Yu Luomian's Scheming

A brand-new dragon-type Martial Soul, one that had never appeared in history.

What did this mean?

It meant the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan might be about to enter an unprecedented era.

As for Yu Xiaogang, he had already erased that name from the map of his future.

He hadn't even considered comforting that son, much less saving a shred of face for him in front of the clan.

Yu Luomian returned to his courtyard, the smile on his face not yet fully faded.

Today's competition had been truly satisfying.

Seeing his elder brother's livid face, seeing Yu Xiaogang looking so wretched, had filled his heart with indescribable pleasure.

"Haha, elder brother, oh, elder brother. Your precious son, whom you raised for twelve years, ended up wetting his pants in fright." Yu Luomian muttered to himself, unable to suppress the smile tugging at his lips. "Well, that settles it. Yu Xiaogang will never become clan leader in this lifetime."

He went into his study, sat down in a chair, and began to think things through carefully.

Yu Hong's Martial Soul had evolved into the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. What did that mean?

It meant Yu Hong's future was limitless.

A Soul Douluo? That was only the beginning.

With the potential of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Yu Hong could very well become a Titled Douluo one day.

And Yu Luomian had been supporting Yu Hong since six years ago. He could be called Yu Hong's greatest backer.

As long as Yu Hong didn't forget where he came from, Yu Luomian's standing in the clan would surely rise with the tide.

But support alone wasn't enough.

Yu Luomian narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind already scheming.

He needed to bind Yu Hong to his side completely, to make him one of his own.

How?

The simplest and most effective way was marriage.

At the thought, a figure appeared in Yu Luomian's mind.

Liu Erlong.

She was his illegitimate daughter. At eleven years old, she was one year younger than Yu Hong.

Liu Erlong's mother was a woman he had met outside the clan when he was young. Her status was low, so Liu Erlong had never been brought back to the clan; she had lived outside with her mother instead.

But Liu Erlong's talent was exceptional.

When she awakened her Martial Soul at six, her Innate Soul Power had already reached rank eight. Her Martial Soul was a Fire Dragon, a rare Mutated Martial Soul of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

(There isn't much to use as reference, so the author made it up based on a gut feeling.)

Yu Luomian had been keeping an eye on Liu Erlong's growth in secret and providing her with cultivation resources, but he had never publicly acknowledged her identity.

After all, with talent like Liu Erlong's, it would have been a terrible waste not to nurture her properly.

Now it was time for Liu Erlong to serve a purpose.

"If I can get Yu Hong and Erlong together..." Yu Luomian murmured, a gleam flashing in his eyes.

Yu Hong had the Blue-Eyes White Dragon Martial Soul, and Liu Erlong had the Fire Dragon Martial Soul. Both had dragon-type Martial Souls. They were a match made in heaven.

Besides, once Yu Hong and Liu Erlong became husband and wife, Yu Hong would be completely on Yu Luomian's side.

By then, with Yu Hong's strength and potential, along with Yu Luomian's connections and influence within the clan, seizing the position of clan leader would be a piece of cake.

"Haha, elder brother, just you wait." Yu Luomian chuckled under his breath. "The position of clan leader will be mine sooner or later."

He stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the night sky outside, his eyes full of ambition and anticipation.

Tomorrow, he would send someone to bring Liu Erlong here.

First, he would have Yu Hong and Liu Erlong meet and let them cultivate some affection.

Young people, after all—they were at the age when their hearts first stirred. They only needed to spend more time together, and feelings would come naturally.

Besides, they were both still young. This was the perfect time for them to grow close.

"That girl Erlong is pretty, and she has a good personality. Yu Hong should like her," Yu Luomian thought confidently.

He had already begun to picture the wonderful future ahead.

Yu Hong would become a Titled Douluo, Liu Erlong would become Yu Hong's wife, and Yu Luomian would become the new clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

When that day came, who would dare look down on him?

"Father, I'll show you that I'm the one who can lead the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to glory," Yu Luomian said to himself.

Yu Luomian stood by the window, the night breeze stirring his robes and carrying his thoughts back to many years ago.

Back then, he had still been young.

His elder brother, Yu Yuanzhen, was recognized as a prodigy in the clan. He had awakened the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul at six, with Innate Soul Power at full rank, and had surged ahead to become a legendary figure throughout the clan and even the Soul Master World.

Everyone said Yu Yuanzhen was a once-in-a-century genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, destined to lead the clan to glory.

The old clan leader, their father, had poured all his effort and resources into his elder brother.

And what about him?

He had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul too, with Innate Soul Power at rank seven. In any ordinary Soul Master clan, that would have made him a genius.

But beneath his elder brother's brilliance, he was like a dim star, completely obscured by the light of the bright moon.

No one paid attention to him. No one valued him.

Whenever his father brought him up, he always wore an expression of exasperated disappointment.

"Look at your elder brother, then look at yourself! You have the same Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, so how can the gap between you be this great?"

"Luomian, you need to work harder. Don't bring shame on the clan."

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has no use for trash. Either catch up to your elder brother, or stay put and stop embarrassing yourself."

He had heard those words from childhood.

At first, he had tried too.

He had cultivated desperately, hoping to catch up with his elder brother and earn his father's approval.

But no matter how hard he worked, his elder brother always stayed one step ahead.

When he broke through to Soul Elder, his elder brother was already a Soul Ancestor.

When he broke through to Soul Ancestor, his elder brother was already a Soul King.

He was always chasing, yet he could never catch up.

That sense of helplessness, of being ignored, compared, and rejected, was like countless fine needles piercing his heart, day after day.

Later, he gradually gave up.

He no longer hoped to earn his father's approval, nor did he try to catch up with his elder brother.

He began to indulge in drink and women, carousing outside the clan to numb himself.

It had taken a long time for him to pull himself together.

Yu Luomian took a deep breath, forcing those churning memories down.

He turned, walked to the desk, picked up a pen, and wrote a letter on a blank sheet of paper.

The letter was simple: he told the person he had assigned to bring Liu Erlong over under the pretext of nurturing her as a promising clan talent.

He put down the pen, sealed the letter, and summoned a trusted subordinate to deliver it.

"Set out first thing tomorrow morning and bring her here."

The subordinate took the letter and respectfully withdrew.

Meanwhile, at Yu Hong's residence.

After the competition, Yu Hong had politely declined Yu Luomian's invitation and returned to his room alone.

He needed to carefully feel the changes brought by his Martial Soul's evolution.

In the room, Yu Hong sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into his body.