** CHAPTER 03: FINAL DUEL **
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The training field of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was silent, like the calm before a storm. The sky, covered with heavy clouds, seemed to reflect the tension between the two figures standing at the center of the arena.
On one side, Yu Tianlong—white hair, calm and steady gaze. His young body already exuded confidence and strength, with a presence that commanded respect even in silence.
On the other, his adoptive sister, Gu Yuena—beautiful as a goddess, with her radiant violet eyes and a tranquil expression. But behind that serene demeanor lay a power that could not be ignored.
"Are you ready?" asked Tianlong, adjusting his stance and tapping his fists together.
"You're the one who should be asking yourself that," replied Gu Yuena with a rare, faint smile she showed only to him.
"Everyone ready, then… Begin!" shouted the instructor, and the air exploded with movement.
Tianlong and Gu Yuena charged at each other, their fists colliding with a boom that echoed like thunder. The shockwave cracked the arena beneath their feet, sending shards flying through the air and forcing the nearest disciples to duck, shielding their faces.
"Is this how we start, sister?" said Tianlong, his arms enveloped in the black-obsidian glow of his Armament Haki, his eyes gleaming with draconic pupils. He spun, delivering a kick that tore through the air, aiming for Gu Yuena's flank.
She dodged with an agile leap, her movements a silver blur, almost ethereal. "You talk too much, Xiao Long," she retorted, her voice cold but with a hint of provocation. She countered with a punch that made the air vibrate, striking Tianlong's forearm. The impact sparked, and he grunted, feeling his arm tremble with the force.
"That blow would've broken the arm of anyone below level 30…" murmured Yu Longwei in the stands, his eyes wide with shock. "What kind of monster is this boy, enduring that strike head-on?"
Beside him, Yu Loumian clenched his fists, his pride visibly shaken after witnessing his grandson's earlier performance and now this battle between these two prodigies. "This fight… I fear it's almost on the level of two Spirit Masters at level 30."
Tianlong advanced again, the ground splitting beneath his firm steps. His fists, wrapped in Haki, sliced through the air with brute force, each strike releasing shockwaves that made the entire arena tremble. In a swift move, he landed a direct punch on Gu Yuena's shoulder. She blocked with her forearms but was pushed back, her feet sliding across the jade floor.
A trickle of blood ran down her arm, dripping onto the ground and making the crowd hold their breath.
"First blood!" shouted a disciple, too shocked to contain himself.
From the upper stands, Yu Zhenhai let out a resigned sigh. He knew the two well: when they fought, they always gave their all—and it almost always ended in injuries.
"I hope they don't hurt each other too much…" he murmured, concerned but not intervening in the fight.
Gu Yuena, however, didn't waver. Her violet eyes gleamed with fierce intensity, and her body pulsed with a red-and-silver aura, like liquid flames dancing across her skin. The entire arena felt a crushing weight, and even the elders raised their eyebrows in their seats, the air growing thick with an energy that wasn't merely spiritual.
"Blood Essence," whispered Zi Ji, her voice laced with recognition. "She's unleashing the power of a true dragon."
"What is that?" asked Yu Leihao, his face furrowed. "I don't sense any flow of spiritual energy."
Gu Yuena advanced with lightning speed, her movements now more lethal, each step reverberating like the distant roar of a dragon.
"Want to play for real, Xiao Long?" she said, her voice sharp as a blade.
Raising her hand, she unleashed a blast of red-silver energy that exploded against Tianlong's chest. The impact threw him back, his body spinning in the air before crashing hard against the ground, further cracking the jade beneath him.
A cut opened on his forehead, and blood dripped slowly, falling silently to the floor.
"Get up!... Or is it over already?" said Gu Yuena, gesturing with her hand and a smile on her face.
Tianlong spat blood, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Over? We're just getting started," he said, standing as his Armament Haki glowed with greater intensity. But then, Gu Yuena raised a hand, halting the fight.
"Take off those weights, Xiao Long," she said, her voice firm. "This fight will end quickly if you keep using those irons on your arms and legs."
In the stands, the elders exchanged confused glances. "Weights?" murmured Yu Yuanzhen, touching his chin.
"Alright… I guess I won't be able to beat you with these on," he said, crouching to remove the iron bracelets and anklets hidden beneath his clothes.
Each piece fell with a dull thud, creating small craters in the jade floor and raising a faint cloud of dust. Silence gripped the arena for a moment before being broken by murmurs of astonishment.
"He fought Tianxin using this?" his cousin Yu Tianheng exclaimed in the stands, his voice filled with disbelief.
"He really is a monster…" muttered Yu Tianxin beside him, eyes wide.
Without the weights, the fight resumed in the blink of an eye. Tianlong charged like an arrow, his movements so fast they seemed to defy sight. Taking control of the rhythm, he unleashed a sequence of heavy blows—one to the shoulder, another to the flank—forcing Gu Yuena to retreat. Each impact sounded like thunder, making the ground tremble.
She blocked as best she could, her arms marked with cuts, but her eyes remained calm and attentive, analyzing every move her brother made.
"Careful, Xiao Long!" she shouted as the red aura around her surged rapidly, her attacks becoming far faster and stronger.
She countered with a punch that struck Tianlong in the chest, sending him crashing into a stone pillar, which cracked from the impact. He coughed, blood staining his lips, but stood, his eyes burning with determination.
"Enjoying this, sister?" he taunted, spitting blood onto the ground.
"Because I'm just getting started!"
From there, the fight became a massacre. Gu Yuena adjusted her movements, burning more of her blood essence, becoming increasingly lethal. She landed a kick to Tianlong's ribs, the sound of cracking bones echoing through the arena. He retaliated with a punch that opened a deep cut on her shoulder, blood gushing like a fountain. The crowd screamed, some disciples covering their eyes, unable to bear the violence.
"It's time to end this," roared Tianlong, leaping back.
His body ached, every muscle throbbing, but something deeper roared within him. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, taking a deep breath, and dove into the depths of his own body.
In that moment, he felt his meridians expand abruptly, like channels forcibly opening. A warm surge coursed through his body, and the burning of his blood essence accelerated at a terrifying pace, as if his very blood were on fire.
"Inner Gates… open!"
"1st Gate of Opening, open!"
At that moment, it felt as if the world around him had slowed, but in truth, his ability to think and react had drastically increased.
"2nd Gate of Healing, open!"
Quickly, a green aura enveloped him, and he felt a significant boost in his physical strength; at the same time, his wounds began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"3rd Gate of Life, open!"
The green aura around him intensified tenfold, and his skin turned red, as if burning. His pupils vanished, his hair stood on end, and prominent veins bulged across his body. The ground beneath his feet cracked, unable to withstand the growing pressure.
The crowd, witnessing this, stood in shock.
"What technique is this?" exclaimed Patriarch Yu Yuanzhen, standing with wide eyes. "He's created a new technique."
Zi Ji watched, concerned, murmuring, "Hm… What is this? Is this also blood essence burning…? No! It's not."
"Now I'm going all out. Be careful," said Tianlong—and vanished.
Becoming a blur, each strike he delivered left a glowing trail, like streaks of light cutting through the air. His punches were like thunder, exploding on impact. One hit Gu Yuena's stomach, making her stagger and spit blood. She tried to retaliate, but Tianlong was already behind her. A swift kick sent her crashing into a pillar, which cracked and nearly collapsed.
"Come on, show me your strength," shouted Gu Yuena, struggling to stand.
Blood dripped from the corner of her lips, but her eyes still burned with unyielding fire. She had already realized that, despite the brutality of his strikes, Tianlong was holding back. He didn't want to seriously harm her.
Before she could think, he appeared in the blink of an eye before her. His fist, wrapped in Haki, pulsed with the green aura flickering like living fire around his exhausted body.
And the final blow came swiftly, at absurd speed, aimed at Gu Yuena's face—but stopped mere centimeters before striking. The gust of wind from the punch swept her silver hair like a wave, and cracks formed in the ground beneath their feet.
"I told you I'd win today," said Tianlong, panting, with a smile on his face, his skin still red, his body trembling from the overload of power.
"You finally lost, little sister."
Gu Yuena stared at him, her violet eyes gleaming with a mix of surprise, and a faint smile curved her bloodied lips.
"You've gotten stronger, Xiao Long," she murmured, a slight smile on her lips. She raised her hand and looked at the instructor, signaling the end of the fight.
The instructor, pale, raised his hand. "Victory: Yu Tianlong!"
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers, but many still trembled, shocked by the brutality of the battle.
Tianlong extended his hand to Gu Yuena, helping her stand. She accepted with a serene look, and the two walked side by side to the center of the stage, as the other children also gathered in the arena's center.
The crowd gradually calmed. The sound of footsteps echoed over the broken jade of the arena, scarred by the battles.
Patriarch Yu Yuanzhen stood with the other elders, and all eyes turned to the central platform.
The old dragon with steady eyes stepped forward, his presence alone imposing total silence on the arena.
"Young ones of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan…" His voice boomed, firm, filled with authority and pride. "…You have all made me very proud today."
He looked at each child there, but his gaze lingered longer on Gu Yuena and Tianlong.
"I want to congratulate you all for your dedication, courage, and determination. Especially you, Yu Tianlong… and you, Gu Yuena. You two have shown exceptional talent, but more than that, you've shown heart. Spirit. Control."
The arena remained in reverent silence as the patriarch continued:
"In the path of a Spirit Master, talent is only the beginning. True strength is born from will. From discipline. And, as we saw today, from the courage to rise even when wounded."
"And with that, I announce that in one week, we will begin the next Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony for all children who have reached the age of six."
He raised one hand.
"Until then, everyone must recover, meditate, and prepare their hearts. The awakening is a milestone that changes the destiny of every cultivator. May you all be ready to face your own potential. And surpass it."
After the speech, applause echoed once more, but Tianlong remained silent, gazing at the sky for a brief moment, his eyes hiding something deeper.
"Martial soul awakening, huh… Finally, I'll be able to use my soul without fearing the consequences," he thought, letting a satisfied smile slip.
As a humanized spirit beast, Yu Tianlong didn't need to go through the traditional martial soul awakening process—after all, his soul was already with him since birth. He was his own martial soul.
However, precisely for that reason, both he and Gu Yuena were forbidden from manifesting their martial souls before the official ceremony, which would take place upon reaching six years of age.
If they ignored this rule and used their true natures prematurely, they could expose a secret that must never be revealed: the fact that they were spirit beasts disguised as humans.
And if that secret leaked… not even the clan could protect them from the consequences. He knew it. Everyone who knew the truth knew it.
It was exactly because of something like this that the most powerful sect in the world fell silent.
The fall of the Clear Sky Clan didn't happen solely due to sheer audacity—it was, above all, due to weakness.
Tang Hao dared to protect a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast from the hunters of the Spirit Hall. His decision was courageous, but the clan lacked the power to back it up.
In the end, they had to expel him to avoid retaliation. Even as the strongest clan of its time, they couldn't protect one of their most important members when confronted by the Spirit Hall.
They weren't strong enough.
Yu Tianlong knew this.
His clan—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—despite being one of the three great sects in the world, was still far from having enough strength to confront the Spirit Hall on equal footing.
Counting his mother, they had only four Titled Douluo. It was impressive… but insignificant against a force like the Spirit Hall, which boasted nearly twenty Douluo of the same level.
His mother, a spirit beast with 380,000 years of cultivation, had told him she could easily face most level 98 Douluo—and perhaps even take on a level 99. But Yu Tianlong didn't want her to risk her life for him, facing someone like Qian Daoliu.
A monster at the top of this world.
That's why the order was clear: no revealing their martial souls before the official awakening.
It was a matter of survival.
Although some knew the truth—like the patriarch and two of the clan's elders—the vast majority were completely unaware of the true identities of both… as well as that of Yu Tianlong's own mother.
For this reason, following the orders of the patriarch and his father, they had "sealed" their martial souls until the moment of awakening.
But now, that moment was finally approaching.
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