The speed of soul masters was naturally far beyond that of horses, so in no time at all, the three of them had returned to the small town.
The sky was still awash in a red glow, and the town bustled with people and noise.
They passed through several busy streets and returned to the same inn from that morning. Yu Luomian booked three premium rooms and asked the attendant to bring a full table of good dishes into their private dining room.
Amidst the clinking of cups and lively chatter, Yu Tianming said to Ah Zhu, "The soul bone from the Soul-Corroding Scarlet Serpent may not be especially high quality, but don't turn your nose up at it. Absorbing it will bring you a significant boost."
After years of serving in the clan, Ah Zhu had become quite socially adept, but at this moment, she was unusually quiet. Lowering her head, she softly said, "Soul bones are treasures born from rivers of blood. I'm dull by nature and receiving such a gift from the Young Master is already a blessing beyond anything I deserve. How could I possibly complain?"
"When we get back to our rooms tonight, absorb it right away," Yu Tianming reminded her. "Better not leave it for later and risk unexpected trouble."
Ah Zhu quietly nodded and said no more.
Sitting to the side, Yu Luomian smacked his lips and chuckled without saying a word. Then he lowered his head and resumed devouring the food with gusto.
This nearly two-meter-tall old man had quite the appetite—nearly 80% of the dishes on the table were destined for his stomach.
---
Early the next morning, the group boarded a carriage and set off on their journey home.
Inside the carriage, Yu Tianming asked curiously, "Ah Zhu, what soul skills did you get?"
"Reporting to Young Master, the one I obtained yesterday afternoon is called Soul-Corroding Demonfire. It's an amplification-type soul skill. Once activated, it grants a 50% increase in soul power. The flames become viscous and can continuously burn the opponent's spirit."
Yu Tianming nodded. While this second soul skill had the same 50% boost as Dai Mubai's White Tiger Barrier, the added effect of burning the opponent's spirit made it much more useful in certain situations.
Ah Zhu continued, "Last night, I gained a soul skill called Undying Crimson Flame. It passively boosts firepower by 20%. Additionally, it allows flames that have left the body to keep burning by consuming soul power. It even pushed my soul power up to level 24."
Even though the coachman was just an ordinary person, Ah Zhu carefully avoided mentioning the soul bone directly to prevent any rumors that might bring trouble.
Yu Luomian, who had been staring out the window in boredom, perked up when he heard this. He turned around and said with bright eyes, "Those two soul skills might seem average alone, but together they're near unbeatable. That Soul-Corroding Scarlet Serpent really was a perfect match for you."
Yu Tianming also teased with a smile, "Ah Zhu is not even fourteen and already has level 24 soul power. She's a genius no matter where you go." Although it was thanks to the soul ring and soul bone that she had advanced from level 20 to 24, she was now almost on par with Zhu Zhuqing.
But Ah Zhu didn't seem particularly joyful at the praise. Instead, she looked slightly troubled and said, "Even if my soul power is decent now, with my talent, I won't be able to keep up with Young Master's pace much longer."
Yu Luomian, who had himself been stuck at Soul Saint for decades, resonated deeply with this and comforted her: "Just having soul power already puts you ahead of countless people. To keep yearning for even better talent—wouldn't that be a bit greedy?"
Though he said it to reassure Ah Zhu, he was also consoling himself. His elder brother had reached level 95 long ago and was famous across the land, while he himself had hovered at level 79 for years due to limited talent.
He might have sat comfortably as the second-in-command of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan thanks to Yu Yuanzhen's fame and his own easygoing nature, but who could've known that Yu Luomian was once as hot-tempered and high-spirited as his daughter Liu Erlong? Only he truly understood the bitterness of all these years.
Seeing both the elder and younger weighed down by worries, Yu Tianming quickly changed the subject. "Ah Zhu's martial soul is fire-type, so she can't join Lightning Academy. She can enroll instead at Blue Tyrant Academy, which Aunt Erlong just established in Heaven Dou City. In five years, when she's seventeen, she can represent the academy in the very first Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Tournament."
"If she can get a good result, Blue Tyrant Academy could become one of the top academies for commoners," Yu Luomian laughed.
Yu Tianming added with a grin, "That way, our Ah Zhu will become famous across the continent."
Hearing this, Ah Zhu said softly, "I don't want to join any soul master tournament. I only wish to serve the Young Master."
Yu Luomian tried to persuade her again: "You'll meet talented soul masters from all over the continent at the tournament. If you become well-known, you'll gain more resources and be able to advance further."
While the tournament didn't offer soul bones as prizes at the time, any team that placed well would certainly receive ample cultivation resources.
Yu Tianming, who was eager to find the immortal herbs soon, also chimed in, "It's settled then—Ah Zhu will compete in the tournament five years from now. When we get back to the clan, I'll go with Great-Grandfather to Heaven Dou City and meet Aunt Erlong."
---
Some things are best said briefly. After returning to the clan, Yu Tianming headed straight to Yu Yuanzhen's study.
Seeing his great-grandfather busy reviewing sect affairs, he said, "Great-Grandfather, I heard Second Grandfather helped his daughter open a new advanced soul master academy in Heaven Dou City. Since the city is about to host a soul master tournament, how about we go check it out together? We can try to persuade Aunt Erlong to return to the clan, observe the strength of today's top young talents, and maybe even recruit a few for the clan. It's like hitting three birds with one stone."
The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Tournament was held once every five years, and the current one was just about to begin. Since Tang San wouldn't compete until the tournament after the next one, Yu Tianming wanted to seize the opportunity to get the immortal herbs before any complications arose.
He had thought about reporting Tang Hao to Spirit Hall while Tang San was still a child. But with Bibi Dong, who wasn't exactly sane, in charge, there was no guarantee she would act. Plus, Tang Hao's strength was nothing to scoff at—if he retaliated, not even his level 95 great-grandfather might be able to win.
Yu Yuanzhen looked up and smiled. "You just got back and already want to head out again. Don't neglect your cultivation. But it wouldn't be a bad idea to let you see the continent's top talents."
Yu Tianming, seeing how readily he agreed, asked, "Then when are we leaving, Grandfather?"
Yu Yuanzhen thought for a moment and said, "Let's go in three months. The preliminaries haven't started yet. We'll go when the elimination rounds begin."
"We'll see if there are any talents worth recruiting for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—and I'll get to meet your second grandfather's daughter, too. But during these three months, you must train diligently here in the sect."
The tournament's preliminaries and elimination rounds followed different formats. The preliminaries were team-based, round-robin style. The top team from each region would advance to the elimination rounds.
In the elimination stage, it was still seven participants per team, but each round was fought one-on-one. The winner stayed on while the loser was replaced until one team ran out of participants.
Thus, the preliminaries tested teamwork, while the elimination rounds showcased individual strength. The purpose was to allow the two empires and Spirit Hall to identify outstanding young soul masters from the competition.
As sect master, Yu Yuanzhen had many responsibilities and naturally wouldn't watch the entire tournament from beginning to end.
(End of Chapter)
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