First Soul Skill, Golden Dragon Claw!

His entire body's bones emitted a faint crackling sound, muscles bulging as his blood surged like a great river, and a dark golden luster faintly shimmered beneath his skin.

The essence of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, renowned for its strength and defense, was rapidly fortifying his physique!

Within a few breaths, the massive carcass of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear vanished completely, leaving behind only a pool of dark red blood and a hovering soul ring radiating a deep purple halo.

Within the soul ring, a faint, ferocious phantom of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear seemed to be roaring in silence.

Little Gold let out a satisfied burp, its golden light receding into its body, yet the mountain-like weight of its presence and the heart-stopping sharpness of its claws could no longer be concealed.

It returned to Yu Tianlong's feet, rubbing against him affectionately while conveying thoughts of "strong, satisfied, want more."

Yu Tianlong suppressed the urge to roar at the sky, feeling the surging power within him as he looked at the purple thousand-year soul ring without a shred of hesitation.

He turned, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced, chaotic-eyed Yu Xiaogang, and suddenly spoke:

"Xiaogang, does your Luo Sanpao want to give it a try? Perhaps what it needs isn't to follow the rules, but a little... stimulation?"

This was his final act of goodwill. If Yu Xiaogang could seize the opportunity to let his Luo Sanpao consume even a trace of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's residual aura or flesh, it might ignite a spark of potential.

But Yu Xiaogang's mind was in turmoil; he felt fear at the supernatural phenomenon before him, jealousy that Yu Tianlong could obtain such a "fated opportunity," and a deep-seated stubbornness that refused to admit his "research" was flawed.

He shook his head violently, stepping back as if avoiding a plague, his voice shrill:

"No! Don't! This is nothing but a heretical path! A martial soul eating a soul beast? Unheard of! There must be something wrong with it! You'll suffer a backlash! And you're going to absorb a thousand-year soul ring? You're mad, completely mad!"

Seeing this, the last shred of pity in Yu Tianlong's heart faded away. Some people can never be awakened.

"If that is the case, we walk different paths." He stopped looking at Yu Xiaogang, turned toward the purple soul ring, and sat cross-legged.

With a thought, the golden Luo Sanpao turned into a stream of light and merged into his body, resonating intensely with the purple soul ring.

"Uncle, please guard me."

After Yu Tianlong finished speaking, he closed his eyes and guided his soul power; the deep purple thousand-year soul ring drifted slowly toward him, settling around his body.

The soul ring descended!

"BOOM—!"

Violent, ferocious, and tearing soul power rushed into Yu Tianlong's body like a burst dam! It was the soul power of a two-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear—overbearing and reckless, as if it intended to shred every inch of his meridians and every piece of his bone!

Excruciating pain washed over him like a tidal wave. Yu Tianlong let out a muffled groan, his face instantly flushing red, veins bulging on his forehead as his body trembled uncontrollably.

A sneer of near-sadistic pleasure appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. Look, I told you this would happen. Overestimating your own abilities, courting death...

However, the next moment, a golden power—equally overbearing but far more refined and condensed—erupted from within Yu Tianlong!

It was the feedback power from Little Gold, the essence of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear that had just been "filtered" and "converted" through consumption!

This power did not clash with the invading soul power; instead, it acted as the perfect guide and soothing agent, rapidly merging into Yu Tianlong's soul power and leading the violent energy along mysterious paths to be refined and absorbed!

Yu Tianlong's trembling gradually subsided, his flushed face returned to normal, and a faint, pale golden treasure light even began to emanate from his body.

Within him, his soul power grew wildly, his meridians expanded, and his physique underwent a rebirth under the dual tempering of the soul ring's power and Little Gold's feedback!

Time passed bit by bit. Yu Yuanzhen went from initial tension to surprise, and finally, to shock.

At last, Yu Tianlong opened his eyes, a flash of golden light vanishing from his pupils. He stood up, and a wave of soul power clearly exceeding that of an eleventh-level soul master radiated outward—steady, heavy, and full of power.

"Thirteenth level." He felt the changes within him and the corners of his mouth curled up. His first soul ring had allowed him to jump two levels! Moreover, the quality of his soul power far exceeded that of his peers!

Immediately after, information regarding his first soul skill surfaced naturally in his mind.

Just then, an unexpected change occurred!

Perhaps attracted by the death of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear and the fluctuations of the soul ring, a thousand-year Green Wind Wolf—entirely dark green, over three meters long, with cunning and ferocious eyes—leaped silently from the side of the dense forest. Its target was Yu Tianlong, who had just finished absorbing the soul ring and appeared to have unstable aura! It was incredibly fast, like a green bolt of lightning, bringing a foul wind with it!

"You beast, how dare you!" Yu Yuanzhen roared, about to strike.

"Uncle, let me handle this!" Yu Tianlong laughed aloud, his mind racing.

"Little Gold, use the first soul skill, Golden Dragon Claw!"

Little Gold flashed forward and extended its front paw.

The golden light rapidly spread and morphed, instantly transforming into a meter-long phantom dragon claw covered in fine golden dragon scales with five ferocious fingers, enveloping its right arm and hand!

Most striking were the half-foot-long, hook-curved claws extending from the tips of the five fingers, shimmering with a dark golden cold light!

Wrapped around the claws was the faint, violent phantom of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, but deep within it, a more ancient and noble dragon might was awakening!

Facing the pouncing Green Wind Wolf, the right arm covered in the Golden Dragon Claw phantom swung out simply and directly toward the wolf's head!

"RIP—!!!"

A skin-crawling sound of tearing leather rang out.

There was no violent collision, no clash of soul skill light. There was only a dark golden claw-light that sliced through the Green Wind Wolf's tough fur, muscle, and bone as easily as a hot knife through butter!

The Green Wind Wolf's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. With bloodlust and confusion still lingering in its eyes, its massive body was already split into two by momentum in mid-air. Viscera and blood spilled like a waterfall, and after hitting the ground heavily and twitching twice, it went silent. A pale purple soul ring slowly emerged.

One strike! A one-hit kill on a thousand-year Green Wind Wolf!

The scene fell into dead silence.

Yu Xiaogang's mouth hung open, his eyes wide as saucers, as if he had witnessed the most incredible sight in the world.

Was that... was that Luo Sanpao's soul skill? That ferocious, majestic Golden Dragon Claw? That terrifying, peerless tearing power?

Does this have even half a copper soul coin's worth of relation to the "farting thunder" and "defensive support" he had researched?!

Yu Yuanzhen was stunned for a full three breaths before he suddenly drew a sharp breath. Then, an irrepressible ecstasy erupted across his face, his voice even cracking with excitement:

"Good! Good! What a magnificent Golden Dragon Claw! What a magnificent Yu Tianlong! Hahahaha! A genius! This is a true genius! A martial soul that devours soul beasts, absorbing a thousand-year soul ring beyond his rank, and a first soul skill with such power! Good, good, good! My Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has hope for a revival! Hope for a great resurgence!"

The future of the clan truly seemed to have birthed a brand-new star—one completely different, yet perhaps even more brilliant!

Yu Yuanzhen strode up to Yu Tianlong, patted his shoulder firmly, and declared in a booming voice:

"Tianlong! After we return, your monthly resource allowance will be doubled! Ten thousand gold soul coins every month! The first floor of the clan treasury is now open to you! Whatever you need, just ask! The clan will spare no effort in cultivating you!"

These words rang out with resonance, delivered right in front of Yu Xiaogang to grant Yu Tianlong the highest level of recognition and commitment.

Yu Tianlong could feel the elder's heartfelt joy and esteem, so he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Uncle! Tianlong will certainly not fail the clan's expectations!"

Yu Yuanzhen laughed heartily, finding Yu Tianlong more pleasing the more he looked at him, almost wishing he were his own son.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang, standing to the side, had moved past his initial shock and bewilderment to hear his father's unsparing praise for Yu Tianlong, along with the generous rewards of "ten thousand gold soul coins" and "open access to the treasury."

Comparing this to his own situation—a mere hundred gold soul coins and being ignored by everyone—an indescribable, searing, boiling bitterness, jealousy, resentment, and unwillingness gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake!

He looked at Yu Tianlong's confident, radiant profile, at the fading yet still intimidating phantom of the Golden Dragon Claw, and at the corpse of the Green Wind Wolf that had been effortlessly killed in an instant.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the pale-gold Luo Sanpao at his own feet, still cowering and trembling in the wake of that terrifying aura.

Why?!

On what grounds?!

It's the same Luo Sanpao! Why is his able to devour soul beasts, absorb rings beyond his rank, and possess such a terrifying soul skill? Why does he get all the praise, all the resources, and all the attention?

And why must I, Yu Xiaogang, only be a piece of trash, a joke, not even worth a second glance from my own father?!