Xu Ke felt as if his body were being roasted in a furnace. Everywhere, traces of rampaging Dragon Essence could be found. The Dragon Essence originally within his body was being decisively beaten back.

However, he didn't know when it started, but a familiar stream of True Qi had surged in. Xu Ke instinctively seized this True Qi to suppress the volatile Dragon Essence. He now knew that with his current strength, he could no longer absorb it; he could only find a way to expel it.

Expelling the Dragon Essence didn't require as much True Qi as absorbing it. But because the amount that had entered his body this time was unimaginably immense, Xu Ke could only greedily draw upon the external True Qi. Fortunately, that stream of True Qi was a constant support, providing him with an uninterrupted flow of power to drive the Dragon Essence out.

「...」

An unknown amount of time passed.

BANG.

Seeing Xu Ke's body go limp as he finally calmed down, Duan Chongfeng let out an exhausted sigh. Damn it…

His face was pale. He couldn't imagine what kind of force Xu Ke had been enduring. Even as an Innate Martial Artist, I've drained all my True Qi… This is simply outrageous!

「...」

Duan Chongfeng was still filled with lingering fear. When the black-clad elder with a terrifying aura had brought Xu Ke over, Duan Chongfeng saw he was unconscious and assumed the elder had done something to him. But as soon as he assessed Xu Ke's condition, he immediately understood—the same thing that had happened at the Zhou Family's home was happening to Xu Ke again.

That was why he hadn't asked any questions and had hurriedly brought him to a room for treatment.

「...」

After getting Xu Ke settled, Duan Chongfeng left the room. It was already afternoon. He looked outside at the black-clad elder standing on the balcony, basking in the afternoon sun. A hint of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

Where on earth did this Innate of Great Perfection come from? Xu Ke has quite a few powerful backers!

"Senior…" Duan Chongfeng stepped forward to greet him.

"How is Xu Ke?" the elder asked.

"He's temporarily safe, but the Zhou Family will have to deal with his injuries," Duan Chongfeng said. Besides the rampaging Dragon Essence, Xu Ke's entire left side was nearly crippled. Faced with such a situation, he didn't dare to treat the injuries recklessly, so he could only leave him be once he had calmed down.

The elder frowned. "Don't you have a doctor here?"

Duan Chongfeng smiled bitterly. "Xu Ke's injuries are too severe. Besides himself, only the Zhou Family can handle them."

"Himself?" The elder was curious. "Is Xu Ke a doctor?"

"That's right, and a top-notch Divine Doctor, at that," Duan Chongfeng nodded.

The elder let out a surprised "oh."

At this moment, Duan Chongfeng couldn't help but ask, "Senior, may I ask what happened to Xu Ke?"

"He was ambushed by the Ye Family, the Huang Family, and people from Wong Ting," the black-clad elder said without concealment.

Hearing this, Duan Chongfeng's pupils shrank. "What?! They're that bold?"

"They probably thought it was a sure thing, but before I even had to make a move, Xu Ke injured three of the four Innates. What a bunch of trash," the black-clad elder sneered, his face full of disdain.

Duan Chongfeng's eyes widened. "Four Innates? And he injured three?!"

First, he was shocked that the Ye and Huang families would invest so heavily, sending three more Innate experts besides Sun Luo just to ambush Xu Ke, who was only at the Postnatal Late Stage. Then, he was utterly horrified. Four Innates had set an ambush, yet Xu Ke had still injured three of them. He was even starting to wonder who the real Innate Martial Artist was…

"That's right." The black-clad elder nodded, then added thoughtfully, "Keep an eye on his condition. I'm leaving now."

Duan Chongfeng nodded, then hesitated. "Senior, aren't you staying to protect Xu Ke?"

Honestly, Duan Chongfeng was worried that the Huang and Ye families, if they got desperate and cornered, might still come back to ambush Xu Ke, which would be a huge problem. Their Duan Family was only in Tianhai for business. To keep the peace and make money without alarming the six major families, they hadn't stationed too many experts here. Naturally, Duan Chongfeng worried he might not be able to fend them off. After all, he doubted he could injure three of them himself if four Innate Martial Artists ganged up on him.

Hearing his concern, the black-clad elder pondered for a moment. "I cannot take action in Tianhai. Just now, to make them leave, I was forced to intervene. Therefore, it's not convenient for me to stay in Tianhai City for too long. If you're afraid, notify the Wang Family. Wang Wu alone is enough to guard Xu Ke."

He can't take action in Tianhai? A thought stirred in Duan Chongfeng's heart, and he nodded. "Alright, Senior. Have a safe journey. Do you need me to arrange a car for you?"

"No need, I'll take the high-speed rail." The black-clad elder waved his hand and strode away.

Duan Chongfeng nodded.

But the next second, the black-clad elder turned back. "Give me a charger. My phone is dead, so I can't book a ticket."

Duan Chongfeng replied, "...Alright."

「By evening」

It was dusk when Xu Ke awoke. Seeing his left hand and leg tightly bandaged, and smelling the thick scent of medicinal ointment in the air, he smiled bitterly. Damn it…

But as soon as he opened his mouth, his entire body throbbed with piercing pain. Bitterness filled his heart. He had originally thought he could rely on this Dragon Ring for a slow and steady path to the Innate Initial Stage. Instead, he had been careless enough to fall into their ambush, pushing himself to the brink. Now, not only was the Dragon Essence gone, but he also had severe injuries that looked like they would take a long time to heal.

In truth, as long as he had Dragon Essence to absorb, Xu Ke could heal quickly. That was how he had recovered so fast from the injuries inflicted by Wong Hongsheng. But without it, he could only wait. He truly never expected that a trip to the clinic would nearly cost him his life. If that mysterious man hadn't appeared at the last moment, he'd probably be on a plane leaving the country right now.

At that thought, Xu Ke's expression turned grim. Sun Luo, Ye Fan, Huang Sheng… I will definitely get my revenge on those three.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

A knock sounded at the door. "Xu Ke, are you awake?"

It was Duan Chongfeng's voice. With his sharp hearing, he could naturally detect any movement from inside the room.

"I'm awake, Brother Duan," Xu Ke replied.

Duan Chongfeng pushed the door open and entered, instructing someone behind him, "Tell the kitchen to prepare a meal."

"Yes," Duan Jia replied.

Duan Chongfeng walked to Xu Ke's bedside. "How are you feeling? The people from the Zhou Family just left; they're the ones who bandaged you up."

"I'm okay…" Xu Ke smiled, his face pale. "Thank you, Brother Duan, for saving my life again."

He knew it was Duan Chongfeng's True Qi that had helped him while he was unconscious.

"It was nothing." Duan Chongfeng waved his hand, his own complexion not much better. After all, he had used up a great deal of True Qi saving Xu Ke that morning.

After sitting down, Duan Chongfeng asked, "Who was that black-clad elder? He's incredibly strong."

Xu Ke was startled, then shook his head. "I don't know…"

"You don't know?" Duan Chongfeng exclaimed in surprise.

Even Xu Ke doesn't know who he is?

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