Chapter 99: Granting Your Wish

With the Dragon-Slaying Needle embedded in his body, Ao Fei was reduced to barely thirty percent of his true strength. On top of that, he was plagued by weakness, agonizing aches, and persistent itching; such a physical state would only further handicap his combat capability. To make matters worse, he had suffered grave injuries during the pursuit led by Ao Yun’s party.

"With the Heaven-One Profound Water Canopy shielding me, Ao Fei’s strength crippled, and him lacking any magical artifact capable of piercing my defense, the victory is firmly within my grasp. Why should I fear a battle with him? This will be the perfect way to wash away the stifling grievances of the past." Seeing no possibility of defeat, Ao Yun sneered as he watched Ao Fei approach step by step. He raised his spear, pointing it forward, his spirit burning with boundless desire for combat.

"I never imagined you and Father would conspire against me. Is the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy truly so important?" A complex expression crossed Ao Fei’s face.

In truth, everyone harbors selfishness, and the bond between father and son is no exception. When Ao Fei had stumbled upon the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy, he had once considered offering it to the North Sea Dragon King. But faced with the immense temptation of an instant ascent in power and status, he chose to keep it for himself. In his mind, even if the North Sea Dragon King eventually discovered it, it would not matter—they were father and son, after all; what difference did it make who possessed it? Yet, Ao Yun’s words pierced deep into his heart. The father who had always doted on him had turned against him for the sake of a mere artifact.

"The Ancestral Dragon’s legacy is of monumental importance; the rise and revival of our Dragon Clan may depend upon it. There can be no room for error. Father’s every word and action are under close scrutiny, which is why he had to stage this charade with me. If you truly care for Father, you should be sensible and hand over the legacy. It would greatly bolster his strength—perhaps even allow him to ascend to become the second-most powerful being, second only to the Turbid Dragon. You wouldn't need to suffer in this bitter, barren North Sea anymore."

"If that is the case, then come with me to see Father! I will present the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy to him myself." Ao Fei desperately tried to salvage their familial bond.

"Go back together? Hmph, there is no need for that. Just hand the legacy over to me, and I shall present it to Father on your behalf. As for you? Let us settle everything between us today once and for all!"

"Settle it? What grievances could there possibly be between us?" Ao Fei was utterly bewildered. He had always believed he treated his younger brother with kindness, maintaining a harmonious brotherly relationship. They had never even raised their voices at each other; how could there be any grievances? He simply could not comprehend it.

Seeing Ao Fei’s confusion, Ao Yun roared with intense emotion, "From childhood, you were better than me in everything! In the eyes of Father, Mother, and the entire North Sea Dragon Clan, there was only you. They called you the prodigy of the Dragon Clan, but what of me? My talent and potential were no less than yours, yet the supreme techniques of the Dragon Clan were passed to you and not to me. When others spoke of me, they only referred to me as 'Ao Fei’s brother.' Hahaha! I could have endured that, but you insisted on flaunting your superiority to humiliate me, all while masking it as 'taking care' of me. Hehehe..."

"When did I ever flaunt or humiliate you?"

"Since it has come to this, I will not hide it anymore. From the time we were small, you gave me magical artifacts and spiritual pills to boost my strength, rare antiques and books for amusement, and even stepped in to settle scores for me when I lost duels to our clansmen. I was grateful for that, but it also made me despise you even more. Perhaps in your eyes, these were nothing, but have you ever stood in my shoes? What was that, if not showing off that you were wealthier and stronger than me? You were the hero, but ever since then, those same clansmen I dueled would distance themselves from me, despise me, mock me, look down on me, sneer at me, and curse me!" Pain flickered in Ao Yun’s eyes; the past was too agonizing to recall.

"Little Brother, I never intended for..."

"Enough! Say no more. Fate is cruel; the heavens should never have made us brothers. Today, either you die or I do. In this life, I have been inferior to you in every way, but this time, no matter what, I will defeat you with this spear in my hand! Defeat you! Truly defeat you!" Ao Yun repeated the word "defeat" three times, venting his innermost desire—or perhaps his obsession.

*Whoosh!*

With a flick of his hand, the Heaven-One Profound Water Canopy retracted into his body.

"Even if I win, I do not wish to take advantage of you. Let us have a fair and square duel! In truth, if it weren't for you constantly suppressing me with your cultivation, this battle would have happened long ago. I fear not even the most supreme techniques you practice. The Dragon-Slaying Needle has suppressed your strength to less than thirty percent, you were already severely wounded, and your preferred weapon is destroyed. Take this Creation Pill and this spear; now our strengths are roughly equal. Let us end this grudge with this battle!" With that, he tossed a pale purple pill, the size of a dragon’s eye, and a bright silver spear similar to his own.

The fragrance of the pill was intoxicating, and the spear shimmered with a chilling light. However, Qing Xu watched on with indifference. Though the Creation Pill and the silver spear were top-tier immortal medicines and divine weapons—rare treasures in the world—at this moment, he was far more concerned with this tale of brotherly vengeance.

Previously, Qing Xu had felt disdain for Ao Yun’s character, but he now realized that people cannot be so simply categorized as good or bad. Everything has its cause and effect; every "villain," no matter how deranged or beastly, carries a deep scar hidden within the depths of their soul.

If even kinship and loyalty can evolve into hatred, what in this world can be considered absolute?

"The extreme of Yang gives birth to Yin, and the extreme of Yin gives birth to Yang. This is the truth of Yin and Yang—that all things eventually reverse when they reach their extreme. Everything in the universe cannot escape the law of Yin and Yang. A Daluo Golden Immortal enjoys eternal life, immortal and undying, perhaps transcending the Three Realms and Five Elements, yet they remain within the cycle of Yin and Yang. I suspect that once one perceives the Dao of Yin and Yang, one might approach the Hunyuan Saintly Dao!" In an instant, Qing Xu seemed to touch upon something, yet it felt incredibly distant. He felt as though he had progressed, yet simultaneously regressed. It was an ineffable, profound sensation—something to be felt, not spoken.

"Perhaps... this is the Dao."

Ao Fei received the Creation Pill and the silver spear, staring at them blankly, lost in thought. After a long while, a warm smile appeared on his lips as he looked at Ao Yun: "I shall fulfill your wish. Let us settle the grievances of the past with this battle."

"Very well. Take the pill to heal your wounds and restore your spirit. I will first deal with these lackeys, or I shall never be at ease." Ao Yun had already crossed swords with the soldiers, forging a blood feud; he did not want any complications to arise after his duel with Ao Fei. He could do nothing about the high-level cultivation of Qing Xu, but he was determined to eliminate any hidden dangers within his power. True to his nature, he prepared to activate the Heaven-One Profound Water Canopy to slaughter the soldiers one by one.

"Gulp!" Ignoring the fate of the soldiers, Ao Fei swallowed the Creation Pill and sat cross-legged upon the cresting waves of the sea, beginning to circulate his energy to heal and revitalize himself.

"There is no need for such trouble. Let me handle these people. You simply focus on resolving your feud. If you are fortunate enough to win, I shall not make things difficult for you; you may take the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy as you please, and I shall keep this matter to myself." Qing Xu spoke from the depths of his heart. A gentleman has things he will do and things he will not. He did not consider himself a gentleman, but he was no villain either. He held his own set of principles. Having understood the conflict between the brothers, he had no desire to kick them while they were down. The Ancestral Dragon’s legacy might be precious, but could it compare to the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Flag? The Yuxu Palace Lamp? The Mysterious Yellow Bowl? If it were truly that matchless, the Ancestral Dragon would not have perished in the first place.