Just as Xu Pengxuan was engrossed in watching and was about to call up a few more "Star Girls" to join in the debauchery,
his wristwatch suddenly beeped, followed by a message that caused his expression to change drastically…
"What did you say?"
The person on the other end of the line was the head of the Xu family, his father in this body, Xu Pengzu. However, in reality, the entire Xu family had been completely controlled by him over the past few years through various means, so Xu Pengzu was merely his puppet.
"The 'Star' you're looking for has just arrived at the manor…"
"He now knows your location… You run quickly…"
A hint of reluctance flickered in Xu Pengzu's voice, even though he had a vague suspicion that the body in his son's possession might no longer belong to him…
But ultimately, his blood still flowed in that body.
Xu Pengxuan gritted his teeth, spitting out a chilling word: "Useless!"
Why wasn't he informed of something so important immediately! No one knew better than himself how terrifying Xing was, having died at his hands the first time. Without a word, he jumped up and ran outside, simultaneously sending a message to Simon.
In the urgency, he didn't even put on his pants, because every second counted; even that short time could send him to hell.
This time, his luck wouldn't be so good!
…
Rewind to a little over an hour earlier.
A man walked up to the sprawling Xu family manor. Two bodyguards noticed him through the security cameras. One of them pointed at the screen, frowning, and asked, "A homeless man?"
A man walked up to the sprawling Xu family manor. Two bodyguards noticed him through the security cameras. One of them pointed at the screen, frowning, and asked, "Is this a homeless man?"
"How did he end up here?"
The bodyguards' judgment wasn't surprising. Although the man outside was tall and well-built, he was barefoot, which was unusual. Even a homeless person would know to wear worn-out shoes, but the bodyguards hadn't noticed that the man's feet, though bare, were spotless.
The two bodyguards exchanged a glance. One of them grinned maliciously, took a pistol from a drawer, and cocked it with a click.
"Since they've come all this way, I might as well have some fun."
Given the Xu family's status in Shen City, a few homeless people disappearing in front of their gate wouldn't even warrant a police investigation. However, just as the bodyguard was about to leave, another bodyguard saw the man glance at the security camera. A flash of white light appeared, and the camera's view went black.
"That's probably a superhuman looking for trouble! Sound the alarm!"
Although most superhumans are registered with the government and subject to its management, a portion still believe in using their fists to conquer the world. As a result, superhuman crimes, big and small, are rampant, especially in the underworld.
However… the bodyguard sneered. A superhuman?
He touched his abdomen; a foreign organ there was slowly pulsating. Now, even he himself could be considered a "superhuman" in a certain sense.
"Daring to cause trouble at the Xu family is simply showing off your limited skills, utterly ignorant!"
The door swung open, and a group of burly men in neat suits emerged. The man glanced at them; they were all martial artists with "Dark Force" cultivation.
A group of lucky individuals who had received transplants of foreign organs, possessing strength far beyond that of ordinary people.
"Get out of the way."
Looking at the large, dark mass of people before him, the man spoke casually. A single glance from his eyes sent a chill down the spines of the group, their legs trembling slightly.
The men exchanged unanimous glances, realizing they had encountered a formidable opponent. This kind of dangerous aura was not something they could easily handle.
"Fire!"
The captain, acting decisively, drew his weapon with lightning speed, fueled by his Dark Force cultivation, and fired first. His men reacted quickly, bullets flying in flashes, but in the next instant, the captain's eyes widened in horror.
Faced with a hail of bullets, the man merely extended a not-so-wide palm and gently pushed towards the air in front of him. Instantly, it was as if an invisible wall of air swept towards them, bullets freezing within it, the swirling trails of air clear and distinct, like a slow-motion film.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, utterly astonished by such a monstrous power. But the next instant, they couldn't even think, for the billowing wall of air, carrying the frozen, spinning bullets, hurtled towards them. The captain and several others were struck as if by a giant hammer; after a series of terrifying crackling explosions, puffs of blood mist erupted from vulnerable areas such as their eyes and ears.
They were still airborne when they were already lifeless.
Another group of artificial warriors who had just arrived witnessed this scene. Terrified, they dared not flee, only exchanging bewildered glances, none daring to be the first to charge.
"Step back, you are no match for him."
A voice tinged with a hint of arrogance came from behind the artificial martial artist. The man appeared to be in his thirties, but his physique was as robust as a bear's, each muscle radiating explosive power.
As soon as he stepped forward, he introduced himself: "Tang Lin, a disciple of Longhu Mountain!" Then he questioned, "You are also a Grandmaster, yet you come out to bully these ordinary people?"
"Isn't this disgraceful to us martial artists?"
Placing himself on the moral high ground, Tang Lin stared intently at the seemingly unremarkable man before him, wanting to see his answer.
"They shot at me, and these people are not ordinary people," the man said calmly.
Tang Lin had expected the man to become somewhat enraged. In a battle between Grandmasters, even inflicting a slight discomfort or guilt on the opponent could give him the upper hand in a brief exchange.
Therefore, he ignored the fact that there were no "ordinary people" at all, and pressed his advantage with questioning. However, the man remained unmoved, which annoyed Tang Lin.
"Whether it's true or not isn't up to you."
Tang Lin sneered, striding towards the man. "I'm a colonel in the garrison. Even if you're a grandmaster, you'll have to come back to the barracks with me and undergo proper questioning!"
The man frowned, then suddenly asked, "Are you from the Tang family of Shangjing?"
"So what if I am?"
As Tang Lin spoke, he reached out to grab the man's shoulder. In a flash, the man's arm loosened, and a wave of heat, seemingly reaching a thousand degrees, swept over Tang Lin, causing him to stumble back three steps.
He looked down at his somewhat charred hands, shocked. "You're not at the Water-Splitting level?"
Water-Splitting refers to a realm within the Transformation of Internal Energy (化劲), which is divided into three levels from shallow to deep:
The first is "Wearing Rain", which, as the name suggests, allows one to drape themselves in rain without getting wet.
Then comes Water-Splitting, where the Transformation of Internal Energy solidifies, seemingly solidifying the air into a wall, even almost temporarily separating water flows, achieving a feat akin to Bodhidharma crossing a river on a reed. Such a person is capable of founding their own school and is called a "Grandmaster."
Beyond the Grandmaster level, one can condense Gang Qi (Gang Qi is a type of internal energy), possessing extraordinary strength. Every gesture and movement carries immense power, comparable to a regimental-level superhuman, and is called a "Great Grandmaster."
However, the old-style cultivation methods, represented by martial arts, are ultimately too difficult, far less practical than developing superpowers. Therefore, powerful martial artists are extremely rare, or even ordinary martial artists at the Transformation Realm are seldom seen, let alone Grandmasters. Grandmasters are essentially the pinnacle of martial arts.
"Get out of the way. For her sake, I won't hurt you."
The man before him seemed to know the Tang family, but his completely dismissive and nonchalant attitude made Tang Lin feel blatantly slighted. He immediately flew into a rage, shouting, "You think you can hurt me?"
With a stomp of his foot on the ground, the hard stone pavement shattered like a spiderweb. His entire body seemed enveloped in an invisible aura, stirring up dust and vaguely resembling a tiger, as he fiercely pounced on the man.
"Crack!"
There was no fierce exchange. The man remained standing still the entire time, then suddenly took a step forward with his bare foot.
The ground seemed to shake violently, a faint dragon's roar echoed in the sky, and the air around him seemed to be imprisoned by an indescribable pressure. In an instant, Tang Lin felt as if he were immersed in the deep sea, squeezed by water pressure from all sides, his hardened bones creaking and groaning.
However, this feeling didn't last long.
—In an instant, the world spun around him.