Chapter 112: The Pitiful Woman

"No more fighting, no more fighting, I'm exhausted, damn it!" Liu Erlong finally called a halt, plopped onto the ground, panting heavily.

Yu Tianyun also stopped his movements, a relaxed smile on his face: "Auntie, I concede."

Liu Erlong glared at him in irritation: "Don't get cocky; next time I'll definitely beat you."

At this moment, Liu Erlong's pent‑up anger was completely released, feeling utterly refreshed. Liu Erlong looked up at Yu Tianyun's handsome face and, for some reason, suddenly found him very pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile, Yu Tianyun also achieved his goal; Yu Tianyun could feel that his cultivation of soul power had sped up a bit.

Both of them had nearly exhausted their stamina and collapsed without dignity by the small pond.

Fortunately, this time neither of them used soul skill, allowing the place to escape disaster, and no chaotic scene like the earth‑dragon flip from last time occurred.

"Not bad, I didn't expect someone only at the Soul Sect Realm to last this long," Liu Erlong couldn't help but exclaim, then extended a delicate jade‑like hand to smooth the slightly disheveled hair, turned sideways, propped the head with the left hand, eyes as watery as a stream gazing at Yu Tianyun. Looking at the jade‑like youth before her, whose slightly familiar face made her drift into a trance.

Yu Tianyun heard Liu Erlong's praise at his ear, almost spitting out a mouthful of old blood in shock. He turned his head, looking at Liu Erlong with a speechless expression, wanting to speak but stopping. He knew Liu Erlong was a simple broad‑stroke, unlike Ning Rongrong the little witch who knows everything, but these words were easily prone to misunderstanding.

After holding back for a while, Yu Tianyun finally blurted out, "Auntie, fighting with me feels good, doesn't it?"

"Mm-hmm." Liu Erlong subconsciously nodded in agreement, and this exhilarating bout with Yu Tianyun made her feel many of her worries lift, her mood becoming light.

That's normal; after exercise, the body releases dopamine, which improves one's mood.

Yu Tianyun continued, "How about I come by every day to spar with you from now on?"

"Fine." A look of delight appeared on Liu Erlong's face.

At that moment, a song suddenly rose from Liu Erlong's mouth.

"In the night, hard to fall asleep, what can numb me."

"Don't have too many emotions, how can one face them."

"It's not that I don't want you with me; some things you cannot understand."

"Having lowered defenses, loneliness follows."

……

As the melody drifted softly, Yu Tianyun helplessly covered his ears, thinking the song sounded better when sung by a male.

Moreover, Liu Erlong's singing clearly reminded him of his uncle, and for some reason Yu Tianyun felt very uneasy.

A few minutes later, Liu Erlong's peripheral glance caught Yu Tianyun covering his ears with both hands, a constipated look on his face; she instinctively extended a jade hand, yanking his ear hard, and said irritably, "What are you doing?"

"Is my singing terrible?"

"Nice, nice." Yu Tianyun winced, quickly nodded in agreement.

"Hmph! Stinky brat." Liu Erlong hummed lightly, then released the jade hand.

"No taste!"

Yu Tianyun rubbed his reddened ear, softly saying, "Auntie, why don't you tell me the story behind this song?"

As Yu Tianyun finished speaking, Liu Erlong's expression suddenly became vague, with resentment and loneliness welling up inside.

Liu Erlong remained silent for a long time, then slowly spoke, "This song actually carries my memories of the past. Back then, I and your uncle…" Her voice trembled slightly, choked with sobs, and tears involuntarily glistened in her eyes.

The story is long; roughly, after Yu Xiao Gang, Fland, and Liu Erlong met, they roamed the continent together. During this, Liu Erlong gradually developed affection for Yu Xiao Gang.

Later, just as they were about to marry, Yu Tianyun's second grandfather suddenly intervened, pointing out that they were paternal cousins.

This news struck the two like a bolt from a clear sky.

Yu Xiao Gang immediately collapsed, unable to face the harsh reality, chose to keep running away, and never dared to see Liu Erlong again.

Yet Liu Erlong loved and hated boldly, caring nothing for worldly eyes, persistently searching for Yu Xiao Gang, but always without any news.

Later, she arrived at Tiandou City, and with Yu Luomian's support, founded the Lanba Academy.

Yu Tianyun was initially enthusiastic while listening, but later found it somewhat dull and gradually became drowsy.

"Stinky brat, were you even listening seriously?" Liu Erlong, having just finished recounting her love story, eagerly awaited Yu Tianyun's opinion, but when she turned her head, she saw Yu Tianyun's drooping head and slightly open mouth, clearly already in dreamland.

Liu Erlong was instantly incensed, grabbed Yu Tianyun's ear again, and shouted, "You damn brat, I was speaking so earnestly, and you actually fell asleep!"

The pain in his ear jolted Yu Tianyun awake, and he quickly begged, "Auntie, Auntie, I'm sorry."

Liu Erlong released her grip, saying irritably, "Hmph, then tell me, how much of what I just said did you actually hear?"

Yu Tianyun rubbed his reddened ear, an embarrassed expression on his face, and said, "Auntie, I... I heard it all, but I couldn't hold back at the end. Your and uncle's experiences are so twisted, truly fate playing tricks."

Seeing this, Liu Erlong finally smiled with satisfaction, but immediately wore a sorrowful expression and said, "Yu Tianyun, how do you think I could be together with your uncle?"

"Uh…"

Yu Tianyun was instantly stunned, unsure how to answer; this was an incestuous union, and everyone in the family firmly opposed it!

Of course, if this happened to him, Yu Tianyun thought he wouldn't run away; he wouldn't care so much about worldly opinions.

But now he stood from the family's standpoint; as the saying goes, the butt decides the head, and regarding Liu Erlong's tragedy he could only express sympathy, unable to offer any support.

So he slowly said, "Auntie, do you think incestuous relationships are reasonable?"

"What's unreasonable about it? Xiao Gang and I truly love each other; why must two lovers care about worldly views?" Liu Erlong's words were urgent and emotional, sorrow surging like a tide, tears constantly swirling in her eyes.

"You don't care, but your uncle does! Otherwise, why would he abandon you on the wedding day, flee alone, instead of standing up and taking responsibility?" Yu Tianyun's tone was as calm as water.

Liu Erlong was instantly speechless, not knowing how to rebut.

Yu Tianyun continued, "To put it simply, it's uncle's fragile pride causing trouble; his heart is too cowardly to take responsibility, only knows how to escape. If this happened to me, I would never abandon my fiancée and flee alone. Auntie, a man without accountability is not worth your grief."

"Stop talking!" Liu Erlong's eyes turned red, two streams of clear tears uncontrollably flowing down, her gaze at Yu Tianyun filled with anger.

"Xiao Gang isn't as despicable as you say, and… he's your uncle; you shouldn't speak of him that way…" Liu Erlong's voice grew softer, and finally she curled her legs, burying her head as she began to cry.

Yu Tianyun, seeing Liu Erlong so heartbroken, felt a bit of compassion. At the same time, his disdain and contempt for Yu Xiao Gang, his own uncle, deepened; such a person simply didn't deserve Liu Erlong's devoted affection.

At this moment, the sky gradually darkened, a gentle breeze brushed by, bringing a hint of coolness. Yu Tianyun stretched out his hand to offer comfort, but ultimately shook his head, struggled to stand, and left with heavy steps. …

The next afternoon, Yu Tianyun arrived as promised at Liu Erlong's place.

As if nothing had happened, the two shared an unspoken understanding, and neither mentioned yesterday's events.

Without much verbal exchange, as if their minds were linked, they instantly launched into an intense battle.

Until dusk, the breathtaking battle finally ended. Both were exhausted, collapsing without dignity by the pond, letting the gentle evening breeze brush their faces.

This time, they all tacitly chose silence, merely gazing quietly at the glittering water surface, their thoughts seemingly drifting far away with the gently rippling waves.

After a long while, Liu Erlong was the first to break the silence. Curiosity filled her eyes as she asked softly, "Yu Tianyun, how did you become so powerful? To reach the Soul Sect Realm and defeat a Soul Saint, I even think you could rival a Soul Douluo, and your Soul Rings are truly baffling."

Yu Tianyun turned his head toward that exquisite face and said gently, "The reason I possess such strength boils down to only three factors: talent, effort, and opportunity."

"Since I was three, I began to train my body rigorously; at six, I was fortunate to awaken innate full soul power. With my strong physique, my first Soul Ring could absorb up to six hundred years' worth of power."

"Since then, I have never slackened a bit; every day I sweat like rain in the Gravity Training Chamber, and my physique continuously improved. Eventually, even the maximum gravity of the Gravity Training Chamber could not satisfy me."

"The result is that the second, third, and fourth Soul Rings I absorbed exceed the range ordinary people can endure."

"My second Soul Ring is one thousand five hundred years, the third Soul Ring six thousand years, and the fourth Soul Ring twenty thousand years."

"Of course, effort and talent alone make this hard; opportunity is also needed. After obtaining some opportunity, I was able to achieve Complete Dragon Transformation."

"Later, my strength surged, and entering the sect's secret realm granted a great opportunity, causing all my Soul Rings to become over fifty thousand years. As for why they rose to fifty thousand years, I do not know myself."

"But opportunity alone cannot yield such power; without sufficient effort and talent, even if opportunity stands before you, you cannot assimilate it…"

Liu Erlong furrowed her brows, hesitated briefly, then voiced her doubt: "Yu Tianyun, according to Yu Xiao Gang, a Soul Master can absorb at most 423 years for the first Soul Ring, 764 years for the second, 1,760 years for the third, 5,000 years for the fourth, and the fifth Soul Ring…"

Yu Tianyun felt it necessary to let Liu Erlong know the correct Soul Master theory, shattering the perfect image of Yu Xiao Gang in her mind; perhaps this would make her gradually forget Yu Xiao Gang and no longer reject the family.

Thus he said calmly, "Aunt, Uncle Yu Xiao Gang's theory has major flaws. There is no fixed limit to the years a Soul Master can absorb in a Soul Ring!"

"The amount of years a Soul Master can absorb in a Soul Ring mainly depends on the Soul Master's physical quality, and when absorbing Soul Rings exceeding ten thousand years, there will be a soul Shock; sufficient mental power is required to assimilate them. It is not, as Uncle Yu Xiao Gang claimed, bound by strict year limits."

"No, how could Xiao Gang's theory be wrong?" Liu Erlong furrowed her brows tightly, unwilling to believe Yu Tianyun's words.

"Aunt, I have a living example right before you, and you still don't believe it? Uncle Xiao Gang is overly obsessive and reclusive, always researching alone, never exchanging practice with other Soul Masters, merely summarizing predecessors' data and assuming he's right. In fact, his theory is already outdated and cannot adapt to today's changing circumstances."

Liu Erlong sat up, her emotions slightly agitated, and said, "You may not speak of him that way! Xiao Gang put in so much effort; his theory once helped many people."

Yu Tianyun also sat up, looking at Liu Erlong's pretty face, and said earnestly, "Aunt, I don't intend to slander him; I just hope you can view the facts objectively. Times are constantly advancing, and the cultivation methods of Soul Masters are continuously evolving."

Liu Erlong was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Perhaps what you say has some reason, but in my heart, Xiao Gang will always be the most talented."

Yu Tianyun sighed helplessly and said, "Aunt, I understand your feelings for Uncle Xiao Gang, but we must also face reality."

At that moment, Liu Erlong said nothing, merely gazing into the distance, her expression complex.

Yu Xiao Gang's flawless image in her heart could not be easily shaken by Yu Tianyun's few words. Changing her entrenched view would undoubtedly require a long time, and Yu Tianyun happens to have ample patience and time to wait.

Without lingering, Yu Tianyun returned to his gentle realm, leaving Liu Erlong alone to stare off.

From then on, each day Yu Tianyun would come here to spar with Liu Erlong; after the battle, the two would chat leisurely for a while. Gradually, Liu Erlong began to look forward to Yu Tianyun's arrival each day—perhaps because she had been alone, lonely and bored, or because she now had someone to confide in, or for other reasons. In short, Liu Erlong slowly developed a slight dependence on Yu Tianyun.

……

On the other side! Ning Rongrong finally returned after being away for a week.

However, she returned together with Ning Fengzhi and Jian Douluo Chen Xin; as for Gu Douluo Gu Rong, he is probably guarding the family.

Ning Fengzhi came personally this time, undoubtedly to express gratitude to Yu Tianyun. At this moment, his brows radiated a spirited glow, for no other reason than that he had already become an 81‑level Soul Douluo.

Moreover, Ning Rongrong successfully obtained a Soul Ring, and her soul power level skyrocketed like a rocket, jumping to level 35! Excluding the one level of soul power gained from absorbing the Soul Ring, she increased a full eight levels of soul power! Such a massive boost slightly astonished Ning Fengzhi, the Soul Douluo, and Gu Douluo.

When Ning Rongrong, along with Ning Fengzhi and the Soul Douluo suddenly appeared, Yu Tianyun remained calm and unflustered. After all, "one who bites the hand that feeds cannot be short‑handed"; he trusted his father‑in‑law would not make things difficult for him. Therefore, he did not make the women step aside, but graciously welcomed Ning Fengzhi and the others in.

Ning Fengzhi, upon stepping into the courtyard, couldn't help his eyelids flutter uncontrollably as his gaze swept over the group of women behind Yu Tianyun.

He counted carefully—one, two, three…—and found there were a full seven!

There were indeed seven women beside Yu Tianyun. In fact, only six of them are his women; Ye Lingling does not yet count. Even excluding Ye Lingling, Yu Tianyun still has six women accompanying him, which is not a small number!

This made Ning Fengzhi's mood a bit complicated, but he showed no sign of it, just as Yu Tianyun expected—"one who bites the hand that feeds cannot be short‑handed."

He had indeed received a huge favor from them; even if Yu Tianyun overstepped, he could not get angry.

The Soul Douluo Chen Xin beside him witnessed the scene, his face full of helplessness, silently sighing, "Fine, as long as Rongrong is willing, that's enough."

Yu Tianyun hurried forward, smiling, and said to Ning Fengzhi and Sword Grandfather, "Father‑in‑law, Sword Grandfather, why have you come?"

Ning Fengzhi's face immediately broke into a warm smile, replying, "Tianyun, the gifts you gave us are truly precious and of great significance. So Sword Grandfather and I came especially to thank you. Your Bone Grandfather needs to stay at the sect, unable to come with us; please don't mind."

As he spoke, he handed over an exquisite, delicate ring, "This is a small gift from me; please don't reject it."

Yu Tianyun instantly recognized the ring as a Storage Soul Conduit, felt a bit embarrassed, and said, "Father‑in‑law, you are truly too courteous. We are all family; preparing gifts for you, Sword Grandfather, and Bone Grandfather is what I ought to do."

Although he appeared somewhat embarrassed, he did not actually refuse, reaching out to take the storage ring Soul Conduit.

Seeing Yu Tianyun accept the carefully prepared gift, Ning Fengzhi's expression instantly became very solemn, and he continued, "Tianyun, if there are places where you need our help in the future, be sure to tell us. When you have time, also visit the sect more often. As for the child Rongrong, I entrust her to you; we will now return."

Regarding Ning Fengzhi's promise, Yu Tianyun would naturally not refuse; after all, his next Soul Ring target is the hundred‑thousand‑year tier, and by then he will certainly need to bring more Title Douluo along.

Yu Tianyun's face brightened with a radiant smile, saying, "Alright, if there is any place that needs it, I will definitely speak up. Father‑in‑law, Sword Grandfather, take care."

Ning Fengzhi gave a slight nod, saying no more. His promise was indeed sincere. Regardless of his ultimate motives, Ning Fengzhi has now decided to bind himself completely with the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect.

In these past days, Ning Rongrong also shared some of Yu Tianyun's information with him. He understands that Yu Tianyun is undoubtedly the brightest star of this era, without equal; perhaps level 99 is not even his endpoint.

Ning Fengzhi turned his head and said to Chen Xin, "Sword Uncle, let's go; there are matters to handle back at the sect."

Chen Xin nodded in agreement, immediately summoned a Seven‑Kill Sword, and rose into the air with Ning Fengzhi, flying toward the Qi Bao Liu Li Sect.

Watching the two disappear, Yu Tianyun summoned a trace of mental power and examined the storage ring Soul Conduit that Ning Fengzhi had just given him. The sight instantly shocked him: inside were piles of Jin Hun Coins as high as a mountain, resembling a shining gold mountain, roughly estimated at about ten million. At the same time, a dazzling array of various rare treasures filled the space. Moreover, the interior of this storage ring measured a full two hundred cubic meters!

Yu Tianyun couldn't help but exclaim that the Qi Bao Liu Li Sect is extravagantly wealthy and inhumane! (End of chapter)