"I'm your uncle," Yu Yuanzhen replied.
This blunt truth froze Liu Erlong in place. She had just been blushing and uneasy like a girl discovering her first crush, but now she stood stunned.
She lowered her head and began muttering to herself in despair, "I should've known. I should've known we'd never be blessed." Two lines of tears slid down her cheeks and hit the ground.
At this moment, with her hair disheveled and her expression full of sorrow, she looked just like Xianglin's Wife from an old tragic tale.
Then suddenly, as if some memory struck her, she raised her head and screamed at Yu Luomian and Yu Yuanzhen, "Why? Why won't you accept me and Xiaogang? Is the opinion of the world really that important?!"
With that, she directly activated her spirit, her body bursting into raging flames. First, she slapped down her thatched hut, reducing it to rubble, then turned all the colorful flowers around it into ashes.
Say what you will, but this was classic Liu Erlong behavior—from slaughtering soul beasts in the forest, to interfering with Xiao Wu's competition without permission, and even giving away the academy behind the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's back ten years later. Everything about her screamed unhinged.
Seeing her go full lunatic, Yu Yuanzhen didn't waste words. He instantly unleashed the aura of a Level 95 Titled Douluo. Blue lightning surged like water over his hands, and with a single classic Lightning Dragon Claw, the crazed Liu Erlong was instantly knocked out of her spirit-attached state. Her legs went stiff, and she collapsed to the ground.
Yu Yuanzhen exchanged a helpless glance with his younger brother Yu Luomian and sighed. "I'm not against you and Xiaogang being together. It's just that no one knows where he's gone now."
Naturally, he wasn't opposed to his talented niece marrying his son. It was Yu Luomian who always looked down on Yu Xiaogang. But now that his daughter was acting like she wanted to die, even Yu Luomian couldn't bring himself to object. He simply stood to the side and sighed.
Upon hearing this, Liu Erlong suddenly found some strength and pushed herself off the ground, trembling as she propped herself up. She looked up and asked Yu Yuanzhen, "Really?"
"Really."
——
Liu Erlong, Flender, and Yu Xiaogang—together known as the Golden Iron Triangle—were each mentally off in their own way.
Big Brother Flender, the "Flying Corner," now ran Shrek Academy. It only accepted prodigies, charged exorbitant fees, and had the worst facilities. If a student succeeded, it was because of the school's brilliant teaching; if they failed, it was the student's own fault. One so-called genius after another got duped into wasting their prime cultivation years there. He even gave Soul Emperor Qin Ming, at age 34, a fifth soul ring that was purple.
Second Brother Yu Xiaogang, the "Wisdom Corner," gained fame by plagiarizing research from Spirit Hall and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Lacking real skill, he took a wild new approach by having Tang San absorb beast-type soul rings—starting with that infamously trashy Blue Silver Bind. Later, he even told Tang San to switch to training the Clear Sky Hammer at level 60, ruining his second martial spirit. If not for Tang San's luck, his whole life would've been ruined.
Third Sister Liu Erlong, the "Slaughter Corner," mainly killed soul beasts and had a fiery temper. Arguably the least insane of the three.
Yu Tianming thought: If Liu Erlong ends up with Yu Xiaogang, at least they'll stop harming others. Shame I can't send Flender off with them in a three-for-one deal.
A while later, the group of six left the wrecked cabin and moved to a reception hall in the academy.
By now, Liu Erlong had calmed down.
Seated on a couch, Yu Yuanzhen spoke to her gently. "In our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, as long as you're not direct siblings, you can marry. Back then, your father only objected because Xiaogang's spirit had deteriorated. He was afraid you two wouldn't last."
Upon hearing this, Liu Erlong immediately became emotional. "I don't care! No matter his talent, I love him. I'm willing to marry him! I'll go find him right now!"
She jumped up to leave.
Yu Luomian's face darkened, and he grabbed her: "What're you running off for? If we hear anything from within the sect, we'll inform you."
After pulling her back, clearly worried she might take off again, he added harshly, "If you disappear, that useless brat won't be able to find you when he finally shows up."
Yu Luomian was suffering too. He thought to himself, Could it be some martial spirit fusion technique that made my daughter fall for that piece of trash?
Once everyone had calmed Liu Erlong down again, Yu Tianming spoke up. "I think we can leave Ah Zhu and Ah Zhi here at Lanba Academy to train. If they place well in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament in five years, it'll boost Lanba Academy's fame. That way, Second Uncle will also learn where Aunt is."
Liu Erlong turned her eyes to the two young girls standing behind Yu Tianming.
Ah Zhu and Ah Zhi immediately shrank back a step, clearly intimidated by the unstable woman in front of them.
Seeing this, Liu Erlong snorted, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Come on, tell Aunt your soul power levels."
After hearing their reports, Liu Erlong furrowed her delicate brows. "They're not low-level, but their talent is mediocre. If they can't keep up in strength, they won't qualify for the Soul Master Tournament."
Sensing her reluctance, Yu Tianming quickly added, "Auntie, just keep them for now. If they're not fit for the tournament, they can just train here as regular students."
Only then did Liu Erlong nod and agree to take them in.
In the following days, Yu Yuanzhen went off to watch the Soul Master Tournament qualifiers.
Yu Tianming and Yu Luomian stayed at Lanba Academy—one to experience life in an advanced soul master academy, the other to keep Liu Erlong's emotions stable and offer advice.
Lanba Academy had multiple elemental simulation training grounds—wind, fire, ice, lightning—all in the same building.
This simulation building was next to the academy's main hall. From the outside, it looked like a plain, windowless block, built entirely of energy-isolating stone with walls nearly half a meter thick to prevent internal energies from interfering with one another.
In the lightning simulation field, Yu Tianming and Ah Zhi sat cross-legged on the floor of thunder-iron ore, meditating. The many lightning-elemental gems embedded in the walls cast a faint glow throughout the room.
Though this area wasn't as potent as the thunder-iron mountains behind the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect—the cultivation speed boost here was less than 10%—it also lacked the high-voltage discharges and constant lightning strikes. Even a level-10 soul master could train here safely.
Just then, a wave of soul power surged from Ah Zhi. She opened her eyes and happily said, "Young Master, I've reached level 20. I can hunt a soul ring now!"
She had trained diligently for over three months just to earn the right to have Yu Tianming help her choose a good soul beast.
Yu Tianming was even more excited than she was. Now he finally had a legitimate excuse to visit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Pinching Ah Zhi's cheek, he said, "Alright, let's go get you a soul ring."
In the Lanba Academy headmaster's office, Yu Luomian was still rambling on while Liu Erlong lounged on the couch, casually eating fruit.
Seeing they weren't busy, Yu Tianming said to Yu Luomian, "Ah Zhi's reached level 20. Second Grandpa, come with me to Sunset Forest so we can get her a soul ring."
For regular, non-millennium soul rings, any academy teacher could handle it. Yu Luomian wasn't going for Ah Zhi's sake but to protect Tianming. Helping to hunt a ring was just part of the package.
Lying on the side, Liu Erlong suddenly sat up and volunteered, "I'll go. I've been so bored lately I feel like I'm growing moss."
Yu Luomian quickly added, "Then I'm definitely going too. Someone has to keep an eye on you."
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Author Note: My version of Liu Erlong is already far more composed than in the original novel. In Tang San's version, she's basically a complete lunatic.
(End of Chapter)
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