Chapter 3: Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan – Yu Tianlin
Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou Empire, Northwest Province, Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan Territory.
At the heart of the clan's lands stood the council hall, and not far to its left lay the primary Spirit Master Academy of the sect. Every member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, whether from the main or branch families, was required to enroll in this academy at the age of three to learn the basics of spirit cultivation and build a solid foundation for their future as Spirit Masters.
At this moment, Yu Tianlin, who was about to turn six, sat quietly in the classroom, listening intently to the teacher's lecture.
When class finally ended, Yu Tianlin neatly packed up his materials and prepared to head home.
Just as he stepped out of the school gates, a familiar figure approached.
Glancing at the newcomer, Yu Tianlin asked casually, "Xiao Qing, what are you doing here again?"
The boy was Yu Tianqing, his cousin.
"Brother Lin, I don't really have a choice." Yu Tianqing gave a bitter smile. "My grandfather and yours both competed for the position of sect master. He said he accepted the result, but deep down, he never truly did. Now he's placing all his hopes on the next generation. My father lost to your father, and now, since Brother Tianxin can't beat Cousin Tianheng, the pressure has all fallen on me."
He sighed. "My dad's expecting me to surpass you and bring honor to our family."
Hearing that, Yu Tianlin could only shake his head.
Yu Tianqing's grandfather, Yu Luomian, was the younger brother of Yu Yuanzhen—the current Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan and a Level 96 Title Douluo. Luomian himself, despite being a Level 89 Spirit Douluo, had never broken through to the Title Douluo realm and likely never would.
Yu Tianlin's father was a Level 78 Spirit Saint, close to breaking through to Spirit Douluo, while Yu Tianqing's father had only recently reached Level 71. The gap between the two lineages was still significant.
As for their elder brothers, Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin, their strengths were similar. But since Tianheng was a year younger and already matched Tianxin in power, he was considered slightly superior.
Thus, Yu Yuanzhen's lineage was always seen as stronger than Yu Luomian's. Of course, this excluded Yu Xiaogang.
Luomian's son might be more talented than Xiaogang, which once gave him some comfort—but discovering that his illegitimate daughter, Liu Erlong, was romantically involved with Yu Xiaogang must have left him completely speechless.
Yu Tianqing broke the silence. "Brother Lin, tomorrow's your sixth birthday, right? You'll be awakening your martial spirit."
Yu Tianlin smiled. "You're only a month younger than me. You'll awaken yours soon too."
Indeed, disciples born into major sects like theirs always awakened their martial spirits on their sixth birthday—no delays.
Commoners, however, had to wait for the Spirit Hall's annual awakening ceremony. Many were six and a half, even close to seven years old by the time it was their turn.
For example, Tang San was said to have awakened his martial spirit at six, but in truth, he was already six and a half.
At low levels, cultivation progressed rapidly; every day mattered, let alone half a year. A gifted child could gain two levels in that time.
This was the hidden advantage that separated sect disciples from ordinary Spirit Masters.
Yu Tianqing frowned. "That's what worries me. My grades are only slightly worse than yours, and my father's already unhappy about it. If my martial spirit turns out much weaker after awakening, I'll be in real trouble."
Yu Tianlin patted his shoulder reassuringly.
"Relax. Compare yourself only to who you were yesterday. As long as you keep improving, you'll surpass everyone eventually."
Encouraged, Yu Tianqing nodded firmly. "Yeah, Brother Lin. I'll do my best."
"Good. Now go home and find your mother. You can come watch my martial spirit awakening tomorrow."
With that, Yu Tianlin waved him off and started toward home.
"Xiao Lin, you're back," came a gentle voice as he stepped inside.
"Yes, Mom. School ended early today." He looked up. "What time's dinner tonight?"
The woman before him was Yu Rou, his mother. Once a member of a collateral branch of the clan, she had fallen in love with Yu Tianlin's father, married him, and given birth to Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianlin.
Yu Rou smiled warmly. "Your father and grandfather are still busy with sect affairs. They'll be back later. Why don't you rest for a while? I'll call you when dinner's ready."
"Alright."
Yu Tianlin nodded, went straight to his room, dropped his schoolbag, and flopped onto his bed.
"It's already been six years," he muttered, staring at the ceiling.
He had complicated feelings about his rebirth.
In his previous life, during the college entrance exams, the student sitting in front of him had inexplicably torn up his answer sheet right before time was called. Though the proctor allowed him to rewrite it, the incident had shaken him deeply, ruining his focus and costing him his future.
Unable to handle the failure, he chose to end his life—only to awaken in another world.
It took him a full year to learn the local language. By then, he realized he was on the Douluo Continent and began piecing together the timeline.
About a month after his birth, Tang Hao, the prodigy of the Clear Sky Sect, fought three Title Douluos from Spirit Hall, including the Pope. After that battle, Tang Hao vanished, and the Clear Sky Sect closed its gates.
The event was so monumental that people still talked about it a year later, allowing the young Yu Tianlin to figure out when and where he was.
"Based on that, I'm about a month older than Tang San," he murmured.
But the thought only made him uneasy.
"At this rate, by the time the Spirit Hall launches the Spirit Hunting Operation, I'll still be nowhere near level seventy…"
He frowned. "With so many Title Douluos attacking, even level seventy wouldn't be enough."
He took a deep breath, his mind racing.
"I'll warn Grandfather in advance—maybe a few years before it happens. If we prepare properly, we might stand a chance. I'll also need to push Brother Tianheng to get close to Dugu Yan as soon as possible. That way, I can use Dugu Bo's influence to bring him to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan when the time comes."
His eyes hardened.
"With Poison Douluo's power, he could wipe out all Spirit Masters below Spirit Saint. Then, with the sect's combined strength, we could surround and eliminate the remaining Spirit Douluo and Title Douluo."