The White Tiger Duke stared at Huo Yuhao’s much gentler expression as he forced a laugh and said, “You can’t take your revenge against her even if you wanted to.”
“Eh?” Huo Yuhao was momentarily taken aback.
Dai Huabin gritted his teeth as tears continued flowing down his face. “My mother passed away a long time ago. She passed away five years ago. Come at me if you want to take your revenge!”
The duchess is dead?
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. Yes! Everyone has to die at some point. He suddenly felt very relaxed in this moment, and he felt it deep in his heart as the heavy stone that had weighed on his heart for all these years crumbled just like that. It’s over. Yes, everything is over. My hatred and revenge have been resolved.
Dai Hao stared at Huo Yuhao with a complicated look in his eyes. “What do you plan to do next, child?”
Huo Yuhao replied, “Our matters here have been settled, and I have accomplished everything that I wanted to. The Sun Moon Empire will definitely not go back on their word this time. Furthermore, we still have that level of connection between us. Xu Jiawei has abdicated his throne to you, and that is an absolutely excellent move. Even though I can’t say that the Star Luo Empire won’t run into any trouble within a thousand years, there shouldn’t be a war within a hundred years. The Star Luo Empire will be fine if it continues developing steadily. There are still some things I have to do.”
“Will you return?” The White Tiger Duke asked.
Huo Yuhao shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m going to a faraway place.”
Dai Hao heaved a sigh. “I know that I’m not worthy of you calling me your father. But I still have to say: take care, my son. If someday you find yourself too tired and fatigued outside, then come home.”
Huo Yuhao’s body shook as Dai Hao addressed him as “son”, and the last thread of hate in his eyes disappeared. Huo Yuhao stared at his mother’s gravestone, and his mother’s smile suddenly surfaced in his mind, like his mother was staring at him with hope brimming in her eyes.
“Father…” The gentle word emerged from Huo Yuhao’s mouth.
The White Tiger Duke quivered. He stared at Huo Yuhao in disbelief, then he suddenly opened his arms as he took Huo Yuhao into his embrace.
Yes! This is my son!
Huo Yuhao didn’t address Dai Hao as “father” because of him, but because he knew that that was what his mother wanted most. He would do anything so that his mother could be happy.
“You can leave. I wish to accompany my mother for a few moments more.” Huo Yuhao muttered softly.
The Duke let go of Huo Yuhao and turned towards the gravestone as he said gently, “Wait for me, Yun’er. I will be back soon to accompany you. I’ll return everything that I owe you for the rest of my life.”
“Brother!” Dai Luoli exclaimed.
Dai Yueheng stood up as he pulled Dai Huabin to his feet.
Dai Yueheng walked up to Huo Yuhao and patted him on the shoulder.
Dai Huabin walked over as he gazed at Huo Yuhao with a complicated look for a long while. He was struggling as he said, “I’m sorry.”
A forced smile appeared at the corner of Huo Yuhao’s mouth. “My mother cannot be revived no matter what, and neither can your mother. Let bygones be bygones. Forget it!”
Forget it! It was so difficult for Huo Yuhao utter those two words, but he finally said them in the end. He finally and completely liberated himself of all his hate and resentment.
The Star Luo Empire’s new Emperor, Dai Hao, left with his three sons. Huo Yuhao was the only one left in front of the gravestone.
Huo Yuhao knelt down in front of his mother’s grave, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
“That’s what you want to see, don’t you, mother? You’re so kindhearted, and I’ve done it. I’ve finally brought him back to your side. He will be here to accompany you in the future, and you no longer have to feel so lonely. I really miss you, mother! If only you had still been alive.”
Huo Yuhao muttered as he knelt in front of his mother’s gravestone like that. Time continued to pass, and he remained on his knees for a day and a night, which passed in the blink of an eye.
Faint golden light condensed behind him and gradually took shape.
“Have you dealt with everything?” A gentle voice jolted Huo Yuhao awake from his memories of his mother. He looked up, and what he saw was a familiar face.
“It’s you.” Huo Yuhao stood up and bowed respectfully at the golden-haired youth behind him.
The God of Emotions, Rong Nianbing, smiled faintly as he said, “I have found out about your affairs. Seems like you’re not in a particularly good mood!”
Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and replied, “I’ve done everything that I ought to. But I suddenly have a son out of nowhere, and Wutong has left my side. I don’t even know where she is.”
Rong Nianbing asked, “Then what plans do you have?”
Huo Yuhao’s eyes suddenly grew resolute. “I have to search for her, and I have to bring her back to my side no matter what price I have to pay. Please take me to the God Realm, because she must be there. Do you know where she is? Who exactly is Wutong’s father?”
Rong Nianbing answered, “Nobody can take you to the God Realm, not even I can. You’ll have to rely on your own strength if you wish to go to the God Realm, not some external aid. There’s one more test that you haven’t completed if you wish to inherit my spot. You have to become the strongest individual in the Douluo Continent. As for your future father-in-law, I will tell you when you officially take over my seat in the God Realm.”
Huo Yuhao’s eyes moved. “You’re talking about the Beast God?”
Rong Nianbing tilted his head slightly, and his body slowly became faint and illusory as he disappeared into a million golden specks of light.
“Go, you can inherit my seat in the moment when you defeat the Beast God.”
Thoughts spun in Huo Yuhao’s head as he remained rooted to the ground, and a faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
Rong Nianbing didn’t mention it, but Huo Yuhao could tell that he was acquainted with his future father-in-law from his words. That meant that as long as he could reach the God Realm, searching for Wutong wouldn’t be that difficult.
The Beast God, Di Tian! Is it finally time for us to fight?
Intense belligerence and fighting spirit radiated from Huo Yuhao’s eyes. He could only find Tang Wutong if he defeated the Beast God, and nobody would stop his passage to the God Realm!
Huo Yuhao turned back around and knelt down in front of his mother’s grave once more.
“Mother, I’m going to find your daughter-in-law. I will bring her to see you once I find her.”
Huo Yuhao kowtowed a few more times before he got to his feet and flew toward Star Luo City.
Celebratory spirits permeated the city.
Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection easily covered the entire city, and he searched for the people that he wanted to find. He quickly found where the Tang Sect’s individuals were located.
Huo Yuhao broke through space as he appeared in front of his companions.
Huo Yuhao was about to leave, and he had to bid his farewells to his companions, and to Elder Xuan.
“You’re leaving?” Bei Bei stared at Huo Yuhao, and his eyes were filled with yearning and longing. They hadn’t seen each other for three years, and Huo Yuhao was finally back, yet he was going to leave once more.
Huo Yuhao wore a gentle smile on his face as he stared at Bei Bei. “Don’t worry, eldest senior brother. We will return when I find Wutong. I want to conduct our marriage at the Tang Sect, inside Shrek City. Our happiness cannot be complete without your blessings.”
Bei Bei, He Caitou, and Xu Sanshi laughed heartily as they heard his words.
“Then what are you waiting for? Hurry and bring her back. Otherwise, don’t come back.” Jiang Nannan chimed in as she laughed.
“Yes, definitely!”
Huo Yuhao left Star Luo City once more as he said goodbye to his companions. Huo Yuhao didn’t leave right away as he rose into the sky and he turned around and gazed in the Sun Moon Empire’s direction.
They should be on their way back. Yunhan, little Yunhan. A thread of lamentation flowed through his heart. Ju Zi, oh Ju Zi. I don’t know how to face you anymore. Perhaps fate and destiny have played us after all. You’re right, I am not worthy of being Yunhan’s father. He belongs to you. He’s your son.
Huo Yuhao shook his head forcefully as he tossed away all the distracting thoughts at the back of his mind as he soared into the sky and raced towards the Great Star Dou Forest.
……
The rubble that was the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion outside Star Luo City was cleared, and a ceremonial altar was erected.
Xu Jiawei announced to the world that he would abdicate his throne to the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao. Xu Jiawei was appointed as a Crown Duke, and he began building his own residence where the White Tiger Duke’s Manion used to be after the ceremony.
Dai Hao took over as Emperor, and he made Dai Luoli crown prince as Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin also became princes. He made his beloved wife, Huo Yun, who had passed away, Empress, while he appointed the Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao, as the Imperial Tutor.
Shrek City removed their lockdown, and Shrek Academy started enrolling students once more. The Tang Sect expanded their Soul Tool Hall’s research structure, while He Caitou took over as the Soul Tool Hall’s master. Xuan Ziwen entered Shrek Academy and became the Soul Tool Department’s Dean, while Ma Xiaotao took over as the Martial Soul Department’s Dean.
Elder Xuan passed his position as Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion to Yan Shaozhe, and he went back to his wonderful days of enjoying beautiful wine and delicious chicken thighs.
The Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao, was named the Sea God Pavilion’s Honorary Master.
Three months later.
The Sun Moon Empire’s armies had completely retreated from the Star Luo Empire’s territory, and they returned the Ming Dou Mountain Range.
Six more months went by.
The War God Empress stood her ground against the opinion of the masses, as the Silvermoon Douluo Kong Deming and the military supported her while she announced that the Sun Moon Empire would be renamed as the Heaven Dou Empire.
The Douluo Continent regained the standoff between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire from ten thousand years ago in the North and the South from this moment onwards.
Peace returned to the continent, and the damage wrought by the war was slowly remedied as soul tool technology continued advancing rapidly.
……
Huo Yuhao covered hundreds of kilometers in the blink of an eye.
Only a few moments seemed to pass as the Great Star Dou Forest appeared within his sight.
Silver light flickered as Huo Yuhao broke through space and reappeared in midair. He was high above the Great Star Dou Forest’s skies at this moment.
The Great Star Dou Forest’s skies were known as a forbidden region, but not a single flying soul beast dared to come close when Huo Yuhao appeared.
The skies were clear, and the weather was excellent. Gentle sunlight shone upon the Great Star Dou Forest, and the vast forest radiated with thick life energy.