Sun-Day Dragon Lizard

"Just passing by?" Yu Xiaogang sneered, walking up to Yu Hong. "Let me tell you, this young master is already level 9! It won't be many days before I break through to level 10!"

He extended a finger and wagged it in front of Yu Hong: "For the tournament in two years, you'd better just admit defeat obediently, so you don't end up getting beaten too miserably!"

Yu Hong watched Yu Xiaogang's smug, arrogant face and found it laughable.

Level 9? He himself was already level 10, yet this guy was still here throwing his weight around.

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

Yu Xiaogang's expression shifted: "What did you say?!"

"I said there's something wrong with your brain," Yu Hong repeated. "Feeding your Martial Soul radishes to make its farts smell worse—you actually came up with that? Are you planning to win our match in two years by farting at me?"

The surrounding youths' expressions turned strange, holding back laughter, not daring to make a sound.

Yu Xiaogang's face flushed deep red, and the hand he used to point at Yu Hong was trembling.

"You... you just wait!" Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth. "In two years, I will definitely make you kneel and beg for mercy! I'll make you know the price of offending me!"

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

Angry shouting came from Yu Xiaogang behind him, but he turned a deaf ear to it all.

Why bother arguing with someone who fights by farting?

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

As the morning sun just began to spill down, Yu Hong was already standing at the family gate.

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

Not long after, a five-man squad appeared before him.

Leading them was a man in his thirties, burly with a resolute face, exuding an air of steady composure.

"You are Yu Hong?" The middle-aged man looked him over and nodded. "My name is Yu Tieshan, the captain of this Soul Hunting Forest squad. The Vice Patriarch asked me to take you to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain your Spirit Ring."

"Greetings, Captain Yu." Yu Hong bowed in salute.

Behind Yu Tieshan were four others, all youths in their twenties, appearing to be experienced Spirit Hunters.

"Let's go, we can talk on the way." Yu Tieshan turned to lead the way.

The group left the family estate and headed toward the east.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family's Soul Hunting Forest was located about twenty miles east of the family, a forest enclosed and managed by the clan.

It was home to a large number of Spirit Beasts, primarily those of the lightning attribute and sub-dragon species.

These Spirit Beasts had been captured from various places by the family's ancestors over generations, specifically to provide Spirit Rings for the family's descendants.

Along the way, Yu Tieshan briefly introduced the situation of the Soul Hunting Forest.

"The Spirit Beasts in the forest are mostly between one hundred and one thousand years old. Ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts are rare, and they have all been marked and cannot be hunted at will," Yu Tieshan said. "Since this is your first time obtaining a Spirit Ring, according to custom, you should choose a Spirit Beast between one hundred and four hundred years old."

Yu Hong nodded to show he understood.

After walking for about an hour, a dense forest appeared before them.

At the entrance of the forest stood a massive stone tablet with the words "Soul Hunting Forest" carved into it; the strokes were vigorous and powerful, exuding a sense of majesty.

"Once we go in, be careful," Yu Tieshan cautioned. "Even though this is the family's Soul Hunting Forest, the Spirit Beasts inside won't be polite to you just because you are from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family."

The group responded and followed Yu Tieshan into the forest.

As soon as he entered the forest, Yu Hong felt an atmosphere completely different from the outside world.

The air was filled with a wild scent, mixed with the fragrance of soil and vegetation.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground.

From time to time, the roars of Spirit Beasts drifted from afar, adding a sense of danger to the forest.

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

Yu Hong thought for a moment and said, "I want a sub-dragon Spirit Beast around four hundred years old."

"A sub-dragon Spirit Beast?" Yu Tieshan was somewhat surprised. "Isn't your Martial Soul an egg? Why do you want a sub-dragon Spirit Beast?"

"I feel that my Martial Soul is related to dragons," Yu Hong said.

Yu Tieshan pondered for a moment and nodded: "Alright, then we will look for a sub-dragon Spirit Beast around four hundred years old. There is an area in the east of the forest where there are more sub-dragon Spirit Beasts."

The group changed direction and headed toward the east of the forest.

The Soul Hunting Forest was vast, and it took the group the better part of the day to reach the eastern sub-dragon zone.

The trees in this area were noticeably sparser than elsewhere, and signs of Spirit Beasts trampling the ground could be seen everywhere.

"Everyone be careful, sub-dragon Spirit Beasts are very territorial; once discovered, they will actively attack," Yu Tieshan warned.

The group braced themselves, carefully making their way through the woods.

On the first day, they found several sub-dragon Spirit Beasts, but the age ranges were not quite right.

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

There was also a 450-year-old Rock Armor Dragon that looked quite decent, but after Yu Hong took a look, he felt something was still missing.

"You're quite picky, kid." Yu Tieshan said with some helplessness, "It's only your first spirit ring; anything around this level should suffice."

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

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

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

Early the next morning, the group continued their search.

This search lasted for another better part of the day.

Just as the sun had climbed to its zenith and Yu Tieshan was about to suggest that Yu Hong lower his standards, a team member up ahead let out a low cry.

"Captain, there's a discovery up ahead!"

The group hurried to follow.

Passing through a thicket of bushes, an open clearing appeared before their eyes.

In the center of the clearing, a spirit beast was lying on a giant rock, basking in the sun.

Yu Hong's gaze fell upon the spirit beast, and his eyes lit up instantly.

It was a spirit beast shaped like a giant lizard, about three meters long. It had no wings, yet it gave off the impression that it could walk upon the air.

What was most striking were its scales.

Those scales were a translucent, milky white, as smooth and warm as fine mutton-fat jade, emitting a soft luster under the sunlight.

Through those scales, one could faintly see the golden veins beneath, as if liquid gold were flowing through them.

There was a pair of short horns on its head, which were glowing slightly at the moment, clearly indicating it was in a good mood.

"Sun-Day Dragon Lizard!" Yu Tieshan exclaimed in a low voice, "And looking at this size and aura... it's at least six hundred years old!"

He turned his head to look at Yu Hong, about to say something, only to find that Yu Hong's eyes were already shining.

"This is the one." Yu Hong said.