A full day and night had passed.
Yu Yuanzhen had not moved from his position even once.
His eyes were bloodshot, his vision slightly blurred from exhaustion. The dignified, meticulously groomed appearance he once carried was long gone—his hair hung loose and disheveled, his robes wrinkled and stained.
But none of that mattered.
He didn't dare look away.
Not even for a single second.
Before him, Yu Xiaogang's body was covered in layers of dried blood. Fresh blood continued to seep out, slowly thickening the already hardened crust that clung to his skin.
It was a horrifying sight.
Even Yu Yuanzhen couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
Where… was all this blood coming from?
He couldn't understand it.
He couldn't accept it.
He even began to fear—
That by the time the absorption was complete, his son would be nothing more than an empty shell.
His thoughts grew chaotic.
Fear.
Regret.
Helplessness.
Countless times, he had wanted to intervene.
To stop this madness.
To pull Yu Xiaogang away from the brink.
But every time he raised that thought—
He hesitated.
Because he knew…
If he interfered now, everything Yu Xiaogang had endured—
All his pain.
All his determination.
Would become meaningless.
And so, Yu Yuanzhen endured.
Silently.
Painfully.
Watching his son gamble with his life.
The Moment of Silence
Then—
Suddenly—
The violent fluctuations of energy… stopped.
The storm of power that had been raging for an entire day and night faded into stillness.
Everything became quiet.
Yu Xiaogang's tightly clenched expression gradually relaxed.
The strain on his face eased.
His body swayed—
And then collapsed.
Yu Yuanzhen reacted instantly.
In a flash, he appeared beside him, catching Yu Xiaogang before he could hit the ground.
"...Father…"
Yu Xiaogang's voice was hoarse.
Barely audible.
"I… did it…"
A faint smile appeared on his blood-covered face.
So weak.
So fragile.
Yet—
Unbelievably bright.
Yu Yuanzhen felt his heart twist painfully.
"Good… good… you did well… you did well…"
His voice trembled.
Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling over uncontrollably.
For a Titled Douluo—
A man who stood at the peak of power—
To cry like this…
It showed just how much he had endured.
For an entire day and night—
He had lived in fear.
Afraid that at any moment, his son would die before his eyes.
Afraid that his hesitation would become regret.
And now—
Finally—
It was over.
A Father's Fear
"Next time… don't ever take such a risk again…"
Yu Yuanzhen spoke softly, his voice filled with lingering fear.
"Even if you achieve nothing… you are still my son."
"My son… Yu Xiaogang."
"If others want to laugh, let them laugh!"
"Can their laughter take away my strength as a Titled Douluo?!"
There was a rare trace of anger in his tone.
But beneath it—
Was deep, undeniable concern.
He never wanted to experience something like this again.
Never.
A Peaceful Sleep
But Yu Xiaogang could no longer respond.
His body had reached its limit.
The exhaustion from a full day and night of suffering—
Both physical and mental—
Was too much.
After hearing his father's words…
After confirming his success—
He finally let go.
And fell into a deep sleep.
A peaceful smile remained on his face.
He didn't know how long he would sleep.
But one thing was certain—
When he woke up—
Everything would be different.
White World – Spirit Hall
"Wuwu… Xiaogang… why are you so foolish…"
Bibi Dong's voice trembled as tears streamed down her face.
"How could you take such a dangerous risk?!"
"What if you hadn't survived?!"
"What would Father and I have done then?!"
Ever since the moment Yu Xiaogang began absorbing the spirit ring—
Since his body became drenched in blood—
She had been unable to stop crying.
Her heart felt like it was being torn apart.
Love and Fear
Yu Xiaogang looked at her gently.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"If I hadn't taken that risk…"
"Perhaps we wouldn't have ended up together."
"Would you have preferred that?"
His words made Bibi Dong freeze.
Her sobbing stopped.
For a moment—
She was silent.
Then—
She nodded.
"Even if we couldn't be together…"
"I would still want you to live."
Her voice was soft.
But resolute.
"Compared to us being together…"
"I would rather you be safe."
Hearing this—
Yu Xiaogang felt a warmth spread through his chest.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Gently.
Carefully.
As if she were something fragile.
Something irreplaceable.
Hu Liena's Thoughts
Not far away, Hu Liena watched the scene quietly.
Her eyes lingered on Yu Xiaogang.
A complicated emotion rose within her heart.
She couldn't help but wonder—
What kind of man would she meet in the future?
But no matter how she imagined it—
Every figure she thought of…
Was compared to Yu Xiaogang.
And every comparison—
Ended the same way.
They fell short.
Completely.
"In this world…"
"Is there really anyone who can compare to His Eminence, the Dragon God?"
She shook her head.
Unable to imagine such a person.
A strange thought crossed her mind.
Perhaps—
In the future—
She would become like those senior women who admired Yu Xiaogang…
Remaining single for life.
Spirit Hall – Hall of Worship
On the other side—
Qian Daoliu and the others watched the heavenly projection in silence.
When they saw Yu Xiaogang successfully absorb the thousand-year spirit ring—
They all let out a long breath.
Relief washed over them.
Without realizing it—
They had all been holding their breath.
Afraid that even the slightest disturbance might affect the outcome.
Recognition of Determination
"It's no wonder he achieved such heights…"
One of them murmured.
"To endure something like that… without giving up…"
"He's truly ruthless… toward himself."
Gold Crocodile Douluo nodded in agreement.
Then, he turned to Qian Daoliu.
"Big Brother… if it were you back then…"
"Would you have dared to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring as your first?"
The Answer of a Legend
Qian Daoliu fell silent.
He thought for a long moment.
Then slowly shook his head.
"I couldn't have done it."
His voice was calm.
But firm.
"At six years old, even with rank twenty innate spirit power…"
"My body would not have been strong enough."
"If I had delayed obtaining my first spirit ring…"
"And waited until I was older…"
"Perhaps I could have tried."
"But…"
"There would have been no need."
The Difference in Paths
He continued:
"With my talent…"
"I could simply obtain spirit rings earlier."
"Even if their age was lower…"
"I could improve them later through divine trials."
His words were logical.
Practical.
Efficient.
Gold Crocodile Douluo nodded.
He understood.
The Qian Family—
Was simply different.
Their foundation.
Their talent.
Their destiny—
All placed them above others.
A Silent Admiration
But even so—
Gold Crocodile Douluo couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
If Yu Xiaogang had been born into the Qian Family…
If he had possessed the Seraphim Spirit…
Then—
If even such a person was not chosen by the Angel God—
It could only mean one thing.
The god itself—
Was blind.
A New Beginning
Back in the silent forest—
Yu Xiaogang slept peacefully in his father's arms.
The danger had passed.
The impossible—
Had been achieved.
A first spirit ring—
Of a thousand years.
An unprecedented feat.
A miracle born from will, pain, and unyielding determination.
And from this moment onward—
The path ahead of Yu Xiaogang—
Would no longer be ordinary.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)