Chapter 40 - Shock

The sun’s warm rays shone from the East as Long Jie and Long Kui led hundreds of Veiled Dragon Pavilion guards back to the branch. Even tiredness couldn’t hide the prideful air they carried themselves with. 

Not only did they win the battle with Hell Valley, but did it spectacularly.

Long Jiu, with 3rd and 5th elder, stood at the gates watching their return with negligible casualties.

“Uncles!”

Long Jie and Long Kui bowed with a smile.

The three elders were pleased, “Little Kui, Ah Jie, how was your fight?”

Long Kui was the first to report, “As the uncles predicted, after you chased the elders from Hell Valley, a large force came to attack us only to be defeated by us. Barely a scant few Bone Tempering cultivators escaped.”

“Well done!”

Long Jiu shouted his approval, “Your improvement has been great lately. Magnificent for you to not only lead your own team but to also wipe out the enemy.”

“Third brother, when you return to the estate, make sure to report the two’s merit to Pavilion Lord. Ha-ha-ha…” Long Jiu’s laughter shook the air as if he was relieved of the past years’ pressure.

3rd elder stroked his beard with a smile. This huge merit the two achieved for Veiled Dragon Pavilion was the first in their lives.

Such accomplishment was always followed by a sense of honor and pride.

“Oh, right.”

3rd elder furrowed his brow, “Do you know what was the cause of that tremendous explosion last night?”

Long Jie and Long Kui were also puzzled.

“That sound shook the world and I thought it was from 3rd elder’s fight with Hell Valley’s elders. Wasn’t it?” Long Kui asked.

The three elders’ expression turned grave as they shook their heads.

The explosion shook the hearts of everyone last night, instantly becoming a mystery as to what caused it.

“Oh, didn’t the Luo clan stay hidden in their small courtyard all this time? Let’s go ask them.” Long Jiu slapped his head as he turned to 3rd elder.

Nodding, 3rd elder walked in the small courtyard’s direction, followed by the others.

Long Kui smirked, “The battle must’ve been so brutal last night that a tiny clan like them were scared to even poke their heads. They probably hadn’t seen anything.”

None spoke while Long Jie shook his head.

They clearly approved of her stance, as they were only going there to ask for clues.

When they arrived before the guest room of the small courtyard, they saw Luo clan’s members standing before Zhuo Fan’s door with worried faces. With them were three more people and one among them was in the Profound Heaven Stage.

“It can’t be that… yesterday was because…”

The three elders were startled, hurrying to pay their respects to Lei Yuntian.

“May I inquire brother’s name?” Long Jiu looked at him while being confused, [When did Luo clan get an expert?]

Lei Yuntian returned the gesture as he knew of Veiled Dragon Pavilion’s might, “I am Lei Yuntian from Blackwind Mountain. It’s an honor to meet the famous Veiled Dragon Pavilion. I am fortunate to come face to face with elders!”

Long Jiu nodded.

Having stayed in Windgaze City for so long, he knew the city had many clans with different power levels. But only the recently established Sun clan along with the previous Luo clan, Cai clan and Blackwind Mountain’s Lei clan were first-rated clans.

Of course, this applied to a small town like Windgaze City, not including the seven houses.

As the Lei clan now had a Profound Heaven expert, the Blackwind Mountain’s influence would expand like never before. Despite how Bone Tempering Stage and Profound Heaven Stage were but a stage apart, the fact that a clan had a Profound Heaven expert as overseer, it now became a second-rate clan on this continent. Those that lacked such power, were mere third-rate or fallen clans.

Lei clan can now be considered as the most outstanding clan in Windgaze City.

“Clan Head Lei, I wonder what are you…” Long Jiu roamed his eyes over the people gathered before Zhuo Fan’s room.

Lei Yuntian sighed, “Steward Zhuo was hurt last night and is unclear if he will survive…”

“What, this place was under attack too?”

3rd elder was shocked. He thought that Long Jie and Long Kui had blocked all Hell Valley’s men last night, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Did they prepare two teams?”

“Humph.” A sudden snort of disdain came from behind, “Wasn’t Zhuo Fan always acting so high and mighty? Didn’t he boast he’d surpass the seven houses in ten years? So useless, to only end up on his death bed from a bunch of thieves!”

Luo clan and Lei clan all glared at the speaker, but Long Kui just rolled her eyes.

“Quiet, little Kui.” Long Jiu shot her a glare and Long Kui was forced to remain silent.

Looking apologetic toward Lei Yuntian, Long Jiu spoke, “Please excuse her rash behavior. Just who could it be, powerful enough to injure Zhuo Fan to such a state even with a Profound Heaven expert such as yourself protecting him?”

[What, me protecting him?]

Lei Yuntian was taken aback, but then shook his head, “I am ashamed to say that I only advanced last night and still lacked the power to defend Steward Zhuo.”

To others, Lei Yuntian was the strongest here and it was natural for him to protect everyone. But only he was the clearest as to who protected who last night.

“But the enemy was a Profound Heaven expert that called himself Elder Yun.”

“What, You Yunqing?”

3rd elder and Long Jiu were startled as the former muttered, “I never thought that he’d also come.”

But then he turned with joy at Lei Yuntian, “Brother Lei, you’re amazing. That man was one of Hell Valley’s twelve elders, having entered the Profound Heaven Stage for decades. Yet you just advanced to Profound Heaven Stage and defeated him. Impressive indeed.”

The other two elders also showed their admiration.

Lei Yuntian blushed and said with a cough, “3rd elder is exaggerating. I couldn’t even take a single blow from him.”

“Then how did you all pass the night unharmed?” Long Jiu asked.

Scratching his head, Lei Yuntian looked at Zhuo Fan’s door, “It’s all thanks to Steward Zhuo. If not for him, everyone here would’ve undoubtedly perished.”

“You’re saying Zhuo Fan held You Yunqing back by himself, all night?”

Everyone was stunned, Long Kui included.

“B-but he’s just a Qi Condensation cultivator.” Long Jiu refuted.

Lei Yuntian shrugged at a loss, “I am clear on that, but so what?”

The last words choked Long Jiu. Lei Yuntian said it as if it was a common occurrence for a Qi Condensation cultivator to fight off a Profound Heaven cultivator for an entire night.

“And?”

3rd elder clenched his fists, staring at Lei Yuntian, “You mean to tell us Zhuo Fan forced Elder You Yunqing into retreating?” 

“Retreat?”

Frowning, Lei Yuntian showed a trace of fear as he relived the last night’s events, “You are underestimating Zhuo Fan far too much.”

[Underestimate? How?]

[Even if one scoured the continent, would he ever find an instance where a Qi Condensation cultivator forced a Profound Heaven expert into retreating?]

[We only made the most reasonable guess, yet even this is such a far fetched exaggeration that not even Zhuo Fan would believe. If not for you mentioning it, we’d have never conceived such ideas.]

The three elders swallowed dryly, with hearts in their throat.

“The fool didn’t even have time to flee, killed in one move by Zhuo Fan!” Lei Yuntian sighed.

“What?”

The elders were overwhelmed with shock.

This was unprecedented!

Long Kui and Long Jie were also dumbfounded.

Long Jiu’s hands began to shiver without his knowledge, “Are you saying Zhuo Fan was behind the huge explosion last night? He killed a Hell Valley’s Profound Heaven elder and got out with a light wound?”

Lei Yuntian saw their eager expressions and wanted to nod, but frowned instead with a shake of his head.

“What was it then?” Long Jiu was anxious and his aura leaked, forcing the others to take a few steps back.

Lei Yuntian sighed, “I told you not to underestimate the kid. He killed Hell Valley’s elder, but not at the cost of injury. Only his Yuan Qi was depleted.”

“That’s impossible! He came out unscathed?” Long Jiu was battered with one shock after another that even he didn’t know what he was saying, “B-but then how did he get hurt?” 

Bam!

A pale-faced Zhuo Fan slammed the door open and snapped at Long Jiu, “Isn’t it because of you, bro Jiu?”

“Zhuo Fan!”

Some were shocked, some were glad, some were amazed, but most were filled with doubts as they turned to him.

“Are you alright?” Luo Yunchang was worried.

“Alright my ass!”

Zhuo Fan snorted as he glared at everyone who was present, “Here I am trying to keep my life and you people had to yap on and on. You think one can get well like this?”

They all started getting embarrassed and lowered their heads. Only the three elders looked at him at a loss.

Zhuo Fan secretly snorted, “Bro Jiu, didn’t you want to know how I got hurt? It’s all because of him!”

Zhuo Fan took out a cold corpse shocking them all. The ones most shocked were, of course, the three elders.

“Condor Jian Fan!”