Sunset Forest

"Yu Tianheng! Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Soul Power: Level Nine!" The Awakening Master's voice trembled with excitement.

Yu Yuanzhen slapped the table and sprang to his feet, his face alight with excitement.

But no one noticed that Yu Luomian, standing closest to Yu Yuanzhen, had turned ashen.

Damn it, he's actually one level higher than Tianlei. Once he grows up, he'll be just like me, held down by that bastard Yu Yuanzhen.

No! I can't accept this. I still have to work with Spirit Hall. I won't let my son suffer the same fate!

At the same time, Yu Tianlei's face had also darkened, and his thoughts were much the same as his father's.

Bastard! Why is this bastard higher-level than me? How infuriating! Couldn't he just meekly bow at my feet? Why does he have to be a whole level above me?

No one in the hall noticed their expressions. Everyone was simply cheering that their clan had produced another genius who could reach the Titled Douluo rank.

After the cheering died down, the awakening ceremony continued.

The Awakening Master called out again.

"Yu Tianshuo."

At the sound of the name, the hall fell silent. But after a while, no one had come forward, and at last someone realized something was wrong.

The children below the stage began whispering among themselves.

"Who's that? He dares to be late on awakening day?"

"I know him. He's Yu Tianheng's brother—the one whose mother was a maid."

"Oh, right, I remember now. I even went with Brother Lei to beat that kid up once."

"Yeah, my father was afraid the clan leader would blame him, so he came and scolded me. But it turns out no one cares. After that, Father stopped caring about me bullying him, too."

Just then, Yu Yuanzhen released the pressure of his Soul Power from the stage and said, "Quiet!"

Once the noise had died away, he continued, "Go find him. He dares to be late on such an important day? After the awakening, punish him by not letting him eat for three days."

With that, Yu Yuanzhen withdrew his Soul Power pressure and waited for word from the servants.

Time passed, second by second, until a servant ran up to the clan leader, his face full of panic, and fell to his knees. "Clan leader, Yu Tianshuo is missing."

At that, Yu Yuanzhen's face turned black as the bottom of a pot, while Yu Luomian beside him struggled so hard to hold back his laughter that his stomach hurt.

"Then what are you still standing here for? Go look for him!" Yu Yuanzhen rose and strode out of the ancestral hall without looking back.

Yu Luomian's mocking voice came from behind him. "Clan leader, you haven't announced the end of the awakening ceremony yet."

Hearing the mockery in the other man's voice, Yu Yuanzhen's face darkened even further. He didn't reply, simply walking straight out of the ancestral hall.

Yu Tianshuo had no idea of the chaos his disappearance had caused.

By then, he had already managed to escape. He was running along the river toward Sunset Forest.

"Haah, haah, haah..." Yu Tianshuo panted as he ran on without stopping.

At the fork up ahead, turn left. Then go straight until I see the warning sign, and I'll be at Sunset Forest. Yu Tianshuo silently repeated the route to himself, not daring to let up for even a moment.

But he hadn't noticed the Soul Beast quietly following him from behind.

Yu Tianshuo kept running. He passed the fork and sprinted onward until he spotted the sign reading "Warning: Sunset Forest Ahead." Only then did he stop to catch his breath.

But right then, the Soul Beast stalking him struck!

"Whoosh—!" The attack came swift and fierce, aimed straight at the back of Yu Tianshuo's heart.

Yu Tianshuo reacted quickly. The moment he heard the wind, he abruptly twisted aside, narrowly dodging the fatal blow.

But although he'd avoided the vital spot, the attack still struck his arm.

Two bloody holes appeared in his arm.

Yu Tianshuo endured the pain, steadied himself, and faced the Soul Beast.

"To think I'd run into a Golden Armored Dragon..." Yu Tianshuo thought to himself. "Judging by the length of its tail, it can't be more than six hundred years old."

Yu Tianshuo had no intention of fleeing. On the contrary, a powerful killing intent welled up inside him.

The two stabs from the Golden Armored Dragon had happened to trigger the Tycoon Armor, pushing his Soul Power to level ten.

"Good! Since you've delivered yourself to my door, I'll make you my first Soul Ring!" As Yu Tianshuo spoke, his hands began transforming into dragon claws, and the Dragon Might of his Golden Scale Dragon Martial Soul emerged.

The sudden Dragon Might made the Golden Armored Dragon, which had dared to ambush him just moments before, start trembling.

Yu Tianshuo couldn't help but feel pleased at the sight. He'd thought a fierce battle was coming, but his opponent had already lost its nerve before the fight even began.

Without the slightest hesitation, he thrust both hands forward and attacked the Golden Armored Dragon's head.

Though Dragon Might held the Golden Armored Dragon down so completely that it couldn't move, its fear of death awakened its instinct to survive.

It curled up desperately, hoping to use the hard golden armor on its back to withstand Yu Tianshuo's fierce attack.

But it was all in vain.

With a sharp "crack," the Golden Armored Dragon's vaunted defenses proved utterly useless against Yu Tianshuo's dragon claws, which tore straight through them.

Seeing this, Yu Tianshuo pressed his advantage without mercy. His left hand clamped around the Golden Armored Dragon's body like an iron vice, while his right hand lunged like a hungry tiger and plunged into its heart.

In that single grab and pull, the Golden Armored Dragon didn't even have time to scream before all signs of life left its body.

As the Golden Armored Dragon died, a yellow Soul Ring rose from its body.

Yu Tianshuo ignored the Soul Ring for now. First, he tore off the sleeve covering his wounded arm and began bandaging the injury.

With the Golden Scale Dragon's recovery ability, it won't take long for my arm to mostly heal. And I don't need to worry about other Soul Beasts coming. The weak ones won't dare, and the strong ones can't escape.

After bandaging his wound, Yu Tianshuo sat cross-legged where he was and began regulating his breathing.

Once his arm had mostly healed, Yu Tianshuo opened his eyes.

He took a deep breath and used his Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring toward himself, slowly bringing it closer.

The absorption went smoothly—so smoothly it was almost surprising.

The Soul Power within the Soul Ring was like an obedient child, merging into Yu Tianshuo's body without the slightest resistance, as if it had always belonged there.

Yu Tianshuo rose to his feet and moved his body, feeling the surging power within him. Satisfied, he nodded and released his first Soul Skill.

"First Soul Skill, Golden Dragon Transformation!"

His entire body was instantly covered in golden scales that glittered brilliantly, making him look like a mighty golden dragon.

Not only that, but Yu Tianshuo's body grew taller in an instant. His muscles swelled, brimming with strength, and his aura grew sharper, making him seem like a ferocious beast.

As Yu Tianshuo was feeling the power his Soul Skill had brought him, clear, ringing applause suddenly came from behind a tree.

He spun around and looked toward the sound. A figure slowly emerged from behind the tree, his dark green hair and emerald-like eyes radiating an oppressive presence.

"Not bad, kid. Would you be interested in taking me as your master?" he asked.