"By the way, Senior." Yu Tianlong suddenly seemed to remember something and said offhandedly,
"On my way through Sunset Forest, I noticed the natural environment here is quite interesting. Volcanoes, hot springs, sulfur mines... all kinds of elemental auras mingle together. In particular, quite a few of those ordinary-looking flowers and plants contain unusual toxins or medicinal properties. I think this place would be perfect for you to cultivate your poison Martial Soul."
Dugu Bo paused, then looked around thoughtfully.
"Now that you mention it... you may be right. Sunset Forest's terrain is indeed rather complex, with all kinds of environments interwoven. The Soul Beasts and plants it nurtures are more diverse than those in other places, too. I never paid much attention to the flowers and plants before."
"You should come by and look around more often, Senior," Yu Tianlong said with a grin.
"You might stumble upon an unexpected surprise one day. Maybe there's a hidden valley somewhere, filled with rare medicinal herbs that are hard to find anywhere else."
He made it sound casual, as if he had only brought it up in passing. But in his heart, he was silently praying:
Dugu Bo, Dugu Bo, I've practically put the hint right under your nose. You'd better catch on! The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well is somewhere in this forest. Hurry up and find it!
Dugu Bo didn't think much of it. He nodded. "Maybe when I have time. Come on, it's getting late. We should head back."
Yu Tianlong said nothing more. He left Sunset Forest with Dugu Bo and rode the Jade Scale Eagle back to Heaven Dou City. After saying goodbye to Dugu Bo, he returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's residence alone.
The days that followed were peaceful once more.
Yu Tianlong trained on schedule each day and fed the two Luo Sanpaos. Every half month, he visited Dugu Bo's residence for an "extra meal."
Resources from the clan continued to arrive in an endless stream, and Yu Yuanzhen continued to drop by every few days to "check in." Everything seemed just as it had before.
Until one day.
At dusk, Yu Tianlong was in the courtyard instructing Little Gold and Little Silver in their sparring practice when someone suddenly knocked on the gate.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The knocks were unhurried, polite, and tinged with hesitation.
"Who is it?" Yu Tianlong asked casually. He motioned for the two Luo Sanpaos to pause their training, then went over and opened the gate.
The figure outside made him freeze.
Yu Xiaogang.
His cousin, whom he had barely spoken with in the past six months, was standing at his gate.
He wore a clean blue robe, and his hair was neatly combed. His face was still somewhat pale, but he looked much healthier than he had six months ago.
What surprised Yu Tianlong most was his expression—not the resentment and indignation he'd seen six months earlier, but something... how should he put it? A barely restrained eagerness?
"Cousin," Yu Xiaogang said. His voice was much steadier than it had been six months earlier, and even carried a hint of respect. "Sorry to bother you."
Yu Tianlong blinked, making sure he wasn't seeing things. Had the sun risen in the west? Yu Xiaogang had actually come to see him of his own accord, and was even calling him "Cousin" so politely?
"Uh... Xiaogang, what can I do for you?" Yu Tianlong asked uncertainly.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, then lifted his head as if he had made up his mind. He looked at Yu Tianlong earnestly. "Cousin, I came to ask you for advice."
"Advice?" Yu Tianlong was even more confused. "About what?"
"About... how to raise Luo Sanpao." Yu Xiaogang's voice quivered almost imperceptibly, but his tone was serious.
"Over the past six months, I've tried feeding my Luo Sanpao Soul Beast meat, too, and it's had some effect. But progress has been slow. Compared to your Golden Luo San Pao, it's worlds apart. I want to know how you did it. Is there some trick or method that can help Luo Sanpao grow faster?"
Yu Tianlong looked at him, momentarily dazed.
Was this really the same Yu Xiaogang who had shouted, "Are you crazy?" at him in Star Dou Forest?
Was this really the same Yu Xiaogang who had insisted Luo Sanpao could only follow a defensive and control-oriented path, and sneered at Yu Tianlong for pursuing a strong-attack path?
What had happened over these six months to bring about such a drastic change?
"You... really want to know?" Yu Tianlong asked tentatively.
"I do." Yu Xiaogang nodded firmly, his eyes full of "sincerity."
"I've thought a lot over the past six months, and read a lot of ancient books. I realized you were right. Luo Sanpao really does have the potential to devour and evolve. I was just too stubborn before. I don't want to spend my whole life as a useless Soul Master. I want to grow stronger, too. So... I'm asking you to teach me."
His tone was sincere, his expression earnest, and there was even a hint of pleading in his voice.
Yu Tianlong fell silent for a moment, then finally sighed. "Come in."
He stepped aside to let Yu Xiaogang into the courtyard.
As soon as Yu Xiaogang entered, his eyes were drawn to the two Luo Sanpaos in the courtyard.
Little Gold was crouched on a bluestone. Its dark golden eyes swept over him indifferently, then lost interest, as if he were nothing more than an insignificant ant.
Little Silver was hanging beneath the eaves, its tail hooked around a crossbeam as it dangled upside down and swayed, curiously sizing up the unfamiliar visitor.
In size, presence, and intelligence, these two Luo Sanpaos were on an entirely different level from his own.
An irrepressible greed and longing flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes, but he quickly suppressed them and replaced them with an expression of eager humility.
"Sit down." Yu Tianlong pointed to a stone stool and sat down nearby. Then he summoned his two Luo Sanpaos. "Little Gold, Little Silver, come here."
The two Luo Sanpaos obediently came over and crouched down on either side of him.
Yu Xiaogang summoned his own Luo Sanpao as well. The plump, pale-gold dog appeared, still as timid as ever. It lowered its head and tucked its tail between its legs, not even daring to look at Little Gold and Little Silver.
The difference was plain to see.
"Luo Sanpao's ability to devour has to be cultivated," Yu Tianlong began explaining in earnest.
"Just feeding it some Soul Beast meat at random won't get results. First, choose meat from a Soul Beast with abundant vitality. Ideally, it should have been hunted recently; the fresher, the better.
"Second, feed it on a regular schedule. Don't feed it a meal whenever you happen to remember, then leave it alone for several days when you forget. Third, and most importantly... while Luo Sanpao is devouring the food, you need to make it actively refine and absorb the energy, instead of passively waiting for its body to digest it naturally..."
Yu Tianlong explained in great detail, sharing without reservation all the experience he had gathered over the past six months.
He didn't particularly like Yu Xiaogang, but they were both members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and Yu Xiaogang had humbled himself to ask for advice. It would be hard to turn him away. Besides, it was important to show Yu Yuanzhen some respect.
Yu Xiaogang listened very "attentively," nodding from time to time and occasionally asking a few questions. He seemed eager to learn.
But his gaze kept drifting, deliberately or otherwise, toward the two Luo Sanpaos crouched beside Yu Tianlong.
So big... so strong... Just being near them, he could feel the pressure of their aura.
If... if only I could have them...
His fingers trembled slightly inside his sleeves. His nails dug into his palms, using the pain to suppress the desire that threatened to burst out of him.
"...That's more or less it." Yu Tianlong finished explaining and took a sip of tea from the stone table.
"You'll have to figure out the practical details through your own experience. Every person's Martial Soul has subtle differences, so my method may not apply to you perfectly."
"Thank you for your guidance, Cousin." Yu Xiaogang stood up and bowed to him. "I'll do my best."
He recalled his Luo Sanpao and turned to leave.
At the gate, he suddenly stopped. Without turning around, he spoke in a very quiet voice. "Cousin... your Luo Sanpaos really are strong."
With that, he opened the gate and hurried away.
Yu Tianlong watched his silhouette disappear into the dusk, his brows drawing together slightly.
"What's with that guy...? Why does something feel off?"
He shook his head and didn't dwell on it. After all, Yu Xiaogang was willing to change and learn from him. That was a good thing.
He simply hadn't noticed that, as Yu Xiaogang turned away, a glint had flashed deep in his eyes—the same greed and jealousy as six months ago.