Yu Tianheng Loses His Fighting Spirit (Seeking Monthly Votes!)

Three days later, Yu Tianheng returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

When Yu Tianheng arrived back at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he seemed as though his spine had been extracted, stripped of his former high spirits and vigor.

He used to walk with his head held high, radiating an air of unshakeable dominance; every step he took was firm and powerful, as if the very ground beneath his feet were bowing in submission.

But now, returning in defeat, he walked with his head bowed, as if his neck could no longer support the weight of his skull. His steps were unsteady and dragging, each one landing soft and powerless, as if treading on cotton.

His eyes were hollow and lost, his hair hung messily over his forehead, and his once-straight back was slightly hunched, completely devoid of his former vitality.

After returning to his room, he sat by the window in a daze, remaining there for the entire day, staring blankly outside, indifferent to everything as if the entire world had nothing to do with him.

"Tianheng, it's already been a day. Are you going to keep sitting like this?" His father, Yu Feilong, finally couldn't hold back.

Although Yu Tianheng was shrouded in a low-pressure gloom, he wasn't so far gone that he would ignore his father.

His voice was as raspy as sandpaper rubbing together, "Father, I have disgraced the clan. I overestimated myself and went to provoke others, only to end up suffering a crushing defeat in front of everyone. It would be one thing if I just embarrassed myself, but I brought shame upon the clan. Not only are outsiders laughing at our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but even those within the clan..."

"I know, they must be laughing at me, just like they did with Uncle back then. And they're laughing at you, too, for having a good-for-nothing son like me. And Grandfather—Tianheng is unfilial, causing his decisions to be questioned..."

Before he could finish, he buried his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Watching his son in such a dejected state, Yu Feilong felt a mix of anger, heartache, and anxiety. The words reached his lips, but he swallowed them back, having no idea what to say.

He knew that Yu Tianheng had been surrounded by halos like "Blue Lightning Twin Stars" and "heir-apparent to the clan" since childhood, burdened by the weight of reviving the family; deep down, he cared more about the clan's reputation than anyone else.

This crushing defeat had plunged him into a state of self-denial, convinced that he was a disgrace to the clan.

"Does sitting here sighing stop others from laughing?"

A low, majestic voice suddenly came from in front of Yu Tianheng, startling him into looking up abruptly.

Yu Yuanzhen was standing by the window, his somewhat cloudy but piercing eyes fixed upon him.

"Grandfather..."

Yu Tianheng was at a loss, wanting to bury his head again, "I..."

He wanted to say "I was wrong," and "I disgraced the clan."

But the words were stuck in his throat, and instead, his eyes turned red.

Yu Yuanzhen broke from his usual sternness, walked slowly to the steps at the doorway, and tapped the ground gently: "Sit with Grandfather for a while."

Yu Feilong, being sensible, walked away to leave the space to the two of them.

Yu Tianheng hesitated for a moment before slowly sitting beside Yu Yuanzhen, his hands gripping his hem tightly, waiting for his grandfather's scolding.

But Yu Yuanzhen did not rebuke him; instead, he asked softly: "Tianheng, tell Grandfather, on that arena that day, were you truly unable to defeat that boy named Xing Tian?"

Yu Tianheng froze, looking up at Yu Yuanzhen, only to find no reproach in his grandfather's eyes, only sincerity.

He then replied in a low voice: "Yes, I was no match for him at all. His fist techniques were cunning and ruthless, every move a killing blow, and his transitions were so fluid that I could barely find an opening."

"His close-combat ability completely crushed me. If the Three Education Commissioners hadn't stepped in to ensure it remained a standard soul duel, I might have been crippled before I could even trade a few blows."

"But that isn't the most terrifying part; it's his physical body and his dark elements."

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul is a True Dragon martial soul. Although I haven't mastered Dragon Transformation yet, through Martial Soul Possession, I possess a physical body that surpasses most soul masters of my level. In this regard, even those from the Clear Sky Sect cannot compare to us."

"Yet, that Xing Tian completely suppressed my strength. When he clamped onto my wrist, I was almost unable to move and had to rely on the explosive power of my lightning attribute to force him off. Even when I landed a direct hit, it didn't cause any significant damage."

"And his dark elements—they were so powerful it was eerie. They could invade my body during close combat, eroding and disrupting my soul power. Even more bizarrely, his dark elements could devour the lightning I channeled onto him."

As he spoke, Yu Tianheng couldn't help but swallow, his eyes unfocused, "And his soul skills... facing that move, beyond the darkness, there was death. It was the first time I felt fear..."

Yu Yuanzhen asked: "Then what were you thinking during the battle? Were you thinking about how to break his moves, or were you thinking, 'I am a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, I absolutely cannot lose'?"

Yu Tianheng didn't understand what Yu Yuanzhen meant, feeling there was no difference between the two, but after thinking about it, he replied: "The latter. I felt..."

Before Yu Tianheng could finish, Yu Yuanzhen interrupted him.

"The most important reason you lost so miserably is that you cared too much about the clan's face. I suspect that the moment you engaged, you panicked so much you forgot how to even throw a punch."

Yu Tianheng was stunned, his eyes turning red: "But Grandfather, I did disgrace the clan! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon has never lost so miserably before! I..."

"Do not cry!"

Yu Yuanzhen's voice suddenly rose, carrying the majesty of thunder, "You are a descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon! The grandson of the Lightning Douluo Yu Yuanzhen! Tears are not for 'disgrace,' they are for 'incompetence'! Are you truly incompetent?"

He grabbed Yu Tianheng's hand, exposing the calluses on his palms.

"You have been cultivating since you awakened your martial soul at six, with an Innate Soul Power exceeding level eight. You broke through to become a Soul Grand Master at nine—you are stronger than your father, stronger than any of your uncles! You have even begun to catch up to Tianxin. All of this was earned through your own blood and sweat; it has nothing to do with the 'clan's face,' it is your own ability, Yu Tianheng!"

"You lost this time because you were too impatient, too desperate to prove that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is the world's number one beast martial soul. But a loss is just a loss; it has nothing to do with the clan. This was your own battle, Yu Tianheng, and it is unrelated to the clan."

Yu Yuanzhen's words were like a thunderbolt, striking Yu Tianheng's heart.

He had always felt that his wins and losses concerned the honor of the entire clan, which was why he was in such agony after losing, feeling like a sinner.

But his grandfather said this was just his own battle, and it had nothing to do with the clan...

"Grandfather..." Yu Tianheng looked at Yu Yuanzhen, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Do you think that just because I am a Title Douluo, I have never lost?"

Yu Yuanzhen smiled, his tone softening, "When I was young, I had a duel with the former Clear Sky Sect leader, Tang Wei. By then, I had already mastered Dragon Transformation, yet I still lost, and he even hammered many of my dragon scales off. At the time, people said the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was nothing special, that while we were both 'number one in the world,' we couldn't compare to the Clear Sky Hammer. Guess what I did?"