The God

"Why didn't you chase him?" Yan Yuanyi watched Wang Chao's retreating figure and stamped her foot in anger. Her face darkened as she demanded an answer from He Heng.

"Because I'm exhausted!" He Heng said, sounding terribly "weak." His body even swayed, and he nearly collapsed. Two soldiers hurried over to support him at Instructor Yan's side.

"Just look at me. How could I possibly have the strength to chase him..." He Heng panted. "Wang Chao's skill really is the best I've ever seen. We fought to a draw today, but he still had enough strength to run, while I was completely spent. If you hadn't arrived so quickly, Yuanyi, I might have been in serious trouble. My training really does fall short. Take me back. I'll go into seclusion for a few years, then come back and help you."

As he spoke, He Heng signaled for the two soldiers to help him into the car, and they immediately drove him home.

"Wang Chao. He Heng..." Yan Yuanyi watched He Heng walk away, her face as cold as frost and her expression complicated.

"Phew!" Once he was in the car, He Heng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He'd managed to fool her after all. His panting stopped abruptly, and color returned to his face. He told the driver to hurry up; Yan Yuanyi would probably realize something was wrong any moment now.

Sure enough, once he got home, Yan Yuanyi came straight to see him. And then... well, He Heng certainly wasn't about to admit that he'd held back during the fight.

"Instructor Yan, don't pin all the blame on me. I risked my life fighting Wang Chao for that long. You're the ones who arrived late. If you'd come just two minutes earlier, this wouldn't have happened. I know you and Tang Zichen don't get along. I understand. Women like you are always..." He Heng rambled on.

If you know that, why bring up Tang Zichen? Yan Yuanyi glared at He Heng, her gaze as if she wanted to cut him to pieces.

Bringing up a woman more powerful than her in front of a forceful woman was definitely not a wise move.

But He Heng was laughing to himself. He'd said it to divert Yan Yuanyi's attention and keep her from giving him any more trouble.

"Enough. There's no point talking about this now. Instead of dwelling on who's responsible, Instructor Yan, you should focus on figuring out how to catch Wang Chao."

"How are we supposed to catch him? We missed our chance. It'll be more than ten times harder to deal with Wang Chao now." Yan Yuanyi clenched her teeth in anger.

"From what I've just heard, Liao Junhua has already taken Wang Chao to meet his old man. That nouveau riche Wang Chao bribed him with a hundred million euros and cleared his name. From now on, we can't deal with him openly." Yan Yuanyi sounded helpless. As part of the military, she couldn't break the rules.

"Oh? So what do you plan to do?" He Heng asked indifferently.

"The only option now is to act in secret. Wang Chao has many enemies, including several Core Strength masters. I plan to bring them together and have them deal with him." Yan Yuanyi revealed her aim: she wanted to recruit He Heng. She knew plenty of masters, but few could take on Wang Chao, and He Heng was the only one who could match him.

"I'm afraid that won't work. I just fought Wang Chao and had some insights. I'm planning to go into seclusion for a while—at least a few months, maybe a few years. I'm afraid I can't help you." He Heng had no intention of becoming Yan Yuanyi's weapon, so he immediately came up with an excuse. Though it wasn't really an excuse; his fight with Wang Chao had indeed given him some insights, and he needed time in seclusion to absorb them.

"You..." Yan Yuanyi glared at He Heng. With her sharp eye, she could tell he was brushing her off. She pointed at him coldly.

"All right, Instructor Yan. If there's nothing else, please leave. Don't come looking for me for a while, either. I'm shutting my doors to visitors." He Heng acted as if he were shooing her away and pushed her out.

"I don't need you to see me out. I can leave on my own!" Yan Yuanyi said icily, then stormed away.

"As if I was planning to see you out..." He Heng quickly shut the door.

"From here on, it's none of my business." He Heng went back to being a shut-in, devoting himself to studying his Fist Technique. He absorbed the lessons he'd gained from Wang Chao, built up his strength, and sought to understand the Heavenly Dao and the human heart.

A few months passed quickly, until one day He Heng's phone rang.

"He Heng?" A detached voice came from the other end, devoid of emotion, like a god high above, looking down on the world.

He Heng's expression turned serious at once. "God, I've already left the organization. Why are you contacting me?"

"Congratulations on achieving the Core Dao and reaching a godlike realm. You've become one of my kind." The speaker was the leader of the world's largest assassin organization, the biggest boss in Dragon Snake—God!

He Heng had once joined the God Organization to temper himself, working as an assassin for several years. But that had ended after he achieved Dan Force. Once he reached that level, he had left the organization.

He understood God's ideas and could even accept them. But that didn't mean he would help God realize them. In this world, God's ideas were doomed to remain unrealized. He Heng wouldn't waste his time on something so pointless. To him, this world was only a brief moment in his life; his journey lay in the Myriad Worlds of the Heavens.

God had founded the organization to cultivate more "gods" who could help him realize his ideals. The many masters who had reached Hua Jin or higher joined because they were seeking a breakthrough. God had promised from the beginning that once they achieved Dan Force, he would never interfere with their decision to leave. At his level of martial understanding, he couldn't possibly lie about that. And that was exactly how things had gone over the years. Hadn't the Twin Dragons of Great Tang left the God Organization after achieving Dan Force?

By all rights, God shouldn't have contacted He Heng again. So why was he calling now?

He Heng glanced at the calendar, dazed. More than two months had passed since his fight with Wang Chao. According to the original Dragon Snake story, God should have already fought Wang Chao by now, and nearly fallen to a combined attack from Tang Zichen and Wang Chao.

Sure enough, God's voice came through, still cold. "I've disbanded the organization and dissolved the Reincarnation Squad."

"Why?" He Heng asked, pretending to be confused.

"Because I want to cast off every attachment and restraint, free my mind and body, and fight one person!" God said impassively. He showed no discomfort or regret at abandoning decades of work—only boundless detachment and resolve.

"Who?"

"Wang Chao!"

"Him? I fought him a while ago. I didn't realize he could push you this far." He Heng replied calmly.

"On his own, he naturally couldn't. But with Tang Zichen, he could. That woman is only a hair's breadth from the Indestructible realm, and she has already attained the Dao of Utmost Sincerity. Even I haven't comprehended that realm." God's voice remained as calm as still water. He showed no anger or humiliation at his defeat.

"Interesting. But why are you calling me?" He Heng asked.

"I want you to help me take on the couple, Wang Chao and Tang Zichen. If you hold Tang Zichen off, I can fight Wang Chao one-on-one." God stated his purpose. "Originally, I planned to cultivate someone who could rival Tang Zichen. She was able to cultivate Wang Chao, so naturally I could cultivate someone who could match her. But now that you've reached this level, there's no need for all that."

"You want me to fight Tang Zichen. Why should I help you?" He Heng asked coldly.

God replied, "Because we're the same kind. We've transcended ordinary people; we're godlike beings. Unlike Wang Chao and the others, who possess the power and realm of gods yet choose to live among a bunch of monkeys."

"Heh." He Heng said nothing and fell silent.

"Are you willing to help me?" God pressed.

"I could help you, but you have to agree to one condition." He Heng's expression turned stern.

"Fine. What is it?" God agreed without hesitation.

"I want to fight you." He Heng suddenly unleashed a tremendous fighting spirit, surging with power.

By now, among all the masters in this world, God was the only one He Heng hadn't fought. Given He Heng's nature, there was no way he'd pass up the chance. And now, the opportunity had presented itself.

"Good. I'm in the country right now, in the capital. You can come find me." God's voice, too, carried a trace of fighting spirit.

"Excellent. I'm coming right away." He Heng sprang to his feet, changed into different clothes, and walked out.