Reborn as Huo Yuhao, but also in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 46 Departure

the next day.

The morning sun in Stone Desert City, with its characteristic desert heat, relentlessly scorched the mercenaries' faces. Even though their sleep had been disturbed by a series of noises the night before, the mercenaries were still awakened by the sunlight.

Huo Yuhao's guest room was once again overflowing with various scrolls. But he had no time to deal with them, as all his attention was focused on his fingertips, engraving a mysterious spiritual rune on a palm-sized piece of metal.

hum!

As the final strike landed, a bluish-white halo flashed across the spirit rune.

Huo Yuhao picked up the metal, his fingertips releasing a slight burst of battle qi. A clear suction force emanated from the center of the spirit pattern, drawing wisps of ice-attribute energy from the surrounding area to its surface. A satisfied smile finally appeared on his lips.

Putting away the effort he had spent half the night on, Huo Yuhao rubbed his dry eyes and then noticed that the room had become a garbage dump again.

Shaking his head helplessly, he quickly put the scattered scrolls back into his storage ring and then removed the mental barrier that blocked the sound.

In an instant, the voices outside the door poured in like a flood, with shouts, exclamations, and cheers filling the air.

Upon opening the door, one could see that most of the mercenaries from the Mo Tie Mercenary Group were gathered in the center of the training ground, completely blocking the way.

Instead of squeezing in to watch the spectacle, Huo Yuhao scanned the area with his spiritual power and discovered that Xiao Yan was refining medicine in public. He then stopped paying attention and turned to head directly to the reception room.

The atmosphere inside the reception room was eerie.

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged glances, both seeing the undisguised absurdity in each other's eyes. Xiao Ding composed himself, his voice strained as he managed to ask, "Commander Luo Bu, you... do you really intend to merge the entire Sand Mercenary Group into our Desert Iron Mercenary Group?"

"That's right!" Rob said with a smile, addressing Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, "Yesterday, your unwavering attitude impressed me greatly. After returning home, I thought about it for a long time before finally making this decision!"

Seeing the two still looking on incredulously, Rob rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Seeing you two again today gives me a different feeling. You two young men are truly handsome, elegant, and outstanding—dragons among men! I would like to become sworn brothers with you!"

Dignified appearance? Charming demeanor? Xiao Ding and Xiao Li subconsciously looked at each other again, looking at each other's messy, unkempt hair and somewhat lifeless eyes due to lack of sleep—did this image have anything to do with those words?

"Ahem!" Xiao Ding coughed twice, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, and said to Luo Bu in a serious tone, "I'm sorry, this merger is no small matter. We cannot make a decision on our own. Please ask Captain Luo Bu to go back first. We will discuss it with the officers of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group and then give you an answer."

"I genuinely want to become sworn brothers with you two. Would you like to reconsider?"

The two men felt a chill run down their spines and their stomachs churned as they looked at Rob's face, which was grinning like a chrysanthemum.

"Please leave first!"

After seeing Rob off, Xiao Li couldn't contain himself and immediately said to Xiao Ding, "Brother, did the snake people eat Rob's brain? Or is he actually..." Xiao Li didn't finish his sentence. Thinking of that possibility, he shivered and quietly clenched his buttocks.

"I have no idea what he's up to." Xiao Ding's expression was serious, his brain working at full speed, trying to figure out Luo Bu's methods.

"Big brother, second brother!" At this moment, Huo Yuhao walked in and said to the two of them, "Don't worry about him having any schemes."

"Um?"

"Xiao Yan and I went to give him a little talking-to last night."

"This... Rob is a Grand Dou Master!" Xiao Ding and Xiao Li looked astonished.

"Just a Grand Dou Master," Huo Yuhao smiled.

After confirming that Huo Yuhao wasn't joking, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li showed expressions of relief, saying with emotion, "You guys have really...grown up! In just a few years, you've already surpassed our eldest and second eldest brothers."

"Big brother, second brother, we're going back today," Huo Yuhao said, revealing his intentions.

"Won't you stay a little longer?"

"Canaan Academy's enrollment is imminent; if we wait any longer, it may be too late."

Although reluctant, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li did not stop them. They said to Huo Yuhao, "Alright, be careful on the road, and remember to give our regards to our father."

……

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"Brother Xiao Yan, one more!"

"Xiao Yan, what are you doing? Performing opera?"

At the training ground, as some mercenaries left after accepting their missions, Xiao Yan, who had been surrounded by a dense crowd, finally revealed himself. Little Fairy Doctor, rubbing her sleepy eyes, stepped out of her room and saw Xiao Yan standing among the mercenaries, spitting as he spoke and gesticulating wildly.

"Impressive, right? I've successfully refined a second-grade pill!" Xiao Yan held up a second-grade Blood Coagulation Pill, beaming with pride, eager to let everyone know.

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor instantly sobered up, her mouth slightly open, then her face full of indignation: "You lazy bum, how come you're faster than me!"

"There's nothing we can do about it, it's talent!"

"Xiao Yan, Xian'er, it's time to go!" Huo Yuhao called to Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor as they came out of the reception room, "Pack your things, we'll leave immediately."

"You're leaving already? Have a safe trip." Hai Bodong leaned against the door frame, holding a scroll in his hand, and said goodbye to Huo Yuhao and the other two.

"Senior Hai Bodong, there's something I've been wanting to ask you these past few days." Xiao Yan grinned mischievously, looking at the little ice dragon clinging tightly to Hai Bodong's clothes, perched on his shoulder. "Senior, haven't you taken a bath or changed your clothes these past few days?"

"Get out of here!"

Watching the three leave, Hai Bodong stroked the scroll in his hand, thinking to himself: "Young Huo is quite generous. These 'Ice Extreme Unparalleled' and 'Ice Explosion Technique' must be his trump cards."

Just as a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he was about to return to his room to continue studying the two scrolls of fighting techniques, Hai Bodong suddenly remembered something. The veins on his right hand bulged, and he nearly crushed the scrolls.

"Wait a minute, these brats didn't say when they'd help me refine the medicine! Are they going to make me stay in this godforsaken place for years?"

On the other side, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were huddled around the table, their heads almost touching, studying a small metal block engraved with strange patterns. Beside them lay several bottles of pills.

"Big brother, what's this?"

"Xiao Yuhao said this is the core of the formation. If we encounter an enemy we can't defeat, we can hide in the mercenary group's base, inject our battle qi into it to activate it, and then we can keep the enemy out."

……

Leaving Stone Desert City, Huo Yuhao remembered the pills Xiao Yan had secretly given to Xiao Ding and casually asked, "Xiao Yan, what kind of pills did you give to Big Brother and the others?"

"Guess what? It enhances talent."

"Could it be... the Mystic Water Pill?"

"That's right! I specifically asked Master to refine it." Xiao Yan revealed a sinister smile: "I told Big Brother that Yuhao, you refined this."

"Heh." Huo Yuhao's lips curled into a smile that seemed to look at him like he was an idiot: "Do you think your older brother's brain is full of sand like yours?"

"Tch, let me tell you, I'm a second-grade alchemist now!"

"Great!" Huo Yuhao clapped his hands symbolically twice: "This powerful eight-star Dou Zhe, now let us see the difference in strength between you and a nine-star Dou Shi."

"What the heck? A nine-star Dou Shi?"

"By the way, Xian'er is now a two-star Dou Shi!"

"Depend on!"