"Your body is now almost as strong as that of a level-thirty prospective Soul Elder about to obtain his Third Soul Ring."
Yu Yuanzhen stared at his eldest son in astonishment.
These were the physical readings he had just obtained using his mental power.
If he had not checked for himself, he would never have believed that a level-ten Soul Master who had just awakened his Martial Soul could have a body comparable to that of a prospective Soul Elder.
"Does that mean my body meets the requirements to withstand a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"
Delight appeared on Yu Xuan's face. He had not expected a piece of Whale Rubber to be so effective.
No, the credit did not belong to the Whale Rubber alone. The initial physical qualities bestowed upon him by his Fire Dragon King Martial Soul were also exceptionally good.
"Yes. In theory, you can try absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring," Yu Yuanzhen said seriously.
He had not expected the Whale Rubber to be so potent either. Before the major powers discovered its true effects, he decided to send clan disciples to purchase this precious medicine in secret once he returned.
"Then let's set out for the Star Dou Great Forest now," Yu Xuan urged.
Yu Yuanzhen took a deep breath. "All right, we'll leave now. Once we reach the Star Dou Great Forest, don't go running around. It's dangerous there."
"Don't worry, I'll stay close to you." Yu Xuan patted his chest.
Yu Yuanzhen scooped him up, and a pair of blue-purple dragon wings unfurled. "Hold on tight. I'll try to slow down, and if you feel uncomfortable anywhere, tell me right away."
"Dragon Transformation?" Yu Xuan's gaze fell on his dragon wings.
"Yes. The dragon wings are the last part of Dragon Transformation. Generally, they can only be unlocked after breaking through to Titled Douluo," Yu Yuanzhen said with a soft laugh.
"I wonder if I have Dragon Transformation," Yu Xuan could not help muttering.
Yu Yuanzhen glanced down at him. "We'll know once you obtain your First Soul Ring."
"Also, although no one in the clan has awakened a dragon king-type Martial Soul for a thousand years, and there's no experience from our predecessors to draw on, I still recommend that you absorb a sub-dragon Soul Beast's Soul Ring, preferably one with the fire attribute."
"I understand."
Naturally, Yu Xuan had no objections.
When it came to choosing Soul Rings suited to dragon-type Martial Souls, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was far more knowledgeable than Yu Xuan. This was experience the clan had accumulated over generations.
As they spoke, the two had already flown a considerable distance, and the outline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had vanished beyond the horizon.
Since they had set out in the afternoon, they rested for a night in a small town along the way and only continued their journey the next day.
When they reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, trees grew thickly, and flowers and grass covered the ground.
Yu Xuan took a deep breath of fresh air. The rich scent of vegetation washed over him, making his whole body feel refreshed.
"These Soul Beasts live in a wonderful place," he could not help remarking.
"Haha," Yu Yuanzhen chuckled. "Spend a night here with those Soul Beasts, and you'll find out whether it's wonderful or not."
"We need to hurry and find a suitable Soul Beast, or we'll have to spend the night in the forest. I don't want to spend the night here."
That was what he said, but along the way, he still took the time to teach Yu Xuan about some of the Soul Beasts they happened to encounter. Clearly, he had already prepared to spend the night here with him.
Yu Xuan had only just stepped onto the path of a Soul Master. Compared with learning about Soul Beasts from an illustrated guide, the real Soul Beasts before him were obviously far more vivid.
Before he knew it, Yu Yuanzhen had brought Yu Xuan to the foot of a volcano. Scorching magma flowed through cracks in the mountainside, and waves of heat rushed toward them.
"There are volcanoes in the Star Dou Great Forest?" Yu Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Yu Yuanzhen said calmly. "The Star Dou Great Forest has varied terrain. Besides volcanoes, there are swamps, rivers, canyons, stone forests, and even ice pools."
Yu Xuan nodded and looked at the volcano before him.
Traces of Soul Beast activity were faintly visible around the volcano, such as droppings and bones...
"Come on." Yu Yuanzhen took his hand. "I remember there was a population of Flame Vein Earth Dragons here more than ten years ago. Let's try our luck."
Yu Xuan followed him toward the side of the volcano.
The closer they got to the volcano, the higher the surrounding temperature rose.
Fortunately, Yu Xuan had the Fire Dragon King Martial Soul and was not afraid of heat. Had it been Yu Xiaogang instead, he would probably have melted if he got any closer.
The two continued onward, encountering quite a few fire-attribute Soul Beasts along the way, but none were sub-dragons.
After they had wandered around the volcano for about an hour, a bank of red mist appeared ahead of them.
Yu Xuan suddenly sensed his Martial Soul trembling slightly, as though something in the mist were drawing it.
"This mist is too thick. Even I can't see the path. Let's go around it," Yu Yuanzhen suggested.
"Father, I can sense something in this mist drawing my Martial Soul. I want to go in and take a look," Yu Xuan said.
"Drawing it?" Yu Yuanzhen pondered for a moment. "Could a Soul Beast be luring you from the shadows?"
"Probably not." Yu Xuan pointed ahead. "Look, this is a volcanic area. Most of the Soul Beasts here have the fire attribute. To lure me, a Soul Beast would at least need to have the Mental Attribute, right?"
Yu Yuanzhen thought that made sense. "Then I'll go in with you. Hold tight to my hand. The red mist inside is thick, so visibility is likely to be very poor."
"All right."
The two entered the red mist. Although it was not particularly close to the volcano, the temperature here was frighteningly high.
If his son had not said that something was drawing him, then, given Yu Yuanzhen's temperament, he probably would have retreated as soon as he felt the heat.
After they had gone some distance, a twisted rift of light appeared ahead in the mist.
"That rift of light is what's drawing my Martial Soul!" Yu Xuan raised his hand and pointed ahead.
"Then let's go over and take a look." Yu Yuanzhen led him toward the rift.
Once they drew close, they discovered that the scorching red mist was spilling out of the rift.
"This is... a secret realm." A term immediately surfaced in Yu Xuan's mind. He looked at Yu Yuanzhen. "Father, there may be a small space inside this rift. Let's find a way in."
"A small space?" Yu Yuanzhen frowned slightly. Of course he understood what that meant, but he was somewhat worried.
"We still don't know how to enter this secret realm, and there's no telling how many dangers lie hidden inside. Your Soul Power cultivation is too low. Do you really want to go in?"
"Father, aren't you here to protect me?" Yu Xuan said. "Besides, I think that if I want to become strong, I can't shrink back in fear."
Yu Yuanzhen took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "It's good that you have that resolve. Very well... you've convinced me."
He raised one hand and gently touched the twisted rift of light.
A faint ripple appeared on the rift, and Yu Yuanzhen's outstretched hand passed straight through.
"It seems entering that secret realm isn't difficult."