Yan Yuanyi

In a daze, spring had gone and autumn had come several times over. Time flowed away like water, quietly slipping past.

"Shatter Void, See God Unbroken. So this is it—entering the minutiae of oneself, controlling every tiny part of the body, like a god governing all things beneath heaven and earth. The human body is like a World of Sands, and the self is Tathagata." After several years of secluded cultivation, living deep within and rarely venturing out, He Heng had finally crossed the last threshold of National Arts and seen the "god" within himself.

"National Arts end here. But my path is still long!" Sitting cross-legged in the Embracing the Elixir stance, He Heng sensed himself and circulated his Blood Qi before suddenly speaking.

"Of the National Arts realms before me, perhaps only the so-called Dao of Utmost Sincerity—'not seeing, not hearing, yet sensing danger and avoiding it'—remains. This realm already touches upon the Human Law Realm spoken of in the Great Heaven World. I've only gained an initial understanding of it, and I'm still lacking that final spark to achieve it." Back when He Heng had traveled the world on foot, contemplating Vast Heaven and Earth and the movement of sun and moon, he had once touched the Human Law Realm In the Netherworld. Yet he had ultimately failed to maintain it, falling from that realm after regaining clarity. Still, he had gained some understanding of that domain.

Over these past years, he had cultivated and meditated in silence, casting aside all external things. In the end, he had made progress. He had mastered all Nine Ranks of Technique and touched the threshold of Human Law once more. He believed that if he could enter that state again, he would never fall from it again.

"I'm still missing an opportunity." Not a ripple stirred in He Heng's eyes. His crystalline pupils held no color, and he resembled an immortal cast down to the mortal world, cutting off worldly ties and preparing to Ascend to Immortality, without the slightest trace of mortal dust.

"Hm? Someone's coming?" He Heng suddenly turned and looked outside. With his Spiritual Sense, he could detect the other party's presence even from several miles away.

"This is... Yan Yuanyi. What is she doing here?" He Heng found it strange. Ever since he had told Yan Yuanyi about Tang Zichen last time, the woman had gone looking for trouble with Tang Zichen. As expected, she had lost once again. Naturally unwilling to accept it, she had worked hard at cultivation these past few years. Why had she come looking for him today?

"But that works too. I've just finished three years of cultivation and was planning to find someone to test my results on. She'll do." He Heng murmured blandly and pulled open the front door.

Not long after, a young-looking woman of about twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in a white ski jacket, arrived at his doorstep and stared at him coldly.

"He Heng, it's been a long time." Yan Yuanyi spoke first.

"It has been a few years." He Heng nodded and stood in the doorway like a towering mountain, blocking the path ahead.

Yan Yuanyi's brows furrowed slightly in irritation, but after thinking it over, she suppressed it. "Young Master He, you don't seem very welcoming. Aren't you even going to let me inside?"

"That's right. I simply don't want to let you in. Instructor Yan, you work for the State Violent Agency. When someone like you enters another person's home, it's usually never good news. A law-abiding citizen like me doesn't dare get too entangled with you." He Heng wore an expression that said she was absolutely right. He simply didn't welcome her.

"Hmph. I came to see you today on important business. Don't go too far, He Heng." Yan Yuanyi frowned and snapped coldly.

"Today, I feel like going too far. What can you do about it?" He Heng's expression turned hostile.

"Then I'll teach you a lesson on Old Master He's behalf." Yan Yuanyi's Face Like Frost as she shouted coldly, killing intent spreading around her.

"Then let's see whether you have the ability." He Heng smiled. His body suddenly leaped, tracing a perfect arc through the air. Descending from above, he threw a punch. There was no sound at all; he drifted like an immortal, untouched by mortal dust.

Yan Yuanyi's expression changed drastically. She did not underestimate the punch just because it produced no Sonic Boom. On the contrary, she understood its terror even more clearly. A master like He Heng possessed over a thousand kilograms of force throughout his body. A casual swing could shake buildings and make mountains roar. Yet this punch of his seemed as casual as a child's wave. What level of control did that require?

She did not dare receive it head-on. With a flash, she shifted aside like a Startled Swan or Swimming Dragon, evading the strike. When He Heng's punch failed to land, he used Gang-Step and Dipper-Treading, stepping upon the positions of the Big Dipper, and threw another punch fiercely at Yan Yuanyi.

"What a fast punch." Yan Yuanyi could already feel a violent gust from the punch rushing toward her. There was no time left to dodge.

In that instant, Yan Yuanyi shifted aside to avoid the front of He Heng's fist. Her pair of fair, jade-like hands suddenly clasped his right wrist, using the technique of four ounces moving a thousand pounds to divert his punch by a few inches. She narrowly avoided it.

"Not bad. It seems that after losing to Tang Zichen again, you really did work much harder. Your martial arts have improved greatly. The old you could never have dodged that punch of mine." He Heng laughed. His right hand suddenly twisted, his five fingers turning into a claw as he abruptly grabbed at Yan Yuanyi's cheek.

"Damn it!" Tang Zichen had always been a sore point for Yan Yuanyi. Repeatedly losing to her had given Yan Yuanyi an extraordinary hatred for that name. Now that He Heng had brought her up again, Yan Yuanyi was thoroughly enraged.

However, she also knew this was He Heng's way of disrupting her state of mind. She immediately steadied herself and used Emei Wind Chasing Short Strike, employing acupoint-striking techniques to seize He Heng's claws.

"360 Styles Bronze Man Acupoint Striking Hand." He Heng spoke coldly. His legs suddenly swept out like an autumn wind scattering fallen leaves, stirring Gang Wind that swept across several meters. Yan Yuanyi's expression tightened. She hurriedly leaped through the air to evade the strike, but after landing again, her steps were somewhat disordered.

"Take my Grand Tai Chi Grinding Mill!" He Heng seized the opportunity. His arms formed seals, resembling the diagram of Taiji Yin Yang. As they spun wildly, they became like a massive grinding mill crushing down, causing the surrounding air to erupt.

Bang! He Heng and Yan Yuanyi's fists collided, and a violent Sonic Boom rang out like spring thunder, shaking the soul.

Yan Yuanyi was far inferior to He Heng in strength. In this direct collision, she was no match for him at all. A tremendous force drove her back several steps, her face turning pale as both arms trembled and even spasmed.

He Heng pressed his advantage. Both hands clenched into fists and transformed into Cannon Hammers. His Blood Qi surged, Tendons and Bones crackling as he fiercely hammered toward Yan Yuanyi.

Yan Yuanyi had no choice. Sensing He Heng's Killing Intent, she hurriedly performed a donkey roll on the ground, covering herself in dirt as she dodged the blow in extreme embarrassment.

He Heng did not relent. His speed was incredibly fast, and he immediately caught up to Yan Yuanyi. As she rose at his side, he used Black Tiger Steals Heart, directly grabbing at her chest.

Seeing the ferocity of He Heng's attack, Yan Yuanyi did not dare receive it head-on. She hurriedly lowered herself and used a Civet Cat Roll to evade its edge, while kicking toward He Heng's chest with both legs.

He Heng smiled. He sidestepped the kick, then spread open his right arm and abruptly seized her, clamping Yan Yuanyi's left leg. With a forceful throw, he suddenly swung her entire body around several times.

"Damn you, He Heng! Let me go now, or I won't let you off!" Yan Yuanyi propped herself against the ground and roared furiously.

"Haha, Yan Yuanyi, I never thought there'd come a day when you fell into my hands." He Heng grinned wickedly, paying no attention to Yan Yuanyi's threat. His arms seemed to possess immense strength as they tightly clamped her legs, refusing to release her no matter how she struggled.

"Bastard!" Yan Yuanyi was furious beyond measure. She had truly been having terrible luck lately. First, she had lost to Tang Zichen again. Then she had suffered at the hands of Tang Zichen's lover. This time, she had come to find He Heng in hopes that he would help her deal with Wang Chao. Yet now she had suffered such a crushing defeat again. The grief and fury in Yan Yuanyi's heart were beyond words.

An angry woman was terrifying, especially when that woman was highly skilled in martial arts. Overwhelmed by grief and fury, Yan Yuanyi suddenly erupted. Her hands flung out, and her waist somehow twisted one hundred and eighty degrees as she viciously struck toward He Heng's back.

He Heng was startled. He quickly grabbed Yan Yuanyi's legs and flung her away, throwing her more than ten meters before she slammed fiercely into a large tree.

Crack... The tree was struck by Yan Yuanyi's impact and snapped cleanly in half at its trunk.

"Cough, cough..." Yan Yuanyi staggered out from beneath the fallen tree, her hair disheveled and her appearance miserable. Her body was covered in red and purple bruises, several wounds scraped open and bleeding. Her waist in particular had been struck out of shape.

The force behind He Heng's strike could be seen from the tree that had been smashed in half. Ordinary martial artists at the Shatter Void, See God Unbroken level possessed over a thousand kilograms of strength, let alone He Heng, whose Physical Body was far stronger than ordinary people due to the cultivation methods of the Great Heaven World. His entire body held several tons of force. That Yan Yuanyi had not been smashed in two on the spot after being thrown with such force already demonstrated the powerful Life Force of an Embracing the Elixir martial artist, far beyond that of ordinary people. How could she care about anything else?

But Yan Yuanyi was a woman, and women generally cared about their appearance. Naturally, Yan Yuanyi was no exception.

When she climbed up and saw herself covered in mud, her clothes torn to shreds and ripped open in several places, then felt the agonizing pain in her waist as though it had broken, she immediately let out a shrill roar.

"Ah! He Heng, it's Never-ending between us!"

He Heng's expression stiffened as he looked at the woman, who was nearly insane. Sensibly, he said nothing further. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood there coolly, glancing sideways at the sky. The moon is so bright today!

Who cared whether it was daytime or not? Confucius had said that women and petty men were difficult to deal with! That guy's words were truly a timeless truth. He Heng felt it was best not to speak too much with these crazy women.

"Luckily, I cultivate the Ruthless Dao." He Heng silently rejoiced.

Meanwhile, after roaring a few times, Yan Yuanyi quickly calmed down. She was, after all, an Embracing the Elixir martial artist, and her state of mind was far beyond that of ordinary people. In the blink of an eye, she broke free of her grief and fury, looked at He Heng with cold and complicated eyes, and ultimately left.

What else could she do if she did not leave? She could not defeat He Heng, and continuing to pester him would only bring further humiliation.

Watching Yan Yuanyi leave, He Heng let out a sigh of relief. It was not that he feared Yan Yuanyi; it was simply that her background was extraordinary, and he could not really do anything to her. If they continued entangling themselves, it would be difficult to resolve things. Now that she had wisely left, it would be easier for them to meet again in the future. Of course, that was only He Heng's way of thinking.