On the outskirts of Sunset Forest, Yu Tianjiao, dressed in a black outfit, jumped down from the carriage.
Accompanying him on this trip to hunt a magical beast was the second-in-command of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianjiao's uncle, Yu Luomian.
Yu Tianjiao took a deep breath of the air around him, tinged with the earthy, grassy scent of the forest. His eyes shone with excitement and anticipation.
Behind him, Yu Luomian, a burly man with a stern face, studied Yu Tianjiao's back with a meaningful look.
His young nephew had suddenly regained his talent and, in such a short time, reached Soul Power level ten again. It had genuinely startled him.
Though he knew his elder brother had indeed gathered some Immortal Herbs over the years, refining them would still take quite a while.
At least in his view, less than a month was absolutely not enough.
But this boy had not only possessed Innate Full Soul Power at level 20, his Martial Soul, the Ancient Void Dragon, could even suppress a top-tier Martial Soul like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
Heaven's gift of such a child to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was surely a blessing for the family.
In his and his elder brother Yu Yuanzhen's eyes, the future of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan rested with Yu Tianjiao.
To put it plainly, the two of them hoped Yu Tianjiao would pair with a woman in the clan who possessed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. That might allow them to improve and strengthen the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and then Yu Tianjiao's children could carry on the same way.
Given enough time, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would surely be able to stand atop the continent, relying on its powerful Martial Soul.
Unfortunately, none of the outstanding women in the clan who were Yu Tianjiao's age could measure up to him.
Fortunately, there was indeed a relatively suitable choice among his peers.
His illegitimate daughter, Liu Erlong.
Because of Liu Erlong's status, he had never dared bring her back to the family.
Only after Yu Tianjiao was adopted by Yu Yuanzhen did he seize the opportunity to bring Liu Erlong back to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan as his adopted daughter.
Over the years, he had watched Liu Erlong care for Yu Tianjiao and seen the two grow ever closer.
As her father and his uncle, he had witnessed it all.
But he didn't think there was anything wrong with that. In fact, he wanted to bring them together.
After all, compared with that useless nephew who had once tricked his family's precious cabbage, this talented, handsome nephew with no blood relation to her suited his taste far better.
As it happened, he had his genius nephew to thank for this. Back then, Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong had only traveled the continent together; their relationship hadn't become particularly close.
After he brought Liu Erlong back to the family, he realized that his "little cabbage" seemed to have caught the eye of a useless freeloader. He promptly made their cousin relationship clear.
At the time, Liu Erlong had indeed been drawn to Yu Xiaogang's "profound" knowledge and thought well of him. But once she learned who he was, she lost interest. Then she saw her adorable little brother, as cute as a carved figurine, and turned her attention straight to Yu Tianjiao.
But Yu Tianjiao had been young then. He had no idea that what he knew about Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang hadn't actually gone as far as he thought. Even now, he still believed that his beloved older sister had remained single for years because of his good-for-nothing older brother.
That misunderstanding existed only in his mind, so of course no one else knew about it. From Yu Luomian's perspective as an elder, the pair were simply still in a relatively proper brother-sister relationship.
He couldn't very well tell the two children, "I think you'd make a good couple. Why don't you give it some thought?"
Still, no matter how he looked at it, his daughter was getting on in years, and he worried his nephew might not be interested in her.
Little did he know that his beloved genius nephew had already decided to make a move on his eldest daughter.
"Second Uncle, I'll have to count on you this time. I really can't beat a five-thousand-year-old Sub-Dragon Species magical beast."
Yu Tianjiao hadn't noticed the deep look in his uncle's eyes. But he was naturally likable, and thanks to Liu Erlong, he and his uncle were on excellent terms. So he didn't hesitate to ask for help.
"Tianjiao, are you sure you want one that's five thousand years old?"
Though they had already discussed the target of the Soul Beast hunt on the way, Yu Luomian was still worried for his nephew—and future son-in-law. He hesitated, then asked anyway.
Yu Tianjiao merely grinned and thumped his chest, producing a muffled thud.
"Don't worry, Second Uncle. You know how tough I am. I still have the foundation of a Soul Ancestor. Besides, my Martial Soul is special. The Soul Beast I absorbed for my fourth ring was six thousand years old. I'm only being cautious this time because I'm absorbing my First Soul Ring."
As he spoke, he waved his right hand, releasing the aura of the Ancient Void Dragon. A trace of ancient, overbearing pressure appeared along with it.
Feeling that pure, powerful draconic might, Yu Luomian's eyes flashed.
Every time he felt that pressure—which suppressed even the Martial Soul of a level-79 Soul Saint like himself—he grew more satisfied with the nephew heaven had sent him.
In truth, by his reckoning, Yu Tianjiao could, in a sense, be considered Liu Erlong's child husband.
It was just not something he could say outright. He still hoped his daughter and young nephew would come together naturally.
That would be best for everyone.
And as for Ning Rongrong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Hmph. She was blind to what she had. No wonder her nephew had divorced her!
If he hadn't been unable to beat Sword Douluo, he would absolutely have given him a good fight that day!
Since his nephew had asked, there was no way he, as his uncle, wouldn't get the job done.
"All right, I believe you. But stay close. Even the outskirts of Sunset Forest aren't safe."
With that, Yu Luomian shielded Yu Tianjiao behind him and strode ahead, stepping into the dense forest as if walking on level ground.
Yu Tianjiao gathered his focus and followed closely behind Yu Luomian.
His physical strength was more than enough to make his way through the rugged woods without difficulty. At the same time, he kept his mind sharply focused, sensing his surroundings.
But with Yu Luomian leading the way, they met almost no resistance in the outer area.
Half a day after entering the forest, the atmosphere around them began to change.
The air was thick with an earthy smell and a hint of sulfur. The trees grew sparse, revealing broad stretches of bare, rocky ground.
"Stop!" Yu Luomian suddenly raised a hand, fixing his gaze on an area ahead strewn with jagged boulders. "There's a big one. About five thousand years old, I'd say. Looks like a Rock Dragon."
The moment he finished speaking, the ground ahead shuddered. With a roar as deep as rolling thunder, a massive creature burst out of a huge burrow.
It looked like an enormous pangolin, but its body was covered in thick, dark-yellow rocky scales. Its limbs were stout and powerful, its claws gleaming with a metallic chill, and its tail was like a battering ram.
A short, thick horn jutted from its forehead, glowing a rich earthen yellow. A heavy aura rushed toward them.
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