Hidden Dragon Returns to the Nest

Intense pain crashed over Yu Yuanchen's nerves like a tide, wave after wave. His legs no longer seemed to belong to him; even the slightest movement pulled at tearing pain. The excessive depletion of Soul Power also sent waves of hollow, twisting agony through his Dantian, making his vision repeatedly darken. Yet he gritted his teeth and, relying on the tenacious will forged through two lifetimes and years of arduous cultivation, forcibly remained conscious as he identified the direction of Dragon City.

He could not collapse, at least not here. The Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family's pursuers might not have been limited to that one group. Long Li, whose legs he had severely injured, and the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor he had shaken off could gather more people and return at any moment. He had to find a relatively safe place as quickly as possible.

Relying on his familiarity with the terrain around the outskirts of the Thunder Mountain Range, as well as Electric Field Perception's subtle probing of the surroundings, Yu Yuanchen forced himself onward and found a natural cave deep within a crack in the mountain wall. Thick vines concealed the entrance, making it extremely well hidden. Using the last of his strength, he dragged several rocks over to partially block the entrance. After carefully sensing that there were no powerful soul beasts or human auras nearby, he could finally hold on no longer and slid down against the cold stone wall.

"Puh—" He could no longer suppress a mouthful of stagnant blood. It sprayed out, staining the front of his clothes red. An even stronger wave of weakness followed.

He did not dare delay. He immediately sat cross-legged and, enduring the intense pain, began circulating the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's core Meditation Method. Threads of faint Soul Power began to be squeezed from his nearly depleted Dantian and exhausted body, flowing slowly like a stream and nourishing his damaged meridians, especially his nearly ruined legs.

Upon looking inward, he found that the condition of the meridians in his legs was even worse than he had expected. Many had developed cracks, and several had even suffered tiny breaks. Whenever Soul Power passed through them, it felt as if he were being cut by blades. The backlash from forcefully stimulating his meridians to unleash that burst of speed had fully surfaced.

Luckily... they haven't completely ruptured. They can still be repaired. Yu Yuanchen's heart settled slightly. If the meridians had been completely severed, then unless he encountered a heaven-defying opportunity, his legs would truly have been crippled.

He carefully guided his Soul Power like the most patient craftsman, bit by bit nourishing and repairing the damaged meridians. The process was slow and agonizing, and fine cold sweat soon covered his forehead. At the same time, he devoted part of his focus to guiding Soul Power through his entire body, treating the black-flame burns on his shoulders and arms, as well as the internal trauma from the impact.

Time Silently Passed amid the quiet healing.

One day, two days...

When thirsty, he collected droplets of water seeping from the rock crevices. When hungry, fortunately, his Storage Soul Tool held a supply of water and dried meat. Every shred of his focus was immersed in recovery.

During this time, he vaguely sensed several Soul Power Fluctuations passing in the distance outside the cave. One of them had even come very close, as though someone were searching. He immediately held his breath, concealed his aura to the utmost, and became as still as a stubborn rock. Fortunately, the searchers did not discover this hidden cave.

It was not until the evening of the third day that Yu Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes.

After healing without sleep or rest, the injuries within his body had finally stabilized, and his Soul Power had recovered to around seventy percent. Most importantly, the cracks in the meridians of his legs had initially healed. Though they remained fragile and could no longer endure the same kind of explosive burst as before, normal walking and slow running posed no serious problem. The flesh wounds on his shoulders and elsewhere had also scabbed over under the nourishment of Soul Power.

"I finally... survived." Yu Yuanchen let out a long breath. Relief at having survived the disaster welled up in his heart, only to be replaced by a deeper chill.

Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family... Long Family! One day, he would repay this ambush a hundredfold!

He examined his condition. His clothes were torn and stained with blood, and he looked utterly bedraggled. In this state, there was no way he could swagger back into Dragon City. Who knew whether the Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family had informants near Dragon City, or even within the clan itself? Since they had dared send two Soul Douluo to ambush him, there was no guarantee they had not prepared further measures. He had to be cautious.

"I need a disguise." Yu Yuanchen's eyes flickered.

He began searching through his Storage Soul Tool. As a direct descendant of the clan, his Storage Soul Tool had considerable space. Aside from food, water, Gold Soul Coins, and healing medicine, it contained various miscellaneous items, including several sets of ordinary spare clothing and... some "gear" he had prepared in the past for pranks or for sneaking out of the clan to play.

He took out a set of plain, coarse grayish-brown clothes and changed into them, carefully storing away the blue combat outfit that displayed his status. Then he took out some specially made pigments and began applying them to his face while looking into a small bronze mirror.

Though he had not been a master of disguise in his previous life, he understood a few techniques for changing skin tone, deepening wrinkles, and blurring facial contours. Before long, the youth in the mirror began to change. His complexion became dull and sallow, faint lines were deliberately drawn at the corners of his eyes, and the sharpness between his brows was subdued, replaced by an expression carrying traces of weariness and hardship. He now looked like an ordinary young Soul Master who had spent years traveling outside, possessed little cultivation talent—he deliberately suppressed his Soul Power Fluctuation to just above level twenty—and was somewhat malnourished.

He also tousled his hair slightly and smeared it with dust. Finally, he found a wide-brimmed bamboo hat and put it on, concealing most of his face.

After looking at himself in the bronze mirror, Yu Yuanchen nodded in satisfaction. Unless someone extremely familiar with him examined him closely from a short distance, it would be almost impossible to recognize him as the prodigy of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

"It's time to leave."

At dawn on the fourth day, when the sky had only just begun to brighten, a "young man" wearing a bamboo hat and gray cloth clothes lowered his head and quietly left the cave where he had hidden for three days. His gait appeared somewhat unsteady—half due to genuine unhealed injuries, half an act—as he blended into the stream of people heading for Dragon City.

The closer he came to Dragon City, the stricter the inspections seemed to become. Not only were Empire Soldiers on duty at the city gate, but several unidentified people with Sharp Eyes also patrolled back and forth along the main roads, their gazes sweeping over passing pedestrians.

Yu Yuanchen's heart tightened, further confirming his judgment. He lowered his bamboo hat and mingled behind a small merchant caravan, making his way toward Dragon City without drawing attention.

Sure enough, as he approached the city gate, he was stopped.

"Stop! Who are you? Where are you from?" A soldier stepped forward to question him. Beside the soldier, a middle-aged man in plain clothes, whose aura clearly marked him as a Soul Master, also cast a scrutinizing gaze his way.

Lowering his voice, Yu Yuanchen replied in a slightly hoarse tone, "Reporting to the officer, this one is called A Chen. I'm a hunter from Nuoding City in the south. I was injured while gathering herbs in the mountains and came to Dragon City to stay with relatives for a few days. I also plan to sell some mountain goods for money to treat my injuries." As he spoke, he released a faint Soul Power Fluctuation at just over level twenty. It revealed his identity as a Soul Master so he would not be excessively harassed, yet would not attract much attention.

The soldier looked over his plain clothing and slightly disheveled appearance, then sensed the "weak" Soul Power. Finding nothing unusual, he waved his hand, intending to let him pass.

But the plainclothed Soul Master beside him walked over instead, staring at him with Sharp Eyes. "A hunter? You're young, and you have level twenty Soul Power. Your talent isn't bad. Why become a hunter? Take off that bamboo hat and let me see."

Yu Yuanchen's heart tightened slightly, but his expression remained calm. He obediently removed the bamboo hat, revealing the ordinary face altered by his disguise.

The plainclothed Soul Master studied him carefully for several moments, seeming to search his face for a flaw. Then he asked, "Where in Dragon City do your relatives live? What's their name?"

Yu Yuanchen had prepared an answer long ago and replied smoothly, "Willow Lane in the west of the city. His name is Wang Laowu, and he's a blacksmith." This was a real resident he had happened to learn about while secretly sneaking out to play in the past. The man's status was ordinary and unlikely to arouse suspicion.

The plainclothed Soul Master stared into his eyes for a while. Finding no guilt or evasiveness, he sensed Yu Yuanchen's genuinely unstable aura—his injuries had not healed—and finally waved him onward. "Go in. Dragon City hasn't been peaceful lately, so don't cause trouble."

"Thank you, sir." Yu Yuanchen put his bamboo hat back on, bowed slightly, and then walked through the gates of Dragon City with an "unsteady" gait.

Once inside Dragon City, familiar streets and buildings came into view, but the atmosphere within the city was clearly much tenser than usual. There were more patrolling Empire Soldiers and plainclothed Soul Masters, and an invisible oppression hung in the air.

Yu Yuanchen did not linger. Following the route he remembered, he chose deserted alleys, winding through them again and again. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he head toward the back gate of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan residence.

The clan residence covered an enormous area, with high walls everywhere and strict guards. Yu Yuanchen came to a relatively secluded corner of the rear wall. This was one of the "secret passages" he and his companions had used to sneak out as children. After carefully sensing the surroundings and confirming that it was safe, he took a deep breath, forcibly gathered his Soul Power, and leaped upward. With some difficulty, he climbed over the high wall and landed in a garden inside the residence.

The moment his feet touched solid ground, an indescribable sense of safety surged through him. Yet he still did not lower his guard. Relying on his familiarity with the clan grounds, he avoided the patrolling guards like a ghost and stealthily made his way toward the Main Hall where his grandfather, Yu Boxuan, resided.

Outside the Main Hall, there were clearly several times more guards than usual, and the atmosphere was solemn. The moment Yu Yuanchen approached, two Soul Sage guards with deep, steady auras stopped him.

"Halt! Who dares trespass into the Main Hall?" the guards shouted sternly, their Soul Power locking onto Yu Yuanchen.

Yu Yuanchen stopped and slowly removed his bamboo hat. He wiped his face, revealing his true appearance. Though his skin still held the sallow hue of the disguise, those azure blue eyes and familiar features made the two guards freeze at once.

"Is... is that Young Master Yuanchen?!" one guard cried out in disbelief. They both knew that Young Master Yuanchen had gone out with Second Grandfather to hunt soul beasts. Now the young master had returned alone in disguise—could something have happened to Second Grandfather and the others?

"It's me." Yu Yuanchen's voice carried a trace of exhaustion, but it remained steady. "I need to see Grandfather."

"Please wait, Young Master! I'll report this immediately!" One of the guards was beside himself with excitement and turned to rush into the hall.

However, before he could enter, the heavy doors of the Main Hall were suddenly thrown open from within with a boom.

A burly figure appeared at the entrance. It was the Patriarch, Yu Boxuan! Clearly alerted by the commotion outside, this Tyrant Dragon Douluo no longer wore his usual majesty and composure. Instead, his face was filled with mingled anxiety and concern. His gaze instantly fixed on Yu Yuanchen. His powerful Spiritual Power swept over him, confirming that this was no illusion and seeing through his crude disguise to his true identity and his unhealed injuries.

"Chen'er!!" Yu Boxuan let out a low roar, his voice carrying a trace of barely perceptible urgency. He took one step forward and instantly appeared before Yu Yuanchen. Grabbing his shoulders tightly with both hands, he examined him closely. "Why did you come back alone? Where are Boyu and the others?"

Feeling the slight tremor in his grandfather's hands and the undisguised concern, the taut string in Yu Yuanchen's heart finally relaxed. His nose stung, but he forcibly held it back. Shaking his head, he said heavily, "Grandfather, we were ambushed. Second Grandfather and the two Elders... stayed behind to Cover the Rear so I could break out. They should be trapped..."

He briefly recounted the ambush, the breakout, the pursuit, how he had severely injured Long Li, and how he had disguised himself to return.

As he listened to his grandson's account, especially upon hearing that Yu Yuanchen had used the strength of a Soul Ancestor to devise a plan that severely wounded a Soul Emperor before narrowly escaping death, a terrifying gleam erupted in Yu Boxuan's eyes. There was anger, lingering fear, incomparable pride, and heartbreak!

"Good! Good! Good! It's enough that you came back alive!" Yu Boxuan said "good" three times in a row, heavily patting Yu Yuanchen's shoulder. "As expected of my grandson! Long Family... I, Yu Boxuan, will remember this blood debt!"

He pulled Yu Yuanchen toward the Main Hall in large strides while issuing a stern order to the guards beside him. "Pass down my command! The clan will immediately enter the highest state of combat readiness! All personnel outside are to remain vigilant! Also, dispatch three teams of elite Shadow Guards led by Soul Douluo Elders—no, I'll go personally. Follow Chen'er's route back and search with all your strength for Boyu and the two Elders! Dead or alive, I want to find them!"

"Yes, Patriarch!" The guards accepted the order solemnly and immediately sprinted away.

Inside the Main Hall, Yu Yuanchen finally cast off every bit of his disguise and strength. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide. He knew he was safe. Next, it was time for the Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family to bear the Fury of the Tyrant Dragon.

Though the Hidden Dragon was wounded, it had finally returned to its nest. And the Wrath of Thunder was about to descend.