Zhou Tengyun glanced around, only then realizing he was completely encircled by the men in black. The barrels of the guns they held were all aimed at him; the slightest resistance, and they would open fire immediately.

“Your strength is formidable, unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. You certainly possess the merit to make me surrender,” Zhou Tengyun conceded with a nod.

“Hahahaha… You show some insight. Truthfully, your power isn't insignificant, but no matter how strong you are, you are merely the pinnacle of humanity. I, however, have become a god. The level of divinity is something you could never comprehend; the gap between your strength and mine is simply too vast, and you will never grasp the true distance separating us.” Duoming roared with laughter.

A shockwave went through Zhou Tengyun. He had learned from Liu Hui that ordinary people in this world could, at best, reach the peak of the Xiantian realm, which equated to the initial stage of Cultivation. Even with the aid of the Linggen Injection Fluid, they could only achieve the Foundation Establishment stage. Yet, the power of the Foundation Establishment stage far surpassed that of the ordinary Xiantian peak or the initial Cultivation stage. The Duoming before him did not resemble a cultivator; so why was he so much stronger? Had he broken through the limits of the ordinary man and reached a state comparable to the Cultivation Foundation Establishment stage?

“I am intensely curious: with such immense power, rumored to have reached the realm of a god, how exactly did you attain that state?” Zhou Tengyun voiced the doubt gnawing at him, though he hardly expected Duoming to offer an answer.

Seeing Zhou Tengyun trapped, Duoming’s spirits soared. He felt inclined to recruit him and decided to offer a detailed explanation. “My current realm is that of a god. My power is now unrivaled in this world, as no one else can ever reach this level. And all of this is connected to a specific cultivation technique I practiced.”

Zhou Tengyun asked curiously, “What technique could possibly yield such results?”

“God Grafting Art,” Duoming stated, though a fleeting shadow of sorrow crossed his eyes.

“‘God Grafting Art’? Isn’t that a martial art from a Gu Long novel?” Zhou Tengyun questioned, confused.

“I don’t know if it matches the description in fiction, but our family’s ‘God Grafting Art’ can indeed elevate one to the realm of a god. The principle behind the ‘God Grafting Art’ is for one person to transfer all of their internal energy, without reservation, into another. The prerequisite is that both must first reach the pinnacle of the Xiantian realm. Then, the second person completely grafts their own cultivated internal energy into the other. Only then can the recipient potentially break through the Xiantian realm and achieve godhood.” Duoming spoke with profound sadness.

“This method is certainly novel, yet not impossible to achieve. Why then do you say no one else in this world can reach that state?” Zhou Tengyun inquired.

“Although the ‘God Grafting Art’ can theoretically allow one to break through to the divine realm, the success rate for such an ascent is devastatingly low. Our family experimented continuously for over a millennium before finally achieving a breakthrough with me. But even so, I am an anomaly; it is impossible for anyone to succeed again,” Duoming confessed mournfully.

“One last question: what happened to the person who infused you with their internal energy?” Zhou Tengyun asked.

Duoming hesitated for a moment before replying with deep melancholy, “The one who infused me with his power was my father. After transferring all his internal energy, he lost his sanity and became utterly mad. Later, through a moment of carelessness, my father managed to slip away, and his tracks were never found again.”

A wave of desolation washed over Zhou Tengyun. He hadn't expected the attainment of Duoming’s divine realm to be paved with such hardship. However, had Duoming not been so overwhelmingly powerful, Zhou Tengyun might have managed a clean retreat this very night.

“Now, are you willing to surrender to me?” Duoming asked. Zhou Tengyun’s strength was immense; had Duoming not attained godhood, he might not have bested him. Thus, Duoming felt a strong inclination to recruit talent.

Zhou Tengyun smiled and replied, “To be honest, your power far surpasses mine, and you carry an aura of boldness, appearing decent to your subordinates. You are indeed worthy of allegiance. However, I must ask you to kill me instead, because I will not surrender.”

Duoming appeared regretful, but his nature was decisive. He immediately nodded, “If that is your will, then I shall grant it.”

Zhou Tengyun began drawing his energy, preparing to meet Duoming’s fatal strike. Although Duoming lamented the loss of Zhou Tengyun’s skill, he could not allow him to leave alive. He channeled energy throughout his body, and his right fist instantly doubled in size before rocketing toward Zhou Tengyun’s head. Before the fist arrived, a powerful gust of wind preceded it, causing Zhou Tengyun’s body to sway violently.

At this critical juncture, a booming voice suddenly echoed from the sky: “To kill my brother, did you even ask me?” Following the voice, a sack plummeted downward.

Duoming froze, halting his punch mid-swing. Zhou Tengyun first experienced an overwhelming surge of joy, recognizing Liu Hui’s voice, immediately followed by acute anxiety; Duoming was overwhelmingly strong, and even Liu Hui might not be his match, potentially leading to both brothers being buried here.

The descending sack exploded violently when it was about ten meters from the ground. Accompanying the blast, black substances scattered outward. Duoming had heightened his guard the moment he heard the voice. The fact that the speaker could infiltrate his proximity without detection meant this person possessed formidable strength, demanding his full attention. Thus, upon seeing the sack, even without knowing its purpose, he swiftly dodged away.

Duoming hadn't anticipated that the sack contained black explosives. As the black powder spread with the detonation, a considerable amount adhered to Duoming’s body, instantly filling the air with an unbearable, foul stench.

Zhou Tengyun, being near the epicenter of the blast, inhaled the densest concentration of the stench and immediately began retching. Duoming, caught off guard by the noxious fumes, experienced a momentary disruption in the flow of his internal energy, causing his body to pause slightly.

Seizing this rare opportunity, a bullet shot out from the darkness above, aimed directly for Duoming’s chest. Although momentarily affected by the stench, Duoming’s reaction time was exceptional. He recovered in an instant and twisted his body miraculously, evading the bullet aimed at his heart. Yet, his movement was just a fraction too slow; while it missed his chest, the projectile struck his left shoulder. The bullet carried immense power and kinetic energy; entering his body, it tumbled relentlessly, inflicting massive damage to his shoulder and instantly robbing it of sensation.

Duoming let out a muffled groan, finding it impossible to believe his eyes—he had been wounded by a small-caliber bullet. At his current level, his body had long been tempered to be impervious to blades and bullets; a small-caliber round should not have breached his defenses. Yet now, he was gravely injured by one. A sharp man, he instantly knew the bullet contained something treacherous and began rapidly retreating, intending to get away first.

At that moment, another bullet streaked down from above. This time, Duoming was prepared, and his lifetime of studying projectile trajectories suggested he could easily evade it. However, he hadn't accounted for the hindrance of his shoulder injury, which robbed his body of its usual agility. He failed to completely dodge the bullet, which slammed into his thigh. The projectile's power remained formidable, shattering his thigh bone instantly. Duoming lost his balance and crashed to the ground.

All of this unfolded with shocking speed. Combined with the nausea induced by the foul odor, Zhou Tengyun only cleared his head at this point. Recognizing his advantage, he immediately fired a Fire Burst round at Duoming. The round detonated violently upon impact, hurling Duoming into the air. Mid-flight, he vomited blood profusely, then tumbled several times upon landing before lying motionless.

The men in black surrounding Zhou Tengyun were stunned. They possessed absolute confidence in their leader’s ability, and the situation had been entirely under control, yet it had reversed in a sudden turn. The black-clad men were the first to be overwhelmed by the stench, vomiting incessantly. Upon realizing Duoming was severely wounded, they finally regained control. They charged forward fearlessly, using their own bodies to shield Duoming from incoming bullets. Several men who blocked the fire instantly exploded, their flesh successfully intercepting all the Fire Burst rounds fired by Zhou Tengyun or Liu Hui. The remaining men swiftly scooped up Duoming and retreated behind cover. The surrounding guards immediately opened fire on Zhou Tengyun and the air above.

After taking several hits, Zhou Tengyun’s protective talisman dissolved into smoke again. He dared not remain exposed to fire and quickly found cover nearby, waiting for an opportunity to land sporadic shots. Then, a dark silhouette dove down from above, landing firmly in front of Zhou Tengyun. Focusing his vision, Zhou Tengyun saw it was a Caucasian figure standing before him, cloaked in a long, black mantle that billowed constantly in the air currents. Zhou Tengyun instantly knew this figure was an illusion conjured by Liu Hui.

Before Liu Hui could even greet Zhou Tengyun upon landing, he was struck by several rounds. However, a red light immediately shimmered over his body, deflecting the bullets. Liu Hui pulled a heavy machine gun from his storage space. Ignoring the bullets aimed at him, he unleashed a torrent of fire upon the dense crowd, causing the black-clad men to fall like wheat before the scythe.

Perhaps satisfied with rescuing Duoming, or perhaps intimidated by the sudden, divine might of Liu Hui’s arrival, the group of black-clad men began to retreat, all pulling back into the nearby structures without firing another shot. The other contingent of men, surrounding the severely injured Duoming, fled toward the depths of the canyon.

Seeing the battlefield momentarily quiet, Liu Hui turned toward Zhou Tengyun’s position.

“Boss!” Zhou Tengyun’s voice trembled with emotion upon seeing Liu Hui.

“Haha, Third Brother, it seems I wasn't too late. You’re still hopping around full of energy,” Liu Hui chuckled.

It turned out Liu Hui had been pressing forward through the mountains and finally located Mount Gandora. Along the way, he had spotted numerous surveillance devices and personnel observing from both obvious and hidden positions. He knew he had found the right place, but he deliberately avoided eliminating them to prevent alerting the enemy prematurely.

Liu Hui had taken the high mountain route, thus bypassing the strange entrance gorge that Zhou Tengyun had traversed. Surveying the summit, he couldn't immediately locate the entrance to the Valley of Death. Fortunately, he eventually heard the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and Duoming’s booming laughter from the battle below, which guided his direction. He soon identified the location of the Valley of Death. Consequently, he leaped directly down from the mountaintop, avoiding the magical formation that might have trapped him.

The sheer cliffs of the Valley of Death rose steeply on either side. When Liu Hui cautiously descended into the valley floor, Zhou Tengyun was on the verge of complete defeat. Duoming, exhilarated and lost in past memories, was careless and failed to notice Liu Hui lurking nearby.

Sensing Duoming’s overwhelming power, Liu Hui chose not to engage directly, remaining hidden until the perfect moment. He waited until Duoming was off guard before throwing the sack filled with noxious explosives and detonating it, causing Duoming’s momentary lapse in concentration. In that fleeting moment, Liu Hui immediately fired armor-piercing rounds specially manufactured for him by Xiaoyaozi while en route. Due to constraints in time and materials, Xiaoyaozi had only managed to forge two such rounds. Fortunately, Liu Hui’s timing was impeccable; both bullets struck their marks, inflicting fatal damage to Duoming’s body and finally making a comeback possible.

The two brothers were filled with emotion upon reuniting, but before they could reminisce further, flames erupted from the deepest recesses of the canyon, quickly followed by fires igniting in several other locations.

“Damn it, they’re escaping! They must be burning important documents!” Liu Hui exclaimed, instantly realizing the objective of the “SN” organization.

The “SN” organization had suffered a devastating blow, and with their self-proclaimed god severely wounded, their subordinates descended into panic, immediately commencing the destruction of critical files and preparing to abandon the area.

“Boss, we can’t let that Duoming escape. His power is immense; if he recovers and returns for revenge, he will be our nightmare,” Zhou Tengyun urged anxiously.

Liu Hui nodded. “Indeed. Duoming is the strongest master I have ever encountered. It took everything we had to inflict such serious injuries; we certainly cannot let him get away like this.”

The two men rose and fired specialized rounds at the buildings being used as cover by the men in black, systematically blowing up each structure and killing the guards inside. While launching specialized rounds, they advanced steadily. They encountered weak resistance from the remaining guards along the way, but protected by Liu Hui’s Hongguang Armor, they sustained no damage. The remaining black-clad forces were quickly annihilated.

They soon reached the innermost part of the canyon, where several buildings were engulfed in fierce flames. Curiously, there were no men in black to be seen; their whereabouts were unknown.

“Third Brother, let’s split up and search. See if these buildings hold any clues,” Liu Hui suggested.

Zhou Tengyun agreed, “Alright, I’ll take this one.” He then darted into one of the burning buildings.

Liu Hui chose a three-story shack that was raging with fire, though the blaze posed no threat to him. He entered the first floor and found a luxurious reception hall already burning—nothing of value there. He proceeded to the second floor, only to find it saturated with gasoline, everything within fiercely ablaze, suggesting no valuable items would be found. He then ascended to the third floor.

The third floor was also burning, though less intensely than the second. Liu Hui’s gaze swept the area and he spotted what appeared to be a records room, but the documents had been moved. Only a single file remained behind the door, miraculously untouched by the flames. Liu Hui picked up the file and stored it in his storage space, realizing this was not the time to examine it. He checked the rest of the third floor but found nothing else of value.

The fire intensified, and Liu Hui began to feel the heat becoming unbearable. He exited the shack just moments before the three-story structure collapsed with a roar. Soon after, Zhou Tengyun emerged, dusty and grimacing, from another building, which collapsed shortly after his departure.

“Boss, that building was their barracks. I didn’t find anything of value inside,” Zhou Tengyun stated with frustration.

“I did find something, but now is not the time to look at it. We must find Duoming and his group first,” Liu Hui replied.

The two separated again, conducting a thorough search. This deepest part of the canyon was a cul-de-sac with no other exits. They guarded the known exit and saw no one flee. This meant Duoming and his men must still be within the canyon, or there was another possibility: they had used a secret passage to escape.

After searching widely, the two regrouped, both shaking their heads to indicate they found no trace of the enemy. Liu Hui frowned. He had personally seen Duoming retreat into this area; how could he have vanished without a trace, especially while gravely wounded? Wait—he was gravely wounded! That meant they could track him by the scent of blood.