Chapter 75: Untitled Chapter

"What, Chen Qiye is back," Beibei said, her mouth opening wide enough to swallow something the size of an egg.

Huo Yuhao nodded, "But he seems to have some business; we'll go find him later."

Beibei calmed her restless heart, assigned Xu Sanshi to go find a person.

She watched Xu Sanshi leave.

Beibei muttered to herself, "He, is back." Beibei smiled again, the mysterious flavor in her smile seeming even richer.

"That's good. Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, let us show you some design blueprints we brought back. Let's discuss which Soul Conductors we should make next to better serve the interests of our Tang Sect. Then we can talk about the Tang Sect's expansion issue." Huo Yuhao said while pulling out his precious star‑light blue sapphire ring, his own ring, not the one given by Jing Hongchen. He had barely managed to exchange for it with rare metal in Mingdu. All the good stuff was placed inside.

"Hmm." Beibei's expression also became serious.

Caitou happened to look at him, giving him an inquisitive glance. Beibei's mouth twitched into a slight smile, and she shook her head at him. Xu Sanshi made a contemptuous gesture toward him, then looked at Huo Yuhao, who was earnestly arranging the blueprints, with a hint of pity.

Whenever Soul Conductors were mentioned, Huo Yuhao immediately focused all his attention, and the so‑called activity was naturally cast aside. He quickly entered his zone and began expounding his ideas.

Huo Yuhao occasionally added remarks. In terms of mastery of Soul Conductors themselves, Caitou still surpassed Huo Yuhao by far, but at the Sun‑Moon Royal Soul Master Academy he had to hold back. The two senior brothers pursued different research directions: Huo Yuhao, besides studying melee Soul Conductors suited to himself, also handled concepts that combined Tang Sect hidden weapons with Soul Conductors. The actual design and experimental fabrication were done by Caitou. Though the two senior brothers seemed to exchange little at the Sun‑Moon Academy, they coordinated entirely through letters. Methods such as stealth and infiltration from the Extreme Solo Soldier Program were applied in their studies there.

Time passed quickly, and night fell. That evening Huo Yuhao and Caitou simply stayed at the Tang Sect; the four senior brothers researched through the night until they finally established the major direction for the Tang Sect over the coming years, then each took a rest.

A night passed without words. Early the next morning, Huo Yuhao and Caitou, led by Beibei and Xu Sanshi, arrived at the Tang Sect's Foundry Hall for making Soul Conductors. Based on their experience, the two adjusted some facilities inside the Foundry Hall and offered suggestions according to their latest plan.

The Foundry Hall must be expanded, and the safest expansion site is naturally the new Soul Conductor Department of Shrek Academy. According to yesterday's suggestion, a subterranean warehouse will be built at the Tang Sect immediately to store precious Soul Conductors.

Caitou will become the person in charge of the Tang Sect branch at the Soul Conductor Department of Shrek Academy, overseeing and producing Soul Conductors. The advanced customized Soul Conductor cannonballs he has been researching for years will also enter the experimental and production stage.

Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, must continue his studies at Shrek Academy, while also collaborating with Caitou on Soul Conductor designs. Of course, this period won't be long. Huo Yuhao has been waiting for someone to arrive; if that person comes, he can free himself from Soul Conductor design and focus on his own melee Soul Conductors. Moreover, after graduation he has important matters to attend to. Naturally, those are details for later.

Amid the bustle, a day passed. Huo Yuhao and Caitou quickly became familiar with various affairs of the Tang Sect. With their two professional senior Soul Masters joining, the Foundry Hall underwent notable changes within a day. Several Soul Conductor manufacturing machines were adjusted, and Huo Yuhao and Caitou personally built a few machines themselves. The various rare metals Huo Yuhao brought back also began to be put to use. The Tang Sect hidden within Shileke Cheng itself resembled a rapidly running machine.

"Junior Brother, take a break for a while," Beibei arrived at the Foundry Hall and called out to the busy Huo Yuhao.

"Senior Brother," Huo Yuhao chuckled, glancing at his own stains, "I can't sit idle! Seeing our Tang Sect thriving, I really want to make up for the past two plus years."

Beibei laughed, "Your contributions to the sect can't be measured like that. A great sect isn't built in a day. Remember the event I mentioned to you that day? It's happening tomorrow. Tonight don't stay at the Tang Sect; come with me back to the Sea God Pavilion. San Shi, Caitou, and the others will also return. Tomorrow we can attend that grand affair."

"Okay." Regarding the Senior Brother's instruction, Huo Yuhao never objected, nodded in agreement, and went back to his own tasks.

A few months later, they would attend the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul‑Combating Tournament. Though Beibei and Xu Sanshi appeared relaxed on the surface, everyone knew that this tournament, fully led by them, was extremely important for both them and the academy. The competition will be held in Mingdu, imposing very high demands on them.

Therefore, Huo Yuhao plans to spend a month at least to get the Tang Sect's affairs on a normal track, implement yesterday's plan, and establish the Tang Sect branch. Only then can he truly retreat for cultivation. Moreover, before the tournament begins, he still has an important task: obtaining the fifth Soul Ring for his Spirit Eye.

The Star Dou Great Forest has far higher-quality soul beasts than the Jingyang Mountains of the former Star Luo Empire. Spending time to search should still yield some.

He didn't pay much attention to the event the Senior Brother mentioned. He even forgot the girl he saw that day.

In Huo Yuhao's heart, he has always held an ideal: to promote and strengthen the Tang Sect, to reforge its glory. This is not only because he belongs to the Tang Sect and has mastered its supreme techniques, but also for a person—Tang Ya.

Tang Ya was the first person Huo Yuhao called teacher. Although Beibei taught him more than Tang Ya did, Huo Yuhao holds a special feeling for both Tang Ya and Beibei.

Back then, during his most difficult and painful time, he met them; they brought Huo Yuhao into Shrek Academy and taught him the Tang Sect's supreme arts. Huo Yuhao will never forget that day, and it was from that moment that his life changed.

Tang Ya's disappearance caused Huo Yuhao's sorrow and pain to be no less than Beibei's. Yet Beibei is already so heartbroken; how could he show his own?

To this day, there is still no news of Tang Ya. Huo Yuhao can see that even when Senior Brother smiles, a faint sadness lingers in his eyes. Over more than two years, Beibei appears far more mature than his actual age. Only he knows how much inner torment he has endured in those years.

Since Tang Ya cannot be found, the only thing Huo Yuhao can do for Teacher Xiao Ya now is to fulfill her dream, which is also the dream of everyone in the Tang Sect—to reforge the Tang Sect's glory. It is this goal that has allowed Beibei to emerge strongly from her earlier pain. Therefore, no matter how important his own cultivation is, Huo Yuhao places the Tang Sect ahead, even if it delays his own cultivation.

Beibei has become thin; Huo Yuhao sees it but doesn't know how to comfort her, so he can only do as much as he can for the Tang Sect. He simply hopes that his deeds can share some of Senior Brother's pain.

When Beibei came to the Foundry Hall for the second time to find Huo Yuhao, she saw from afar him sitting there, intently engraving the core formation in his hand. This youngest member ever of the Sea God Pavilion was perched on a wooden stool at the Foundry Hall entrance, his clothes already stained with various grime and his hair a mess. Yet his especially bright eyes held only focus.

"Junior Brother has grown!" Beibei's eyes showed a hint of a satisfied smile. But soon, something slightly glittering appeared at the corner of his eye.

"Xiao Ya, where are you? You must still be alive, right? Once our Tang Sect gets on the right track, and after I fulfill my promise to you, I will go find you. If I can't find you in a day, I will search a day; if I can't find you in a year, I will search a year. If I never find you in a lifetime, I will search for a lifetime, until the day I see you again. If I never find you at all, then let our meeting be at the end of my search, even if it's in another world."

Taking a deep breath, Beibei forced down the intense emotional turbulence inside her. As a Senior Brother of the Tang Sect, at least outwardly she refuses to let her junior brothers and sisters see her vulnerable side, nor let her sorrow affect them. Though she knows it cannot be done completely, she at least strives to do so.

"Junior Brother, why are you still here? Go wash up and change clothes. We're heading back to the Sea God Pavilion," Beibei said softly as she approached Huo Yuhao.

"Hmm, hmm." Huo Yuhao said, but his hands moved without pause. Beibei could clearly see his carving knife moving like a pen tracing dragons and snakes, extremely fast and precise. Metal fragments constantly fell, and the exquisite core formation gradually took shape.

Without further urging, Beibei knew that as a Soul Master, one must stay focused when making Soul Conductors, and is most afraid of being disturbed. She stood nearby and watched quietly.

Huo Yuhao truly has grown; compared to over two years ago, he is much taller and sturdier. That composure sometimes makes Beibei feel as if she is looking at Xu Sanshi.

For more than two years, the senior brothers have never stopped exchanging letters. Although Huo Yuhao never mentions his difficulties between the lines, Beibei's sources of information are not limited to him! Yet, to Beibei's surprise, she senses no fatigue in Huo Yuhao at all, only vigorous vitality, as if he has become an inexhaustible perpetual motion machine.

Beibei is actually very worried about this state, but thinking of the upcoming event, her worry naturally dissipates, and a playful smile forms at the corner of her mouth. Tomorrow will surely be a spectacular day.

After a full quarter of an hour, Huo Yuhao finally finished carving the core formation in his hand. He quickly rose, returned to the Foundry Hall, handed his carved core formation to a Tang Sect staff member, and finally let out a long sigh.

"Senior Brother, you're here," Huo Yuhao said, looking at Beibei standing there, and quickly greeted.

Beibei said helplessly, "Junior Brother, you treat me like air! I've been here for a while, and when I called you earlier you even agreed."

Huo Yuhao awkwardly scratched his head; in front of the Senior Brother, he always feels like the same youngster he once was.

"You're too focused. Junior Brother, you just returned, you can't be that exhausted. If you get too tired, we'll all feel sorry, and the academy won't let me off either. Come on, go wash up, change into cleaner clothes. We're heading back to the Sea God Pavilion."

"Okay." Huo Yuhao replied, hurried to take a shower and changed into a clean Shrek Academy uniform.

Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Caitou were already waiting for him.

Seeing the fresh Huo Yuhao walk out, Xu Sanshi whistled, "Sixth Junior Brother, not bad. After more than two years apart, you've grown into a man."

Caitou, in a sour tone, said, "What kind of appraisal is that? Was Junior Brother not a man before?"

Xu Sanshi chuckled, "I mean, Sixth Junior Brother is now at the age to look for a girl!"

Caitou's face flushed, as if recalling something, and he looked at Beibei pleadingly, "Can I... can I?"

Beibei laughed, "I don't know about that; it depends on your own skill. But if you boost your confidence and thicken your skin a bit, your chances of success will increase."

"Okay." Caitou's dark face was only faintly reddened, but on close inspection it resembled a purple eggplant.

Seeing Second Senior Brother's shy demeanor, Huo Yuhao was greatly surprised, and walking up to the three senior brothers, he couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, what's up with Second Senior Brother? What cryptic game are you playing?"

Xu Sanshi chuckled, "Isn't it about tomorrow's event? Come on, let's talk as we walk, otherwise we won't make it to the Sea God Pavilion's dinner in time."

The four brothers left the Tang Sect, walking along the streets of Shileke Cheng. Guided by Beibei and Xu Sanshi's familiar routes, they clearly saved a lot of time compared to Huo Yuhao's arrival.

"Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, what exactly is the event?" Huo Yuhao hadn't really cared, but seeing Caitou's obviously abnormal demeanor, his youthful curiosity was fully stirred.

"It probably doesn't matter much to you, but it concerns Chen Qiye greatly..." Beibei said.

(End of Chapter)