Qian Renxue tapped her fingers on the parchment as she skimmed the details again. Spirit Hall's growing interest in the Golden Iron Triangle wasn't simply due to their potential threat.
Yu Xiaogang, originally belonged to the prestigious Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
He wasn't just a member. According to verified records, he was the son of Yu Yuanzhen, the current clan leader.
'A direct descendant of one of the Three Great Clans… But now an outsider.'
Yu Xiaogang had long been cast out by his clan due to his lack of cultivation potential. A disgrace in the eyes of a clan that valued strength above all else. But exile did not mean irrelevance.
'And this man also had some love debt with, Bibi Dong.'
Though this part is not written in parchment, most of the information regarding that must have been destroyed or silenced by her father Qian Xunji.
That alone made him worth watching.
Even more so now, given that Flender and Liu Erlong had chosen to follow him. A former dean, a berserker battle master, and a soul theory scholar, such a trio could shake even the foundations of Spirit Hall if left unchecked.
She turned another page in the report, brows furrowing.
"It seems that the truth about Liu Erlong being the illegitimate daughter of Yu Luomian… is still unknown."
Her lips curled into a cold, knowing smile.
In the parchment records there were portraits drawn of the 3 members of The Golden Iron Triangle, with comments on their personalities.
There were portraits with with their martial soul activation present.
First person whose details were shown was...
Name: Flender
Alias: Flying Corner of the Golden Iron Triangle
Martial Soul: Owl
His appearance is of a man in his early thirty, Flender has a distinct and memorable appearance. Tall and lean, his face is angular with pronounced cheekbones, a prominent chin, and a slightly hooked nose. The rectangular, black-framed crystal glasses perched on his nose give him a shrewd and calculating air. Though average in build, his presence feels cunning and elusive.
In the portrait with his martial soul activated two vast wings unfurl from his back. His entire body becomes covered in grey feathers, eyes shifting into keen orange-yellow irises. His legs grow coarse and sinewed, transforming into sharp predatory talons.
On the second page
Name: Yu Xiaogang
Alias: Wisdom Corner of the Golden Iron Triangle
Martial Soul: Luo Sanpao
The portrait of his martial soul was attached separately as it is a rare out of body martial soul. The Martial soul was a strange creature resembling a bloated pig-like dog. It stands over 1.5 meters tall, its body round and wobbly with pale purple fur. It has short, floppy ears and large, blinking blue eyes. The bulging spherical growth on its head remains unclassified. Movement is slow and ungraceful; its stout limbs make speed unlikely.
In the portrait of Yu Xiaogang he was shown as a thin man in his late twenties. He had short black hair and a perpetually half-awake look in his drooping eyelids. His demeanor is relaxed, bordering on apathetic.
He is the Son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's leader. Currently exiled from the clan after awakening a 'useless' martial soul.
Intelligent and highly analytical. Possesses strong theoretical foundation in spirit cultivation. Reputation built on theory, not personal power and obsessed with fame. Many of his published spirit cultivation theories are suspected to be plagiarized from earlier, obscure texts.
Qian Renxue turned the page over.
Name: Liu Erlong
Alias: Slaughtering Corner of the Golden Iron Triangle
Martial Soul: Fire Dragon
The portrait shows a woman in her mid twenties with breathtaking beauty. Her features are exquisitely sculpted, with flowing black hair, soft red lips, and large, expressive dark eyes. Her figure is voluptuous and well-developed. Despite the gentle tone in her voice, she exudes barely restrained aggression.
Prone to uncontrollable rage. History of bloodlust during combat. Yu Xiaogang is the only known individual capable of pacifying her during blood rages in recent times.
Upon activation, she manifests her martial soul as an intense fire-type spirit energy and terrifying destructive power. Capable of causing wide-area combustion with explosive effect. Physical transformation minor but accompanied by immense pressure and volatile aura.
Turning the page again, there was detailed information pieced together from various accounts of bystanders who had witnessed the Golden Iron Triangle's first meeting.
According to several locals, Yu Xiaogang and Flender were seen traveling through a small city when they came across a lively street performance. The performer was a fierce young woman, later identified as Liu Erlong, who amazed the crowd by breaking iron bars with her bare hands.
Some onlookers claimed Flender seemed immediately impressed and urged his companion, Yu Xiaogang, to give her some money. Others recalled Yu Xiaogang appearing unconvinced, muttering that it might be a scam. Still, he eventually handed over the money.
A few witnesses remembered Liu Erlong calling Yu Xiaogang up to assist in her next act. That's when things unraveled. As she moved around on stage, several concealed iron plates reportedly slipped from beneath her clothes, revealing the trick behind her performance. The audience quickly turned hostile, believing Yu Xiaogang to be her accomplice. Chaos broke out.
The bespectacled man, Flender had rushed in, grabbing both Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong by the arm, and pulling them out of the crowd. They vanished into an alleyway.
Later that evening, some patrons who were from earlier audience at a nearby tavern overheard the three drinking together. Since they were normal people they did not come forward to a conflict with the soul masters, but they heard their conversations.
From those fragments of conversation, it seemed they decided to travel together from that day onward. They were heard joking about names for their group, one witness remembered the name "Golden Triangle" being tossed around before Liu Erlong quipped about calling it the "Golden Iron Triangle," referencing the very scam that had brought them together.