Chapter 16: Greatly Shocked

"Fortunately, my daughter had the help of a noble person who repelled the bandits from the Shadow Poison Sect. Who exactly helped you? Do I know him? We should thank him properly. Is he a talented disciple from a prestigious family? Or a renowned elder?" Yan Gufeng continued to ask.

"This person might be known to Father. He is a talented individual from the Yang family, with a profound level of qi cultivation that surpasses mine. Although he is at the sixth stage of qi cultivation, he is in no way inferior to a seventh-stage expert. If he were to enter our True Dragon Academy, he would be considered a top-notch genius." Yan Feixia spoke highly of Yang Qi, having witnessed firsthand the grandeur of this young man who, with his powerful qi, shattered the Golden Bell Covering Body Great Qi Technique and sent the leader of the black-clothed men flying with a punch, his mighty figure often flashing in her mind.

She had never seen such a heroic young man before.

The "Divine Elephant Hell Suppressing Technique" surpassed all other qi techniques, its supreme power to suppress hell having a profound impact on anyone's heart.

Yang Qi had not yet reached the highest realm of cultivation; otherwise, he would have subdued all demons, commanding the countless demon gods in the universe, becoming the strongest force.

"Yang family's talented individual? Who?"

Yan Gufeng's face changed dramatically, his eyes filled with peculiar expressions.

"Yang Qi."

Yan Feixia uttered two words.

"What? Yang Qi? Are you sure it's him?" Yan Gufeng was greatly shocked, almost breaking his qi, "Impossible, his qi cultivation was already nullified by Luo Hun, and he was struck by lightning. He should be crippled. How could he help you?"

"Is that true? Why did Father nullify his qi cultivation?" Yan Feixia immediately asked, having just returned home and unaware of the recent events.

"Hmph! This boy actually stole my 'Dragon Subduing Pill.' You know, I once traveled and received the legacy of a senior, Dragon Subduing True Man, and had two Dragon Subduing Pills left. I took one and advanced to the Qi Master realm. This one was meant for you, to enhance your qi cultivation when you returned from your studies, so you could secure a place at the True Dragon Academy. But this boy stole it! It almost killed me with anger! I didn't kill him on the spot only because of Yang Susu at the Heavenly Position Academy."

Yan Gufeng's tone was filled with murderous intent.

"Father? I only met Yang Qi briefly, but he had an extraordinary aura. Could he have stolen the Dragon Subduing Pill? Could there be a mistake? Besides, the Dragon Subduing Pill is in Father's secret chamber, heavily guarded. How could he have stolen it?" Yan Feixia asked a series of questions.

"Someone very familiar with the mechanisms of my secret chamber used various methods to enter it. I have already investigated and found that the little demoness Yun Hai Lan from Yunhai City seduced Yang Qi. Seeing that my city lord's residence and the Yang family had some business dealings, she instructed Yang Qi to infiltrate it. In short, this boy is a fool, ignorant and foolish."

Yan Gufeng cursed angrily.

"How did he recover his qi cultivation? And it's so powerful?" Yan Feixia frowned.

"Investigate!"

Yan Gufeng waved his hand, and a burst of qi shot out, exploding like fireworks outside the study, alarming the entire city lord's residence.

Immediately, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh... countless figures moved, and several people in fine clothing knelt on the steps outside the study: "Greetings, Lord, Miss."

"I heard that the young man from the Yang family has recovered his strength. What exactly happened? Investigate for me." Yan Gufeng waved his hand, exuding an aura of command over thousands of troops.

These experts bowed and disappeared. About half an hour later, they gathered at the study door. This time, it was Luo Hun, dressed in cold iron armor like a steel giant, who stepped forward and knelt on one knee: "City Lord, Miss, we have investigated thoroughly. It seems that Yang Qi was struck by lightning that day, and for some reason, his body underwent a transformation, becoming incredibly strong and his true qi abundant. It is said that with only fifth-stage explosive qi cultivation, he defeated the sixth-stage elder Yang Kui in the Yang family meeting hall, earning the praise of the elders."

The city lord's forces were indeed powerful, and their intelligence was accurate. Many noble families did not know the details of the Yang family meeting, but they had investigated it within half an hour.

"Struck by lightning? Causing a body transformation? Could that boy have such good luck?" Yan Gufeng fell into deep thought, "He advanced from the fourth stage of qi cultivation all the way to the current sixth stage. Daughter, are you sure he is at the sixth stage of qi cultivation?"

"Definitely. Otherwise, he couldn't have defeated the seventh-stage expert from the Shadow Poison Sect." Yan Feixia recounted the battle in detail to Yan Gufeng.

The more Yan Gufeng listened, the more alarmed he became: "You mean he used sixth-stage qi cultivation to shatter the seventh-stage Golden Bell Covering Body Great Qi Technique? And this qi technique was enhanced by a bronze bell treasure? This is completely unreasonable."

His cultivation was profound, reaching the Qi Master realm, and his understanding of qi techniques was extremely thorough. According to his knowledge, it was almost impossible for sixth-stage qi cultivation to counter seventh-stage qi techniques. Even the most extraordinary geniuses could only achieve a draw. Not to mention the Golden Bell Covering Body Great Qi Technique, which was enhanced by a golden bell.

This was beyond what a normal person could achieve.

"This boy must have some secrets, not just the tempering by lightning..." a thought flashed through Yan Gufeng's mind.

"Father, no matter what, he saved me, and I will remember this kindness. As for the theft of the Dragon Subduing Pill, he was deceived by others. Isn't the Yang family compensating for the loss?" Yan Feixia, seeing her father still furious, could not help but persuade him.

"Alright, I won't pursue this matter. Originally, I would never have let the Yang family off, intending to gradually eliminate them from Yan Capital!" Yan Gufeng's tone softened: "Luo Hun."

"Here!"

The steel giant Luo Hun stood up, "What are your orders, City Lord?"

"Investigate further, secretly track the Shadow Poison Sect. Mobilize all our forces; I want to see what the Shadow Poison Sect is up to, daring to attack my daughter in Yan Capital." Yan Gufeng was truly angry this time.

"Also, daughter, rest for a few days at home, meet your siblings, and guide them in the qi techniques of the True Dragon Academy. See if they have the potential to study there."

The True Dragon Academy was also a giant academy on the Fertile Continent. Although its history was not as long as the Heavenly Position Academy, it could rival the top academy, ranking in the top five among the large sects on the Fertile Continent, with formidable strength surpassing the Shadow Poison Sect.

"Alright."

Yan Feixia seemed somewhat tired and needed rest. She had fought with the Shadow Poison Sect's experts, and her true qi was not lightly depleted.

After his daughter left, Yan Gufeng sat quietly in his chair, deep in thought. After a long while, a smile appeared on his lips: "The Yang family has produced such a freak. The boy turned a disaster into a blessing, his body tempered by lightning. On the Fertile Continent, I have heard of incidents where people were occasionally struck by lightning and survived, leading to rapid cultivation progress. The Yang family has always been a major threat. If this boy grows up, in ten years, he might become a ninth-stage Qi Master, and Yang Zhan's cultivation is also approaching the Qi Master realm. If this continues, the position of city lord of the Yan family might not be secure. On this Fertile Continent, many noble families have rebelled, killed the city lord, and taken his place."

On the Fertile Continent, each city was like a vassal state, nominally loyal to the Holy Ancestor Dynasty as the emperor, but in reality, they only paid annual tribute and were otherwise independent.

However, within each city, besides the city lord's residence, there were also powerful noble families and influential relatives who held significant power. Sometimes, they would rebel and kill the lord.

On the entire Fertile Continent, countless vassal states and cities experienced such events daily. As a city lord, one had to be vigilant about these matters. The Holy Ancestor Dynasty generally did not manage these affairs, as long as the annual tribute was paid.

Moreover, the power of the Holy Ancestor Dynasty was gradually declining. On the Fertile Continent, thousands of states vied for supremacy, and numerous schools of thought flourished, with qi cultivation experts emerging one after another, and "traitors and rebels" were countless.

Now, the entire Yan Capital, covering a thousand miles, was under the rule of the Yan family, rightfully called "Yan State." Although Yan Capital was only a third-rate city on the continent, it was quite prosperous, and controlling it meant enjoying endless resources and wealth.

"Spread my word. In half a month, invite the young talents from the major noble families in Yan Capital to my city lord's residence for a banquet. Officially, it will be to welcome my daughter Yan Feixia back from the True Dragon Academy and to celebrate her return. At the same time, I will observe if there are any outstanding young talents who catch my daughter's eye and gain her favor, and I will recruit them as my son-in-law."

He tapped the table.

Luo Hun immediately understood, "City Lord, this is a good idea. First, it allows us to observe the movements of the major noble families and their outstanding disciples. Second, it probably aims to use the hands of other noble families to eliminate Yang Qi, causing internal strife among the major noble families, thus consolidating the city lord's power."

"Exactly, Luo Hun, you are a wise man. Knowing my intentions, go and do it. Also, keep an eye on Yang Zhan. He was extraordinary from a young age, having consumed the Sky-Stealing Grass. Once he becomes a Qi Master, he will be a significant threat to our Yan family. Furthermore, once our Yan Capital fully integrates the major noble families, if the True Dragon Academy supports us, we will rename it as the Yan State." Yan Gufeng said coldly.

Luo Hun was stunned, "Rename it as the Yan State, this means breaking away from the rule of the Holy Ancestor Dynasty."

"Exactly, our Yan City will establish its own state, gradually annexing other cities, expanding our territory. After thousands of years, unifying the Fertile Continent and ruling the world is not impossible." Yan Gufeng said coldly, "I have already reached the peak of the Qi Master realm. If I have the opportunity, I will advance to the Life Seizing Realm, extending my lifespan several times. With a hundred years of effort, I will accomplish this great cause. This ambition is the wish of our Yan family's ancestors, Luo Hun, you must assist me well."

"Yes!"

Luo Hun bowed deeply.