Sun-Day Dragon Lizard

"Just passing by?" Yu Xiaogang sneered and walked up to Yu Hong. "Let me tell you, I'm already Level 9! It won't be long before I break through to Level 10!"

He held up a finger and wagged it in front of Yu Hong. "When we fight two years from now, you'd better surrender obediently. Otherwise, you'll get beaten to a pulp!"

Yu Hong looked at Yu Xiaogang's smug face and found it amusing.

Level 9? He was already Level 10, while this guy was still swaggering around.

"Yu Xiaogang, is there something wrong with your brain?" Yu Hong asked calmly.

Yu Xiaogang's expression changed. "What did you say?!"

"I said there's something wrong with your brain." Yu Hong repeated himself. "You actually came up with the idea of feeding your Martial Soul carrots to make its farts stinkier. Are you planning to beat me by farting in our match two years from now?"

The boys around them wore strange expressions, struggling to keep from laughing aloud.

Yu Xiaogang's face turned bright red. His hand trembled as he pointed at Yu Hong.

"You... Just you wait!" Yu Xiaogang ground his teeth. "Two years from now, I'll beat you until you're on your knees begging for mercy! I'll make you regret crossing me!"

Yu Hong couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on him and turned to leave.

Yu Xiaogang's furious shouts rang out behind him, but Yu Hong ignored them.

Why get worked up over someone who fought by farting?

In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.

The morning sun had only just risen when Yu Hong was already standing at the clan gates.

Today was the day he would obtain his first Soul Ring, and he was more excited than ever.

Before long, a five-man team appeared in front of him.

At the head of the group was a burly, thirty-something man with a resolute face and an air of steady confidence.

"You're Yu Hong?" The man looked him over and nodded. "My name is Yu Tieshan, and I'm leading this Soul Hunting team. The deputy clan leader asked me to take you to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain a Soul Ring."

"Greetings, Captain Yu." Yu Hong clasped his hands in salute.

There were four others behind Yu Tieshan, all young men in their twenties who looked like seasoned Soul Hunters.

"Let's go. We'll talk on the way." Yu Tieshan turned and led the way.

The group left the clan and headed east.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Soul Hunting Forest lay about twenty li east of the clan. It was a forest the clan had enclosed and stocked with Soul Beasts.

Large numbers of Soul Beasts lived there, mainly lightning-attribute and draconic Soul Beasts.

The clan's ancestors had captured them from all over the land and brought them here specifically to provide Soul Rings for clan members.

As they walked, Yu Tieshan briefly explained the forest's conditions.

"Most of the Soul Beasts in the forest are between a hundred and a thousand years old. Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are rare, and they've all been marked, so you can't just hunt them at will," Yu Tieshan said. "Since this is your first Soul Ring, the usual recommendation is to choose a Soul Beast between a hundred and four hundred years old."

Yu Hong nodded to show he understood.

After about an hour's walk, a dense forest appeared before them.

A huge stone stele stood at the forest entrance, with the words "Soul Hunting Forest" carved into it in forceful strokes that radiated solemn authority.

"Be careful once we're inside," Yu Tieshan cautioned. "Even though this is the clan's Soul Hunting Forest, the Soul Beasts won't go easy on you just because you're from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

Everyone answered and followed Yu Tieshan into the forest.

As soon as they entered, Yu Hong sensed an atmosphere entirely different from the outside world.

The air was thick with a wild scent, mixed with the fresh fragrance of earth and plants.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, scattering patches of dappled light across the ground.

Now and then, the roars of Soul Beasts drifted from afar, lending the forest a dangerous air.

"Yu Hong, have you decided what kind of Soul Beast you want?" Yu Tieshan asked as they walked.

Yu Hong thought for a moment. "I want a draconic Soul Beast around four hundred years old."

"A draconic Soul Beast?" Yu Tieshan looked surprised. "Isn't your Martial Soul an egg? Why choose one?"

"I think my Martial Soul is related to dragons," Yu Hong replied.

Yu Tieshan pondered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. We'll look for a draconic Soul Beast around four hundred years old. There's an area in the eastern part of the forest where they're more common."

The group changed course and headed east.

The Soul Hunting Forest was vast. It took them most of the day to reach the eastern region, where the draconic Soul Beasts lived.

The trees in this area were noticeably sparser than elsewhere, and tracks left by Soul Beasts were scattered all over the ground.

"Everyone be careful. Draconic Soul Beasts are highly territorial. If they spot us, they'll attack," Yu Tieshan warned.

Everyone stayed alert and moved cautiously through the woods.

On the first day, they found several draconic Soul Beasts, but none were the right age.

There was a three-hundred-year-old Earth Dragon Lizard that Yu Tieshan thought would do, but Yu Hong shook his head and said they should keep looking.

There was also a four-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Rock Armor Dragon that looked promising, but after seeing it, Yu Hong felt something was missing.

"You're pretty picky, kid," Yu Tieshan said helplessly. "It's only your first Soul Ring. Close enough should be good enough."

"Let's keep looking, Captain Yu," Yu Hong said. "I feel like there's something more suitable out there."

Yu Tieshan glanced at Yu Hong but said nothing more and continued leading the group in their search.

That evening, they found a relatively safe spot in the forest to set up camp and rest.

Early the next morning, they resumed their search.

They spent another half day looking.

The sun was already high overhead, and Yu Tieshan was about to suggest that Yu Hong lower his standards when one of the team members up ahead suddenly let out a low cry.

"Captain, I found something!"

Everyone hurried over.

They pushed through a thicket and emerged into an open clearing.

At its center, a Soul Beast was sprawled on a boulder, basking in the sun.

Yu Hong's gaze fell on the Soul Beast, and his eyes immediately lit up.

It resembled a giant lizard, about three meters long. It had no wings, yet somehow gave the impression that it could tread on air.

Its scales were the most striking feature.

They were translucent and milky white, smooth and lustrous like the finest mutton-fat jade, and glowed softly beneath the sunlight.

Through them, golden veins were faintly visible beneath the surface, as if liquid gold flowed through them.

A pair of short horns protruded from its head, glowing faintly. It seemed to be in a good mood.

"A Sun-Day Dragon Lizard!" Yu Tieshan exclaimed under his breath. "And judging by its size and aura... at least six hundred years old!"

He turned to Yu Hong, about to say something, only to find Yu Hong's eyes already shining.

"That's the one," Yu Hong said.