"Reporting to the Young Master, I am Xia Duoduo, one of the four personal female attendants to the Hall Master of the Dragon Hall. Your mother is indeed the eighth-generation Hall Master of the Dragon Hall and the second most powerful in history, second only to the First Generation Hall Master!"
Xia Duoduo calmly recounted, "Twenty years ago, the Dragon Hall was besieged by the allied powers of Gods and Demons. The Hall Master, at the cost of severe injuries, single-handedly repelled the horde of powerhouses. After that battle, she disappeared without a trace, only to reappear at the Dragon Hall four years later. She informed me of your identity, Young Master, and dispatched me to Dragon City to protect you.
"But the second siege by the powers of Gods and Demons began at that very moment. Although the Hall Master and the stalwarts of the Dragon Hall held back most of the powerful enemies, a few still slipped through the net. I had no choice but to leave behind a Divine Sense hidden within your body. Then, I departed Dragon City alone to fend off the pursuing enemies at Nine Demons Mountain!"
Long Chen was stunned. His mother, whom he had never met, was the Hall Master of the Dragon Hall—a world-renowned peak power that had ranked first among the forces of Gods and Demons throughout history!
Xia Duoduo continued, "Although I killed the enemies who pursued me, I was also gravely injured and have been trapped by their formation on Nine Demons Mountain for sixteen years now. I kept hoping you would awaken the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Body. Unfortunately, your innate talent was so strong that you awakened the Emperor Meridans first and began to cultivate the Martial Path through them.
"The cultivation of the Emperor Meridans focuses on the meridians. However, the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Formula—which only the Dragon Hall's Hall Master can cultivate—is based on blood cultivation. The two are diametrically opposed, which is why you have been unable to awaken your Constitution!"
Hearing this, Long Chen had a sudden epiphany but couldn't help sneering, "In that case, I suppose I should thank Su Miaoyu for destroying my dantian cultivation level and ripping out my Emperor Meridans!"
"It's useless for that wretch to have taken the Emperor Meridans. With her innate talent, she doesn't deserve them. Even if she grows stronger by relying on them, she will never be able to exert even one-tenth of their true might! Besides..."
Xia Duoduo's tone shifted to one of disdain. "Besides, while the Emperor Meridans are powerful, they are far inferior to the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Body. You must know, many Evil Creatures in this world have awakened the Emperor Meridans, but only one person possesses the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Body! Only the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Body can cultivate the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Formula—created by the Long Family ancestors and the First Generation Hall Master of the Dragon Hall—to its apex. That is why, no matter how strong the successive Hall Masters of the Dragon Hall have been, none could ever surpass the First Generation Hall Master!"
Long Chen clenched his fists and said coldly, "You were suppressed for sixteen years for my sake. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life. Once I have killed Su Miaoyu, I will find a way to come to Nine Demons Mountain and rescue you!"
Now, Long Chen bore a new responsibility. He had to not only kill Su Miaoyu and get revenge on Shangguan Pojun for his grievous injuries, but also journey to Nine Demons Mountain to rescue his mother's personal attendant, Xia Duoduo.
These words left Xia Duoduo deeply moved, even flustered. In her mind, the Dragon Hall's Hall Master and Young Master were supreme beings! Yet she, a mere servant, was being treated with such sincerity by the Young Master.
"This servant vows to serve the Young Master for all eternity! My body and soul belong to the Young Master!" Xia Duoduo's voice trembled with a mixture of emotion and unwavering resolve.
Long Chen glanced at the Alchemy Cauldron and various Spiritual Medicines on the ground, all of which belonged to Su Ao. The gold-and-silver Alchemy Cauldron was of a quality unheard of in Dragon City. He presumed that Su Miaoyu, who doted on her cousin Su Ao, must have asked Shangguan Pojun to procure it for him. The Spiritual Medicines were all Second Stage, making them quite valuable altogether.
Just what I need! Long Chen knew that the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Formula contained methods for alchemy, so he promptly stored the Alchemical Cauldron and all the Spiritual Medicines in his Storage Bag.
Xia Duoduo suddenly reminded him, "Young Master, remember that the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Formula is the only Cultivation Technique that can combine the powers of both Gods and Demons. It is both Divine and Demonic. Here, however, the Demonic Path Powers are weak and considered a thorn in the side of other factions. Therefore, in the future, it would be best for you to only use the power of the Divine Path in public. Use the power of the Demon Path sparingly, revealing your full strength only when absolutely necessary! Also, these bodies must be completely disposed of to prevent others from suspecting you of cultivating a Demon Technique, which could attract unnecessary trouble."
Long Chen nodded slightly. The aura of the Divine Path was domineering and sharp, whereas the aura of the Demon Path was sinister and bloodthirsty. If he used his full strength, it would indeed be easy for others to tell the difference. The demonic aura still lingered on the corpses of Su Ao and the Demon Wolves.
Long Chen placed all the bodies into his Storage Bag and frowned in thought. Although I've recovered my cultivation, I'm still no match for the Su Family Members! And that wretch! Now that she's taken my Emperor Meridans, her cultivation must have skyrocketed, and her combat power is far beyond what it was before! I have no chance of killing her inside the Su Family estate.
Ah well, for now, I'll leave the Su Family and let that wretch live a few more days!
Following a familiar, concealed route, Long Chen carefully departed from the Su Family estate. On his way out, he overheard the joyous laughter of the Su Family Members.
"Hahaha, Miaoyu, you actually triggered a celestial phenomenon! By using that fool Long Chen's Emperor Meridans, you soared from the Warrior Realm Eighth Layer Heaven to the War Master Realm Ninth Layer Heaven in a single night! You are now the top genius in Dragon City!"
Long Chen recognized the voice of the Su Family Head, Su Feng.
"Our Young Miss will surely soar to the heavens this time! A seventeen-year-old at the War Master Realm Ninth Layer Heaven! Even without the celestial phenomenon, this talent alone is enough to gain the attention of the Martial Ancestor!"
"Indeed! I believe the Martial Ancestor and Sword Ancestor can no longer sit still. They will surely send people to our Su Family, begging our Young Miss to join their sects. Our Su Family is destined to rise! Hehehe, then we just need to eradicate the Long Family, and our Su Family will rule Dragon City. In the future, Dragon City will change its name to Su City!"
Those were the voices of the Su Family's Great Elder, Su Kun, and Second Elder, Su Lie.
Su Miaoyu had actually broken through to the War Master Realm Ninth Layer Heaven. With the Emperor Meridans, her combat power is now far beyond that of an ordinary cultivator at the ninth layer of the War Master Realm. The Emperor Meridans originally belonged to me, so no one knows their power better than I do. At my current Martial Arts Realm, I'm no match for Su Miaoyu, let alone an enemy to the entire Su Family.
"Bitch! Sooner or later, I'll destroy you! And that Shangguan Pojun you're so proud of!"
A cold light flashed in Long Chen's eyes. He pressed his lips into a silent sneer. The celestial phenomenon had nothing to do with Su Miaoyu, but for now, I'll let them enjoy their moment!
Suddenly, a servant's panicked report echoed through the estate. "This is terrible, Family Head! Long Chen is gone! Young Master Su Ao and the dozen or so Demon Wolves he was raising are also missing! There's nothing but blood all over the Demon Institute!"
The joyful atmosphere in the Su Family estate instantly fell into a brief, stunned silence.
Su Miaoyu shouted coldly, "The Long Family Members must have infiltrated the manor! Otherwise, there's no way that waste Long Chen could have escaped! I crippled his dantian with my own hands!"
The Su Family Head, Su Feng, ordered, "Lock down the entire city! We're going to the Long Family to demand they hand him over!"
Long Chen was near the main hall and heard every word with crystal clarity. The Su Family alone, however, couldn't threaten the Long Family. Only the Martial Ancestor Ground Institute posed a real threat, as Shangguan Pojun was its Head Senior Brother.
In three days, it will be the Martial Ancestor's Trial Assembly. At that time, not only will Shangguan Pojun's Earth Institute be present, but so will the Heaven and Human Institutes. As long as I crush Su Miaoyu at the Trial Assembly, I can join the Martial Ancestor's Heaven or Human Institute! Then I won't need to fear Shangguan Pojun or his Earth Institute anymore!
As Long Chen contemplated his plan, he successfully slipped out of the Su Family estate.
"Young Master, now that you are in the War Master Realm, you can cultivate the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Formula to the Third Layer," Xia Duoduo's voice suddenly sounded in his mind. "When you do, you will obtain a Secret Technique of Gods and Demons called Dragon Blood Boiling. This technique will allow you, at the War Master Realm, to fight on par with someone from the War Maniac Realm!"
Dragon Blood Boiling, a Secret Technique of Gods and Demons? Cultivating the Divine Demon Ancestral Dragon Formula to the Third Layer grants a Secret Technique that provides combat power to cross a Great Realm! Even powerful forces like the Martial Ancestor and Sword Ancestor could never achieve something like that!
"Long Chen? Is that you? Brother Chen?"
A pleasant female voice suddenly called out from behind him.
Before Long Chen could react, he heard the Su Family Members shouting, "There's Long Chen! His sister, Long Xin, is with him too! Guards! Get over here!"