"You caved in faster than I expected." Daniel Davis looked down at the Divine Doctor, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, now kneeling before him, begging for mercy. After the second strike of his Severing Pulse Sword Qi pierced through the doctor's right arm, the so-called Divine Doctor had completely surrendered. Though the Divine Doctor knew martial arts and possessed considerable internal energy, it was a strength built through the use of medicinal enhancements. While useful in healing, it offered little in actual combat.
In a world where internal energy and martial arts reigned supreme, a doctor without mastery of inner energy could not even accurately examine a patient's meridians, much less treat them.
Despite the Divine Doctor's pleas, Daniel had no intention of sparing him. His purpose for seeking out the Divine Doctor was simple: his unparalleled medical expertise. While the doctor's character left much to be desired, his skill in medicine was indisputable. Not even practitioners like Nian Duan or Duanmu Rong could rival him in this regard.
In addition to his medical knowledge, the Divine Doctor possessed a vast collection of rare medicinal ingredients, finished remedies, and experimental potions. Many of these concoctions were designed to stimulate the body's latent potential. However, almost none of them were free from severe side effects.
Among these infamous potions was the Heavenly Wolf Serum, renowned for its immense potency. If a person could survive the serum's side effects, their martial strength would increase tenfold—a level of enhancement even the Blood Bodhi couldn't match. Unfortunately, to date, none of the Divine Doctor's test subjects, not even his own son, had survived the serum. The agonizing pain it caused was unbearable, surpassing even the grueling requirements of the most arduous martial techniques.
"Looks like the Divine Doctor hasn't yet perfected his Reversing Heaven and Earth elixir either."
The Heavenly Wolf Serum was already impressive, but it paled in comparison to the rumored Reversing Heaven and Earth potion. Said to rival the legendary Dragon Essence in efficacy, the Reversing Heaven and Earth elixir could provide unparalleled power—at the cost of the user's lifespan. In fact, the Heavenly Wolf Serum was merely a precursor to the Reversing Heaven and Earth formula.
"Well then, Divine Doctor, since you enjoy testing medicines so much, why not try the Heavenly Wolf Serum yourself?" After packing away all of the doctor's medical texts, ingredients, and potions, Daniel forced the serum down the Divine Doctor's throat.
Through the doctor's memories, Daniel knew how many innocent lives the man had destroyed over the years. Many of his test subjects were innocent children who had died agonizing deaths because of his experiments.
"You're getting off easy," Daniel muttered, watching as the Divine Doctor succumbed to the serum's effects, his life extinguished after only a brief struggle. With a light kick, Daniel sent the lifeless body deeper into the Medicine Lodge before casting a Grand Fireball to burn the estate to ashes. Using an earth-based technique, he then leveled the area completely.
"Time to head to Ironheart Island. Perhaps I can deal with Emperor Shitian before Absolute Godless even has a chance to act." With the Divine Doctor dealt with, Daniel set off for Ironheart Island.
Ironheart Island was once the home of the Iron Sect, a faction that had rivaled the Black Iron Sect in renown. While the names of the two sects might suggest a connection, they were entirely unrelated.
By now, the Iron Sect had already disbanded. Years ago, the sect held a competition to select its next leader, but the contest went awry. The chosen successor ultimately dissolved the sect and disappeared. However, while the sect no longer existed in name, most of its members had stayed behind, continuing their work. In essence, the Iron Sect had abandoned its name and rebranded itself as Ironheart Island. In the martial world, where reputation mattered greatly, a sect dissolved by its leader could never revive its old name.
One of the Iron Sect's most famous techniques was the Iron Forging Hand, one of the Ten Most Arduous Martial Arts. Only the sect master was permitted to learn it. Despite its combat potential, the technique was primarily used for forging weapons, allowing its practitioner to generate flames from their hands to smelt metal and create weapons.
Later, Huai Kong attempted to learn the Iron Forging Hand to deal with Tie Kuangtu, primarily as a way to counter Tie Kuangtu's Heavenly Calamity Armor. Without the armor, Tie Kuangtu was no match for Huai Kong.
"Heaven's Wrath, Heavenly Calamity… This Tie Kuangtu really knows how to bring technology into a high-martial world," Daniel mused as he journeyed toward Ironheart Island. His thoughts drifted to the intelligence he had gathered about the island, both from his own knowledge and from reports compiled by the World Society.
Ironheart Island, or the former Iron Sect, wasn't just skilled in weapon forging; it also excelled in mechanical engineering. This was evident in creations like Heaven's Wrath and Heavenly Calamity, which were comparable to the Mo Clan's supreme weapon, Non-Aggression. While Heaven's Wrath lacked the transformative flexibility of Non-Aggression, it was far more powerful, capable of shifting into a mechanical beast form to attack enemies.
Heavenly Calamity was even more formidable. In addition to its incredible defensive capabilities, it could transform into a massive spider-like form, elevating Tie Kuangtu to one of the martial world's top-tier experts.
Under the pale light of the moon, two shadows moved through the forest, one following the other. When the lead figure reached the coastline, they stopped, prompting the pursuer to slow down and approach cautiously, halting about three meters away.
"So, you're the one who called me out here?" the pursuer asked.
"That's right," Daniel replied, turning to face Huai Mie. The young man before him, though youthful in appearance, possessed martial skills on par with Clark during his time under Daniel Davis' command.
Huai Kong, Huai Mie's younger brother, had a personality somewhat similar to Duan Lang's—competitive and ambitious, but without Duan Lang's crippling insecurity. If Duan Lang had shared Huai Kong's confidence, he might have become the leader of the World Society long ago.
As for Huai Kong, he was one of the rare genuinely kind-hearted individuals in this world. Unfortunately, his kind nature often led to poor luck. However, this time, Daniel's intervention would spare him the life-threatening battles against Emperor Shitian.
"A fake master? That's absurd," Huai Mie scoffed after hearing Daniel's claim. Unlike his brother, Huai Mie was far more cautious and reserved. Were it Huai Kong hearing such accusations about their master, he would have attacked Daniel on the spot.
Huai Mie's skepticism stemmed from his suspicion that Daniel might be an agent sent by the impostor Iron God to test him.
"If you didn't believe me, you wouldn't have followed me here without alerting the others."
While Huai Kong and Bai Ling trusted their master implicitly, Huai Mie had noticed subtle inconsistencies over time. These suspicions had led him to secretly establish the Black Lu organization, aimed at exposing and opposing the impostor Iron God.
Though Tie Kuangtu, the impostor, bore an uncanny resemblance to the real Iron God—they were twin brothers—no set of twins could be identical in every aspect, especially when it came to personality, behavior, and decision-making. Huai Kong and Bai Ling dismissed any oddities due to their unwavering faith in their master, but Huai Mie's sharper intuition left him unconvinced.
"Nonsense. I'll capture you and present you to my master!" Huai Mie growled, lunging toward Daniel with incredible speed. His right hand, fingers clawed, slashed toward Daniel, emitting waves of energy that enveloped him. This was the Iron Sect's second signature technique, Piercing Void Hand. Though not as revered as Iron Forging Hand, it was still a top-tier martial art, particularly adept at dissipating an opponent's energy.
While Huai Mie had yet to master his ultimate technique, Primordial Seven Strikes, his skill with the Piercing Void Hand was formidable.
"No need to be so tense. I mean no harm to you or your sect. I simply need to ask the Iron God a few questions. I sought you out to avoid any misunderstandings."
As Huai Mie's attack neared, Daniel casually stepped forward, grabbed Huai Mie's wrist, and injected a surge of internal energy, instantly neutralizing him.
The ease with which Daniel subdued him left Huai Mie visibly shaken. Always confident in his abilities, he had considered himself a match for any of the younger generation, including legends like Wind and Cloud. To be defeated so easily was a crushing blow, reminiscent of Duan Lang's earlier humiliation.
"Can we talk now?" Daniel asked, releasing Huai Mie's wrist.
"Never!" Ignoring Daniel's words, Huai Mie flipped his hand and launched another attack, this time unleashing the most powerful strike of his Piercing Void Hand technique. His aura surged, radiating an overwhelming force.
"Calm down. If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn't stand a chance." Using the same technique, Daniel subdued Huai Mie again.
This second defeat finally broke through Huai Mie's defiance. If the first loss could be dismissed as carelessness, the second left no room for excuses—he had given it his all, only to be effortlessly subdued again. For someone as proud as Huai Mie, the realization was hard to swallow, but it also forced him to rethink his approach.
"Fine. Let's talk," Huai Mie said after a moment of silence, his voice laced with frustration but also a tinge of respect. He knew that further resistance would be futile, and Daniel's skill had clearly demonstrated that he wasn't an ordinary enemy.
"Good," Daniel replied, releasing Huai Mie and stepping back to give him space. "Now, let me explain the situation. I don't need your help to deal with the impostor Iron God. I only need you to stop the others from interfering, particularly your brother Huai Kong and Bai Ling. I'd rather not fight them."
Huai Mie frowned, his mind racing. "And what if you fail? What if this fake master of mine proves stronger than you?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Daniel said confidently. "I have more than enough strength to deal with him. Your only concern should be preventing unnecessary casualties on your side. If you try to get involved, it'll only complicate things."
Huai Mie hesitated, his protective instincts kicking in. Despite his mistrust of the Iron God, he deeply cared for his brother and Bai Ling. If Daniel's claims were true and the master they followed was indeed an impostor, then Huai Kong and Bai Ling would undoubtedly be in danger. After a long pause, Huai Mie finally nodded.
"All right, but I have one condition," Huai Mie said, his expression serious.
"Oh?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "What condition?"
"I want to fight my brother, Huai Kong, in a proper duel." Huai Mie's voice was firm, and his eyes burned with determination. This wasn't just a random request—it was something that had clearly been weighing on his mind for a long time.
Daniel blinked in surprise. "That's your condition? A duel with your brother?"
"Yes," Huai Mie said firmly. "I've been wanting to test my skills against him for years, but he's always refused to fight me. You help me set this up, and I'll ensure no one interferes when you confront the impostor."
For a moment, Daniel just stared at Huai Mie, then let out a chuckle. "You're an interesting one, I'll give you that. Fine, I agree. Tomorrow morning, I'll handle everything."
Huai Mie's face lit up with a small, satisfied smirk. The two of them spent the next hour discussing the details before Daniel disappeared into the night, vanishing in an instant with the Flying Thunder God technique. His sudden disappearance left Huai Mie visibly startled—he hadn't even been able to sense which direction Daniel had gone.
"Poor Emperor Shitian, he really had it rough," Daniel mused as he reappeared aboard a stealth Quinjet hovering above Ironheart Island. He had chosen to travel this way instead of by boat, as it was faster and far less conspicuous.
Leaning back in the jet's resting area, Daniel's thoughts drifted to Emperor Shitian. Posing as Xu Fu while simultaneously scheming against Wind and Cloud, the ancient emperor had undoubtedly endured significant hardships to keep his plans in motion. Unlike Daniel, who had the luxury of teleportation with the Flying Thunder God technique, Emperor Shitian had relied solely on his immense internal energy to travel back and forth.
The next morning, at the Iron Sect's forging hall, the impostor Iron God—Tie Kuangtu—was hard at work crafting weapons, as he did every day. Suddenly, a shadow appeared beside him. Before Tie Kuangtu could react, the intruder grabbed him by the throat and immobilized him with a powerful surge of energy.
The apprentices in the forging hall froze in shock, staring at the black-clad figure who had subdued their master. Just as they were about to act, the figure leaped out of the hall with Tie Kuangtu in tow, disappearing into the distance.
Within moments, the entire Ironheart Island was in an uproar. The guards, along with Huai Mie, Huai Kong, and Bai Ling, quickly mobilized to pursue the intruder.
The chase led them to a forbidden area on the island—a place where only the Iron God was allowed to enter. Despite their hesitation, the group ultimately decided to follow the intruder inside. After all, rescuing their master took precedence over the island's rules.
"What is this place? Why does it reek so badly?" Bai Ling asked, wrinkling her nose as they entered the forbidden zone. The foul stench was nearly overwhelming, far worse than anything they had expected. Normally, such a strong smell would have been noticeable even outside the area, but it had been masked by the fragrant garden that lay in front of the entrance.
The group pressed on, eventually arriving at a massive underground hall. There, they found the black-clad intruder holding Tie Kuangtu hostage.
"Release Master!" Huai Kong shouted as he lunged forward, unleashing the Piercing Void Hand technique. His energy surged toward the intruder with incredible force.
However, before the attack could land, another wave of energy intercepted it. The source of the interference? Huai Mie, who had stepped in to block his brother's strike with the same Piercing Void Hand technique.
"Brother, what are you doing?!" Huai Kong exclaimed, his expression one of utter disbelief. He immediately withdrew his attack and stepped back, staring at Huai Mie in confusion. Even Bai Ling, who had been standing behind him, couldn't hold back her shock.
"Have you lost your mind, Huai Mie? He's captured our master!" Bai Ling cried.
"I haven't lost my mind," Huai Mie said calmly. "I just see things for what they really are. Our so-called master is an impostor."
"Ridiculous! How dare you say such things about Master!" Huai Kong yelled, his anger boiling over.
Huai Mie sighed and turned toward Daniel, who had been silently observing the exchange. "This is the condition I mentioned. Let me fight my brother, here and now."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Fine. If that's what you want, go ahead. Just don't expect me to wait too long—I've got other business to take care of."
Huai Kong looked between his brother and the black-clad intruder, realization dawning on him. "This… this was your plan all along, wasn't it, Huai Mie? You set this up!"
"I did," Huai Mie admitted. "I needed to get through to you, and this was the only way."
Before Huai Kong could respond, Huai Mie launched his first strike, forcing his brother to defend himself. Bai Ling could only watch in stunned silence as the two brothers engaged in a fierce duel, their attacks shaking the underground hall.
Meanwhile, Daniel turned his attention to the captured Tie Kuangtu. "Let's get this over with," he muttered, his expression darkening. It was time to expose the impostor once and for all.
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