Chapter 11: A Living Witness

With the Supreme Grandmaster Ling Donglai taking action, the three attacking grandmasters were effortlessly dispatched, resulting in two deaths and one capture.

After resolving the threat, Ling Donglai looked toward a hillside to the side and, ghost-like, vanished from everyone's sight in the next instant.

On the hillside, two figures seemed to sense something and immediately fled toward the rear. Had Wang Yu been present to use his system to scan them, he would have discovered that these two possessed cultivation levels even higher than the three Chen brothers.

One of these figures had reached the late stage of the Grandmaster realm, while the other had attained the Half-Step Heaven-Man realm; should the right opportunity arise, he might even cross that final threshold.

A late-stage Grandmaster and a Half-Step Heaven-Man would be treated with great respect even in top-tier aristocratic families. Yet, today, the two acted as if they had seen something terrifying, not daring to linger for even a moment.

A warrior at the Heaven-Man level might indeed find themselves lacking when facing an entire army through personal capability alone. Or rather, anyone is insignificant when confronted by an army. However, once you reach the Heaven-Man level, if you are faced with an army and do not foolishly stand your ground, but instead focus solely on fleeing, that army cannot stop you. The same applies to Divine Generals; even when surrounded by tens of thousands of troops, provided no opponent of equal standing blocks their path, they can escape if they are determined to do so.

Therefore, the power of a Heaven-Man, even within the Great Cang Empire, is something the imperial court will turn a blind eye to, provided you do not commit any egregious acts. After all, if a Heaven-Man were to go on a rampage, the destruction caused would be immense. A warrior of this level does not even need to bow to any member of the royal family, save for the Emperor.

Of course, if you truly overstep your bounds, the court will arrest or execute you as required. After all, the court possesses more than just armies; it also maintains its own foundational Heaven-Man level power to protect the nation.

Today, these two never imagined that while carrying out a mission for their master—which they assumed would be, at most, a bit troublesome—they would run into a Heaven-Man level warrior.

Forced to stop their flight, the two looked at the figure before them and could not help but show a bitter smile.

"As expected, trying to escape in front of a Heaven-Man level master was nothing but a pipe dream!" As they sighed, they prepared to fight for their lives.

A palm wind struck out toward them, and the two simultaneously drew their swords to block. Facing such a formidable enemy, neither dared to hold back. Their internal energy poured out desperately as each unleashed over a dozen sword auras to parry, finally managing to repel the palm strike.

Yet, even after blocking it, the two felt no joy, only a deepening sense of gravity.

To be a "Heaven-Man" is to achieve the harmony of heaven and man, becoming a part of nature. Upon reaching this realm, internal energy becomes inexhaustible, allowing for the immediate replenishment of any energy consumed. While it is impossible to perfectly balance expenditure, the combat stamina of a Heaven-Man level master is terrifyingly formidable.

The man before them could unleash countless palm strikes like the one they just faced, but they could not continuously produce such sword auras. If the battle continued this way, it would not be long before their internal energy was depleted, leaving them as mere meat on the chopping block.

"Sir, we were merely passing through and meant no harm. We hope you will grant us a path to live. We will surely repay this kindness in the future!" Since they could not win, the two changed their tactics. Fortunately, they had not actually struck yet. Although their arrival was closely tied to Wang Yu, he was not their only objective. Now, they could only try to bluff their way through.

"Seal your own internal energy and follow me to see my young master. If he is willing to let you go, then so be it," Ling Donglai said calmly.

"Your young master? How is that possible!" A storm of shock raged within the hearts of the two. To have a Heaven-Man level master take orders from someone, even serving as a subordinate—this was a level of service not even their own master commanded.

"We hope you might reconsider, sir!" Despite the turmoil in their hearts, they spoke with feigned respect. However, it was clear they were unwilling to follow Ling Donglai’s command. To seal their own internal energy would be to place their lives entirely in the hands of another.

"Stubborn!" Ling Donglai’s tone turned cold. With a single palm, several palm prints enveloped the two, signaling his intent to use force once more.

The two lunged forward with their swords again. Their sword auras converged, forming a massive, shimmering blade that swept toward Ling Donglai with lethal speed.

"Interesting!" Seeing this move, Ling Donglai felt a flicker of interest. He had not expected them to possess such a combined technique; once joined, their destructive power and offensive capability could barely rival that of an early-stage Heaven-Man. Of course, even with this technique, they could not compare to a true early-stage Heaven-Man, as this level of power could only be maintained momentarily and could not match the endurance of a genuine expert.

"Boom..."

Upon the collision of their attacks, the earth cracked and trees toppled.

Yet, even with the destructive power and force of an early-stage Heaven-Man, Ling Donglai was a master of the late-stage Heaven-Man realm.

Palm prints emerged one after another in the void. Under Ling Donglai’s relentless assault—whether he was using his full strength or not, it was impossible to tell—the two finally began to falter.

Ling Donglai moved like a ghost, appearing in an instant before the Half-Step Heaven-Man. He struck with a single palm, landing heavily on the man’s chest. Facing a blow from a late-stage Heaven-Man master, delivered square to the chest, how could the man possibly survive?

With the stronger Half-Step Heaven-Man dead, the remaining late-stage Grandmaster was captured alive by Ling Donglai with a mere wave of his hand, his internal energy sealed. After all, one of the two had to be left alive.