8: Chapter 8 Sister Tianmeng...and Bingbing together...hehehe

"Yuhao."

"Hmm?"

"I've washed your clothes, and they're hanging in the yard."

"...Tang Ya, I've told you many times, you don't need to do these things."

"No, I must do them. I live here, I eat here, I can't just do nothing."

In the living room of the small villa, Huo Yuhao looked at the girl in front of him who was two years older than him but still had a thin and weak build, feeling somewhat helpless.

It had been a month.

Ever since Tang Ya came to this home, she had taken over all the housework.

Washing clothes, cooking, cleaning—she was like a tireless little spinning top, filling her time with busyness, as if only this could make her temporarily forget the blood and fire of that night.

Huo Yuner walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of sliced fruit and said with a smile, "Yuhao, just let Xiaoya do it, it makes her feel better. Come, Xiaoya, take a quick break and have some fruit."

Tang Ya took the fruit, whispered "Thank you, Auntie," and then silently sat back in the corner of the sofa, her eyes still somewhat empty.

Huo Yuhao sighed, knowing his mother was right.

The wounds in one's heart could only be slowly smoothed over by time.

He stood up and walked out of the living room.

"I'm going upstairs to get some fresh air."

...

The terrace on the second floor was Huo Yuhao's favorite place to stay.

Sitting on a rattan chair, he looked up at the night sky over Heaven Dou City, which was cast in a yellowish glow by the city lights.

Even so, a few of the brightest stars could still be seen twinkling.

Over the past month, Tang Ya was slowly adapting to her new life, while Huo Yuhao himself began to feel a sense of urgency.

He needed to improve his strength as quickly as possible.

A year and a half.

In another year and a half, Shrek Academy would begin its next round of admissions.

His current situation was: Spirit Eyes Spirit, innate Soul Power rank three.

This starting point was even lower than his previous life.

It was far from enough to get into that number one monster academy on the continent.

He needed a spirit ring.

And it had to be a good spirit ring.

Just as he was pondering, an old and majestic voice rang out directly in his Spiritual Sea.

[Are you worrying about spirit rings?]

It was Electrolux.

[Yes, Teacher.] Huo Yuhao responded in his heart.

[What is so difficult about that?]

Electrolux's voice carried a hint of disdain, [With your current Mental Energy, as long as you go to the Star Dou Great Forest, any Spirit Beast under five thousand years old is just a matter of a single thought for you, easily destroyed.]

Huo Yuhao fell silent.

Going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Spirit Beasts.

This was originally the path every Spirit Master had to take to grow, but for him, it was a difficult choice.

He couldn't forget that in his previous life, it was Tianmeng, Ice Empress, Snow Empress, Xiao Bai... it was those Spirit Beast companions who fought alongside him who made him who he was step by step.

They were his comrades-in-arms, and even more so, his family.

In this life, if he was asked to raise his butcher's knife against those Spirit Beasts again, he couldn't do it.

[Teacher, I... don't want to slaughter Spirit Beasts indiscriminately.]

Huo Yuhao said with difficulty in his heart.

Electrolux snorted coldly.

[Foolish compassion. Even if you don't kill them, they will still be hunted by other Spirit Masters. The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is an eternal truth. If you harbor pity in your heart, you will never be able to stand at the peak.]

Huo Yuhao fell into deeper contemplation.

He knew Electrolux was right.

This was a World where Spirit Beasts and humans were pitted against each other; his kindness was worthless here.

But knowing did not mean he could accept it.

Was there really no way to have the best of both Worlds? After all, the Soul Spirit Contract from his previous life couldn't truly resolve the conflict between humans and Spirit Beasts!

That night, Huo Yuhao thought about many things, but he couldn't find an answer.

...

At noon the next day, Huo Yuhao found that Gu Yuena had disappeared.

With one less person at the dining table, even the air felt much quieter.

"Huh? Why didn't Xiaona come down for lunch today?" Huo Yuner asked curiously.

"She probably went out to play," Huo Yuhao replied casually.

Ever since moving in here, Gu Yuena would often disappear.

Sometimes for half a day, sometimes for a day or two.

Huo Yuhao had already grown accustomed to her elusive behavior and didn't pay it much mind.

He guessed she might have returned to the Star Dou Great Forest to see her subordinates.

However, he never expected that this time, Gu Yuena would bring back a massive "surprise" for him.

It wasn't until night fell and all was quiet.

Huo Yuhao was meditating in his room.

"Creak"

The front door of the villa was pushed open.

Huo Yuhao immediately stopped what he was doing. He heard footsteps; Gu Yuena was back.

He walked out of his room, wanting to see what delicious food she had brought back today.

When he reached the living room, he froze.

Gu Yuena stood in the center of the living room, moonlight streaming through the window and illuminating her silver hair.

In her hand, she was holding a... thing.

A huge, white, slightly wriggling... baby silkworm.

The silkworm was about two meters long, and its entire body was translucent, looking as if it were carved from the finest mutton-fat jade. Under the moonlight, it emitted a faint, holy golden glow.

It was being held by Gu Yuena with just two fingers, easily pinched by the scruff of its neck, its entire body hanging limply in midair.

On its round head, its two large golden eyes were filled with the look of utter despair.

For a brief moment, Huo Yuhao's brain short-circuited.

His mouth fell slightly open, his eyes glued to that giant white silkworm, as a familiar and shocking name exploded in his mind.

Brother Tianmeng?!

A million-year Spirit Beast!

Tianmeng Iceworm!

This... wasn't this his first spirit ring from his previous life, the companion who had changed his destiny?!

How could it be here?!

Gu Yuena saw Huo Yuhao and, with a casual toss like throwing away a trash bag, dumped the giant Tianmeng Iceworm onto the floor.

There was a dull thud.

"This thing was wandering all over the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest."

Gu Yuena explained in a flat tone, "It was being chased around by Di Tian and those guys to absorb its origin energy. I saw how pitiful it was, so I brought it back along the way."

Along the way?

The corner of Huo Yuhao's eye twitched violently.

The core area of the Star Dou Great Forest?

Di Tian? You call that "along the way"?

You clearly made a special trip to their nest to rob them!

The Tianmeng Iceworm on the floor was thrown into a daze. It shook its large head, and upon seeing Gu Yuena standing in front of it, its entire body began to shake like a leaf.

It immediately began to gesticulate wildly—no, its body squirmed all over as it begged for mercy. A crisp loli voice, tinged with a sob, rang out in the living room.

"Don't... don't kill me! Big Sis, spare my life! I don't taste good! My meat is bitter! And I'm of no use! I'm just a piece of trash!"

"My spirit ring can only provide four Spirit Abilities, and they are all useless skills, total garbage! Really! Eating me would just be a waste of stomach space!"

Huo Yuhao was shocked once again.

This is...?

Brother Tianmeng... in this life, he actually became Sister Tianmeng?!

What on earth is wrong with this World? Could it be that his rebirth had changed the original trajectory of events?!

Gu Yuena cast a cold glance at the Tianmeng Iceworm on the floor.

"Say one more word, and I will eat you right now."

The crisp loli voice stopped abruptly.

The Tianmeng Iceworm immediately covered its mouth with its two front feet and curled its massive body into a ball.

It only left its large golden eyes exposed, staring at Gu Yuena in terror, not daring to move an inch.

Quiet was restored to the living room.

Gu Yuena turned her gaze toward Huo Yuhao.

"This little thing has a spiritual attribute, and it has a hidden ice attribute, which suits you perfectly." She pointed at the Tianmeng Iceworm on the floor. "Let it become your spirit ring."

Huo Yuhao was completely stunned.

"Wa... Wait... What do you mean?"

Gu Yuena's expression was very serious, and there was not a trace of joking in her purple eyes.

"You are too weak," she said bluntly. "I need you to get stronger as quickly as possible."

These words sent a sudden jolt through Huo Yuhao's heart.

I need you to get stronger.

Upon hearing this, the despair on the face of the Tianmeng Iceworm on the floor instantly froze, then slowly turned into confusion, and finally transformed into an ecstatic relief of having survived a disaster.

"Ah? So... so you didn't want to eat me, you were looking for a host for me..."

It slumped on the floor and let out a long sigh of relief, as if it had just returned from the gates of hell. "Oh my god, you scared this baby to death! Finding a host is great! I'm the most professional at finding hosts! Have you taken a liking to this young man?"

"No problem! I guarantee I'll turn him into the strongest spiritual-type Spirit Master on the entire continent!"

As it spoke, it curiously sized up Huo Yuhao with its large golden eyes.

Huo Yuhao ignored its endless chatter.

He just quietly looked at the Tianmeng Iceworm, looking at this companion who was both familiar and strange, with extremely complex emotions welling up in his heart.

In his previous life, he had gone through countless hardships, hunting Spirit Beasts at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, and only when he was on the verge of death did he encounter the Tianmeng Iceworm, which was looking for a host to escape its impending doom.

Their meeting was a gamble full of coincidence and luck.

Tianmeng won the bet, and he won it too.

Tianmeng was the first companion in his life, the guide who led him onto the path of the strong, and a family member to whom he could entrust his back.

But in this life...

Before he even had time to worry, Gu Yuena had directly brought Brother Tianmeng—no, Sister Tianmeng!

—right in front of him, throwing her to him like a gift.

From this moment on, the trajectory of destiny had undergone an earth-shaking change.

Huo Yuhao slowly crouched down, reaching out to gently place his hand on the Tianmeng Iceworm's cold and smooth body.

The Tianmeng Iceworm's chatter stopped instantly.

It could feel that what came from this boy's palm was not greed, nor desire, but a... very strange feeling.

It felt like nostalgia, and also like joy.

Most importantly, this boy's Spiritual Sea was as vast as the starry universe, making even a million-year spiritual-type Spirit Beast like itself feel shocked and filled with yearning.

This... this was simply the perfect host chosen by heaven!

Huo Yuhao raised his head, looked at Gu Yuena, and said solemnly, "Thank you."

Gu Yuena's face still bore no expression. She only gave a faint "Mm," turned, and walked toward the stairs.

"I'm tired, I'm going to sleep first. You handle the rest yourself."

Her figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Only Huo Yuhao and the Tianmeng Iceworm on the floor were left in the living room.

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath. He knew that starting tonight, everything would be different.

He looked at the million-year Spirit Beast in front of him, which was a bit cute and dorky, a bit of a chatterbox, but possessed supreme potential.

He smiled.

So what if she was Sister Tianmeng?

In this life, I will no longer be a pawn at the mercy of others.

Not only will I become a god myself, but I will also bring you, Ice Empress, Snow Empress, and all the companions who trust me to ascend to the Divine Realm together!

Tang San... it's time for that Divine Realm of yours, built on lies and calculations, to be shattered!

What I want is not to become a god like you.

What I want is to be my true self!

His gaze became unprecedentedly firm at this moment.

And the Tianmeng Iceworm on the floor, looking at the light that suddenly lit up in the boy's eyes, also felt a surge of hot blood for some reason.

It seemed to have a premonition that its future days with this host would probably be ten thousand times more exciting and thrilling than it had imagined!

Maybe there would even be a chance to be with Bingbing... Hehehe! I dare not think about it, dare not think about it~