Reborn as Huo Yuhao, but also in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 9 Departure

"Father, Yuhao and I plan to set off today," Xiao Yan said to Xiao Zhan.

"Leaving today... Alright, since you've made the decision, go and explore. Remember to say goodbye to Xun'er and the others." Xiao Zhan looked worried, but still encouraged them.

"Also, remember to come back at the end of the year. Next year is the time for Canaan Academy to recruit students."

"Understood." Xiao Yan waved and left.

Xiao Xun'er was studying the longsword Huo Yuhao had given her when she heard a knock on the door. She put down the sword and went to open it.

"Brother Xiao Yan, you've come at the right time! Where did Brother Yuhao get this magical artifact that he gave me?"

"Xun'er, I've come to say goodbye. I'm preparing..."

Thump! Xiao Yan squatted down, rubbing his sore nose, his voice trembling slightly, "Xun'er, I'll be back soon."

With no response, Xiao Yan sighed, slipped a letter under the door, and left.

……

"Have you all said goodbye? Have you packed everything? Did you forget anything?" Huo Yuhao asked Xiao Yan upon his return. "Did you bring your storage ring?"

"Stop being so hesitant, I'm all ready." This was Xiao Yan's first long trip since arriving in Dou Qi Continent, and he was very excited.

Yao Chen suddenly appeared: "Didn't your little girl want to come with you?"

Xiao Yan touched his nose again, as if it still hurt: "Since Xun'er wouldn't see me, I left a letter at the door."

Huo Yuhao retorted, "Why leave a note? Couldn't you have said what you wanted to say through the door before leaving?"

"Because I still need to say goodbye to Sister Ya Fei." Xiao Yan smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"The auctioneer from Mittel Auction House?"

Yao Chen and Huo Yuhao looked at him as if he were a beast.

We met when I went to buy rare metals for you, Yuhao.

Seeing the two men's teasing expressions, Xiao Yan choked, then became angry and embarrassed.

"We're just friends!"

……

The two left under the cover of night, without alerting anyone.

Night had fallen, and Xiao Yan, who had been traveling for several hours, felt somewhat tired. So the two stopped, found a grove of trees, and lit a campfire.

After a quick late-night snack, Yao Chen said, "Remember to hide your storage ring and hand ring when you travel tomorrow. Don't expose them so obviously, or you'll avoid a lot of trouble."

"I understand the principle of not flaunting wealth."

Huo Yuhao took out a map. "At our speed, it will take us about five more days to reach Qingshan Town and enter the Monster Mountain Range."

Xiao Yan asked in confusion, "Isn't it possible to enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range from near Wutan City? Why do we have to travel so far?"

"This area is located in the eastern part of the Monster Mountain Range. Crossing it from here will take you to the Tagor Desert. I plan to visit my eldest and second eldest brothers during this training trip," Huo Yuhao explained.

"Cross the Monster Mountain Range?" Xiao Yan chuckled, a twitch at the corner of his mouth. "With our current level, we can only wander around the outer areas at best. Crossing it is highly unlikely, isn't it?"

"Many of the medicinal herbs Yuhao needs will have to be obtained by trying your luck deep in the Monster Mountain Range," Yao Chen explained. "Besides, with your master here, what are you afraid of? It is in dangerous places that one can make progress."

"What kind of medicinal herbs are needed? Are they so hard to find?" Xiao Yan asked with some concern.

"Yuhao's original Spirit Restoration Pill couldn't fully repair his spiritual sea, so I combined it with other pill formulas like the Soul Fusion Pill and created a new formula for a sixth-grade pill."

"A sixth-grade pill!" Xiao Yan exclaimed in surprise.

Yao Chen continued to explain, "After studying the pill formula that Yu Hao brought, those rare medicinal herbs are indeed not necessary, and there are other options. However, the sixth-order magic core is indispensable."

"So, teacher, are we going to hunt sixth-tier magical beasts?" Huo Yuhao frowned. "I'm not in a hurry. Let's go later."

"Don't worry." Yao Chen laughed, "A mere sixth-order magical beast, I can destroy it with a flick of my hand! Cough, cough, cough!" Suddenly, as if he had choked on his saliva, he pounded his chest.

"You've rested enough, haven't you?" Yao Chen said, catching his breath. "It's time to continue our journey. By the way, to make the most of these next few days, Xiao Yanzi, I've prepared something good for you."

After saying that, Yao Chen rummaged through the Ancient Flame Ring for a while, and a huge black object was thrown out, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Uh..." Xiao Yan stared blankly at the pitch-black object in front of him, which was taller than him, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. "What... is this for?"

"I carry it with me every day, and I can't even take it off when I sleep."

……

Five days later, at dusk. On a quiet forest path, Xiao Yan was covered in sweat, trudging along with difficulty. Each step felt like a heavy object hitting the ground, scattering leaves and weeds everywhere.

Not far away, a white-haired young man wearing sunglasses was sharing an ice pop with a blue-haired boy.

"Yuhao, this little gadget you made is quite interesting. It's not even blinding when you look directly at the sun." After saying that, Yao Chen turned back to look at Xiao Yan, "Too cruel."

"This was something Xiao Yanzi researched." Huo Yuhao glanced at it, shook his head, and said, "Indeed!"

"Who came up with this cultivation method, you two!"

Yao Chen took off his sunglasses, looked at Xiao Yan, and said, "We're saying you're too cruel to flowers and plants; you really don't care about the environment."

"Ah!!! I'm not going anymore!" Xiao Yan fell backward and lay on the ground, letting the sweat stream down his forehead.

"You didn't think we let you out here just for a vacation, did you? Hehe, the comfortable life in Wutan City is long gone for you now." Yao Chen's gloating laughter rang out.

"How about this?" Huo Yuhao walked over, took out a bottle of Qi-restoring pills, and handed it to Xiao Yan. "I'll suppress my Dou Qi to the level of a one-star Dou Zhe. If you can beat me, you won't have to carry this Xuan Heavy Ruler. What do you say?"

"Alright, you said it!" Xiao Yan swallowed the pill, leaped up, and his active Dou Qi circulated. The sore and numb muscles in his body were greedily absorbing the gradually spreading medicinal power.

After the last bit of medicinal power was absorbed, Xiao Yan seemed to have a feeling that the explosive power contained in his muscles was somewhat enhanced compared to a few days ago.

Once Xiao Yan had recovered, the two separated by twenty paces. Yao Chen took out a slice of watermelon, sat on a boulder, and said, "Ready—begin."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan pushed off the ground with both feet and shot out, his right fist aimed straight at Huo Yuhao's face.

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

Huo Yuhao stood still, not moving, not even using his mental detection, silently watching the approaching figure. When Xiao Yan got close, Huo Yuhao slightly turned his body, dodging Xiao Yan's fist, and channeled his Dou Qi into his left hand, striking Xiao Yan's elbow.

*Thud!* Xiao Yan fell to the ground, his face half a meter away.

"Haha!" Yao Chen laughed loudly, "How about it, want to compete again?"

Xiao Yan stood up and rubbed his face. If he hadn't used his Dou Qi to protect his face in time, he would probably be disfigured by now.

"Let's try again. I was careless just now; I didn't dodge!"

After saying that, Xiao Yan charged at Huo Yuhao again. This time he didn't use his full strength, but left some room for maneuver, while simultaneously using his Qi control technique, ready to use the force to change direction at any time.

"Eight Extremes Collapse!" This time, it wasn't a fist that came, but an elbow strike.

Huo Yuhao didn't wait for Xiao Yan to rush over. Instead, he raised his right hand, released a little energy from his palm, and activated his Qi Control Technique. At the same time, he combined his mental energy with his battle qi to condense the surrounding air and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into an indistinct palm, which he then slapped onto Xiao Yan's face.

*Thud!* The sound was crisp. This time, he fell backward, lying on the ground, questioning his existence. Because Huo Yuhao hadn't used too much force, Xiao Yan wasn't injured, just a little sore. His face hurt, his head hurt, and his heart hurt even more.

"Get up!" Huo Yuhao and Yao Chen walked over together and helped Xiao Yan up. Yao Chen laughed, "Do you understand now? You still have a long way to go."

Huo Yuhao comforted him, "The Eight Extremes Collapse is indeed very powerful, and Xiao Yan, you've put a lot of effort into this fighting technique. Most opponents of your level can't withstand it, but they don't need to confront you head-on."

After a moment's thought, Huo Yuhao said, "Xiao Yan, it's a good idea for you to learn a movement technique and use Qi control to adjust your fighting posture, but your mental strength is not enough."

"Master—" Xiao Yan looked at Yao Chen, his eyes sparkling.

"Hmm, let me think—" Yao Chen reached out and turned Xiao Yan's head away, thought for a while, and took out a scroll. "I don't have any good movement techniques here, but I think this scroll, 'Explosive Step,' is suitable for you right now."

"What level is it?"

"A mid-level Xuan-rank movement technique that propels you forward by exploding your fighting spirit under your feet, making it extremely fast. The reason you missed the attack twice just now, besides Yuhao's own skill, was that your speed was too slow," Yao Chen explained to Xiao Yan, explaining why he had chosen this technique.

"If you are fast enough, no matter how skillful your opponent is, they won't be able to dodge it."

Then, Yao Chen handed Huo Yuhao the same scroll, "Yuhao, you can take a look too. The downside of the Explosive Step is that it consumes a lot of energy, but the Battle Qi recovery speed of the Zhou Tian Jue is very fast, which can make up for this deficiency. Combined with the flexibility of the Qi Control Technique, I believe it will greatly help improve your combat power."

"Okay, thank you, teacher (master)."