BOOM! A mere few meters from the ground, the terrifying palm force had already blasted a giant handprint into the earth.

Wang Choutian, caught within the palm's shadow, felt his heart clench painfully.

"HAAH!" He gathered all his strength, enveloping himself in a tight cocoon of energy.

BOOM! The palm finally descended! The terrifying force shattered the ground, sending crushed stone flying in all directions.

The dark clouds dissipated without a trace, leaving behind a sky filled with dust and smoke.

A gentle breeze blew. Chen Zheng stood silently.

In the depths of the bottomless crater, Wang Choutian's face was ashen. The corners of his mouth trickled with the last vestiges of his life's blood, and his eyes were wide with shock and disbelief.

I actually lost? Lost to an opponent at the peak Grandmaster realm?

Wang Choutian's mind was flooded with questions that swirled like leaves in a storm, refusing to settle. He could clearly feel his life force fading away, flickering like a candle in the wind.

Upon his return, he had planned to lead the Wang Family to prominence, to become the absolute overlord. However, before his plans could even unfold, the entire Wang Family was annihilated because of Chen Zheng. Even the ten years he had spent breaking through to the Heaven Merging Great Grandmaster realm were now for naught. It was like searching for water in a desert—a monumental effort that ended in failure.

How tragic! How pitiful!

He began to feel regret.

If only we could have coexisted peacefully, why did I have to go looking for trouble with Chen Zheng? It's like throwing a stone into a calm lake; the momentary thrill only serves to shatter the tranquility.

"Just how strong are you, really?" Wang Choutian's voice boomed like thunder.

Chen Zheng looked at him indifferently and said softly, "Strong enough to defeat you."

PUH!

Wang Choutian spat out a mouthful of blood, the astonishment and consciousness in his eyes rapidly fading away.

Indeed. Being able to defeat me was proof enough of everything.

Chen Zheng let out a soft breath.

Though he had suppressed Wang Choutian throughout the battle, it had still been fraught with danger. Wang Choutian's explosive power was truly terrifying.

Too bad for him, he had already been grievously wounded by the Bloodline Card. Worse still, Chen Zheng was like a magician with an endless arsenal of tricks, plunging his opponent into a bottomless quagmire.

Of course, the Qi Recovery Pill had also been a lifesaver during the battle. If Chen Zheng's own energy had run out, the outcome of the battle would have been entirely different.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully completing the mission selection and obtaining the following reward: Cultivation Realm Breakthrough]

In that instant, Chen Zheng felt invisible shackles within him shatter, and an immense power surged forth. Then, he felt a marvelous connection forming between himself and the heavens and the earth. It was as if he could merge with the vast world around him.

At the same time, his body began to float, not by flying, but lifted by his will alone. Chen Zheng seemed to have merged into the world, becoming a part of heaven and earth itself.

He whispered softly, "So this is the realm of the Unity of Heaven and Man? How exquisite."

Afterward, he quietly retracted his aura and power, descending to the ground as lightly as a falling leaf.

"Chen Zheng!"

Just then, Wei Zixuan's heavenly voice called out. The next moment, she leaped like a fairy and plunged directly into Chen Zheng's embrace.

"It's alright now, Zi Xuan." Chen Zheng gently patted her shoulder as if caressing a delicate flower.

Wei Zixuan nodded, her eyes shimmering with tears.

At this moment, the fall of a Heaven Merging Realm powerhouse was like a brilliant star plummeting into an abyss, shaking the entire world.

Wu and the others snapped to their senses, murmuring in disbelief, "A Heaven Merging Realm expert was actually defeated by Grandmaster Chen... Just how terrifying is he?"

Guo Yunjing and his companions trembled with excitement, their eyes gleaming with adoration. "Our Guo Family is finally going to rise!"

Meanwhile, the retainers of the Wang Family were utterly terrified, their eyes wide with fear. Their pillar of support, the Wang Family, had crumbled. The Family Head and his heir were both dead.

Flee!

That single thought dominated their minds.

Without hesitation, the Wang Family retainers poured out of the great hall, scaling the walls to escape. Chen Zheng merely glanced at them indifferently, with no intention of pursuit.

I'm not a bloodthirsty person. The Wang Family has paid the price, so why hunt them to extinction?

"Grandmaster Chen, what should we do now?" Guo Xiancheng asked as he approached.

"In the ancient martial world, what happens to the defeated party in a clan war?" Chen Zheng countered with a question, as he was genuinely unfamiliar with such matters.

Guo Xiancheng thought for a moment before replying, "Generally, the victor takes possession of everything that belonged to the defeated."

"Then everything that belonged to the Wang Family is now yours, the Guo Family's," Chen Zheng said offhandedly.

Guo Xiancheng's heart pounded wildly as if set ablaze with passion.

"Yes!" he roared. Suppressing his elation, he waved his arm forcefully, and his three sons dashed out like arrows.

At that moment, Wu walked over slowly.

"Grandmaster Chen, although you have not yet entered the Heaven Merging Realm, your strength has already surpassed that of a typical Grandmaster! I am deeply impressed."

Wu bowed deeply.

Now I finally understand. I see why he was unwilling to join Dragon's Dive Pavilion and even declined our help. He has long possessed the confidence and strength to face any challenge on his own. The concerns of the Dragon's Dive Pavilion were entirely unnecessary.

Chen Zheng nodded at Wu. "I will remember Dragon's Dive Pavilion's kindness. I will have the Guo Family transcribe the formula for the Spirit Jade Elixir and gift it to you."

Wu's eyes lit up, his heart filled with boundless joy. He bowed deeply to Grandmaster Chen once more.

"On behalf of Dragon's Dive Pavilion, and on behalf of the nation, I express my deepest gratitude to you, Grandmaster Chen!"

They knew all too well the value of the Spirit Jade Elixir. With a continuous supply, the number of official Huaxia Martial Artists would surely surge like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. In the near future, a new generation of Grandmasters was certain to emerge. The crises at the borders and the threats from enemy nations would no longer be insurmountable problems.

Just imagine: when hundreds or even thousands of ancient martial Grandmasters are personally guarding the frontiers, would those scoundrels from enemy nations dare to overstep their bounds?

The news about the Wang Family struck like a bolt of lightning, illuminating the night sky of the Imperial Capital.

Chen Zheng. Although he was but a shooting star in the long history of the Imperial Capital, his brilliance was now etched deep in everyone's hearts.

A month ago, Wang Lin, the eldest son of the Wang Family, had fallen under a thunderous punishment in Longyin Village, and the name Chen Zheng became legend.

However, a mere month later, the fate of the Wang Family intertwined with Chen Zheng's once again.

When the old patriarch of the Wang Family, the Heaven Merging Realm expert Wang Choutian, returned, everyone thought the family would turn the tables and become the new overlords of the Imperial Capital. However, they never expected Chen Zheng to shatter their assumptions once again.

For capturing Chen Zheng's girlfriend, the entire Wang Family met its doom. Though Wang Choutian escaped the initial confrontation, he was ultimately slain by Chen Zheng, who was still only a Grandmaster. With his death, the fate of the Wang Family was sealed.

And the Guo Family, whose fate was so closely tied to Chen Zheng's, began its meteoric rise, becoming an unchallengeable giant.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.