After Yu Yuanchen left seclusion, he did not immediately act in a high-profile manner. He understood the principle that a tree standing taller than the forest would be destroyed by the wind, especially during this sensitive period when the family faced external pressure and potential internal discord. He restrained the majestic aura naturally exuded by his initially purified bloodline, stabilizing his Soul Power Fluctuation at the level of a level 43 Soul Ancestor. He appeared no different than before his seclusion, save for eyes that had grown increasingly deep and calm.
Under the arrangements of his Grandfather, Yu Boxuan, he began to participate in Family Affairs to a limited extent, primarily responsible for the patrol and protection of various industries within and surrounding Dragon City. This served both as a tempering of his abilities and a relatively safe way to accumulate prestige.
Dragon City, as the base of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, had been entrenched for years with deep roots. The major industries within the city, such as Soul Tool shops, herb stores, smithies, and even some entertainment venues, all had the shadow of the family behind them to varying degrees. In the past, although there were occasional disputes in these places, most remained peaceful out of awe for the reputation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family. However, in recent months, as relations with the Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family continued to deteriorate, various "accidents" and provocations began to increase.
On this day, Yu Yuanchen led a team of family guards on a routine patrol of several important industries in the west of the city. He wore a simple blue martial outfit and did not wear any marks indicating his status, looking just like an ordinary family disciple. The captain of the guards was a Soul King in his fifties named Yu Kun, who was quite respectful toward this young yet steady grandson.
"Young Master Yuanchen, ahead is the Thunder Sound Pavilion, a large Soul Tool shop operated by the family. In the last half-month, it has encountered three 'accidental' thefts in a row. Although the losses were not significant, it is quite troublesome," Yu Kun reported in a low voice, his brows slightly furrowed.
Yu Yuanchen's gaze swept over the magnificent, bustling five-story pavilion ahead, and he nodded: "Let's go in and take a look."
As the group stepped into the entrance of the Thunder Sound Pavilion, a lively atmosphere mixed with the scent of various metals and energy crystals rushed toward them. There were many customers inside, and clerks were busy moving about. The shopkeeper recognized Yu Kun and, seeing him accompanying a young man of extraordinary bearing, immediately realized a big figure had arrived and hurried forward to greet them.
However, the moment the shopkeeper bowed to pay his respects, a sudden change occurred!
"BOOM!"
A loud noise came from the second floor, accompanied by violent Soul Power Fluctuation and the startled cries of customers! Immediately after, a black shadow smashed through the second-floor railing, falling toward the crowd in the lobby like a meteorite! The black shadow exuded a fierce aura; it was clearly a Soul King! His Martial Soul was a violent Bloodthirsty Giant Bear, his eyes blood-red, clearly in a state of loss of control or Berserk.
"Watch out!"
"Get out of the way!"
The lobby instantly fell into chaos, with exclamations and screams erupting everywhere. The direction in which the Bloodthirsty Giant Bear Soul King was falling was directly toward several women and children who were frozen in place with fear!
At the critical moment, a blue figure moved.
Fast! Fast to the extreme!
Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, as if a faint electric current had flashed by. Yu Yuanchen had already arrived before the women and children, moving faster than the falling threat. Facing the Bloodthirsty Giant Bear crashing down with the force of ten thousand tons, his expression remained calm. Instead of retreating, he advanced. His dragon-transformed right arm was instantly covered in deep blue Scales, his five fingers forming a claw. He did not use any Soul Skill, simply and forcefully pushing upward!
"BOOM!!"
Another dull, thunderous impact echoed!
A Blast Wave erupted from the center of the two, causing the surrounding counters to creak and groan. The scene of broken bones and flying blood that everyone expected did not occur. The falling momentum of the massive, violently powerful Bloodthirsty Giant Bear Soul King was brought to a dead stop! He was held suspended in mid-air by Yu Yuanchen's single arm, as if he had crashed into an eternal mountain of thunder!
The Green Stone floor beneath Yu Yuanchen's feet shattered inch by inch, but his stance remained as steady as a Boulder, and his arm did not bend even a fraction!
"What?!" The blood-red in the eyes of the Bloodthirsty Giant Bear Soul King faded slightly, replaced by incredulous horror. He was a Power Attack System Soul King who excelled in strength; how terrifying was the force of this fall while in a Berserk state? Yet, it was caught effortlessly by a single arm of a seemingly young Soul Ancestor?
Not only him, but the entire lobby instantly fell into a deathly silence. Everyone who saw this scene—whether customers, clerks, or guards like Yu Kun—was dumbfounded, as if they had seen something inconceivable.
Catching a full-force strike from a Berserk Power Attack System Soul King with bare hands? Is this really something a Soul Ancestor can do?
Yu Yuanchen's eyes were indifferent. His arm vibrated slightly, and a highly condensed hidden force was transmitted through his Dragon Claw.
"Pfft!" The Bloodthirsty Giant Bear Soul King was struck as if by lightning, vomiting a mouthful of blood. His massive body was instantly flung away like a broken sack. His Martial Soul Avatar was forcibly deactivated, and he slammed into a distant wall, falling into a Coma.
From the start of the incident to Yu Yuanchen subduing the enemy, only two or three breaths of time had passed. Fast, accurate, and ruthless! It demonstrated a precise grasp of Timing and a terrifying Physical Strength and Control that far exceeded his apparent Cultivation Level.
"A... a Soul Ancestor going head-to-head with a Soul King? And he won?"
"That is... the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul! It's the family's Genius!"
"Such powerful strength! Such fast speed!"
After a brief silence, the lobby erupted in exclamations and discussions. The gazes directed at Yu Yuanchen were filled with Awe and curiosity.
Yu Kun and the others finally reacted, rushing forward to restrain the unconscious Soul King and soothe the frightened customers. The shopkeeper wiped cold sweat from his brow, thanking him repeatedly.
Yu Yuanchen, however, frowned slightly and looked toward the second floor. The fall of that Soul King was definitely no accident. In his Electric Field Perception, there were still several hidden traces of Soul Power Fluctuation on the second floor, carrying malice.
"Captain Yu Kun, take men to seal off the second floor. Don't let a single one escape." Yu Yuanchen's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable tone of command.
"Yes!" Yu Kun was now completely convinced by this young master and immediately led his men to rush to the second floor.
Soon, the sounds of fighting and angry shouts came from the second floor. Clearly, the accomplices who had created the chaos were attempting to resist or flee.
Yu Yuanchen did not go up himself. He simply stood quietly in the center of the lobby, while his Spiritual Power, like an invisible spider web, quietly enveloped the entire Thunder Sound Pavilion. The movement trajectories and Soul Skill releases of those Soul Ancestors on the second floor were clearly reflected in his mind.
A moment later, the fighting ceased. Yu Kun returned with the guards, escorting three restrained Soul Ancestors. One of them had a pale complexion, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Young Master, we caught them! They are all unfamiliar faces. They have tight lips, but they carry the marks of the outer forces of the Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family," Yu Kun reported, looking somewhat ashamed. "This subordinate is incompetent; I let them destroy some evidence."
"It doesn't matter." Yu Yuanchen walked in front of the three Soul Ancestors, his gaze sweeping over them calmly. The look was not sharp, yet it carried a power that pierced the heart, causing the three Soul Ancestors to lower their heads involuntarily, not daring to meet his eyes.
"Does the Dragon Family now only know how to use such underhanded little tricks?" Yu Yuanchen said lightly. "Go back and tell your masters: if they want to play, I will accompany them. But next time, it would be best to send someone decent."
He waved his hand: "Crippled their cultivation and throw them out of Dragon City."
It was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation. It demonstrated thunderous means to establish prestige without overly exposing his strength—catching a Soul King with bare hands, while shocking, was still within the understandable range of a "Genius," far from the true Trump Card he possessed that could allow him to kill a Soul Emperor.
"Yes!" The guards obeyed solemnly and dragged the three ashen-faced Soul Ancestors away.
After this incident, Yu Yuanchen's image in the eyes of the family's grassroots members and some forces in Dragon City instantly became tall and mysterious. News of him easily subduing a Berserk Soul King soon spread in a small circle within Dragon City. Everyone knew that the grandson of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family was not only gifted with extraordinary talent but also possessed unfathomable strength, far beyond that of an ordinary Soul Ancestor.
In the following days, Yu Yuanchen handled several similar "accidents" and provocations. Each time, he performed just right, showing enough strength to easily defeat ordinary Soul Kings, which made people wary, yet he always kept his power within the "reasonable" range of a Soul Ancestor. At most, his Soul Power was particularly thick, his physical body was particularly tough, and his control over Soul Skills was particularly exquisite.
He deliberately cultivated the image of a "Genius Soul Ancestor," which could deter the petty, stabilize morale, and yet not attract targeted assassinations from Soul Sages or even higher-level entities too early.
In a small operation to clear out a stronghold that the Dragon Family had planted near Dragon City, he even faced two Soul Kings who coordinated well on his own. During the battle, he appeared to be in "dire straits," and only by "relying" on his superior combat awareness, a strange combination of Soul Skills, and a bit of "luck" did he "barely" manage to kill the two Soul Kings. The whole process looked intense, but in reality, everything was under his control, and even his injuries were controlled to the extent of superficial wounds that looked quite battered but did not affect his actions.
His "performance" was seamless, and even the accompanying family guards broke into a cold sweat for him, later praising him for his extraordinary courage and resourcefulness.
Only Yu Boxuan, who had been watching him in secret, felt a flash of understanding and a smile of comfort after hearing the report. His grandson not only had amazing talent and strength, but this wisdom to hide his light and his steady temperament were even more rare.
"Chen'er, I fear he already has the strength to contend with or even defeat an ordinary Soul Emperor, doesn't he?" Yu Boxuan thought to himself. "This is excellent. It is easy to break when one's edge is exposed; only by hiding the blade in the sheath can one deliver a fatal blow to the enemy."
Yu Yuanchen's initial appearance successfully established his prestige both inside and outside the family and, to a certain extent, curbed the increasingly rampant provocations of the Dragon Family. He was like a piece of fine jade that had been initially polished, its warmth and luster restrained; only those who came close could feel the coldness and hardness contained within.
He knew this was just the beginning. The Dragon Family would never give up because of these minor setbacks; a greater storm was still behind them. And he needed to accumulate more strength before that storm arrived and hone the edge hidden deep within to be even sharper.
The waters of Dragon City seemed to have calmed somewhat on the surface due to his appearance, but the undercurrents hidden beneath the water were becoming increasingly turbulent.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan