Chapter Twenty-One: The Seventh Brother of the Dragon Tyrant

“Ling’er, you go back to the house first,” Lei Yan said, retrieving a pill from the demon artifact and handing it to Qing Ling. “This is the antidote. If you encounter danger, take it!” Lei Yan’s intention was for Qing Ling to swallow the antidote only in the face of peril, thus granting her the strength to protect herself. After all, she was a cultivator—ordinary worldly powers could hardly threaten her life.

“I want to see what’s happening too!” Qing Ling did not follow Lei Yan’s plan. She took the antidote and immediately swallowed it. As soon as the pill touched her tongue, the long-lost true energy surged like a spring, gathering in her dantian and instantly forming a transparent sphere.

“I’ve reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment!” Qing Ling exclaimed in astonishment, sensing the changes within her.

Lei Yan shook his head helplessly, just about to speak, when a whirlwind swept above his head. Two figures tangled in the air, their innate energies instantly demolishing several wooden huts nearby. Wood and dust flew everywhere. Lei Yan’s face contorted under the pressure of the energy, and Qing Ling’s hair was whipped into disarray by the swirling wind.

“Hmph!” Qing Ling snorted coldly at her disheveled hair. With just that snort, everything around her fell silent, and visible radiance spread outward, calming all in its path. Lei Yan quickly turned and admonished her, unwilling for others to glimpse her true strength.

Qing Ling withdrew her true energy, though she had wanted to test the new power of her Foundation Establishment stage.

Only then did Lei Yan look up to the sky, where two men battled fiercely—one was Cui Ba, the leader of Dragon Overlord, and the other an agile elder clad in black. Neither seemed affected by Qing Ling’s surge of energy, their fight continuing unabated. Suddenly, with a resounding crash, their palms met and they instantly separated.

Cui Ba landed and staggered back several steps, while the elder touched down gracefully, obviously possessing greater skill. No sooner had he landed than he pivoted in midair, striking at Cui Ba with a palm. Cui Ba responded in kind, not backing down.

Their hands collided, shaking the ground. Blow after blow followed, until finally their palms pressed together in a contest of internal strength. Lei Yan’s abilities allowed him to sense a faint glow entwining their hands. As the struggle continued, Cui Ba’s face grew pale, while the elder remained composed—clearly, Cui Ba was the weaker.

“Cui Ba, for the sake of our shared history as bandits in the Poison Miasma Forest, I’ve long tolerated you. But you’ve gone too far. Speak—where did you hide that letter?” the elder demanded coldly.

Should I kill Cui Ba and seize Dragon Overlord, or help Cui Ba defeat the elder and earn his trust? Lei Yan hesitated, but the elder’s words caught his attention; he looked over to see the elder staring at Cui Ba with absolute confidence.

Whether it was the focus required for the internal struggle or deliberate silence, Cui Ba did not answer. The elder’s expression shifted, and he unleashed his full strength, his energy flooding toward Cui Ba like a torrent. Cui Ba staggered back, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

When force failed, persuasion followed. The elder eased his energy, smiling, “Cui Ba, I can forgive your recklessness, and I promise: if you hand over the letter, Dragon Overlord will be the sole power in the Poison Miasma Forest. What do you say?”

Cui Ba’s eyelid twitched; he couldn’t deny the offer’s allure. For the elder to relinquish the territory he’d guarded all his life, that letter must be even more tempting. His face darkened, and he spat out, “Never!”

Cui Ba’s refusal enraged the elder. “Very well, since you won’t speak, you’re useless to me!” Energy gathered in the elder’s arms, and with a roar, Cui Ba was sent flying.

As Cui Ba soared backward, Lei Yan’s eyes sharpened, ending his indecision. He stomped the ground, launching himself skyward. His internal energy gathered in his right hand, striking at the elder’s back.

The elder, just having released his energy, was caught off guard. He sensed the attack from behind at the worst possible moment—his old strength spent, new strength not yet summoned. With no choice, he hurriedly met the attack.

Their palms collided, and the elder staggered back, his face turning instantly pale. Shaking, he managed to say, “You’re… Innate…” but before he could finish, his body convulsed violently and collapsed.

Lei Yan’s palm carried a transmission force, capable of penetrating internal energy and targeting muscles, meridians, and bones. In the elder’s weakened state, he stood no chance; had he been at his peak, it might have been different.

At the moment of the elder’s death, Cui Ba sat cross-legged, tending to his injuries. Meanwhile, Lu Kai and Old Second Leng rushed over. Lu Kai was covered in blood, and Old Second Leng’s curved blade was stained with it as well—clearly, they had slain the elder’s companion.

“Lei, is Cui Ba alright?” Lu Kai asked as soon as he arrived.

“He’s suffered internal injuries,” Lei Yan replied, sensing genuine concern in Lu Kai and Old Second Leng’s eyes. Clearly, Cui Ba held significant importance to them, and Lei Yan gained a new perspective on him. He was also glad he had chosen to help Cui Ba; had he died, Lei Yan might have failed to seize Dragon Overlord.

“Give this to Cui Ba—it will help him recover quickly,” Lei Yan said, producing several pills from the demon artifact, one of them an antidote to the slow-acting poison he’d previously administered.

The pills could heal internal injuries but not instantly. After taking them, Cui Ba closed his eyes again, using his internal energy to repair damaged meridians. As the medicine took effect, his injuries healed rapidly, and he even felt his internal strength subtly increase. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on Lei Yan nearby.

“What’s gotten into him?” Lei Yan was unsettled under Cui Ba’s strange look, which seemed to hold many emotions—even a hint of kindness. Lei Yan was puzzled; all he’d done was earn Cui Ba’s trust.

Old Second Leng noticed the odd atmosphere between Cui Ba and Lei Yan, shook his head, and muttered, “Cui Ba’s thinking of his son again!”

After a while, Cui Ba pulled the wine gourd from his waist, took several hearty gulps, and tossed it to Lei Yan.

Caught up in the mood, Lei Yan threw his head back and drank deeply. After a few mouthfuls, he found the fiery liquor almost overwhelming; it coursed down his throat like molten fire, igniting his blood and sending it surging. The burning sensation sparked a sudden insight in his mind: all things possess the five elemental attributes—could it be that the phrase ‘everything can be medicine’ refers to enhancing those elements? Just as the idea formed, Lu Kai interrupted, covering Lei Yan’s mouth with a large, trembling hand and saying with heartfelt distress, “Lei, there’s only so much of this in all Dragon Overlord. If you dare spit it out, I’ll never forgive you!”

Lei Yan glared at Lu Kai—the inspiration he’d just gained was gone, but seeing Lu Kai’s pained expression, he let it go. Clearly, Lu Kai was a man who lived for his liquor. Removing Lu Kai’s hand, he retorted, “You underestimate me. This little bit of wine is nothing to me!” He took another few swigs, deliberately smacking his lips in front of Lu Kai. “Excellent wine! Truly superb!”

Cui Ba laughed at Lei Yan’s antics. “Alright, Lei, from today, you are Dragon Overlord’s seventh brother!”