Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Tianheng

On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, a spatial rift tore open with a crack. Then came several dull thuds as figures crashed to the ground like dumplings dropped into a pot, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lu Jing took the worst fall. Landing on his backside nearly jolted last night's dinner out of him. Grimacing, he rubbed his lower back and looked up—Bei Bei had plunged face-first into a bush, with only his legs sticking out and kicking wildly.

The man in black was in even worse shape, half his body caught in a tree fork, his robe snagged and torn in several places.

Wang Dong'er looked relatively presentable. At least she had landed on her side, though her pale blue skirt was spattered with mud.

"Damn... where the hell did that send us?" Lu Jing asked blankly.

Bei Bei finally pulled his head out of the bushes, his face smeared with dirt and his hair a complete mess.

He spat out the dirt in his mouth. Just as he was about to curse, his gaze swept over Lu Jing, and he instantly forgot the pain. His crimson eyes seemed ready to spit fire. "Kid! You still dare run?!"

The man in black also freed himself from the tree fork and dusted himself off, looking at Lu Jing as though he were a mortal enemy. Wang Dong'er propped herself up from the ground, clutching her still-aching abdomen as she looked from one to the other, her brows twisted into a knot.

What the hell was this? They had been fighting, so how had it suddenly felt like the map changed?

Lu Jing reacted first. Who cared where they were? Run first! He scrambled to his feet, not bothering to brush himself off as he dashed deeper into the forest without looking back. As he ran, he shouted inwardly, "Tian Meng, hurry up and think of something! These two lunatics are stuck to me like glue!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice was on the verge of tears. "Think of shit! That spatial tear just scattered half my Spiritual Power! Run farther away first!"

"Stop him!" Bei Bei roared. Blue lightning exploded beneath his feet, and he shot after Lu Jing like a bolt of lightning. The man in black did not hesitate either. A pair of black wind wings spread behind his back, making him even faster than Bei Bei as he rapidly closed in on Lu Jing.

One fled while two gave chase, and in the blink of an eye, all three vanished into the dense forest. Wang Dong'er stared in the direction they had disappeared and fell silent.

Biting her lip, she finally supported herself against a tree trunk and stood up, spreading her light wings as she followed after them. No matter what, she had to go see what was happening.

Elsewhere, less than three miles from this chaos, the atmosphere was entirely different.

Beneath an ancient thousand-year-old tree, a pale golden spirit ring slowly revolved around a young girl. She wore a light gold dress, her waterfall-like golden hair falling to her waist, her skin as white as snow. It was Qian Renxue. Her eyes were closed, her little face tense as she endured the pain of absorbing the spirit ring.

Beside her stood a golden-haired man in gray robes. His face was handsome, yet carried an aged authority. He was Qian Daoliu, the Great Enshrined Elder of Spirit Hall. With his hands behind his back, his Soul Power faintly enveloped Qian Renxue, helping her stabilize the spirit ring's energy. There was an almost imperceptible gentleness in his gaze.

"It's almost done," Qian Daoliu said quietly, looking at Qian Renxue as if she were an irreplaceable treasure. This child was the Angel Divine Bloodline's last hope. Nothing could go wrong.

Qian Renxue did not answer. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, dampening her golden hair and sticking it to her cheeks. As the spirit ring rotated ever more slowly, her aura steadily rose. She was about to break through Rank 30.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded. Qian Daoliu's brows furrowed slightly as he turned to look—an old man and a child were approaching. The elder wore purple robes and had a resolute face. He was Yu Yuanzhen, the Clan Leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The child wore brocade robes, his young face carrying a trace of stubbornness between his brows. He was Yu Yuanzhen's grandson, Yu Tianheng.

Yu Tianheng was not yet seven years old, but he was already a Rank 10 Spirit Master. He curiously studied Qian Renxue and tugged on Yu Yuanzhen's sleeve. "Grandpa, who is that big sister?"

Yu Yuanzhen patted his hand, signaling him not to speak carelessly. As they drew closer, he recognized Qian Daoliu's face. His pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly pulled Yu Tianheng into a respectful bow. "Junior Yu Yuanzhen greets the Great Enshrined Elder."

His heart pounded. Who was Qian Daoliu? The pillar of Spirit Hall, a Rank 99 Limit Douluo. Meeting him under normal circumstances was harder than ascending to heaven. Yet he was here today, helping a young girl absorb a spirit ring? This girl's hair was identical to Qian Daoliu's. Could she be... He did not dare think further. All he knew was that this girl's identity was anything but ordinary.

Qian Daoliu turned around and nodded faintly. His gaze swept over Yu Yuanzhen before settling on Yu Tianheng, and one brow lifted almost imperceptibly. "So it's Sect Master Yu. What, are you here to find a spirit ring for the child as well?"

"Yes."

Yu Yuanzhen answered respectfully, "My unworthy grandson Tianheng has just broken through Rank 10. We came to the Star Dou Great Forest to try our luck and see if we could find a suitable Beast Spirit."

He did not mention Yu Xiaogang—the "good-for-nothing" regarded as a disgrace by the clan had long since been cast from his mind. Yu Tianheng was the future of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Qian Daoliu gave a quiet hum. His gaze lingered on Yu Tianheng for a moment before he suddenly said, "This child... is not bad."

Though Yu Tianheng was young, he possessed a steadiness that did not belong to children his age. His eyes in particular shone brilliantly, with a faint draconic might hidden within them. Given time, he might well become a pillar of the Blue Lightning Clan.

Yu Yuanzhen was delighted and was just about to offer a few modest words when he suddenly sensed something was wrong. Qian Daoliu's gaze had already passed over him and turned toward the forest on the left, carrying a hint of scrutiny. He instinctively looked in that direction—

Not far away, several figures could vaguely be seen moving rapidly. The sounds of exploding thunder and Wind Blades tearing through the air mingled together, clearly indicating a battle. Even stranger, the aura of that fight seemed to contain a... sinister, dark energy?

"Hmm?" Qian Daoliu's frown deepened. Why was such an intense battle happening on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest? And that dark energy made him inexplicably uneasy.

Yu Yuanzhen sensed that something was wrong as well. He pulled Yu Tianheng behind him and said gravely, "Great Enshrined Elder, should we take a look?"

Qian Daoliu said nothing. His gaze fell on Qian Renxue, who had just finished absorbing the spirit ring and was slowly opening her eyes.

A trace of confusion flashed through Qian Renxue's golden eyes. "Grandfather, what's happening over there?"

"It's nothing." Qian Daoliu waved a hand, but his eyes remained fixed on the depths of the forest. "Just some fighting."

He had not intended to interfere, but that dark power seemed capable of suppressing even his own sacred light. It piqued his interest, and he wanted to see what exactly was going on.

With that thought, his figure flashed. He took Qian Renxue with him and swept toward the source of the battle sounds like a phantom.

With his strength, even a casual strike would be enough to suppress any disturbance in the outskirts.

Yu Yuanzhen watched Qian Daoliu's disappearing back, then looked at Yu Tianheng beside him, his brows tightly furrowed. The Star Dou Great Forest was probably not going to be peaceful today.

Yu Tianheng had no such worries. He merely stood on tiptoe and peered into the forest, asking curiously, "Grandpa, that big sister was so pretty. Did she come to get a spirit ring too?"

Yu Yuanzhen stroked his head and said solemnly, "Don't ask so many questions. No matter what you see later, stay close to me."

He had a faint premonition that this seemingly coincidental meeting might lead to no small amount of trouble. And the battle in the depths of the forest was likely far more complicated than he imagined.