Yu Yuanzhen fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Since Brother Dugu insists on an explanation, all I can say is... Yu Tianlong really is dead. If you don't believe me, you can go to the Star Dou Forest Core Area yourself and look for his body."
"You—!"
Dugu Bo laughed in fury. The emerald-green Soul Power around him erupted, transforming into the phantom of a gigantic Jade Phosphorous Serpent. It opened its bloody maw and lunged at Yu Yuanzhen!
Yu Yuanzhen had been ready. Blue-purple lightning danced across his palm as he struck out, colliding with the serpent phantom!
"Boom—!!!"
A violent shock wave of Soul Power spread out, ripping up large swathes of the bluestone tiles in the square. The surrounding clansmen were thrown off balance, crying out as they staggered back.
A clash between two powerful experts—even if it was only a probing strike—was enough to cause astonishing destruction.
But neither man continued attacking.
Dugu Bo withdrew his Soul Power and gave Yu Yuanzhen a cold look. His voice was like a blade quenched in poison:
"Yu Yuanzhen, I'll remember that strike. From this day on, I, Dugu Bo, and your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will have nothing more to do with each other for the rest of our lives!"
With that, he turned and strode away without looking back. His back was straight and lonely, carrying an air of grim resolve.
Yu Yuanzhen stood where he was, watching Dugu Bo's retreating figure. His face was dark, but he made no attempt to stop him.
He knew that from this day on, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had gained another enemy.
But he didn't regret it. For Xiao Gang's future, and so that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could have a true "True Dragon," offending a Dugu Bo was worth it.
After returning to his residence, Dugu Bo sent everyone away and sat alone in his study, silent for a long time.
A trace of blood still stained the corner of his mouth. He hadn't come off worse in that exchange, but he had felt that old fox Yu Yuanzhen's strength was indeed unfathomable. In a head-on fight, he wouldn't gain the upper hand.
"Yu Tianlong... If you're still alive, send me word, you brat." He gazed out at the pitch-black night sky and muttered to himself, "I don't want to bury a younger generation before I die..."
Meanwhile, in the Star Dou Forest Core Area, by the Lake of Life, Yu Tianlong was enjoying a life free from worldly concerns.
Life here was simple and fulfilling.
Every morning, he meditated and cultivated beside the Lake of Life. The lake water contained such dense life energy that his cultivation speed was several times faster than it had been outside.
In just one month, his Soul Power had risen from level thirty-three to level thirty-five. If word of that speed got out, it would likely shock the entire Soul Master World.
During the day, he explored the Core Area with Little Gold and Little Silver. Di Tian had given him permission to move about freely in the Core Area. As long as he didn't disturb the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts that were asleep, he could go wherever he liked.
There were many kinds of Soul Beasts here, including rare species seldom seen in the outside world. Little Gold ate until his belly was round every day, while Little Silver absorbed plenty of rare elemental energy. Both Luo Sanpaos grew much faster as a result.
At dusk, he sometimes went to chat with Bi Ji. This gentle woman in white could always soothe the wounds in his heart with her soft voice and warm smile.
She told him stories about the Star Dou Forest, ancient legends of Soul Beasts, and the origins of the Lake of Life. Yu Tianlong listened with rapt attention, and their conversations often lasted until late into the night.
Di Tian would occasionally come to see him and personally instruct him on how to make better use of the abilities of the two Luo Sanpaos. But the process didn't always go smoothly.
"Wrong! That's not how you do it!" Di Tian glared at the golden Luo San Pao in front of him as it clumsily tried to gather its dragon might, only to let out a loud sneeze that shook the leaves around them,
"You're supposed to release dragon might, not sneeze! You need to guide the power in your bloodline with your mind and let it flow out naturally, not force it out like you're holding back a sneeze!"
"Luo..." Little Gold blinked innocently, then tried again.
"Ah—choo—!!!"
A gust of golden air blasted from its nostrils and blew a tree as thick as a bowl to pieces.
Di Tian: "..."
He rubbed his temples, feeling his blood pressure rise. "...The method's wrong, but the result's not bad. Forget it. At least it's powerful."
Nearby, Little Silver crouched on a branch, watching Little Gold get scolded and laughing gleefully with a series of "luo-luo" sounds.
Di Tian turned to look at it. "What are you laughing at? You're no better! Last time I had you practice spatial positioning, you teleported straight into Xiong Jun's den and scared him so badly he nearly slapped you to death!"
Little Silver's smile instantly froze. It shrank its neck and pretended to be studying the scenery.
Di Tian was speechless. Did these two little fellows really possess that bloodline?
How could they be like this?
Watching them, Yu Tianlong couldn't help laughing aloud. This month in the Star Dou Forest had probably been when he'd laughed the most in years.
But he knew he couldn't stay here forever.
One evening, a month later, Yu Tianlong went to see Di Tian and told him what he had decided.
"Senior Di Tian, I plan to leave tomorrow."
Di Tian didn't seem surprised. He simply glanced at him and asked, "Have you made up your mind?"
"I have." Yu Tianlong nodded. "Little Gold and Little Silver grow by devouring things. They can't stay quietly in one place and slowly develop. I need to go out into a wider world and find stronger Soul Beasts and rarer elemental energy if I want them to truly grow."
He paused, then added, "Besides, there's something I must do. It concerns the foundation of my future."
He didn't mention the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, but Di Tian didn't press him. Everyone had secrets of their own, and he wouldn't pry.
"Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to stop you." Di Tian stood with his hands behind his back. Moonlight fell on him, draping him in a silvery-white glow.
"But before you go, there's something I want to give you."
He took something from his robes and handed it to Yu Tianlong.
It was a scale.
Pitch-black from end to end, it was about the size of a palm and shaped like a shield. A deep luster flowed across its surface, as if it contained the stars.
When Yu Tianlong took it, he could clearly feel the terrifying power within—Beast God Di Tian's own source power.
"This is my Reverse Scale," Di Tian said calmly. "Sealed within it is one full-power defense of mine. If you suffer a fatal attack, it will activate automatically and block one otherwise certain death blow. Consider it... a safeguard."