Chapter 12: Enjoying Life

"Tianheng, your combat experience is decent, but compared to your younger brother, you're still a bit inferior." Yu Yuanzhen looked at the eldest grandson before him, his expression solemn, and said:

"And Tianxin, your strength is comparable to Tianheng's. Your task from now on is to obtain the Golden Dou Soul qualification at the Great Dou Soul Arena within three years! This is a test of your abilities. Only by constantly battling different opponents can your combat skills become more perfect."

The two accepted Yu Yuanzhen's guidance without any displeasure, humbly receiving it, and felt no jealousy toward Yu Tianyun. They both understood that Yu Tianyun's current strength came not only from the so‑called innate full soul‑power talent, but from harder cultivation than theirs.

"As for you, Tianyun," Yu Yuanzhen turned his head toward Yu Tianyun, slightly furrowing his brows, unsure what to say, since there was truly nothing to criticize about him.

Yu Tianyun stood quietly in place, his gaze firm and confident. He knew his grandfather placed great expectations on him, and he had always answered those expectations with outstanding performance. Yet at this moment, his grandfather's hesitation left him slightly puzzled.

Yu Yuanzhen took a deep breath and continued, "As for you, Tianyun, don't become arrogant. The Soul Master's path is still long; this is only the beginning. If you slack off, other geniuses will overtake you—one step slow, another step slower. Yet you must also rest at appropriate times; a balance of labor and leisure lets you go farther. Life cannot be only cultivation; you must learn to enjoy life, for some things, once missed, cannot be recovered."

At that point, Yu Yuanzhen's eyes darkened slightly, as if recalling something, and he added, "From now on you must rest for a week; you're too tense. What you need most now is proper relaxation."

Yu Tianyun heard the word "relax" and felt a stir in his heart.

He instinctively glanced at the charming maid Xiao Yue beside him, a barely perceptible smile flashing in his eyes.

Xiao Yue keenly caught that glance, but she didn't understand its meaning; she only thought the young master's expression was a bit odd.

After their duel ended, they chatted briefly, and Yu Tianyun took Xiao Yue back to his residence.

He followed Yu Yuanzhen's advice and did not cultivate; now he lay beneath a ginkgo tree in the backyard.

His head rested on Xiao Yue's soft, fair thigh, inhaling the fragrant scent of the young girl's jade‑like body, and Yu Tianyun's mood, long unsettled, finally calmed.

"Young master, you were truly impressive today, managing to defeat the elder young master!" Xiao Yue's eyes shone with admiration like tiny stars.

"Don't speak nonsense; my older brother didn't use his full strength, fearing he'd hurt my restrained self," Yu Tianyun said calmly with his eyes closed.

"Even so, you, young master, are still the stronger one," Xiao Yue pursed her lips and, unusually stubborn, retorted.

Yu Tianyun remained silent, but the corner of his mouth clearly curved into a slight smile.

Yu Tianyun understood the girl's thoughts like the back of his hand; even when he lost, Xiao Yue would fabricate all sorts of excuses to explain for him. As his beloved, Xiao Yue would protect him in every way, even preventing him from disparaging himself.

The two fell silent; for a moment beneath the ginkgo tree, there was only the rustle of leaves stirred by the cool breeze.

They thus enjoyed the rare leisure time.

At some point, he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze crossed two towering peaks, focusing on the canyon they formed, where a breathtakingly beautiful face emerged from the depths.

"Xiao Yue, I will protect you and will never let anyone bully you," a firm yet gentle voice from Yu Tianyun's leg came.

Xiao Yue's tears welled in her eyes, and she responded emotionally, "Young master…"

"Young master, you need not make such a promise to me. Xiao Yue only wishes to serve you wholeheartedly for a lifetime; that is Xiao Yue's greatest desire," she said, her voice full of sincerity and deep affection.

Yu Tianyun slowly rose, extending his two broad, powerful arms as if to embrace the whole world, pulling Xiao Yue's delicate body tightly into his embrace.

He inhaled deeply, forcefully smelling the fresh fragrance emanating from Xiao Yue's silky hair, a scent that intoxicated him beyond escape.

At that moment, he said nothing, for any words would be superfluous. He conveyed his deepest feelings and answer to Xiao Yue through his actions. Time seemed to freeze, and they quietly held each other, savoring each other's warmth and love.

After a long while, the two finally separated slowly. Yu Tianyun still lay on that warm jade leg, feeling its unique gentle touch.

At the same time, he keenly sensed the owner of the jade leg's heartbeat quickening and wavering, clearly showing her extreme excitement. In that wonderful moment, their souls seemed to merge, together immersed in an ocean of love. Everything around them became irrelevant; only each other's presence was truly precious.

In the quiet, harmonious atmosphere, Yu Tianyun closed his eyes and began reflecting on life: "It's been eight years since I arrived on Douluo Continent; this life I have a rare, complete, and blissful family, a world apart from the lonely, destitute existence of my previous life."

My family background is also among the top aristocratic houses in this world; if I were born a commoner with a mediocre martial soul like the common blue‑silver grass, there would be nowhere even to cry.

Yet thinking of the future where the family will be exterminated by the Spirit Hall, Yu Tianyun's heart tightened again: "There are about fourteen years left before the family's annihilation; during that time I must mature early and strengthen the family's power. Only with sufficient strength can we have the confidence to handle any trouble."

At this thought, Yu Tianyun's face showed resolve: "But for now, I'll continue to cultivate step by step, solidifying the foundation."

The next day, Yu Tianyun arrived early by Yu Yuanzhen's side. "Grandfather, I would like to ask how to concentrate the energy of Thunder Dragon Claw onto my fingertips," Yu Tianyun said, his face hopeful.

"Concentrate the energy of Thunder Dragon Claw onto the fingertips?" Yu Yuanzhen's face was full of doubt as he softly repeated the question, then began to analyze:

"This is not an easy task!"

"First, you must possess great mental power; second, you need to be familiar with the meridians in your hand, and the strength of your fingertips must also be sufficiently high. These are the basic requirements."

"The hardest part is mental power; only a mental‑type Soul Master's mental power surpasses that of Soul Masters of the same rank by far. An ordinary Soul Master's mental power only slowly improves with age and soul‑power cultivation," Yu Yuanzhen sighed.

Yu Tianyun also understood that at this stage there is no method to cultivate mental power; a substantial boost can only be achieved through the Head Soul Bone, whose rarity ranks just below the Trunk Soul Bone among the Six Major Soul Bones. Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect possesses no Head Soul Bone, and even if it did, it would not be granted to him now.

"Also, thunder is the most explosive and hardest‑to‑control of all elements; if you practice that so‑called finger technique, a slip could ruin your fingers," Yu Yuanzhen said with a serious expression.

"Therefore, I do not recommend cultivating that finger technique."

"Rest assured, Grandfather. Through careful observation and exploration, I discovered that my first Soul Ring has a unique effect: it can temper the wildly violent thunder power, making it more docile and easier to control, and it continuously enhances my thunder resistance," Yu Tianyun said confidently.

"Really? After you obtained the first Soul Ring, I consulted the sect's ancient texts; they contain only a few brief notes on the Thunder Roar Hellvine, and one line mentions that this Soul Beast contains a trace of the Thunder God's bloodline. I originally thought that was an exaggerated, baseless claim by our ancestors."

"Hearing you say that, could it truly contain the Thunder God's bloodline?" Yu Yuanzhen asked in surprise.

"I have also read that record, and now, considering the effect of my first Soul Ring, it's very possible it's real!"

"If that's the case, I have a few ideas," Yu Yuanzhen mused, then continued, "You should activate the first Soul Ring every day until your soul power is exhausted, then meditate to restore it, and activate the first Soul Ring again. Over time this should help you deeply understand the first Soul Ring, thereby quickly enhancing your control over thunder power through its special effect."

"Yes, Grandfather." Yu Tianyun fully agreed with Yu Yuanzhen's analysis.

"Also, focus on finger training; only stronger fingertips can bear the concentrated thunder power."

"Understood, I happen to have that plan as well," Yu Tianyun replied obediently.

"Method for training fingers? When I first tried to condense thunder power, my fingertips swelled red from the violent energy, but recovered by the next day. I can feel a slight increase in fingertip strength; if I combine it with the One Finger Zen training from my past life, the improvement should be even more noticeable!" Yu Tianyun silently contemplated.

"Then go ahead! Remember, cultivation must not be pursued for quick results!" Yu Yuanzhen warned with concern.

"Don't worry! Grandfather, I understand the balance, so I'll take my leave now."

Seeing Yu Yuanzhen nod, he hurried back to train.

(End of Chapter)