Book 1: Skydream Iceworm

Chapter 3.4: The Million Year Soul Ring

Bei Bei had clearly realised something too, causing him to nod his head and say, “I really didn’t know about it. What a pity that we arrived late. If we hadn’t, we would’ve found little brother Huo a better soul beast to merge with.”

Huo Yuhao’s mind had already cleared up from his earlier surprise. Although he was young, the experiences that he’d had in his youth had caused him to be somewhat vigilant. He immediately guessed that Bei Bei and Tang Ya must’ve thought that the soul ring he’d just absorbed had been from the baboon. Even though he didn’t understand why a million year soul ring was white, this was undoubtedly his current best way of concealing it. Naturally, he wouldn’t go and explain anything.

“Big brother Bei, sister Xiao Ya, did you guys chase after me? Are there any problems?” Huo Yuhao asked probingly.

Tang Ya replied, “We only guessed that you were here to enter the Great Star Dou Forest, but I didn’t think that you’d really do it. Your guts are too big. Don’t you know that the Great Star Dou Forest is called a forbidden area for mankind? Even some Soul Masters with extremely high cultivations don’t dare to enter the inner parts of the forest. And if it’s a little guy like you, a teacher must accompany you for you to even be able to move around the surrounding areas of the Great Star Dou Forest. The reason why we chased after you was to protect you, since Bei Bei and I are Soul Masters. However, your luck is quite good. Although the first soul ring you’ve obtained isn’t too strong, you’ve suffered no injuries on the whole.”

After hearing her words, a thick warm feeling immediately surged through Huo Yuhao’s young heart. He was young, but he’d experienced far, far too much of the hypocrisy of the world. When Tang Ya was talking, he could tell that there were no traces of falsehood within the sincere look her eyes held.

“Sister Xiao Ya, I…” Huo Yuhao almost brought up the issue of the Skydream Iceworm, due to impulse. However, at this moment, a cough echoed out in his mind. Under the attack of a certain refreshing aura, he immediately swallowed his words.

Tang Ya giggled and said, “Look at your dim-witted appearance. Fine, I won’t talk about that anymore. Little Yuhao, since you’ve already obtained a soul ring, what do you plan to do next?”

Huo Yuhao was stunned by her question. Yeah! What plans did he have for himself? Before coming to the Great Star Dou Forest, his aim all along had been to become a Soul Master, and obtain a soul ring that belonged to him. The difference between Soul Masters and Soul Scholars was indeed as vast as the heavens and the earth! Becoming a Soul Master also signified that he’d stepped through a door, one which would allow to him travel through the wide seas and skies from now on. However, he’d truly never thought of what to do in the future. After all, he was only eleven, and this was the first time that he’d left home.

Tang Ya was secretly happy when she saw the blank look in his eyes. She sent a glance towards Bei Bei.

Bei Bei nodded towards her and said, “Little brother Huo, what kind of people does your house have?”

Huo Yuhao’s gaze instantly froze for a moment. Following that, he shook his head decisively. “There’s no one else, I’m the only one that’s left.”

Tang Ya was exulted. She blurted out, “Then that’s really too good.”

Huo Yuhao was immediately stunned, while Bei Bei had a speechless expression on his face. He knocked her head, “What’re you saying?”

Tang Ya had also realised her slip of the tongue. She glared at Bei Bei and said, “I didn’t do it on purpose! Little Yuhao, since you don’t have any ideas right now, why not join our sect?”

“A sect?” Huo Yuhao had heard of sects when he was in the Duke’s Mansion. On the Douluo Continent, the strengths of sects were extremely high, especially some Soul Master sects that had long histories. From the meaning of the word ‘sect’, the Duke’s Mansion in itself could be considered a large sect.

Tang Ya nodded her head and said seriously, “It’s a sect, and was previously the number one sect in the continent. If you join, you definitely won’t be at a disadvantage. Furthermore, our sect’s secret techniques are very suitable for you to cultivate. Since you’re all alone and you’re so young, it’d be better for you to join our sect, since everyone will take care of each other, rather than you being so bold by yourself. After all, luck can’t always be with you. What if something happens when you’re moving by yourself?”

Huo Yuhao subconsciously asked, “Sister Xiao Ya then, what is your sect called?”

Tang Ya resolutely said, “The Tang Sect. It was previously the number one sect in the continent.”

After hearing the two words ‘Tang Sect’, Huo Yuhao’s body couldn’t help but tremble. Even though the Tang Sect had started to decline, the Tang Sect still had an important place within the Douluo Continent’s history. It could even be said that there had never been a sect that could compare with it.

When he was very young, his mother had told him the many legends of the Tang Sect. The Tang Sect had been founded ten thousand years ago, and it could be said to be one of the oldest sects in history. Supposedly, the first sect master of the Tang Sect, Tang San, had changed the entire structure of the continent, establishing the future development of the continent’s Soul Masters. The Tang Sect, at that time, had truly been the number one sect under the heavens, and not just in name. Furthermore, the legends said that Tang San had broken through the highest realm of Soul Masters, Titled Douluo, to become an existence that was on another level, one that wouldn’t die from then on. However, in the end, no one knew how he’d done it.

After ten thousand years, the legends of the Tang Sect still remained, but the sect itself had already left the stage of history. Very few people knew that the Tang Sect still had later generations of disciples; even the details of some of the Tang Sect’s legends had already become vague. However, there was someone who had once said that, if it weren’t for Tang San establishing the future development of the Soul Masters within the Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago, the Douluo Continent might not have been able to achieve victory over the experts of the Sun Moon Continent, and thus unify the two continents when the Sun Moon Continent had collided with the Douluo Continent four thousand years ago.

“Little brother Huo, you’ve heard of the Tang Sect?” Bei Bei asked.

Huo Yuhao nodded his head and said, “I’ve heard some of the legends about the Tang Sect. Only, I don’t know where the Tang Sect is.”

The rims of Tang Ya’s eyes suddenly turned red. “The Tang Sect doesn’t have its mansion anymore, and our foundations were snatched away. Currently, the only people of the Tang Sect remaining are Bei Bei and I. I’m the current sect master of the Tang Sect, and Bei Bei is my founding disciple.”

“Ah?” Huo Yuhao looked at them with an astonished expression. If you just looked at their ages, Tang Ya wasn’t that much older that Bei Bei, and from their conversations, you couldn’t tell that they were master and disciple at all.

Bei Bei coughed twice and said, “You’ve also seen our situation now, little brother Huo. The Tang Sect only has the two of us right now, but we’ll definitely work hard to let the Tang Sect rise again. If you’re willing, you’re welcome to join. There’s one point that Xiao Ya was right about: The Tang Sect has a secret technique that should be completely suitable for you to cultivate, and will have many benefits towards your future development.”

After hesitating for a while, Huo Yuhao asked, “Then, what do I have to do after I join the Tang Sect?”

Tang Ya replied, “You need to unceasingly raise your cultivation, and become even stronger. When the sect needs you, you need to exert yourself for the sect. I won’t boast or lie to you, our Tang Sect has truly declined as of now. However, we still have our secret techniques. Also, another thing. Our Tang Sect was once the number one sect in the continent, so we still have a few privileges. You should’ve heard of the number one academy on the continent, Shrek Academy. Shrek Academy is extremely strict when it recruits students, but they’re willing to give our Tang Sect an exempted spot every year. Bei Bei and I have already joined Shrek Academy, and it just so happens that there’s a space available this year. If you’re willing to join our Tang Sect, this space will belong to you. As for whether or not you can stay in Shrek Academy, that will rely on your hard work. I can give you this much. However, little Yuhao, I have a request. Once you’ve joined the Tang Sect, you’re a man of our Tang Sect for your entire life. If you decide to leave one day, you’ll have to return all of the Tang Sect’s secret techniques.”

Tang Sect...Tang Sect. Huo Yuhao’s eyes gradually brightened, and he looked seriously at Tang Ya. “Sister Xiao Ya, I agree; I’m willing to join the Tang Sect.”