Suddenly, a fierce gale erupted, turning the air instantly into a storm of flying sand and whipping dust that blotted out the sky. Jagged, strange stones jutted out, their sharp points like swords thrust into the earth, stacked high like mountains, accompanied by a sound like clashing drums that echoed between heaven and earth.

The very essence of heaven and earth within a hundred-mile radius surged inward, enveloping the entire city beneath an ominous spectacle.

He Yiming’s mouth gaped wide, his face a mask of astonishment.

Before the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man unleashed its might, he could never have imagined such an outcome.

The command he had issued was simple: deliver this slip of paper to the individual with the highest martial cultivation in the city, backing the instruction with a potent threat.

This directive was already remarkably flexible; a mere puppet of the original Yu family ancestor would surely have failed to execute such a task successfully.

With the Blood Condensation Man possessing the body, the puppet undoubtedly held formidable capability in outright conflict and violence. However, when the command incorporated even a sliver of independent judgment, it became beyond the scope of an ordinary puppet.

Yet, this Divine Path Blood Condensation Man not only located Zhan Tianfeng smoothly but even initiated the threat through spoken words. Judging solely by this, the intelligence possessed by the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man far surpassed that of the initial, rudimentary puppet. Still, even He Yiming had never anticipated that after delivering a verbal threat, the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man would follow through with such a devastating physical demonstration.

Seeing the power of heaven and earth condensing in that location, He Yiming’s complexion drastically changed. He tried to communicate with the Blood Condensation Man through the divine sense in his mind, urging it to halt the release of the Heavenly Might.

However, what filled He Yiming with despair was the information transmitted back from the Condensation Man: once the Heavenly Might was unleashed, there was absolutely no possibility of stopping it.

"Rumble..."

A sound like splitting thunder suddenly roared through the air, plunging the entire city into absolute panic. Countless people fled everywhere like headless flies, not even knowing why they ran, nor where they could possibly escape to amidst an environment that felt like the collapse of the firmament.

All they knew was that under such terrifying circumstances, inaction would surely lead to them being frightened to death on the spot.

The arm of the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man finally swept down. In its hand, it seemed to wield an impossibly massive saber, and the boundless power of heaven and earth streamed from its arm, stabbing straight down into the ground.

A colossal trench split open from one end of the city, slicing straight toward the other end through the city's exact center.

Innumerable broken bricks and tiles rocketed skyward; countless dwellings and structures collapsed with a roar; people unable to evade were cut down like ants by this force that seemed capable of cleaving the world apart.

In an instant, a vast trench, more than ten meters wide, was carved across the city along that line.

From one edge to the other, the city walls on both sides also crumbled; nothing remained standing along that ravaged path.

He Yiming and Chu Haozhou had already taken advantage of the chaos to fly into the sky, swiftly distancing themselves.

Such immense Heavenly Might was exceedingly perilous even for them. Having failed to prevent the event, their only recourse was self-preservation—fleeing as far away as possible.

As for White Horse Lightning and Treasure Pig, He Yiming had left them far behind. If they had appeared, everyone would immediately know who was behind the chaos.

Watching the devastation below from the sky, He Yiming felt a shock so profound it bordered on physical pain.

Although this was not the first time he had witnessed the Heavenly Might, the previous two instances had occurred over the vast ocean and before the Western Divine Temple.

The first use of Heavenly Might had split an entire island in two, stirring up towering waves. The second instance had been completely neutralized by Franklin using the power of the God of Light.

By comparison, the current manifestation of Heavenly Might had birthed a true earthly hell.

A single strike had perfectly bisected the entire city from end to end. While its power might not have exceeded cleaving an island in half, the sheer shock it inflicted was thousands of times more intense.

Under the might of heaven and earth, human power appeared utterly frail. The entire city vibrated and wailed under this destructive force.

A shrill, piercing cry, seemingly not originating from human vocal cords, rose from the ruins.

The mournful howl, like that of a dying beast, echoed over the city: "I agreed, I agreed..."

High above, the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man gazed down with chilling indifference. In that moment, it was a lofty deity, and the descent into an Asura’s hell below did not cause its eyes to so much as blink.

He Yiming shivered, a cold sweat drenching the back of his shirt.

The thoughts in his mind immediately surged, transmitting his intent to the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man.

What brought He Yiming a slight measure of relief was that the Blood Condensation Man did not defy his order; instead, it coolly turned and departed, vanishing instantly toward the horizon.

Taking one last look at the grieving city, He Yiming and Chu Haozhou departed with complex emotions.

Following this demonstration by the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man, they were certain that Zhan Tianfeng would abide by the last wishes of the Mountain Cave Hermit, and the Kai Rong Kingdom, one of the three great powers of the Northwest, was about to exit the stage of history.

※※※※

Slowing their flight in the mid-air, He Yiming spoke gravely, "Old Brother, what are your thoughts?"

Chu Haozhou managed a wry smile. "I cannot discern it. Truly, I cannot see through it."

Indeed, the Blood Condensation Man's actions had utterly exceeded their expectations.

After descending, the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man had detected nothing from Zhan Tianfeng's lineage; instead, it employed overwhelming military force that no one could possibly refuse.

After witnessing the Heavenly Might, which was clearly far stronger than even the peak of the Human Path, any rational person would make the correct choice.

Furthermore, after this catastrophe, even if the Kai Rong royal family wished to resist, the people beneath them would certainly no longer fight for them.

Glancing ahead, He Yiming sighed deeply.

Chu Haozhou, curious, asked, "Young Brother, what are you sighing about?"

He Yiming stated solemnly, "Although the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man’s use of Heavenly Might killed many innocents this time, it has completely shattered Zhan Tianfeng’s will to stubbornly resist. If the Tian Luo Kingdom can smoothly absorb the Kai Rong territory, there will undoubtedly be less bloodshed."

Chu Haozhou paused, then said sincerely, "What you say is true, Young Brother. After seeing that single strike, even I dare not harbor any complacency, let alone the Kai Rong Kingdom, which is now without the protection of a Venerable."

He Yiming nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with deep thought, muttering, "Below the Divine Path, all are but ants..."

This saying had circulated since the age of the Divine Path. Though five thousand years had passed since the Divine Path vanished, the phrase had not been lost; instead, it evolved to mean: beneath the Nine Heavens, all are ants.

However, only after witnessing genuine Heavenly Might, specifically deployed above humans, could one perfectly grasp the true meaning of that statement.

Still, this gruesome and terrifying scene was not something everyone could appreciate.

In the distance, the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man finally stopped. Below it were the two Sacred Beasts, White Horse Lightning and Treasure Pig.

They had known He Yiming’s intentions before he even arrived, so they had cautiously observed the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man. But upon seeing the expressions on He Yiming and Chu Haozhou’s faces, the two Sacred Beasts relaxed.

At least He Yiming had not intended to strike down the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man then and there.

"Young Brother, this puppet is extraordinary. Be extremely cautious when you use it in the future," Chu Haozhou advised earnestly.

The might of the Divine Path, in this current world, could likely only be countered by the ultimate defensive forces held by the great sects.

In ordinary locations, no one could obstruct such formidable power—not even He Yiming’s Harmony of Light and Dark.

Nodding slowly, He Yiming deeply agreed with the sentiment.

If he had known the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man would resort to threatening in this manner, he might not have allowed it to act personally.

With a flash, He Yiming lifted Treasure Pig from the White Horse’s back and settled securely onto the horse himself.

With a sharp call, the group turned and left, quickly clearing a distance of over a hundred miles from the Kai Rong capital.

After the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man released its Heavenly Might, the elemental energy of heaven and earth within the hundred-mile radius was instantly depleted. Only after they left that zone did they feel the continuous supply of natural energy replenishing around them.

Both Chu Haozhou and White Horse Lightning seemed invigorated.

Cultivators like them, especially those who had reached the Innate Realm or higher, possessed a deep thirst for the energy of heaven and earth. In an environment where that energy was exhausted, they felt fundamentally uneasy.

He Yiming sat on the horse, remaining silent, his mind ceaselessly replaying the tragic scene he had just witnessed.

He finally understood that the effect of unleashing Heavenly Might over the ocean and over land was completely different.

At sea, no matter how much destruction was wrought, nature could slowly recover. But the marks left by using Heavenly Might on land were so pronounced.

Even after the Kai Rong Kingdom relinquished power, it would take the efforts of countless people to restore the city to its former state.

He lifted his head, looking up at the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man silently flying behind the number one hundred and eight. A strange thought abruptly materialized in his mind.

The Harmony of Light and Dark was also one of the powers transcending the peak of the Human Path.

While in combination with Franklin and Garfield, its power could contend with the Heavenly Might of the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man, what if the Harmony of Light and Dark were operated using the power of the Chaos Dantian?

This thought flashed through He Yiming’s mind like lightning, and in that instant, he found himself intensely desiring that incomparably powerful force!