Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Lei Jie stared at Tang Jun and Tang Jun said calmly, “Big brother Lei, you vented your anger out on me because of that person and you have your own reasons but that doesn’t mean that I deserved all the things you did to me.”
“The Lei Family despised me and humiliated because of you and that person. However, I grew up inside the Lei Family after all and I will not treat the entire Lei Family like my enemies. There have been people who pitied me and took care of me all those years ago, and I will return their favors even if it’s only to a handful of people. Those who humiliated and bullied me all those years ago – I will not forget.”
“And you. There’s only hatred between the two of us and not a single inch of emotional attachment. We may be brothers but only by blood and I have never been a younger brother to you. You have never been a senior brother to me either.”
“You almost killed me at the Soulspirit Valley and knocked me down to the bottom of the valley. Half my body’s bones were fractured, and my organs were pierced through by the broken bones. The reasons why I managed to survive, to be frank, was because of my desire for survival and also because I was lucky.”
“We will settle this debt today and have a showdown to the death. Victory and defeat will be determined by fate, and I will not show you any mercy. You will have to rely on your own abilities to survive this ordeal.”
Tang Jun said quietly, “Debts of gratitude will be repaid but I will repay debts of revenge and vengeance as well. I’m not like you – I will not vent my anger on others because of you. Just as the Founder has said those years ago, what is owed to us will be returned, and if you don’t, then I will beat you till you do.”
Anything that happened in the outside world never shook Tang Jun’s heart for cultivation, and he had always repaid acts of kindness and exacted vengeance where needed along this path.
Lei Jie’s eyes closed into slits as he heard Tang Jun’s words. “Don’t speak too soon!”
Tang Jun watched Lei Jie and his facial expression didn’t change at all. “My original intention is to wait for you to reach the immortal soul stage and battle you when I’m still in the nascent soul stage. However, judging by your current mentality, you may not even be able to reach the immortal soul stage, so we might as well fight it out today. I will repress my mastery to the aurous core advanced stage when we battle today.”
Lei Jie’s expression changed in an instant as he heard those words. Tang Jun shook his head as he saw it and said, “You think I’m mocking you deliberately? You’re wrong. You’re already in the nascent soul intermediate stage, and I will be ridiculing you if we battle under such circumstances. My sect has rich resources and the guidance I have received isn’t something yours can compare to.”
“Even though you have been nurtured and have been doted upon by both the Lei Family and the Great Zhou Empire, both of them cannot compare to the Celestial Sect of Wonders,” Tang Jun’s tone was monotonous and there wasn’t a single trace of arrogance or intentions to gloat. He appeared to be stating an objective fact as he continued, “You are trying to prove that Lei Jie and his Nine Qi True Thunder Form is more powerful than Tang Jun and his Fire Lord Body, and not that the Great Zhou Empire and the Lei Family’s Lei Jie is stronger than the Celestial Sect of Wonders’ Tang Jun.
“I don’t mind that. If you have this thought, then I will give you this opportunity.”
“This can only be a fair fight if I repress my mastery. If not, our paths are different then it will be an injustice towards you.”
Lei Lie glanced at Tang Jun and appeared speechless.
The strength of the Celestial Sect of Wonders’ younger generation today was something known to the entire world, and everything that Tang Jun said was an extremely impartial and objective conclusion.
However, when Lei Jie pursued Tang Jun all those years ago, one was the prodigal son born into the Lei Family and he was in the aurous core stage back then. He had received the family’s best resources and mantras since he was born, while the other was forced to fight for his own life and was as destitute as ever and was only in the foundation establishment stage. Yet, Lei Jie never thought to give Tang Jun a fair fight.
Lei Lie could see very well that this wasn’t Tang Jun showing mercy, and neither was it because he was arrogant and egotistical and he wanted to despise or humiliate Lei Jie.
Everything stemmed from Tang Jun’s confidence, from his confidence that he would still emerge victorious if they were both standing on the same line.
Lei Jie was in the nascent soul intermediate stage and his prowess was superior to most other nascent soul advanced stage cultivators. Even though Tang Jun defeated a nascent soul advanced stage grandmaster when he was only in the aurous core advanced stage all those years ago, whether or not he could defeat Lei Jie comfortably when he repressed his mastery to the aurous core advanced stage was uncertain.
Innate Ability and Talent points would grow less important for cultivators after the aurous core stage. This was because the differences in erecting the spiritual altar and the crucible and forming the aurous core had implicit impacts.
However, there was an exception to everything, just like Lei Jie’s Nine Qi True Thunder Form. Besides helping him in his path of cultivation, there were far-reaching consequences for his battle prowess.
The Nine Qi True Thunder Form gave him an insane advantage and boost in his cultivation of thunder-type mantras. This exotic and rare physique gave cultivators in the aurous core stage the ability to form the Nine Qi Emerald Lightning True Form. This had certain salient features that were similar to the cosmic form as both were formed by consolidating personal mantras into a single entity, and thus obtaining extreme power from the result.
In some sense, cultivators with the Nine Qi True Thunder Form could create a makeshift cosmic form before the nascent soul advanced stage.
The gap between nascent soul advanced stage cultivators and nascent soul intermediate stage cultivators was vast, and the reason for this was the cosmic form.
It was because of this peculiar relationship that Lei Jie and his Nine Qi True Thunder Form would find it easier to ascend to the nascent soul advanced stage from his current level of mastery than from the nascent soul beginner stage to the nascent soul intermediate stage. As long as his mana accumulation was enough, it was something very achievable.
Lei Jie would possess two cosmic forms when he reached the nascent soul advanced stage. His own body would have one while his Nine Qi Emerald Lightning True Form would be upgraded to another one, and his battle prowess would be far superior to other cultivators of the same level of mastery.
If he could reach the immortal soul stage, besides the fusion of his nascent soul with the cosmic form to create his immortal soul avatar, his Nine Qi Emerald Lightning True Form and his second cosmic form would also be drastically transformed. It would form a unique existence that was something in between a spell body, an avatar and body outside his own – it was called the Nine Qi Thundergod’s Body, and it would be extremely useful and practical in actual battles.
Even though Lei Jie was in the nascent soul intermediate stage, he possessed many powerful mantras and he was nurtured with a myriad of precious resources. He also had the Nine Qi Emerald Lightning True Form and this made him more powerful than more other nascent soul stage cultivators.
Tang Jun himself was positive that he wouldn’t have absolute chances of victory if he fought Lei Jie when he repressed his mastery to the aurous core advanced stage.
However, Tang Jun wasn’t bothered at all as he was never one who only dared to fight battles that he was entirely confident of winning.
Lei Jie stared at Tang Jun and said coldly, “What an arrogant attitude. Fairness? This has always been something that weaker individuals begged for and something that only stronger people have the authority and the worthiness of giving out to the weaker ones. This means that you think you are currently stronger than me, and you are taking pity on me and being charitable?”
Tang Jun replied calmly, “There is no need for me to do that. I have said before that I will not hold back in today’s battle, and whether or not you can survive is entirely up to your own abilities.”
“As for fairness, it has always been something that you have to fight for and if it’s not there then so be it. Things you obtain by begging and from hoping that others will take pity are like things you view through rose-tinted spectacles.”
Lei Jie wanted to retort but the image of Tang Jun’s silent and resolute determination when he was going after Tang Jun surfaced in his mind.
He didn’t ask and neither did he beg for mercy. He didn’t let the fact that they were blood brothers soften his attitude, and neither did he feel the injustice and unfairness by their vastly disparate treatment from the Lei Family and the gap in their strengths. He only gritted his teeth and tried his best to defend himself.
Even in the last moment when he was sent flying to the bottom of the valley, Tang Jun’s eyes didn’t betray a single trace of weakness as he fell through the air – there was only coldness and fury.
Lei Jie lowered his voice and asked, “Then why are you trying to be fair to me today?”
Tang Jun answered, “We are born from the same mother, and even though we are not brothers in essence we are brothers by blood. We share the same mother and you are her son after all, so I will grant you this wish so that I can be respectful to our mother.”
Lei Jie’s gaze froze momentarily and he felt a little lost all of a sudden. His mother had instructed him to take care of Tang Jun before she passed away, but he threw that to the back of his head because of Tang Wenhua.
Most of the people who troubled and disturbed Tang Jun actually wanted to get into his good books and wanted to make him happy. He was extremely clear about this but gave his silent permission and sometimes even hinted discreetly.
During the battle at the Soulspirit Valley, if not for the fact that the bottom of the valley was filled with danger and it was extremely dangerous and perilous even for aurous core stage cultivators, he would have even rushed down to grind Tang Jun’s bones into dust.
Lei Jie shook his head and recovered as he took a deep breath. He looked at Tang Jun and said, “I didn’t repress my mastery to the foundation establishment stage to fight you all those years ago. Today, you don’t have to repress your own mastery. Let me see, how powerful are you today after being with the Celestial Sect of Wonders for so long?”
Tang Jun said plainly, “As you wish.”
Lei Lie stood up and said slowly, “Please hold on, Tian Cang Master, I have something to say.”
He knew that there was no camaraderie or blood relationship between him and Tang Jun, so he addressed him with title and didn’t try to pander to Tang Jun with his status as a senior in the family.
Tang Jun heard his words and turned towards Lei Lie as he said softly, “Do speak your mind, grandfather.”
Tang Jun referred to Lei Lie as his grandfather and his tone was also relatively more indifferent as compared to Lei Jie. This senior treated him like a ball of air all those years ago. When the Lei Family went after Tang Jun, this was the person who had given the order of taking Tang Jun back dead or alive. The only reason why Tang Jun addressed him as “grandfather” was entirely because of Tang Jun’s mother.
Lei Lie was well aware of this as he heard the way Tang Jun addressed him. He sighed a little inside and continued, “I will not interfere in the ultimate showdown between the two of you, and the various feuds and conflicts the two of you have need to be resolved.”
“However, why don’t we fully investigate the issue with Tang Wenhua before that? Where has he gone, where is he from, and what is he planning to do?”
“The loser will never get to figure this out, no matter who emerges victorious. Which one of you will be satisfied with taking this regret into the grave?”
Tang Jun shook his head and said, “I don’t mind.”
Since he had the confidence, then the person that could remain alive after the showdown would definitely be him. At the same time, he didn’t actually mind either as Tang Wenhua’s identity and where he was going was no longer important in light of where Tang Jun was standing today.
Perhaps what Tang Wenhua planned or had in mind was because of his sect, because of his consideration for the grand scheme of things or because of his concern for his personal safety. None of this didn’t affect Tang Jun’s mentality at all and there was no regret to be spoken of.
Lei Jie’s face tightened up as he heard these words.
Even though his mind was a lot more calm and quiet from Tang Jun’s influence, he was still relatively particular about this issue from the beginning.
If he could break through this mental barrier like Tang Jun did, then his subsequent path of cultivation would become a lot easier and smoother. His ascension to the nascent soul advanced stage and eventually to the immortal soul stage would be there for the taking and all he had to do was reach out.
However, he was ultimately unable to completely break out from this mental barrier.
Suddenly, Lei Jie entered a state of silence and contemplation once again.
