Inside the dungeon of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Xiaogang stared up at the azure sky through a tiny iron-barred window no more than twenty centimeters long and fifteen centimeters wide. He muttered under his breath:
"Miss Dong'er, where are you now? Are you doing well?"
He had been imprisoned here for more than half a month. In the beginning, he passed the time by sleeping. During the first few days, due to his injuries not having fully healed, sleeping not only helped him endure the boredom but also accelerated his recovery.
However, once his body was completely healed, sleep alone could no longer fill the long hours. When he managed to sleep during the day, he would often find himself staring at the ceiling all night, unable to sleep.
This reversed routine wore down his spirit. He had to return to a normal sleep schedule, but the sheer boredom and lack of freedom or entertainment drove him close to a mental breakdown.
To distract himself, he constantly thought of Miss Dong'er—the woman who had once gently wiped the blood from his mouth with her handkerchief. He fantasized about her exquisite beauty, her tender smile, and as he did, his expression softened into an infatuated gaze.
Just then, Yu Xiaogang saw three old men standing outside the iron door. He thought they had come to release him, perhaps sent by his father who had finally cooled off.
He reasoned that no matter how angry his father was, surely he wouldn't truly keep him imprisoned for ten years. It wasn't like he had intentionally caused his older brother to become a fool—this was all that damned Zhao's fault!
When he saw the elders order the guards to open the door and walk in together, he immediately stood up, full of hope.
"Elders, has my father forgiven me? Can I leave now?"
The First Elder sneered.
"Leave? Where do you think you're going? The Clan Leader said ten years, so ten years it is. Who dares let you out?"
"What? If you're not letting me go, then what are you doing here?" Yu Xiaogang froze in confusion, not understanding why the three elders had come.
"What else? We're here to beat some sense into you, you disgrace!" the Second Elder growled, glaring at him like he was an imbecile.
Yu Xiaogang panicked and tried to dash toward the open door, wanting to escape the dungeon. If he could just get out, he'd hide somewhere until his father and the elders calmed down.
But there was no way they would let him escape. The Third Elder grabbed him by the collar and viciously threw him back to the ground, shouting:
"You worthless fool! You've already caused enough trouble, and now you want to escape? Don't you think you've brought enough shame to the clan?"
The First Elder then kicked him hard in the stomach, his face twisted with rage.
"You good-for-nothing! Why the hell did you provoke a Titled Douluo?! Our clan only has one Titled Douluo! And you—you went to Soto City and made an enemy out of one! You've already turned your older brother into an idiot—what's next? You want to destroy the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?!"
Yu Xiaogang screamed in pain, curling into a ball, clutching his stomach as tears and snot ran down his face.
The Second Elder showed no mercy either, charging forward to kick him repeatedly.
"Screaming, are you? You've got the nerve to scream in pain after what you did to your brother? You worthless trash! Where did you get the guts to offend a Titled Douluo?! Can't you use your brain for once?!"
The First and Second Elders' words confused Yu Xiaogang even more. When had he offended a Titled Douluo?
But there was no time to explain—he was too busy shielding his head and gut from their blows.
Seeing the other two elders about to beat Yu Xiaogang to death, the Third Elder quickly stepped in and pulled them back.
"Don't kill him. He may be a waste, but he's still the Clan Leader's son. If we beat him to death, how are we going to explain it?"
Only then did the First and Second Elders stop, leaving Yu Xiaogang groaning and writhing in pain on the floor.
When he finally caught his breath, Yu Xiaogang glared at the three elders in fury.
"Elders, isn't this a bit much? When did I ever offend a Titled Douluo?! The only one I've ever had a conflict with is that beast Zhao Ling! How does that count as offending a Titled Douluo?!"
The Third Elder gave him another pitying look, his voice cold.
"You still don't know? The one you call that 'beast Zhao Ling' is the Titled Douluo in question. Just a few days ago, the Pope of Spirit Hall personally bestowed upon him the title of 'Demon-Suppressing Douluo.'"
Yu Xiaogang's whole body trembled as he began shaking his head violently, mumbling in disbelief.
"No, that's impossible. That bastard Zhao—he can't be a Titled Douluo. I don't believe it! I absolutely don't believe it!"
"Impossible? And why is that?" the Third Elder scoffed. "Your brother was a Spirit Emperor, yet even when he went all out, Zhao Ling crushed his head into the ground without using spirit power or his martial spirit.
Even we Spirit Douluo would have trouble doing that. Zhao Ling did it effortlessly. If that doesn't prove his power, what does?"
As Yu Xiaogang lay there shaking his head, his eyes wide with disbelief, the Second Elder sneered again.
"You think just because you're useless, everyone else must be too? No, there are geniuses out there—gods among men.
If Zhao Ling wasn't such a talent, do you think the Pope of Spirit Hall would have arranged a marriage between him and their new Holy Maiden?"
"The new Holy Maiden? Who's that? Why haven't I heard of her?" Yu Xiaogang froze, a growing dread building in his heart.
The First Elder's sneer deepened.
"Who? Why, it's none other than the Pope's only disciple. Oh… and isn't she the same girl you were so fond of? That one named Bibi Dong, wasn't it?
What a joke. You, the second son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan leader, actually fell for the new Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall!
Yu Xiaogang, are you trying to doom our entire clan? How can you be so heartless? For the sake of a woman, you'd betray your entire family?!"