Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear!

In his view, this was the most rational choice, one that best aligned with the nature of Luo Sanpao.

Yu Yuanzhen looked toward Yu Tianlong: "What do you think?"

Yu Tianlong shook his head, his tone calm yet resolute: "What Xiaogang says might suit his Luo Sanpao. But mine is different."

He patted Little Gold on the head, and Little Gold let out a low growl—though the sound was youthful, it carried a faint, metallic resonance. "My first spirit ring must come from a power-attack spirit beast. The stronger the bloodline, the better; the more ferocious the temperament, the better."

"What?" Yu Xiaogang looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nearly jumping into the air.

"Are you insane? Luo Sanpao, a power-attack type? With what will it attack? Will it gore things with that pig nose? Or kick them with those short legs? Yu Tianlong, don't think that just because you have innate full spirit power, you can do whatever you want! Choosing a spirit ring concerns your entire life; if you take the wrong path, it will be too late for regrets! Listen to me, choose defense or control—that is the only safe way!"

He was agitated, his face flushed red, as if Yu Tianlong's choice were a grave insult to his "research findings."

Yu Tianlong glanced at him indifferently: "I will walk my own path. Whether I succeed or fail, I will bear the consequences myself. No need to trouble yourself."

"You!" Yu Xiaogang was trembling with rage and was about to continue, but Yu Yuanji interrupted him.

"Enough." Yu Yuanzhen took a deep look at Yu Tianlong. The determination and confidence in the youth's eyes, which far exceeded his age, made him swallow his words of admonition.

He vaguely felt that this child might truly be able to see a path that others could not.

"Since that is the case, I will follow your lead. Power-attack type, with a strong bloodline as the priority. We shall venture deeper; the outer perimeter is mostly ten-year and hundred-year spirit beasts, which will hardly satisfy you."

"Thank you, Great Uncle." Yu Tianlong cupped his hands.

Seeing that his father had actually adopted Yu Tianlong's "absurd" request while ignoring his own "reasonable" advice, Yu Xiaogang felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. His last shred of hope was extinguished.

He gritted his teeth, his gaze toward Yu Tianlong filled with anger, confusion, and a trace of jealousy he hadn't even realized himself.

Why? Why did everyone believe in him? Why did his father, and even those two strange Luo Sanpaos of his, seem more impressive than himself?

"You will regret this..." he muttered, his head lowered, his voice audible only to himself, his fists clenched until they turned white.

Yu Yuanzhen said no more. With a flick of his sleeve, a gentle yet powerful spirit power enveloped Yu Tianlong and Yu Xiaogang.

"Stay close to me."

With that, his figure flashed, and he swept into the vast sea of forest like a bolt of cyan lightning.

Yu Tianlong felt his body lighten as he was carried forward by the spirit power. Ancient trees on both sides retreated rapidly, and the wind whistled in his ears.

Deep within the Star Dou Forest, the light was shattered by layers of overlapping canopies, leaving only mottled, gloomy shadows.

With Yu Yuanzhen, a Titled Douluo, in the lead, his aura was contained yet naturally radiated an invisible pressure, keeping ordinary ten-year and hundred-year spirit beasts from daring to approach.

Yu Tianlong followed closely behind, his steps steady, his gaze scanning the surroundings sharply.

Little Gold walked by his side, its dark gold eyes flickering with the light of a hunter in the dim forest. Its four paws landed without a sound, and its chubby, short body now appeared surprisingly agile.

Little Silver remained perched on his shoulder, its glazed eyes constantly rotating, sensing the various elemental fluctuations drifting in the air. Occasionally, it would stretch out a small claw to capture a stray green speck of light rich in wood-attribute energy.

Trailing at the very back, Yu Xiaogang looked completely out of place. He followed with heavy, uneven steps, his face pale, his breathing ragged, and cold sweat already visible on his forehead.

His Luo Sanpao clung tightly to his ankles, shivering with every step, occasionally letting out fearful whimpers in its throat, its large ears drooping—entirely devoid of the high spirits a martial soul should possess.

"Can you two stop being so useless? Look at them..."

Yu Xiaogang looked at his own disappointing partner, then at the spirited gold and silver Luo Sanpaos ahead of him. His heart felt sour and bitter, but even more, it was filled with resentment and frustration toward his own fate.

Luo Sanpao, feeling aggrieved, rolled its eyes.

"Luo luo..."

The meaning was simple: it was because the masters were different, obviously.

Suddenly, Yu Yuanzhen, who was clearing the path ahead, paused and raised his right hand.

"There is movement. Very strong blood-qi fluctuations. It's a big one."

Yu Tianlong held his breath, looking in the direction of his gaze.

About a hundred meters ahead, in a relatively open clearing in the forest, a bloody hunt was unfolding.

The predator was a bear—a bear as massive as a small hill!

When it stood on its hind legs, it was over four meters tall, its entire body covered in thick, dark gold fur that shimmered with a cold, metallic luster under the light filtering through the trees.

Most striking were its forelimbs, which were absurdly thick, ending in five claws half a foot long, curved like hooks and glinting with a dark, ominous light.

At this moment, those claws were deeply embedded in the body of a large hundred-year Wind Wolf, easily ripping it open and spilling its entrails and blood across the ground.

The giant bear lowered its head, tearing at the flesh with large bites, the "crunching" sound of chewing making one's teeth ache. The thick scent of blood and the violent fluctuations of spirit power were enough to make one's heart palpitate, even from a hundred meters away.

"Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear!" Yu Yuanzhen exclaimed, his tone tinged with surprise.

"Looking at this size and aura, it must be nearing a thousand years of cultivation. This type of spirit beast has extremely formidable attack power, especially its pair of dreadclaws, which are indestructible. It rarely meets an opponent among spirit beasts of the same rank; it is a top-tier predator. How could it appear at this depth?"

Normally, a thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear should have a range much deeper in the forest.

Yu Tianlong's eyes, however, lit up instantly, as if he had discovered a peerless treasure! A Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear!

This was the target for his first spirit ring that he had dreamed of! Strength, attack, ferocity, and that pair of dreadclaws famous across the continent—it perfectly matched his vision for Little Gold's "strength-based, devouring evolution" path!

"Great Uncle," Yu Tianlong's voice tightened with excitement, but his gaze was exceptionally firm.

"My first spirit ring—I want this one!"

"What?" Yu Xiaogang was the first to cry out, his face clearly reading, "You've lost your mind."

"A thousand years! That is a thousand-year spirit beast! The limit for a first spirit ring is just over four hundred years. You want to absorb a thousand-year ring? You'll be blown apart by the spirit power and die without a corpse left!"

"Are you certain?" Yu Yuanzhen only asked slowly, having already perceived Yu Tianlong's confidence.

"Certain!" Yu Tianlong replied decisively. "I have the confidence."

The enhancement from the Whale Glue, the feedback from Little Gold devouring spirit beast meat, and the certainty deep within his soul as a transmigrator all gave him the foundation to proceed.

He knew that following the conventional path would never allow Luo Sanpao to truly shine. Seeking victory within danger was the only righteous path!

"Good." Yu Yuanzhen actually nodded.

The next moment, above the head of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, which was currently gorging itself, a giant palm the size of a house—condensed entirely from blue lightning—appeared out of thin air. Carrying a terrifying pressure that made the soul tremble, it slammed down with a roar!

Even if it was just a casual strike, it was by no means something a thousand-year spirit beast could withstand.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear let out a roar of shock and fury, its dark gold claws instinctively tearing upward, bringing with them five pitch-black, lethal streaks of light.

However, the giant lightning palm merely trembled slightly, crushing the claw streaks into nothingness before slamming into the bear's body with unstoppable force!

"BOOM--!!!"

The earth shook violently, and dust and smoke billowed into the sky. The violent power of the thunder instantly invaded the giant bear's body, shattering its tendons and bones inch by inch, forcibly suppressing its formidable vitality.

When the dust settled, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, which had been majestic and arrogant just moments before, lay paralyzed in the deep crater like a pile of mud. Blood spilled from its mouth and nose, and while its chest still rose and fell weakly and its eyes still held a lingering ferocity, they were now filled with fear and despair.

Yu Yuanzhen drifted down, his sleeves unstained by a speck of dust.

Yu Tianlong took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in his heart, and stepped forward quickly.

As he drew closer, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's terrifying, murderous aura—still present even in its dying moments—rushed toward him, but he did not pause for even a second.

Little Gold was growling excitedly, even breaking free from his mental control on its own. It leaped in front of the giant bear's massive head, its dark gold eyes locking onto the bear's beastly pupils—which were filled with brutality and resentment—and showed... no fear at all. Instead, it revealed a naked, almost greedy longing!

"Luo-luo!" Little Gold looked back, chirping urgently at Yu Tianlong, then pointed its claw at the giant bear on the ground. The meaning could not have been clearer.

"You want to... eat it?" Yu Tianlong, connected to it by heart, understood instantly.

Little Gold could not only eat spirit beast meat, but could even... devour a complete, fresh spirit beast body?

Especially at the moment when it had just died, the spirit ring had not yet dissipated, and its life essence and spirit power were at their most concentrated?

"Go ahead!" A sharp light erupted in Yu Tianlong's eyes. This might be the key step in Little Gold's devouring evolution ability!

Granted permission, Little Gold hesitated no longer and suddenly opened its mouth. That mouth, which usually looked somewhat silly and cute, now seemed to transform into a miniature golden vortex, generating a powerful suction force.

It wasn't biting, but something more bizarre—devouring! The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's massive body withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. Its flesh, bones, and even the essence contained within its fur transformed into streams of dark gold, surging into Little Gold's mouth!

"This... what is this?!"

Even though Yu Yuanzhen was on the verge of becoming a Titled Douluo and was well-informed, he could not help but change color, his face filled with disbelief.

"A martial soul... devouring a spirit beast's body?! It's inconceivable! Unheard of!"

Yu Xiaogang was struck as if by lightning, staring blankly as Little Gold swallowed everything, watching the massive bear body vanish rapidly, and seeing the golden light on Little Gold grow increasingly intense.

Its size expanded by another circle, and its front claws, in particular, began to be covered in fine, dark gold patterns that resembled those of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. The tips of its claws flickered with a cold light that made one's heart chill.

"How is this possible... how can a martial soul eat a spirit beast... can Luo Sanpao actually do this?..." He muttered to himself, his worldview suffering a violent impact.

At the same time, Yu Tianlong felt a vast, scorching, and explosive heat flow surging back from Little Gold!

This power was more than ten times stronger than when it had devoured spirit beast meat before!