Have You Heard Of--The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon

Hu Liena gave a light laugh, breaking the silence. "Elder Yue, Lin Xiaodi has only just absorbed his Spirit Ring, and his Soul Power is still unstable. If he summons his martial soul now and something goes wrong, that would be troublesome."

She turned to Yu Tiancheng, concern in her eyes. "Lin Xiaodi, there's no need to be nervous. Elder Yue merely appreciates talent. Once your condition has stabilized later, you can show us then."

At that, Yue Guan's slender brows lifted slightly. He glanced at Hu Liena, then ultimately gave a small nod. "Nana has thought it through more thoroughly."

The crisis appeared to have passed.

Yet the string in Yu Tiancheng's heart tightened even further. Was Hu Liena helping him? Why?

He raised his eyes toward Hu Liena and happened to meet her returning gaze.

In that instant, Yu Tiancheng seemed to catch a fleeting trace of scrutiny in her eyes, so swift it was almost an illusion.

"Thank you for your understanding, Miss Hu." Yu Tiancheng lowered his gaze, gratitude threaded through his respectful voice as he played the part of a fortunate junior to perfection.

"Just call me Nana. We aren't that far apart in age, so there's no need to be so formal."

Hu Liena smiled gently, her tone naturally closing the distance between them. Then, as though casually changing the subject, she asked, "By the way, where is Lin Xiaodi from? Judging by your accent, you don't seem to be from around the Star Dou Great Forest."

The third question. It sounded like idle conversation, but she was still probing for information.

Yu Tiancheng had long prepared an answer, and his tone remained steady. "I'm from a remote town on the northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire."

"I came here with an elder from my family to travel and broaden my horizons. My elder had urgent matters to return and handle, so I was left in the outer region to gain experience on my own."

"The northern border..." Xie Yue, who had remained taciturn all this time, suddenly spoke. His voice was as cold as the Moon Blade in his hand. "It's tens of thousands of miles from here. Your family elder was quite willing to leave you alone."

Yu Tiancheng's expression did not change, though his tone took on the faint stubbornness of a youth being questioned. "The elders of my family often say that a Spirit Master must ultimately walk their own path step by step. Too much protection only becomes shackles."

"Well said." Hu Liena clapped softly, the approval in her eyes deepening as if she truly admired his answer. "The path of a Spirit Master is like rowing against the current. For Lin Xiaodi to possess such insight, your future is promising."

She paused, then suddenly asked in a more casual tone, "By the way, Lin Xiaodi, have you heard of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? They seem to be in the Heaven Dou Empire as well."

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"

Yu Tiancheng's heart abruptly clenched.

It was here—the most direct and dangerous test.

But why had Hu Liena suddenly asked about this? Was it a coincidence, or did she mean something more?

In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts collided madly in his mind.

The worst possibility—had his identity been exposed? No, there should have been no flaws in his disguise.

Could something have happened within the clan? The Soul Hunting Plan was still five years away, but Spirit Hall's infiltration of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan might have begun long ago.

It was strange enough for a group composed of two Titled Douluo and the Golden Generation to appear here. If their mission included eliminating a Blue Lightning Clan disciple who happened to be outside, it would make sense.

But then an even greater question emerged.

Even if they suspected that he was from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, or even Yu Tiancheng himself, so what?

In the eyes of Spirit Hall's upper ranks, "Yu Tiancheng" should merely be a clan disciple with low innate Soul Power and a useless martial soul, someone the clan had half abandoned.

Would such an insignificant "defective product" really be worth probing, or even possibly killing?

Unless... they knew something he did not? Or perhaps their target was not "Yu Tiancheng" himself, but something else they wanted to verify through him?

Those thoughts flashed through his mind, yet Yu Tiancheng's face remained flawless. He even revealed just the right amount of curiosity expected of a young man hearing of a top-tier power.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Of course I've heard of it! One of the Upper Three Sects, the foremost beast martial soul on the continent. But..."

He scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "A sect of that level is far too distant from people like us who come from small places. I've only heard of them, that's all. Why did Miss Nana suddenly ask about them?"

His reaction perfectly matched that of a young Spirit Master of ordinary origins.

At the same time, he used the question to probe Hu Liena's intentions in return.

"It's nothing. I simply remembered that they are also in the Heaven Dou Empire, and thought Lin Xiaodi might know some interesting stories. It seems I overthought it."

Hu Liena turned and continued onward, but the chill brought by that topic had already seeped deep into Yu Tiancheng's bones.

She did not believe him, but neither did she wholly disbelieve him.

The group continued deeper until night had fully fallen and damp nocturnal mist spread through the forest.

Yue Guan stopped and swept his gaze across a cliff wall ahead. "We'll rest here tonight. There's a cave ahead. It's fairly dry."

The cave was not large, but it was enough to shelter them all.

A few remnants of ash lay inside, showing that it was often used as a temporary campsite.

"Yan, Xie Yue, gather some firewood. Ghostly, keep watch."

Yue Guan gave his orders succinctly, then looked at Hu Liena and Yu Tiancheng. "Nana, you and young friend Lin Fan can rest inside the cave."

Yan shot Yu Tiancheng a glance and gave an almost inaudible snort, but still followed Xie Yue out.

Ghostly's figure silently melted into the shadows beyond the cave entrance, as though he had never existed.

Only Yue Guan, Hu Liena, and Yu Tiancheng remained inside the cave.

Yue Guan sat near the entrance—not too close to Hu Liena, yet not too far away either. He was neither overly intimate enough to draw attention nor deliberately distant enough to arouse suspicion.

A subtle silence settled over the cave, broken only by the crackling of burning firewood and the faint chirping of night insects outside.

"Lin Xiaodi." Hu Liena suddenly spoke softly, keeping her voice low, with a gentleness like that of friends talking late into the night. "Actually... you don't need to be so guarded."

Yu Tiancheng looked up. Firelight cast shifting shadows across her delicate profile, making those fox-like eyes—usually brimming with laughter—seem especially profound at that moment.

"I don't quite understand what Miss Nana means."

Hu Liena did not answer at once. She merely watched him quietly for a moment before slowly saying, "All along the way, you have acted humble and polite, but your body has remained tense, and wariness hides in your eyes—like a young beast ready to flee at any moment."

Her tone was calm, even carrying a trace of understanding. "That is only natural. Encountering an unfamiliar group in the forest, it is good to be cautious. But..."

Her tone shifted slightly as her gaze fell upon the dancing flames. "Sometimes, being alone is not necessarily safe. And following a group that seems dangerous is not necessarily a dead end."

Yu Tiancheng's heart stirred. What was she hinting at? Was she trying to persuade him to stay at ease and remain with them? Or did she mean something else?

"What Miss Nana means is...?" he asked probingingly, allowing an appropriate hint of hesitation and confusion into his voice.

Yet Hu Liena did not answer directly. Instead, she asked a seemingly unrelated question. "What do you think is the most important thing for a Spirit Master?"

Yu Tiancheng answered cautiously, "In this junior's humble opinion, it is strength. The world of Spirit Masters is one where the strong prey upon the weak. Without strength, everything else is empty."

"Strength is indeed important." Hu Liena nodded lightly, though her eyes remained on the flames. "But sometimes, one's choice is even more crucial than strength. Choose the right path, and even thorns can become a smooth road. Choose wrong..."

She paused. Her voice became softer, yet carried a certain weight. "No matter how great one's talent is, one may still die young halfway through, or... embark upon a road from which there is no turning back."

Yu Tiancheng fell silent. Her words sounded like general advice, yet every sentence seemed to carry a hidden meaning. Was she hinting that he should "choose the right group"? Or warning him not to "choose the wrong side"?

Or perhaps... she was testing whether he understood the meaning behind her words?

"This junior is dull-witted and does not quite understand the deeper meaning behind Miss Nana's words."

In the end, Yu Tiancheng chose to retreat in order to advance. Lowering his eyes, he spoke sincerely. "I only know that surviving in the forest is the most important thing before me."

At his words, a faint, inscrutable smile curled Hu Liena's lips.

She did not continue the topic. Instead, she took out two exquisite pieces of dried meat from her storage Soul Tool and handed one to him. "You are right. In the forest, preserving one's strength is what matters most. Have something to eat."

Yu Tiancheng accepted it and thanked her. The two ate in silence. Between the warmth of the campfire and the verbal sparring, the atmosphere within the cave maintained a fragile balance.

Hu Liena said nothing more, and Yu Tiancheng did not press further.

Yet those words were like stones cast into a still lake, sending ripples of doubt spreading through his heart.

What exactly did she know? And what did she want from him?