Xu Luo sighed. "You don't understand. That poison... I used it, but for some reason, it didn't activate right after Xu Luo was poisoned. I even... I even began to suspect that the Old Ancestor's poison..."
"Silence!" Huo Fengyan roared, his voice so powerful it made the door rattle.
Bai Jie's voice came next. This time, she didn't argue with Huo Fengyan, instead saying softly, "Don't say such things. If word of this gets out, it will bring disaster!"
Huo Fengyan's eyes flickered. Through the door, he asked in an icy voice, "Tell me the truth. That poison... did you really use it?"
Xu Luo put on an aggrieved expression. "Of course I used it. But for some reason, he seemed completely unaffected..."
"It seems... that young man, Xu Luo, is without a doubt Beidou's Eighth Star. Only someone like that could shrug off such a potent poison!" Huo Fengyan sighed. For some reason, his eyes filled with regret.
Bai Jie, however, didn't care about any of that. "Regardless," she said, "the fact that my Feng'Er returned safely already proves how capable he is!"
Just then, someone came in to announce that the Old Ancestor wished to see Huo Feng.
Huo Fengyan and his wife immediately grew tense, wondering why the Old Ancestor wanted to see their son at a time like this.
"Why would the Old Ancestor summon Feng'Er?" Bai Jie asked Huo Fengyan, her face etched with anxiety.
"How would I know? Perhaps... it isn't necessarily a bad thing. He probably wants to ask him about matters concerning Beidou's Eighth Star," Huo Fengyan mused.
"Feng'Er, when you see the Old Ancestor, you must be completely honest. Don't you dare spout any nonsense. Otherwise, not even your father and I will be able to save you, do you understand?" Bai Jie said, looking nervous.
Xu Luo nodded. "I understand." 'Seeing how nervous Huo Fengyan and Bai Jie are,' he thought, 'this Old Ancestor must be the person with the most authority in the entire Huo Family. According to Huo Feng's memories, that's indeed the case. The Old Ancestor of his memories was a mysterious and dignified old man. No one in the entire Huo Family would dare act presumptuously in his presence.'
Xu Luo had disguised himself as Huo Feng, entered the lands of the Ancient Race, and come to the Huo Family for the express purpose of meeting this Old Ancestor. He wanted to find out what exactly these people of the Ancient Race were planning. Were they truly determined to capture him, Beidou's Eighth Star, no matter the cost?
Afterward, Xu Luo got dressed and walked out of the room. Seeing the middle-aged couple waiting outside, he nodded. "I'm off."
"Remember what your mother told you! Be polite when you see the Old Ancestor!" Bai Jie reminded him again.
Xu Luo nodded and followed the messenger away.
Huo Fengyan frowned slightly and looked at Bai Jie. "Don't you think our son seems... a little different since he returned?"
"Of course he's different! My son is exceptional. How could he possibly go out to gain experience and come back completely unchanged!" Bai Jie said coldly.
"That's not what I mean..." Huo Fengyan searched for the right words, then said, "I just have this feeling... that this kid isn't our son..."
"What do you mean by that? Have you been drinking?" Bai Jie immediately exploded, glaring at Huo Fengyan. "If he's not our son, whose son is he?"
Huo Fengyan immediately backed down, giving a wry smile. "You know that's not what I meant. Forget it. Just pretend I never said anything."
"Huo, I must have been blind to marry you! It's bad enough that you're a good-for-nothing, but now you want our son to be just like you? Let me tell you something, drop that phony act of kindness and integrity. Who on the Ancient Race Continent gives a damn about any of that?" Bai Jie said coldly before getting up to leave. She was still worried about her son and wanted to get the latest news as soon as possible.
Huo Fengyan watched his wife's retreating figure, let out a soft sigh, and frowned in thought. He then glanced at the stunning beauties in the garden, and a realization suddenly struck him. He slapped his forehead and muttered, "I've got it... Since coming back, the boy has suddenly seemed... less interested in women! I knew it... I knew he seemed off. Could it be... he's having some problems *down there*? No, no... that won't do at all. No matter what, he's my son. If his... *prowess* is compromised, who will carry on my family line?"
With that, Huo Fengyan also hurried out. He was going to find the Elder with the greatest medical expertise in the family to give his son a thorough examination later!
Xu Luo followed the messenger, making his way outward.
Along the way, Xu Luo pulled an Upper-grade Spirit Stone from his robes, slipped it into the messenger's pocket, and asked with a smile, "Brother, what's your name?"
"Whoa, Young Master Feng, don't scare me like that! This humble servant wouldn't dare be on brotherly terms with you. If Young Master Feng would do me the honor, you can just call me Little Three." The messenger, a sharp-looking man in his twenties, smoothly pocketed the Spirit Stone. His impression of the Huo Family's infamous, hedonistic young master instantly improved significantly.
'People always say Huo Feng is the most useless of the Huo Family's younger generation, that he knows nothing but how to chase women... Looking at him now, it seems the rumors aren't entirely true!'
"Little Three, I have to ask you something. The Old Ancestor is a major figure who almost never meets with the family's younger generation and rarely leaves his seclusion. Why would he suddenly want to see me? I'm feeling... a little out of my depth," Xu Luo said, feigning a look of fear.
"Haha, Young Master Feng, there's no need to worry. Normally, this Little Three wouldn't dare speak of such things, but as luck would have it, right before I came, I happened to overhear the Old Ancestor praising you to the Patriarch. He said that while so many great experts of the Divine Power Realm had fallen on the Central Plains Star Continent, you managed to return safely, which was no small feat!" Little Three said, looking somewhat smug. "I even saw the Patriarch nod and say... 'Though this boy is a bit too fond of play, his innate talent and spiritual sense are excellent!'"
Xu Luo nodded, now having a clearer picture of the situation. He took another Spirit Stone from his pocket, tossed it to Little Three, and chuckled. "Good. If anything else comes up in the future, be sure to let me know. I'll make it worth your while!"
"Young Master Feng, you're too generous!" Little Three's face lit up with pleasant surprise. He never expected Young Master Feng to be so approachable and so incredibly generousāhanding over two Upper-grade Spirit Stones just like that! Even as a personal attendant to the Patriarch, he wouldn't receive two such Upper-grade Spirit Stones in an entire month! A powerful feeling of loyalty washed over him, the kind that makes a man willing to die for someone who truly appreciates him. His impression of Young Master Feng was instantly upgraded from "good" to "excellent"!
"Rest assured, Young Master Feng. From now on, whenever there's any news concerning you, Little Three will deliver it to you at the first opportunity!"
"I'll be counting on you then!" Xu Luo said with a solemn expression, though he was laughing inwardly. 'It feels like my time in the Huo Family is off to a good start. At least... I'm not fighting this battle alone anymore. I've successfully planted my first informant.'
Although Little Three was just a minor figure, it was often such seemingly insignificant people who could influence the outcome of the entire game.
Soon, under Little Three's guidance, Xu Luo arrived before a complex of magnificent, ancient buildings.
Any one of these structures likely had thousands of years of history; the bricks and stones of their walls were covered in the traces of time.
The area was quiet and serene. Flowers and grasses thrived in the corners, instilling a sense of inner tranquility. Upon entering the complex, one was influenced by an invisible aura, becoming instinctively more cautious.
Once they arrived, Little Three stopped speaking. His expression grew much more solemn as he led Xu Luo to the entrance of a room and announced softly, "Patriarch, Huo Feng is here."
"Have him come straight in," a voice full of authority replied.
Xu Luo gently pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room's furnishings were surprisingly simple, a world of difference compared to Huo Feng's own chambers. Yet the space gave off an exceptionally natural feeling, as if this was how a room was meant to be. A strange Dao rhythm lingered in the air, bringing a sense of peace to the heart.
Two people were seated in the room. One was a man in his fifties with a dignified expression and an extraordinary air about himāthe Huo Family Patriarch. The other appeared ancient and decrepit, a venerable old man. This was the entire Huo Family's... living fossil, the Old Ancestor, Huo Tongtian!
He was also the only person in the Huo Family to have entered the Saint Realm.
This information came from Huo Feng's memories. Xu Luo kept his head down, his scalp tingling with apprehension. He felt that uncertainty creeping backācould his Transformation Skill truly deceive the Saint before him? But everything hinged on this moment. If he couldn't fully understand the intentions of the Ancient Race, he would never know a day of peace.
"This junior greets the Old Ancestor and the Patriarch!" Xu Luo gritted his teeth and knelt. Though his heart seethed with reluctance, he couldn't let even a trace of it show, nor did he dare to be the slightest bit careless.
"Rise. We summoned you to ask you some questions," the Huo Family Patriarch said.
The Old Ancestor at his side kept his eyes half-closed, seemingly meditating, and did not speak.
"Yes." Xu Luo rose and stood respectfully to the side.
"Did you have any success on your trip to the Central Plains Star Continent?" the Huo Family Patriarch asked nonchalantly.
Xu Luo lowered his head. "This junior was incompetent. Not only did I fail to accomplish anything, I was hounded until I was scared out of my wits and nearly lost my life."
"Hmm?" Over at his side, the Old Ancestor's eyes suddenly opened a sliver, a sharp glint flashing within. He looked at this descendant of the Huo Family, now with a flicker of interest.
The Huo Family Patriarch scolded him, a hint of amusement in his voice. "What kind of way is that to talk? A disciple of the great Huo Family, hounded until you were scared out of your wits, and you aren't ashamed? You still have the nerve to come back?"
Xu Luo wore a rueful expression. "I was too ashamed to return, but this junior learned some information about Beidou's Eighth Star and had no choice but to come back and report it to the Old Ancestor and the Patriarch. I will accept any punishment for my failures, but the intelligence was too important to not deliver."
"Passable. You are a man of the Huo Family, after all. You have some sense of responsibility. You haven't completely wasted the efforts I've invested in you," the Huo Family Patriarch said coolly.
Xu Luo secretly sneered. 'Your efforts? More like the Old Ancestor has taken an interest in me!'
Sure enough, the Huo Family's Old Ancestor opened his eyes, looked at Xu Luo, and asked lightly, "Feng'Er, is that right? Let me ask you, what do you know about that Xu Luo? Tell me everything. You are not to hide a single detail."
Xu Luo nodded obediently and said, "I believe that Xu Luo... is Beidou's Eighth Star!"