No one could truly understand the resentment buried deep within Yu Xiaogang's heart.
Even if someone did manage to glimpse a fragment of it, they would likely be stunned—because even in such circumstances, Yu Xiaogang still found a way to shift the blame onto others.
It was… almost miraculous.
[The video continues…]
Inside the carriage, the atmosphere gradually calmed.
After spending some time idly playing with the Little Dragon, Yu Xiaogang finally withdrew his martial spirit. Although curiosity burned in his heart regarding the spirit ability he had just obtained, he did not act impulsively.
His body—
Had not yet recovered.
The process of absorbing that spirit ring had pushed him to his limits. Even now, lingering pain coursed through his meridians, reminding him that reckless experimentation would only worsen his condition.
He wasn't foolish enough to risk it.
There will be time later.
Once he returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and fully recovered, he could test everything at his leisure.
After all—
The spirit ring was already his.
It wasn't going anywhere.
Yu Yuanzhen, sitting nearby, observed everything silently.
When he saw that Yu Xiaogang had no intention of testing his abilities prematurely, he nodded inwardly.
Good.
With Yu Xiaogang's current state, simply summoning his martial spirit was already pushing the limit. If he attempted anything further, it could easily aggravate his injuries.
As his father—
And as a Titled Douluo—
Yu Yuanzhen would never allow that.
Thus, for the remainder of the journey, Yu Xiaogang did something rather unusual.
He… rested.
Completely.
Lying inside the carriage, he was waited on hand and foot.
Meals were brought to him.
Medicine was prepared for him.
And the person personally feeding him—
Was none other than Yu Yuanzhen himself.
A Titled Douluo.
A peak powerhouse of the Douluo Continent.
Yet here he was—
Carefully feeding his son.
For Yu Xiaogang—
These days felt almost unreal.
Comfortable.
Peaceful.
Even… enjoyable.
If such a life could continue indefinitely, it wouldn't be bad at all.
Unfortunately—
Good times never lasted forever.
Before long, the carriage arrived at their destination.
Blue Lightning City.
The headquarters of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
As soon as they entered the city, Yu Yuanzhen did not immediately return home. Instead, he headed straight for a familiar location—
Thunder Dragon Hall.
Before Yu Xiaogang had set out to obtain his first spirit ring, one person had shown particular interest in the matter.
Ye Hengchuan.
At the time, Ye Hengchuan had even volunteered to accompany them, offering his assistance.
However—
Once he learned that Yu Yuanzhen would personally handle the matter, he wisely stepped back.
Even so, he had made a request:
When they returned—
They must come see him.
He wanted to know the details of Yu Xiaogang's first spirit ring.
To Ye Hengchuan, Yu Xiaogang was no ordinary child.
He was observant.
Meticulous.
And most importantly—
Driven.
That kind of determination did not belong to someone his age.
Which meant—
Yu Xiaogang would never settle for an average spirit ring.
He would push himself to the limit.
Choose the strongest possible spirit beast.
Absorb the highest age he could endure.
And that—
Was exactly why Ye Hengchuan was so interested.
He wanted to know—
What was the true limit of a first spirit ring?
Especially after consuming ten-thousand-year whale jelly.
Because—
He had descendants too.
And Yu Xiaogang's experience could serve as a perfect reference for them.
Inside Thunder Dragon Hall—
Yu Yuanzhen immediately spotted Ye Hengchuan.
The latter was behind the counter.
Dozing.
Yu Yuanzhen sighed helplessly.
Without a word, he walked over and—
Smack!
Gave him a solid slap on the shoulder.
"Wake up."
"Ah—!"
Ye Hengchuan jolted awake, his entire body stiffening instantly.
As a Spirit Saint, even while dozing, he maintained a basic awareness of his surroundings.
And yet—
He hadn't sensed that strike at all.
For a moment, alarm surged within him.
But the next second—
He heard a familiar voice.
"Oh… it's you, Big Brother."
He let out a long breath of relief.
"You scared the life out of me."
Getting to his feet, Ye Hengchuan shot Yu Yuanzhen an annoyed look before glancing behind him.
"Where's Xiao Gang?"
"He's still in the carriage outside," Yu Yuanzhen replied calmly.
"He was injured during the absorption process. It's inconvenient for him to move around."
"I came to get some medicine to help him recover."
Without ceremony, Yu Yuanzhen picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.
Completely unbothered.
"Xiao Gang is injured?!"
Ye Hengchuan's eyes widened.
That made no sense.
With Yu Yuanzhen personally accompanying him, how could Yu Xiaogang end up injured?
"That boy…"
Yu Yuanzhen spoke casually.
"…tried to absorb a spirit ring with an age that was too high."
"He nearly failed."
Ye Hengchuan froze.
"…Too high?"
He scratched his head.
Based on his understanding—
Yu Xiaogang would definitely aim for the upper limit.
But he was also intelligent.
He should have calculated that limit precisely.
So how did it go wrong?
And for him to be so badly injured that he couldn't even step out of the carriage—
Just how severe was it?
"It must have exceeded the limit slightly," Ye Hengchuan muttered.
Then, his expression softened.
"That child…"
"He has strong determination."
"He's always wanted to help you regain your honor."
Yu Yuanzhen remained silent.
Listening.
"I noticed it back when he researched the whale jelly," Ye Hengchuan continued.
"That kind of drive…"
"…doesn't belong to someone his age."
"With that kind of will, he'll definitely become a powerhouse."
His tone grew more emotional.
"And when that day comes…"
"You'll finally be able to stand tall again."
"No one will dare mock you anymore."
A flicker of anger appeared on his face.
"I still remember the Soul Master Convention…"
"Those old fools—how they laughed at you."
"But just wait."
"One day…"
"Xiao Gang will make them regret it!"
Throughout all of this—
Yu Yuanzhen simply nodded occasionally.
His expression remained calm.
But if one looked closely—
They would notice something strange.
The corners of his mouth—
Were twitching.
As if he were holding back a smile.
"Xiao Gang is indeed a good child," Yu Yuanzhen said slowly.
"Even if he had been born into an ordinary family…"
"With his intelligence and talent…"
"He would still become someone extraordinary."
He paused.
Then added:
"Being my son has brought him advantages…"
"But it has also placed great pressure on him."
Ye Hengchuan sighed.
"Big Brother…"
"If even one of my descendants could bring me as much pride as Xiao Gang…"
"I'd wake up laughing every day."
Yu Yuanzhen chuckled.
"The children in your family aren't bad either."
"But as for bringing honor to one's parents…"
"I won't deny it."
"Xiao Gang has indeed made me proud."
Hearing this—
Ye Hengchuan curled his lips.
Just as he was about to take another sip of tea—
He suddenly remembered something.
"Wait."
He looked at Yu Yuanzhen.
"You still haven't told me…"
"How many years was Xiao Gang's first spirit ring?"
Yu Yuanzhen grinned.
"Oh, not much."
"Just a little over a thousand years."
"Mm, just over a thousand—"
Ye Hengchuan nodded casually.
He lifted his teacup.
Took a sip.
Then—
His brain caught up.
"Pfft—!"
Tea sprayed everywhere.
He didn't even bother wiping his mouth.
Instead—
He turned his head slowly.
Eyes wide.
Staring directly at Yu Yuanzhen.
"…How many?!"
Yu Yuanzhen smiled.
Calm.
Pleased.
Almost proud.
And Ye Hengchuan—
Was completely stunned.
A thousand-year spirit ring.
For a first ring.
That wasn't just abnormal.
That was—
Unheard of.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)