Yu Tianheng!

The Star Dou Great Forest! It was the largest Soul Beast forest on the entire Douluo Continent. Its trees stood tall and thick, and vegetation grew with wild abandon!

It was home to all manner of countless Soul Beasts. Ten-year, Hundred-Year, and Thousand-Year Soul Beasts could be found everywhere, along with many powerful Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and even overlord-class Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. They lived and bred in the Star Dou Forest!

Their numbers kept growing, making the forest ever more dangerous. Traces of Soul Beasts could be seen at every turn!

Yang Que arrived at a small city outside the Star Dou Great Forest. Its gate was immense, and above it hung a plaque bearing three large characters: "Star Dou City"!

"If you want to enter, you'll have to pay one gold coin!" Two armored guards stopped Yang Que at the gate.

The fee was modest, and Yang Que wanted to spend the night inside before moving on. He paid and entered. Even with an admission fee, it was worth it!

People came and went, a mix of dragons and fish. It looked chaotic, but the city had rules: no fighting or causing trouble. Anyone who broke them would be hunted down by the city's powerful figures. No one dared ignore that threat!

After all, two Titled Douluo and five Soul Douluo had proclaimed the rule together!

Stalls lined the bustling street, and vendors' cries rang out without pause. "Weapons for sale! Fine Black Iron swords! Going cheap today..."

"Spirit medicine! Spirit medicine! Fine spirit medicine for sale..."

Yang Que led his horse along the street. I don't remember this city in the original story. Did my arrival cause a butterfly effect?

The goods on offer were strange and varied. Even Soul Beasts were for sale: Hundred-Year, Thousand-Year, and even Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts! Their prices, though, were outrageous!

Hundred-Year Soul Beasts sold for anywhere from five thousand to ten thousand gold coins!

Thousand-Year Soul Beasts sold for anywhere from a hundred thousand to a million gold coins!

Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were more absurd still. A single beast under thirty thousand years old cost five million gold coins! Yang Que spotted a ninety-thousand-year Soul Beast. A beast that old would take several Titled Douluo to subdue! And sure enough, the city's seven leaders had captured it together!

Its asking price was a terrifying fifty million gold coins!

Suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead at a stall selling Soul Beasts! Yang Que went over...

From the whispers around him, Yang Que pieced together what had happened. A talented young man from a sect had taken a liking to a six-hundred-year Lightning Dragon and wanted it as his Second Soul Ring! He had blue hair, and his attire marked him as someone from a prominent sect!

But a young talent from the City Lord's Mansion wanted the same Soul Beast! He clearly had no intention of yielding, and the two had begun arguing!

"I offered first! What gives you the right to sell it to him?" the sect's young talent demanded, his face flushed with anger.

Before the stall owner could speak, the boy opposite him said, "Why? Because my father and several of my uncles built this city! What, got a problem with that?"

"What? His father is one of the seven leaders?" The crowd stirred at the boy's words!

"Oh, right, I remember him. He's Thunderfish Douluo's son! Chen Lei, I think!" A stall owner's pupils contracted as he recalled that formidable figure.

The blue-haired boy's pupils contracted too. The son of a Titled Douluo? Yet he seemed to have someone to back him and showed no fear. "Hmph. So what if your father's a Titled Douluo? If the son acts like this, the father can't be much better!"

The onlookers erupted again. "That kid's lawless! He actually dared say that about a Titled Douluo!"

"What? You dare insult my father?" Chen Lei flew into a rage and released his Martial Soul. Though he had no Soul Rings, his Lightning Spider appeared in an instant, and he charged the blue-haired youth!

But there was no battle of dragon and tiger. The moment Chen Lei rushed forward, the blue-haired youth slapped him back to where he had started!

"Hiss! That blue-haired youth is strong! But he's in trouble now. Hitting a Titled Douluo's son is no joke!" the people nearby whispered.

Just then, a large group of guards surged in. "Young master, are you all right?" An old man with a graying beard helped Chen Lei to his feet.

"He hit me! Get him!" Chen Lei ordered, his young face twisted with malice.

At their young master's command, the guards rushed the other group!

A mighty pressure suddenly bore down on the guards! "A Soul Douluo's pressure?" The instant that pressure appeared, an even stronger force descended on the blue-haired youth's group!

"What's this? Bullying my son in Star Dou City? Did you think I wouldn't notice?" The middle-aged man who had appeared glared at the group opposite him. He wore a purple robe patterned with thunderfish, and his black hair streamed behind him!

"My apologies, Your Excellency Thunderfish Douluo. This is a misunderstanding. I'm sure you know how it happened. Our young sect master merely—" Before the Soul Douluo could finish, Thunderfish Douluo cut him off. "Enough. I don't want your explanation. My son was bullied in this city, and I'm going to stand up for him. Leave one arm each, then get out!"

"Your Excellency Thunderfish Douluo, isn't that a bit much? The rest of us can each leave an arm, but please spare our young sect master!" the Soul Douluo said helplessly.

"Oh? Are you bargaining with me?" Thunderfish Douluo's pressure intensified!

"No! I'm not bargaining. I'm asking you to think carefully before you act!" Struggling under the Titled Douluo's pressure, the man pulled a token from his robes and tossed it to Thunderfish Douluo!

Thunderfish Douluo caught it and examined its design. A lifelike giant lightning dragon seemed to roar across the token!

"This... You're from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?" Thunderfish Douluo regarded the group gravely!

"Yes, Your Excellency. This is the young sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianheng!" the Soul Douluo said, neither servile nor arrogant!

Thunderfish Douluo studied them in silence. "For the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's sake, get out!"

"Yes. Thank you, Your Excellency! Young master, let's go!" The Soul Douluo bowed, then led the blue-haired boy out of the city!

"Come on. Back to the City Lord's Mansion!" Thunderfish Douluo waved to his men. They formed a grand procession around Chen Lei and escorted him back to the mansion.

"Who would've thought they were from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? And that boy was its young sect master! Even someone as powerful as Thunderfish Douluo doesn't want to provoke that clan..." The spectators whispered among themselves!

Yang Que, who had watched the whole show from the sidelines, fell into thought. So that was Yu Tianheng. I didn't expect that. The upcoming Continental Soul Master Tournament must be quite a draw if even a clan as powerful as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan came to the Star Dou Great Forest to get him a Second Soul Ring! I'd better hurry too!

That evening, Yang Que found an inn where he could rest before entering the Star Dou Great Forest the next day. Just then, a faint breeze swept past. He spun around. "Who's there?"

"No need to be alarmed, young friend. We're from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan group you saw this afternoon!" One of two black-robed figures showed his face. It was the Soul Douluo from earlier!

Yang Que watched them warily. "What do you want?"

"It seems you have someone to back you, young friend. You can face me without losing your composure. All you've done is raise your guard! That's quite something," the Soul Douluo said admiringly.

"If you have something to say, say it. I don't want to waste words on you!" Yang Que clearly had no wish to talk with them!

"Ahem. I'd like to ask you to escort our young sect master into the Star Dou Great Forest and help him obtain his Second Soul Ring. Would you be willing?" The middle-aged man looked at Yang Que hopefully!

Yang Que considered it. "You're afraid Thunderfish Douluo will retaliate?"

The man looked impressed. "Exactly! He backed down this afternoon, but only because he didn't want to deal with us in front of the crowd. He's notorious for his cruelty and for repaying the slightest slight. But to obtain a Second Soul Ring that's truly suited to our young sect master, we have to enter the Star Dou Great Forest. The rest of us will stay in the city to hold his attention. If you could help us, we'd be deeply grateful!"

Yang Que smiled. "Heh. Why should I help? Even if I did, what use would your gratitude be to me? Given who I am, do I need the gratitude of one Soul Douluo and a few Soul Saints?" he said, affecting an air of mystery!

The man's eyes lit up. He had been right: a youth who could remain calm before a Titled Douluo must have someone powerful behind him. If Yang Que had agreed at once, the man would have worried. Now that Yang Que was making demands, he felt far more at ease!

People were like that sometimes! Ask for nothing, and they suspected you. Name your price, and they trusted you!

"Then tell me what you want, young friend. If it's within our power, we won't so much as furrow our brows," the man said heartily.

The corner of Yang Que's mouth lifted. "I want the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to owe me a favor! Remember, I mean the clan itself!"

The man's mouth twitched. This little brat certainly dared to ask! "Isn't that asking a bit too much?"

"That's my condition. If you want my help, you'll have to bleed a little. Wouldn't you agree, young sect master Yu Tianheng?" Yang Que turned toward the other black-robed figure.

The figure slowly removed his cloak. "Agreed. If you help me find a suitable Second Soul Ring, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will owe you a favor!"

"Straightforward! I like talking to straightforward people!" Yang Que laughed!

The middle-aged man opened his mouth, then closed it. In the end, he could only sigh deeply!

"All right. Leave Yu Tianheng here. You can go!" Yang Que promptly showed him the door.

"Young friend, could I meet the expert behind you? It would put my mind at ease!" The man clearly did not want to leave yet. He needed to be certain of Yu Tianheng's safety!

Yang Que frowned. "What, you don't trust me? Then take him with you. I'm not eager to drag around dead weight!"

"No, I'm only concerned for the young sect master's safety! I meant nothing else!" the man hurriedly explained.

"That's enough, Uncle Wei. Since he's agreed to protect me, he won't let me get hurt. I trust that a powerful expert won't go back on his word!" Yu Tianheng said with a wave of his hand.

"But—" "No buts! Go back before those people from the City Lord's Mansion notice anything!" Yu Tianheng told the man.

"All right, young master. This old servant will wait for you in the city! Young friend, please protect our young sect master!" The man walked toward the window and vanished with a whoosh...

Yang Que pursed his lips. I didn't expect what I did this afternoon to make them think there's an expert behind me. Still, that works out. With my strength, helping Yu Tianheng get his Second Soul Ring should be easy, and I'll earn a favor from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. I've come out far ahead...