Yet, he was not ready to give up. He was mere steps away from Ye Jingyu, certain that at such close quarters, he still had a chance—if only he could bypass that deceptively cute little girl...

Killing Ye Jingyu was the singular obsession burning in Miao’s mind; he would not hesitate to pay for it with his own life...

So, Miao resolved to fight with everything he had. In this moment, he no longer feared the poison master hidden within the carriage, nor the small girl beside Ye Jingyu. In his heart, in his eyes, there was only one person: Ye Jingyu, a man about to die...

“Break… the Firmament…” Miao softly hummed, his body dissolving into a streak of light, hurtling towards Ye Jingyu. The True Essence within him surged madly towards his fist...

This punch contained the essence of his entire life; this punch held all his strength. This was the strongest, the most exquisite punch he had ever thrown in his life...

Faintly, a whooshing sound echoed through the void. An immense Fist Intent fiercely locked onto Ye Jingyu, and the terrifying punch energy tore at everything around it. Under this blow, it seemed even mountains might crumble, or perhaps the heavens themselves would be ripped open by a massive hole...

Miao had forgotten life and death, forgotten everything. Even if Hei Ming Shixuan brought her blade down, he would not dodge...

But strangely, Hei Ming Shixuan did not strike again, nor did Ye Jingyu make any move to evade. A faint smile still played on Ye Jingyu’s face—a smile as dismissive, as mocking, as if watching an ant struggle in a fight...

Miao grew enraged. He was utterly furious. He could not tolerate a man about to die beneath his fist looking at him this way. Thus, he poured even more power into his strike...

With this punch, he had faintly surpassed the boundaries of a Grandmaster...

He was certain that beneath this blow, even a Great Grandmaster would have to reconsider. As for Ye Jingyu, certain death was guaranteed...

After all, Ye Jingyu was not a Great Grandmaster...

Indeed, Ye Jingyu was not a Great Grandmaster, but suddenly, a burly man with a massive beard appeared before him. His eyes were also filled with disdain and mockery. Facing Miao’s punch, which gathered his entire reserve of power, the man merely extended one hand casually...

Yes, his other hand had been severed at the wrist; now he possessed only this one. Yet, with this single hand, he lightly caught Miao’s fist...

Miao’s supremely powerful Fist Intent, his immensely vast strength, vanished instantly without a trace, sinking away like a drop of water in the ocean...

And his fist was held tightly in the other man’s grip, as if clamped by iron tongs, utterly unable to move...

A Great Grandmaster...

The three words suddenly flashed in Miao’s mind. To intercept his punch so effortlessly meant only a Great Grandmaster could achieve it. This man before him was absolutely a Great Grandmaster, a genuine Great Grandmaster...

At this moment, Miao’s formidable confidence shattered completely... like a colossal pane of glass instantly pulverized into the smallest shards...

With no possibility of repair...

His eyes were filled with utter despair...

Xue Hengzhi gave Miao no time to linger in despair. The hand gripping Miao’s fist suddenly loosened, then gave a slight shake, immediately following up by slapping straight onto Miao’s chest...

The True Essence Miao had channeled into the opponent moments before was returned to him entirely...

“Crack, crack…” sounds rose continuously. It was the sound of Miao’s chest bones shattering. His mouth flew open, and great gulps of blood sprayed out ceaselessly, mixed with fragments of internal organs...

With a thunderous crash, Miao’s body slammed heavily onto the ground, convulsing...

The remaining two Innate Martial Masters were utterly stunned. Miao had been such a powerful figure in their eyes—a top-tier master with one foot already stepping into the realm of the Great Grandmaster! Yet now, in mere moments, he was driven to vomit blood uncontrollably. Especially in that final instant, the bearded man seemed to use no force at all, yet neutralized Miao’s strongest punch so easily and inflicted such damage. What level had he achieved?

A Great Grandmaster?

Was he truly a Great Grandmaster?

The thought of such terrifying figures made them exchange glances. Ignoring the downed, near-death Miao, they spun around and bolted back in the direction they had come. They were assassins, yes; they would sacrifice their lives for the mission, that was true. But knowing the enemy had a Great Grandmaster present meant this wasn't completing a mission; it was suicide...

No one cherishes their life so little...

So, only one word remained in their minds: Flee...

But could they escape?

“Cough…” Ye Jingyu’s soft cough sounded from behind. The next instant, the two men’s vision blurred, and they saw a figure completely shrouded in black appear before them. They hadn't even registered where he came from; it was as if he materialized out of thin air...

An aura of extreme power, even several times stronger than that of the bearded man from moments ago, emanated from the man in black...

A Great Grandmaster. Another Great Grandmaster...

And one whose power was utterly overwhelming...

The two were frozen, completely paralyzed with shock...

Why must this be? Why this suffering? They were merely at the Innate realm; any Grandmaster could dispatch them easily, yet now two Great Grandmasters had appeared...

Those lofty Great Grandmasters, figures so high up they rarely managed a glimpse in normal times...

And now, two of them appeared right at the start...

The two men couldn't decide whether to weep or laugh, standing there foolishly, severing all intent to flee...

If there had been only one Great Grandmaster, perhaps due to their station, they might not have pursued them, allowing an escape. But with Great Grandmasters blocking them both front and back, they knew that not only could they not run, but even death itself would be difficult to attain if the opponent refused to grant it...

Sensing the arrival of a second powerful aura, Miao, already gravely injured with broken bones and shattered meridians, was close to tears...

This wasn't assassination; this was easier than sending oneself to death...

Two Great Grandmasters, a Soul Master who was at least at the Soul Condensation realm and possessed a powerful soul artifact, a poison master who could casually poison Innate realm experts, and a mysterious little girl whose casual blade strike could break his own sword—this level of strength was enough to challenge a Martial Saint, yet it was being used against them. No, this wasn't a confrontation; this was blatant bullying...

The thought that they were like fifteen or sixteen-year-old maidens being thrust into the arms of a powerful brute, left entirely to be abused, brought tears close to his eyes...