The First Soul Ring is Already a Six-Hundred-Year Sub-Dragon? Old Poisonous Creature: You're Crazy, I'm Preparing to Collect Your Corpse.

On a Saturday morning, an unremarkable carriage was parked at the entrance of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. However, if someone with a discerning eye looked closely, they would notice that the horses pulling the carriage were actually "Wind-Chasing Colts," which possessed the bloodline of century-old spirit beasts. Furthermore, the subtle green snake-shaped emblem on the carriage was enough to make any noble steer clear.

"Hurry up, stop dawdling, you're acting like a woman."

Dugu Bo's impatient voice drifted out from inside the carriage.

Yu Tianyu threw his backpack onto the carriage, jumped on with practiced ease, and plopped down beside Dugu Yan. He grinned at Dugu Bo, "Old Poison, you're awfully hot-tempered this early in the morning. Looks like you didn't sleep well last night? Is the poison acting up again, making the soles of your feet itch?"

Dugu Bo's eyelid twitched violently. He suppressed the urge to slap the kid to death and snorted coldly, closing his eyes.

Dugu Yan, blushing, quietly shifted closer to Yu Tianyu and whispered, "Are you really sure about this? That's the depths of the Sunset Forest."

"Set your heart at ease." Yu Tianyu casually pulled an apple from his backpack and took a bite, "For me, that place is just a buffet."

The carriage sped along, soon leaving Heaven Dou City behind and entering the lush, verdant Sunset Forest.

Two hours later.

The three of them stood before a valley surrounded by thick, poisonous miasma. This was Dugu Bo's lair and the location of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

"Kid, the poisonous miasma here is the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison Array I set up." Dugu Bo pointed at the black-green fog ahead, a gloating smile curling his lips, "Although you absorbed a bit of Yan Yan's poison the other day, the concentration here is a hundred times that. Without my antidote, even a Soul Grand Master would dissolve into pus upon entering. Well? Beg me, and I'll give you the antidote."

He just wanted to see this arrogant brat soften up for once.

However, Yu Tianyu merely shrugged and strode straight into the poisonous fog.

"Beg you? No need."

Dugu Bo was stunned. Just as he reached out to grab him, he witnessed a scene that made him question his entire life.

Yu Tianyu walked into the poisonous fog, but instead of holding his breath, he took a deep, long inhale, a look of intoxication appearing on his face.

"Sss—ha—"

Yu Tianyu opened his mouth, drawing in air like a whale drinking from the sea. The thick, surrounding poisonous fog actually formed a vortex, crazily surging into his mouth and nose!

Every cell in his body seemed to be cheering, and the faint "Poison Dragon" factor within him was dancing with joy.

"The taste is a bit bitter, but it makes up for it with the sheer volume." Yu Tianyu turned back and gave a thumbs-up to the dumbfounded Dugu Bo, "Old Poison, this defensive array of yours is just an appetizer for me. Thanks for the treat."

Dugu Bo's hand froze in mid-air, his mouth twitching: "A monster... this is a complete and utter monster!"

Dugu Yan covered her mouth to stifle a laugh nearby; seeing her grandfather get humbled actually felt quite satisfying.

Passing through the poison array, the scene before them suddenly opened up.

The gloomy forest vanished, replaced by an inverted cone-shaped valley. In the center of the valley, a strange hot spring was boiling.

One half was a milky-white cold spring, emitting bone-chilling cold; the other half was a vermilion hot spring, churning with intense heat. Two diametrically opposed forces converged at the center of the spring, yet they did not infringe upon each other, maintaining a delicate balance.

Around the hot spring grew countless rare flowers and herbs. Even if Yu Tianyu couldn't name them all, the rich spiritual energy alone told him that these were all priceless treasures.

"Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well..."

Yu Tianyu looked at the stunning sight, the greed in his eyes undisguised. This wasn't just an herb garden; it was a gold mine waiting to be developed!

His gaze instantly locked onto the two Immortal Herbs at the center of the spring—the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

One white, one red, they radiated a lethal temptation.

"What? Stunned?" Dugu Bo sneered, "You can pick any of the herbs here, but I'll say this first: if you can't cure our poison, I'll throw you into that spring to boil."

Yu Tianyu withdrew his gaze and shook his head, "I can't consume those two just yet."

He had self-awareness. Although his Dragon Slayer Magic physique was formidable, he hadn't obtained his first spirit ring yet, and his physical constitution was still at the "mortal" stage. Swallowing those two extreme-attribute Immortal Herbs directly would likely cause him to explode and die.

"I need to obtain a spirit ring first." Yu Tianyu turned around and looked at the forest behind him, "To strengthen my physique and increase my resistance. Only then can I withstand that kind of medicinal power."

"A spirit ring?" Dugu Bo frowned, "This is the Sunset Forest. While there are many spirit beasts, few are suitable for you. What kind are you looking for? A three or four-hundred-year-old fire-type spirit beast?"

It was widely accepted in the spirit master world that the limit for a first spirit ring was 423 years.

"No."

Yu Tianyu's gaze burned as he pointed toward a pool of water outside the valley, "I smelled a fishy scent when we passed by earlier. There's a big guy in there."

"If I'm not mistaken, that should be an 'Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon' of about six hundred years."

Dugu Bo's expression changed, and he looked at him as if he were a lunatic: "Six hundred years? And a flood dragon type? Kid, has your brain been rotted by poison?"

"The limit for a first spirit ring is around four hundred years. Say what you will, but that so-called Grandmaster's theory is correct on this point. Moreover, flood dragon-type spirit beasts possess the dragon bloodline; their physical strength is terrifying, and their resentment is even stronger. Absorbing its spirit ring is even harder than absorbing a thousand-year-old common spirit beast!"

"If you want to seek death, don't drag me into it. I don't want to collect your corpse!"

Even Dugu Yan grew anxious, tugging at Yu Tianyu's sleeve: "Tianyu! Don't be impulsive! Six hundred years is really too high!"

"Yu Xiaogang's theory?"

Yu Tianyu scoffed with disdain, "That's because he's a failure, so the theories he summarized are boundaries meant for mortals."

"And I am here to break those boundaries."

"If a Dragon Slayer Mage can't even handle a half-breed flood dragon, how can he talk about slaying dragons?"

Having said that, he ignored their attempts to stop him and walked straight toward the pool.

"A madman... truly a madman!" Dugu Bo was so angry he was blowing his beard and staring, but he followed him anyway, "Fine! I'll watch how you die! When you explode, I'll chop you up and use you as fertilizer!"

Beside the Black Water Pool.

A giant beast over five meters long was lying on the shore, basking in the sun. Its entire body was covered in iron-gray scales, a single horn grew from its head, and it had two claws on its abdomen, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.

Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon, 620 years of cultivation. Possessing extremely strong defensive capabilities and poison attacks, it is a nightmare for Spirit Masters of the same level.

"Roar--!"

Sensing the scent of a human, the Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon abruptly raised its head, fierce light flickering in its vertical pupils. It could feel that this blue-haired human before it possessed an aura that it found extremely repulsive.

It was the aura of a natural predator!

"Not bad, the scales are quite hard; they'll be perfect for strengthening my defense."

Yu Tianyu loosened his wrists. Without any wasted words, he stomped his foot and launched himself forward like a cannonball.

"Fire Dragon's--Iron Fist!"

Crimson flames instantly enveloped his fist, and with unstoppable momentum, he smashed it fiercely toward the head of the Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon.

"Bang!"

A dull thud echoed out.

The Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon's head was knocked to the side by the punch, and several scales went flying. However, it was a Sub-Dragon species after all, and its defense was astonishing. After tanking the blow, it angrily swung its tail, which whistled through the air as it lashed out at Yu Tianyu.

"What tough skin!"

Yu Tianyu used the momentum to backflip, dodging the tail sweep, but the gale force generated by the strike still stung his cheeks.

"So this is a 600-year-old flood dragon? It's certainly much stronger than that trash senior in the cafeteria."

Yet, the fighting spirit in his eyes only burned brighter.

"Fire Dragon's--Roar!"

Yu Tianyu placed his hands in front of his mouth in a trumpet shape, took a deep breath, and then unleashed it with a roar!

Boom!

A massive pillar of fire swept outward, the high temperature instantly evaporating the moisture by the pool.

Although the Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon had high defense, it was a water-poison type and naturally feared fire. Struck head-on by this flame carrying dragon might, it immediately let out a shrill, miserable shriek, its scales scorched bright red.

"Now is the time!"

Taking advantage of its obstructed vision, Yu Tianyu closed the distance again. Without using any flashy techniques, he jumped directly onto the neck of the flood dragon!

"Get down!"

His fists rained down like raindrops, each strike carrying explosive flames and heavy force.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Explosive Flame Blade!" (Simplified version)

Although he didn't have a Spirit Ring yet and couldn't release the true secret art, he relied on the unique "critical hit bonus" that Dragon Slayer Magic had against dragon-kin creatures to beat this 600-year-old behemoth until it was a bloody mess.