His constitution was only average. Whether he could withstand the impact of a six-hundred-year Soul Ring was still an unknown.
"Xiaogang, absorbing a Soul Ring is no game." Yu Yuanzhen spoke gravely. "Just because Yu Hong can absorb a six-hundred-year Soul Ring doesn't mean you can. Everyone's constitution is different. You can't risk your life."
"Father!" Yu Xiaogang cried, agitated. "How can you say that? I'm your son. Am I really not as good as that good-for-nothing?"
"That's not what I mean." Yu Yuanzhen sighed. "I just hope you'll know your limits. A four-hundred-year Soul Ring is already your limit. Six hundred years... is too risky."
"No! I want a six-hundred-year one!" Yu Xiaogang insisted. "Father, just let me try! If I don't even have this much courage, how will I beat Yu Hong in the duel two years from now?"
Yu Yuanzhen looked at the stubborn determination in his son's eyes, his heart a tangled mess.
He knew that if he didn't let Yu Xiaogang try, the boy would carry that knot in his heart forever.
"Fine." Yu Yuanzhen finally relented. "I'll have the Soul Hunting team help you find a lightning-attribute Soul Beast around six hundred years old. But if you feel you can't take it, you must stop immediately. Understood?"
"Understood!" Yu Xiaogang exclaimed with delight. "Thank you, Father!"
Early the next morning, Yu Xiaogang set out with the Soul Hunting team Yu Yuanzhen had arranged.
This team was much larger than the one that had accompanied Yu Hong. There were eight people in all, led by a man in his forties named Yu Leiting. He was a renowned powerhouse of the clan, with Soul Power that had already reached level forty.
"Little Young Master, what kind of Soul Beast would you like to hunt in the Soul Hunting Forest?" Yu Leiting asked respectfully.
Yu Xiaogang lifted his chin, looking every bit the arrogant young master. "I want a lightning-attribute Soul Beast that's at least six hundred years old!"
Yu Leiting's expression shifted slightly. "Six hundred years? Little Young Master, wouldn't that be too risky?"
"Risky?" Yu Xiaogang sneered. "That good-for-nothing Yu Hong could absorb a six-hundred-year Soul Ring. I'm the clan leader's son. Am I really not as good as him?"
Yu Leiting opened his mouth, wanting to persuade him, but when he saw Yu Xiaogang's unyielding expression, he swallowed his words.
"Yes, Little Young Master."
The group entered the Soul Hunting Forest.
Unlike the trip with Yu Hong, this time they headed straight for the gathering grounds of lightning-attribute Soul Beasts deep in the forest.
The Soul Beasts in this area were generally fierce, and there were many of them. It was the clan's main source of lightning-attribute Soul Rings.
"Little Young Master, lightning-attribute Soul Beasts tend to be irritable and highly aggressive," Yu Leiting explained as they walked. "Those over six hundred years old are even more ferocious. We'll have to be careful."
Yu Xiaogang impatiently waved a hand. "I know, I know. Just take me to the Soul Beasts. You don't need to keep prattling on."
Yu Leiting sighed helplessly and continued leading the way.
On the first day, they found a five-hundred-year-old Thunder Wolf.
The enormous wolf was wreathed in crackling arcs of electricity. It was as big as an ox and looked imposing.
"Little Young Master, what do you think of this Thunder Wolf?" Yu Leiting asked. "At five hundred years old, it should be a good fit for you."
Yu Xiaogang glanced at it and shook his head. "No. It's too weak. I want one that's over six hundred years old!"
Yu Leiting furrowed his brow but nodded in agreement.
The next day, they found a five-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Thunder Leopard.
The Thunder Leopard was incredibly fast. Its fur shimmered with a faint electric glow in the sunlight, making it look quite beautiful.
"Little Young Master, this Thunder Leopard is excellent quality, and five hundred and fifty years is already quite old..."
"No!" Yu Xiaogang rejected it again. "I told you, I want one that's over six hundred years old! Can't you understand plain speech?"
Yu Leiting's expression darkened, but he held his tongue.
After all, this was the clan leader's son. He couldn't afford to offend him.
On the third and fourth days, they found several more Soul Beasts, but Yu Xiaogang rejected them all.
Either they weren't old enough, or he didn't like the species.
Yu Leiting and the other team members were at a loss, but they could only keep searching.
On the fifth day, they finally made a new discovery.
"Little Young Master, there's a lightning-attribute Soul Beast up ahead. It should be over six hundred years old!" one of the team members exclaimed as he hurried back.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up. "Where? Take me to see it!"
The group followed the team member through a dense thicket and arrived at a clearing.
At the center of the clearing, a massive Soul Beast lay resting on the ground.
It was an enormous lizard, its body covered in deep-purple scales. Arcs of electricity flickered between them from time to time.
Two long feelers rose from its head, each tipped with a dazzling ball of electricity. They looked astonishingly powerful.
"Thunder Lizard!" Yu Leiting exclaimed under his breath. "And judging by its size... it must be at least six hundred and fifty years old!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes immediately lit up.
A six-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Thunder Lizard!
Thirty years older than Yu Hong's Sun-Day Dragon Lizard!
"That's the one!" Yu Xiaogang said excitedly.
Yu Leiting's expression, however, grew grave.
"Little Young Master, this Thunder Lizard is too old," Yu Leiting said solemnly. "With your current constitution, you'll probably have a hard time withstanding a six-hundred-and-fifty-year Soul Ring."
"What do you mean?" Yu Xiaogang glared at Yu Leiting in displeasure. "Are you saying I'm not as good as that good-for-nothing Yu Hong?"
"That's not what I mean." Yu Leiting patiently explained, "Yu Hong could absorb a six-hundred-and-twenty-year Soul Ring because his constitution is special. For the past four years, he's trained at high intensity every day. His physical fitness is far beyond that of his peers. But you..."
"But what about me?" Yu Xiaogang cut him off. "I've been training like mad this past month, too! My constitution is no worse than his!"
Yu Leiting sighed. "Little Young Master, there's a huge difference between training for a month and training for four years. I suggest choosing a younger Soul Beast, like that five-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Thunder Leopard..."
"No!" Yu Xiaogang stubbornly shook his head. "I want this Thunder Lizard! Knock it unconscious for me. I'm going to absorb its Soul Ring!"
"Little Young Master..."
"I said I'm going to absorb it!" Yu Xiaogang roared. "Are you planning to defy my orders? Believe me, I'll tell my father when we get back and have him drive every one of you out of the clan!"
Yu Leiting's expression turned ugly.
The other team members exchanged uneasy looks, unsure what to do.
"Captain Yu, why don't we... just let the Little Young Master try?" one team member said quietly. "If he can't take it, we can always help him interrupt the absorption."
Before you continue