Chapter 26: Extremely Curious

The vermilion walls enclosed vast stretches of land, within which stood numerous luxurious buildings. The scale of this complex was second only to the Star Luo Imperial Palace in Star Luo City.

At the main gate of the complex, two majestic golden tigers were placed on either side. Above the gate, five bold and flamboyant characters were inscribed on the plaque.

— White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

In the Star Luo Empire, the influence of the White Tiger Duke was second only to the imperial Xu family. In the eyes of some, the White Tiger Duke's influence even surpassed that of the imperial Xu family, as this was the White Tiger family, a lineage that had been passed down for ten thousand years.

Thus, members of the White Tiger family walked with their heads held high, and few dared to provoke them.

Of course, there were exceptions.

Within the opulent White Tiger Duke's Mansion, there were also cramped and dilapidated buildings.

In a firewood shed that could only be described as "shabby," simple and old furniture was arranged. On a bed made of wooden planks, a thin, sallow-faced, yet delicate-looking young man sat cross-legged.

He was not only thin but also physically weak.

Due to years of malnutrition, the meridians in his body were clogged with impurities in many places. His slender meridians could barely withstand the flow of soul power.

He had a rather interesting identity: the illegitimate son of the White Tiger Duke, Huo Yuhao.

It was hard to imagine that, despite being the son of the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, he lived in such misery. His complexion and physical condition suggested that he hadn't had a decent meal in a long time, and his living conditions were worse than those of commoners.

After struggling to complete a full cycle of soul power circulation, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes, revealing a pair of bright eyes that seemed out of place on his frail body.

"Level 10, finally Level 10!" Huo Yuhao clenched his teeth, his clear eyes tinged with a hint of blood, filled with hatred.

"Mom... Yuhao has reached Level 10, I can go get a soul ring now!"

"If I don't die, when I return here, I will make the entire White Tiger Duke's Mansion pay for your death!"

...

"Your Excellency!" A dark green figure quietly appeared. A middle-aged man with dark circles under his eyes and a somewhat gloomy demeanor stood behind Lin Yun.

Lin Yun stopped his cultivation and slowly opened his eyes.

In eight months, Lin Yun's cultivation had risen from Level 34 to Level 37. Most of this progress was due to his own efforts, while the rest came from absorbing the soul bone of the Demon Spirit.

The Demon Spirit's soul bone didn't significantly increase Lin Yun's soul power, but it greatly enhanced his mental strength.

Moreover, the soul skill attached to this soul bone did not disappoint!

Spatial Teleportation!

The signature skill of the Demon Spirit clan, allowing one to travel freely through space, appearing and disappearing at will.

"It's you, Wan Yao Wang. How is the task I asked you to investigate coming along?" Lin Yun turned and looked at the slightly bowing Wan Yao Wang.

Yes, this gloomy middle-aged man was one of the Beast Kings of the Star Dou Forest, ranked fifth on the Ten Great Fierce Beasts list—the Demon Eye Tree King, Wan Yao Wang.

As for the task Lin Yun had assigned to Wan Yao Wang, it was quite simple.

"Your Excellency, I have confirmed that the human boy you asked me to monitor broke through to Level 10 a day ago and set out for the Star Dou Forest early this morning," Wan Yao Wang said in a low voice.

"Good job. Keep watching, and report to me when he gets close to the Star Dou Forest," Lin Yun nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes!" Wan Yao Wang quietly left.

Indeed, Lin Yun had tasked Wan Yao Wang with keeping a close eye on Huo Yuhao, to find out when he would come to the Star Dou Forest.

Huo Yuhao would never guess that, while he was cultivating, a soul beast powerhouse with strength comparable to a Limit Douluo was secretly observing his every move.

Wan Yao Wang's true form was the Demon Eye Tree. As a plant-type soul beast, his patience was naturally excellent, allowing him to remain motionless in one place for long periods.

If another soul beast powerhouse were assigned to tail Huo Yuhao, they might not be too pleased. But for Wan Yao Wang, it was merely a change of scenery for his cultivation.

Besides, for soul beasts...

Cultivating or not didn't make much difference.

"It seems the plot has begun. In a few days, Huo Yuhao should 'accidentally' meet Tang Ya and Bei Bei, right?" Lin Yun thought to himself as he gazed at the rippling lake surface.

"Then... it's time for me to head to Shrek Academy!"

"Di Tian!" Lin Yun suddenly called out.

"Your Excellency!" The number one subordinate, Di Tian, instantly appeared.

"Go and get me a recommendation letter from a major city. It's time to start my plan!" Lin Yun looked towards Shrek City, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Di Tian respectfully acknowledged, his face also showing joy and anticipation.

The plan of the Supreme One was finally about to begin!

Six days later, Wan Yao Wang returned, bringing news that Huo Yuhao was only fifty kilometers away from the Star Dou Forest.

This distance was very close.

During these days, Di Tian had somehow managed to obtain a recommendation letter for Shrek Academy for Lin Yun, with the name on the letter naturally being Lin Yun's.

"This is my alias in the human world," Lin Yun explained to Di Tian.

With the recommendation letter in hand, all he was waiting for now was Huo Yuhao.

Lin Yun wanted to stay and see for himself whether Huo Yuhao's path would change after he had preemptively taken Elakas.

Speaking of Elakas, Lin Yun subconsciously focused his consciousness on the gray sphere floating in his mental sea.

Shortly after obtaining the Life Gold, Elakas had informed Lin Yun that he was going into seclusion. With the Life Gold, he could use its immense life force to repair his divine consciousness.

Although his divine consciousness was no longer at risk of extinguishing thanks to the Life Gold, it could still grow stronger.

The stronger Elakas's divine consciousness became, the more memories he could recall, and the more help he could provide to Lin Yun. The only cost was a negligible amount of life force, so Lin Yun let him be.

If Huo Yuhao were to merge with the Skydream Iceworm, would another fragment of Elakas's divine consciousness emerge?

Lin Yun was very curious!

So he decided to see for himself, to watch Huo Yuhao merge with the Skydream Iceworm and see if any other surprises would occur.

After all, he was the protagonist of the original story. It was necessary to treat him with caution.

"You've worked hard, Wan Yao Wang. You may return," Lin Yun nodded to Wan Yao Wang.

"Tell Di Tian the location of that person, and then, Di Tian, let's go take a look together!"

(End of Chapter)

────────────────────────────────────

"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."

"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san]."

"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."

"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"