The power of the medicinal pills was extraordinary. After Yu Boxuan, Ye Kuan, and the others consumed the pills refined primarily from immortal herbs, not only did their soul power improve, but the most significant change occurred in their physical bodies.
The vast medicinal power cleansed their marrow and expelled chronic illnesses, causing the elderly men, all over sixty, to regain a ruddy complexion. Their white hair turned black, their clouded eyes regained their gleam, and their bodies overflowed with a vitality far greater than before. It was as if they had suddenly become twenty years younger, with vigorous qi and blood and abundant energy. A prosperous atmosphere permeated the sect.
One day, when sect affairs had quieted down, Yu Yuanchen sought out his grandfather, Yu Boxuan. In a quiet room, he laid bare the truth: he had fully restored the True Dragon Nine Crowns and successfully absorbed it, transforming it into the "Dragon King's Crown" head soul bone. As this concerned the sect's inherited treasure, even as the young master, he felt it necessary to provide an explanation.
After listening, Yu Boxuan stroked his beard for a long time. There was not a hint of blame in his eyes; instead, they were filled with comfort and pride. He patted his grandson's shoulder and laughed heartily: "Good! Very good! Yuanchen, this is heaven's will, and it is your destiny!"
"The True Dragon Nine Crowns has been reborn in your hands, becoming even better than it was in the past. This proves it was always meant to belong to you. The ancestors of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan sought nothing more than the prosperity of the sect and for the younger generation to surpass the old. You have already far exceeded the expectations of our ancestors, and your future achievements will be limitless. What is a single soul bone compared to that?"
His gaze was profound, filled with infinite expectation. "I only hope that when you ascend to the god realm in the future and look down on all beings, you do not forget the roots of our sect. When that time comes, leaving behind an inherited treasure even greater than the 'Dragon King's Crown' for the sect will be the greatest reward for me and for all our ancestors!"
Yu Yuanchen was moved and nodded solemnly: "Grandson will keep Grandfather's teachings in mind and will never fail the trust placed in me."
Not long after, Yu Boxuan personally selected several experts from the sect. Led by him, with Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan assisting, the group set off in a grand procession toward the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a ninth soul ring for Ye Kuan, whose soul power had reached the level 90 bottleneck.
Relying on Yu Yuanchen's powerful spiritual power perception and the combined efforts of the group, the process had occasional setbacks, but they eventually found a top-tier plant spirit beast with a cultivation level of eighty thousand years—the "Star Ancient Tree."
This tree contained vast life energy and star power, which was highly compatible with Ye Kuan's Nine Heart Begonia spirit. After a fierce battle, with Yu Yuanchen leading the suppression, Ye Kuan delivered the final killing blow. He successfully absorbed the soul ring and broke through to level 91, officially entering the realm of a Titled Douluo. Ye Kuan chose his own title—Begonia Douluo! The birth of a healing-type Titled Douluo was enough to shake the entire soul master world.
However, just as the group had successfully hunted the spirit beast, relaxed, and were about to leave the core zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, a sudden change occurred!
Yu Yuanchen, who was walking in front, suddenly froze as if crushed by an invisible mountain. A sense of extreme trembling and awe, originating from the depths of his soul and his bloodline instinct, swept through his entire body without warning! His Thunder Sacred Dragon spirit even let out a faint wail beyond his control, his surging soul power instantly stagnated, and the Dragon King's Crown at the center of his brow transmitted waves of scorching heat, trembling slightly!
He turned his head abruptly, his gaze like lightning, shooting toward the deepest part of the forest—the area shrouded in mist where the life aura was so dense it could not be dissolved—the direction of the Lake of Life!
There, it felt as if a pair of supreme, cold eyes, indifferent as an eternal ice field, had pierced through endless space and "glanced" at him with detachment.
This time, it was completely different from the inconspicuous peeking of the past.
This "glance" was not aimed at him, but it acted directly upon his core, his most proud Thunder Sacred Dragon bloodline! It was an absolute suppression of rank, the helplessness of a subordinate facing a superior!
'Silver Dragon King!' Yu Yuanchen was horrified, realizing it instantly. It must be that because he had repeatedly absorbed the dragon power of the Ice Fire Dragon King at the bottom of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the aura of those two fallen god kings remained on him, thereby alarming the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena, who was sleeping in the Lake of Life as the Dragon God's avatar and the current master of the spirit beasts!
Although that gaze retracted as soon as it touched him, as if merely sweeping over a slightly special insect, the supreme majesty contained within it, which transcended all dragon clans, made Yu Yuanchen's back instantly soaked with cold sweat. He did not doubt that if the other party had the slightest killing intent, this absolute bloodline suppression alone would be enough to drastically reduce his combat power, or even make him unable to muster the will to resist!
"Yuanchen, what's wrong?" Ye Zhilan noticed his abnormality immediately and held his cold hand with concern.
Yu Boxuan, Ye Kuan, and the others also stopped, their faces showing confusion and vigilance. Although they did not feel that terrifying pressure, Yu Yuanchen's suddenly changed complexion and instantly tensed aura were enough to show that something extremely terrible had happened.
"It's nothing, let's go!" Yu Yuanchen forcibly suppressed the agitation in his heart, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible hoarseness, urging everyone to accelerate their departure. He dared not linger for a moment, fearing he would attract further attention from that unfathomable existence.
Fortunately, until they completely stepped out of the Star Dou Great Forest, no further anomalies occurred. But the sense of bloodline suppression brought by that gaze was like a nightmare, deeply imprinted in the bottom of Yu Yuanchen's heart, leaving him brooding and unable to let go.
Since he awakened his spirit, especially after his spirit evolved into the Thunder Sacred Dragon, condensed a soul core, and obtained the Dragon King's Crown, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? Even when facing experts like his grandfather, he was confident he had the strength to fight, but under that gaze, he could hardly even condense the thought of resistance! This sense of powerlessness made him extremely uncomfortable, even giving rise to a surge of anger.
The news of Ye Kuan's successful promotion to a Titled Douluo, and a rare healing-type one at that, spread across the continent like a whirlwind. The powerful healing ability of the Nine Heart Begonia (the outside world did not yet know it had evolved), coupled with the support of Titled Douluo-level soul power, was almost equivalent to having an extra life!
For a time, the Ye Family's reputation reached its zenith. Various forces and rogue soul masters, whether suffering from incurable wounds or poisoned by strange toxins, flocked to them. People seeking medical treatment were endless, and the mansion where the Dragon City Ye Family resided was bustling with activity, its threshold almost worn down.
Among them, there were naturally those with malicious intentions. Some wanted to forcibly abduct Ye Kuan to serve them exclusively, some relied on their strength to cut in line and threaten others, and others wanted to steal the Ye Family's medical classics.
However, under the powerful deterrence of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, most of the petty scoundrels had to restrain themselves, obediently handing over visiting cards, offering heavy gifts, and waiting in line for the "summons" of the "Begonia Douluo."
There were also a few who relied on their own strength (at most Soul Sage or Soul Douluo level), or were blinded by greed, or had complex backgrounds, and attempted to act maliciously.
It just so happened that Yu Yuanchen had a pent-up fire in his heart from the Star Dou Forest incident with nowhere to vent, and these guys who ran into his gun barrel became his best punching bags. He didn't even need to use soul skills; relying solely on his incomparably tyrannical physique and exquisite control over thunder power, he easily suppressed all invading enemies with a wave of his hand, his methods sharp and ruthless, killing them without mercy!
After a few times, the lesson of blood finally made everyone sober up, realizing how foolish it was to provoke the alliance between the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and a newly promoted healing-type Titled Douluo in Dragon City, and no one dared to act recklessly again.
Ye Kuan always upheld the benevolence of a doctor. For those who truly sought medical treatment, regardless of their background, he treated them all equally, diagnosing them in order, and his miraculous hands brought many back from the brink of death. The soul masters who received his favor were spread across the continent, grateful and tearful. Ye Kuan's reputation as the benevolent "Begonia Douluo" was widely praised, and he gained immense prestige.
Even Martial Soul Hall had to pay attention to this emerging, highly influential force, specifically dispatching a Cardinal to represent the Pope in bestowing a Pope's Order, granting Ye Kuan the title of Honorary Elder, and officially acknowledging his outstanding contributions to the soul master world.
However, beneath this prosperity, Yu Yuanchen gradually noticed something wrong with himself.
At first, this change was extremely subtle. Perhaps when guiding the younger generation of the clan in their cultivation, facing those seemingly "stupid" mistakes, he would involuntarily reveal a trace of imperceptible impatience and contempt;
Perhaps when discussing matters with the sect elders, regarding certain suggestions that seemed "shallow" to him, he would subconsciously develop a sense of superiority: "How could you mortals know the vastness of the world?";
Or perhaps, just in his daily walking, sitting, and lying down, his demeanor and behavior had intangibly added a bit of detachment and arrogance as if looking down on all beings.
This arrogance was not intentional; it was more like an instinct originating from the depths of his bloodline, a natural superiority in the hierarchy of life, as if a dragon were looking down on ants, feeling that everything was a matter of course.
In the past, Yu Yuanchen might have attributed this to the confidence brought by his increased strength, or the arrogant nature inherent in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit itself. Within the sect, those with dragon-type spirits were mostly proud, which was common.
But now, how sharp was his spiritual sense? Especially after successfully absorbing the "Dragon King's Crown" and his spiritual power underwent a qualitative change, his grasp of his own thoughts had reached a state of extreme precision.
He clearly perceived that this increasingly growing "arrogance" was completely different from ordinary confidence or spirit nature.
Its root lay in the fact that he seemed to have been subjected to an invisible influence.
On one hand, it was the arrogant nature belonging to top-tier dragon clans that remained in the god-king-level dragon power he absorbed from the Ice Fire Dragon King;
On the other hand, it was the superiority belonging to a king-level creature that naturally sprouted as his own Thunder Sacred Dragon, a true dragon spirit, grew in strength.
This influence was subtle, making him inadvertently reveal a condescending scrutiny when looking at ordinary soul masters and even sect disciples, as if looking at ants.
Although he remained calm and restrained on the surface, the inner thought of viewing all beings as ants appeared from time to time. It was subtly eroding and assimilating his temperament!
"God-king-level power... is indeed not so easy to take." In the quiet room, Yu Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes, purple-gold lightning flashing in his pupils, but with a trace of indescribable complex emotion.
He looked within himself, as if he could "see" the Ice Fire Dragon King's dragon power that had merged into his body. It was not only strengthening his physique and soul power at every moment but also attempting to distort his will, pushing him toward a "dragon-like" mode of thinking that was absolutely rational, indifferent to all beings, and self-centered.
Paying a price was inevitable; he had been mentally prepared. But when he truly realized that this erosion was happening, waves still rose in his heart. He, Yu Yuanchen, pursued freedom, protecting his loved ones, and climbing to the peak, not becoming a "dragon" enslaved by bloodline and power, having lost his humanity!
What stung his heart even more was the gaze he had felt deep in the Star Dou Great Forest. The bloodline pressure contained in that gaze far exceeded the Ice Fire Dragon King, even making the Thunder Sacred Dragon bloodline in his body tremble and submit! That was definitely the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena! Only this half of the Dragon God could produce such absolute suppression on him, who possessed a dragon-king-level bloodline.
At that time, he relied on his reason and intuition for danger to lead everyone to retreat immediately, avoiding a possible conflict. But looking back, the fear and humiliation originating from the depths of his bloodline were like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in his heart. He loathed that involuntary fear, and he loathed the feeling of being suppressed by a higher bloodline!
"Most of my strength is built upon the True Dragon Bloodline. The Dragon Power of the Ice Fire Dragon King helped me refine my body and condense my rings, while the crown of the Thunder Dragon King protects my Divine Soul... The bloodline grants me power, yet it also seeks to lock away my heart and mind, making it difficult for me to even stand tall in the presence of such beings." Yu Yuanchen muttered to himself, a self-deprecating sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Heh, wanting the benefits without bearing the responsibilities or enduring the drawbacks... My way of thinking is, quite frankly... rather shameless."
But he quickly reined in his emotions, his gaze turning sharp. "Shameless or not, so be it! Power is a tool, and bloodline is a ladder. I, Yu Yuanchen, cultivate to transcend shackles and attain great freedom, not to become a puppet for some bloodline or force! My Martial Soul is a dragon, but I am, at my core, a human! The human will must reign supreme over the bloodline!"
He realized that he had recently become far too indulgent and reliant on the various conveniences and strengths brought by the True Dragon Bloodline. Whether it was cultivating the True Dragon Undying Body, utilizing the power of the Dragon King's Crown, or even contemplating his future path, he had unconsciously adopted the perspective of a "dragon" as his starting point, gradually neglecting his original heart as a "human."
It is a common phenomenon for Soul Masters to have their temperaments influenced by their Martial Souls. Evil Soul Masters are often cruel and bloodthirsty, those with fire-type Martial Souls are prone to anger, those with lightning-type are hot-tempered, and those with plant-type are gentle... It is a fact that people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan generally carry the arrogance of a dragon. But such influence is usually a subtle, shared cultivation, not an active erosion and transformation by a higher-level external force, as he was experiencing!
"I must find a way to contain, or even neutralize, this 'dragon nature' erosion." Yu Yuanchen fell into deep thought. Forcibly rejecting the Ice Fire Dragon Power or stripping away the Dragon King's Crown was impossible; that would be self-destructive. The key lay in how to safeguard his "true self."
"The human heart lies in emotion, in righteousness, in the cognition and control of one's own actions, and in the courage to draw one's sword against tyranny even when knowing one is weak, rather than in pure power hierarchies and bloodline suppression." He recalled the bits of warmth from his interactions with Ye Zhilan, the sense of responsibility he felt toward his family, and even his judgments of those who dared to offend him and were suppressed by his own hand. These were all judgments and choices based on his own will, not the cold-blooded "Law of the Dragon."
"Perhaps... what I need is not to fight the dragon nature, but to transcend it. Use the human heart to command the Dragon Power. Let this power be used by me, rather than me being assimilated by it." A thought gradually became clear in his mind. "I need a deeper understanding of the essence of being 'human,' and even more, I need a baptism... that transcends the fear of the bloodline."
He thought of the Thunder God Position lying dormant in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness. The inheritance of a god position tests not only power but also temperament, will, and the comprehension of the Law. Perhaps he could find the answer there.
He also thought of that existence deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. Avoiding fear does not eliminate it. True strength is to face it directly, and perhaps... one day, to surpass it! This unwillingness and obsession born from being suppressed by the bloodline might also serve as a whetstone to sharpen his state of mind.
As his train of thought cleared, Yu Yuanchen stood up and pushed open the door to his meditation room. Outside, the sunlight was perfect, and Ye Zhilan was in the courtyard interacting with the now-docile and agile "Star Eater" vine guard; the scene was warm and beautiful. Seeing Yu Yuanchen emerge, she looked back and smiled, her eyes filled with unreserved trust and affection.
The layer of cold aloofness that had sprouted in Yu Yuanchen's heart due to his dragon nature quietly melted away. He walked over and naturally took her hand, feeling that genuine warmth.
"Zhilan, walk with me." He said softly.
"Okay." Ye Zhilan replied obediently. She could feel that Yu Yuanchen's mood had been fluctuating lately, but she never asked, simply offering her silent companionship.
The two walked hand-in-hand along the shaded path behind the sect, the breeze brushing their faces, birds singing amidst the fragrance of flowers. Yu Yuanchen did not circulate his Soul Power, walking instead like an ordinary person, feeling the softness of the mud beneath his feet, breathing in the freshness of the plants, and listening to the gentle words of his beloved beside him.
These simplest, most ordinary sparks of human life acted at this moment like the most effective purification technique, cleansing the heart that had been quietly eroded by his dragon nature. He became increasingly certain that the path he pursued should not be the aloof path of the dragon, but the Way of Humanity—one that embraces all things and protects what is beautiful. To use the human heart to wield the Thunder and command the True Dragon is the only correct path.
The road ahead is long, and the test of temperament may be even more difficult than the increase in power. But there was no longer any confusion in Yu Yuanchen's eyes, only firmness. He would surely guard his true self and harness the power of the dragons, rather than be enslaved by them.
That gaze from deep within the Star Dou, he would one day face it calmly, and perhaps... even look upon it as an equal.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan