A Long-Awaited Reunion (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The scorching wave of heat hit the instant Yu Tiancheng's body reacted before his mind!

Though his soul power was nearly depleted, survival instinct drove the last of his strength.

A flash of silver light erupted beneath his feet, and his form blurred at the critical moment—

Second Soul Skill, Void Flash!

Not charging forward to meet the enemy, but retreating swiftly backward.

Shua!

His figure vanished from the spot like an eraser wiping away ink, and the next moment, he appeared deep within the rock cave where he had hidden earlier.

The entire process was as fast as lightning, completed just before the heat wave reached him.

Almost as he landed, Yu Tiancheng unhesitatingly activated the Stealth Cloak with all his might.

The obscure patterns on the cloak glowed faintly, and an invisible ripple spread out, concealing every trace of his aura.

He pressed tightly against the cold rock wall, held his breath, and his heart pounded like a drum.

The weakness from completely drained soul power and the mental sting from forcibly activating his soul skill surged again, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself into absolute stillness and concealment.

That heat wave just now was too strong.

Far beyond a Soul Elder, possibly even exceeding a Soul Ancestor.

Was it a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast from the Star Dou Great Forest? Or another pursuer from Martial Soul Hall?

Silence reigned outside the cave.

Only that scorching aura lingered in the air like a tangible presence, and even the temperature inside the rock cave had risen noticeably.

Yu Tiancheng's heart sank bit by bit. The opponent hadn't rushed in immediately—either they were cautiously probing, or... they were preparing a more terrifying attack.

Just as his nerves were stretched to the breaking point—

"Tiancheng? Is that you?"

A familiar voice, carrying barely concealed urgency and worry, came from outside the cave.

That voice...

Yu Tiancheng froze, then his eyes flew wide open.

It was Aunt, Liu Erlong!

His taut nerves instantly relaxed, and an indescribable sense of relief and grievance welled up inside him.

He immediately deactivated the cloak's concealment, took a deep breath, and strode quickly out of the rock cave.

The sunlight was a bit harsh; he squinted slightly and raised a hand to pull down his hood.

Outside the cave, a tall, agile figure stood there.

A simple, sharp black outfit outlined a powerfully curved silhouette.

Her fiery red hair, like burning flames, cascaded down her back.

Her features were beautiful, and at that moment, her brows were slightly furrowed as she warily surveyed the cave entrance.

It was Liu Erlong.

Seeing Yu Tiancheng emerge safely from the cave, Liu Erlong was first startled, then her eyes burst with delighted light.

"Tiancheng? It really is you!"

She hurried forward, scrutinizing Yu Tiancheng closely. "Why are you here? And in this state?"

"Aunt." Yu Tiancheng called out, warmth rising in his heart, but then caution crept in—how could Aunt appear here so coincidentally?

Liu Erlong looked at her nephew's pale face and torn clothes, her distress plain to see: "What happened to you? Did you run into danger in the forest? Are you injured?"

She reached out to check on Yu Tiancheng, but he instinctively stepped back half a pace.

This subtle movement made Liu Erlong's hand freeze mid-air. A flicker of confusion and hurt passed through her eyes, quickly replaced by worry: "Tiancheng?"

Yu Tiancheng steadied himself, realizing his reaction might have caused misunderstanding.

He quickly explained, "Aunt, I'm fine, just a bit drained of soul power. You... why are you here?"

Liu Erlong's face showed a matter-of-fact expression: "I came to pick you up! The family sent word you were coming to Blue Tyrant Academy. I calculated the time and thought you should be arriving, but I waited and waited and you didn't show. I worried something happened on the road, so I decided to head home and look for you along the way."

As she spoke, she pointed at the charred pit behind her: "I was searching nearby just now and sensed a faint soul power fluctuation here. I thought it might be a spirit beast or some suspicious person hiding, so I tested with an attack. I never expected you to be the one hiding inside!"

This explanation was perfectly reasonable—worried about her nephew, she came out to search and happened to find him.

But the doubt in Yu Tiancheng's heart hadn't fully dissipated. It felt nine parts off, one part right.

Still, this wasn't the time to dwell on it. Yue Guan could show up any moment; he had to leave here quickly.

"I've made you worry, Aunt." Yu Tiancheng suppressed his suspicions and forced a weary smile. "I did run into some trouble in the forest, but it's resolved now. Should we... leave here first?"

Liu Erlong keenly caught the urgency in Yu Tiancheng's words and the unspoken "trouble."

She looked at the lingering fear in her nephew's eyes; of course, she knew what he had been through, but bound by the rules, she couldn't say.

"Alright, let's leave first. You're in bad shape—Aunt will take you."

As she spoke, she reached out to support Yu Tiancheng's arm, a gentle and profound soul power slowly flowing into his body, helping him stabilize his aura and recover his strength.

Feeling his aunt's unreserved care and support, the last trace of vigilance in Yu Tiancheng's heart dissipated.

No matter how coincidental it was that his aunt had found him, at least her concern was genuine.

"Thank you, Aunt," he said softly.

"Silly child, what's there to be polite about with your aunt?" Liu Erlong smiled, then turned serious. "Your soul power is heavily depleted. Meditate and recover first. Aunt will guard you, and we'll move once you've regained some strength."

Yu Tiancheng nodded, not one to be pretentious, and immediately sat down cross-legged.

Under the protection of Liu Erlong, a Soul Saint, he completely let down his guard, activating the Void Meditation Method while secretly channeling the pure energy stored in his Storage Ring to nourish himself. His recovery was extremely fast.

After about half an hour, Yu Tiancheng opened his eyes and rose to his feet.

Though his soul power wasn't fully replenished, it had recovered to seventy or eighty percent, and his complexion had regained much of its color.

Liu Erlong had been keeping a vigilant watch nearby. Seeing him recovered, a smile spread across her face. "All better?"

"Mm, much better."

"Then let's go." Liu Erlong wasted no time. Her soul power surged, and a powerful Fire Dragon Phantom flickered behind her before vanishing. She reached out and wrapped an arm around Yu Tiancheng's waist. "Hold tight. Aunt will fly you out!"

The next moment, scorching flames enveloped them both. Behind Liu Erlong, magnificent Flame Dragon Wings materialized and beat fiercely!

"Boom!"

A blast of air exploded outward, and the two shot up like arrows loosed from a bowstring, streaking toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The speed of a Soul Saint in full flight was terrifying. The forest below blurred into a green torrent rushing backward.

With the formidable Liu Erlong escorting him, the journey was smooth. In less than two hours, they had completely left the Star Dou Great Forest behind, landing near an official road leading to Heaven Dou City.

With his feet on solid ground, watching the endless, perilous forest recede into the distance, the tension that had been coiled tight in Yu Tiancheng's heart finally, completely released. He let out a long, long sigh of relief.

For now... he was safe.