The mountain paths of the Nine Dragon Mountain Range wound and twisted. The higher you climbed, the fewer people you saw.
Yu Tianlong made his way up a relatively secluded trail, pondering as he went over how to sneak into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Storming in was out of the question. Although he had already reached the Spirit Emperor level, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had the Titled Douluo Yu Yuanzhen holding down the fort, along with several Soul Douluo elders. A head-on clash would be unwise.
Disguising himself was an option, but plenty of people in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan knew his face. If someone recognized him, he could alert them and ruin everything.
I need to come up with a foolproof plan... Yu Tianlong mused as he walked. Suddenly, the sounds of fighting and cries for help came from up ahead, interrupting his thoughts.
"Help! Is anyone there? They're killing people!"
The voice sounded young, carrying a hint of panic and anger, yet it was strong and clear. The speaker had evidently not been seriously hurt. Yu Tianlong raised an eyebrow and hurried toward the sound.
He rounded a dense stand of trees, and the scene ahead came into view.
A boy of about fifteen or sixteen was surrounded by three black-clad, masked men.
The boy wore a luxurious white brocade robe, and a translucent jade pendant hung from his waist. He was clearly no ordinary person.
In his hands, he held a delicate, brilliantly colored pagoda that glowed with a gentle, seven-colored light. It was clearly a Tool Spirit of exceptional quality.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!
Yu Tianlong's pupils contracted slightly. That Martial Soul was far too distinctive. Across the entire Douluo Continent, only direct descendants of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could awaken it.
And the boy before him looked fifteen or sixteen, with a refined yet lively air, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in his hands...
Could he be the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi?
"Young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, we've been waiting for you a long time."
The leader of the masked men gave a mocking laugh. "We've long heard that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is richer than any kingdom. Just think how much we could get for you! Hahaha!"
"You bunch of scum!" Ning Fengzhi gritted his teeth, his face pale, but his eyes held a stubborn defiance.
"Do you know who my father is? If you lay a hand on me, you'll be begging for death!"
"Of course we know your father is Sect Master Ning. That's exactly why we're kidnapping you!" Another masked man chuckled.
"Don't worry, we won't hurt you. We're just inviting you to stay with us for a few days. Once your father brings the ransom, we'll let you go, without a scratch!"
"In your dreams!" Ning Fengzhi snorted and turned to run.
But the three masked men were clearly no ordinary thugs. The leader was a powerful Spirit King, while the other two were Soul Ancestors. They worked in perfect coordination and instantly cut off Ning Fengzhi's escape route.
"Young master, stop struggling. You're a Support-type Spirit Master. You can't outrun us." The leader gave a wicked grin and raised his hand, unleashing a fierce blast of Soul Power straight at Ning Fengzhi's back!
Ning Fengzhi's face changed. Although he was a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was a purely supportive Martial Soul with virtually no offensive abilities. Against three Combat-type Spirit Masters, he had no chance to fight back.
Just as the attack was about to hit Ning Fengzhi—
"Whoosh!"
A crimson flame suddenly appeared out of nowhere, cutting across the space between Ning Fengzhi and the incoming attack! The flame was scorching hot. It swallowed the blast of Soul Power in an instant, leaving not a trace behind!
"Who's there?!" All three masked men cried out in alarm, whipping around toward the direction the flame had come from.
Yu Tianlong strolled out from the shadows of the trees, a silver-white little beast perched on his shoulder. The beast had its mouth open, a spark slipping from the corner. It was clearly the one that had unleashed the flame.
"Three grown men picking on a Support-type Spirit Master. Don't you think that's a little shameless?" Yu Tianlong said casually, his hands in his pockets, as if he were chatting with old friends.
Ning Fengzhi froze when he saw someone come to his rescue, then broke into delighted relief. "Brother, help! They're bandits! They're trying to kidnap me!"
"I heard you, I heard you." Yu Tianlong waved a hand and glanced over the three masked men.
"Three Spirit Kings and Soul Ancestors robbing a Four-Ring Support-type Spirit Master? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you? How about this: leave now, and I'll pretend I never saw you. What do you say?"
"Kid, mind your own business!" A vicious glint flashed in the leader's eyes. "If you know what's good for you, get lost, or we'll deal with you too!"
"So there's no talking this out?" Yu Tianlong sighed, sounding almost regretful. "Well, can't be helped."
As soon as he finished speaking, the silver little beast on his shoulder opened its mouth. A terrifying suction force erupted at once!
The three masked men felt as if the Soul Power within them were about to be sucked out. Their expressions changed, and they hurried to steady their minds and resist the pull.
At that very moment, while their attention was divided, a golden figure shot out from behind Yu Tianlong like a bolt of lightning!
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Three dull thuds rang out almost at once. The masked men didn't even see the golden figure move before a heavy blow slammed into each of their stomachs. They flew backward like kites with their strings cut, crashed hard into tree trunks, then slid limply to the ground and passed out.
The golden figure came to a stop. It was a chubby little golden beast. It dusted off one paw with another and snorted, as if to say, "Pathetic."
It was Little Gold.
Ning Fengzhi stared in astonishment. He looked at the three unconscious masked men on the ground, then at the two little beasts, which seemed harmless and even rather cute, and finally at the blue-haired young man standing with his hands in his pockets and a completely unruffled expression. It took him a long while to come back to his senses.
"Th-thank you for saving me, brother!" Ning Fengzhi hurriedly dismissed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, then stepped up to Yu Tianlong and bowed. "I'm Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. May I ask your name?"
"Yu Tianlong." He gave his real name. Ning Fengzhi was from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which had no connection with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He probably wouldn't recognize him.
"Yu Tianlong..." Ning Fengzhi repeated the name, confirming he had never heard it before.
"Which sect are you from, Brother Yu? Those two Soul Beasts of yours are incredible. They took down three Spirit Kings and Soul Ancestors in a single move!"
"I'm unaffiliated, just a wandering cultivator," Yu Tianlong replied offhandedly. "I happened to be passing by, saw someone being surrounded, and gave a hand."
"Unaffiliated?" Surprise flickered through Ning Fengzhi's eyes, then turned to admiration. "To have such strength at your age without belonging to a sect—Brother Yu, you're truly gifted! I'm impressed, I'm impressed!"
Yu Tianlong smiled but didn't respond. Instead, he asked, "Brother Ning, why are you here alone? Where are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's guards?"
At that, Ning Fengzhi's face fell. He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well... to be honest, I snuck out. My father keeps me under such tight supervision. We came to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect for the Three Sects Grand Competition, and he had people stick close to me every step of the way. I was going stir-crazy, so I slipped away to look around while they weren't paying attention... Who knew I'd run into those villains halfway up the mountain?"