Chapter 3 Future Plans
"Yuhao, what are your plans for the future?" Duke Baihu asked.
The atmosphere between the two was no longer so cold, and Huo Yuhao answered frankly, "I don't have any plans. I'm preparing to leave the Duke's mansion soon."
"Why?"
"Why so many whys? Anyway, your wife doesn't like me, and others look down on me in private. Why should I, a son of a concubine, make a fool of myself here?"
This was Huo Yuhao's true thought. In fact, if it weren't for his mother, he would have run away by himself long ago.
That old woman seemed to have paranoia, always looking down on him. Please, what could a son of a concubine with innate soul power have to threaten her sons' status?
Huo Yuhao became more and more annoyed. Before, the Duchess always gave him a cold shoulder. It was only after he repeatedly and clearly stated that he was surnamed Huo and that he intended to leave the Duke's mansion, plus another relationship, that the old woman gradually calmed down.
"As for what happens after that, I'll just continue running my barbecue restaurant in the city, marry three or four wives, and live a carefree life," Huo Yuhao said. "I don't care about any lousy titles. I'm an illegitimate son; at most, I can only inherit a viscount or a baron. What's the use of a title... wait..."
Huo Yuhao's expression suddenly changed halfway through his sentence, and he asked seriously, "Can I marry so many wives without a title?"
Duke Baihu: "..."
He was somewhat amused and exasperated, and the serious atmosphere became a little more lively.
He had thought that Huo Yuhao had realized the prestige and importance of titles, but he hadn't expected that Huo Yuhao cared about this.
Duke Baihu replied, "As long as you are mutually attracted, even commoners are fine."
"Oh, that's good."
"However, I hope you won't make the same mistake I did," Duke Baihu added.
"Of course I won't," Huo Yuhao said calmly.
"Then what else? Haven't you thought about striving for a higher level? I see boundless potential in you, and I believe that given time, you will definitely become famous throughout the continent."
If there were outsiders present, they would surely think that Duke White Tiger had gone mad.
Huo Yuhao's soul power was only level ten, and his innate soul power was only level one, while geniuses of his age were already attempting to reach the three-ring Soul Master level. How could he possibly catch up?
But Huo Yuhao knew this wasn't just a consolation prize.
He had also noticed his own difference since the day his Martial Soul awakened.
Normally, the higher one's innate soul power, the more dazzling the light emitted by the crystal ball during awakening.
When Huo Yuhao awakened his Martial Soul with the mindset of a ten-pull lottery, he was somewhat stunned, because he hadn't summoned any weapon, nor had any fur or scales grown on his body.
Only one voice echoed in his mind: "
Your Martial Soul is eyes.
A rare Body Martial Soul."
Of course, at that time, he didn't know what a Body Martial Soul was.
Before he could even wonder, the soul power test followed.
When Huo Yuhao's hands touched the crystal ball, a dazzling light burst forth instantly.
This was a sign of full innate soul power!
But the light was so fleeting that everyone thought it was their imagination.
The blinding light vanished in an instant, leaving only a dim glow in the crystal ball.
"Martial Soul: Eyes, Innate Soul Power: Level 1,"
the awakening officer announced, declaring Huo Yuhao's future achievement.
A servant cast a disdainful glance at Huo Yuhao.
"I heard he's the Duke's illegitimate son with a maid."
"Only Level 1, truly a waste."
"Don't say that, the Duke isn't here, and the Madam forbids us from discussing these things."
But one woman didn't care.
Huo Yun'er chuckled and squatted down, looking into Huo Yuhao's eyes, those icy blue eyes shining brightly.
"Little Yuhao's eyes are so beautiful, no one else has them."
"My Yuhao has been so clever since he was little, how can these be ordinary eyes? Let's call them Spirit Eyes, okay?"
This was the first time Huo Yuhao truly understood what maternal love meant.
The memory of his martial soul awakening was crystal clear; Huo Yuhao would never forget it.
He remembered every detail and firmly believed one thing:
the blinding light he felt then was no illusion.
He could feel his soul power being sucked away during the test. And now he roughly guessed the reason:
it was a problem with his second martial soul.
Ice.
He not only possessed a primary martial soul, but was also a rare twin martial soul possessor.
Ice, as an elemental martial soul, was special, but not uncommon.
However, no one noticed its awakening, including Huo Yuhao himself.
Initially, it was just a cluster of cold energy that no one noticed.
This cold energy seemed to reside within his body, feeding on his soul power like an ice cave.
Twin martial souls were guaranteed to have full innate soul power, but Huo Yuhao was an exception.
As a child, he didn't believe in fate, believing that human will could overcome destiny, and he cultivated his soul power with frantic diligence. But each time, the hard-won increase in soul power was devoured by the cold energy in his dantian, leaving only a small amount.
Huo Yuhao was stunned.
After gaining the title of Duke's son, he had taken several pills, which, unsurprisingly, all went into the bottomless pit of cold energy.
However, Huo Yuhao soon discovered the "benefits" of his second spirit: the remaining spirit power was refined, becoming incredibly pure. This also made his foundation much more stable than other spirit masters.
Under the influence of his second spirit, even with his diligent cultivation, he only just reached level ten spirit power this year.
This was the secret of Huo Yuhao's spirit, and no more than five people in the entire Duke's mansion knew it.
Duke White Tiger was one of them.
He discovered Huo Yuhao's unique talent.
Once, his youngest son, Dai Huabin, had a conflict with Huo Yuhao, and he ordered everyone else not to intervene, letting the two resolve it themselves.
The solution was simple and brutal: let the two children, who were only seven or eight years old, fight!
No one dared to question Duke White Tiger's decision, nor did anyone doubt that Dai Huabin, who was already at level ten and possessed the White Tiger spirit, would lose to Huo Yuhao, who wasn't even at level five.
Yet, the victor was Huo Yuhao.
Perhaps due to his original martial soul, although it was of the spiritual attribute, his physique improved significantly after receiving adequate nutrition.
Although his methods were somewhat unethical, employing some underhanded tricks and exposing his secret,
fortunately, only the White Tiger Duke, a Soul Douluo, discovered Huo Yuhao's twin martial souls.
However, even he didn't notice a terrifying detail about Huo Yuhao's twin martial souls.
"If you want to pursue power and continuously grow stronger, I can provide you with three paths," the White Tiger Duke said.
Huo Yuhao listened intently, unusually so: "Tell me."
"First, join the army directly with me. I believe you can grow rapidly in the army and on the battlefield. As the commander-in-chief, I won't give you any preferential treatment, but I can guarantee you won't be subjected to any danger from outside the battlefield."
The White Tiger Duke's tone became serious when discussing the army.
"As for the issue of spirit rings, I will help you resolve that."
"Next,"
Huo Yuhao didn't elaborate, waving his hand, seemingly rejecting the idea outright.
Duke Baihu, unsurprised, continued, "Secondly, go to the Star Luo Royal Academy. Her Highness the Princess said she can reserve a spot for you at any time."
Princess?
Hearing this title, Huo Yuhao was slightly taken aback, the image of that graceful figure flashing through his mind.
"Jiujiu?"
(End of Chapter)