Chapter 7: Revenge

Pop! A dragon's roar thundered through him as his True Energy finally punched through the third Dragon Pulse! True Energy surged like a flood through his limbs and bones. Lucian Lawes gritted his teeth and fought to rein it in, forcing that violent tide to settle until it obeyed him completely. Light flared in his eyes. His cultivation had leapt again. "True Energy at the Third Level Dragon Pulse Realm is several times stronger than the Second Level. If I run into Zane Yare again, with Falling Star Fist on top of it, he'll have a hard time beating me!" After breaking into the Third Level Dragon Pulse Realm, Lucian Lawes regulated his breathing and adjusted to the change. It was still deep into the night. Dawn remained a ways off. The sky was cloudless. Nine Celestial Rivers stretched across the heavens, breathtaking in their grandeur. "The Eighteen Celestial Rivers. Nine by day, nine by night. They say the Celestial River is formed from endless stars. If I ever get to go up there and see it for myself, I won't have lived for nothing." "If the Celestial River is made of stars, then I'll borrow its Stellar Power and keep cultivating the Stellar Battle Body!" Before, Lucian Lawes had only drawn on scattered, solitary starlight. This time, when he reached toward the Celestial River, a vast, surging radiance poured down and swallowed him whole. "So much starlight… and it's all sinking into my blood, my bones. This is more than a hundred times faster than before. Those nine Celestial Rivers really are made of endless stars!" Starlight billowed around him. Threads of tiny stellar energy seeped into his skin and fused with every part of his body. Under that relentless tempering, he felt his flesh harden, his strength stacking layer upon layer. It continued until the sun broke the horizon. The starlight on his body gradually faded. Lucian Lawes sprang down from the rooftop, excitement blazing in his eyes. "After a whole night of tempering, I didn't waste a single step. I've actually reached Minor Completion of Stellar Battle Body. This strength, this toughness… and with the True Energy of the Third Level Dragon Pulse Realm on top of it, I'm at least ten times stronger than I was a day ago!" He laughed. "I finally get to hold my head up. Stellar Battle Body plus Falling Star Fist… I refuse to believe I can't stand against Zane Yare at the Fourth Level Dragon Pulse Realm. And the rest of you… our debts will be settled, one by one." He went inside and collapsed onto the bed. "No sleep all night. It's time to rest. When I wake up, I'll be sharper, and I can start the next stage of my cultivation plan." "If I cultivate the Stellar Battle Body to Major Completion, it'll unleash even greater power. The True Energy my old man left in the Mysterious Dragon Jade is no small amount either. My core gains more True Energy each day than other people can manage through cultivation… but I can't be satisfied with just that. I need to cultivate on my own, and I also need Spiritual Jade…" Spiritual Jade was a kind of jade that aided Martial Artists of the Dragon Pulse Realm in cultivation. It contained an enormous amount of natural spiritual energy, and elders usually only granted it to juniors who achieved something exceptional. "Half a month. If I want to obtain the Dragon Seal, I have to reach at least the Fifth Level Dragon Pulse Realm. Each level is ten times harder than the last. Zane Yare has been at the Fourth Level Dragon Pulse Realm for over a year. Reaching the Fifth won't be easy, and there's no way I can do it in half a month…" "Doesn't matter. For my old man. So no one looks down on me. And for that rotten woman too. I'm going all in!" … By late morning, a mess of noise dragged Lucian Lawes awake. After entering the Third Level Dragon Pulse Realm, his senses had sharpened again. Even someone approaching from far off couldn't escape him. He rose, rolled his shoulders, and brought himself back to his best. A faint smile tugged at his mouth as he walked out the door. Sure enough, Zane Yare stood at the front, leading the group. Behind him were other youths from the Yare family, boys and girls around fourteen or fifteen. Each of them was tall and broad, and more than a few looked older than Lucian Lawes. Zane Yare had brought a whole crowd. That surprised him. Lucian Lawes faced that lineup without a hint of fear. Zane Yare let out a cold laugh. "I told you last night I'd teach you a lesson. Of course I wasn't going to break my word. You little bastard gained a bit of strength these past few days, so you've gotten arrogant. The brothers and sisters of the Yare family can't stand the sight of you, so they asked me to teach you how to behave!" Lucian Lawes smiled faintly. "No wonder you made such a big show of it. I thought Zane Yare was getting stage fright and needed a crowd to feel brave." He still had the nerve to mock Zane Yare, and he did it like he was chatting over tea. The Yare family youths who had come along stared, stunned, as if their minds had stalled. Was this really the useless trash who used to bow and scrape in front of them, grinning with flattery? Rage boiled up from Zane Yare's feet and rushed straight to his head. Hatred flickered in his eyes, then burst into flame. "Good. Very good." Zane Yare's voice turned sharp. "You got lucky and picked up a little strength, so you don't look like a Lackey anymore. You beat Lucas Casson and actually think you're invincible, don't you? You've successfully pissed me off. Brothers, tell me. What should I do?" "Cripple him!" The shouts rose in waves. Zane Yare lifted a hand, as if he were being reasonable. "Sorry, that was their suggestion. Your behavior today feels wrong to us. We're used to the old you, the old Lackey Lucian Yare. So I'll put in a little effort and turn you back into what you were." Lucian Lawes curled his lip. "If you want to fight, stop flapping your gums. Everything you say is dogshit to me. Dragging a bunch of kids to my door first thing in the morning to spew dogshit… it's a pretty spectacular sight." That last line snapped something. Zane Yare had always looked down from on high. In his mind, Lucian Lawes was an ant. To be humiliated by that ant made him lose all restraint. "Bastard, you're asking to die! If I don't cripple you today, I won't be a Yare!" His aura exploded outward. The pressure of the Fourth Level Dragon Pulse Realm slammed down on Lucian Lawes like a mountain. "They're fighting!" The onlookers scattered in a rush, leaving only Zane Yare and Lucian Lawes in the open space. "This pressure feels about the same as last night," Lucian Lawes thought, steady as stone, "but it isn't enough to make me take even half a step back." The Fourth Level Dragon Pulse Realm was fierce, but Lucian Lawes was no longer weak. A faint starlight shimmered across his skin. His Stellar Battle Body, already tempered to frightening toughness, refused to yield to that crushing force. "A mere Second Level Dragon Pulse Realm," Zane Yare sneered, "and you dare dream of fighting me? You'll pay for your ignorance!" Like a whirlwind, Zane Yare charged. He barked a series of furious shouts and threw punch after punch in a blur, forcing Lucian Lawes to dodge again and again. "Tch. Lucian Yare was acting tough just a second ago. I thought he had some trump card," someone jeered. "Turns out Zane makes one move and he's running for his life." "Nothing but a joke." Laughter erupted. Fingers pointed. They chatted as if they were watching a show. Lucian Lawes slipped past another strike and glanced at them. "A bunch of stupid donkeys," he cursed inwardly. Then he looked back at Zane Yare with a grin. "Zane Yare, is that all you've got?" Zane Yare wasn't as brainless as the crowd. Lucian Lawes looked like he was being chased all over the place, but his footwork stayed controlled and clean. No panic, no chaos. Zane Yare went all out and still couldn't land a solid hit, and unease crept into his chest. "Something's off," he thought. "He's only at the Second Level Dragon Pulse Realm. His dodging is good, but he can't have any real way to attack." With that in mind, Zane Yare's mouth twisted into a cold smile. He drove a punch forward and roared, "Coward! All you know is how to dodge? If you're a man, fight me head-on!" After that brief exchange, Lucian Lawes had a clear sense of Zane Yare's strength. In terms of True Energy, Zane Yare surpassed him by several times. But with Minor Completion of Stellar Battle Body, Lucian Lawes's power and speed exceeded ordinary Third Level Dragon Pulse Realm Martial Artists by several times. His defense was even more monstrous. With those advantages, his gaze turned icy. As Zane Yare's fist came howling in, Lucian Lawes didn't retreat. He stepped into it and threw his own punch. "Fierce Tiger Fist!" "Fierce Tiger Fist!" Two mountain tigers collided head-on! Bang! Both of them were forced back. Heavy footsteps stamped into the stone slabs, leaving clear prints. Behind Zane Yare, one slab even cracked under his heel. "What?" Zane Yare finally steadied himself, staring. "How can his strength be that great?" Lucian Lawes had slid back less than he had. The sight hit Zane Yare like a slap across the face. Behind him, the Yare family youths froze, every grin stiffening into disbelief. "Well?" Lucian Lawes lifted his chin. "Did that punch satisfy you? Zane Yare, your Fierce Tiger Fist isn't much." Suspicion and shock churned in Zane Yare's mind. "A few days ago he wasn't even a Martial Artist. Then he showed up at the Second Level Dragon Pulse Realm and beat Lucas Casson. He was clearly hiding something. Does he actually have Fourth Level Dragon Pulse Realm strength? Fourth level… and he endured all this without showing it. What is he planning?" Lucian Lawes watched him with that easy, smiling expression, and Zane Yare's fury burned so hot it nearly consumed him. "No. Impossible. He can't have that kind of power. He must've used some weird trick to create this effect. He knows Fierce Tiger Fist, sure, but this time… even if he hid it before, even if he used some dirty method, I'll still kill him!" With a violent roar, Zane Yare surged forward like a meteor crashing down, smashing toward Lucian Lawes. The sheer momentum forced the younger Yare family youths to stumble back, tongues clicking in awe. "Zane really is something," someone gasped. "He even mastered the mid-grade Battle Technique, Falling Star Fist. Under Falling Star Fist, that guy will be nothing but a corpse!"