Chapter 17: Dafeng Hall

The sword light was majestic; it enveloped the entire space in an instant.

At this moment, the Earth Dragons sensed the terrifying fluctuations radiating from Lu Jin. They immediately turned and fled in all directions. Though they had been the aggressors moments ago, the sheer weight of the Sin-Fire Prison-Suppressing Sword’s aura shattered their resolve. They no longer dared to attack.

Buzz!

Lu Jin’s spiritual power erupted. He funneled it recklessly into the longsword. The brilliance of the Sin-Fire Prison-Suppressing Sword surged as it pierced through the skull of a dragon in a single strike.

Swish!

A strange energy flooded back into the sword, transforming into raw fuel. The weapon’s aura spiked again. For an opponent, watching their enemy’s power grow mid-battle would be enough to cause a total mental collapse.

The longsword carved a path through the dark. The Earth Dragons had no means of resistance; they were slaughtered in heartbeats. Lu Jin did not hold back. There was no one here to witness him, so there was no need to hide his depth.

As the life of each dragon was harvested, the energy of the Sin-Fire Prison-Suppressing Sword climbed higher. Its lethality became increasingly horrific. Lu Jin was satisfied with the progress. In fact, when the last dragon fell and the cavern grew silent, he felt a twinge of disappointment.

It’s a pity there weren’t more. Otherwise, this sword could have accumulated even more majestic energy.

He looked at the corpses strewn across the silent space, his hunger for power still not entirely sated.

“Wait… Brother Lu Jin, what happened here?”

After a while, Mo Chen returned. When he saw the floor littered with the carcasses of the entire pack, he froze in place like a statue.

“It’s settled. Let’s go.”

Mo Chen was speechless.

Lu Jin gave a calm smile. “Don’t make a fuss. Saving people is the priority. Ling Tao is a Snake Catcher, yet he was wounded this badly. It won’t be easy to treat him.”

Mo Chen finally recovered from his shock. “Brother Lu Jin is right! In that case, let us move…”

He remained deeply conflicted. As a fellow member of the Holy Tabernacle, Lu Jin’s strength was so far beyond his imagination that he couldn’t help but feel a sense of inferiority. Yet, he was genuinely happy that their organization had such a powerful brother.

Zi Xuan had already carried Ling Tao out of the Thunder Abyss. However, when Lu Jin and Mo Chen emerged, they discovered that the unconscious Elder Chen Jiang was gone.

“Brother Lu Jin, that old bastard Chen Jiang escaped!” Zi Xuan’s face was flush with anger.

“It doesn’t matter. He didn’t hear what we said about the Holy Tabernacle. Right now, treating Brother Ling Tao is more important.”

Zi Xuan nodded. “He is too heavily wounded. He’s already slipped into a coma. The only one who can heal him is Master Fenglang, who is also a Snake Catcher.”

“Master Fenglang?” Lu Jin frowned. He had never heard of the man.

“Master Fenglang is a Snake Catcher, but he is also a physician. However, he has a bizarre personality. To seek his treatment, one must satisfy a condition. These conditions are often unpredictable and strange. Many people have lost their lives because they couldn’t meet his demands.”

“Oh? There’s such an eccentric person?” Lu Jin chuckled. “Lead the way. I want to see just what kind of methods this master possesses.”

Seeing Lu Jin’s confidence, Mo Chen and Zi Xuan agreed. They carried Ling Tao toward the master’s residence: the Dafeng Hall.

“This wound was caused by a fire-attribute Earth Dragon. It won’t be easy to heal.”

Inside Dafeng Hall, a young physician stepped out. After inspecting the wounds, he shook his head dismissively.

“We seek Master Fenglang—”

Mo Chen began, but the young man cut him off.

“My master is not at home. If you want to save this man, one of you must first sit in this medicine refining cauldron for three days. Then we will talk.”

The group’s brows furrowed. Mo Chen’s temper flared instantly. “What? You want us to do that before you even start the treatment? That’s illogical!”

The young physician sneered. “Whether he is saved or not is up to you.”

Mo Chen was about to argue further, but Lu Jin spoke up with a smile. “I’ll do it.”

Mo Chen turned to him, worried. “Brother Lu Jin, forget the danger of the cauldron for a moment. If we wait three days, Brother Ling Tao might not even last that long!”

Lu Jin merely smiled. “Don’t worry. If they fail to heal Ling Tao, I will make this Dafeng Hall disappear from the face of the earth.”

The statement made Mo Chen and Zi Xuan’s hearts skip a beat. This was Dafeng Hall! While they didn’t have many high-level combatants, they had a vast reputation and were protected by various powerful factions. No one dared to cross them.

“Heh, quite the big talker!” The young physician laughed, though he didn’t say anything else. He pointed to a large cauldron in the center of the room. “Get in. But we might need to use this cauldron for refining during those three days. If you come out halfway, the deal is off.”

Lu Jin’s gaze finally changed. “Heh. Dafeng Hall really lives up to its name. Your master, Fenglang, is truly a rare specimen in this world.”

The young physician’s face went cold. “Do not disrespect my master!”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. A chilling scent of medicinal herbs filled the air, radiating from the young man himself. The scent carried a strange weight: a form of pressure.

“Now, you aren’t even qualified to enter the cauldron. Get out!”

Mo Chen was finished with the games. “Who are you to decide what happens? There is no such logic in this world!”

The young man laughed. “What? You can’t take it? Then why aren’t you gone yet?”

Slap!

The sound of a crisp, sharp slap rang out. It happened so fast that no one saw who moved. Half of the physician’s face swelled up instantly.

“Who! Who dares strike me!” He clutched his face, his teeth gritted in rage.

“Master Fenglang, your disciple is in this state, and you still refuse to show yourself?” Lu Jin’s voice rang out, arrogant and fearless.

“My master isn’t home! You dare hit me? Today, I’ll make sure you never leave Dafeng Hall alive!” the apprentice threatened.

Slap!

The other half of his face swelled up immediately.

“Show yourself, or Dafeng Hall turns to dust today.” Lu Jin’s voice was freezing. He had no patience for this standoff.

“Bastard! You dare strike me? I am the head disciple of Dafeng Hall! You are courting death!”

The physician continued to bark, but he regretted his recklessness in the next second. Lu Jin delivered a flying kick that sent the man soaring. He slammed into the wall with a heavy thud, vomiting blood as his aura withered instantly.