Lin Yao replied without a moment's hesitation, "I want to focus on my black dragon Martial Soul. Oh, right—I've named it the Ender Dragon Martial Soul. For its First Soul Skill, I hope it can enhance my own abilities."
Lin Yao would need to develop the Ender Dragon Martial Soul gradually, so choosing a Soul Ring that enhanced him for his first one was the most suitable and safest option.
Lin Xueli didn't object to his son's choice. In fact, after all these years teaching in the Dou Ling Empire, he had also wanted to suggest that his son cultivate his dragon-type Martial Soul first.
In theory, saving the high-level Soul Rings for the dragon-type Martial Soul would bring greater benefits.
But in this world, a hard fist was the only truth.
If Lin Yao went a long time without any significant fighting strength, he might not even live long enough to add a Soul Ring to his dragon-type Martial Soul.
"Our relations with the Heaven Dou Empire have grown close lately. It seems the two sides may join forces to stand against Star Luo and Sun Moon, so neither of those empires can swallow us up," Lin Xueli told Lin Yao. "So, if you cultivate a dragon-type Martial Soul, I can take you to a fine place for novice Soul Masters with dragon-type Martial Souls."
Lin Yao looked at Lin Xueli, puzzled. He had read the Peerless Tang Sect novel in his previous life, but this wasn't some thin novel now—it was a complete, tangible world.
Anything in the novel that Huo Yuhao's perspective hadn't revealed was an absolute blind spot for Lin Yao.
As for the relationship between Heaven Dou and Dou Ling, that was easy to understand. After all, they had once been one and the same, in a very real sense, ten thousand years ago.
In this era of immense external pressure, it was only natural that they would gravitate toward one another again for the sake of mutual interests.
The flying carriage convoy crossed the border between the Dou Ling and Heaven Dou Empires, heading toward a valley near the edge of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Lin Xueli introduced it to Lin Yao. "This place was discovered by the forebears of the Heaven Dragon Sect and the Earth Dragon Sect. It seems especially suited to the growth of dragon-type Soul Beasts, and, under human control, it's home to a great many sub-dragon Soul Beasts."
"Since the Heaven Dragon Sect and Earth Dragon Sect divided the valley between them and govern it separately, it's known as Heaven and Earth Dragon Valley."
Lin Yao nodded. It really was an interesting place, specially suited to dragon-type Soul Beasts. Given the usual ways of Douluo Continent, there was probably a true dragon of no small caliber sleeping beneath it.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in an open space in front of Heaven and Earth Dragon Valley. Two young men in different-colored clothes stood at the valley's entrance, clearly disciples of the Heaven Dragon Sect and the Earth Dragon Sect.
Lin Xueli walked up and handed a token to the Heaven Dragon Sect disciple. Then he offered the Earth Dragon Sect disciple a cigarette and said, "We already agreed on this."
The Heaven Dragon Sect disciple glanced at the token, then waved Lin Xueli through. "Go on in. Don't slaughter Soul Beasts recklessly. Pick your target before you strike."
Lin Xueli nodded. He knew how precious sub-dragon Soul Beasts were. Even without being told, he wouldn't harm one that didn't belong to Lin Yao.
After all, when people got old, they started believing in fate. He was afraid of cutting off someone else's opportunity and bringing down some terrible retribution, making his already precarious lifespan even shorter.
As they entered Heaven and Earth Dragon Valley, Lin Xueli told Lin Yao, "Yao'er, take this short knife. I'll follow you from a distance and step in if you face danger you absolutely can't handle. Think of it as a simple test of your abilities."
Lin Yao nodded and took the short knife Lin Xueli handed him. It was thirty centimeters long, with a blade about twenty centimeters in length. The blade curved slightly upward, and it felt heavy in his hand. It was probably made from a rare metal of considerable quality.
Lin Yao wasn't surprised that they were going into Heaven and Earth Dragon Valley to hunt for a Soul Ring. His father had promised not to slaughter Soul Beasts recklessly.
But such an agreement was understood not to apply if the Soul Beasts attacked first.
Even when the Heaven Dragon Sect and Earth Dragon Sect sent their own disciples in, their elders probably followed behind, leaving the younger generation to handle the trials on their own.
Lin Yao headed deeper into Heaven and Earth Dragon Valley, mainly following the route that cut through the Heaven Dragon Sect's territory.
The Heaven Dragon Sect was stronger overall than the Earth Dragon Sect, so the Soul Beasts here should be better as well.
After parting a patch of grass, Lin Yao spotted something in the Earth Dragon Sect's territory, right beside the Heaven Dragon Sect's grounds.
It was a tree. The tree itself was nothing special; what caught Lin Yao's interest was the fruit growing on it.
The fruit was a deep purple, its skin covered in raised patches that looked like dragon scales.
At the sight of it, Lin Yao was almost certain that a true dragon of considerable strength lay sleeping here.
What kind of dragon it was, though, he had no idea. The Ender Dragon Martial Soul hadn't sensed any aura that could threaten it, after all. It was the sort of being that could withstand a god's will for a full minute.
Though, to be fair, that god hadn't exactly tried to destroy him.
After a brief hesitation, Lin Yao still walked toward the fruit tree.
He wasn't a disciple of the Heaven Dragon Sect. When he entered Heaven and Earth Dragon Valley, he had received permission from both the Heaven Dragon Sect and the Earth Dragon Sect.
They had agreed from the start that he could enter the territory on either side. It was just that his father was more familiar with the Heaven Dragon Sect, which was why they had started out on its grounds.
Just as Lin Yao flew up and was about to reach the Dragon Scale Fruit, two gusts of wind suddenly swept past on either side. In the next instant, a soft, fragrant figure crashed into his arms.
Lin Yao spun once in midair. As he steadied himself, a glint of cold light flashed over his head.
He tumbled into the bushes with the soft figure. Before Lin Yao could say a word, a knife was pressed against his throat.
A girl with short black hair, wearing a pink Chinese-style qipao, watched Lin Yao warily and snapped, "Where did you come from, kid? Don't you know the rules?"
Lin Yao abruptly seized the girl's wrist, snatched the knife from her in an instant, and tossed it aside. Only then did he say, "I really don't know the rules of Heaven and Earth Dragon Valley. What exactly did I do wrong?"
The girl froze slightly. Then a sharp whistle came from the direction of the fruit tree.
Lin Yao couldn't be bothered to keep arguing with her. He grabbed her by the shoulder, spread the Ender Dragon's wings behind him, and swept away at speed with her in tow.
The girl glanced at the huge dragon wings behind Lin Yao, surprise flashing in her eyes. Then she asked him, "You're not from the Heaven Dragon Sect... are you?"
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