Huo Yuhao certainly didn't actually want to hit anyone. Just like he said himself, he admittedly lacked real combat experience. Looking back at his battles, every time he fought, he simply unleashed his full power—pure brute strength to overpower his opponents.
This method wasn't necessarily wrong. After all, strength can overcome skill—raw power can create miracles.
However, when facing someone with similar strength, then battle experience becomes critical. Though Huo Yuhao had another soul in his mind packed with combat memories, memories were just that—when it came to actual battle, it wasn't so simple.
Sometimes, the body just couldn't keep up with the mind's tempo.
That said, having those memories did give Huo Yuhao a huge advantage. He could quickly improve in real fights.
Another reason was the upcoming Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament—he needed to better understand his teammates.
The first time they met, Huo Yuhao had gone all out to establish dominance. At that time, everyone got crushed without even standing a chance, so he couldn't observe anything.
Inside his room, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on the floor. Small arcs of lightning occasionally sparked from his body, causing it to tremble slightly.
Lightning Body-Tempering Technique—Huo Yuhao never gave up on this body-enhancing method. Compared to the first time, though, he was much more cautious now, using far less lightning than before.
While tempering, he also maintained his Disruption Domain, applying the Tranquil Mind state to himself. This not only dulled the pain but also helped him keep a clear head.
Huu!
Exhaling deeply, Huo Yuhao ended his cultivation, stood up, and clenched his fists. He had been dedicating time daily to temper his body and could clearly feel the strength growing within—it felt great.
As he stepped outside, Ye Lingling was already waiting. The moment she saw Huo Yuhao, the little girl immediately summoned her Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul, casting her Healing Light soul skill on him.
Huo Yuhao smiled gently and reached out to pat the girl's head.
"It's alright, Lingling. I've completed the improvements. From now on, my cultivation won't harm my body anymore. You don't need to heal me again."
Previously, the tempering method was flawed. Huo Yuhao had to revise it several times to perfect it. In the process, minor injuries were unavoidable—but thanks to Ye Lingling's healing, he made it through.
Ye Lingling smiled sweetly. She truly enjoyed Huo Yuhao's head pats.
They moved to the living room and sat across from each other on the sofa. Huo Yuhao casually grabbed an apple and took a bite.
"Thanks for all the trouble recently. If there's anything you want, just tell big brother. I'll try my best to get it for you."
Huo Yuhao was in a great mood today. The Lightning Body-Tempering Technique had proven extremely useful. With this method, his physical strength would eventually surpass most beast martial soul users. Well, maybe not as freakishly strong as Wang Qiu'er, given her extreme strength attribute—but he was still very satisfied.
Ye Lingling had contributed enormously to this success. Without her constant recovery assistance, Huo Yuhao couldn't have completed the technique so quickly.
"Big brother, I don't want anything. I just want to stay by your side forever. As long as you don't drive me away, I'm content."
Ye Lingling's words made Huo Yuhao fall silent. He even stopped chewing his apple.
Seeing this, Ye Lingling froze. She had thought this would be an easy thing to say—hardly even a request. It never crossed her mind that Huo Yuhao might refuse.
But judging from his reaction now, it seemed he truly didn't plan on keeping her around.
"Big brother, are you abandoning Lingling? Did I do something wrong? Tell me, and I'll change, okay? Wuwuwu..."
Even Ye Lingling didn't know why, but the thought of Huo Yuhao leaving her filled her with inexplicable fear. Her nose tingled, and she threw herself into his arms, crying.
"Lingling, it's not that I don't want you... It's that I don't have a choice. I have powerful enemies—very powerful. If you stay with me, one day I might get you caught up in my mess."
Huo Yuhao let the little girl hold him and gently patted her back to comfort her.
"I don't care, big brother. No matter what, I won't leave you!"
Huo Yuhao felt helpless. Just as he was about to try persuading her again, Ye Lingling continued.
"Big brother, that day you saved me—maybe to you it was just a trivial matter. But to me, it changed my entire life. Without you, I'd probably have been sold as a slave by now."
"You pulled me out of the abyss and gave me a new life. Even if I die for you someday, I'll do so willingly. Please, don't abandon Lingling..."
Her voice trembled, and tears had already soaked Huo Yuhao's collar.
Huo Yuhao stayed silent. He couldn't make sense of it.
Putting himself in her shoes—if someone saved his life, he'd definitely want to repay them. But to be willing to die for them? That was a stretch, even for him.
Especially when the savior didn't even go through much effort. The gratitude just wouldn't run that deep.
That's just human nature. If someone risks everything to save you, even paying a huge price, you'd be eternally grateful.
But if they saved you easily, the emotional impact just isn't the same.
(Well, aside from certain ungrateful ingrates—like a certain San Shao.)
That was Huo Yuhao—he knew he was selfish, but he refused to lie to himself. This was his truth. That's the kind of person he was.
At that moment, he even began to doubt whether Ye Lingling was faking it. No matter how he looked at it, her reactions seemed over the top—almost theatrical.
Then, Ye Lingling softly spoke again:
"Big brother... did you know? Actually, I didn't lose my memory. And—I'm not from this world."
The moment those words fell, Huo Yuhao's body jolted violently. The next second, one yellow, one purple, and two black soul rings appeared around him.
Spiritual Detection activated instantly, rendering a 3D image of everything within a kilometer radius in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Phew—thankfully, Song Ming wasn't around, and Lin Xi was upstairs cultivating.
Huo Yuhao let out a sigh of relief. No one heard. Still, this girl was gutsy—wasn't she afraid of being taken away for research?
He retracted Spiritual Detection and formed a spiritual barrier to encase the two of them, cutting off any sound.
"Big brother, what's wrong?"
Ye Lingling looked at Huo Yuhao, confused by his reaction to the soul rings.
(End of Chapter)