The Heavenly Dragon Sect's history, a heart's ardor must never die, and Jing Hongchen's tangled thoughts

At the soul-hunting grounds in the Far North, white-haired little Meng was asking questions, eager to know why the genius female poison Soul Master from ten thousand years ago had failed to find lasting happiness with the young heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Yu Tianjun fell silent for a moment, then met Meng Hongchen's gaze and said:

"I can answer your first question. The Jade Phosphorous Douluo did not meet a peaceful end."

"Ten thousand years ago, during the War of the Two Gods, the Jade Phosphorous Douluo unleashed poison to slaughter Jialing Pass. The world therefore regarded him as a blood-soaked butcher devoid of humanity, and even disciples within the Tang Sect voiced criticism."

"Perhaps the karmic burden of poisoning an entire city was too great. Nothing went smoothly for him after that. Rumor has it that he suffered cultivation deviation during one of his training sessions and vanished from the mortal world. Others believe he died from his own poison."

"I can answer your third question as well. Our sect has no such rule."

"As for why our ancestor broke up with Dugu Yan, I'd rather not say."

"Oh~"

Miss Hongchen nodded her little head, then turned to the old geezer Jing Hongchen beside her to ask for the money. "Grandpa, you promised that if he could cure me, you'd give him a Level 9 Soul Tool or a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone. Our Hongchen Family can't go back on its word."

Jing Hongchen had been happily enjoying the historical gossip. He never expected his granddaughter to launch a surprise attack, and a rueful smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Little Meng, Grandpa can kill a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, and I can give him a Level 9 Soul Tool too, but can a mere Soul Elder like him use either? Grandpa can't force a hundred-thousand-year soul beast to sacrifice itself to him."

"He could use a Fixed Soul Cannon Shell, but don't even think about that. I can only give him a Level 9 Soul Tool I made myself."

"Oh."

Miss Hongchen looked thoughtful, then reminded the old geezer that she knew what he had stashed away. "You made Red Dust Protection. You should have one on you, shouldn't you?"

The corner of Jing Hongchen's mouth twitched. "..."

Yu Tianjun watched the grandfather and granddaughter undermine each other with great interest. Sitting back and enjoying the drama felt wonderful.

Before long, unwilling to lose face in front of his granddaughter and a junior, Jing Hongchen gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and tearfully handed his prized creation over to the pretty boy from the Heavenly Dragon Sect.

"Here. This is my exclusive creation, the most inventive Level 9 triggered defensive Soul Tool the Sun Moon Empire has produced in a hundred years: Red Dust Protection. It places no cultivation restrictions on its user, and its effect is more than a hundred times that of a Level 5 Invincible Shield..."

After briefly explaining Red Dust Protection's effects, Jing Hongchen watched Yu Tianjun infuse his Soul Power into it bit by bit. His feelings were tangled beyond description.

Not even Xiao or Meng had one, yet he had given it to some brat from the Original Three Kingdoms.

Still, as the distinguished master of the Radiant Virtue Hall, he had to keep his word. Even if he had to slap his own face swollen to pass himself off as a fat man, he had to keep up appearances.

Looking on the bright side, if this boy someday used Red Dust Protection to survive a life-or-death crisis, no outsider would believe him if he claimed he had no connection to Jing Hongchen.

Perhaps by then, the three great empires would no longer tolerate him, forcing him to seek refuge with Jing Hongchen. After going around in circles, Red Dust Protection would have come back to him...

That was how Jing Hongchen consoled himself.

"Hall Master, your promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold. You truly are a model for us all. My admiration for you is like the surging rivers and seas, flowing without end..."

Having traded a piece of information for Red Dust Protection, standard equipment for a fanfiction protagonist, Yu Tianjun was in a wonderful mood. He had always said he possessed a lucky koi's constitution. A single trip outside had brought him countless rewards.

"Enough flattery. Who do you think I am? My words may not carry quite as much weight as those of the three kingdoms' emperors, but they aren't far behind. Naturally, I keep every promise I make."

Despite his words, the slightly raised corners of Jing Hongchen's mouth betrayed his true feelings. Anything could slip through a thousand defenses except flattery. He liked geniuses who knew how to handle people.

Having received his reward, Yu Tianjun stopped keeping them in suspense. He satisfied Miss Hongchen's curiosity by recounting the reluctant parting of those ill-fated lovers, Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.

"After the Jade Phosphorous Douluo died, Dugu Yan lost her support. Sea God Tang San and the others ascended to the Divine Realm not long afterward, and the order of the lower realm changed with them."

"Shrek Academy absorbed Spirit Hall's legacy, carved out its own domain, and built Shrek City, the greatest city under heaven. It stood independent of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires. The Golden Iron Triangle, who controlled Shrek Academy, became the foremost figures on the entire continent."

"The Horn of Wisdom of the Golden Iron Triangle, Sea God Tang San's teacher Yu Xiaogang, naturally became the continent's most sought-after and prestigious figure. The remnants of the Blue Lightning Family unanimously chose him as their new patriarch to rebuild the family."

"Many believed that the newly rebuilt Blue Lightning Family would swiftly regain its glory, surpass the already declining Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Clear Sky Sect, Shrek, and the Tang Sect."

"But it was at precisely this time that problems arose with our ancestor's relationship with Dugu Yan."

"What problems?" Meng Hongchen was engrossed in the story and obligingly played the straight woman.

Jing Hongchen looked thoughtful, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"At the time, Yu Xiaogang had no children, so our ancestor Yu Tianheng was the rightful young sect master. But his girlfriend Dugu Yan, the future matriarch of the Blue Lightning Family, had a grandfather who was a butcher of men—and that grandfather was already dead.

"Dugu Yan had lost her protector, and her own talent wasn't enough for her to become a Titled Douluo."

Yu Tianjun said softly, "The members of the new Blue Lightning Family believed that a woman with such a stain on her background was unfit to become the matriarch of the future greatest family under heaven. Their complaints worked their way up through the ranks to Yu Xiaogang."

"Afterward, Yu Xiaogang considered their argument reasonable, so he arranged a marriage alliance between our ancestor Yu Tianheng and the Clear Sky Sect. The bride was Sea God Tang San's younger female cousin. Naturally, Dugu Yan could only leave in sorrow."

"Our ancestor was powerless to resist, and resentment quietly grew between him and Yu Xiaogang. They gradually fell out. Later, Yu Xiaogang had children with his younger cousin Liu Erlong, making our ancestor's position as young sect master even more of an eyesore."

"In the end, our ancestor left and established the Heavenly Dragon Sect in a barren region near the Far North, a forbidden zone for humans. The name signified that he would henceforth dwell at the ends of the earth, never to see the Blue Lightning Family again."

"Our sect also severed all contact with the Blue Lightning Family and Shrek Academy. That has continued to this day."

Speaking of the Heavenly Dragon Sect's history filled Yu Tianjun with emotion. Dragon City had been built up slowly over those ten thousand years. When the Heavenly Dragon Sect was first established, its grounds truly had been a desolate wasteland.

If not for his falling-out with Yu Xiaogang, even if Yu Tianheng had left to establish his own sect, he would never have needed to choose such barren land. The two great empires had no shortage of fertile regions willing to welcome him.

"What a heartbreaking past. Sob, sob... Dugu Yan must have been so sad..."

Meng Hongchen was so absorbed that she unconsciously put herself in Dugu Yan's place. Two streams of glistening little pearls fell uncontrollably from her eyes.

A grandfather who died tragically, a brother who vanished, not a single relative to turn to—and then she had to suffer the harsh treatment of her lover's family, be forced apart from him, and finally die of poison somewhere no one knew, her beauty reduced to white bones.

"Achoo!"

Jing Hongchen sneezed.

"Damn it! Who threw this banana peel here?"

At the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, a certain student had just passed his Level 4 Soul Engineer examination and walked out with his hands on his hips, proclaiming, "I, Xiao Hongchen, am invincible under heaven!" Then he suddenly sneezed, stepped on a banana peel, and made intimate contact with the ground in a decidedly inelegant pose.

"It must be Meng talking badly about me behind my back again. Can't she wish her big brother well for once...?"

Pouting and muttering, Xiao Hongchen sprang upright with a kip-up. He glanced around, saw no one nearby, and safely took out a little mirror and comb to tidy his white hair, which was just as silky as Meng Hongchen's.

"Even if I gave those idiot classmates a head start, they wouldn't catch so much as a glimpse of my back. I'm so talented and so handsome. How can someone as perfect as me exist in this world...?"

Brother Xiao had fallen. Brother Xiao had risen again. Brother Xiao remained brimming with confidence.

Meanwhile, back in the Far North.

Highly satisfied with Yu Tianjun's helpfulness and all-around qualities, Jing Hongchen patted the black-haired youngster's shoulder and extended another invitation.

"Mountains and rivers bring people together again. I'm delighted to have met such an exceptional genius today, and I hope we'll meet again. If you ever visit the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, give them my name, Jing Hongchen. I guarantee you'll have an unobstructed path."

"Nationality won't become a barrier to the exchange of talent. The Sun Moon Empire has always been inclusive and open. The parents of one of my junior fellow disciples, the Radiant Virtue Hall's chief Level 8 Soul Engineer, came from the Heaven Dou Empire. He became the disciple of our nation's strongest Soul Engineer and received the finest training and recognition."

"In my opinion, no one in your three great empires can match my junior fellow disciple's accomplishments in soul engineering. Even the dean and vice dean of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department, those so-called Level Eight-and-a-Half Soul Engineers, cannot compare to him in their mastery of Soul Tools."

"That is more than enough to prove both my nation's attitude and my own."

The master of the Radiant Virtue Hall cited Xuan Ziwen as a concrete example, once again putting the Heaven Dou Empire, which could not hold on to its talent, through the wringer. Princess Vina was crying online: o(╥﹏╥)o.

Yu Tianjun had a very favorable impression of this generous boss, and he also liked Miss Hongchen's innocent, romantic nature. Cupping one fist in his other palm, he smiled and said:

"If the day comes when I can no longer get by in the Original Three Kingdoms, I'll certainly seek refuge with you, Hall Master Hongchen. I hope you'll spare me a bowl of rice."

"Heh, I would very much like to see that day, though it isn't especially likely."

"Come on, Meng. We're returning to Mingdu."

"Oh~"

Meng Hongchen drew out the sound, agreeing very reluctantly. After a moment's thought, she took a Level 5 Flying Soul Tool from her storage ring.

"I don't have anything valuable on me, so take this as my thank-you gift. You can use it if you run into danger or need to travel."

"You're welcome in Mingdu. You're the most charming boy I've ever met."

Yu Tianjun accepted the Flying Soul Tool. After thinking for a moment, he took out a Dragon Blood Fruit that could strengthen the body from among the heavenly treasures he had obtained in his trade with Princess Vina.

"Then consider this an extra gift from me to Miss Hongchen. Thank you for recognizing my worth. Although our meeting was a little abrupt, I've really enjoyed our time together."

"I love making friends. I hope everyone can always live in peace and safety, without war or strife. The ardor in our hearts must never die. Within the four seas, all are friends. The strong should help and care for the weak, and everyone should join hands to explore more distant skies."

"I don't know how Du Busi controls his poison, but it probably has something to do with his powerful body. The Dragon Blood Fruit will help you, so please accept it too."

Meng Hongchen looked at the Dragon Blood Fruit. The corners of her lips lifted, and her beautiful lashes fluttered, as though she wanted to engrave the boy's smile in her heart forever.

"Then it's a promise. Friends should give and take. I'll wait for you in Mingdu next year, my warmhearted boy."

"If you don't come, I'll get angry."

"What will you do if you get angry?" Yu Tianjun was rather curious about that.

"If I get angry..." Meng Hongchen tilted her adorable little face, revealing two lovely dimples. "Then I'll come find you."

"You look so silly right now~"

Her bright eyes sparkled, and a single smile held a hundred charms. Her sweet, playful voice seemed determined to make her innocence unforgettable.

Yu Tianjun suddenly felt his heart beating a little faster.

"We're leaving, we're leaving. Why does exchanging a couple of presents have to be such a production?"

With a dark expression, Jing Hongchen dragged his granddaughter away, making sure to shoot Yu Tianjun a fierce glare before leaving.

Why does a genius from the Original Three Kingdoms have to act so warmhearted? For Chovy's sake!

The old man's emotional journey had been exceedingly complicated today. Now he only wanted to grab his granddaughter and flee.

"That old man won't even give me a lift."

As the Hongchen granddaughter sped away, Yu Tianjun shook his head with a laugh, slipped his hands into his pockets, and strolled leisurely toward the Heavenly Dragon Sect.

I've pretty much met every ice Soul Master genius of any renown on the continent. I should be able to leave them to Sister Luo Chen without worrying from now on, right?

I wonder how Grandpa's preparations to treat his old injuries are coming along.