After some contemplation, Huo Yuhao decisively ruled out options one and three. He neither wanted to return to the mansion to endure in silence nor was he willing to grovel before the Duchess.
Moreover, the rewards for options one and three were rather lackluster. The "Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River" artifact from option one was practically useless, at best a consolation prize.
As for option three... the "Two-Finger Suction Palm" in the "Happy Rich Lady" version? What on earth could he do with that?
However, Huo Yuhao gave serious thought to the second option: the task of "Finding the Missing Father."
"At the end of 'Douluo Dalu II,' the White Tiger Duke seemed to be deeply longing for Huo Yun'er..."
Go to the army to find the White Tiger Duke?
Don't be ridiculous. Dai Hao didn't possess Tang San's God King Skill of "Resurrect, My Love."
What, bring Dai Hao back, watch him weep in front of a tombstone, moved to the core, and then choose to forgive him?
Obviously not.
In the original story, Huo Yuhao was later tamed to the point of losing himself completely, but he wouldn't let that happen. He only wanted the White Tiger Duke and his mother to reunite. After all, he was a kind-hearted person who couldn't bear to see lovers separated by life and death.
In the end, Huo Yuhao chose option four, where the reward would be determined by the level of opportunity.
Those who often transmigrate into Huo Yuhao's body know that this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest would grant him two cheats: the Tianmeng Iceworm and Electrolux.
"The opportunities from Old Yi and Tianmeng are no small matter. Given the reward mechanism of this option, I'm bound to get something good."
After making his choice, Huo Yuhao also learned that this task had a time limit: seven days. The task would automatically conclude after seven days, and the reward would be based on the opportunities encountered during that period.
...
On a small path in the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Eight Extremities Explosion!"
Huo Yuhao's fists flew out one after another, each strike building upon the last, the force of his blows creating loud, explosive sounds.
It had taken him six days to reach the Star Dou Great Forest. During this time, Huo Yuhao had been practicing the Eight Extremities Explosion while traveling, sparring with trees and boulders along the way to toughen up his arms. He had managed to grasp the basics.
The fundamental information and theoretical framework of the Eight Extremities Explosion were already firmly ingrained in his mind.
When cultivating and executing Battle Skills, there were specific meridians and pathways within the body that needed to be activated.
What Huo Yuhao needed to do was master these pathways and replace the Battle Aura-driven meridians with Soul Power.
This would result in the "Eight Extremities Explosion - Soul Power Edition," though naturally, it would be less powerful than the Battle Aura version, as there was an inherent difference between "Soul Power" and "Battle Aura."
As for where Soul Power stood in the tier system...
According to analyses from his past life, it was highly likely that the lower the limit, the lower the tier of Soul Power.
After practicing the Eight Extremities Explosion for a while, Huo Yuhao continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest. Soon, he heard the sound of flowing water and, just like in the original story, found a small stream.
Gazing at the green fish in the clear stream, Huo Yuhao fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
"At this point in time, once I've finished grilling the fish, that Tang Sect couple—Tang Ya and Bei Bei—who've been hiding in the grass, will probably show up right on cue to mooch some grilled fish."
At that moment, three options appeared before Huo Yuhao's eyes.
[Option One: Normally catch and grill fish, then generously offer the grilled fish to Tang Ya and Bei Bei when they arrive. Reward: A small amount of Battle Qi (approximately equivalent to three segments).]
[Option Two: Take the initiative, scout the area in advance, and locate Tang Ya and Bei Bei. Reward: Battle Skill - Exploding Step (Mid-level Earth Tier).]
[Option Three: Skip grilling fish and quickly move away from the stream. Reward: Battle Skill - Breath of Fire Palm (Low-level Earth Tier).]
Huo Yuhao immediately ruled out Option One. Not only was it uncertain whether he could absorb and fuse the Battle Qi, but the amount of "three segments of Battle Qi" wasn't substantial enough to use the Eight Extremities Explosion multiple times.
Between Options Two and Three, Huo Yuhao compared the rewards and chose Option Two.
After all, scouting ahead was a good habit.
Thus, Huo Yuhao walked upstream along the stream. With his Spirit Eye Soul, his vision far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Before long, he spotted a young man and woman walking along the stream.
The young man had short, deep blue hair and a gentle smile on his face, giving off a scholarly vibe. The girl had her long hair tied into a ponytail that hung down her back, with large, lively phoenix eyes. Her light blue outfit accentuated her youthful, blossoming figure.
They were none other than Tang Ya and Bei Bei, who had been playing the master-disciple game since their introduction.
Huo Yuhao successfully located Tang Ya and Bei Bei upon meeting them.
[Option task completed. Reward: Battle Skill - Exploding Step (Mid-level Earth Tier).]
Not bad. With both attack and movement skills now in his arsenal, Huo Yuhao's support abilities would be fully enhanced once his Spirit Eye Soul fused with Tianmeng and he gained Soul Skills.
"Little brother, what are you looking for in the stream?"
Tang Ya, seeing the bespectacled, handsome blue-haired boy walking along the stream and occasionally glancing into the water, thought he had lost something and wanted to help him.
Huo Yuhao flashed a neighborly little brother smile again: "I'm looking for a good spot to fish for some beautiful fish."
"Beautiful fish?" Tang Ya looked at the stream and pointed at a few. "These ones are quite beautiful, with their colorful patterns. Little brother, are you planning to take them home to raise?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head: "No, I'm going to grill and eat them."
"Oh... huh?"
Tang Ya was about to nod when she suddenly realized what he said, her eyes widening in surprise: "G-grill and eat them?"
"Otherwise, why would I fish for them?"
Tang Ya blinked her big eyes, still not quite understanding: "Then why specifically look for beautiful fish?"
"I know a bit about these fish. The brighter the scales, the more delicious the meat. Whether grilled, fried, steamed, or pan-fried, they're all top-tier delicacies."
Tang Ya: "..."
Two black lines appeared on her forehead. So, you're picking beautiful fish for that reason? I thought you wanted to raise them and was helping you pick the prettiest ones.
By now, Huo Yuhao was ready to act. He pulled out a sheathed short dagger from his waist, its blade exuding a chilling aura.
It was none other than his treasured White Tiger Dagger.
He broke off a few branches from a nearby tree, swiftly sharpened their tips, and approached the stream, activating his Spirit Eye Soul.
Under the gaze of the Spirit Eye, the ripples in the water gradually slowed, and the details within the water became magnified, revealing every minute detail.
"Did you notice? Those fish are at risk of drowning at any moment. Let me use this tree branch to fish them out... I mean, save them."
Tang Ya fell into a brief contemplation upon hearing this.
Huo Yuhao seized the perfect moment, his hand moving like lightning as the sharp tree branch swiftly plunged into the stream.
Bei Bei asked gently, "Teacher Xiao Ya, would you like to have some grilled fish?"
Tang Ya snorted lightly, placing one hand on her hip and pointing at the stream with the other, declaring firmly, "Even if I were to jump into this stream and starve to death in the Star Dou Forest, I would never take a single bite of grilled fish."
"Oh?" Huo Yuhao was surprised, not expecting such conviction from Tang Ya.
Who will revive the Tang Sect if you die? Who will bring in fresh blood for the Tang Sect? The future Holy Spirit Sect would surely lose a prodigious saintess.
Huo Yuhao didn't say much more and continued to focus on catching fish.
In no time, he had caught five fish, scaled and gutted them, and set up a small campfire.
The Grilled Fish Hero officially went online, with a hidden talent for making everything he grilled smell delicious.
The crackling sound of the burning campfire filled the air, and the enticing aroma of the grilled fish soon wafted around.
Tang Ya watched as H
uo Yuhao used a dagger to scale and gut the fish, then grill them. Her eyes were fixed on the golden, crispy fish, and she couldn't help but drool:
"So... so tempting, no no, so cruel."
(End of Chapter)