Half a Year to Level 20, Yu Tianlong's Suspicion, Too Good to Be True.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

The once remote and desolate courtyard in the southeast corner of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's residence had now become the most high-profile place in the entire clan.

Every morning, designated stewards would deliver the freshest high-level spirit beast meat and various cultivation supplies, and every few days, clan elders would come to pay a visit.

Whether it was offering guidance on cultivation or showing concern for his well-being, even the Clan Master, Yu Yuanzhen, would drop by in person every so often. Sometimes he would test Yu Tianlong's cultivation progress, sometimes he would bring rare auxiliary materials, and at other times, he would simply sit down for a cup of tea and chat about daily life.

Such treatment was beyond the reach of not only the collateral descendants but even the core direct descendants. While there were whispers within the clan, Yu Yuanzhen's attitude was resolute, and no one dared to voice their objections to his face.

What surprised Yu Tianlong even more was that Yu Xiaogang had not come to cause him any trouble for the past six months.

At first, he had assumed his cousin was brewing some grand scheme and remained on guard for a time.

But gradually, he realized that Yu Xiaogang had truly quieted down. He spent his days either buried in the Library Pavilion or hiding in his own courtyard tinkering with something unknown. Occasionally, when they met on the road, Yu Xiaogang would just lower his head and hurry past, not even meeting his gaze.

Has he turned over a new leaf? Yu Tianlong had been puzzled, but since the other party wasn't looking for trouble, he was happy to enjoy the peace and poured all his energy into his cultivation.

Half a year was enough for a genius to undergo a complete transformation.

With the clan pouring in resources regardless of cost, and the dual benefit of absorbing toxins at Dugu Bo's mansion every fortnight, Yu Tianlong's cultivation level soared as if he were riding a rocket.

Fifteenth level, sixteenth level, seventeenth level... he could feel clear progress almost every month.

Just three days ago, the barrier within his body leading to the twentieth level finally showed signs of loosening.

The twentieth level—the threshold of a Great Spirit Master.

Once he crossed this threshold, he would officially become a Great Spirit Master and could attach his second spirit ring.

And according to his current cultivation speed and resource supply, this day was arriving faster than anyone had anticipated.

"Twentieth level..." Yu Tianlong sat cross-legged under the old locust tree in the courtyard, feeling the surging spirit power within him. He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance flickering through them.

"It's time to hunt for the second spirit ring."

He stood up and stretched his limbs, his bones popping with crisp cracks.

Little Gold lay on a nearby bluestone. Sensing the change in its master's aura, it raised its head and let out a soft chirp, its dark golden eyes gleaming with excitement.

Little Silver hung upside down from the eaves, its glassy eyes rolling around, clearly having guessed what was happening.

"This time, I won't go through the clan." Yu Tianlong made his decision.

For the past six months, the clan's kindness toward him had felt somewhat unreal.

Although he couldn't guess what Yu Yuanzhen was plotting, his intuition told him not to rely entirely on this "goodwill." Some things were safer handled on his own.

Thus, he left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's residence, headed to Heaven Dou City alone, and knocked on the gates of the Dugu Mansion.

"Yo, a rare guest." Dugu Bo came out to greet him personally. Seeing Yu Tianlong at the door, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Today isn't the day we agreed upon for the toxin absorption, is it? What, did you miss this old man?"

"Senior Dugu, you jest." Yu Tianlong smiled and cupped his hands. "This junior has come to ask for a favor."

"A favor?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "Your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has abundant resources and countless experts, not to mention that Clan Master of yours who 'values you so much' giving you personal guidance. What could you possibly need from an old man like me?"

The words sounded like a tease, but Yu Tianlong keenly caught the subtle probe in Dugu Bo's tone.

Over the past six months, Dugu Bo had also vaguely sensed that the clan's "preferential treatment" toward Yu Tianlong was excessive. He had asked about it indirectly a few times, only to be brushed off by Yu Tianlong.

"This junior has broken through to the twentieth level and wants to hunt for a second spirit ring," Yu Tianlong said straight to the point. "I don't want to trouble the clan this time, so I'd like to ask you to accompany me."

A flash of astonishment crossed Dugu Bo's eyes.

"Twentieth level? In half a year, going from the fifteenth to the twentieth... the speed of your cultivation is truly enough to make people jealous."

He paused, then asked, "But why not go to your Clan Master, Yu Yuanzhen? Isn't he precious of you? Having him accompany you to the Star Dou Forest would be a simple matter of a single word, wouldn't it?"

"The Clan Master has been busy with affairs lately, so it's inconvenient to disturb him." Yu Tianlong made up an excuse, then looked at Dugu Bo with a grin.

"What, is Senior Dugu unwilling to help this junior? And here I thought our friendship had become quite solid over the past six months."

"None of that." Dugu Bo glared at him, though a hint of a smile was hidden in his eyes.

"Your mouth is getting better at talking by the day. Fine, fine. I'm idle these days anyway, so I'll treat it as going out for a change of pace."

"That goes without saying!" Yu Tianlong was overjoyed. "Many thanks, Senior!"

"Ce!" Dugu Bo shouted toward the house. "I'm heading to the Sunset Forest, watch the house!"

"Understood, Father!"

Dugu Ce's voice came from inside, sounding much more vigorous than it had half a year ago.

Over the past six months, thanks to the dual effects of Yu Tianlong's regular conditioning and Little Silver absorbing the toxins, Dugu Ce's injuries had recovered much better than expected. Although the fact that his foundation had been damaged was irreversible, he could at least manage his daily life without hindrance and even perform some basic cultivation.

Dugu Bo took Yu Tianlong, boarded the Jade Scale Eagle, and flew south toward the Sunset Forest.

The Sunset Forest was located southeast of Heaven Dou City. Although its area was not as vast as the Star Dou Forest, it was still one of the premier habitats for spirit beasts within the Heaven Dou Empire.

Unlike the Star Dou Forest, the climate in the Sunset Forest was drier and hotter, with vegetation dominated by coniferous forests and shrubs. The spirit beasts living here also tended to favor fire and earth attributes.

The Jade Scale Eagle landed on the outskirts of the forest, and Dugu Bo led Yu Tianlong on foot into the depths.

"Tell me, what kind of spirit ring are you looking for this time?" Dugu Bo asked casually as they walked. "Still the same as last time, looking for one with a powerful bloodline?"

"Yes." Yu Tianlong nodded without hesitation. "Preferably one with particularly abundant vitality—the stronger, the better. This time, I still want to attach the spirit ring to Little Gold first."

Beside him, Little Gold held its head high, its dark golden eyes flashing with a fighting spirit.

After half a year of devouring and growing, Little Gold's body had reached about 1.5 meters in length. Its limbs were thick and powerful, and its entire body was covered in a layer of fine, pale golden scales.

This was a defensive structure it had gradually evolved after devouring a large number of spirit beasts.

The bump on its forehead was now very prominent, and a crack could be vaguely seen, as if something were about to break through at any moment.