her body began to tremble violently.

She pressed her head tightly against Huo Yuhao's head, as if trying to share the unspeakable pain in the depths of his soul in this way.

Large, hot teardrops rolled down from her golden eyes, falling onto Huo Yuhao's face.

She saw it.

She saw everything Huo Yuhao endured after she sacrificed herself.

She saw what price he paid to resurrect her.

She saw that amidst choices of immense pain, he still engraved her name in the deepest part of his soul.

So... he had never forgotten her.

So... he had been carrying so many, such heavy things all by himself.

[I'm sorry... I'm sorry...]

A broken, tearful thought echoed in Huo Yuhao's mind.

[Letting you... endure so much all by yourself...]

Golden light erupted violently from her body.

Within the light, the huge figure of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion began to twist, change, and stretch.

When the light faded, what was pressing on Huo Yuhao was no longer a Spirit Beast, but a living person.

A stunningly beautiful girl with cascading, brilliant golden hair, a tall figure, and captivating curves.

On her forehead, a faint golden vertical mark added a touch of sacred and noble temperament to her.

She wore a form-fitting golden dress, with light flowing over her body, and six spirit rings—two yellow, one purple, and three black—quietly circled around her.

A six-ringed Spirit Emperor!

She hugged Huo Yuhao, who was lying in the sea of flowers, tightly, burying her head on his shoulder and crying loudly.

Hot tears quickly soaked Huo Yuhao's clothes.

Huo Yuhao was completely stunned the moment Wang Qiuer transformed into human form.

Feeling the soft, slightly trembling, warm body in his arms, and listening to the cries of grievance suppressed for ten thousand years in his ear.

His heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, aching and sore.

He slowly raised his hand, gently patted her back, and said in his softest voice: "Don't cry, it's all in the past."

Wang Qiuer's crying paused.

She suddenly raised her head, her golden eyes, soaked with tears, staring fixedly at Huo Yuhao.

In those eyes were heartache, grievance, anger, and unwillingness.

But even more, there was a sense of possessiveness that was overbearing and unreasonable, born from having regained what was lost.

In this life, she would never let go again!

She would never let him be alone again!

The next second, she suddenly cupped Huo Yuhao's face, not giving him any time to react, and forcefully kissed his lips.

That kiss was fiery and overbearing, even carrying a touch of biting intensity.

She poured all of her longing that spanned two lifetimes, all of her grievances, the ecstasy of reunion, and that deep-seated love into this kiss.

Huo Yuhao was completely bewildered by this sudden kiss.

But when that familiar scent with a hint of sunshine flooded his nasal cavity, his heart, which had been as hard as ice, completely melted.

He slowly closed his eyes, reached out to wrap his arms around her slender but strong waist, and responded to her clumsily.

In the sea of flowers, a pair of lovers were tightly embraced.

Time was peaceful, as if only they were left in the world.

However...

Just when the atmosphere was perfect, and everything was falling into place.

From the bushes not far away, a shocking scream suddenly came!

"Ahhh! Huo Yuhao has been forcefully kissed!!"

It turned out that Tianmeng had somehow crawled out of Gu Yuena's sleeve and was hiding behind a large tree, her small body trembling with excitement.

She covered her eyes with her two little hands, but the wide gaps between her fingers revealed her true inner thoughts.

Beside her, Gu Yuena stood expressionlessly.

She just watched the two kissing in the sea of flowers quietly, and in those deep purple eyes, one could not tell if she was happy or angry.

It was just that the air around her seemed... to have gotten a little colder.