The wind carried a warning.
Someone was launching a sneak attack from behind.
Unfortunately, by the time Yu Yuanzhen sensed it, it was already too late to dodge.
Yu Xiaogang's timing was flawless.
Having learned from his previous failed ambush, he had deliberately positioned himself farther away this time.
While Yu Yuanzhen's attention was focused on the small dragon in front of him, Yu Xiaogang seized the opportunity and attacked without the slightest hesitation.
Realizing that evasion was impossible, Yu Yuanzhen chose the simplest solution—
Take the hit head-on.
Spirit Power surged through his body as blue-gold dragon scales spread across his head.
At the same time, golden lightning burst from his body, crackling violently through the air.
His intentions were obvious.
If he had to endure the attack, Yu Xiaogang wouldn't escape unscathed either.
Since the Blue Mental Thunder had little effect on his son, he would instead rely on the Golden Material Thunder.
The message was simple.
If you dare hit me... you'll be electrocuted.
Seeing his father's response, Yu Xiaogang merely smiled.
Brilliant golden light erupted from his body.
For a moment, he looked like the incarnation of light itself.
Bang!
His attack landed squarely on Yu Yuanzhen's head.
Yu Yuanzhen immediately felt his scalp tingle.
It wasn't because the blow hurt.
With the vast difference in their cultivation, Yu Xiaogang couldn't seriously injure him, even if he stood still and didn't defend himself.
What truly made Yu Yuanzhen's scalp tingle was something else entirely.
This rebellious son had actually aimed straight for his father's head with full force.
Brat!
Were you trying to knock your own father silly?
Looks like it's time I taught you what fatherly authority really means!
Thinking this, Yu Yuanzhen instantly increased the power of his lightning.
Golden electricity surged along Yu Xiaogang's staff before spreading across his entire body in an instant.
Unfortunately...
Yu Xiaogang had anticipated this long ago.
Having completely transformed into his elemental form, he had no fear of physical attacks.
Physical damage simply passed harmlessly through him.
As for spiritual attacks...
His father had deliberately limited his cultivation to the level of a Spirit Saint for this sparring match.
Spiritual attacks at that level posed little threat to Yu Xiaogang.
Besides, Yu Yuanzhen wasn't a Spirit Master who specialized in mental techniques.
His only option was the Blue Mental Thunder, yet he didn't fully understand the true nature of that power.
Golden lightning engulfed Yu Xiaogang.
His body instantly dispersed into countless particles of light.
A moment later, those particles gathered together again, reforming several meters away.
Yu Yuanzhen clicked his tongue.
"What a shameless Soul Bone skill."
Watching his attack accomplish absolutely nothing left him feeling rather helpless.
The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous his son's combination of abilities seemed.
His Spirit Skills combined perfectly with his Soul Bone ability.
Together, they made him nearly immune to physical attacks.
Using mental attacks wasn't much better.
Yu Xiaogang's spiritual strength was exceptionally powerful.
How was anyone supposed to fight someone like that?
Yu Yuanzhen honestly couldn't think of any reliable method besides overwhelming him with absolute power.
Perhaps a Spirit Master who specialized in mental attacks could do it.
Unfortunately...
That wasn't his specialty.
After thinking for a moment, Yu Yuanzhen suddenly spoke.
"Xiaogang, how about we discuss something?"
"Father, what is it?"
"How about you stop using that Soul Bone skill of yours?"
Yu Xiaogang blinked.
"...Father, you're joking, right?"
"I'm completely serious!"
"Your Soul Bone ability makes you immune to physical attacks."
"How am I supposed to fight you?"
Yu Xiaogang shrugged.
"That's hardly my problem."
"If you were fighting a life-and-death battle against an enemy, would you ask them to stop using one of their abilities just because it gave them an advantage?"
Yu Yuanzhen immediately replied,
"But this is just a spar between father and son!"
Yu Xiaogang grinned mischievously.
"Oh?"
"Weren't you the one who always said sparring should be treated like a real life-and-death battle?"
"Now that you've found one of my abilities troublesome, suddenly it's only a friendly spar?"
Yu Yuanzhen's eyelids twitched.
"If you're going to keep talking like that..."
"I'll raise my cultivation level."
Without hesitation, Yu Xiaogang answered,
"Then I'll surrender immediately."
Naturally, Yu Yuanzhen's proposal to ban the Elementalization ability was rejected without discussion.
Looking at the smug expression on his son's face, Yu Yuanzhen had the overwhelming urge to stop holding back and give the brat a proper beating.
Only the thought that he was supposed to be a loving father prevented him from acting.
As a result, the battle reached a complete stalemate.
---
Watching from the edge of the training grounds, the Grand Elder nodded repeatedly in satisfaction.
His eyes never left Yu Xiaogang.
Although the Young Sect Master couldn't suppress Yu Yuanzhen, he also refused to be defeated.
Yu Yuanzhen had reduced his cultivation to that of a Spirit Saint.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang had yet to become even a Spirit Emperor.
Despite such an enormous gap, he had managed to remain undefeated throughout the battle.
How could the Grand Elder not feel proud?
Just then, a soft voice came from behind him.
"Grand Elder..."
"What are you all doing here?"
The Grand Elder turned around.
Standing there was none other than the disciple of the Spirit Hall Supreme Pontiff—
Bibi Dong.
"The Young Sect Master is sparring with the Sect Master."
The Grand Elder answered casually before returning his attention to the battle.
"Sparring... with His Excellency Thunder?"
Bibi Dong stepped closer and looked toward the battlefield.
She saw Yu Yuanzhen fighting with complete seriousness.
On the opposite side, Yu Xiaogang was grinning from ear to ear while launching attack after attack without showing the slightest mercy.
For a moment...
She genuinely wondered whether she had misunderstood the situation.
This... is supposed to be a father-and-son spar?
Even enemies fighting to the death wouldn't necessarily go this far.
What a touching display of fatherly love and filial piety...
Then she remembered that Yu Yuanzhen had deliberately suppressed his cultivation.
Only then did she accept that it really was a sparring match.
Still...
Was it really normal for father and son to exchange attacks that looked capable of killing each other at any moment?
She couldn't help recalling her own training sessions at Spirit Hall.
Whether it had been her teacher or the Enshrined Elders, none of them had ever attacked her with genuine killing intent.
Could this really be a tradition among the Upper Three Sects?
She remembered hearing rumors while she was in Spirit City.
People often claimed that the Upper Three Sects followed the most primitive version of the law of the jungle.
The strong possessed everything.
The weak possessed nothing.
Food.
Resources.
Companions.
Status.
Everything belonged to whoever was strongest.
Even between fathers, sons, and brothers, everything had to be earned through competition.
Looking at the battle before her, Bibi Dong suddenly reached a realization.
So this is how the Upper Three Sects train their successors?
Under the guise of sparring... they're actually fighting each other with everything they have.
Thinking this, she quietly let out a sigh of relief.
"Thankfully..."
"I wasn't born into one of the Upper Three Sects."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)