After Dugu Bo's coronation ceremony, the guests dispersed, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan returned to its usual tranquility.
Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Tianming, who were about to break through, went to train at the Thunder Iron Vein in the rear mountains of the sect. Meanwhile, Dugu Bo, along with the newly advanced Yu Luomian and Ah Zhu, headed to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for spirit beasts.
Their plan was to first help Ah Zhu acquire her spirit ring, then venture deeper into the Star Dou Forest to help Yu Luomian hunt his spirit beast.
Several days later, the group arrived at a steep cliff in a mountainous region on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.
The area was overgrown with vines, covering several dilapidated houses. A winding path led behind the buildings. It was clear people had once lived here, but it didn't look at all like the habitat of wild spirit beasts.
Since it was Yu Luomian who was familiar with the area and leading the hunt, Dugu Bo asked with some confusion, "This place doesn't look like it's inhabited by fire-attributed spirit beasts. Are we really hunting here?"
Yu Luomian chuckled and replied, "At the end of this path is an abandoned Flaming Sun Iron Mine. Although most of the ore has already been excavated, quite a few fire-attributed spirit beasts now reside within the mine. The Blazing Fire Academy often comes here to hunt."
Hearing that, Dugu Bo was puzzled. "Isn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan supporting the Thunderclap Academy? How do you know the hunting grounds of Blazing Fire Academy?"
Yu Luomian grinned proudly. "The four elemental academies are like branches of the same tree. Besides our close ties with Thunderclap Academy, our clan also maintains good relations with Blazing Fire Academy. This place was disclosed to me alone—don't go spreading it around."
Dugu Bo scoffed. "Don't look down on me. Naturally, I wouldn't go around bragging about this sort of thing."
Yu Luomian smiled without saying anything more and led everyone along the small path behind the houses.
Soon, a ten-meter-wide cave entrance came into view at the base of the rock face, almost entirely covered by thick vines. Only a narrow gap remained, just large enough for a person to squeeze through.
Yu Luomian pulled out a map from his soul tool and took the lead into the mine. The winding, lengthy main tunnel led deep underground.
Due to the Flaming Sun Iron, the cave was unusually dry, a stark contrast to the damp heat of the Star Dou Forest. The dry environment had preserved the wooden support beams on the tunnel walls—they hadn't rotted and still supported the mine structure after all these years.
Inside this long-abandoned mine, the terrain was uneven and the surroundings dimly lit.
However, remnants of Flaming Sun Iron sparkled on the rock walls like traces left by falling stars. In the faint light, they glowed softly, creating a unique and eerie beauty.
Ah Zhu couldn't help but ask, "Why are there still so many Flaming Sun Iron fragments on the walls?"
Dugu Bo also turned to Yu Luomian with a questioning look.
Yu Luomian explained with a smile, "Mining in the Star Dou Forest is expensive. People only extracted the large chunks of ore. These little bits on the walls would need to be re-refined after extraction."
As they ventured deeper, skeletons of old miners began to appear along the path, and the temperature steadily increased. The dry air made it difficult to breathe.
Ah Zhu, being a fire-attributed spirit master, adapted easily. But even with their high cultivation levels, Dugu Bo and Yu Luomian were starting to feel uncomfortable.
Their progress through the cave was slow. After walking for what felt like hours, strange glowing plants began to appear, casting a faint red light in the gloom.
Seeing no sign of any spirit beasts for some time, Dugu Bo grew irritated and asked, "We've been walking for at least two hours. Why haven't we seen a single spirit beast? Could it be that Blazing Fire Academy tricked you?"
Yu Luomian replied helplessly, "We've already covered about eighty percent of the path. Just a bit farther and we'll reach the area where the spirit beasts gather."
Before he even finished speaking, a red fire element shot out from deeper in the cave.
It had a fist-sized red core at its center, surrounded only by a layer of flames.
It floated in the air and drifted toward them.
Quick to react, Yu Luomian launched a Thunder Dragon Claw. A bolt of blue lightning struck directly at the crystalline core.
The core fell to the ground, crackling with blue electricity, and the surrounding flames shrank.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo laughed. "That fire element is just over a thousand years old—perfect for Ah Zhu's spirit ring. But there are two little bugs following behind that we need to take care of."
Moments later, a light appeared in the distance within the mine.
In its glow, the group saw the face of the headmaster of Blazing Fire Academy.
Sensing a hint of killing intent from Dugu Bo, Yu Luomian quickly said, "He's one of ours, Dugu Bo, don't attack."
Only then did Dugu Bo restrain his intent.
At the same time, Huo Zhan spotted Yu Luomian and greeted him with a wide smile from afar. "Uncle! Long time no see!"
"Uncle?"
Dugu Bo and Ah Zhu both looked at Yu Luomian in surprise.
Especially Ah Zhu—though she had grown up in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, she had never heard of such a close relationship with Blazing Fire Academy.
Yu Luomian said with a hint of helplessness, "Like Erlong, my sister also had a mutated martial soul—except hers mutated into a One-Horned Fire Tyrannosaurus instead of a Red Dragon. She's Huo Zhan's biological mother."
Only then did they understand why Blazing Fire Academy had shared the fire spirit beast habitat—it was all thanks to this familial connection.
When Huo Zhan walked up, he first addressed Dugu Bo, saying, "I am Huo Zhan. You must be Senior Dugu?"
Dugu Bo responded coldly, "That's right."
After greeting the Titled Douluo, Huo Zhan pulled a red-haired boy close and said to Yu Luomian, "This is your grandnephew, Huo Wushuang."
The red-haired boy was about the same age as Ah Zhu, medium build, average in appearance, but his eyes glowed with intense determination. He had an impressive presence.
He bowed politely to Yu Luomian and said, "Greetings, Granduncle."
Yu Luomian laughed. "It's been so many years, Wushuang. You've grown so much. You're here for a spirit ring too?"
Huo Zhan looked toward the fire element not far away and smiled. "Wushuang's martial soul is also the One-Horned Fire Tyrannosaurus. We came here today to help him obtain his third spirit ring."
Yu Luomian understood immediately that the fire element had been flushed out for Wushuang. "That fire element must be the one you're after. I kept it here for easier capture."
With that, he led his group deeper into the mine.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction has been Completed on My Patreon go check it out
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.