Evil Soul Master Yu Xiaogang

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's motorcade wound slowly up the mountain road, passing through checkpoint after checkpoint before finally driving into the main residence of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Yu Tianlong gazed through the carriage window at the buildings that were at once familiar and foreign, a complex surge of emotions rising in his heart.

He had returned.

Five years ago, he had fled this place in a panic, like a stray dog. Five years later, he sat openly in a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect carriage, stepping back onto this land as an honored guest.

The streets, the houses, the trees—everything was much as he remembered, yet his state of mind was entirely different.

"Brother Tianlong, what are you thinking about?" Ning Fengzhi asked curiously, noticing him staring blankly out the window.

"Nothing, just that it's my first time at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and I find the architecture quite imposing," Yu Tianlong replied, retracting his gaze with a perfunctory excuse.

"That it is!" Ning Fengzhi said, his interest piqued. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is one of the Upper Three Sects, after all, with a deep foundation. This residence has been built up over hundreds of years, so it is indeed magnificent. Though, compared to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, it still lacks a certain something."

He finished with a touch of the pride unique to his own sect.

Yu Tianlong smiled without responding. The carriage stopped in front of the Guest Reception Courtyard reserved for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Sect Master Ning Yuan stepped out with Ning Fengzhi and several core elders, while the elder from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan responsible for receiving guests was already waiting there.

After the two sides exchanged polite pleasantries, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect party was settled into the guest courtyard on the west side.

As Ning Fengzhi's "lifesaver," Yu Tianlong was naturally arranged to stay in the same courtyard, where he was given his own independent guest room.

"Brother Tianlong, get some good rest. The Grand Competition officially begins tomorrow. I'm going to go handle your registration for the tournament!"

Ning Fengzhi patted him on the shoulder before running off excitedly to find his father. Yu Tianlong watched him leave, then turned and walked into his room.

Once the door was shut, the smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by a cold, stern expression.

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked toward the magnificent main hall in the distance. That was the heart of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Xiaogang were likely there right now.

Five years had passed. You probably never dreamed that I would return. Tomorrow, I will give you both a surprise.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the lights were bright and the room was filled with the roar of voices.

The core members of the clan were gathered together, conducting the final mobilization for tomorrow's Three Sects Grand Competition. In the center of the hall, on the main seat, sat the clan head, Yu Yuanzhen.

Five years had passed, and he looked a bit older, with streaks of white at his temples, but his spirit remained vigorous, and his eyes glittered with ambition and anticipation.

Beside him sat a young man.

The youth appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a magnificent golden brocade robe. His features were refined, yet his brow carried a sinister, malevolent air that did not match his age.

Most striking were his eyes—they shimmered with an unnatural blood-red hue, his pupils slightly slit like those of some wild beast, enough to make anyone who looked at them shudder.

It was Yu Xiaogang.

Five years had passed, and he had grown from a frail child into a youth who looked no different from an adult.

His physique was much taller and sturdier than his peers, and his body radiated a faint, fierce aura—the result of long-term consumption of spirit beasts and the accumulation of blood energy.

"The Young Master will surely emerge victorious in his first battle!" an elder said, fawning with a face full of smiles.

"A Spirit King at thirteen! Looking at the history of the entire continent, he is second to none! Whatever Clear Sky Twin Stars, whatever Ning Fengzhi—in front of the Young Master, they are all nothing but worthless rabble!"

"Indeed, indeed! The Young Master is a heaven-sent genius; the championship of this Grand Competition belongs to him!"

"The Clan Head has taught his son well; the revival of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is within reach!"

The elders and core disciples chimed in one after another, their sycophantic words endless.

Yu Yuanzhen listened to the flattery with a reserved smile and waved his hand.

"You all flatter him too much. Although Xiaogang has some talent, he still needs to keep working hard and must not become arrogant or complacent." Though he spoke with humility, the pride in his eyes could not be hidden.

Yu Xiaogang sat to the side, listening to the praise, a cold sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth.

He enjoyed this feeling—the feeling of being surrounded by the crowd, of being the center of everyone's attention.

Five years had passed, and he had transformed from a "waste" that everyone mocked into a genius that everyone feared. No one knew how much effort he had put in, nor how much pain he had endured for it.

He looked down at his own hands. These hands had been stained with the blood of countless spirit beasts over the last five years.

Every day, he devoured—devouring the flesh and blood of spirit beasts, devouring their spirit rings, devouring any power he could consume.

Under his frantic cultivation, his Luo Sanpao had evolved into a Golden Dragon over eight meters long, possessing terrifying combat power.

But the cost was also immense. His temperament had become increasingly irritable and bloodthirsty; at times, he even felt an uncontrollable desire to devour human spirit masters.

During a spirit-hunting mission, he had once nearly attacked a wounded clan guard—he had smelled the scent of spirit power in the man's blood, a temptation that had nearly caused him to lose his mind.

He did not know what would become of him if he continued like this, and he did not care. He only knew that he wanted to become strong, he wanted everyone to look up to him, and he wanted to prove that he was no waste.

"Yu Tianlong..." he whispered the name, a complex light flashing in his eyes. "Five years. The grass on your grave must be quite tall by now."

He raised his wine cup, gesturing toward the void, a mocking smile curling his lips.

"Cousin, this cup is for you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be where I am today. Tomorrow, I will take the championship, and I will let everyone know that I, Yu Xiaogang, am the true dragon of the Yu family. When that time comes, I'll burn some paper money for you."

He drained the cup in one gulp, then slammed it down onto the table, a flash of blood-red light crossing his eyes.

The next morning, sunlight bathed the entire Nine Dragon Mountain Range. In the center of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's residence, a magnificent arena had already been constructed on the massive martial arts field.

Surrounding the arena were layers of viewing stands, capable of holding tens of thousands of people. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had truly spared no expense for this Grand Competition, setting the scene with great grandeur.

As soon as the hour of the Dragon arrived, the viewing stands were already packed. Spirit masters, nobles, merchants, and commoners from all over the Heaven Dou Empire gathered together, the air filled with the roar of voices and a lively, bustling atmosphere.