The years on the Douluo Continent passed in the blink of an eye.
Four years had passed in an instant.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Advanced Mimicry Training Area.
The morning sun shone across the rippling lake. Amid the swirling mist, a boy stood bare-chested beneath a waterfall, enduring the pounding rush of water.
He looked about ten years old, but had already shot up to nearly 1.6 meters tall. His posture was straight as a pine. Years of tempering his body with magic had given him sleek, well-defined muscles, each seemingly packed with explosive strength. In the sunlight, his skin gleamed with a healthy bronze sheen.
His once-childish face had grown sharp and defined, with sword-straight brows and bright eyes. His signature mismatched eyes were as deep as the sea. A carefree smile still played at the corner of his mouth, but compared to four years ago, he now carried more composure and authority.
Yu Tianyu, ten years old, level twenty-nine Power Attack System Soul Grandmaster.
"Phew..."
Yu Tianyu suddenly opened his eyes and leaped out from beneath the waterfall, landing steadily on the rocks by the shore. As he moved, the water droplets on his body evaporated from his warmth, rising in a cloud of white mist.
"Brother Yu! Your clothes!"
A clear, melodious voice rang out from the shore.
Two girls in tight-fitting combat outfits stood there.
The girl on the left was tall and voluptuous. Though only ten, she was remarkably developed, and her tight dark green leather outfit outlined the beginnings of an S-shaped figure. Her long dark green hair hung loose, and her narrow eyes held a wild, alluring charm.
Dugu Yan, ten years old, level twenty-seven Control System Soul Grandmaster.
The girl on the right wore black and had a cool, snowy demeanor. A black veil covered her face—a habit of hers, and one she set aside only when she was with Yu Tianyu. She stood quietly, holding his coat. Her gaze was cold, but when it fell on the boy, it softened into tenderness.
Ye Lingling, ten years old, level twenty-six support-type Soul Grandmaster.
"Thanks, Lingling."
Yu Tianyu took the coat and put it on, then casually pinched Ye Lingling's cheek. "Four years, and your skin's still so soft."
"Don't tease me." Ye Lingling's cheeks reddened, but she didn't pull away. She only glared at him reproachfully.
"Hey! I brought you a towel too. Why aren't you pinching me?" Dugu Yan pouted in protest, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Yu Tianyu's arm, rubbing her now noticeably developed chest against him. "You're playing favorites!"
"Fine, fine. I'll pinch you, I'll pinch you."
Yu Tianyu smiled helplessly and flicked Dugu Yan's nose. "That's because your skin's thicker than Lingling's."
"You're the one with thick skin!" Dugu Yan opened her mouth to bite him.
Over the past four years, the three of them had been practically inseparable.
With Yu Tianyu's help—he periodically devoured her poison—Dugu Yan had not only freed herself from the backlash of the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison, but her cultivation speed had also soared. Under Yu Tianyu's "violent healer" approach, Ye Lingling had learned to kill with flower petals, and her personality had grown much more outgoing.
The "Dragon Snake Begonia" team of today was no longer the fledgling group from the Primary Class. The entire Heaven Dou Royal Academy, including the intermediate division, now recognized them as the "Monster Trio."
"Enough fooling around."
Yu Tianyu straightened his collar, his gaze turning sharp. "Today's the selection for the Imperial Fighting Team's reserve squad. I heard that not only the academy's upper management, but also people from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and Spirit Hall will be watching."
"That kid Pang Hu's already gone to save us seats at the Soul Fighting Arena. Let's go."
"Okay." The two girls nodded, their eyes instantly sharpening.
In those four years, they had done far more than just spend time together.
Today, every seat in the main Soul Fighting Arena at Heaven Dou Royal Academy was occupied.
The Imperial Fighting Team represented the pinnacle of the Heaven Dou Empire's strength. Its selection, held once every five years, was a major event in the imperial capital.
Though Yu Tianyu and the others were only ten—an age when they should still have been in the Primary Class, or just entering the intermediate division—their strength far exceeded the norm, so they had been granted special permission to take part in the selection.
In the VIP seats.
The three members of the Education Committee sat solemnly in the center.
To their left sat an elegant young man in a golden python robe: Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. Four years had passed, and she had become even more composed, her gaze so deep that no one could read her.
On their right sat a bishop in red robes, Platinum Bishop Salas of Spirit Hall.
"Your Highness, I hear there's a child named Yu Tianyu in this selection who has earned your favor?" Salas asked with narrowed eyes and a false smile.
"Junior Yu Tianyu is exceptionally gifted. He's certainly a rare talent for the empire." Xue Qinghe replied with a smile, giving nothing away. "But whether he can join the Imperial Fighting Team will depend on how he performs today."
"Hmph. An Abandoned Disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan..." Salas snorted. "I'd like to see what he can do."
Below, in the waiting area.
Pang Hu—now a sturdy, chubby boy and a level seventeen Spirit Master—came running over, drenched in sweat. "Brother Yu! I got the details! Our biggest opponents this time are the 'Golden Lion' team!"
"Their leader's a new lackey of Fourth Prince Xue Beng. His name's Luo En, and his Martial Soul is a Blazing Lion. He's a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster! They're all nobles, with excellent equipment, and I hear they've taken some kind of secret medicine to artificially inflate their Soul Power!"
"Blazing Lion?"
Yu Tianyu scoffed. "Playing with fire in front of me? That's like an old man hanging himself—he's asking for it."
"Level twenty-nine..." A green glint flashed in Dugu Yan's eyes. "Perfect. I can test out my new Spirit Skill on them."
"Come on, let's get out there."
"Next match! The 'Dragon Snake Begonia' team versus the 'Golden Lion' team!"
At the host's loud announcement, the two teams walked onto the enormous Soul Fighting platform.
Across from them, seven boys in golden armor stood in a row, looking down their noses at everyone. Their leader, Luo En, was burly and blond, and stared at Yu Tianyu and the others with undisguised jealousy.
"Yu Tianyu! Don't think you can act all high and mighty just because you're a little famous around the academy!"
Luo En pointed at Yu Tianyu and shouted, "Today, I'll show you that a noble's foundation is something an Abandoned Disciple like you could never match! Brothers, activate your Martial Souls!"
"Roar—!"
Seven lights flared. Every one of them had the optimal Spirit Ring configuration of two yellow rings. Luo En's Blazing Lion phantom was especially solid, radiating scorching heat.
By contrast, Yu Tianyu's side had only three people.
And they didn't summon their Martial Souls right away.
"Foundation?"
Yu Tianyu folded his arms and stood in front of the two girls. He looked at the group of showy young nobles as if they were a bunch of circus monkeys.
"Since you like talking about your foundation so much, I'll teach you a lesson."
"Yan Yan, Lingling, don't lift a finger."
Yu Tianyu spoke calmly. "I can handle trash like this all by myself."
"Arrogant!" Luo En roared. "Get him! Tear him apart!"
The seven young nobles charged at once, their Spirit Skills flashing in every color as they rained down on Yu Tianyu.
Faced with their seemingly ferocious attack, Yu Tianyu didn't even move.
He simply lifted his right foot, then—
brought it down hard!
"Boom!"
A deafening crash rang out.
It wasn't an ordinary stomp.
As his foot hit the ground, a terrifying wave of crimson-red energy erupted from him, sweeping out in every direction!
It wasn't a blast of Soul Power. It was—dragon might!
Over the past four years, Yu Tianyu had devoured countless Soul Beasts with dragon blood in Sunset Forest. He had even often gone to "borrow" some of Dugu Bo's poison—after all, a Titled Douluo's poison was energy too. The dragon aura within him had become so dense it was almost impossible to believe.
"Roar—!!!"
A Dragon Roar that seemed to come from ancient times exploded in the depths of everyone's souls.
The noble boys who were halfway through their charge felt as though an invisible hammer had slammed into their chests.
"Pfft—!"
All seven spat out blood at once. Their Martial Soul Possession was instantly broken, and they were flung backward like kites with their strings cut, crashing hard onto the ground.
Martial Soul suppression!
Absolute bloodline suppression!
Luo En, whose Martial Soul was a Blazing Lion, let out a scream and clutched his head, rolling on the ground. Before a True Dragon, a lion didn't even have the right to lift its head!
The entire arena fell silent.
One stomp?
He hadn't even activated his Martial Soul. Just the force of a stomp had taken out seven Soul Grandmasters of the same level?
In the VIP seats, Salas sprang to his feet, shock in his eyes. "Is that... dragon might? Even a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan couldn't possess such pure dragon might!"
Golden light flickered in Xue Qinghe's eyes, and her smile deepened. "As expected of him. He could devour lightning four years ago. Now... he's even more unfathomable."
"Y-You bastard..."
Luo En struggled to his feet, his eyes bloodshot. He couldn't accept it! He was a noble! He was a genius the Fourth Prince had placed great hopes in! How could he lose to an Abandoned Disciple?
"I refuse to accept this! You must have used some kind of demonic trick!"
Luo En pulled a blood-red pill from his pocket and swallowed it.
Boom!
His Soul Power surged in an instant, and his skin turned red. He forcibly broke through to level thirty!
"I'll kill you! Third Spirit Skill—Fake: Lion Earth-Splitting Claw!"
Luo En burned through his life force and transformed into a frenzied fire lion, charging at Yu Tianyu with the determination to die alongside him.
"Stubborn fool."
Yu Tianyu shook his head. The amusement in his eyes vanished, replaced by cold indifference.
"Since you want to see my Martial Soul, I'll let you die knowing the truth."
"Come forth."
"Dragon Slayer Magic!"
Buzz—!
The air twisted sharply.
Dark red dragon scales instantly covered Yu Tianyu's hands, and his pupils narrowed into slits.
Then two rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.
The first was a deep yellow, nearly purple—six hundred and fifty years. The second...
When a profound, noble purple glow rose, radiating a terrifying aura, the entire Great Soul Arena erupted into an uproar!
"Purple?!" "A Thousand-Year Soul Ring?!" "A thousand-year ring as his second Soul Ring?! How's that possible? Doesn't Grandmaster's theory say the limit for a second ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years?!"
Even the three members of the Education Committee couldn't stay seated. Their eyes widened.
In the history of the Douluo Continent, no one had ever heard of a thousand-year second Soul Ring!
"That's the limit for ordinary people."
Yu Tianyu watched Luo En charge at him, his voice cold as a blade.
"But for a Dragon Slayer, a thousand years is just the beginning."
He had obtained this thousand-year Soul Ring at the age of nine, deep in Sunset Forest, after wearing down a twelve-hundred-year Explosive Flame Tyrant Dragon—a Sub-Dragon—through sheer persistence.
To absorb the Soul Ring, he had spent three days and three nights soaking in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, nearly bursting apart in the process.
But the rewards had been immense.
"Second Spirit Skill..."
Yu Tianyu drew back his right arm, and the purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring blazed brightly.
Flames blasted from his elbow, propelling him forward, while a spiraling flame like a drill gathered around his fist.
"Fire Dragon's—"
"Sword Horn!!!"
Yu Tianyu shot forward like lightning, vanishing from where he stood.
The next instant—
"Boom—!!!"
His entire body became a flaming meteor, piercing straight through Luo En's attack.
There was no suspense.
Luo En's supposedly life-risking strike was as flimsy as paper before a thousand-year Spirit Skill.
Yu Tianyu's flaming figure passed right through Luo En and landed steadily at the edge of the platform.
Behind him,
Luo En remained frozen in his charging pose.
Two seconds later—
"Thud!"
His armor shattered, and he fell to the ground, his chest charred black. He had lost consciousness completely.
One strike. A kill.
"The winner... the Dragon Snake Begonia team!"
The host's voice trembled.
Cheers swept through the entire Soul Fighting Arena like a tsunami.
Yu Tianyu didn't bask in the glory. Instead, he turned and walked back to his two teammates.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were already used to his strength, but as they watched the boy's back—neither broad nor imposing, yet utterly dependable—their hearts still stirred with emotion.
"So, how was it? Was I cool just now?"
Yu Tianyu dismissed his Martial Soul and returned to his sunny, boyish self. He raised his brows at the two girls.
"Hmph, you were just so-so." Dugu Yan tried to sound unimpressed, but she still stepped forward and used a handkerchief to wipe sweat from his forehead that wasn't even there. "Could you be a little less showy next time? Now that you've revealed a thousand-year Soul Ring, I bet the whole continent will be keeping an eye on you."
"Let them watch."
Yu Tianyu shrugged indifferently, then naturally wrapped an arm around each of their waists and spoke in a low voice:
"As long as I'm here, no one can lay a hand on either of you."
"Besides..."
Yu Tianyu suddenly turned to Ye Lingling.
"Lingling, I have something to give you."
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, Yu Tianyu took a delicate jade box from his Soul Tool.
He opened the box, and a strange fragrance instantly filled the air.
Inside was a translucent flower, seemingly carved from pink crystal: an Aromatic Silk Beauty, an Immortal Herb.
That was something he had found among the "weeds" at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Though it wasn't as extreme as the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, it was a divine treasure that could seize the Fortune of Heaven and Earth—especially for Support Spirit Masters with Plant-type Martial Souls.
"What is this..." Ye Lingling stared at the flower. The Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul within her began to tremble uncontrollably, letting out a cry of longing.
"Your tenth birthday present. It's a few days late."
Yu Tianyu spoke gently. "Eat it. It can make your Nine Heart Begonia... evolve."
"Evolve?!" Ye Lingling covered her mouth in shock.
The Nine Heart Begonia was already a top-tier Support Martial Soul. If it evolved further... what would it become?
"Trust me." Yu Tianyu placed the jade box in her hands. "I promised you I'd make begonias bloom across the continent. This is just the first step."
Ye Lingling looked at the Immortal Herb in her hands, then at the young man before her, who had created miracle after miracle.
Tears streamed down her face despite herself.
On this arena, with all eyes upon him, at this moment of glory, the first thing he'd thought to do was give her a present.
"Thank you..."
Choking back tears, Ye Lingling suddenly rose onto her toes and, in front of the entire audience, the Crown Prince, the education committee, and countless nobles, planted a passionate kiss on Yu Tianyu's lips.
"Waaah—!!!"
The crowd erupted.
Dugu Yan stomped her feet beside them. "Why, you little—Ye Lingling! How dare you beat me to it! I want one too!"
With that, she refused to be outdone. She threw her arms around the other side of Yu Tianyu's face and gave him a hard kiss.
"Crack."
In the VIP stands, the teacup in Xue Qinghe's hand crumbled to powder.
She watched the young man below, basking in glory with a girl in each arm, and a complicated emotion flickered in her eyes.
Was it jealousy? Admiration? Or... a desire to conquer him?
"Yu Tianyu..."
Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"Looks like I'll have to reevaluate your worth."
"A thousand-year second spirit ring... the secrets you're hiding are becoming more and more fascinating."
That evening, at the victory banquet,
Pang Hu drank himself into a stupor and was carried back to the dormitory by the staff.
Yu Tianyu strolled along the academy's lakeside with the two girls.
The night breeze stirred, dispelling the day's heat.
"Tianyu, did we really make it onto the Imperial Fighting Team?" Dugu Yan leaned against his shoulder, still unable to quite believe it.
"Of course. And we're going straight onto the first team."
Yu Tianyu gazed at the reflection on the lake. "But this is only the beginning. The real challenges lie ahead."
"You mean... the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament?" Ye Lingling asked softly.
"That's right. It's five years away. When the time comes, we'll face more than just opponents from the Heaven Dou Empire. There'll be the Star Luo Empire, and... Spirit Hall."
At the mention of Spirit Hall, a cold glint flashed in Yu Tianyu's eyes.
Since he had crossed into this world and awakened Dragon Slayer Magic, he wasn't going to settle for ruling a corner of it.
Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu, Tang San...
These names would one day become stepping stones on his path to the summit.
"Whoever we have to face, we'll be with you."
The two girls spoke in unison, clasping his hands tightly.
A surge of pride rose in Yu Tianyu's heart.
Begonia in his left hand, viper in his right, and a dragon in his own form.
The future of Douluo Continent was destined to belong to him.
"All right, enough of these heavy topics."
Yu Tianyu suddenly flashed a mischievous grin and looked at the two girls. "Now that we're on the Imperial Fighting Team, shouldn't we celebrate? How about coming to my dorm tonight? I've learned a new 'massage technique' that's guaranteed to double your cultivation speed."
"Pfft! Pervert!" "Dream on!"
The two girls ran off, blushing, leaving behind a string of tinkling laughter.
Yu Tianyu watched them go, the corners of his mouth lifting.
Four years.
He had spent four years laying the strongest possible foundation.
And the days ahead would be the era when the Dragon King truly took flight.
Before you continue