Chapter 1441: The Dragon-Slayer "Later..." The silver-tinged laughter suddenly ceased, and Zhang Ning's tone turned sorrowful. Lü Yun felt something was off—he wanted to slap himself. After all, things mustn't have been very good later on. His mere addition of those words had only made matters worse. Lü Yun felt uneasy. He had just managed to lift Zhang Ning's spirits, only for her to recall her past sorrows again, thanks to a single sentence of his. "Actually, it wasn't too bad," Zhang Ning said calmly. "When my master went out once more, he was ambushed and severely injured. After returning, he passed away despite medical efforts, not long after." Lu Yun didn't dare to speak much, yet he felt he should say something. As he was struggling to find the right words, Zhang Ning gently remarked, "Our enemies are quite formidable. Neither I nor my elder brother, the senior sister, could stand against them. Later, my brother accidentally discovered a book in our master's room, which described a secret method to rapidly enhance one's martial prowess. However, my brother couldn't master it, nor could the senior sister. Only I, the youngest among us, had the opportunity to practice and thus fulfill our master's mission." Lu Yun found himself somewhat confused. His sister's father had been ambushed by the enemies, yet despite their strength, all three of them were no match. After all, his sister practiced the Iron Palm technique—didn't that require only consistent, diligent training to naturally improve one's strength? Wasn't it unnecessary to resort to self-sacrificing methods to boost her martial capabilities? With his mind still spinning, Lu Yun finally couldn't suppress his questions and asked, "Ms. Zhang, is there a more efficient way to train the Iron Palm technique?" "Who told you we only practice Iron Palm?" Zhang Ning asked. Lu Yun was momentarily at a loss. After all, Xinlan's strongest skill wasn't Iron Palm, was it? And Zhang Yi—when Zhou Quan was still there—he had once clashed with Zhang Yi in the canteen, and even when Zhang Yi threw a knife at him, he managed to catch it with his bare hands. That clearly demonstrated another kind of external cultivation technique, something akin to Iron Palm. So had Xinlan and her team been holding back, deliberately showcasing only Iron Palm in public? "Wait—do you really think we also practice leg exercises?" Lu Yun awkwardly added. "We're actually Dragon Killers," Zhang Ning announced with surprising confidence. "Do you believe me?" Dragon Killers? Lu Yun was once again stunned by Zhang Ning's calm, understated tone. "In truth, we haven't truly accomplished a full Dragon Kill—just a name for it. But the master's style differs significantly from real-world martial arts academies. The master has only two disciples—me and my brother—and Xinlan. So, in total, the entire sect consists of just us four." Zhang Ning said slowly. Lu Yun quickly leaned in, listening intently. This was a perfect opportunity to learn about the sect where Xinlan sister belonged, and from Zhang Ning's tone, it seemed she was already preparing to share some secrets not known to others. "Lu Yun, do you believe dragons exist?" Zhang Ning suddenly asked. Lu Yun was taken aback, blushed slightly. How could he answer? If he said he didn't believe, there was a rather shy dragon living inside him; if he said he did believe, he hadn't actually seen what a shy dragon looked like. Before Lu Yun could respond, Zhang Ning continued: "In fact, dragons do exist. Our master's ancestors originally lived by slaying dragons and were known as the Dragon-Slayers." But after a major upheaval, dragons vanished from the mortal world. Yet, at the very far end of the world, in the Azure Sky Sea, where dragons had disappeared, another being—once hostile to all things on earth—began to rise steadily...” If not for knowing that a rather unimpressive dragon dwelled within him, Lu Yun would have thought Zhang Ning was simply telling him a mythical tale, and he silently remarked, “What kind of creature is this? Is it even stronger than dragons?” Zhang Ning shook his head, saying, “Perhaps so. I’m not entirely certain about the details, but one thing is clear—the beings known as the Jianren, or what we commonly call merpeople, are indeed powerful, possessing formidable strength. What’s even more terrifying, however, is their deep hostility toward time and all living beings.” Lu Yun pondered a moment, then softly asked, “So, did your master’s ancestors, after being unable to defeat dragons, switch to hunting merpeople instead?” Zhang Ning nodded slowly, "Indeed, that's true. However, after the Jian people launched their attacks on the human race, when Master's ancestors opened fierce battles against them, they found that while the Jian people were not as terrifying as the Long people, they were far more cunning and deceitful—often willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goals. Thus, the Dragon-slayers, in their defense of the human race, forged an enduring enmity with the Jian people. Later, some unforeseen event led to the near-annihilation of the Jian people, yet due to their long-standing habit of holding grudges, they did not completely vanish from among the humans. Instead, they transformed into various forms, blending seamlessly into human society, patiently waiting to locate descendants of the ancient Dragon-slayers. They employed an endless array of covert assassination tactics. As soon as they identified someone as a descendant of the Dragon-slayers, they would pursue them relentlessly, often refusing to let go until they were completely eliminated. "When our master was leaving, he had specifically instructed us three not to seek revenge upon him, but rather to do everything possible to evade the pursuit of the jiao-ren. As a result, after going through numerous trials and tribulations, my brother and I were brought by our senior sister to this remote rural village for safety." "By this point, Zhang Ning fell silent. The situation had become clear: Master Sister Tie Xinlan had steadfastly adhered to her father's wishes, never attempting to confront her enemies and seek vengeance—yet Zhang Yi and Zhang Ning, the ones adopted into the family, had remained resolute. Deeply grateful for even the smallest favors, they had secretly cultivated the malevolent martial technique without informing Tie Xinlan. Within a short time, Zhang Ning's martial prowess had surged dramatically—though she herself was unaware that her strength now far surpassed that of Tie Xinlan. Yet, this remarkable strength had come at a tremendous cost, a suffering so intense it nearly drove her to collapse or commit suicide. Yet, driven by her unwavering determination to avenge her master, Zhang Ning had endured it all. The hidden secrets that Tie Xinlan had never shared with Lu Yun had now come to light through Zhang Ning's own words. Lu Yun found himself uncertain—whether to rejoice or to worry. "Was it really the merfolk who killed Master Tie's father?" "Lu Yun asked in some bewilderment. "Yes, Master won't deceive us. His cultivation is truly astonishing—he is nearly invincible on earth, unless it's the sea-people. Otherwise, no one could seriously injure him and leave him alive." Zhang Ning's eyes dimmed slightly as she spoke softly, "Master and our senior sister have always been the best to us. No matter what suffering or trials Master endures, we siblings will carry on and seek justice for him." The firmness in her words stirred Lu Yun deeply. What kind of powerful strength lies within this slender frame, enabling her to endure such endless pain and remain steadfast until now?