Chapter 7: Thunderbolt on a Clear Day

The old butler's words fell like a thunderbolt, stunning not only Yang Qi but also a master like Yang Zhan, whose head buzzed and face turned pale.

"Where are they now?"

Yang Zhan asked, his voice trembling.

"Master, the second young master sent out a distress signal, and I immediately led a group of experts to rescue them. However, the assailant had already vanished without a trace. The two young masters have been brought back, but..." The old butler paused again.

"But what?"

"The first and second young masters have suffered severe internal injuries, their meridians are damaged, and they are poisoned. Even if they recover, their martial arts will regress, and they will never be as strong as before." The old butler struggled to state the harsh reality.

"What..." Yang Zhan took several steps back, looking as if he had aged ten years. Yang Qi clenched his fists, a surge of murderous intent rising within him.

"Butler, bring my elder brother and second brother in. Father's martial arts are profound; he might be able to help them expel the poison and treat their injuries." Yang Qi said calmly, taking a few steps forward.

"Yes, Third Young Master." The old butler waved his hand, and immediately, several guards rushed in, carrying two stretchers covered in blood. A young man in his mid-twenties and a teenager around twenty years old lay on them, their faces ashen, clearly poisoned and bearing multiple palm prints from powerful martial artists, with broken bones and severed meridians.

Even if they survived, they would never be able to advance in their martial arts again.

"Brother, Second Brother!" Yang Qi strode forward, calling out, but they were already unconscious and could not hear him.

"Who did this? Who hurt my brother and second brother?" Yang Qi, now more mature, though angry, remained calm.

Buzz!

At that moment, Yang Zhan moved, and with a wave of his hand, a milky white energy formed into two human figures, identical to himself—human-shaped true qi!

The two human-shaped true qi figures, as swift as lightning, entered the bodies of Yang Qi's elder brother and second brother. Immediately, their bodies began to crackle, and the poison was forced out as their meridians repaired themselves.

"Human-shaped true qi!" Almost all the Yang family experts present were stunned, looking at Yang Zhan in disbelief. "He actually has human-shaped true qi, which can only be achieved by reaching the Qi Master realm, where one's qi forms a human shape."

"Qi Master realm, the ninth stage of qi cultivation, where true qi takes form and moves freely, possessing some intelligence. Yang Zhan has reached this level. Although human-shaped true qi lacks intelligence, it is highly agile and is almost at the ninth stage of the Qi Master realm."

"Such formidable strength..."

"Father can actually condense his true qi into a human shape, though it hasn't yet developed intelligence, it is still a remarkable feat." Yang Qi was also deeply impressed.

However, the two human-shaped true qi figures entered the bodies of Yang Qi's elder brother and second brother, repairing their meridians and expelling the poison, but new poison slowly began to form.

This was a rare and almost incurable poison.

"Shadow Poison!"

Suddenly, Yang Xu shouted, shivering.

"Shadow Poison" is a secret technique of a certain sect. Although it is not fatal, it lingers like a shadow, causing lifelong suffering and is impossible to remove. Those who are poisoned suffer for the rest of their lives.

"Shadow Poison, a poison that cannot be removed. It is said to be the secret technique of the Western Shadow Poison Sect. Even at the Qi Master realm, one cannot resist its penetration, unless one is a Life-Stealing Realm expert."

"It seems these two are also ruined, just like Yang Qi, unable to cultivate martial arts for the rest of their lives."

"Yang Zhan said his sons were not useless, but now they are all useless. Ha, three useless ones." A young talent couldn't resist whispering.

His voice was low but grating.

This was like a leaky roof meeting a downpour. Everyone knew that Yang Zhan was finished. The elders would not let him remain the family head after this, especially since all his descendants were now useless. How could they inherit the family business?

To be a family head, the first requirement is a thriving lineage, followed by strength and profound martial arts cultivation. If a genius appears in a family, his father's status also rises, as the future of a genius is limitless.

Originally, Yang Zhan's three sons were all young talents. The eldest son reached the Explosive Qi realm at twenty-two, the second son, now twenty, was on the verge of the fourth stage of Qi Cultivation, and the third son, Yang Qi, was about to break through to the fifth stage of Explosive Qi at eighteen.

Now, the third son, Yang Qi, had committed a grave mistake, his martial arts were ruined, and he had brought great trouble to the family. The eldest and second sons were poisoned with Shadow Poison, suffering for life. Their lineage was effectively ruined.

This series of misfortunes brought great satisfaction to many, as the fall of the family head meant more opportunities for them.

"Who? Who said the word 'useless'? Step forward!" Yang Qi, with ears that could hear ants fighting, identified the young talent standing behind Yang Shi, Yang Shi's son, Yang Feng.

This tall young man, twenty-six years old, had long entered the Explosive Qi realm. He had reached the Explosive Qi realm at twenty-four and had been cultivating for two years, making his skills even deeper.

He had always been wary of Yang Qi, who, if nothing had gone wrong, would have successfully reached the Explosive Qi realm before twenty.

Hearing Yang Qi's accusation, Yang Feng coldly smiled, stepped forward, and looked down with disdain. "What? I said it. Aren't you all useless? Look, two of you are heavily poisoned and will suffer for life, and you, with your qi sea destroyed, are a complete waste. Even worse than useless. You're disgracing the Yang family."

"Is that so?"

Yang Qi said calmly, "Yang Feng, if you call me useless, let's have a match and see who is really useless."

"Qi, this isn't the time to be arrogant. Come back." Yang Zhan gestured.

"Brother Yang, let the young ones argue. As the family head, you don't need to intervene. Your son is a criminal and still talks back. What gives him the right?" Yang Shi stood up.

"Father, I know what I'm doing." Yang Qi's eyes flashed.

Yang Zhan looked at his son, his eyes filled with surprise. He seemed to sense something.

"How do we fight? You're completely ruined. I could crush you with one finger. Even if you weren't ruined, you wouldn't be my match." Yang Feng clapped his hands. "But if you insist on finding death, I'll oblige you. In front of everyone, I won't make the first move. You're the one seeking death."

"Right, Yang Feng, show him." A young talent whistled, egging him on. "Maybe Yang Qi still thinks his martial arts aren't ruined. He's living in a dream."

"Knock some sense into him, make him see the truth."

"This Yang Qi, reaching the peak of the fourth stage of Qi Cultivation at eighteen, was indeed impressive. But now that his martial arts are ruined, he's still so arrogant. If we don't teach him a lesson, he might die at someone else's hands." ... The young disciples of the Yang family laughed loudly.

"Who's seeking death? We'll know once we fight."

Yang Qi stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the room, not acting like someone whose martial arts were ruined. "I'll remember everyone who laughed the loudest. Aren't you supposed to have a competition among the young generation? Let's start now. I want to see if you can still laugh."

"Arrogant."

Yang Feng's pupils narrowed, and suddenly, a circle of cold energy burst from his body. He covered his fingers, and the cold energy formed a net, enveloping Yang Qi.

"Heavenly Cold Net!"

This was a move from the Yang family's Ice Energy technique. When it struck, the cold energy would pierce the meridians, freezing the body.

At the moment the energy reached him, Yang Qi moved.

As he moved, his muscles twitched and exploded, like an ancient giant beast coming to life. A fierce aura made everyone feel suffocated, as if a demon from the ancient hell had appeared.

Boom!

His body shook, and the invisible Ice Energy Net was torn apart. Yang Qi's body vanished, almost shrinking the distance, and in the next blink, he appeared in front of Yang Feng, delivering a punch.

His steps were like those of a rampaging elephant, causing the entire meeting hall to tremble, the pillars creaking, and dust falling from the beams.

This punch was like an explosion, incredibly powerful.

Yang Feng's face changed drastically. In the nick of time, he activated his Ice Energy technique, crossing his arms in front of his chest and shouting, "Iron Lock Across the River!"

But before he finished, he was hit by a punch, flying through the air in a parabolic arc, crashing out of the hall. His arms were broken, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He landed on the stone floor, half-dead, staring at Yang Qi with wide eyes. He couldn't even say "you" before fainting.

One punch, just one punch, and the fifth-stage Explosive Qi realm Yang Feng was left worse than dead. Even against a sixth-stage expert, he wouldn't have been so helpless, at least able to resist for a few moves.

"What?"

Yang Shi, as if pricked by a needle, clenched his hand, shattering the chair beneath him. He stared at Yang Qi, then flew out, supporting Yang Feng and channeling true qi into his son's body.

Everyone was stunned, unable to believe that someone whose martial arts were clearly ruined, with his qi sea destroyed, could be so powerful.

---

End of Chapter 7