Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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Huo Yun'er was just an ordinary person without any Spirit Power.
And this Leng Yaozhu before her, who had taught a child like Huo Yuhao and was so young, beautiful, and possessed an ethereal aura, must be a Spirit Master of unfathomable strength.
In her excitement, Huo Yun'er couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness, her steps even lighter than usual, afraid that any misstep on her part would embarrass her son.
Huo Yuhao led Leng Yaozhu to sit at the dining table. Huo Yun'er hurriedly turned to the kitchen to fetch another set of bowl and chopsticks. She wiped the bamboo chopsticks spotlessly clean and carefully placed them before Leng Yaozhu.
Noticing these subtle actions, Leng Yaozhu smiled and said, "No need to fuss, please sit down too."
That smile was completely different from the cold, decisive severity she usually displayed within the Spirit Pagoda. It was warm and gentle, like an elder sister from next door greeting her own younger sister.
Huo Yun'er nodded and sat down beside Huo Yuhao.
She glanced at the dishes on the table, and a hint of embarrassment surfaced on her face. She said somewhat awkwardly, "I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't prepare anything fancy. I hope these dishes are to your liking..."
Sitting there, Leng Yaozhu carried none of the lofty, imposing aura she had as the Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda.
She leaned back slightly, her posture relaxed and natural, emanating a sense of calm that put people at ease.
Looking at Huo Yun'er, she said, "There's no need to be so formal. Yuhao is like my own child. I'm probably a bit older than you. If you don't mind, you can just call me Sister Leng."
Sitting to the side, Huo Yuhao stole a discreet glance at his teacher and his mother. He thought to himself that Aunt Leng looked to be in her thirties, but in terms of actual age, she was quite a bit older than his mother.
Hearing this, Huo Yun'er indeed relaxed considerably.
She smiled and said, "Then I'll call you Sister Leng. This child Yuhao must have caused you a lot of trouble over the years."
Upon hearing this, Leng Yaozhu turned her gaze to Huo Yuhao. Her phoenix eyes openly revealed a look of satisfaction and pride. "Yuhao is very intelligent and has remarkable talent. Being able to teach such a Student is also my good fortune."
Huo Yuhao sat to the side, his gaze shifting back and forth between his mother and Aunt Leng.
The two of them chatted, one sentence after another, moving from amusing stories of Huo Yuhao's childhood to tidbits about his Cultivation, then from Cultivation to their daily lives. It was as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for years, their conversation growing denser and more animated.
Huo Yuhao opened his mouth several times, trying to interject, but was smoothly brushed aside by their natural, flowing dialogue. His chopsticks, raised mid-air, were silently lowered again.
After quite a while, he finally seized the moment when they both paused for breath. Quickly setting his chopsticks down on the table, he spoke up, "Mom, Aunt Leng, let's eat first. The food is getting cold."
Only then did Huo Yun'er snap out of it, a trace of embarrassment appearing on her face. "We got so carried away talking we forgot the main event. Sister Leng, let's eat, let's eat."
Leng Yaozhu smiled, picked up her bowl and chopsticks, and selected a piece of green vegetable from the plate of stir-fried seasonal greens in front of her, placing it in her mouth.
She chewed a couple of times, her eyes suddenly lighting up. She looked at Huo Yun'er with full admiration. "It's delicious. Yuhao always said your cooking was excellent. Today, I finally get to experience it."
Praise made Huo Yun'er's eyes crinkle into crescents. Smiling happily, she added another piece of braised pork to Leng Yaozhu's bowl. "If it's good, then eat more. There's plenty in the pot."
Watching his mother and Aunt Leng getting along so harmoniously, the corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth couldn't help but lift slightly. He buried his face in his bowl and quietly took a big mouthful of rice.
Outside the window, the sky had darkened. The moonlight from Ten Thousand Years ago gently spilled onto the bluestone ground in the courtyard.
Inside, the lamplight was warm and yellow, the aroma of food wafted in the air. The three of them sat around a small square table, almost like a family.
...
Leng Yaozhu stayed at Huo Yuhao's home. Although the small house wasn't particularly spacious, Huo Yun'er kept it spotlessly clean, every detail radiating the warmth of a home.
The next day, Huo Yuhao took Leng Yaozhu to stroll around this Shrek City from Ten Thousand Years ago.
Without the towering skyscrapers of Ten Thousand Years later, without the crisscrossing spirit guidance tracks, this city, not yet fully permeated by spirit guidance technology, still retained a A simple and dignified charm.
Leng Yaozhu's gaze slowly swept over the old buildings that would no longer exist Ten Thousand Years later. Occasionally, when something resonated with her, she would give a slight nod, as if measuring out a period of time that existed only in history books with her footsteps.
The third day, however, was a special one because Shrek Academy was starting its new term.
Early in the morning, after breakfast, Huo Yuhao headed out.
As usual, Huo Yun'er saw him off at the door, still holding the edge of her apron, reminding him to be careful on the way. She looked at the tall figure beside her son and smiled, nodding towards Leng Yaozhu.
Last night, Huo Yuhao had invited Leng Yaozhu to visit Shrek Academy, and she had readily agreed.
Walking on the streets of Shrek City, Huo Yuhao quickly noticed that there were many more glances directed their way than usual.
Those gazes were fervent and direct. Almost everyone's line of sight involuntarily paused as they passed by, then uniformly stuck to the tall figure beside him.
Huo Yuhao understood in his heart; these looks certainly weren't for him.
It was simply that Leng Yaozhu's A cold and aloof expression and a noble demeanor were too striking. Walking among the crowd, she stood out like a crane among chickens; keeping a low profile was impossible.
Even Ten Thousand Years later, Leng Yaozhu naturally drew everyone's attention wherever she went.
But the titles of Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda and Limit Douluo made those gazes carry reverence and awe.
Yet here, in this World Ten Thousand Years ago, no one knew who she was. So those looks came without restraint, openly and blatantly.
Naturally, Leng Yaozhu paid no mind to these. Having lived for over a century, what kind of looks hadn't she seen? She simply walked beside Huo Yuhao with her usual composure.
Leng Yaozhu withdrew her gaze from the street scenery and glanced sideways at Huo Yuhao.
Suddenly, she asked, "Are you planning to announce your departure from Shrek today?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. This decision had been brewing in his mind for a long time. "I'm originally a sixth-year Student in the Outer Court. According to Shrek's rules, if I don't wish to enter the Inner Court, it's normal for me to graduate now."
"This Shrek Academy here has treated me quite well. Over the years, they haven't forced me to do anything." He paused, his gaze drifting slightly into the distance, towards the faint outline of the academy at the end of the street. "But my path... ultimately isn't here."
Leng Yaozhu knew his plans. She pondered for a moment, then said, "Afterwards, I'll go with you to Star Luo."
"Only by letting the Star Luo Imperial Family truly witness that a Limit Douluo stands behind you will they sincerely cooperate with you."
Huo Yuhao's steps faltered slightly. He turned to look at Leng Yaozhu, a genuine warmth flashing in his eyes. "Thank you, Aunt Leng."
Leng Yaozhu shot him a glance, the corner of her mouth lifting into a very faint arc. "What's there to be polite about between us? I also hope your Spirit Pagoda can be built sooner."
"I imagine that the Ten Thousand Years later in this place should be quite different from the Ten Thousand Years later in my World."
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.