Liu Erlong

Everyone followed the sound and looked over.

A young girl sat on the branches of the old locust tree by the roadside.

The girl appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old, her long, jet-black hair tied back simply with a red cord.

She wore a practical, dark red martial outfit, with a short sword tucked into her waist.

The girl had striking features—exquisite brows and eyes, a high-bridged nose, and skin that wasn't particularly fair, but rather a healthy, sun-kissed tone from years of training outdoors, which only served to make her contours more defined.

She was beautiful, but the aura radiating from her made people afraid to even get close.

The bald man with the scar clearly didn't take this girl who had suddenly appeared seriously, instead flashing a lecherous grin. "Yo, another little girl? What, you want to play with your uncles?"

The girl didn't answer; she simply leaped down from the old locust tree.

"First Spirit Skill: Tyrant Dragon Possession!"

The girl's voice was cold and crisp, devoid of any unnecessary chatter, pre-battle taunts, or even a direct glance at the scarred bald man.

A layer of dark red light erupted from her body. The phantom image of dragon scales emerged on her skin, instantly condensing into a layer of translucent scale armor that covered her arms and torso.

The girl's pupils turned into vertical slits amidst the light, her black hair dancing without a breeze, and the aura surrounding her surged in an instant.

The scarred man's smile froze on his face.

He subconsciously took half a step back, but realizing how embarrassing that looked, he forced his foot back into place.

"What are you afraid of? It's just a little girl!" The scarred man roared, partly to bolster his own courage and partly to encourage his two henchmen who were still standing there in a daze. "Attack together! Take her down!"

While the scarred man's roar still echoed in the air, the girl's figure had already vanished from where she stood.

The scarred man only felt a blur before his eyes as a dark red afterimage swept past, and the next second, a tremendous force slammed into his abdomen.

The scarred man didn't even have time to see how that dragon-scale-covered fist had struck him before he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.

He crashed into a crooked tree by the road, snapping the trunk in half and sending a shower of branches and leaves raining down.

"Boss!" The tall, thin man on the left had just shouted when the girl's assault reached him.

She didn't use any flashy moves, just a simple, straightforward elbow strike that landed precisely on the tall man's chin.

The tall man didn't even have time to scream; his vision went black, and he collapsed straight to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Seeing this, the others fled in terror, not daring to put up any resistance against the girl.

Deng Tianxin watched the girl and couldn't help but swallow hard.

He wasn't afraid; he just subconsciously thought of Bibi Dong spanking him.

"Hmm?"

Just then, Deng Tianxin noticed that the girl also had fragments inside her body.

They were much smaller than the fragments inside Bibi Dong, but Deng Tianxin didn't mind.

The girl walked up to Deng Tianxin, looked him over, and asked with curiosity, "Little brother, what's up with your head? Is it because of your Spirit?"

Deng Tianxin snapped out of his thoughts and subconsciously reached up to touch the dragon horns on his forehead.

He had spent so much time in Spirit Hall over the past year that everyone around him knew him, and no one ever asked about his horns.

Being asked by a stranger, he was caught off guard for a moment.

"No, it's a physical constitution issue," Deng Tianxin replied, shaking his head.

The girl nodded and introduced herself with a smile, "Little brother, my name is Liu Erlong. What's your name?"

While looking at Deng Tianxin, Liu Erlong felt an inexplicable urge to get close to this cute little boy.

But realizing she didn't know him, she had to suppress the thought.

Deng Tianxin was stunned, not expecting to run into Liu Erlong.

He naturally knew who Liu Erlong was—Yu Xiaogang's future wife and his cousin.

Deng Tianxin quickly regained his composure and offered a bright smile in gratitude. "Big sister, thank you. My name is Deng Tianxin."

Liu Erlong bent down and reached out to ruffle Deng Tianxin's hair, her fingers accidentally brushing against the dragon horns. The touch was warm, smooth, and cool, making her unable to resist touching them a few more times.

Deng Tianxin felt completely uncomfortable being petted like this. He wanted to dodge but felt too embarrassed since she had just saved him, so he could only stiffen his neck and let her rub his head, silently complaining to himself about why these female Spirit Masters all had the habit of randomly touching people's heads.

"Deng Tianxin," Liu Erlong withdrew her hand and repeated the name, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "That's a nice name! Much better than mine. Liu Erlong—it sounds like a man's name. I don't know how many people have mistaken me for one since I was a child."

She laughed heartily after saying this, her laughter bright and candid, clearly not truly bothered by the matter.

Deng Tianxin examined Liu Erlong at close range, mentally comparing her to the descriptions in the original work.

The dark red martial outfit outlined her lithe figure, and the hilt of the short sword at her waist was polished bright, clearly from years of use.

Her features were more defined than those of an average woman, with a heroic spirit between her brows, and her eyes curved into crescents when she smiled.

She was a completely different type from Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong was the kind of woman who was elegant and composed, with calculation hidden deep in her bones. When she was angry, she wouldn't shout or scream; she would just smile at you, then grab your ear the moment you let your guard down.

Liu Erlong, however, was like a bright flame—burning hot and direct. She would beat up whoever she disliked and smile at whoever she liked. All her emotions were written on her face, visible at a single glance.

However, in terms of their feelings, Liu Erlong and Bibi Dong were the same type of person.

Bibi Dong was having emotional issues and wanted to destroy the entire Douluo Continent, while Liu Erlong was having emotional issues and slaughtering the soul beasts of the Soul Hunting Forest.

"Little brother, you're out here in the middle of nowhere all by yourself—aren't you afraid of being snatched away by a soul beast?" Liu Erlong stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at Deng Tianxin with the air of a big sister interrogating a child.

"I'm out here for training," Deng Tianxin lied without changing his expression.

"Training?" Liu Erlong looked him up and down. Although the little guy seemed quite composed, he looked like a six or seven-year-old child no matter how she saw it. "How old are you? You're already out for training?"

"Seven," Deng Tianxin replied.

"You're out alone at seven? Are your family members not worried?" Liu Erlong's brows furrowed, her tone carrying a hint of disapproval.

"I am a disciple of the Spirit Hall Saintess, Bibi Dong. My teacher sent me out for training," Deng Tianxin brought up Bibi Dong's name.

In any case, the old witch was far away in Slaughter City; it was impossible for her to jump out and expose him.

Liu Erlong's expression clearly froze for a moment, then she nodded in sudden realization. "So you're from Spirit Hall. No wonder a child like you dares to wander around in a place like this. I've heard of Bibi Dong's great name; they say she is a once-in-a-century genius of Spirit Hall."