Chapter 90: Aftermath

A couple hours earlier

Huo Yuhao slowly let out a long deep breath of cold frosty air and opened his eyes, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes gleaming with clarity.

His body was covered mostly in ice, he looked around to find the entire room he was in was covered in ultimate ice, gleaming with an azure jade color. It emitted an extreme chill that would've frozen someone with at least two soul rings to death.

However, to Huo Yuhao, he only felt comfortable with the cold and he sensed that it was the ice that helped speed up his recovery in minutes.

'Ice Empress, is this also a boon for having you as my martial soul?' He inwardly asked the Ice Scorpion, who's... sunbathing on a beach in his spiritual sea?

Huo Yuhao didn't dare ask.

'...No, this is all due to the Ice God's Bone. Its energy, tiny amounts of divine power, is slowly evolving your physiology into some characteristics of the Ice God's body once had.' Ice Empress replied, slurping some ramen into her mouth as her pincers happily clicked together. 'Basically, it's giving you a special physique; the Ice God's Physique to be exact.'

'However, it isn't complete yet. Your body is still undergoing transformation into a higher stage and it would take a long time before you will officially have the Ice God's Physique.'

Huo Yuhao them asked, 'Sweet! But, uh, how long is it going to take?'

'Eh, not too long in human standards. At least 20 years.'

Huo Yuhao's lips trembled, a blank look in his eyes.

'That's... way too long.'

'Be grateful that you're even getting a physique! Especially a high grade one from the great Ice God! Most soul masters in the world won't even get a special physique, and one from a divine being such as the Ice God is extremely rare! It's as rare as someone possessing the physique of a Dragon King!' Ice Empress fiercely berated him, slightly angry at his disappointment of waiting to get his physique to be complete.

Huo Yuhao chuckled, rubbing. 'Okay, okay. I understand, Ice Empress.' He then paused, 'Wait, shouldn't it be Dragon God? I mean, a Dragon King is comparable to a God? How, why is that?'

Ice Empress went silent for a moment, hesitating to tell him that legend.

'... That's a story for another time.'

"Hmm." Huo Yuhao hummed and stretched out his arms, the ice on his body broke into pieces and melted away.

As he stood up and look around, he saw of what remained of Xian Chong; ashes.

'He might have not realize it, but his darkness martial soul blocks or is highly resistant to spiritual power. If I didn't have Ice Empress, my ninjutsus and a bit of luck, I wouldn't have won that battle.' He clenched his hands, frustration and anger burning within him. The memory of his battle with Xian Chong replayed in his mind, each moment etched vividly as if it had just happened.

He was happy that he lived, he didn't want to die before he got his revenge. But it was extremely vexating that his main martial soul, one that was natural and that he cultivated for years, was almost ineffective against Xian Chong's darkness martial soul.

'I need to get stronger,' he thought to himself, determination flashing in his eyes. 'I need to refine my use of my spiritual power.'

Huo Yuhao realized that he fixated himself on learning other powers and techniques far from his main martial soul, although it was great to learn new skills and techniques, he understood that he needed to focus on mastering his primary martial soul first and foremost. Only then would he be able to truly unleash his full potential in battle.

Learning and mastering genjutsus wasn't the best cultivation method, as the fundamental workings behind his Sharingan needed only one thing important; spiritual power, and he only had basic control over it.

'When we return back to the villa and take care of a few things, I'll go into close-door cultivation.'

"...Yuhao."

Huo Yuhao raised his eyebrows and turned towards the door to find Tang Ya leaning against the door frame, wounded and exhausted, with Xiao Dong in her arms.

Even though she looked terrible, Tang Ya still manages to put up a soft smile at him.

"Hey, what's with the serious look on your face?"

Huo Yuhao blinked and chuckled, "It's a long story, I'll explain when we get back."

Tang Ya glaced at the pile of ashes on the ground. "Yeah, I'll bet."

"What about you? You look... terrible."

"Ugh, tell me about it. That bastard didn't go down easily."

There was a moment of silence.

"...How do you feel?" Asked Huo Yuhao, his voice quieter and weak. He looked away from her, slightly afraid of what he'll hear from her.

Many times he would question himself, when he got his revenge, what would he feel? Joy? Satisfaction? Emptiness? Regret?

Every time he thought about it , his emotions would become a tangled mess, leaving him feeling unsure and conflicted.

Tang Ya sighed and leaned her head back against the door frame. "I... I don't know, Yuhao. Honestly, all I could think right now is going back home and get a shower."

"Teacher Ya..." Huo Yuhao frowned, clearly noticing the slight pause in her voice.

Tang Ya smirked, "Hey, if you don't like it, then go and get your revenge then."

Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes, clearly unhappy.

"Yuhao, I won't answer your question. Not because I don't have one, but because you won't be satisfied with it. We live different lives, and experienced different things. Revenge may bring closure to you, but it won't necessarily bring the same for me. It's a personal journey, and you'll have to find your own answers."

Huo Yuhao took a moment to digest her words, his expression softening. "You're right, Teacher Ya. Revenge is a personal choice, and I can't expect everyone to understand or support it. I'll figure it out on my own."

Tang Ya giggled, "Now that's the Yuhao I know and love."

He rolled his eyes, walking up towards Tang Ya and asked. "Can you still walk?"

"..." Tang Ya was about to say yes, when she stepped forward and winced. She looked at Huo Yuhao with teary eyes and a pitiful expression; the infamous puppy dog eyes. "No. Carry me?"

"...You do know that I'm also injured, right?"

"..."

Huo Yuhao let out a sigh and shook his head, but a small smile played on his lips. "Fine, I'll carry you. But don't think you can get away with this every time."

Tang Ya grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Deal."

And so, Huo Yuhao picked up Tang Ya, holding her in his arms, Xiao Dong sitting comfortably on his head, as they made their way outside of the building.

As they stepped out of the building, they saw the half frozen bodies of Tie Chang, his brothers and other disciples still lay scattered across the ground.

"They..." Tang Ya looked at them in surprise.

Huo Yuhao explained, "You wanted your revenge, right? Not just to Tie Li, but to the entire Ironblood Sect who destroyed everything you had."

"..." Tang Ya nodded, blanched.

"Y-Y-You..." Tie Chang's feeble and shivering voice sounded out. He tried to say something but most of his internal organs had withered out from the cold.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya merely watched them with indifferent, cold eyes.

"What do you want to do with them?"

"...Burn them, alongside the entire compound." Tang Ya replied, her voice filled with anger and determination. "I want their legacy to be nothing but ashes."

Huo Yuhao glanced at her in disbelief. "But, this place was your family's legacy! What about its secret stashes?"

Tang Ya narrowed her teary eyes, deep sadness flashed within. "Not anymore, this place is tainted with the blood of my loved ones. I have no attachment to it anymore. It's better to destroy everything and wipe out the Ironblood Sect's existence completely."

Tie Chang, his brothers and other Ironblood Sect members despaired.

Huo Yuhao nodded. "...Okay, perfectly understandable. But what about any hidden treasures? Is it not here?"

"Yuhao! You're ruining the moment!"

"It's such a waste!"

The two argued with each other for a while before Tang Ya told him that the important treasures Tang Sect had remaining was stashed in some part of Heaven Dou City and that all the treasures in the compound were most likely seized by Tie Li; though it wasn't all that valuable as Tang Sect's predecessors had done one thing smart, to hide their valuable treasures someplace else from their headquarters.

Taking a final glance at the headless corpse of Tie Li strewn onto a cross and thick vines forming their group's name behind it, Tang Ya's work, Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and started doing hand seals.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu

Circulating his soul power, Huo Yuhao executed several hand seals, gathering his soul power into his lungs, he threw his head back before spewing out a stream of flames at the buildings.

His Sharingan lit up and his first soul ring shone, Flame Control.

Controlling the stream of flames that quickly engulfed the buildings, turned into a fiery tornado, ensuring that it burned fiercely but didn't spread beyond the compound.

As the flames danced and crackled with fiery flames, consuming the Ironblood Sect's legacy, Tang Ya watched with a mix of emotions. Relief, that she was finally free from the burden of her family's past. Sadness, for the loved ones she had lost. And determination, to forge a new path for herself and honor their memories.

Once the compound was reduced to ashes, Tang Ya turned away, her expression resolute.

After thoroughly burning everything for several minutes, Huo Yuhao was prepared to leave. Only, he was stunned to hear a loud Phoenix cry and a familiar girl in red, with the image of a Fire Phoenix, flying straight at the tornado of flames.

'What the? Ma Xiaotao?! Why is she here?! Wait, is that... senior brother Bei Bei?' Huo Yuhao looked at the trio trio heading into the burning compound in disbelief. He and Tang Ya were on a tall rooftop that wasn't far from the burning compound.

'Teacher Ya hasn't noticed them yet,' He glanced at her and thought. 'Should I tell her? Senior brother deserves to know that Teacher Ya is doing fine but... who is that woman by his side?'

He narrowed his eyes, 'She feels, strong. Stronger than even Xian Chong, at least eight rings? Is she also senior student from the inner courtyard? Perhaps, a Shrek Seven Monster or elder?'

This could either be nothing, or incredibly bad.

'I should communicate with senior brother first.'

Using Spiritual Sharing, he began to mentally communicate with Bei Bei.

'Senior brother?'

Bei Bei, who had looked upon the scene with horror and shock, jumped in surprise by the voice in his mind.

"That voice...!" He muttered, his eyes widening as he recognized the familiar tone. 'Yuhao?'

.....

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