After silently thanking him, Zhang Lexuan was about to return to the dining room when a figure quickly appeared before her, stopping almost face-to-face.
Zhang Lexuan sensed him but didn't react defensively, as it was Huo Yuhao. However, because Huo Yuhao was so close, she subtly stepped back a little, trying to create some distance.
Looking at Huo Yuhao, who was so close yet looked quite serious, Zhang Lexuan, still with candy in her mouth, spoke softly, "Yuhao, is there something else?"
"Sister Lexuan, could I see the necklace on your hand?" Huo Yuhao couldn't find the necklace on Zhang Lexuan's hand and couldn't help but ask.
A necklace?
Zhang Lexuan was taken aback. Seeing Huo Yuhao's serious expression, she didn't refuse. "Wait a moment."
She slightly raised her jade-like hand, and with a flash of soul light, a delicately crafted necklace radiating a silvery-white glow appeared in her hand.
Huo Yuhao followed the light and his pupils immediately contracted.
The crescent-shaped design.
Yes.
Absolutely right.
Instinctively, Huo Yuhao reached out to touch the necklace, and inevitably, their fingers met in Zhang Lexuan's hand.
Zhang Lexuan's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively moved away, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Huo Yuhao suddenly stopped, turning to Zhang Lexuan and asking, "Can I take a closer look?"
"Yes," Zhang Lexuan replied without hesitation.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao carefully took the necklace from Zhang Lexuan's hand, as if handling porcelain. His deep blue eyes were fixed on the crescent-shaped gemstone.
Scenes from the Moon's Secret Realm gradually surfaced in his mind: when the incomplete full moon appeared on the light barrier, the crescent-shaped gemstone in his hand gradually overlapped with the incomplete part, quickly fitting perfectly together.
More importantly, the material of this crescent necklace was very special; even Huo Yuhao's spiritual perception couldn't penetrate it.
Huo Yuhao's breathing grew heavy.
Zhang Lexuan watched silently, but she could clearly tell that Huo Yuhao was deeply agitated.
Ten seconds later, Huo Yuhao carefully handed the necklace back, smiling, "Thank you."
Taking the necklace, Zhang Lexuan put it back into the jade box, then into her storage ring. She asked with some confusion, "You seem very excited, is something the matter?"
"Sister Lexuan, may I offend you?" Huo Yuhao asked seriously.
"Offend you?" Zhang Lexuan's gaze faltered.
Just then, golden light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and he reached out a finger, lightly touching Zhang Lexuan's smooth forehead.
He transmitted the memories from the Moon's Secret Realm to Zhang Lexuan exactly as they were—nothing more.
Words couldn't compare to the profound impact of playing back memories.
At this moment, Zhang Lexuan understood what Huo Yuhao meant by "offend." She frowned slightly, but as the memories played out in her mind, Zhang Lexuan paused, her beautiful eyes narrowing involuntarily.
Clearly, she also saw the light shield, the full moon with a missing piece—her necklace was crescent-shaped, and the missing piece within the full moon was precisely the crescent moon.
Even their sizes were exactly the same.
As the memories receded like the tide, the light in Zhang Lexuan's eyes regrouped. She stared wide-eyed at Huo Yuhao, but even without saying a word, Huo Yuhao understood. He said, "When I was an exchange student in the Sun Moon Empire, I encountered a secret realm deep in the Jingyang Mountains. You must have seen what it looked like, Sister Lexuan."
The so-called offense had long been discarded by Zhang Lexuan. This wasn't the first time she had interacted with Huo Yuhao. She had even been mistaken for Ma Xiaotao and pulled into his arms by him at the Sea God Pavilion.
Zhang Lexuan was clever and quickly guessed. She immediately transmitted her voice, "My necklace is the key to opening that secret realm?"
Huo Yuhao nodded and also began to transmit his voice, "That's right. But here's the strange thing. Sister Lexuan, you are from the Heavenly Soul Empire, yet your necklace is related to a secret realm within the Sun Moon Empire. There must be some hidden secret in it."
Zhang Lexuan's gaze deepened, clearly seriously considering Huo Yuhao's words.
Huo Yuhao added, "Sister Lexuan, your family was once a high-ranking noble family in the Heavenly Soul Empire. Your residence must be very close to Heavenly Dou City, otherwise you wouldn't be so familiar with it. Yet, right next to Heavenly Dou City, right under the nose of the royal family, you suffered such a calamity. They say you were attacked by another high-ranking noble family, but if this noble family didn't have a hidden force behind them, how could they possibly defeat your family?"
"Who else could disregard the Heavenly Soul royal family besides forces within the Sun Moon Empire? Considering this necklace, it might hide many unknown secrets. Perhaps even the enemy you've been searching for is in the Sun Moon Empire."
Huo Yuhao's words seemed to awaken Zhang Lexuan, and her expression began to change. "This necklace was given to me by my mother. She repeatedly told me to keep it safe, and I did. In my memory, before Elder Mu came to rescue me, those executioners who slaughtered my family members were indeed searching for something. It was because of this that they delayed our evacuation and were ultimately dealt with by Elder Mu."
"So, what they're looking for is most likely the Crescent Moon Necklace?"
Zhang Lexuan looked up, her eyes meeting Huo Yuhao's.
Huo Yuhao saw a surge of intense hatred and killing intent in Zhang Lexuan's eyes.
"I can't guarantee it 100%, but it's almost certainly true," Huo Yuhao said in a deep voice.
"Next time in the Soul Battle Tournament, Xiao Tao and I will lead the team to Mingdu. You'll take me to that secret realm then," Zhang Lexuan turned around, speaking in an undeniable tone, her hands already clenched tightly together behind her sleeves.
Huo Yuhao's words had indeed made her understand many things.
After that calamity, the official investigation by the Heavenly Soul Empire concluded that her family had been ambushed by another powerful noble family. However, her family had a Title Douluo in charge, and several Soul Douluos as well. How could they be easily ambushed?
"Wait." Just as Zhang Lexuan was about to step into the dining room, Huo Yuhao stopped her.
"Is there anything else?" Zhang Lexuan didn't turn around; her expression was complex, and her emotions were unstable.
"You said that the person who killed Auntie was a Soul Master who could become invisible. Coincidentally, I know of a Soul Master in the Sun Moon Empire who is skilled in this ability, and his strength has already reached the Title Douluo level," Huo Yuhao said solemnly.
Zhang Lexuan suddenly raised her head and turned around abruptly.
Their eyes met.
Huo Yuhao said seriously, "I said I would help you."
Zhang Lexuan's breathing slowed, her beautiful eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao. She pursed her red lips and finally said in a firm yet gentle tone, "Okay."
When the two returned to the dining room, everything seemed as if nothing had happened.
Long Aotian rekindled the conversation with Huo Yuhao, mainly about cultivation methods.
Vina, knowing Zhang Lexuan's status at Shrek Academy, also intended to communicate with her.
Finally, a lavish and lively banquet came to an end.
Everyone except Vina stayed at the hotel.
"I have a favor to ask of Princess Vina,"
Huo Yuhao called out as Long Aotian was about to escort Vina back to the palace at the hotel entrance.
The night was quiet. Vina and Long Aotian exchanged a glance, and the former smiled and asked, "What is it?"
Huo Yuhao cut to the chase: "I hope Princess Vina can help me investigate the origins of the Zhang family noble clan that was wiped out twenty years ago."
Hearing this, Vina paused, about to say something, when she suddenly realized that the chief disciple of the inner academy was surnamed Zhang. Could it be… ?
In an instant, Vina immediately became serious and said to Huo Yuhao, "No problem, I'll investigate for you as soon as I return to the palace."
Twenty years ago, she hadn't been born yet, so naturally she wouldn't know these things; she could only try to find out.
"I owe you a favor for what happened today," Huo Yuhao said sincerely.
"Don't mention the favor. Let's just consider it mutual help as we become friends," Vina smiled gently, then took Long Aotian's hand. "Then we'll be going now."
"Goodbye," Huo Yuhao nodded to the two of them.
Watching Vina and Long Aotian enter the carriage and leave, Huo Yuhao returned to his hotel to rest.
...
The world of howling snow was a chilling death and silence.
The white world seemed devoid of any living thing.
Yet, in the sky, five enormous, icy-blue halos rose straight into the clouds, from the outermost to the deepest, shining like the most magnificent jewels in the world under the sunlight.
But then, an unexpected event occurred. Above the halo, a small, exquisite crystal floated. Once the crystal locked onto the halo, accompanied by low humming sounds, endless blue-gold light burst forth from within, instantly enveloping the outermost halo of the icy world at an astonishing speed.
In a flash, the blue-gold light, like a life-devouring worm, began to frantically devour the icy blue halo.
A strange brilliance appeared in the sky, attracting the attention of countless creatures, including the soul beasts living in the far north.
"Roar!"
Roars erupted from the snow-covered ground from countless soul beasts, watching the halo being devoured at a visible speed. Hundreds of thousands of soul beasts began to shrink back in fear, hiding in the inner halo that hadn't yet been devoured.
At this moment, even former hostile beast packs united, no longer harboring enmity, only worried about the halo protecting their safety.
Outside the first layer of the halo, a group of people calmly huddled together, gazing up at the distant horizon.
Their attire varied, but their armor gleamed with precious light, and each possessed an overwhelming aura. Even the weakest among them was a Title Douluo-level expert.
"As expected of the power bestowed by Lord Sea God, it easily erased the first layer of the light ring."
"It's a pity we can only absorb one layer a month, otherwise we could have conquered the far north at lightning speed."
"Conquest is about the thrill; ending too soon is pointless."
On the deep snow, these people conversed excitedly. Ahead, Chen Tianhai, the patriarch of the Sea God family, was surging with astonishing soul power. The ice and snow that should have been blown by were instantly torn apart by this power, daring not to approach even a fraction. The crystal floating above the light ring was controlled by him.
As the light ring was absorbed, his mind seemed to clear instantly. From the energy fluctuations within the light ring, he vaguely sensed a special existence.
Gradually, Chen Tianhai's eyes burned with fervor. According to the Sea God, as long as he devoured all the light rings, he could find the exact coordinates of the Ice God's legacy left in the far north.
At that time, he would have the opportunity to ascend to immortality.
Eternal life awaited him.
The changes from the outermost perimeter naturally attracted the attention of the strongest group of soul beasts in the core of the far north.
The towering Titan Snow Demon King, comparable to a mountain, gazed at the blue-gold light emanating from the sky, his eyes filled with solemnity. How long ago was it that he had seen the same color of light?
That man, wielding a trident, had made all the soul beasts in the far north, except for the Snow Emperor, afraid to raise their heads.
In the icy valley, the Ice Bear King, who had been curled up, suddenly opened his eyes, quickly ran to the mountaintop, and looked into the distance. When the blue-gold light appeared, a hint of fear appeared in his eyes.
At this moment, all the soul beasts in the far north that were over 100,000 years old seemed to have made a decision, and they all headed towards the valley where the Ice Bear King was.
The number definitely exceeded thirty.
They needed to learn from the Ice Bear King how the King of the Far North planned to deal with this invasion that felt like a recurring nightmare.
However… gazing in the direction where the Snow Empress once lived, a trace of bewilderment appeared in the Ice Bear King's eyes. Since the human's ambush of the Snow Empress, she had vanished without a trace.
Even the Ice Empress had disappeared without a trace.
This time, the Far North was in danger.
But as the Snow Empress's most loyal subordinate, his duty was to live and die with the Far North.
*Crack.*
When the sound of shattering rang out like the tinkling of wind chimes, it was all over. The outermost halo disintegrated before the eyes of the soul beasts who had already hidden within the second halo.
Through the memories inherited from their bloodlines, many soul beasts knew that the Far North's greatest enemy had returned.
Impatience and unease began to echo within the different beast packs.
Meanwhile…
Having dispelled the first ring of light, Chen Tianhai held a delicate crystal floating in his palm. His face lacked a smile as he gazed at the deeper rings of light before finally speaking: "This operation has undoubtedly been seen by various forces on the land. Notify everyone to retreat to the Arctic Sea for now."
"If nothing unexpected happens, the Snow Empress will definitely send powerful soul beasts from the second ring of light to attack any humans they see. What we need to do is have these land-based soul masters help us weaken the soul beasts of the Arctic, allowing us to sit back and watch them fight."
"If they can lure the Snow Empress into battle, that would be even better."
"Withdraw."
Chen Tianhai's authoritative voice resonated in the ears of every elder of the Sea God family.
Everyone placed one hand on their chest and bowed respectfully, "Yes, sir."
The biting cold of the snow obscured their footprints, as if nothing had happened.
...
After washing up and eating breakfast, as a new day began, Huo Yuhao prepared to travel with Zhang Lexuan to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School.
In the hotel lobby, Zhang Lexuan had been waiting for a long time. Just as she had said, she hadn't slept in a long time, spending her time meditating, so she had gotten used to waking up early.
However, when Huo Yuhao came down the stairs and looked at Zhang Lexuan, who sat quietly on the sofa, exuding a cool and aloof air, his eyes widened involuntarily.
Ma Xiaotao was passionate, Zhu Lu was aloof, Wang Dong'er was lively, but Zhang Lexuan was gentle and graceful. Her
beautiful, refined face wore a gentle smile, giving a warm feeling, like the calm and gentle sunshine suddenly appearing on a gloomy day, soothing one's heart.
Her gaze was serene and tranquil, her legs gently together, her hands clasped together on her chest. Her posture was elegant, her back straight, her dark hair swaying slightly in the morning breeze. It was like a poem, a painting, evoking a sense of peaceful beauty.
If Huo Yuhao could paint, he would definitely want to capture this scene on the spot.
Of course, a camera would be best, perhaps to record everything more clearly.
"They're here?" Perhaps sensing the approaching footsteps, Zhang Lexuan slowly turned her head. As she spoke, she gracefully rose and smiled, "Ning Tian has already sent someone to pick us up. Let's go."
Huo Yuhao nodded and followed Zhang Lexuan out of the hotel. He was somewhat puzzled, "Aren't the two elders coming, Master?" "
They have something to attend to and will come to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School later," Zhang Lexuan explained.
Huo Yuhao understood and didn't ask any further questions.
Under the watchful eyes of the hotel staff, the two entered a luxurious carriage from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School. With a slight sway, the carriage began to head towards the outskirts of Tian Dou City.
Perhaps because the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School had opened up free viewing of the sect competition, even in the morning, the roads were very crowded, with many people heading towards the outskirts of the city, precisely towards the location of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School.
"Yuhao."
Just as Huo Yuhao was gazing at the scenery outside the window, Zhang Lexuan suddenly called out to him.
"What is it?" Huo Yuhao turned around and asked.
"Do you have any more candy?" Zhang Lexuan held out her fair, jade-like hand. Sunlight streamed in through the window, giving her hand a translucent, crystalline appearance.
"Plenty," Huo Yuhao generously offered, pulling out a pile of candy.
But Zhang Lexuan refused, grabbing a strawberry-flavored one with her fingers and putting it in her pocket. "I'll get more when I'm done."
"Sure," Huo Yuhao nodded, a typical straight man.
Zhang Lexuan smiled faintly, unwrapped the candy, and popped it into her mouth. As the sweet and sour taste filled her mouth, her eyes brightened.
Looking at Huo Yuhao, she felt a surge of gratitude. What
Huo Yuhao didn't know was that earlier that morning, Vina had come alone, compiling the entire history of the once-powerful Zhang family into documents.
But Vina didn't encounter Huo Yuhao; instead, she met the early-rising Zhang Lexuan.
The document containing all the details was inside Zhang Lexuan's storage ring.
By the time Huo Yuhao arrived in the hall, Zhang Lexuan had already read through all the documents, including everything Vina had marked.
The mysteries that had puzzled Zhang Lexuan for so long were now clearly explained with the help of this document.
----------------------------
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