44: Chapter 44 These are all debts of love you owe!

She spat out a sunflower seed shell, brushed the debris off her hands, and vaulted straight down from the high platform.

She landed steadily in front of Huo Yuhao.

"Little Yuhao, I heard you're going to the Star Dou Great Forest?" Ma Xiaotao threw an arm around Huo Yuhao's neck.

Huo Yuhao was choked until he rolled his eyes.

"Sister Xiaotao, let go first, I'm about to stop breathing."

Ma Xiaotao released him and slapped his back unceremoniously.

"Take me with you," Ma Xiaotao said, getting straight to the point.

Huo Yuhao was stunned.

"Why are you going? Don't you have classes in the Inner Court?"

"To hell with classes."

Ma Xiaotao rolled her eyes. "I've just reached a bottleneck and need to go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Spirit Beast and obtain my fifth spirit ring."

Huo Yuhao rubbed the back of his head.

"Then you should ask an Inner Court teacher for help. Why are you joining in with a second-year student like me?"

Ma Xiaotao reached out and pinched Huo Yuhao's ear.

"What are you playing dumb for, kid? My Evil Fire has shown signs of recurring recently."

"If you aren't by my side to suppress it at any time, what if I suffer a deviation in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"Burning down the forest is a small matter, but if you hurt this young lady's beautiful face, can you afford to pay for it?"

Huo Yuhao grimaced in pain.

"Fine, fine, fine! I'll take you, okay! Let go already!"

Ma Xiaotao finally let go, satisfied.

"You're sensible, kid. Meet at the academy gate tomorrow morning."

After saying this, she hurried away in a flurry.

Leaving Huo Yuhao behind to rub his reddened ear.

Just then, a girl wearing the Inner Court's water-blue uniform walked over.

Ling Luochen.

She exuded an aura of coldness that kept strangers at a distance.

"Senior Sister Ling, are you looking for me?" Huo Yuhao greeted her quickly.

Ling Luochen stopped and looked at him expressionlessly.

"The academy notified me to accompany you."

Huo Yuhao was full of confusion.

"Accompany? To the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"Yes."

Ling Luochen nodded. "I need to obtain my fourth spirit ring."

Huo Yuhao wanted to ask a few more questions.

After all, this senior sister was an ice element controller, and the two had some connection in terms of attributes.

"Then how should we arrange our itinerary?" Huo Yuhao asked.

Ling Luochen's tone was completely flat.

"Understood."

After saying these three words, she turned and left, not even sparing Huo Yuhao an extra glance.

Huo Yuhao stood there, messy in the wind; this senior sister's communication style was truly minimalist.

Returning to the dormitory, Wang Donger was sitting on the bed packing her luggage.

"What are you packing for?" Huo Yuhao walked over and asked.

Wang Donger didn't even lift her head, stuffing a few clothes into her storage spirit tool.

"Nonsense, of course it's to go to the Star Dou Great Forest with you."

"You're going too?" Huo Yuhao's head started to ache.

There were already Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, and now adding Wang Donger.

Was this team configuration planning to hold a tea party in the Star Dou Great Forest?

Wang Donger looked up at him, looking justified and self-confident.

"My Soul Power is also reaching a bottleneck, and I happen to need to obtain my fourth spirit ring."

"It's too dangerous for you to go to the Star Dou Great Forest alone. I have to watch over you."

Huo Yuhao sighed.

"Fine, go if you want to."

Anyway, a debtor doesn't worry about too many debts; taking one more wasn't a problem.

In the afternoon, Huo Yuhao went to find Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan. When the two saw Huo Yuhao enter, they stopped what they were doing.

"Yuhao, are you going to the Star Dou Great Forest?" Tang Ya wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Yes, Sister Tang Ya, do you want to come along?" Huo Yuhao asked casually.

Tang Ya shook her head.

"I won't go."

"My Soul Power still needs to stabilize in the academy for a while."

Jiang Nannan also walked over and handed Huo Yuhao a glass of water.

"I won't go either, Yuhao."

"I've been practicing a new close-combat technique recently and want to take this time to go into seclusion."

"You must be careful in the Star Dou Great Forest."

Huo Yuhao took the cup, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.

If these two had also come along, this team would truly be unmanageable.

Coming out of their teaching building, Huo Yuhao bumped into Wang Qiuer on the academy's main road.

Wang Qiuer was holding a thick illustrated guide in her hand, looking down at it.

"Qiuer." Huo Yuhao called out.

Wang Qiuer looked up, and seeing it was Huo Yuhao, her eyes flickered.

"I'm going to the Star Dou Great Forest," Huo Yuhao said, stepping forward.

Hearing the words "go to the Star Dou Great Forest," Wang Qiuer's expression changed instantly.

It was a very complex expression.

There was nostalgia, resistance, and some emotions that Huo Yuhao couldn't understand.

The Star Dou Great Forest was her home, but it was also where a destiny she didn't want to face lay.

Wang Qiuer was silent for a long time, and the students passing by were secretly sizing up these two people with heaven-defying looks.

After a while, Wang Qiuer spoke slowly.

"I know."

Just those four simple words.

After saying that, she closed the guide and walked straight past Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao watched her back, feeling a bit congested in his heart.

After dinner, Huo Yuhao was walking alone on the playground to digest his food.

Gu Yuena appeared beside him, he didn't know when.

She made no sound at all when she walked.

"Going to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow?" Gu Yuena asked with her hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, Sister Nana." Huo Yuhao nodded.

Gu Yuena looked at the night sky in the distance.

"I'm going too."

Huo Yuhao almost choked on his own saliva.

"You're going too? Why are you going?"

Gu Yuena turned her head and looked into Huo Yuhao's eyes.

"There is an old acquaintance of mine in the Star Dou Great Forest."

"I'll just stop by to see them while I'm at it."

"And..."

Gu Yuena paused, her tone carrying a hint of overbearingness that brooked no refusal. "With my strength, I can protect you all."

Huo Yuhao didn't dare to argue.

This Silver Dragon King's strength was such that she could walk sideways in the Star Dou Great Forest without any problems.

Bringing her along was basically bringing the ultimate cheat.

"Alright." Huo Yuhao could only agree.

The day before departure, Huo Yuhao welcomed the darkest day of his life.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

Ma Xiaotao kicked open his dormitory door directly.

"Let's go! Accompany me to go shopping and buy supplies!" Ma Xiaotao grabbed Huo Yuhao by the collar and dragged him out.

On the commercial street of Shrek City, Ma Xiaotao displayed terrifying combat power.

"Boss, wrap this barbecue grill up for me!"

"That seasoning, give me ten cans of each!"

"And this tent, I want the largest one!"

Huo Yuhao followed behind, his hands full of bags of all sizes.

He was currently a heartless carrying machine.

"Sister Xiaotao, we're going to find a Spirit Beast, not having a picnic in the Star Dou Great Forest!" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but protest.

Ma Xiaotao didn't even look back.

"What do you know! If you don't eat well and sleep well in the wild, where will you get the strength to fight?"

"Hurry up and keep up, there's a shop selling insect repellent powder ahead!"

At twelve noon, Huo Yuhao finally managed to send Ma Xiaotao away.

Before he could catch his breath, Wang Donger blocked him at the cafeteria entrance.

"Let's go, come with me to buy clothes." Wang Donger pulled his wrist.

"Still buying? My legs are already broken from walking all morning!" Huo Yuhao wailed.

Wang Donger didn't listen at all; she dragged Huo Yuhao into a high-end clothing store.

"This one, this one, and that one, take them all to try on!" Wang Donger directed the clerk.

Huo Yuhao was forced to put on outfit after outfit.

In the end, Wang Donger picked out a blue and white suit.

She also took a set of women's clothing that was exactly the same style, just a smaller size.

This was a naked hint at couple's outfits.

"Just these two, check out." Wang Donger looked at the two of them in the mirror, satisfied.

Huo Yuhao didn't dare to speak and could only pay obediently.

In the evening, Huo Yuhao slumped on his dormitory bed, feeling as if his body had been hollowed out.

The dormitory door was knocked on, and he dragged his heavy steps to open it.

Wang Qiuer was standing outside the door.

Wang Qiuer didn't come in, just reached out her hand.

In her palm, a golden scale lay quietly.

The scale exuded an extremely pure aura of light and power.

"Take it." Wang Qiuer stuffed the scale into Huo Yuhao's hand.

"What is this?" Huo Yuhao felt the warmth coming from the scale.

"An amulet." Wang Qiuer said with a cold face.

"There are many dangers in the Star Dou Great Forest. If you encounter trouble you can't solve, crush it."

Before Huo Yuhao could say thank you, Wang Qiuer turned and left.

Huo Yuhao held the golden scale, feeling warm in his heart.

This was the scale of the Auspicious Beast, containing her origin power.

This girl, she was still so sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.

At ten o'clock at night, Huo Yuhao was just about to take off his clothes to sleep.

The door was knocked on again; this time it was Gu Yuena.

She was holding a small clay pot in her hands.

"Sister Nana? So late..." Huo Yuhao quickly opened the door.

Gu Yuena walked into the dormitory and placed the clay pot on the table.

"Eat a late-night snack."

Lifting the lid, it was a pot of fragrant seafood porridge.

"You have to travel tomorrow, eat something easy to digest tonight." Gu Yuena served a bowl and handed it to Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao took it, his eyes feeling a bit hot.

"Thank you, Sister Nana."

Gu Yuena sat beside him, watching him drink the porridge spoonful by spoonful.

"Remember," Gu Yuena said softly.

"In the Star Dou Great Forest, no matter what happens, don't force yourself."

"I am by your side."

Huo Yuhao finished the last bite of porridge and nodded heavily.

Deep in the night, Huo Yuhao lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.

Ma Xiaotao's overbearingness, Ling Luochen's coldness.

Wang Donger's couple outfits, Wang Qiuer's scale amulet, and Gu Yuena's late-night seafood porridge.

Huo Yuhao sighed.

"I feel like I need to be split into four parts to be enough."

He muttered silently in his heart.

In the Spiritual Sea, Tianmeng Iceworm's chubby body rolled over in mid-air.

She let out a burst of wanton laughter.

"Hahaha!"

"Yuhao, oh Yuhao, this is what they call being blessed without knowing it."

Sister Tianmeng shook her head gloatingly.

"Look at these girls you've provoked."

"Each and every one of them has a deep background and powerful strength."

"These are all love debts you owe~"

"You'll have a hard time ahead."

Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and chose to cut off the connection with the Spiritual Sea directly.

Playing dead was the best way to deal with it.