Douluo Continent, I, Huo Yuhao, defy fate with my spiritual eyes.

Elder Xuan took the grilled fish and began to eat it slowly.

Huo Yuhao didn't rush to persuade him, but instead grilled one fish after another, ensuring that Elder Xuan's mouth would never stop.

One, two... After finishing all the grilled fish, Elder Xuan couldn't resist any longer.

"Yuhao, I know you want to comfort me, but...sigh, I can't let go."

As soon as Master Xuan uttered those words, it was like a balloon that had been holding its breath for a moment finding a way out, and it began to recount Master Xuan's past.

Elder Xuan once led the inner court disciples to hunt for soul rings in the Star Dou Great Forest, but got separated from the students along the way.

The disciples mistakenly entered the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest and encountered a 100,000-year-old soul beast. They fought to the death, and in the end, eight core disciples perished.

From then on, Elder Xuan began to give up on himself, abandoning the opportunity to take over as Dean of the Martial Soul Academy and Master of the Sea God Pavilion. It was Mu En who couldn't bear to see him fall into depravity and forced him to become the deputy head of the inspection team.

Listening quietly, Huo Yuhao took out a jar of fine wine from his storage space and handed it over.

Taking the wine jar, Elder Xuan broke the seal and began to drink it in large gulps.

As the wine entered his throat, Elder Xuan did not use his soul power to neutralize it. The intoxication gradually spread to his heart, and his aged face became flushed.

Looking at the wine jar in his hand, Elder Xuan praised it.

"This liquor is damn strong!"

Huo Yuhao also picked up a jar and drank it with Elder Xuan.

The spicy liquor went down his throat, and Huo Yuhao coughed violently. Elder Xuan shook his head helplessly and tried to stop him.

"If you can't drink it, then don't drink it."

Huo Yuhao felt the atmosphere was right before he spoke for the first time.

It wasn't a gesture of comfort, but rather gratitude.

"Elder Xuan, thank you for protecting me all the way. If it weren't for you, I would definitely have perished in the Duke's mansion."

Elder Xuan's eyes dimmed, and he sighed.

"Why thank me? I couldn't even protect you, so it's only right that I accompany you on this journey."

Huo Yuhao shook his head with a smile, a flush rising on his cheeks, and spoke in a drunken slur.

"It's different. My coming here is my personal matter. Elder Xuan, you have no obligation to help me. I'm very grateful that you're willing to come... hiccup!"

Huo Yuhao hiccuped and looked at the wine jar with a puzzled expression.

"Is this liquor that strong?"

Shaking his head, Huo Yuhao continued.

"As you've seen, the Duke's mansion has quite a few Soul Saints and Soul Douluos, and they might even be facing Dai Hao, a Title Douluo. Why would anyone else be willing to get involved in this mess?"

Elder Xuan stared blankly at the campfire, nodding unconsciously as Huo Yuhao spoke.

"This bite is a tribute to your generosity!"

He picked up the wine jar, clinked it against Elder Xuan's, and gulped down the wine.

The smell of alcohol was stronger, and Huo Yuhao's eyes were a little blurry.

"This bite is a tribute to your protection."

guard……

Elder Xuan felt a pang of pain in his heart, thinking that Huo Yuhao had come to reopen his wounds.

Huo Yuhao explained calmly.

"No fledgling eagle can grow up without experiencing wind and rain. What in the world is without unexpected events?"

He lay on the grass and shouted to the sky.

"If I die on the path I've chosen, I will have no regrets, even if I die a hundred times! I will not blame others for failing to protect me; I will only regret that I could only go this far!"

Elder Xuan was moved.

"I believe the upperclassmen think the same way; Shrek students can't grow soft flesh and bones!"

Huo Yuhao laughed drunkenly as he looked at Elder Xuan.

Elder Xuan remained silent, and began to drink from the wine jar with a complicated expression.

"Shrek's inner court disciples are all sent out to hunt down evil spirit masters in order to protect the continent and realize their own value. Their senior brothers and sisters wouldn't want their teachers to be trapped in that forest because of them, forgetting the chivalrous spirit they were taught!"

Huo Yuhao then delivered the finishing blow.

"call……"

I exhaled a breath of stale air, which turned into mist and drifted away in the cold night. I don't know when it started raining.

Elder Xuan looked up at the sky, his eyes reddening slightly.

In the gloomy and eerie forest, a light rain fell, landing on Elder Xuan's face, the droplets accumulating before sliding down.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

A loud snoring sound rang out, and when Elder Xuan looked over, he saw that Huo Yuhao had already passed out drunk.

Elder Xuan looked at the child who was comforting him with gentle eyes, set up the tent, and put Huo Yuhao inside.

The next day, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. The grass and trees were covered with dew from the previous night, and the chirping of insects was crisp and melodious. The world felt refreshed after being cleansed.

"Ouch... my head hurts so much!"

Huo Yuhao got up, a tearing hangover pain flashing through his body like lightning, and he clutched his head and wailed.

Elder Xuan, who had been gazing at the night sky and pondering all night, also heard it. He brushed the morning dew off his body, as if nothing had happened the night before.

"Now that you're awake, let's continue our journey."

He lifted the dazed Huo Yuhao up, stuffed a pill into his mouth, and then Xuan Lao flew up again.

Sure enough, as soon as the pill entered Huo Yuhao's mouth, his mind cleared up instantly.

In the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En lay on a rocking chair, while Elder Xuan, head bowed like a child who had made a mistake, recounted the events bit by bit.

Moon lowered his eyelids, as if he were still dreaming.

After Elder Xuan finished speaking, he looked at Mu En and found that Mu En had not said anything and was standing obediently to the side.

It wasn't until Huo Yuhao buried Huo Yun'er on Seagod Island and came to pay his respects to his teacher that he saw this scene and quickly came to Xuan Lao's rescue.

"Master, Elder Xuan helped me so much this time. If it weren't for Elder Xuan, I wouldn't have been able to return!"

Moon then raised his eyelids, smiled kindly, and waved to him.

"Yuhao is here. Come on, let me see if you've left any hidden dangers."

Huo Yuhao obediently went over, extended his right hand, and Mu En gently placed it on his hand, feeling it for a moment.

"Hmm, not bad. Your soul power has reached level 24, and your physical strength has reached the Soul Master level. Although your body has suffered some minor damage, it has not affected your essence."

Nodding in satisfaction, Mu En released Huo Yuhao, glanced at Elder Xuan, and snorted coldly.

"Hmph, have you been wasting all these years? You actually let a Soul Saint trick you? It's only because Yuhao pleaded for you. Go back and go into seclusion to reflect on your actions!"

Old Master Xuan chuckled ingratiatingly, knowing that the matter was now over.

Just as he was tiptoeing away, he heard Moon add another sentence.

"You are not allowed to drink alcohol during your seclusion. I will instruct my subordinates to forbid you from drinking any alcohol!"

Elder Xuan's steps suddenly became slow and heavy, as if he had lost hope in life, and his back looked lifeless.

However, he knew this was punishment and didn't argue.

Watching Elder Xuan's retreating figure, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but laugh.

"Elder Xuan is very sad."

Mu En nodded, looking at Elder Xuan's retreating figure with great satisfaction.

"Yuhao, you should know about what happened back then, right?"

Huo Yuhao nodded, and Mu En continued.

"After that year, Elder Xuan always felt guilty. He even wanted to go deep into the Star Dou Great Forest and risk his life to kill beasts to avenge them."

Moon sighed deeply, his voice filled with melancholy.

"Although I managed to persuade him as his senior apprentice, I know he has always kept this matter in mind, and it hasn't improved over the years."

Turning his head, Mu Enping's usually calm voice became somewhat agitated.

"You know, when I heard you were injured again in an accident when I came back this time, I was worried he wouldn't be able to accept it. But thankfully you actually comforted him!"

Huo Yuhao didn't take credit, but shook Mu En's withered hand and smiled slightly.

"Master Xuan is my benefactor; this is what I should do!"