Dead silence.
Dead silence again.
Dugu Yan nervously watched her grandfather, not daring to make a sound. She knew how important those herbs were to him, but she didn't want to die, and she didn't want to see her grandfather die either.
Dugu Bo's expression shifted unpredictably, now twisted with anger, now helpless.
As he looked at Yu Tianyu's confident face, a wave of powerlessness washed over him.
This kid was a downright devil.
He'd calculated every step, hitting Dugu Bo right where it hurt. He'd left him no room to refuse.
"Fine!"
At last, Dugu Bo gritted his teeth and forced the word out. "I agree! As long as you can cure the poison in Yan Yan and me, the Villa and the herbs are yours to do with as you please! But if you dare deceive me..."
"If I deceive you, you won't have to lift a finger. I'll twist my own head off and let you kick it around like a ball."
Yu Tianyu cut him off with a smile and extended his right hand. "A pleasure doing business with you, Old Poison."
Dugu Bo looked at the hand in front of him and snorted. Rather than shake it, he tossed over a green token.
"Take this. No one will dare stop you from now on. I'll send someone to fetch you and take you to Sunset Forest this weekend."
After that, Dugu Bo glanced at Dugu Yan beside him and said in a complicated tone, "Yan Yan, since you're all right, Grandpa will be going. This kid... may be full of schemes, but he's got some real ability. Learn from him, and stop trying to prove yourself all the time."
"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan stamped her foot, her face turning red again.
Dugu Bo gave Yu Tianyu a long, deep look. Then he flashed away, turning into a streak of green light that vanished into the night sky.
He'd come quickly, and left just as quickly.
The woods grew quiet again.
Yu Tianyu caught the token and weighed it in his hand, a satisfied smile curling his lips.
The first step of the plan was a success.
Once he got into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the "Aromatic Silk Beauty," the "Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass," and the "Infernal Delicate Apricot" would all be his.
With those in hand, his Dragon Slayer Magic would undergo a true transformation!
"Um..."
Dugu Yan's timid voice came from behind him.
Yu Tianyu turned around and found her staring straight at him. The arrogance she'd shown at first was gone, replaced by the look of a tamed kitten.
"What? Haven't had enough sucking?" Yu Tianyu teased with a wicked grin.
"Pfft! You're the one who hasn't had enough!" Dugu Yan spat, though she wasn't really angry. She walked up to him, hesitated, then said quietly, "About earlier... thank you. If you hadn't been there, Grandpa might really have..."
She knew her grandfather's temper. If he'd actually killed Yu Tianyu, the consequences would have been unthinkable. It would have meant not only offending the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but also ruining the only chance she and her grandfather had to survive.
"You can keep the verbal thanks."
Yu Tianyu leaned close to her ear, breathing in the faint fragrance on her skin. "Remember our agreement. The next treatment won't be so simple. As the poison is cleared, we'll need to try a deeper kind of... cooperation."
"A deeper kind?"
All sorts of inappropriate images flashed through Dugu Yan's mind, and her face reddened like a ripe tomato.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I meant alongside the medicine."
Yu Tianyu burst out laughing, then stopped teasing the innocent girl and headed for the edge of the woods. "Go get some rest, future vice-captain. Next time we meet, remember to be nicer to me."
Dugu Yan watched him leave, his stride carefree, his air mysterious, his strength undeniable.
She remained where she was for a long time.
She touched her lower abdomen, which no longer hurt, and a sweet smile crept onto her lips.
"Yu Tianyu... what kind of monster are you?"
"But I'm claiming you now. If you can't cure this poison, I'll cling to you for the rest of my life!"
When Yu Tianyu returned to the dorm, Pang Hu was already sleeping like a dead pig, snoring loud enough to shake the room.
Yu Tianyu sat cross-legged on his bed, but didn't go to sleep right away.
He opened his palm. A wisp of purple poison he'd drawn out of Dugu Yan was slowly swirling there.
"The Poison Attribute Dragon Slayer Factor has activated. It's still weak, but a place like the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well is full of poisonous things."
"Once I devour those Immortal Herbs, the Fire Dragon, the Poison Dragon, and even... other dragons will awaken."
Yu Tianyu looked at the moon beyond the window, ambition shining in his eyes.
"Tang San, sorry about this. Your opportunity is mine now."
Over the next two days, the atmosphere at Heaven Dou Junior Spirit Master Academy grew a little strange.
Yu Tianyu, the "Ruthless Empress" who'd smashed an Obsidian Pillar with a single punch during the Xinhui Test, became the talk of the school. But he acted as if nothing had happened. Every day, he arrived just in time for class and vanished as soon as it ended, keeping such a low profile that you'd never guess he was the one who'd unleashed that rampaging Fire Dragon.
Dugu Yan had taken leave. The excuse was that she was "feeling unwell" and resting at home, but only Yu Tianyu knew why. She was probably hiding under her covers, savoring the relief of having the poison drawn out and wondering what face she should make the next time she saw him.
With the beautiful snake no longer clinging to him, Yu Tianyu finally had some peace and quiet.
Friday afternoon. Combat practice.
On the field, Director Sun Buyu still wore his usual stone-faced expression, but when his gaze passed over Yu Tianyu, it softened considerably—or perhaps grew more fearful.
"Today's lesson is teamwork."
Sun Buyu spoke with his hands behind his back. "The Soul Master World isn't a place for fighting alone. A good Power Attack Spirit Master must learn to protect Support Spirit Masters, while Support Spirit Masters are essential to keeping a team going. Now, pair up freely and practice offense and defense."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pang Hu sidled up with a fawning grin. "Brother Yu! Pick me! I'm tough and can take a beating! Besides, I don't need you to protect me. I'll protect you—uh, no, I mean, I'll be your meat shield!"
Yu Tianyu pushed the big face away in disgust. "Get lost. What kind of look would two grown men cuddling up together give? Find someone with a Control System and practice teamwork."
Pang Hu went off to draw dejected circles in the dirt.
With his hands in his pockets, Yu Tianyu looked through the noisy crowd and fixed his gaze on the dark-haired figure in the corner.
Ye Lingling.
She was like a begonia blooming in a frozen wasteland. Though the boys around her were eager to invite her, none dared approach. Her cold manner, which kept everyone at arm's length, was like an invisible wall.
"I'm not forming a team."
When a few boys finally gathered the courage to approach, Ye Lingling simply gave them a cold look and said, her voice clear but devoid of warmth, "I can manage on my own."
"A lone Support Spirit Master is just a sitting duck. That's common knowledge."
A lazy voice broke the awkward silence.
Everyone turned and saw Yu Tianyu strolling over. The boys surrounding Ye Lingling scattered like birds and beasts, not one of them daring to compete with this menace for her attention.
Ye Lingling raised her head and looked quietly at Yu Tianyu with eyes as deep as an abyss. "Do you think I need protection too?"
"No."
Yu Tianyu stopped beside her, standing shoulder to shoulder without looking her way. Instead, he gazed toward the distant target range. "I think teaming up with you will be the least trouble. You're quiet, and I hate pointless chatter."
Ye Lingling paused. She'd heard countless excuses for striking up a conversation. Some praised her beauty, others her powerful Martial Soul. But this person's reason was that it would be "less trouble"?
"And besides..." Yu Tianyu's lips curved into a slight smile as he turned to look at her. "I want to see what the legendary Undying Ye Clan can do."
At the words "Undying Ye Clan," Ye Lingling's pupils contracted slightly.
"Fine." She didn't refuse again, only nodded gently.
The exercise began.
Their opponents were a pair of twins who worked well together, one wielding an Iron Shield and the other a Long Spear. Though nervous to face Yu Tianyu, they gritted their teeth and charged.
"Nine Heart Begonia. Heal."
Ye Lingling cupped her hands before her chest, and a pink-and-white begonia flower quietly bloomed. Two yellow Spirit Rings revolved around her as a gentle white light enveloped Yu Tianyu.
Was that... healing everyone in range?
No, it wasn't just healing.
Yu Tianyu was surprised to discover that under the gentle wash of her Soul Power, the Dragon Slayer Magic Power inside him, which had been restless before, settled remarkably. Even his mental strength received a faint soothing touch.
"Her healing can reach the entire team. No matter how badly they're hurt, as long as they're still breathing, the Nine Heart Begonia can save them." Feeling the power, Yu Tianyu marveled inwardly. "It really is absurdly strong. This is why the clan can stand at the peak of the Soul Master World, even though there's only one person in each generation."
Facing their charging opponents, Yu Tianyu didn't even move his feet.
He raised his right hand and, without using any of his explosive Fire Dragon techniques, gave a casual swing powered only by his physical strength.
"Bang!"
The shield-wielding Spirit Master went flying with his shield, rolling three times across the ground before coming to a stop.
The other Spirit Master, who held the spear, stood there dumbfounded, unable to keep his grip on the weapon.
"Do you still want to fight?" Yu Tianyu yawned.
"N-no! We're done! Brother Yu is awesome!" The boy dragged his brother away.
The battle had ended so quickly that Ye Lingling's Spirit Skill hadn't even had a chance to show what it could really do.
"Looks like your healing didn't have much use." Yu Tianyu let the strength drain from his hand and turned to Ye Lingling.
She withdrew her Martial Soul, her expression as calm as ever. "That's because you're too strong. The strong don't need support."
"That's not true."
Yu Tianyu suddenly leaned closer, and the distance between them vanished. Ye Lingling instinctively tried to step back, but Yu Tianyu's deep gaze held her in place.
"There's no such thing as a perfect Martial Soul, and even the strongest need to rest."
Yu Tianyu spoke softly, so only the two of them could hear him. "The Nine Heart Begonia is powerful, of course. But I've also heard that the more brilliantly this flower blooms, the deeper its curse. Each generation can have only one heir, and everyone else has to die... Are you willing to accept that fate?"
Ye Lingling's body trembled. She jerked her head up, shock and pain filling her eyes.
This was the deepest wound in her heart, and the reason she'd always kept people at a distance. If she was destined to be alone, destined to watch her loved ones die, then why form attachments at all?
"That has nothing to do with you." She bit her lip, her voice trembling slightly.
"It didn't before. Now it does."
Yu Tianyu reached out and gently brushed a wind-tossed strand of hair back from her ear. The gesture was natural, yet carried an intimacy she couldn't refuse.
"I've always loved breaking rules. Whether it's the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's rules or the curse of your clan."
"If you're willing to stay by my side, perhaps one day I'll show you that the Nine Heart Begonia doesn't have to be just a curse. It can bloom across the entire continent."
Sunlight fell across the young man's face. His smile was wild and confident.
Ye Lingling looked at him, and her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
From the time she was little, everyone had told her that this was fate, and that she had to accept it. Only this person had casually said he would break it.
It sounded like the delusion of a madman, but for some reason, as she looked into his eyes, which seemed to burn with fire, Ye Lingling felt an absurd flicker of trust.
"...You're all talk."
After a long while, she turned her head and avoided Yu Tianyu's gaze, but her ears quietly flushed pink.
"You'll find out whether I'm all talk."
Yu Tianyu didn't mind her avoidance. The seed had been planted, and that was enough.
"Class is over. Have a good weekend, Ye."
He waved and walked away with an easy stride.
Watching him leave, Ye Lingling gripped her book tightly.
"Yu Tianyu..."
She murmured his name. The lake in her heart, frozen until now, seemed to have been struck by a pebble, sending ripples spreading across its surface.
After leaving the academy, Yu Tianyu didn't return to the dorm. Instead, he went straight to the largest apothecary in Heaven Dou City.
Since he was going to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he'd need more than just the token. He also needed containers and other tools. He could devour some things, but some Immortal Herbs had such potent medicinal properties that they had to be stored in special jade boxes.
"Pang Hu, I won't be back at the dorm for the next couple of days. Cover for me."
"Where are you going this time, Brother Yu? Are you going to see Dugu Yan?"
"Kids shouldn't pry into adults' business. I'll bring you back something nice."
After sending Pang Hu off, Yu Tianyu glanced at the darkening sky, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Tomorrow was the day he'd leave for Sunset Forest.
That place held more than just his opportunity. It was where he would truly begin his path of "Dragon Slaying."
"Ice Dragon King, Fire Dragon King... I'm coming to the place where your bones lie buried."
Before you continue