Chapter 7: Yu Tianheng Calls for a Duel!

"How's it going, Xiao Yun, how is the Soul Ring's effect?" Yu Tianheng asked curiously.

"The Soul Ring's effect is quite good; it directly raised my soul power to level twenty‑three, and the soul skill, as expected, is Thunder Dragon Claw, with a bit of a special effect."

"My soul power actually rose to level twenty‑three; no wonder it's a cross‑stage absorption of a thousand‑year Soul Ring." At this moment Yu Yuanzhen showed a satisfied smile.

Everyone also nodded in satisfaction.

"Congratulations, young master, to become a Great Soul Master at such an age." Xiao Yue looked at the young and outstanding man before her with envy and admiration, feeling sincere joy and wholeheartedly congratulating him on such a great achievement.

"Hmm, indeed quite good. Absorbing a thousand‑year Soul Ring at level twenty already breaks the record of the Soul Master World! Truly unprecedented!" Yu Xiao Feng was equally shocked, his eyes showing uncontainable joy. Then he proudly said, "No wonder he's my son, truly amazing!"

However, Yu Linglong gave her husband a light reproachful glance and retorted, "What does this have to do with you? If you were really that powerful, why didn't you absorb a thousand‑year Soul Ring at level twenty?" After speaking, she turned to Yu Tianyun, carefully examining her son's body from head to toe, and asked with concern whether there was any discomfort or abnormality.

Yu Xiao Feng was choked by his wife's words and was momentarily speechless, unable to reply. He helplessly shook his head, yet his heart remained full of pride and expectation for his son.

"Xiao Yun, you still haven't told us how your Thunder Dragon Claw works," Yu Tianheng asked eagerly. Having just been interrupted, Yu Tianyun had also forgotten to describe his soul skill's specific effect, so he answered on the spot:

"My Thunder Dragon Claw can reach a maximum attack distance of fifty meters! It also comes with a tearing effect, and when attached to the hand it can directly increase attack power by one hundred percent."

"Moreover, under the strong amplification of my first Soul Ring, its power can further increase by fifty percent!" Upon hearing this, everyone was amazed.

It should be noted that ordinary Soul Ancestors' ranged attack distances often don't reach so far! Moreover, this soul skill also carries a tearing effect—truly terrifying!

Everyone was shocked by Yu Tianyun's terrifyingly powerful soul skill; they widened their eyes, staring at him in disbelief. Such a mighty soul skill is practically invincible! "Hmm, not bad, your Thunder Dragon Claw effect is indeed outstanding, enough to let you go a fairly long time without worrying about lacking strong offensive means."

"Indeed, Thunder Dragon Claw, being a soul skill that works both at range and in melee, is the standard setup for the first three Soul Rings of our clan. This soul skill is extremely practical, and the Thunder Dragon Claw you displayed is exceptionally powerful, sufficient to sustain you until you ascend to the Soul King stage." Everyone praised Yu Tianyun's powerful second soul skill.

"Xiao Yun, how about we have a sparring match?" Yu Tianheng said, rubbing his fists and eager to try.

"Mother, big brother is bullying people! He's already a level‑31 Soul Elder, yet he wants to spar with me, a newly promoted Great Soul Master; it's obviously jealousy, trying to use the match to beat me up." Yu Tianyun clutched Yu Linglong's arm tightly, cooing as he spoke. His smiling eyes glittered with mischief.

Yu Linglong turned and glared fiercely at Yu Tianheng, her gaze sending a clear signal: if you don't give me a reasonable explanation, be prepared to see what happens.

Yu Tianheng knew well that his mother's fiery temper was no less than that of his aunt, Liu Erlong, who was called Mother Tyrannosaur.

He immediately waved his hand to explain, "No, Mother, listen to me. I just want to test Xiao Yun's soul skill's power; I will definitely not use the third soul skill or Dragon Transformation."

Hearing Yu Tianheng's words, he felt a stir within and thought to himself, "What level has my strength truly reached now? I might as well use this chance to find out."

So, he turned his gaze to Yu Tianheng and said softly, "If that's the case, then as big brother wishes. However, how about we postpone the sparring until tomorrow? I just ascended a realm and need some time to get familiar with this brand‑new body."

Yu Tianheng nodded in understanding and replied, "Of course, Tianyun, since you've just advanced, you indeed need to get accustomed to the bodily changes first, so you can better unleash your own strength."

Otherwise, if you cannot show your true level during the spar, the match would lose its intended significance.

Only when we are both in optimal condition can the sparring serve to mutually hone and advance each other.

If I were to easily defeat you now, while you have not yet fully adapted to the new power, that victory would be utterly devoid of glory."

Yu Tianyun wholeheartedly agreed, nodding, and made an appointment with Yu Tianheng to fight again tomorrow. Both of their eyes flashed with steadfast light, filled with anticipation and confidence for the upcoming spar.

Near noon, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Tianyun did not return to the mountain top to continue cultivation as usual, but chose to stay here and share lunch with the family.

The meal was exceedingly sumptuous, after all they had such a huge and fresh Thunder Tyrannosaur as ingredient.

Thus, everyone decided to forage on the spot and hold a unique roasted dragon feast. Their gazes fixed on the golden, sizzling, oil‑dripping dragon meat, and everyone drooled with appetite.

Especially Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianyun, who cared nothing for their image, both lunged forward with both hands, each grabbing a dozen or so skewers of roasted dragon meat and devouring them ravenously.

Not long after, only piles of bamboo skewers as high as mountains remained beside them. The onlookers, watching their whirlwind‑like eating, couldn't help but smile knowingly.

However, within those smiles, two people's expressions contained a different emotion.

Xiao Yue's eyes brimmed with tears; their family had long been missing, they had previously been sold by their family to a grand auction house. Seeing Yu Tianyun's family warm and happy always reminded them of their own pitiful fate, yet the days in the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect were their happiest and safest, with no worry of hunger, being sold, or abuse.

The young master's family treated her very well; now she only wants to repay them. Since she was bought at the grand auction house and placed beside Yu Tianyun, she has silently decided that everything of hers belongs to the young master—her body, her life—all belong to him. The happy, stable life she now enjoys was given by the young master, so everything of hers belongs to him.

Yu Yuanzhen, watching this family merriment, couldn't help but think of his youngest son, who had been away from home for several years—Yu Xiao Gang.

Although Yu Xiao Gang was expelled from the clan by him, as a father he could not bear a grudge against his child; after all, Yu Xiao Gang had acted excessively back then—flirting with a saintess of the Spirit Hall and being expelled from Martial Soul City, nearly marrying his own cousin, calling himself a master, and publishing the ridiculous "Top Ten Core Competitivities of Martial Soul".

Yu Xiao Gang's various actions made the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect a laughingstock in the Soul Master World for over a decade; publicly people dared not discuss it, but behind the scenes they mocked how the sect could produce such a clown, and the title "master" became thunderously notorious in the Soul Master World.

Any soul master with a bit of insight knows how laughable Yu Xiao Gang's "Top Ten Core Competitivities of Martial Soul" is; its contents had long been researched and had already become common knowledge among the elite of the Soul Master World.

Yu Xiao Gang had virtually never interacted with the upper echelons of the Soul Master World, and he never produced any original research; everything he compiled was a patchwork of studies recorded in the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect and the Spirit Hall's texts, cobbled together as his own.

By the way, he had his own saying: there are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters. Yet he himself is the example that disproves that statement.

Tang San's blue silver grass is by no means a useless martial soul; he almost ruined the blue silver emperor. The blue silver grass, originally a life‑type, was forced to gain a poison attribute, making its versatility extremely strong.

Moreover, isn't Entanglement a passive skill for vine martial souls? Just as the Blue Electric Tyrannosaur can naturally discharge electricity.

Wasting a Soul Ring for nothing, Yu Xiao Gang is someone who reads a lot of books,

yet he has absolutely no practical experience—a bookworm.

Other martial soul researchers never argue with Yu Xiao Gang; any soul master with a bit of sense knows his theory is a patchwork, so they neither believe nor dispute it, and thus the title "master" has passed to Yu Xiao Gang.

What's the benefit of arguing with him? Winning the argument is obvious, but you'd be seen as an enemy by Yu Xiao Gang, after all he's still Yu Yuanzhen's youngest son,

Debating him brings no benefit, and only invites trouble!

Yu Xiao Gang's cultivation is a bit lacking, but his dedication to theoretical research is extraordinary; he never listens to others, only trusting the data summarized in books.

Call it dedication in a flattering way,

Call it obsessive in a harsher way.

A few years ago, Yu Yuanzhen had also sought Yu Xiao Gang, hoping to bring him back to the clan, but Yu Xiao Gang was very stubborn, feeling that the clan members only mocked him; he insisted on achieving fame and success before returning to the clan to refute those who had ridiculed him.

Thus Yu Yuanzhen covertly mobilized family connections, secretly watching over Yu Xiao Gang in Nuoding City, while Yu Xiao Gang remained completely unaware.

Yu Xiao Gang had run away from home before Yu Tianyun was born, and Yu Tianyun's knowledge of Yu Xiao Gang came solely from his own parents and clan members.

(End of chapter)