In his view, this was the most rational choice, and the one that best suited Luo Sanpao's nature.
Yu Yuanzhen looked at Yu Tianlong. "What do you think?"
Yu Tianlong shook his head, his tone calm but firm. "What Xiao Gang said might suit his Luo Sanpao. But mine is different."
He patted Little Gold on the head. Little Gold let out a low growl. Though its voice was still young, it carried a faint metallic ring. "For my First Soul Ring, I want a Power Attack System Soul Beast. The stronger its bloodline, the better. The fiercer its nature, the better."
"What?" Yu Xiaogang reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and nearly leapt into the air.
"Are you insane? A Power Attack System for Luo Sanpao? What's it supposed to attack with? Its pig snout? Or those stubby legs? Yu Tianlong, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have Innate Full Soul Power! Your Soul Ring choice concerns your entire life. Take the wrong path, and it'll be too late to regret it! Listen to me. Choose defense or control. That's the safest option!"
He was so worked up that his face had turned red, as if Yu Tianlong's choice were a grave insult to his "research."
Yu Tianlong glanced at him coolly. "I'll walk my own path. Whether I succeed or fail, I'll bear the consequences myself. There's no need to trouble yourself."
"You!" Yu Xiaogang was shaking with anger and was about to say more, but Yu Yuanji cut him off.
"That's enough." Yu Yuanzhen gave Yu Tianlong a long look. The boy's certainty and confidence, so out of place for his age, made him swallow the words of caution he'd been about to offer.
He had a faint feeling that this boy might truly be able to see a path others couldn't.
"Since that's the case, we'll do as you say. Power Attack System, and the stronger the bloodline, the better. We'll go deeper. The outer reaches are full of ten-year and Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, and few will suit you."
"Thank you, Uncle." Yu Tianlong cupped his hands.
Seeing that his father had accepted Yu Tianlong's "absurd" request instead of his own "reasonable" suggestion, Yu Xiaogang felt as though he'd fallen into an icy abyss. His last glimmer of hope had vanished.
He clenched his teeth and glared at Yu Tianlong, his eyes full of anger, confusion, and a trace of something even he hadn't noticed... jealousy.
Why? Why did everyone trust him? His father—even those two strange Luo Sanpao of his—seemed stronger than he was.
"You'll regret this..." He lowered his head and muttered so quietly only he could hear, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.
Yu Yuanzhen said no more. With a sweep of his sleeve, a gentle yet powerful surge of Soul Power enveloped Yu Tianlong and Yu Xiaogang.
"Stay close."
With that, he darted forward, streaking into the boundless forest like a bolt of azure lightning.
Yu Tianlong felt his body grow light as the Soul Power carried him forward at speed. Ancient trees rushed past on either side, and the wind roared in his ears.
Deep in Star Dou Forest, the light was cleaved into fragments by layer upon layer of treetops, leaving only mottled, dusky shadows.
Yu Yuanzhen, a Titled Douluo, led the way. His aura was restrained, yet an invisible pressure spread from him, keeping ordinary ten-year and Hundred-Year Soul Beasts from approaching.
Yu Tianlong followed close behind, his steps steady as his sharp gaze swept over their surroundings.
Little Gold walked at his side. Its dark-gold eyes glinted with a hunter's light in the shadowy forest, and its four paws touched the ground without a sound. Its pudgy, short-legged body now seemed surprisingly agile.
Little Silver still crouched on his shoulder, its glassy eyes constantly turning as it sensed the various elemental fluctuations in the air. Every so often, it reached out a tiny paw to catch a passing green speck of light rich in wood-element energy.
Yu Xiaogang, bringing up the rear, looked completely out of place. He stumbled along, his face pale and his breathing ragged, cold sweat already showing on his forehead.
His Luo Sanpao pressed close to his ankle, trembling with every step. Now and then, it let out a frightened whimper, its big ears drooping. It showed none of the vigor a Martial Soul ought to have.
"Could you two stop being so useless? Look at them..."
Yu Xiaogang looked at his disappointing companion, then at Yu Tianlong's two lively Gold-Silver Luo San Pao up ahead. His heart soured with envy, but more than that, he felt resentment and indignation toward his own fate.
Luo Sanpao was offended too. It rolled its eyes.
"Luo, luo..."
The meaning was simple: It's because your master is different, okay?
Suddenly, Yu Yuanzhen stopped at the front and raised his right hand.
"Something's moving. Its blood and energy are strong. It's a big one."
Yu Tianlong held his breath and followed his gaze.
About a hundred meters ahead, in a relatively open clearing, a bloody hunt was unfolding.
The hunter was a bear—a bear as huge as a small hill!
When it reared up, it stood over four meters tall. Thick, dark-gold fur covered its body, glinting with the cold sheen of metal in the faint light filtering through the trees.
Most striking were its forelimbs, absurdly thick, ending in five claws half a foot long, curved like hooks and gleaming with a dark, ominous light.
At that moment, the claws were buried deep in the body of a large Hundred-Year Wind Wolf. With ease, they ripped it open, spilling its innards and blood across the ground.
The giant bear lowered its head and tore at the flesh, its chewing punctuated by sickening crunches. Even from a hundred meters away, the thick stench of blood and the savage fluctuations of Soul Power made their hearts pound.
"Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear!" Yu Yuanzhen exclaimed, a note of surprise in his voice.
"Judging by its size and presence, it's probably close to a thousand years old. This Soul Beast's attack power is terrifyingly strong. Its Dreadclaws are especially indestructible, and few Soul Beasts of the same rank can stand against them. It's a top predator. Why would one appear this far out?"
Normally, a Thousand-Year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear should roam much deeper in the forest.
Yu Tianlong's eyes lit up at once, as if he'd discovered a priceless treasure. A Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear!
It was exactly the target he'd dreamed of for his First Soul Ring! Strength, attack power, ferocity, and those Dreadclaws famous across the continent—it perfectly matched the path of "strength and devouring evolution" he envisioned for Little Gold!
"Uncle..." Yu Tianlong's voice tightened with excitement, but his gaze remained resolute.
"I want it for my First Soul Ring!"
"What?" Yu Xiaogang was the first to cry out, his face plainly asking, Are you insane?
"A thousand years! That's a thousand-year Soul Beast! The limit for a First Soul Ring is just over four hundred years. You want to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring? Your Soul Power will burst you apart, and you'll die without a whole corpse!"
"Are you sure?" Yu Yuanzhen asked slowly. He could see Yu Tianlong's confidence.
"I'm sure!" Yu Tianlong replied with unshakable conviction. "I can handle it."
The boost from Whale Rubber, the way Little Gold's body grew stronger from devouring Soul Beast meat, and the certainty buried deep in his soul—the certainty of someone who had crossed worlds—all gave him confidence.
He knew that if he followed the rules step by step, Gold-Silver Luo San Pao would never truly shine. The right path was to seek victory amid danger!
"Good." Yu Yuanzhen actually nodded.
The next moment, a colossal hand made entirely of blue lightning appeared above the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear as it feasted. It was as large as a house, and came crashing down, wrapped in a terrifying pressure that made their very souls tremble!
Even a casual strike was more than a thousand-year Soul Beast could withstand.
The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear roared in fury and alarm, instinctively slashing upward with its dark-gold Dreadclaws, which swept out five streaks of black light.
But the thunderous hand merely shuddered, crushing the claw strikes to pieces before slamming into the bear with unstoppable force!
BOOM—!!!
The earth shook violently, and dust shot into the sky. The berserk power of thunder surged into the giant bear, shattering its muscles, veins, and bones. Its powerful life force was forcibly suppressed.
As the dust began to settle, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear that had been so imposing and invincible moments ago lay sprawled in the crater like a lump of mud, blood leaking from its mouth and nostrils. Only its chest still rose and fell faintly. Its eyes retained their ferocious gleam, but were now filled with fear and despair.
Yu Yuanzhen drifted down, his sleeves untouched by dust.
Yu Tianlong drew a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and hurried forward.
As he approached, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's savage aura remained terrifying even as it neared death, but he didn't hesitate for an instant.
Little Gold growled excitedly. It actually broke free of the restraint of Yu Tianlong's will and sprang toward the giant bear's enormous head. Its dark-gold eyes met the beast's, which blazed with rage and defiance, and it showed... not the slightest fear. Instead, it revealed a naked, almost ravenous desire!
"Luo, luo!" Little Gold turned back and called urgently to Yu Tianlong twice, then pointed a paw at the giant bear on the ground. Its meaning couldn't have been clearer.
"You want... to eat it?" Their thoughts were linked, and Yu Tianlong understood at once.
Could Little Gold do more than eat Soul Beast meat? Could it... devour an entire, freshly killed Soul Beast?
Especially when it had only just died, before its Soul Ring had dispersed, when its life essence and Soul Power were most concentrated?
"Go ahead!" Yu Tianlong's eyes blazed. This might be the key step in Little Gold's devouring evolution!
With permission, Little Gold didn't hesitate. It opened its mouth wide. The pig-like snout that had seemed a little goofy now appeared to transform into a miniature golden vortex, generating a powerful suction.
It wasn't tearing into the bear. It was something far stranger—devouring! The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's enormous body visibly shriveled. Its flesh, bones, and even the essence contained in its fur turned into streams of dark-gold energy that poured into Little Gold's mouth!
"This... what is this?!"
Even Yu Yuanzhen, who was soon to become a Titled Douluo and had seen countless strange things, couldn't help but turn pale with shock. Disbelief filled his face.
"A Martial Soul... devouring a Soul Beast whole?! Unbelievable! I've never heard of such a thing!"
Yu Xiaogang was struck as if by lightning. He stared blankly as Little Gold devoured the bear voraciously, watched its enormous body rapidly disappear, and saw the golden light around Little Gold grow brighter and brighter.
Its body swelled another size, especially its forepaws, which began to develop dense dark-gold markings resembling those of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. Cold light gleamed at the tips of its claws, sending a chill through the heart.
"How is this possible... How can a Martial Soul eat a Soul Beast... Luo Sanpao can actually do this?..." he muttered to himself, his worldview shaken to its core.
At the same time, Yu Tianlong felt a surging, scorching torrent of explosive power gush back from Little Gold!
It was more than ten times stronger than the power he'd received when Little Gold had devoured Soul Beast meat before!