A Gift

"Could you tell me what kind of training you do?" Dugu Bo asked.

"Nothing special," Yu Hong replied. "I just run with weights every day, lift weights, hit a punching bag, and eat some special food."

"Special food?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow.

"Soul Beast meat," Yu Hong answered. "I've eaten Soul Beast meat every day for five years."

Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed slightly.

Soul Beast meat every day, for five years?

That was no ordinary feat.

Though Soul Beast meat was nutritious, it was expensive. Ordinary people couldn't afford it.

As expected of someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

"Little Brother Yu Hong, I admire your perseverance and hard work," Dugu Bo said earnestly. "Given time, you're sure to become a powerful Soul Master."

Having a useless Martial Soul wasn't the end of the world. With hard work and a bit of luck, one could still leap over the dragon gate.

There had been several such cases throughout history. They were rare, but they proved that even the useless could grow strong.

Dugu Bo was certain that Yu Hong would become a powerful figure in his own right one day.

"Thank you for the praise, Senior," Yu Hong said politely.

Dugu Xin listened nearby, his feelings complicated.

He had grown up in luxury, with everything he could want. He had never known hardship.

But Yu Hong?

He trained with weights every day and ate Soul Beast meat, keeping it up day after day without fail.

He couldn't hold a candle to that kind of perseverance and self-discipline.

"Little Brother Yu Hong." Dugu Xin stepped in front of him and said earnestly, "I learned a lot from our spar today. From now on, I'm going to train hard like you and stop slacking off."

Yu Hong looked at Dugu Xin, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Then I'll look forward to seeing your progress."

"It's a promise!" Dugu Xin held out his hand. "Let's seal it with a high five!"

Yu Hong raised his hand and slapped Dugu Xin's palm.

"Smack!"

The crisp sound of their high five echoed across the clearing.

Dugu Bo watched them, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

It seemed bringing his son out for a trial had been the right call.

Meeting a friend like Yu Hong would do Dugu Xin a world of good.

"All right, our spar is over," Dugu Bo said. "We should get moving. The Seven-Star Begonia should be deeper in the forest, so we'd better hurry."

"Yes, Father," Dugu Xin replied.

The three packed up and continued deeper into the forest.

The three pressed farther into the forest. They encountered quite a few Soul Beasts along the way, but with Dugu Bo leading, every one of them fled in fright.

After about two hours, the trees ahead began to thin, and an open mountain valley came into view.

At the center of the valley lay a small lake. Its water was crystal clear, and sunlight shimmered across its surface.

Along the lakeshore grew a patch of flowers in a riot of colors.

Each flower had seven petals in seven colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet. They were breathtakingly beautiful.

"The Seven-Star Begonia!" Dugu Xin's eyes lit up. "Father, we found it!"

Dugu Bo nodded, a pleased smile spreading across his face.

"That's right, the Seven-Star Begonia. And there's plenty of it—more than enough for us."

Yu Hong gazed at the patch of Seven-Star Begonias, marveling at the sight.

The Seven-Star Begonia was a rare spirit plant with an exceptionally difficult-to-counter poison.

"Little Brother Yu Hong, we were able to find the Seven-Star Begonia so easily thanks to your help." Dugu Bo turned to him. "I, Dugu Bo, won't forget this kindness."

"You're too kind, Senior Dugu." Yu Hong shook his head. "I was only passing through. I didn't really help."

"Don't say that," Dugu Bo said with a smile. "Without you, we might have wandered around the forest for several more days."

He went to the lakeside and carefully picked more than a dozen Seven-Star Begonias, placing them in a specially made jade box.

Once he had finished picking them, Dugu Bo walked back to Yu Hong and took a small cloth pouch from inside his robe.

"Little Brother Yu Hong, this is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."

Yu Hong took the pouch and opened it. Inside was a plant that gave off a faint glow.

The plant was golden all over, its leaves marked with fine veins. It looked extraordinary.

"This is..." Yu Hong looked surprised.

"Golden Vein Ginseng," Dugu Bo explained. "It can strengthen your meridians and speed up your Soul Power cultivation. It's not as precious as the Seven-Star Begonia, but it should be a great help at your current level."

Yu Hong froze for a moment, then hurriedly refused. "Senior Dugu, this is far too valuable. I can't accept it."

"Take it," Dugu Bo said, waving a hand. "You helped us, so this is what you deserve. Besides, I believe in your potential. Consider it an investment in you."

Yu Hong hesitated as he met Dugu Bo's gaze, but in the end, he accepted the Golden Vein Ginseng.

"Thank you, Senior Dugu."

"Think nothing of it," Dugu Bo said with a smile. "You're welcome to visit my home sometime. It's in..."

"I certainly will."

Dugu Xin watched, puzzled, but didn't ask about it just then.

The three rested in the valley for a while, then started back.

Once they left the forest, Dugu Bo and his son said goodbye to Yu Hong.

"Until we meet again, Little Brother Yu Hong," Dugu Bo said, cupping his hands.

"Until we meet again," Yu Hong replied with a salute.

"Yu Hong, next time we meet, I'm going to challenge you to another spar!" Dugu Xin clenched his fist, his eyes full of fighting spirit.

"Anytime," Yu Hong said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Dugu Bo and his son turned and left, soon disappearing from sight.

As they walked home, Dugu Xin finally couldn't hold back his question. "Father, why did you give Yu Hong the Golden Vein Ginseng? That's a very precious spirit plant."

Dugu Bo glanced at his son and smiled. "What do you think of Yu Hong?"

Dugu Xin thought it over before answering seriously. "He's strong—much stronger than me. And he's incredibly determined. He's trained day after day for five years. I couldn't manage that kind of self-discipline."

"What else?"

"And..." Dugu Xin furrowed his brow. "His Martial Soul looks useless, but I have a feeling there's more to it than that."

Dugu Bo nodded, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes.

"You're right. Yu Hong's Martial Soul is indeed no ordinary one."

"Father, do you know what his Martial Soul is?" Dugu Xin asked curiously.

"No," Dugu Bo said, shaking his head. "But I can sense that his Martial Soul contains an extremely powerful force. That power even makes me feel a trace of pressure."

Dugu Xin was shocked. "But, Father, you're a Soul Douluo. How could the Martial Soul of an eleven-level Soul Master make you feel pressured?"