Within a few days, the father-and-son duo—Yu Xiaogang and Yu Yuanzhen—set out once again on the path of Spirit Hunting.
Their destination remained the same as before:
The vast and dangerous Star Dou Great Forest.
However, this time, the atmosphere was entirely different.
When Yu Xiaogang had first stepped into this forest, his heart had been filled with tension and unease. Every shadow seemed like a lurking threat, every sound a warning of danger.
But now…
After successfully absorbing his first spirit ring and gaining combat experience, that initial fear had faded considerably.
In its place was something else.
Confidence.
And a quiet anticipation.
A Smooth Hunt
Unlike their previous expedition, this Spirit Hunting mission went surprisingly smoothly.
There were no sudden ambushes.
No unexpected dangers.
No desperate battles for survival.
Instead, everything unfolded as if guided by fate.
On the seventh day after entering the forest, they found exactly what they were looking for.
A Spirit Beast that perfectly matched Yu Xiaogang's requirements.
"Look over there!"
Yu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up as he spotted the creature in the distance.
"A Radiant Heavenly Dragon… and it's around five thousand years old!"
He couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha! Xiaogang, your luck is truly extraordinary!"
Yu Xiaogang followed his father's gaze—and his heart immediately surged with excitement.
The Radiant Heavenly Dragon.
A dragon-type Spirit Beast with a light attribute.
But that wasn't all.
Among dragon-type Spirit Beasts, it was particularly famous for its exceptional mental strength.
For Yu Xiaogang—
This was perfect.
A Spirit Beast that satisfied all his requirements was incredibly rare.
Moreover, the Radiant Heavenly Dragon was no ordinary creature.
Even at just five thousand years old—
It possessed strength comparable to many ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts.
Unfortunately for it…
This time, its opponent was Yu Yuanzhen.
A Titled Douluo.
The Fall of the Radiant Heavenly Dragon
The battle ended almost before it truly began.
With overwhelming strength, Yu Yuanzhen suppressed the Radiant Heavenly Dragon completely.
The creature struggled.
Roared.
Fought with everything it had.
But the difference in power was too great.
In the end—
It fell.
"Roar—!"
As it lay on the ground, its massive body trembling, its eyes locked onto Yu Xiaogang.
There was resentment in its gaze.
And unwillingness.
Because of its powerful mental abilities, it could sense Yu Xiaogang's strength.
Or rather—
His lack of it.
The spirit power within Yu Xiaogang's body was far below what was normally required to absorb a spirit ring from a beast of this level.
To the Radiant Heavenly Dragon…
This didn't make sense.
Why would someone so weak kill it?
Not for a spirit ring.
Perhaps for a spirit bone.
Or perhaps…
Simply for slaughter.
Such a meaningless death—
How could it accept that?
But—
Its emotions changed nothing.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward calmly, a sword in his hand.
His expression was steady.
Resolute.
Without hesitation—
He ended its life.
Absorbing the Second Spirit Ring
The moment the Radiant Heavenly Dragon died—
A spirit ring slowly rose from its body.
Deep.
Radiant.
Powerful.
Yu Xiaogang turned to his father.
"Father, I'm going to begin."
Yu Yuanzhen nodded.
"Go ahead."
Taking a deep breath, Yu Xiaogang adjusted his state.
He sat cross-legged on the ground.
Summoned his martial spirit—
The small dragon.
Then, he began guiding the spirit ring.
The process was familiar.
Just like the first time.
But—
This time was different.
The pain was still there.
But it was manageable.
Instead of agonizing screams—
Only low, suppressed groans escaped his lips.
Inside his consciousness—
The same scene unfolded once again.
The little dragon appeared.
And as before—
It shared the burden with him.
The Evolution of the Martial Spirit
Under the impact of the spirit ring's power—
The little dragon began to change.
Its body grew.
Its form became more defined.
The tiny wings on its back—
Expanded.
Stretching outward, becoming broader and more powerful.
Its horn sharpened.
Its tail thickened.
Its pale golden scales grew larger, gleaming faintly with light.
The transformation was clear.
The once-small dragon—
Was beginning to mature.
Yu Xiaogang watched this silently.
Then—
He shifted his focus back to himself.
Fully immersing in the absorption process.
A Sudden Change
Outside—
Yu Yuanzhen observed closely.
This time, everything seemed stable.
There was no violent reaction.
No blood.
No signs of danger.
His expression relaxed.
"Good… much better than before."
But just as he began to feel at ease—
Something changed.
"Ah—!"
A sudden scream tore through the air.
Yu Xiaogang's body arched violently.
"Xiaogang!"
Yu Yuanzhen rushed forward instantly.
But before he could reach him—
A tearing sound echoed.
Rip—!
From Yu Xiaogang's back—
Something emerged.
Two jade-like structures pushed through his clothing.
"What… is this?!"
Yu Yuanzhen froze.
His eyes widened.
Shock—
Then realization—
Then—
Ecstasy.
The External Spirit Bone
"…An external spirit bone."
His voice trembled slightly.
He had never seen such a thing in person.
But he had heard of it.
And read about it.
This—
Was no ordinary spirit bone.
An external spirit bone.
A treasure rarer than almost anything else in the world.
Even rarer than most spirit bones.
Second only to hundred-thousand-year spirit rings and bones.
Unlike normal spirit bones—
External spirit bones had growth potential.
They could evolve alongside their owner.
And most importantly—
They did not occupy any of the six standard spirit bone slots.
They existed independently.
The method of obtaining them was also unique.
They could only be acquired during the absorption of a spirit ring.
And when obtained this way—
They were perfectly compatible.
Yu Yuanzhen's heart raced.
In all his years traveling the continent—
He had met countless Spirit Masters.
Many possessed spirit bones.
But—
Not one had an external spirit bone.
Not even among the strongest experts of the continent.
And now—
His son…
Had obtained one.
"Hahaha…"
He couldn't hold back his laughter.
"As expected of my son!"
"Not only talented…"
"But unbelievably lucky!"
The Birth of Dragon Wings
Under Yu Yuanzhen's gaze—
The external spirit bone fully formed.
It was—
A pair of wings.
Golden.
Radiant.
The very wings of the Radiant Heavenly Dragon.
They spread slowly behind Yu Xiaogang, glowing faintly.
For a moment—
They seemed large enough to envelop his entire body.
At the same time—
The pain on Yu Xiaogang's face began to fade.
His breathing steadied.
And then—
He opened his eyes.
Within his pupils—
Faint golden light flickered.
Awakening
Two hours had passed.
The absorption was complete.
"Mm…"
Yu Xiaogang stretched slightly.
He was about to stand—
But then—
He paused.
"…Something feels off."
His brows furrowed.
"There's something… on my back?"
Slowly—
He turned his head.
And saw it.
The wings.
"Holy—!"
He nearly cursed out loud.
His eyes widened in shock.
"What… is this?!"
For a moment—
He was completely stunned.
Then—
He turned toward his father.
Yu Yuanzhen was already walking toward him, smiling broadly.
"Hahaha!"
"You brat…"
"Even I, a Titled Douluo, am starting to envy your luck!"
A New Beginning
Yu Xiaogang stood there—
Still processing everything.
His second spirit ring.
His evolved martial spirit.
And now—
An external spirit bone.
Dragon wings.
His path—
Had changed completely.
And this time—
It was only the beginning.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)