Yu Tianheng

He wore a deep-blue satin robe, with a jade token hanging at his waist, engraved with a lightning pattern.

The old man's pace was neither hurried nor slow, yet every step he took was exceptionally steady. A restrained yet profound fluctuation of soul power emanated from him.

Lu Mingfei's senses were not particularly keen, but even he could tell that this old man's soul power was unfathomably deep, like an ancient well whose bottom could not be seen.

The old man led the way, with several people following behind him.

At the front was a middle-aged man with a square, dignified face and the authority of one long accustomed to holding a high position between his brows.

He wore a deep-blue robe similar to the old man's, though its material was far more exquisite. Golden lightning patterns were embroidered on the cuffs and collar, and a longsword hung at his waist, its scabbard set with a blue gemstone.

When the middle-aged man entered the shop, his gaze casually swept over Huang Fei and Lu Mingfei by the counter, as though passing over two inconspicuous fallen leaves, without lingering.

A youth followed behind the middle-aged man.

Lu Mingfei's gaze fell on the youth.

The youth looked no older than his teens, yet he was already around 1.7 meters tall, with a slender, well-proportioned build. Standing there, he resembled a spear.

He had neat black short hair, every strand standing upright like steel needles. His face could not be called handsome, but its features were sharply defined, and his expression was cold.

There was almost no expression in his facial muscles, as if he were a stone statue carved by hand.

He wore a fitted blue outfit, his hands hanging at his sides. His ten fingers were long and strong, and a thin layer of calluses could faintly be seen around his knuckles, clearly marks left by years of gripping weapons.

A tiny figure followed beside the youth.

She was a little girl of around six or seven, with black hair tied into twin buns.

Two shallow dimples hung on her round face, and her large eyes were bright and watery.

She wore a pink qipao embroidered with several delicate plum blossom patterns.

On her feet were a pair of pink cloth shoes, with two tiny pom-poms dangling from the toes and swaying gently with her steps.

The little girl looked utterly adorable, but her expression was extremely serious. With her little hands clasped behind her back, she followed the others with great composure, putting on the air of a tiny adult.

The group came out from the inner room of the shop. As they passed the counter, the little girl's gaze inadvertently swept over Lu Mingfei, and she blinked those big eyes curiously.

Lu Mingfei grinned at her. The little girl froze for a moment, then swiftly turned her face away. Her little face tightened even more, but the tips of her ears quietly reddened a little.

Neither the middle-aged man nor Yu Tianheng noticed that small interaction.

Led by the old man, they walked out of the shop and unhurriedly disappeared down the street.

The atmosphere in the shop relaxed somewhat after they left. Only then did the clerk behind the counter dare straighten up and let out a long breath.

"Manager, why did the young master suddenly come to town?"

The clerk respectfully asked the old man who had led the way.

The old man stroked his beard, his face carrying a hint of sentiment. "The young master brought the young lady to Dragon Valley to obtain a soul ring. They happened to be passing through, so he came to inspect the accounts."

He added, "The young lady is quite gifted. Her innate soul power is rank eight, and in just one year, she cultivated it to rank ten. She has reached the level where she can obtain a soul ring. With talent like that, she was not much worse than Young Master Tianheng back then."

The clerk repeatedly nodded in agreement. "The Yu Clan has worthy successors. What a cause for celebration."

Lu Mingfei's heart stirred as he listened nearby.

Yu Tianheng?

So that boy was actually Yu Tianheng!

And that little girl...

Innate soul power of rank eight, cultivating from rank eight to rank ten in a year—among ordinary people, that could indeed be considered outstanding. She was far stronger than those children from Holy Soul Village who had only half a rank or one rank of soul power.

But compared to Yu Tianheng, she still seemed somewhat lacking.

Then again, that little girl had looked only six or seven years old. Reaching that cultivation speed was already astonishing.

Huang Fei had stood silently to the side the entire time. Only after the conversation in the shop ended did she calmly pick up the token and signal Lu Mingfei with her eyes.

Understanding her meaning, Lu Mingfei followed Huang Fei out of the shop.

Outside, sunlight shone upon the bluestone road, warm and pleasant.

Huang Fei walked a little faster than before. Only after leaving the main street and turning into a secluded alley did she stop and glance back at Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei noticed that Huang Fei's brows were slightly raised, and a rare trace of surprise showed in those violet eyes.

"Yu Tianheng."

Huang Fei quietly repeated the name. "I didn't expect to encounter him in a place like this. The young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect personally brought his son and daughter to Dragon Valley to hunt soul beasts. It seems the Yu Clan has high expectations for that little girl."

Lu Mingfei blinked. "Lady Huang Fei knows Yu Tianheng?"

"Spirit Hall and the Seven Great Sects have had dealings for many years. Although I have never dealt with him directly, his name ranks quite highly in Spirit Hall's records."

Huang Fei spoke calmly. "The foremost member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's younger generation. Thirteen years old, with soul power already at rank twenty-five. Such credentials place him among the best of the younger generation in the Seven Great Sects."

Lu Mingfei silently committed this information to memory.

Yu Tianheng was thirteen now, with soul power at rank twenty-five. He was seven years older than Lu Mingfei, yet his soul power was only five ranks higher.

It seemed Lu Mingfei's talent was still stronger than Yu Tianheng's.

Of course, Yu Tianheng already had two soul rings, while Lu Mingfei was still a bare commander with zero rings.

Once he obtained a soul ring and caught up, the gap should shrink considerably.

"But now is not the time to worry about others."

Huang Fei put away the token and headed toward the north side of town. "Your soul ring is the priority. That token was an entry permit for the valley, valid for seven days.

"Within seven days, you must find a suitable soul beast and successfully obtain a soul ring. Otherwise, you'll have to pay again to renew it. Dragon Valley is also filled with danger. Every extra day you stay means an extra measure of risk."

Lu Mingfei nodded and followed her.

On the north side of town was a winding stone path that led directly to the gorge entrance of Dragon Valley.

Several stone pillars stood along both sides of the path. Each pillar was wrapped in iron chains carved with sealing runes, clearly arranged to prevent the soul beasts within the valley from escaping.

The closer they drew to the entrance, the heavier the intense dragon's might in the air became. The tattoo on the back of Lu Mingfei's hand began to faintly burn again.

Huang Fei stopped at the entrance and handed the token to the guards for inspection.

Two guards stood at the entrance to Dragon Valley, dressed in the standard armor of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. A blue tyrant dragon was embroidered across their chests.

After confirming everything was in order, the guards expressionlessly raised a hand to let them pass.