Of course, at this stage, the "Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye" and "Phantasmagoric Shadow" were still in their infancy. They didn't possess much power yet, but even so, they already allowed him to easily evade the attacks of dozens of Rank 2 soul cannons.
As for the cultivation technique he had created previously, Feng Piaoling had not neglected it either. In the early stages, he focused primarily on building a solid foundation and enhancing the thickness of his soul power. He had already practiced it to the third stage; now that he was on the verge of obtaining his third soul ring and breaking through to become a Soul Elder, creating the fourth stage was merely a matter of time.
Based on the characteristics of his own Martial Soul, he had chosen a suitable name: the Azure Lotus Sword Sutra. He had also created a set of basic sword techniques that harmonized with his own nature, thereby laying the foundation for creating stronger soul skills—and even divine skills—in the future.
In addition to this, he had not slacked in his research of soul tools. Before leaving the Sun Moon Empire, he had already become a Rank 4 Soul Engineer. It could be said that he had utilized his "Heaven Rewards Diligence" cheat to its absolute limit, refusing to overlook any possible path to becoming stronger.
If Huo Yuhao, in over five years, had raised his soul power from Rank 1 to Rank 10 and claimed to have put in three times the effort of an ordinary person, then Feng Piaoling had put in three hundred times.
Relying on his own hard work and the Whale Glue provided by the Crown Prince's manor, his Talisman Martial Soul's first ring was hunted at seven hundred years, and the second at two thousand five hundred years. As for the third ring, he had actually reached Rank 30 half a year ago, but he had delayed obtaining it.
Firstly, he wanted to see if he could intercept the Skydream Ice Worm. Secondly, even if that failed, he could utilize Huo Yuhao's providence to find a soul ring of exceptional quality for himself.
"Tang San only deduced that Huo Yuhao is a Child of Providence; he is not omniscient. If he were, he could have simply let his daughter intercept Huo Yuhao's opportunities herself. Why go through the extra trouble of splitting his daughter's soul into three parts and sending them to the Douluo Continent? As long as I don't kill Huo Yuhao and his 'three-part' daughter, I don't have to worry about being targeted."
With this consideration in mind, Feng Piaoling shed his extravagant robes and changed into a set of ordinary green cloth clothes. Disguising himself as someone heading to the Star Duo Great Forest to obtain a soul ring, he followed Huo Yuhao from a distance while multi-tasking to cultivate his Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye.
Unlike the Purple Demon Eye, the Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye did not require the absorption of the first sliver of purple Qi from the rising sun. It only required channeling mental power into the eyes, supplemented by soul power, and nurturing them using a specific method.
In this manner, the distance between Feng Piaoling and Huo Yuhao gradually closed. Three days later, the two "happened" to meet.
Feng Piaoling ignored Huo Yuhao. He built a campfire nearby and took out meat and water from his Four-Image Coiling Dragon Belt—a storage soul tool at his waist—and began roasting it for himself.
He had crafted this Four-Image Coiling Dragon Belt himself. Although the space wasn't massive—each of the four gems on the belt had only three cubic meters of storage—one of the gems featured a refrigeration effect to keep food from spoiling. It was the specific place Feng Piaoling used to store his provisions.
Due to the mistreatment at the Duke's Mansion, Huo Yuhao had grown up introverted, insecure, and lonely; he didn't dare to take the initiative to greet Feng Piaoling. He simply followed suit, setting up his own campfire and camp not far away.
When the aroma of roasted meat drifted over from Feng Piaoling's side, Huo Yuhao—who had been traveling on a diet of coarse biscuits and wild fruit—couldn't help but gulp hard. His stomach also betrayed him with a loud growl.
Feng Piaoling shot him a glance, picked up a leftover skewer of meat, and flicked it. It cut a stunning arc through the air.
Under the influence of his Spirit Eye Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao managed to see the trajectory of the meat. He was startled, but by the time he reacted, the skewer was already planted in the ground before him. He looked back at Feng Piaoling, who was already sitting cross-legged on a rock, beginning his meditative cultivation.
The meaning was self-evident.
Huo Yuhao gulped again, whispered a "thank you," and began to eat ravenously. He had encountered travelers more than once while camping in the wild before and had received plenty of help, so he accepted the meat from Feng Piaoling without hesitation.
Over the next few days, the two continued their journey. Although they never spoke a single word from beginning to end, Feng Piaoling threw him a few skewers of roasted meat every day. Huo Yuhao, who inwardly craved connection, gradually began to view him as a friend. Every time they camped, he would proactively try to please Feng Piaoling by preparing picked wild fruits for him. Occasionally, when passing by streams or rivers, he would catch fish and roast them for him.
Feng Piaoling didn't eat the wild fruits, but he did try the roasted fish that was described as legendary in the original story. The result was... just alright. It was far less delicious than the skewers he made with soul beast meat and vegetables. At most, it was just a nice change of pace.
Three days passed in this fashion.
The two drew closer and closer to the Star Duo Great Forest. As they passed yet another small stream and Huo Yuhao set up his fire to roast fish, a surprised, delicate cry broke the silence.
The two looked toward the sound and saw two people walking along the stream. Leading the way was a girl who looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old. She had a black ponytail and wore a light blue martial outfit that outlined her youthful silhouette. She had phoenix eyes that were large and spirited, and a pert nose. Her beautiful face was filled with delight as her eyes stared intently at the roasted fish.
Following behind the girl was a youth who appeared to be about her age. He had short, light blue hair and a tall, slender build. He possessed an elegant temperament, and his handsome face carried a trace of a lazy, gentle smile. He had his hands clasped behind his head as he looked over with an interested expression.
However, he wasn't looking at the roasted fish; he was looking at a person. To be precise, he was looking at Feng Piaoling.
He looks no more than twelve years old, yet he possesses the soul power fluctuations of Rank 30. Is he a genius Soul Master on par with the original Shrek Seven Devils?
The girl in the lead had already quickly walked up to the two of them, looking like a little glutton. "Hey, little brothers! Is this roasted fish for sale? It smells so good! How do you make it?"
Bei Bei and Tang Ya?
Feng Piaoling had already guessed their identities and did not respond. Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, had never been in such close proximity to a beautiful girl. His small face turned crimson instantly, and he stammered, "I... I'll treat you."
Tang Ya saw Huo Yuhao's shyness and let out a giggle. "Little brother, I didn't realize you were so shy! You're nothing like that rude guy next to you..."
As she spoke, she reached out to take the roasted fish Huo Yuhao offered. Disregarding her image, she began to feast on it, though she didn't forget to steal a glance at Feng Piaoling beside him. Looking at that impeccably handsome face, her own face flushed slightly. She thought to herself: A total blockhead. What a waste of such good looks.
By this time, Bei Bei had also walked over, and Huo Yuhao handed him a skewer of fish as well.