Chapter Three: The Frenzied Feast (Part Two)

In his private cabin, gazing at the war dragon before him—now sporting four formidable claws—Kuang Chi could not help but burst into hearty laughter.

Upon reaching the seventh tier of the Kuang Dragon Codex, a practitioner would attain a distinctive hallmark: the war dragon, unique to the Kuang Clan, would manifest four lethal dragon claws, each brimming with destructive power. At this stage, the war dragon was akin to a divine beast—a force all its own. Now, it could be manipulated over short distances with one’s mental strength; at times, its utility even surpassed that of a true divine beast.

The Kuang Clan's ancestor, the very first War God of the family, never possessed a divine beast. Yet, relying solely on his war dragon, he carved out the Kuang Clan’s legacy in an era teeming with formidable warriors. None dared underestimate the war dragons of those who had achieved the seventh tier—for they were the source of the clan’s reputation for martial ferocity, creatures born solely for battle and best left unloosed upon the world.

The central aim of the seventh tier of the Kuang Dragon Codex was to temper the war dragon, forging it into an even more fearsome weapon. Before reaching this level, the so-called dragon was little more than a spirit serpent of limited use—though none dared voice this slight within earshot of any Kuang clansman, out of respect for their tyrannical reputation.

For the first time, Kuang Chi secluded himself in his cabin for nearly a month after stepping into the seventh tier. He missed several battles during this period, never once emerging from behind closed doors. This behavior baffled the entire crew of the 78456 warship. Led by Kuang Qingshan, the younger clan members grew increasingly worried. They could not fathom why their ruthless, battle-hungry young master would suddenly choose seclusion and cultivation—he who had always reveled in every skirmish and charged headlong into every fight. Many began to fear something was wrong with him, or that his cultivation had gone awry.

They dared not keep this anomaly a secret. The matter was swiftly reported to the chief of staff of the Third Legion, the most senior Kuang family member in the legion, who happened to be a close blood relative of Kuang Chi.

Upon receiving the report, the chief of staff immediately ordered the 78456 warship to dock at the fortress. He could not risk any mishap befalling Kuang Chi while under his command—the edicts from the Kuang Clan’s Council of Elders were not to be disobeyed, for the consequences would be more than he could bear.

As soon as the 78456 warship docked, the chief of staff hastened aboard and, accompanied by Kuang Qingshan and other clan members, made his way to Kuang Chi’s quarters.

After standing silently by the door for a moment, the chief of staff finally turned to Kuang Qingshan and asked, “Qingshan, did the young master say anything to you before beginning his seclusion?”

Kuang Qingshan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “No. The young master only mentioned that he was tired of killing and wanted a few quiet days to cultivate, and asked us not to disturb him. None of us expected his retreat to last a full month.”

“Do you have any idea what’s happening in there now?” the chief of staff pressed, his tone grave.

At that moment, one of the younger clan members spoke up, “We’ve scanned the cabin with instruments. The young master’s vitals are all normal. We’re just puzzled why, for three consecutive battles, he showed no interest in coming out.”

Of course, none dared mention bloodlust; instead, they called it a warlike temperament, though this only made their expressions more awkward. They knew all too well the true nature of Kuang Chi—on the Kuang Battle Star, perhaps not everyone realized it, but for those here, it was painfully clear: their young master was a butcher, a superlative one with a perverse taste for slaughter.

Just as the chief of staff was about to speak again, the cabin door swung open. Kuang Chi, beaming with delight, appeared on the threshold.

He paused, surprised to find such a gathering outside his door, especially the lieutenant general standing at the front. Kuang Chi’s gaze landed on the chief of staff.

The chief of staff quickly recovered and bowed in the Kuang Clan’s customary manner. “Kuang Feng of the Profound Hall greets the young master.”

The Kuang Clan, a family with a history spanning tens of thousands of years, had an astonishing number of members. All were divided into thirty-six halls, with one permanent elder from each hall forming the Council of Elders. The family rules were strict: as heir to the clan, Kuang Chi outranked even the elders, and all were required to show him due respect unless he broke the rules.

Kuang Chi quickly waved off the formalities. Seeing that all present were family, he smiled and said, “Come now, there’s no need for such ceremony among kin. If you bow every time, you’ll tire yourselves out—and I’ll tire of it too.”

Having spent so much time with Kuang Chi, Kuang Qingshan was already quite familiar with him. He could not help but complain, “Young master, why did you seclude yourself for a whole month? You had us all on edge. Are you all right?”

Kuang Chi laughed. “Do I look like something’s wrong?”

He ushered the chief of staff and Kuang Qingshan into his cabin and closed the door. The chief of staff spoke first, “Young master, something must be amiss. Knowing your temperament, you would never lock yourself away for a month unless something was wrong. Please, if you’re facing any trouble, you must let us know. If the elders find we failed in our duty, we’ll be held responsible.”

Kuang Chi considered a moment, realizing this was not something he could hide. Having advanced the Kuang Dragon Codex to the seventh tier was a momentous achievement, and he had been wondering how to share the good news with his grandfather and Zixia.

He studied the lieutenant general before him—he did not yet know the man’s exact position in the Third Legion, but clearly it was not a low one.

With a smile, Kuang Chi activated his internal energy and summoned the war dragon, condensing it into form outside his body.

Two gasps of astonishment followed. Kuang Qingshan and Kuang Feng, the chief of staff, stood dumbfounded for several minutes.

As true sons of the Kuang Clan, neither could mistake a war dragon born of the seventh tier.

When Kuang Feng finally regained his composure, he exclaimed, “Young master, you’ve achieved the seventh tier of the Kuang Dragon Codex?”

Their shock was understandable. In the clan’s long history, no one had ever reached the sixth tier before the age of twenty—let alone the seventh, which was thousands of times more difficult.

Kuang Chi grinned and nodded. “The seventh-tier war dragon is far more pleasing to the eye than the sixth-tier one. That one barely deserved the name ‘dragon’—it looked more like a snake. But this one, this is a proper dragon: beautiful and imposing.”

The two, who had only managed to reach the sixth tier themselves, could only exchange awkward glances. If anyone else had dared call the war dragon a snake, they would have fought to the death. But since it was Kuang Chi who said it, not even the clan elders would dare protest.

Kuang Feng flushed, coughed twice, and then smiled, “Congratulations, young master.”

Kuang Chi laughed, unable to contain his joy. He had never imagined he would leap from the sixth to the seventh tier in less than two years. When his grandfather had first taught him the seventh tier’s method, he’d predicted it would take at least twenty years, given how difficult it was for a Kuang clansman without a spiritual cultivation method.

After his laughter subsided, Kuang Chi said, “Let my grandfather know I’ve mastered the seventh tier of the Kuang Dragon Codex. And have him inform Zixia as well—I want her to share in my happiness.”

Kuang Feng replied at once, “Rest assured, young master, I’ll take care of it. But may I ask how you achieved the seventh tier? I fought on the battlefield for more than twenty years myself, yet never managed what you have. Could you give us a few pointers?”

Kuang Chi smiled carelessly. “I’ve thought it over these past days. It’s probably because of the spiritual cultivation method I found in the Sea of Death. Since I’ve been training my mental strength, it’s made the breakthrough much smoother.”

The two were momentarily stunned. At last, Kuang Feng flushed again and earnestly asked, “Young master, may we ask what sort of spiritual cultivation method this is? Would you be willing to teach us?”

Kuang Chi, in high spirits, readily agreed. “Of course—I’ll teach you the first two forms shortly. I never imagined this method would be so effective, or I’d have told my grandfather long ago.”

Feeling inexplicably restless, he suddenly longed for the embrace of a beautiful woman. Ah, such melancholy...