[The moment the little dragon spoke, its adorable appearance completely shattered the intimidating aura it had been giving off.]
[However, no one paid much attention to such a trivial detail.]
["It has completely transformed into the Dark Attribute."]
[Yu Yuanzhen stepped forward and gently rubbed the little dragon's head. The touch was icy cold, completely different from the slight warmth it had possessed when it wielded the Light Attribute.]
[Still, Yu Yuanzhen couldn't help thinking that he would probably like this form even more during the summer.]
["The attribute has changed, but what about its Spirit Abilities?"]
[The Grand Elder, standing nearby, immediately asked the question everyone was wondering.]
["I'll test them."]
[As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang activated his First Spirit Skill. A pitch-black longsword condensed in his hand, and with a casual slash, he cut through the surrounding flowers and grass.]
[The plants withered before their eyes at a visible speed.]
[Seeing the result, Yu Xiaogang immediately activated his Third Spirit Skill and expanded his Radiant Domain.]
[In an instant, a pitch-black domain spread outward from his body.]
[A cold, bone-chilling aura swept across the area.]
[Yu Yuanzhen and the others instinctively frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the oppressive atmosphere.]
[Yu Xiaogang also noticed the dramatic changes within his domain. However, before he could carefully examine them, he suddenly sensed another presence inside it.]
["Who's there?!"]
[He looked toward a nearby tree and found Arou sitting leisurely on one of the branches, resting her chin in her hand as though she were simply watching a show.]
["Xiaogang, this is Arou."]
["She's a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast that transformed into a human."]
[Only then did Yu Yuanzhen realize that he had been so focused on his son's Spirit Ability that he had completely forgotten to introduce Arou.]
["A hundred-thousand-year transformed Spirit Beast?!"]
[Yu Xiaogang gasped in disbelief.]
[He looked back and forth between Yu Yuanzhen and the others with a bewildered expression.]
['I only spent a short while absorbing a spirit ring...']
['How did a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast suddenly appear beside all of you?']
['More importantly...']
['Why are all of you talking to her so casually?']
['That's a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast!']
['Shouldn't transformed Spirit Beasts avoid humans at all costs?']
[Seeing the confusion written all over Yu Xiaogang's face, Yu Yuanzhen patiently explained everything that had happened.]
[He told him about Arou's appearance and her proposal to cooperate against the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf.]
["A war involving four hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts..."]
["And if we help them, we'll receive at least one hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone as payment..."]
[For a long moment, Yu Xiaogang was speechless.]
[It felt as though he had skipped several years of his life while absorbing a single spirit ring.]
["So..."]
["Father, have you agreed?"]
[While asking, Yu Xiaogang secretly glanced at Arou.]
[He had long heard the legends about hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts transforming into humans to cultivate again.]
[Now, he had finally witnessed one with his own eyes.]
[His horizons had broadened considerably.]
["Not yet."]
[Yu Yuanzhen shook his head.]
["I'm leaning toward accepting..."]
["But before making the final decision, I wanted to hear your opinion."]
["The people here are all rather straightforward."]
["Perhaps you'll notice something we've overlooked."]
[Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help wondering whether his father truly believed he was exceptionally intelligent...]
[...or whether he was quietly training him to take over the sect's affairs as soon as possible.]
[After all, Yu Xiaogang had seen his father complain about sect affairs countless times at home.]
[He was almost certain that Yu Yuanzhen dreamed of retiring early.]
['I need to stay vigilant...']
[Yu Xiaogang silently reminded himself.]
[Of course, this wasn't the time to think about that.]
[A battle involving four hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts would be equivalent to a massive war between Titled Douluo-level experts.]
[There was no room for carelessness.]
["Let me think..."]
["The Moon Devouring Azure Wolf possesses healing and support abilities."]
["Under its command are an eighty-thousand-year Red-Toothed Thunder Wolf, a nearly sixty-thousand-year Blazing Fire Wolf, several fifty-thousand-year Gale Wolves and Moon Shadow Wolves, plus numerous thirty-thousand-year wolves."]
["If the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf's support abilities are powerful enough, then the combat strength of the entire wolf pack would increase by at least twenty thousand years on average."]
["On Lady Arou's side, there are three hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts—the Spirit Void Rabbit, the Titan Giant Ape, and the Sky Azure Bull Python."]
["If battle begins..."]
["The Moon Devouring Azure Wolf would most likely fight either the Sky Azure Bull Python or the Titan Giant Ape."]
["With the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf's support, the Red-Toothed Thunder Wolf could probably contend with another hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast."]
["That would leave Father and the remaining hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast to deal with the rest of the wolf pack."]
[Yu Xiaogang nodded.]
[On paper, the arrangement seemed reasonable.]
[As long as the ordinary wolves were eliminated quickly, everyone could join forces to finish off the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf.]
[However...]
[His expression gradually darkened.]
[He had discovered a major flaw.]
["If Father isn't included..."]
["Where does their confidence come from?"]
[Using the same distribution of combat power, the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape would already be occupied fighting the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf and the Red-Toothed Thunder Wolf.]
[That meant...]
[Arou alone would have to face the remaining wolf pack.]
[A wolf pack strengthened by support abilities and continuously healed throughout the battle.]
[Yu Xiaogang refused to believe she possessed that kind of combat power.]
[The Spirit Void Rabbit excelled at survival, not direct combat.]
["Unless..."]
["She's relying on bloodline suppression?"]
[To be safe, Yu Xiaogang looked directly at Arou.]
["May I ask what your current rank is?"]
["Rank ninety-two."]
["Not particularly high."]
[Although she didn't understand why he asked, Arou answered honestly.]
["Rank ninety-two..."]
["Together with two hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts..."]
["Yet you've repeatedly defeated the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf's tribe."]
["Not only that, you've frightened such a vengeful Spirit Beast into avoiding revenge for decades."]
["And now..."]
["You still have the confidence to drive away the entire wolf pack."]
[Yu Xiaogang narrowed his eyes.]
["If there's nothing hidden behind all this..."]
["Then you can use my head as a ball."]
[He was now completely convinced that Arou's side was hiding another source of combat power.]
[They consistently defeated the wolf tribe, yet never managed to kill the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf.]
[That suggested the hidden strength was probably either...]
[...a powerful ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast with an extraordinary bloodline...]
[...or another hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast whose combat ability simply wasn't on the same level as the Titan Giant Ape or the Sky Azure Bull Python.]
[Regardless of which possibility was true...]
[Yu Xiaogang no longer wished to cooperate.]
[After all...]
[If someone claimed to be sincere while deliberately concealing their greatest strength...]
[Could that truly be called sincerity?]
[Who knew whether that hidden trump card intended to ambush his father after the battle ended?]
[Yu Xiaogang turned toward Yu Yuanzhen.]
["Father..."]
["I don't think we should involve ourselves in the affairs of Spirit Beasts."]
[His meaning was unmistakable.]
[He opposed the cooperation.]
[The moment those words left his mouth, before Yu Yuanzhen could even respond, Arou became visibly anxious atop the tree.]
["Wait!"]
["Please don't refuse!"]
["If you think the reward isn't enough..."]
["We can negotiate!"]
[Hearing the urgency in Arou's voice, not only Yu Xiaogang, who had already uncovered the flaw, but even Yu Yuanzhen and the Grand Elder—both of whom had been inclined to cooperate—immediately realized that something was wrong.]
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)