The Sea! Cangming Thunder Dragon Emperor

Early the next morning, Qiangu Yunche arrived at the family's main hall well ahead of time.

Yang Shu stood side by side with a tall, handsome man, as though they had been waiting for quite a while.

"Dad, Mom." Qiangu Yunche stepped forward and called out.

This young man, who looked to be in his early thirties, was Qiangu Yunche's father, Qiangu Liting.

The day before yesterday, he had officially become the thirty-eighth patriarch of the Qiangu Clan.

At thirty-eight years old, he was already a ninety-second-rank Title Douluo. Moreover, as the previous young patriarch, Qiangu Liting possessed two hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings. As long as he continued to grow steadily, even if he could not become a Limit Douluo in the future, he would at least reach Qiangu Qing's level—enough to uphold the Qiangu Clan's reputation.

Yang Shu and Qiangu Liting nodded, after which the latter spoke gently.

"Yunche, I already know most of what concerns you. Your great-grandfather thinks highly of you, and he has told us about his plans."

"Although this came far too suddenly, and perhaps somewhat too early, your mother and I both feel that it is not a bad thing for you."

The premonition in Qiangu Yunche's heart grew increasingly intense. After thinking for a moment, he still asked, "Dad, Mom, where exactly is Great-Grandfather taking me to obtain my first Soul Ring?"

Yang Shu and Qiangu Liting exchanged a glance. Then Qiangu Liting said solemnly, "The sea. Your first Soul Ring will be obtained from the sea. You need not ask about anything else. You will understand in due time."

Qiangu Yunche fell silent.

Whether it was his great-grandfather's starkly different demeanor yesterday or his parents' gravity and seriousness today, both told him that his first Soul Ring would be anything but ordinary.

As for just how extraordinary it would be, that was impossible to say.

The speed of a ninety-eighth-rank Super Douluo was unquestionably swift. In just one morning, the scenery before Qiangu Yunche shifted from mountain ranges to forests and swamps, finally settling on a boundless sea.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty tang, brushed across his face. Looking down from the sky, the dark-blue seawater resembled the gaping maw of some abyssal beast, greedy and unfathomable.

Qiangu Yunche silently calculated that they had already traveled more than a thousand kilometers into the Star Luo South Sea.

Qiangu Qing had barely spoken along the way, but his speed had begun to slow. It seemed that they were about to reach their destination.

The seawater in this region was a dark blue nearly black, silent and profound, as though it could devour all light and time.

Hovering around fifty meters above the sea, Qiangu Qing let out a long howl.

"Dragon Emperor, please reveal yourself."

The howl rolled like thunder. Centered on Qiangu Qing, the seawater within a kilometer seemed to boil, raising wave after wave several meters high.

Dragon Emperor?

Qiangu Yunche raised his brows at that form of address. He had initially guessed that the other party might be some unusual Soul Beast of the sea, but it now seemed that it was actually a dragon. Judging from his great-grandfather's manner, its cultivation was undoubtedly formidable.

And the truth was just as Qiangu Yunche had expected.

A few breaths after Qiangu Qing's howl spread out, the boiling seawater below abruptly calmed in an eerie fashion.

The dark-blue seawater became as smooth as a mirror. Amid Qiangu Yunche's astonished gaze, countless streams of seawater suddenly surged to both sides, forming a vacuum region in the sea.

Within that area, a deep-blue figure at least sixty meters long slowly floated into view. Caught off guard, Qiangu Yunche met those enormous, sapphire-like eyes, deep and profound.

In that instant, Qiangu Yunche felt as if he had been dragged into the lightless depths of the sea. Terrifying water pressure surged madly from every direction, nearly swallowing his consciousness in a single moment.

But at the very last instant, a resounding dragon roar exploded within Qiangu Yunche's Sea of Spirit.

A golden dragon nearly eight meters long burst from his body, while the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul Spear somehow appeared in Qiangu Yunche's hand, helping him suppress the surging blood and spiritual power within him.

Qiangu Yunche gasped heavily, cold sweat already soaking his forehead and back.

In that brief instant, he had truly sensed the aura of death.

"Ultimate attack."

A low yet pleasant female voice sounded beside his ear, carrying a trace of barely perceptible surprise and bewilderment.

The speaker was this giant dragon, whose body was covered in deep-blue oval dragon scales. Its long body was perfectly proportioned, possessing a unique beauty.

"Is he your descendant?"

Under Qiangu Yunche's gaze, the giant dragon spoke again. Clearly, after its initial surprise, it had recognized the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul coiled around the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul Spear.

"He is my great-grandson, as well as the current young patriarch of the Qiangu Clan. In the future, he will also be this era's greatest genius and one of the strongest beings standing at its peak."

Qiangu Qing's voice was calm, but his tone was filled with confidence in Qiangu Yunche.

Then, his gaze turned to Qiangu Yunche, and he said solemnly, "Yunche, release your domain."

"Yes, Great-Grandfather." Qiangu Yunche obediently did as told. A golden, rippling domain spread out, covering the space within fifty meters.

A dense aura of destruction diffused through the air, extreme and domineering. Sensing this domain, the Cangming Thunder Dragon Emperor's surprise deepened.

"An innate companion domain..."

After murmuring this, its gaze flickered. It seemed to be hesitating, weighing the final pros and cons, but in the end, it still spoke.

"Our agreement still stands, but I need this little fellow to give me three promises."

Qiangu Qing nodded. "Dragon Emperor, please speak."

"First, he must sign an equal soul contract with me. I will not be his servant; I will only be his companion."

"Second, he must swear upon his soul that after becoming a god, he will find a suitable opportunity to revive me."

"Third, when he breaks through to Soul Saint, he must help me kill a Soul Beast."

This time, Qiangu Qing did not speak. His gaze fell upon Qiangu Yunche.

This concerned Qiangu Yunche's future. As his great-grandfather, he could help Qiangu Yunche make some decisions, but he could not decide everything for him.

Qiangu Yunche understood Qiangu Qing's meaning. He raised his head, looked straight into the Cangming Thunder Dragon Emperor's eyes, and spoke.

"I can agree to the first two conditions, but regarding the last one, may I ask which Soul Beast you want me to hunt?"

The Cangming Thunder Dragon Emperor seemed somewhat taken aback by Qiangu Yunche's calmness and composure.

A six-year-old child had actually accepted reality and adjusted himself in such a short time. He even had the courage to look directly into its eyes and speak with it. He was completely unlike any human six-year-old child in the Cangming Thunder Dragon Emperor's impression.

Yet surprise was surprise; the final stone in its heart had finally settled.

"Little fellow, you truly are outstanding. At the very least, among all the humans I have met, you are the most unique and the most talented."

"I can tell you plainly that the Soul Beast I want you to help me kill is called the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King. It is an eight-hundred-thousand-year Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, and it can be considered one of the strongest Soul Beasts in the entire ocean."

"Do you have the courage and confidence for that?"