Looking at the shocked Huo Yuhao, Dai Tianling smiled and said: "It should be true. This notebook is a secret manuscript passed down through the generations of the White Tiger Clan, circulated only among the emperors of each generation. Outsiders have no idea of its existence."
"There is no point in making up lies in something like this, after all, it is something left for one's own Clan to read."
Huo Yuhao, however, thought to himself with disapproval: "That is not necessarily true."
The earlier content regarding the father-son relationship was clearly Duke White Tiger Dai Hao trying to whitewash himself.
But having said that, on the matter of Xu Yunhan being the offspring of Spirit Ice Douluo, Duke White Tiger Dai Hao really had no need to lie.
Huo Yuhao frowned inwardly. On this timeline, did he really have such deep involvement with that legendary Empress War God of the Sun Moon Empire, Ju Zi? So deep that they even had a child!
According to historical records, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao should have met Ju Zi when he went to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy as an exchange student.
But now, Ten Thousand Years ago, although he would not go to the Sun Moon Empire as an exchange student like in the original historical trajectory.
But soon, for the sake of the Spirit Pagoda's layout in the Sun Moon Empire, he would also personally make a trip to Radiant City.
Previously, he did not have much interest in this Empress War God, but now after reading this notebook, he actually wanted to see this woman named Ju Zi with his own eyes.
Huo Yuhao suppressed this subtle emotion for the time being and refocused his gaze on the diary in his hand.
The content that followed was mostly daily records. However, when he flipped to the last page, Huo Yuhao's gaze suddenly tightened once again.
He almost subconsciously held his breath, brought that page closer, and read it over several times. Only after confirming that he hadn't misread a single word did he suddenly look up.
He looked at Dai Tianling and asked: "Spirit Ice Douluo's... father, he also ascended to the Divine Realm?!"
The reason Huo Yuhao asked this was because on the last page of this yellowed notebook, a passage was clearly written.
It recorded that Spirit Ice Douluo, having already ascended to the Divine Realm, quietly returned to the Douluo Continent after becoming a god and brought Duke White Tiger Dai Hao, who had already ascended to the throne as the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire at that time, up to the Divine Realm.
Before leaving, Duke White Tiger Dai Hao weighed his options and eventually passed the throne to his youngest son, Dai Luoli.
Hearing Huo Yuhao's question, a look of undisguisable pride involuntarily appeared on Dai Tianling's face.
He straightened his back and said matter-of-factly: "According to the records in this ancestor's manuscript, that is indeed the case."
"After all, Ancestor Duke White Tiger Dai Hao was Spirit Ice Douluo's biological father. It is only normal for him to be brought up to the Divine Realm by his son who had become a god to share eternal life."
Huo Yuhao's face showed no emotional fluctuation, but in his heart, he couldn't help but roar: "Normal my foot!"
He knew himself too well. Even if he had been deceived by Duke White Tiger Dai Hao's sweet talk on this timeline, his mother's death was an absolute knot in his heart that could never be untied.
Even if he hadn't had a confrontation with Duke White Tiger Dai Hao, he would never have brought him up to the Divine Realm.
Therefore, something must have happened during this period that he was completely unaware of at the moment!
Huo Yuhao let out a long, heavy breath, forcibly suppressing the complex emotions surging in his heart, and then gently closed the yellowed notebook and placed it on the coffee table in front of him.
He stood up and bowed slightly to Dai Tianling: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for letting me see these secret records. This trip to the imperial palace today has been very beneficial."
Dai Tianling also stood up, looked at Huo Yuhao, waved his hand, and said: "Don't be so polite. I said just now that we are not outsiders."
Huo Yuhao's mind was now full of questions about "what exactly happened to that version of himself in history," and he really had no extra energy to chat with Dai Tianling about trivial matters.
Afterwards, he bowed again and said: "Thank you again for Your Majesty's generous hospitality. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Dai Tianling had seen countless people and could naturally tell that Huo Yuhao really wanted to leave, so he did not try to persuade him to stay further.
He escorted Huo Yuhao to the door of the study and specifically instructed Fourth Prince Dai Yueyan: "Fourth Prince Dai Yueyan, you personally escort Yuhao back to the Star Luo Hotel."
Fourth Prince Dai Yueyan nodded and replied: "Yes, Father."
...
The soul tool automobile drove steadily out of the Star Luo Imperial Palace and merged into the wide, clean main road of Star Luo City.
Fourth Prince Dai Yueyan sat in the passenger seat and glanced through the rearview mirror at the silent youth in the back row.
Since getting in the car, Huo Yuhao had been leaning against the back of the seat, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze deep, the whole person immersed in some complex thoughts.
Although Fourth Prince Dai Yueyan was a bit curious about what Huo Yuhao was thinking, he did not speak to disturb him. Throughout the journey, the carriage remained quiet, with only the faint hum of the soul tool engine.
The distance from the Star Luo Imperial Palace to the Star Luo Hotel was not far. Ten minutes later, the soul tool automobile stopped in front of the hotel's huge revolving door.
After politely saying goodbye to Fourth Prince Dai Yueyan, Huo Yuhao got out of the car and stepped onto the hotel's red carpet.
He was not someone who liked to get stuck in a rut; if he couldn't figure something out, he simply stopped thinking about it.
Now, the historical trajectory of Ten Thousand Years ago had undergone huge changes because of him, and the fate of that Huo Yuhao on the other timeline might not necessarily have any guiding significance for him.
Taking the elevator all the way up, just as the elevator door opened, he ran into a middle-aged man standing at the elevator entrance.
This man was wearing a stiff suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and had an elegant and steady temperament.
He clearly didn't expect to run into Huo Yuhao here either. He was slightly stunned, then nodded to him as a greeting, and then stepped into the elevator.
Huo Yuhao knew this person; he was also a member of the Federal Inspection Team, and his status was quite high—he was the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sima Lanxiao. But he remembered that the other party did not live in the Star Luo Hotel.
Huo Yuhao turned right along the corridor, walked to the door of the presidential suite at the end of the corridor, and pushed open the door.
The living room was spacious and bright. Han Tianyi and Gu Yue were sitting on the sofa at this moment.
Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over the sofa to the side of the two, which still had clear sitting marks on it. On the coffee table next to it was a teacup still steaming with faint heat; clearly, someone had been sitting there just now.
A flash of light shone in his eyes. He looked at Han Tianyi and asked: "Sima Lanxiao was here just now?"
Han Tianyi nodded and said directly: "He said that the Star Luo Empire is holding a youth Spirit Master competition. The standard is not low, and the younger generation of the Star Luo Continent is participating. He came over to invite you and Gu Yue to participate."
"Youth Spirit Master competition?" Huo Yuhao walked to the sofa and sat down. "I have no interest in participating in such a competition."
With his current strength, let alone his peers, even Geniuses who were ten or twenty years older than him would definitely not be his opponents.
Participating in this competition was no different from bullying weaklings to him; it had no meaning at all.
Han Tianyi seemed to have expected him to say this long ago and slowly added another sentence: "Really not participating? I heard that the final prize for this competition is a Spirit Bone."
"The Star Luo Empire is quite generous, even willing to take out a Spirit Bone as a prize."
Huo Yuhao didn't even lift his eyelids and still shook his head without hesitation: "It's probably not a Spirit Bone with a particularly high age, it doesn't have any substantive use for me."
Han Tianyi finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "I knew you would say that. Don't worry, when Sima Lanxiao came over just now, I already declined on your behalf."
Huo Yuhao smiled upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to Gu Yue, who was sitting on the opposite sofa, unusually quiet, and asked: "What about you? Are you not planning to participate either?"
Gu Yue shook her head gently: "I don't have time to participate. Actually, there is something I want to tell you; in a few days, I might have to leave for a while."
"Leave for a while?"
Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned, his brows furrowed unconsciously, and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.
Gu Yue nodded and explained: "Yes, someone from the Clan has also come to the Star Luo Continent. There are some things I need to handle. It won't be too long, I'll come back once I'm done."
Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue both harbored their own heaven-shaking secrets; they both knew this clearly.
And after that previous "confession," they had formed a tacit way of getting along, which was not to probe into each other's secrets until the other party spoke up voluntarily.
So, although Gu Yue did not explain clearly, Huo Yuhao did not ask a single word.
He just reached out, held the slightly cool little hand that Gu Yue had placed on the sofa armrest, and said: "Okay, if you need anything, call me anytime."
Gu Yue's hand also tightened slightly, and she looked at Huo Yuhao, smiling and nodding.
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A/N:
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.