Chapter 15: Kid, I Admire You

"You need to be sure, Yun Yibai—this is a two-thousand-year soul ring, far beyond what a third soul ring should handle," Dugu Bo cautioned firmly.

Yun Yibai didn't want to explain himself, but with Dugu Bo glaring at him, he replied coolly: "Dugu Yan, we've known each other long enough—do you think I'm ignorant?"

He said no more. Still, Dugu Yan hesitated at his confident retort.

Meanwhile, Yun Yibai had already moved beside the Thunder-Armored Earth Dragon and began absorbing its soul ring.

By the time Dugu Yan looked back, the soul ring was in the process of integration.

"Grandfather—" she began, but Dugu Bo raised a hand and interrupted.

"I can tell what you want to say, Yan Yan," he interjected.

"This kid isn't a lunatic. He's a genius."

"Wait patiently. If he survives this, he'll be someone to reckon with."

Dugu Yan's jaw dropped—she hadn't expected such high praise from her grandfather.

He smiled softly at her. Originally, he could've whisked both of them away. However, upon seeing Yun Yibai attempting to absorb a ring beyond its age limit, his curiosity was piqued.

Besides, he sensed a bond between the youth and his granddaughter—and wanted to test whether this kid might one day be worthy of assisting her.

That's the authority of a titled Douluo.

Dugu Bo watched Yun Yibai meditating. "One step between genius and madman..." he mused.

The ring Yok Yibai absorbed was indeed from a beast aged between two to three thousand years.

"Yan Yan, tell me what you know about this kid," Dugu Bo commanded, regaining composure. He was puzzled why a direct disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would venture alone into a soul-beast forest.

That's uncharacteristic—they'd normally guard their own.

"Grandfather, he—" Dugu Yan began, then recounted Yun Yibai's recent conversations with Yu tianheng and her research.

Time passed. Dugu Bo no longer paid attention to Yun Yibai—except when Dugu Yan glanced toward him, he felt a pang of protectiveness.

He noted the violent fluctuation in Yun Yibai's soul power settling into calm.

"He made it." His eyes gleamed with meaning.

"He did it!" Dugu Yan gasped. A two-thousand-year ring absorbed on the third ring—never seen before.

"Kid."

"Now that it's done, stop pretending," Dugu Bo finally said.

Yun Yibai opened his eyes, stood up, and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Your Eminence."

Dugu Bo waved it off. "I don't like your clan's old dragon that much," he remarked casually.

"But I heard you and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan have some friction," he continued.

"I don't care what it is," he added. "Kid, I admire you."

Yun Yibai's heart skipped—such praise, from a Douluo?

"Perfect timing. Here's your chance to return the favor."

"Help my granddaughter collect a soul ring."

It wasn't a request—it was a command.

"…Huh?" Yun Yibai blinked. He hadn't expected this twist. Dugu Bo could have handled things himself—but instead, he placed trust in Yun Yibai and Dugu Yan.

He understood now: Dugu Bo believed if Yun Yibai could do this, so could Dugu Yan. It offered a model.

"I hunt soul beasts with her?"

"You've grown. You should learn to do it yourself," Dugu Bo said, misjudging her reaction.

But Dugu Yan beamed, excitement lighting up her face: "Really, Grandfather?"

Even nearly thirteen, in his eyes she remained his pampered child.

He paused for a moment, his expression softening.

Then, Dugu Bo decided—no more coddling.