Chapter 85: The "Secret" That Was Intentionally Revealed
By midday, the four of them finally emerged from Sunset Forest, stepping onto a vast open plain.
Looking back at the dense forest behind them, then at the endless plains ahead, none of them spoke. Instead, they closed their eyes, tilted their heads slightly, and let the breeze and sunlight wash over them.
After a long moment, they slowly opened their eyes, exchanged glances, and smiled.
"It finally feels like we're back to reality."
Dugu Yan was the one who spoke first. Though she had spent the least amount of time at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the impact on her had been the greatest. In just half a month, she felt as if years had passed.
When she first entered, she was Dugu Yan, level 26, with the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul, carrying deadly poison in her body. Her grandfather was old and frail, possibly nearing death at any moment.
But now, she had reached level 30 and would gain even more levels after obtaining a soul ring. Her martial soul had evolved into the top tier Flame Winged Serpent Spirit, and she no longer needed to fear poison. Her grandfather wasn't just free from death's grip he had regained his youth and even strengthened his power.
In such a short time, her entire life had been transformed. Everything around her was moving in a better direction. And all of this… was because she met one person.
Thinking of this, she turned to Han Li beside her and gave him a sweet smile.
Huh?
Han Li noticed her gaze and looked back, puzzled about what she was thinking, but quickly returned a smile of his own.
That was his golden rule when in doubt, just smile. It was never the wrong choice.
Sure enough, getting a response from him made Dugu Yan feel even better, her eyes narrowing in delight.
The two Titled Douluo nearby naturally noticed the interaction between the two, but they didn't say anything.
Young people and their feelings… best not to interfere, or they'd just get annoyed.
"Alright, Han Li, Yan Yan, since we're out, we should properly celebrate."
Dugu Bo paused, then took out a pocket watch from his robes to check the time.
"If we head straight to the city now, we'll end up starving. You two start preparing for a barbecue. I spotted a good ingredient on the way out it's not far from here. You get things ready, and Guang Ling and I will go catch it."
With that, he grabbed the utterly confused Guang Ling and walked off without waiting for a response.
What kind of ingredient needs two Titled Douluo to catch?
Guang Ling wanted to refuse, but seeing Dugu Bo furiously winking at him, he gave in and let himself be dragged away.
"Grandpa and the others are acting really weird, don't you think?"
As she watched them leave, Dugu Yan moved behind Han Li, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned onto his back, speaking in an affectionate tone.
Han Li smirked at her words but didn't argue. Instead, he simply agreed, "Yeah, a little."
Unlike Dugu Yan, his spiritual power was already on par with a Soul Sage, enhanced further by his external soul bone. He was also habitually aware of his surroundings, so he had naturally noticed Dugu Bo's odd behavior.
If he had guessed correctly, Dugu Bo had been spooked by his earlier "performance" and Guang Ling's reaction. He was probably dragging him away to get answers.
After his discussion with Guang Ling last time, Han Li had realized that some things needed to be concealed with a proper excuse to justify his "foresight."
And Guang Ling had conveniently provided him with a "secret" one that he could use as a cover whenever necessary. That's why, when leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he had deliberately acted like a mysterious fortune teller, putting on an unusual display.
Of course, he hadn't been subtle about it. But that was also because, aside from Guang Ling, the others present had already sworn martial soul oaths.
Since these two were going to be by his side in the future, it was impractical to constantly come up with random excuses. Instead of making up reasons every time, why not turn this "secret" into a known but ambiguous ability? After all, the Douluo Continent had seen plenty of strange phenomena one more wouldn't make a difference.
Once they reached Star Dou Forest, and the others witnessed the true power of his "secret," they would naturally stop questioning its validity.
By the time he and Dugu Yan finished their preparations, Dugu Bo and Guang Ling had returned, carrying a bird.
Guang Ling looked the same as before, but he gave Han Li a small nod, signaling that he had taken care of things.
Meanwhile, Dugu Bo kept glancing at Han Li every now and then, as if examining a rare specimen. However, he seemed much more at ease than before.
The meal itself… wasn't great.
In the end, Han Li had to retrieve some leftover ingredients from his storage bracelet to salvage the situation.
Dugu Bo had been completely careless he had caught a small bird, and the meat was tough and dry. Dugu Yan grumbled about it and swore never to trust his food recommendations again.
After their meal, the four of them resumed their journey back to Heaven Dou City.
Since Guang Ling and Han Li didn't want to reveal their identities and attract attention, the group parted ways outside the city.
Dugu Bo even left Han Li an address and a keepsake, telling him to contact him when needed. Then, dragging Dugu Yan along before she could say anything, he strode into the city.
"Alright, let's head back to the Martial Soul Hall first. Once we're there, you can go rest, and I'll find Salas to ask about the Azure Shadow Eagle. I'll also check on the preparations he's made. If everything's in place, I'll have him send the prisoners over early."
Seeing that the grandfather granddaughter duo had disappeared from view, Guang Ling and Han Li disguised themselves before entering the city.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Master."
Han Li didn't object. Now that he could finally relax, he just wanted to take a long bath and collapse into his soft bed, sleeping until the world ended.
"Oh, and Dugu Bo asked about you earlier. I revealed a little information, but don't worry it's nothing you need to be concerned about," Guang Ling added after walking a few steps.
"As long as you think it's fine, it's fine." Han Li waved it off indifferently.
Seeing him in full "I just want to sleep" mode, Guang Ling chuckled and stopped talking, quickening his pace slightly.
Back at the Martial Soul Hall, Han Li said his goodbyes to his master and headed straight to his room.
After a long, relaxing soak, he dismissed the attendants and told them not to disturb him. Then, he dived into his bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, for the first time in a long while, Han Li skipped his morning training. He only woke up around noon when his stomach started growling.
Washing up, eating he finished it all in one smooth sequence. Only then did he feel truly alive again.
After resting a little longer, he made his way to Guang Ling's room.
Knocking and receiving permission to enter, Han Li pushed open the door.
Guang Ling was reading a stack of documents. When he saw Han Li, he nodded before continuing his review.
Only after finishing did he slide the papers over to Han Li.
"Take a look. We've narrowed down the Azure Shadow Eagle's range. Oh, and I also found a suitable soul beast for the girl it wasn't hard to locate."
"Oh, right. You also asked about the Man Faced Demon Spider. There were existing records, so I won't repeat them just read for yourself."
"As for the prisoners you wanted prepared, they left this morning. According to your request, we selected three two Soul Ancestors and one Soul Elder. People like that aren't easy to find. Most were executed outright, so getting three alive was already lucky."
Guang Ling briefly summarized the situation.
(End of Chapter)
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