Chapter 10: The Supreme Grandmaster

Wang Tong was deeply troubled. Though he was only at the mid-stage Grandmaster level, he now faced an opponent at the late-stage Grandmaster level accompanied by two mid-stage Grandmasters. If a fight broke out, there was no way he could hold out for long.

Yet, even if he wished to flee, he dared not. Should he run and let Wang Yu die here, their entire branch of the family would be doomed. After all, their line was just a minor branch.

Wang Yu’s father, Wang Chang, was known as the Confucian Commander. Outwardly approachable and affable, anyone truly fooled by his demeanor would be a fool indeed.

Though Wang Chang had never shown great martial talent, his ability to lead troops only became evident after he became head of the family.

Wang Chang’s rise to leadership was partly due to marrying well, but more so because of his own cunning. He had four brothers, but two died young under mysterious circumstances.

“I will hold these three off for the young master—please, you must escape quickly!” Knowing there would be no peaceful resolution today, Wang Tong resolutely pledged his life to buy Wang Yu a chance to flee.

“Uncle, don’t be hasty. Even if I wished to leave, these three Grandmasters surely won’t allow it,” Wang Yu said calmly as he stepped from the tent.

Behind Wang Yu stood another figure, yet to the others present, this person appeared utterly ordinary and drew no attention. Even Tong Yuan, who had shared the same tent, had barely noticed him.

“Ha! You show some sense, boy!” Chen Zili laughed heartily. “Why don’t you just kill yourself and save the three of us the trouble?”

“If the three Grandmasters want me to die by my own hand, so be it. Yet, I wonder who ordered this attack. I hope you will let me die with clarity!” Wang Yu’s voice carried a hint of despair mingled with a plea.

“Blame lies with you for…”

“Second brother!”

Before Chen Zili could finish, the elder Chen Zishu interrupted sharply.

“Such a pity,” Wang Yu sighed inwardly, almost extracting the information he sought.

“Leave one alive!” Wang Yu commanded coldly. Since coaxing out the truth was futile, only harsh interrogation remained.

As Wang Yu’s words fell, the figure behind him stepped forward.

Strangely, moments before, this person had seemed nothing more than an ordinary man—no sign of inner energy. Yet as he moved, all eyes were irresistibly drawn to him, as if he alone illuminated the entire world.

“Who are you?” Chen Zishu asked cautiously, still sensing no inner force, but feeling an overwhelming terror before him.

“Since you want one alive, then it shall be you,” the man said emotionlessly, reaching out.

Chen Zishu’s unease intensified; he swung his fist forward, but suddenly an unbearable aura engulfed everyone present.

Whether it was Chen Zishu and his brothers standing before him or Tong Yuan and Zheng Zhen locked in combat, all stared in disbelief at the figure.

The terrifying aura halted Chen Zishu’s attack. The next instant, a pale hand rested upon his neck, effortlessly sealing his inner energy. The man then tossed Chen Zishu’s limp form to Wang Tong, who had yet to react, and shifted his gaze to Chen Zili and Chen Ziyi.

“Heavenly Being!” Wang Tong caught Chen Zishu’s body and finally snapped out of his stupor, eyes wide in shock. To think such a deity existed here!

Had he known this earlier, he wouldn’t have panicked so.

The implanted identity data flashed in Wang Yu’s mind:

Ling Donglai, Commander 38, Combat Strength: Heavenly Being late stage, Intelligence 88, Politics 52, Charisma 96.

Assigned as a bodyguard to the host. At age ten, the host saved Ling Donglai—who had gone mad from martial cultivation—by stealing a family treasure. Grateful and lonely, Ling Donglai chose to serve as the host’s loyal protector.

Though Wang Yu initially found it absurd that such a powerful late-stage Heavenly Being would humble himself as a subordinate, having such a masterful guardian filled him with joy. This latent advantage meant Wang Yu had a devoted Heavenly Being at his side.

This was precisely why Wang Yu felt no fear over the assassination attempt. With a Heavenly Being as his bodyguard, as long as he did not act recklessly, there would be almost no trouble.

“Escape!” flashed through everyone’s mind simultaneously.

If the gap in strength were smaller, escape might still be possible. But with such a vast difference of nearly an entire realm, how could Chen Zili and Chen Ziyi flee?

As for Zheng Zhen, he had been relentlessly pursuing Tong Yuan to prevent him from rescuing Wang Yu. Now, the tables had turned: Tong Yuan was the one blocking Zheng Zhen’s escape.

“Bang!”

With a casual sweep, Ling Donglai struck out with a palm. Even the combined defense of Chen Zili and Chen Ziyi, both mid-stage Grandmasters, could not withstand it. Both screamed, coughing blood as they flew back.

Raising his left arm, Ling Donglai curled his fingers into claws. Two battle knives, lying on the ground some ten meters away, moved as if pulled by invisible strings. With a flick of his arm, the blades shot toward Chen Zili and Chen Ziyi.

External martial skill at the Heavenly level causes one’s blood to radiate a crimson glow. Upon reaching the Grandmaster realm internally, a warrior can project inner energy outward. As mastery grows, the effective distance of such projection expands accordingly.

Under Ling Donglai’s control, the ordinary knives seemed to slice through the void, reaching their targets in an instant.

Chen Zili and Chen Ziyi, barely able to rise after their fall, were pierced through by the blades.

Disbelief and unwillingness shone in their eyes. They were Grandmasters—respected even in the capital—and yet here they lay, doomed to die in this wilderness. Such a fate was intolerable.