"Thunder Flash!"
On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, Yu Tianming transformed into a living lightning bolt. With a single stride, he appeared five meters away, leaving trails of lightning in his wake.
This was Yu Tianming's third Soul Skill, Thunder Flash. The Soul Ring, harvested from a 6,500-year-old Purple Thunder Dragon Python, had propelled him to level 34, the rank of Soul Venerable.
Only two months had passed since he absorbed his second Soul Ring.
A 6-year-old Soul Venerable at level 34 was unprecedented. Even Qian Renxue, who shared the same Innate Soul Power of level 20, likely paled in comparison.
Qian Renxue likely reached level 30 around age 7. The cultivation speed of her God-level Martial Soul surpassed even that of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. In the original story, if Tang San hadn't relied on overpowered plot armor, Qian Renxue's cultivation aptitude would have far surpassed his.
Tang San went from Soul Emperor to God in just three years at age 22—a ridiculous feat, the result of insanely broken plot armor.
Without plot armor, Qian Renxue reached Godhood at age 35. Remember, she spent seven years in the Heaven Dou Empire pretending to be Xue Qinghe, leaving little time for cultivation. Yet even then, she could still kill Tang San in the original story. Unfortunately, the author insisted on writing a melodramatic plot twist to extend Tang San's life.
"Grandpa, can we go home now? I miss Mother," Yu Tianming said, materializing beside Yu Yuanzhen and acting cute.
"Alright, alright. Grandpa will take you home right now."
Yu Yuanzhen burst into hearty laughter at his grandson's adorable antics. Yu Tianming possessed extraordinary talent, striking beauty, and a filial nature; the elder could find not a single flaw in him.
As for his precocious interest in romance at such a young age...
What of it? Yu Yuanzhen himself had enjoyed many women in his youth. Given Yu Tianming's heaven-defying aptitude, he should sow his seed far and wide, producing as many exceptional descendants as possible.
Yu Tianming fully understood the power of childish charm. For six years, he had perfected his skills at acting cute, and no one could resist the sweet assault of a charming little boy.
Having been away from home for nearly four months, he craved his mother's milk with a burning intensity.
*Roar!*
A dragon's roar echoed as Yu Yuanzhen unleashed his Martial Soul True Body. Yu Tianming perched on the dragon's back, the creature's flight speed needing no explanation. The Star Dou Great Forest stretched endlessly below them; from a kilometer above, Yu Tianming's gaze couldn't reach its edge.
"Hmm?"
Yu Yuanzhen's massive dragon eyes turned in a specific direction. He sensed a familiar presence—not a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, but a Titled Douluo.
A dozen kilometers away, a green-haired middle-aged man looked up to see a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon descending from the sky, carrying a six-year-old boy on its back.
"Old Dragon? What brings you here?"
The green-haired man held a young girl around Yu Tianming's age in his arms.
"Old Poisoner, if you can come, why can't I?"
Yu Yuanzhen's voice was deep and booming, almost like a roar. Fortunately, as a Super Douluo, he didn't have bad breath; otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
"Is this little guy your grandson?"
The green-haired man was Dugu Bo, known by the title "Toxic." He had recently broken through to become a Titled Douluo, and his personal strength ranked among the weakest among them. Yet no one underestimated him. While his individual combat prowess might be lacking, his group combat capabilities were explosive, making it child's play to raze cities or annihilate small nations.
"How about that? He's far superior to your granddaughter, isn't he?"
Yu Yuanzhen shook his dragon wings proudly. Dugu Bo harbored a grudge against the Martial Soul Hall, and Yu Yuanzhen considered himself, if only barely, an ally.
"Ridiculous! My granddaughter has an Innate Soul, you know? Hmph. Damn, just a Soul Venerable?"
Dugu Bo couldn't stand Yu Yuanzhen's smug expression. Just as he was about to introduce his granddaughter, he caught a faint aura emanating from Yu Tianming. Rubbing his eyes to confirm, he realized it was unmistakable: a Soul Venerable.
A Soul Venerable at six years old...
"Old Dragon, this..."
Dugu Bo set down his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, and pointed at Yu Tianming, hesitating. Asking about someone's cultivation progress was taboo. If the other party's level was lower than his own, it wouldn't matter much. But Yu Yuanzhen was a level 96 Super Douluo, while he was only level 91—a significant gap.
Yu Tianming had already jumped down from the dragon's back. Dugu Yan's delicate, oval-shaped face was truly captivating, and the beginnings of her future willowy figure were already visible.
"I'm Yu Tianming. What's your name?" Yu Tianming asked, preening his hair as he introduced himself.
In terms of height, Yu Tianming towered over Dugu Yan by a full head. Having absorbed three Soul Rings, he now stood at 1.4 meters tall.
"Pfft..."
Dugu Yan couldn't help but chuckle at his antics, finding his self-conscious pose both amusing and a little flirtatious, like a young Don Juan.
"I'm Dugu Yan," she replied with a smile, her emerald green eyes sparkling.
"So cute..."
In just a few seconds, Yu Tianming was smitten. Her long purple hair and clear, melodious voice made him envision what Dugu Yan would look like in ten years—a siren with a serpent-like figure.
"Hey, why are you staring at me like that?"
Even young girls can be shy, especially on the Douluo Continent, where people mature early. This was Dugu Yan's first interaction with a boy her age, and his lustful gaze made her blush.
"Your grandson really takes after you," Dugu Bo grumbled from the side, his voice tinged with jealousy. He had a premonition that his precious granddaughter was about to slip away.
However...
Recalling what Yu Yuanzhen had just told him, Dugu Bo felt a slight sense of relief.
At six years old, she's already a level 34 Soul Venerable. That means she has fourteen years until she turns twenty. Could she possibly break through to Titled Douluo by then?
Dugu Bo wasn't sure, but he thought it was possible. A dual-type mutated Martial Soul and innate soul power at level 20—such a combination hadn't appeared in tens of thousands of years on the Douluo Continent.
Perhaps, once she grew stronger, she could help him.
(End of Chapter)