The northwestern province of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Nine mountain ranges stood before a river, encircling a vast complex of buildings. Viewed from high above, the complex took the shape of a dragon.
This was the territory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects.
Though nestled deep in the mountains,
the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's splendor and magnificent architecture rivaled even the imperial palace!
The main mountain of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was called True Dragon Mountain.
"Ah...!"
"Push harder, madam!"
At that moment, cries of unbearable pain rang out from a palace on True Dragon Mountain.
On a large bed, a gentle-looking woman with a swollen belly was giving birth under a midwife's care, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
Outside,
Yu Minghe paced back and forth with his fists clenched, anxiety written all over his face.
From time to time, he glanced at the tightly shut palace doors, as though he could see through them to what was happening inside.
"Father, why hasn't she come out yet? Nothing will happen to Qing'er, will it?" Yu Minghe could not help asking, his voice carrying a hint of a tremble.
Yu Yuanzhen stood with his hands behind his back, his expression steady as a mountain, though a trace of unease remained in his eyes.
"What are you so anxious about?"
Yu Yuanzhen glanced at him, exasperated at iron that refused to become steel. "As the heir to our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, you get agitated over the slightest thing. How can I feel reassured about passing the sect master's position to you?"
"All this pacing back and forth is irritating to watch!"
As he spoke, Yu Yuanzhen glared at him again.
"Father... I understand."
Yu Minghe forced himself to calm down, but the worry on his face did not fade.
Seeing that he was no longer pacing,
Yu Yuanzhen's expression eased slightly, and he continued, "Childbirth is a matter of life and death for a woman."
"But Qingling has been through it once before, after all. The danger is much lower than the first time. Just wait patiently. Nothing will happen."
At those words, Yu Minghe said nothing more, merely clenching his fists tighter.
He knew his father's words made sense.
With his eldest son, Yu Tianheng, having come before, there should, in principle, be no problems.
But he still could not help worrying.
Just then, a baby's loud cry suddenly rang out from within the palace, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"The baby's here!"
Wild joy suddenly burst into Yu Minghe's eyes, and he nearly rushed inside.
Yu Yuanzhen also let out a small breath of relief, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
The midwife hurried out carrying a swaddled infant, her face wreathed in smiles. "Congratulations, Sect Master! Congratulations, Young Sect Master! Madam has given birth to a little boy! Mother and son are both safe!"
"Good! Go collect your reward."
Yu Minghe eagerly took the child and carefully lifted a corner of the swaddling.
The infant's skin was rosy, and faint traces of both his and Mu Qingling's features could be seen around the brows and eyes. His eyes were closed, his little mouth moving slightly.
"Father, look! Doesn't this child look just like me!" Yu Minghe said excitedly.
Yu Yuanzhen approached and gazed at his grandson, his eyes softening.
He reached out a finger and gently touched the infant's forehead. An almost imperceptible red light flashed, and the infant actually began to giggle.
"Good! Born extraordinary!"
Yu Yuanzhen nodded in satisfaction. "This child will surely become someone great."
Joy filled Yu Minghe's eyes. "Father, please give him a name!"
Yu Yuanzhen pondered briefly, then looked up toward the sky and declared, "Today, the sky is clear for ten thousand miles, and a dragon's roar sounds faintly. Let him be called... Yu Tianming!"
His words had barely fallen.
A bolt of lightning split the sky.
Thunder in broad daylight, together with that faint red light, set Yu Yuanzhen's thoughts wandering.
"Father, I'll go see Qing'er."
Yu Minghe did not think so much about it. He "snatched" his swaddled son back from his father's hands and jogged into the hall.
"Qing'er, come look at our son!"
Inside the hall, Mu Qingling lay weakly on the bed after giving birth. Hearing him, a smile appeared on her pale face.
"All right."
Mu Qingling smiled gently.
Yu Minghe placed the child beside Mu Qingling. She gazed tenderly at the swaddled infant, her fingertips lightly touching his little face.
"Tianming... he's so adorable."
She softly murmured the name, her eyes full of motherly love. "Tian Heng will be so happy to have a younger brother."
"Yes."
Yu Minghe held her hand and said with a smile, "Our family will be even livelier from now on."
Yu Yuanzhen stood outside the palace doors, gazing at the sky with deep, unfathomable eyes.
That sudden bolt of lightning and the red light that had flashed across the infant's forehead left him with a faint suspicion.
An extraordinary phenomenon at birth...
On the Douluo Continent, the inheritance of a Martial Soul was often accompanied by the awakening of a bloodline. As one of the Upper Three Sects, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan possessed an especially powerful bloodline.
The sect's disciples generally inherited a pure Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, yet when Yu Tianming was born, a trace of red light had flashed...
"Could it be..." Yu Yuanzhen narrowed his eyes slightly. "Perhaps this child isn't as simple as just a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
A mutated Martial Soul was not necessarily a good thing.
If it underwent a detrimental mutation, that Martial Soul could become extremely weak.
For example,
his second son, Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul had undergone just such a detrimental mutation: Luo Sanpao, with innate half-rank Soul Power and an utterly disgraceful method of attack...
Just as Yu Yuanzhen was deep in thought, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance.
"Grandpa!"
A young, childish voice rang out.
Yu Yuanzhen turned and saw a boy of about three or four running toward him. It was his eldest grandson-Yu Tianheng.
"Tian Heng, what brings you here?" Yu Yuanzhen asked with a smile.
"I heard Mother gave birth to a little brother. I want to see him!" Yu Tianheng's eyes were full of anticipation.
Yu Yuanzhen smiled faintly and patted his head. "Go on. Your little brother was just born, so don't frighten him."
"Mm-hmm!"
Yu Tianheng nodded and quickly ran into the hall.
Inside, Yu Minghe was helping Mu Qingling sit up, while the swaddled Yu Tianming lay quietly in his mother's arms.
"Mother!"
Yu Tianheng ran to the bedside and rose onto his tiptoes, looking at his younger brother with a face full of curiosity. "Is this my little brother?"
"Huh~ He's so ugly!"
Yu Tianming had only just been born, after all. No baby looked good at this stage.
Hearing this, Yu Minghe scolded him with a laugh. "Hey, you little brat! You looked like this when you were born too. He'll look better once he's a little older."
As he spoke, he reached out and lifted little Yu Tianheng onto the edge of the bed.
"Really?"
Yu Tianheng nodded without quite understanding.
Mu Qingling smiled gently and stroked Yu Tianheng's head. "Tian Heng, you're a big brother now. You must take good care of your little brother."
Yu Tianheng responded with a grin, reaching out a little hand to gently touch Yu Tianming's cheek. He said earnestly, "Little brother, I'm your big brother. If anyone dares bully you in the future, I'll beat them up!"
Yu Minghe laughed heartily. "Good boy! You're acting like a big brother already!"
Yu Yuanzhen stood in the doorway, watching the scene, a trace of gratification flashing through his eyes.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had heirs to carry on its legacy!
Yet doubts still lingered in his heart.
That red light... just what was it?
Yu Yuanzhen glanced into the hall once more, then turned to leave, intending to head to the library pavilion and look up information on Martial Soul mutation.
The sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect held great expectations for his newborn grandson.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect also needed a true genius!