For Huai Mie, any opportunity to duel his younger brother Huai Kong was worth seizing. In the original story, after Huai Kong discovered the fake Iron God's identity and was gravely injured, Huai Mie rescued him. The first thing Huai Mie wanted to do upon seeing Huai Kong was to fight him. So, when Huai Mie heard Daniel Davis' plan, his first thought was that this could be the perfect chance to finally challenge his brother.
Daniel agreed to Huai Mie's request without much hesitation. First, as Huai Kong's elder brother, Huai Mie wouldn't harm him. Second, Huai Kong was too kind-hearted for his own good. Afraid that his martial prowess would surpass Huai Mie's, Huai Kong deliberately avoided training and neglected his potential.
Huai Mie was deeply frustrated by this. He saw it as a complete waste of Huai Kong's talent. In terms of aptitude in martial arts, Huai Kong was far superior to him.
Talent is a peculiar thing—those who have it often take it for granted, while those without it burn with jealousy. It's akin to the famous story of someone with immense potential squandering it, leaving others around them irritated by the waste.
"Let go of my master and my brother, or don't blame me for being ruthless!" Huai Kong shouted at the black-clad Daniel, who was holding the Iron God captive and standing in front of Huai Mie. Huai Kong regretted rushing here without bringing Heaven's Wrath with him.
Controlling Heaven's Wrath wasn't easy—it required immense reserves of internal energy. If the wielder's energy was insufficient, the weapon could backfire, injuring its master. Because of this, Heaven's Wrath was considered one of the Four Deadliest Weapons in the martial world.
"Ruthless? And what exactly can you do?" Daniel said in a raspy voice, taunting him. Then, he pulled out a black pill and made his proposal. "But I'll give you a chance. This is the antidote to the drug controlling your brother. If you can defeat him, I'll hand it over."
"Don't believe him! He won't keep his word!" Bai Ling, standing behind Huai Kong, immediately shouted.
"Believe me or not, it's up to you," Daniel said, waving the black pill. "But let me tell you this: the drug I gave Huai Mie was a beast serum I acquired from the Divine Doctor. If he doesn't get the antidote soon, he'll slowly transform into a mindless beast, driven only by the urge to kill. And there's only one antidote. If you refuse to fight, I'll destroy it right now. Don't regret your decision later."
As Daniel spoke, he pretended to crush the pill in his hand.
"Huai Mie, kill him!" Without waiting for Huai Kong to respond, Daniel issued the command, and Huai Mie, fully playing his part, let out a primal roar before launching an attack on Huai Kong. His Piercing Void Hand technique targeted Huai Kong with a killing intent that seemed almost real.
"You all, stay back! If you interfere, I'll destroy the antidote and kill him!" Daniel threatened Bai Ling and the others from Ironheart Island as Huai Mie and Huai Kong began to clash.
"Don't act recklessly! Trust Huai Kong!" Bai Ling wanted to intervene, but the island's senior steward, Xin Shi, stopped her, forcing her to step back with a look of frustration.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With Bai Ling and the others at a distance, the two brothers engaged in an intense battle using the Piercing Void Hand. Waves of energy surged around them, tearing through the reinforced ground beneath their feet and leaving it cracked and scarred.
"Piercing Void Hand... a pretty impressive technique," Daniel muttered as he observed the fight. Since the brothers were using the same martial art, the outcome would be determined by their internal energy and their comprehension of the technique.
At first, Huai Mie had the upper hand. But as the fight dragged on, Huai Kong began to turn the tide. If this had been a few years later, Huai Mie's martial skills would undoubtedly have surpassed Huai Kong's, thanks to his greater dedication to training. However, at this point in time, the gap in their internal energy was negligible.
Huai Kong's superior talent, combined with his desperation to save his brother and master, allowed him to perform beyond his usual level. In this moment, Huai Mie wasn't his match.
Talent is an undeniable factor. No matter how hard some people train, they can't overcome natural-born skill. It's the same reason Emperor Shitian, with a thousand years of cultivation and Phoenix Blood, couldn't defeat Bu Wudi, who had only trained for a few decades. Similarly, despite receiving years of guidance under Daniel Davis, Clark couldn't surpass Wind and Cloud, whose raw talent carried them far.
"Stop! Brother, what are you trying to do?" Huai Kong suddenly shouted as he deflected one of Huai Mie's strikes and jumped back. His voice was filled with confusion and frustration.
Huai Mie didn't answer. Instead, he roared and charged again, unleashing the Sky-Cracking Move of the Piercing Void Hand. Strangely, Huai Kong didn't fight back. He simply stood there, motionless.
"Huai Kong, what are you doing?!" Bai Ling screamed from afar, panic evident in her voice.
As Bai Ling shouted, Huai Mie's attack closed in on Huai Kong. At the last moment, Huai Kong's inaction forced Huai Mie to halt his strike.
"You've figured it out," Huai Mie said, breaking the silence.
"If you were truly under control, your attacks wouldn't lack killing intent," Huai Kong replied, his voice calm but resolute.
"So you saw through it..." Huai Mie sighed softly. Deep down, he didn't want to harm his younger brother.
Even against others like Bu Jingyun, Huai Mie had never harbored murderous intent—his challenges were always about testing his skills, not taking lives.
"Huai Mie, what's going on here?!" Bai Ling suddenly rushed forward, glaring at Huai Mie as she demanded answers.
"Don't be hasty, Bai Ling. I trust my brother has a reason for this," Huai Kong said, stepping between Bai Ling and Huai Mie to defuse the situation.
"Huai Kong, you need to learn to be more cautious," Huai Mie scolded. Though he was pleased by his brother's trust, Huai Kong's lack of wariness worried him. "That man is not our master. He's an impostor. Haven't you noticed how much he's changed over the years? Haven't you wondered why?"
"That's impossible! How could Master be an impostor?!" Bai Ling cried out. The others nearby, including the island's guards, wore varying expressions—some of shock and disbelief, while others were filled with fear as their eyes darted around nervously.
"It's the truth," Huai Mie said firmly.
"It must be him..." Xin Shi, the senior steward, suddenly muttered, his expression one of realization.
"What do you mean, Xin Shi?" Bai Ling immediately questioned.
"The master had a twin brother, Tie Kuangtu. He was part of the Iron Sect many years ago but was expelled. It all makes sense now. That explains why the master has been acting so differently," Xin Shi explained, recounting the history between the Iron God and his twin brother.
"Then what happened to the real master?" Huai Kong asked, his voice trembling slightly as he stopped mid-sentence, realizing the implication. The air grew heavy with dread.
Boom!
A sudden explosion interrupted their conversation, drawing everyone's attention. One of the island's elite guards, a member of the Iron Sect, was sent flying across the hall.
"If you want to keep chatting, could you at least wait until this business is settled?" Daniel said coldly, removing the mask from his face. It was he who had attacked the guard. Tie Kuangtu's subordinates, realizing the situation had turned dire, had attempted to take Xin Shi hostage, but Daniel stopped them in time.
Under Tie Kuangtu's rule, many of Ironheart Island's guards had been replaced with his loyalists. Xin Shi, however, had been an irreplaceable talent. His expertise in designing weapons like Heaven's Wrath and Heavenly Calamity had made him too valuable to kill, even for Tie Kuangtu.
"Take them down," Huai Mie barked, quickly organizing the remaining loyal guards, including his secret Black Lu faction, to subdue Tie Kuangtu's men.
Meanwhile, Daniel dragged Tie Kuangtu to the far wall of the hall and, with a single kick, smashed through the reinforced stone to reveal a hidden prison. Inside, the real Iron God was chained and battered. Daniel had already gleaned this location from Tie Kuangtu's memories during their brief confrontation.
The Iron God had survived all these years by feigning madness—a strategy that had allowed him to avoid immediate execution. History is full of examples of people who escaped calamity by pretending to be insane, only to rise again later.
"Master!" Huai Kong, Bai Ling, Huai Mie, and Xin Shi rushed into the prison, their voices filled with relief and emotion. The Iron God, who had been sitting in the corner of the prison, raised his head at the sound of their voices. His battered face brightened slightly upon recognizing his disciples and Xin Shi. Dropping the pretense of madness he had maintained for years, he stood up with difficulty, supported by the chains binding him.
"Master! You're alive!" Huai Kong exclaimed as he rushed to his teacher's side, tears streaming down his face. Bai Ling followed closely, her expression a mix of relief and anger.
"You've suffered so much all these years, Master!" Bai Ling said, her voice trembling. She immediately began inspecting the chains restraining the Iron God, looking for a way to free him.
"Master, forgive me for taking so long to realize the truth," Huai Mie said, bowing his head low. For all his sharp instincts and intuition, he felt guilty for not acting sooner to uncover the impostor's deception.
The Iron God, though weak, managed a faint smile. "No need to blame yourself, Huai Mie. You've done well. The fact that I'm alive to see you all again is already more than I could have hoped for."
Xin Shi stepped forward, his voice heavy with regret. "Master, we were all deceived. None of us suspected Tie Kuangtu could stoop so low. I should have realized it sooner."
The Iron God shook his head. "Tie Kuangtu always resented me, but I never thought he would go to such lengths. That is my own failing as his brother. I underestimated the depths of his hatred."
As the disciples and Xin Shi worked to remove the Iron God's restraints, Daniel remained at the entrance to the prison, keeping a watchful eye on Tie Kuangtu. The impostor was still subdued, his expression twisted in rage but also a trace of fear. His plan, years in the making, had unraveled in a single day.
With the Iron God freed and Tie Kuangtu firmly in custody, Ironheart Island quickly returned to order. Huai Mie's Black Lu faction, combined with the Iron God's loyalists, easily subdued the remaining traitorous guards. Tie Kuangtu was handed over to the Iron God for judgment, and Daniel made it clear he had no interest in interfering with their internal matters.
"You intend to visit the Heavenly Gate, don't you?" the Iron God asked Daniel after things had settled down. Gratitude was evident in his voice, but so was concern.
Daniel nodded. "That's right. I need to meet with Emperor Shitian. There's something I need to confirm with him."
Hearing this, the Iron God's expression turned grave. He was silent for a moment before speaking. "The Heavenly Gate is not a place to be taken lightly. Emperor Shitian is not someone to underestimate. If you truly intend to go, I can tell you how to find him, but I urge you to be cautious."
The Heavenly Gate was infamous in the martial world. To the uninformed, it was just another obscure sect among the countless factions that littered the Jianghu. But those who truly understood its nature knew it was far more dangerous than it appeared. The Heavenly Gate was shrouded in mystery, its members fanatically loyal, and its leader, Emperor Shitian, was a figure of unimaginable power and cunning.
The Iron God dismissed his disciples before explaining further. Though he trusted them, he didn't want them entangled in the Heavenly Gate's affairs. Years ago, the Iron God himself had been forced to seek out Emperor Shitian for help. It was an experience he didn't wish upon anyone.
"The path to the Heavenly Gate is not an easy one," the Iron God explained. "To gain an audience with Emperor Shitian, you must first obtain the Brahma Divine Staff, a sacred token of the Heavenly Gate. With it, you must then make the journey to the gate itself, bowing with every step—a test of sincerity. Once you reach the gate, you must use the staff to knock on its doors. Only then will you be granted entry, but even that is no guarantee of success. You'll have to undergo a trial to prove yourself worthy of an audience."
The Iron God's tone grew somber as he continued. "The road to the Heavenly Gate is lined with countless bones—people who tried and failed to reach Emperor Shitian. For most Jianghu fighters, bowing with every step is an unbearable humiliation, but some, driven by desperation, are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. Over the years, those desperate few have left their lives behind on the path."
Daniel nodded thoughtfully, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Thank you for the information. Don't worry, I have my own methods. I won't be walking that path step by step."
The Iron God gave him a wary look. "Emperor Shitian is not someone to be underestimated. He's lived for far too long, and that has twisted his mind in unimaginable ways. He sees himself as a god among mortals. For him, this world is nothing more than a game. He plays with people's lives, building them up just to tear them down, all for his own amusement. Even his creation of Xu Fu was just another scheme to entertain himself."
Daniel's expression darkened. "I'm well aware of the kind of person Emperor Shitian is. That's exactly why I'm going to deal with him."
The Iron God sighed. "In that case, I wish you luck. Be careful."
Before leaving Ironheart Island, Daniel paid a visit to Huai Kong, Huai Mie, and Bai Ling. Huai Mie demonstrated Heaven's Wrath at Daniel's request, allowing him to record its transformations and mechanisms with a camera. The weapon was indeed impressive, but as Daniel observed, "With modern nanotechnology, something like this could be replicated or even improved upon."
Huai Kong, still grateful for Daniel's help, treated him with warmth and respect. Bai Ling, however, remained distant, her demeanor cold. It was clear she still hadn't fully forgiven Daniel for his earlier deception.
Before departing, Daniel offered Huai Kong some advice. "Huai Kong, let me give you a piece of advice. If you want to uphold justice in the Jianghu, you need strength to back it up. Evildoers won't change their ways just because you lecture them. If you truly want to save people, you'll need to train harder. Without strength, you'll not only fail to save others—you might even lose your own life in the process. I know you're not afraid of sacrifice, but wouldn't it be better to live and save more people? Strive to become the strongest. That's the only way you'll truly be able to protect others."
Huai Mie, who had long been trying to push his brother to train harder, couldn't help but agree. However, unlike Daniel, his reasoning often lacked the subtlety needed to convince Huai Kong.
Daniel's words seemed to resonate with Huai Kong, who nodded thoughtfully. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."
With his business on Ironheart Island concluded, Daniel prepared to leave for the Heavenly Gate. As he walked toward his hidden stealth jet, he couldn't help but smirk. "Emperor Shitian, your games are over. It's time to put an end to your so-called divinity."
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