The encounter with the Spirit Hall party was nothing more than a brief interlude.
After parting ways with them, Yu Yuanzhen resumed leading Yu Xiaogang deeper into the vast expanse of the Star Dou Great Forest. Day after day passed in relentless searching, yet the results remained the same—nothing suitable.
More than ten days slipped by in this manner.
The forest seemed endless.
Ancient trees towered overhead, their dense canopies blotting out much of the sunlight. Strange cries echoed through the wilderness at all hours, and danger lurked behind every shadow.
Despite their strength, even Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Xiaogang could not afford to let their guard down.
The biggest challenge, however, was not the Spirit Beasts—
But time and resources.
Fortunately, before entering the forest, they had prepared well.
Their storage soul tools contained a sufficient supply of dry rations.
Otherwise, under such circumstances, they would have been forced to either leave the forest to restock—
Or truly end up living like wild beasts, as Bibi Dong had once joked—
Eating raw meat and drinking blood.
Thinking about that possibility alone made Yu Xiaogang inwardly shudder.
Thankfully, that situation had not come to pass.
At least, not yet.
A Sudden Roar
On this particular day, the father and son duo were resting inside a massive hollow tree.
The interior was surprisingly spacious, enough to shelter them comfortably.
Yu Xiaogang sat cross-legged, quietly chewing on dry rations, while Yu Yuanzhen leaned against the inner wall, his eyes half-closed as he conserved energy.
The atmosphere was calm.
Peaceful.
Then—
"ROAR!!!"
"GROOOOWL!!!"
Two deafening roars shattered the silence.
The ground itself seemed to tremble faintly.
Yu Xiaogang's body instantly tensed, his instincts kicking in as he snapped his head toward the direction of the sound.
But beside him—
Yu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up.
"That cry…" he muttered, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"It sounds like a Crimson Blood Flying Dragon!"
His gaze sharpened.
"That's one of the Spirit Beasts most suited to your requirements, Xiaogang."
"Now the only question is… how many years of cultivation it has."
Before Yu Xiaogang could respond—
Yu Yuanzhen had already made his move.
He grabbed Yu Xiaogang by the shoulder and shot out of the tree hollow like a bolt of lightning.
The surrounding scenery blurred as they sped through the forest.
Being carried like this was no longer a new experience for Yu Xiaogang.
After so many days, he had grown accustomed to it.
He even continued calmly chewing his dry rations mid-flight, as if this were perfectly normal.
The Crimson Blood Flying Dragon Appears
It didn't take long before they arrived near the source of the disturbance.
Yu Yuanzhen slowed down and landed silently atop a thick tree branch.
From there, they had a clear view of the battlefield below.
What they saw—
Immediately drew their full attention.
A massive dragon-type Spirit Beast stood at the center of the clearing.
Its wings were blood-red, stretching wide like a curtain of fire in the sky.
Its body was covered in crimson-gold scales that shimmered faintly under the filtered sunlight.
And atop its head—
A jade-like horn gleamed with a cold, noble aura.
"Crimson Blood Flying Dragon…" Yu Xiaogang whispered, his eyes lighting up.
The creature stood nearly five meters tall.
Even injured, it exuded a powerful presence.
However, its condition was far from ideal.
Blood stained its body.
Its wings were torn and ragged, clearly having suffered heavy damage.
Yu Xiaogang's gaze sharpened as he quickly assessed it.
"Father, look!"
"A single horn, less than a thousand years old…"
"And judging by its size, it must be well over five hundred years!"
Yu Yuanzhen nodded, satisfaction flashing across his face.
After so many days of fruitless searching—
They had finally found a suitable target.
A Dangerous Opponent
But the Crimson Blood Flying Dragon was not alone.
Standing opposite it was another powerful Spirit Beast—
A massive tiger with mottled white fur and blood-red streaks running across its body.
Its eyes glowed with a savage intensity.
"This is a Bloodthirsty White Tiger," Yu Xiaogang said, recognizing it immediately.
Among tiger-type Spirit Beasts, this species was notoriously fierce.
Not only were they physically powerful—
They possessed a terrifying trait.
The more intense the battle, the stronger they became.
Yu Xiaogang carefully observed the tiger's aura.
"Judging by its strength… it should be around five thousand years old."
He couldn't help but feel astonished.
"For a Spirit Beast under a thousand years to fight something like that…"
"It's incredible."
Yu Yuanzhen nodded slightly.
"This is the difference brought by bloodline."
"A powerful bloodline allows a hundred-year Spirit Beast to challenge a thousand-year one."
"And a thousand-year Spirit Beast… to rival ten-thousand-year ones."
He paused briefly.
"Spirit Beasts like this often grant exceptional Spirit Abilities when absorbed."
Yu Xiaogang's eyes gleamed even brighter upon hearing that.
Reinforcements Arrive
Just as the two were preparing to intervene—
Another roar echoed through the forest.
"ROAR!!!"
Yu Xiaogang turned instinctively.
His pupils shrank.
Another Crimson Blood Flying Dragon had arrived.
Unlike the one already fighting—
This one was completely uninjured.
Its aura was even more imposing.
But what truly caught Yu Xiaogang's attention—
Was its horn.
Beside the original jade-like horn—
A second, smaller horn had begun to grow.
Yu Xiaogang's expression changed.
"That… a second horn…"
Yu Yuanzhen immediately understood.
"For Crimson Blood Flying Dragons, the number of horns determines their age."
"No horns—under a hundred years."
"One horn—hundred-year level."
"When a second horn appears…"
"It means the beast has entered the thousand-year stage."
Yu Xiaogang's heart skipped a beat.
"A thousand-year Spirit Beast…"
Yu Yuanzhen sighed softly.
"Just over a thousand… what a pity."
"If it were slightly younger, it would have been perfect for you."
But at this moment—
Yu Xiaogang wasn't listening.
His gaze remained fixed on the newly arrived dragon.
His thoughts were racing.
The Battle Intensifies
The thousand-year Crimson Blood Flying Dragon joined the fight without hesitation.
Now—
Two dragons faced one tiger.
Under their combined assault, the Bloodthirsty White Tiger was gradually pushed back.
However—
Instead of retreating—
The tiger grew even more ferocious.
"GROOOOWL!!!"
Its roar shook the forest.
Its muscles bulged, and its attacks became faster and more violent.
It targeted the newly arrived dragon with particular aggression.
The thousand-year dragon retaliated immediately.
It gathered energy in its mouth.
A glowing sphere formed—
Then—
A beam of energy shot forward.
"BOOM!"
The attack pierced through the tiger's body, sending blood spraying into the air.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened in excitement.
"What an amazing move!"
But instead of weakening the tiger—
The injury only fueled its bloodlust further.
Its aura surged.
The battle was reaching its peak.
Intervention
Yu Xiaogang watched, completely absorbed.
But suddenly—
Thump.
Yu Yuanzhen flicked his forehead.
"Are you planning to just watch?"
"If that dragon dies, who knows how long we'll have to search again!"
Yu Xiaogang snapped out of it.
"Hehe… I got carried away."
Yu Yuanzhen shook his head.
Without another word—
He released his Spirit.
A terrifying aura erupted from his body.
In the next instant—
He vanished.
Then reappeared on the battlefield.
Absolute Suppression
The moment Yu Yuanzhen arrived—
Everything changed.
His aura—
Belonging to a Titled Douluo—
Exploded outward.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
Both dragons froze.
The Bloodthirsty White Tiger trembled violently.
Its instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation—
It turned and fled.
All its ferocity vanished in an instant.
Yu Yuanzhen didn't even spare it a glance.
His target—
Was the Crimson Blood Flying Dragon.
With effortless movements, he suppressed both dragons.
Even the thousand-year one could not resist.
Within moments—
Both beasts were beaten into submission.
They collapsed onto the ground, unable to move.
The forest fell quiet once more.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward slowly, his gaze fixed on the fallen dragons.
His opportunity—
Had finally arrived.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)