Chapter 107: The Return
"Old man, what should I do if I encounter someone far stronger than me? I mean, overwhelmingly stronger?"
"Didn''t I tell you before? When you meet such a person, there''s no other choice but to flee."
"But... what if I refuse to run?"
Li Xiaotian''s eyes bore into Han Ming, and the two locked gazes for a long time, with Han Ming refusing to look away.
"Sigh..." Li Xiaotian let out a soft sigh and slowly closed his eyes.
"You are my favorite disciple, and also my last. As your master, I know your greatest strength, which is also your weakness—your tenacity, your refusal to admit defeat. I admire this about you, but it also worries me. My disciple, I hope you can understand my concerns. Grasp as much as you can."
Han Ming watched as Li Xiaotian closed his eyes and fell silent, feeling utterly confused.
What''s this old man doing? Is he asleep?
"Use your life to feel, to resist. This state, even I, have only truly grasped a few times in my life. I hope you can seize the mystery within it. Whether you live or die depends entirely on your own fate."
Li Xiaotian spoke softly.
Han Ming stared blankly at Li Xiaotian, not understanding the cryptic words.
Before him, Gurgel''s palm strike tore through the air.
Han Ming felt an intense sense of danger enveloping him, so overwhelming that he couldn''t even decide where to dodge.
Gurgel''s palm was like a black hole, sucking in everything around it, leaving no escape.
"Old man, bless me."
Facing the unstoppable strike, Han Ming slowly closed his eyes.
What should I do? What should I feel? What is this state he''s talking about?
Han Ming quietly pondered.
Bang! A loud crash echoed.
Han Ming was sent flying by Gurgel''s palm strike.
A blood-red handprint appeared on his chest.
Even without using his combat energy, Gurgel, as a fifth-level War King, had shattered Han Ming''s rock-solid body, breaking all the ribs in his chest.
"Han, what are you doing? Closing your eyes at such a critical moment—do you want to die?"
Marlon was frantic. To him, Han Ming closing his eyes in the face of Gurgel''s strike seemed like a complete surrender. But Han Ming''s body couldn''t withstand such severe injuries anymore. Even Marlon knew that after this strike, Han Ming was on the brink of death.
"I only used half my strength in that strike. I didn''t kill you outright out of respect, wanting you to take my third strike before dying. But your performance disappoints me." Gurgel shook his head in disappointment.
Han Ming''s ribs were shattered, his internal organs severely injured, and he began to hemorrhage. As Marlon had said, his life was slipping away, his consciousness fading.
Yet, Han Ming felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
It was as if everything in the world had stopped. He couldn''t see, hear, smell, or feel anything with his hands.
What kind of strange state was this? Only his mind remained calm, still thinking.
Why don''t I feel any pain?
"Kid, if you take my third strike in this state, you will die without a doubt," Gurgel warned.
Han Ming ignored him.
"Enough. It seems you''re a lost cause. Let me send you off. For this third strike, I will use my full strength."
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Gurgel''s voice was calm, the earlier emotional turmoil now settled.
This kid is just an ordinary person after all.
Gurgel hated seeing someone give up. To him, surrendering meant your life no longer had value.
Han Ming struggled to his feet, his upper body completely numb, bent forward as if bowing. His legs trembled slightly, swaying in the wind at an odd rhythm. His posture resembled a reanimated corpse—lifeless and silent.
"Take my third strike!"
Gurgel spun rapidly, leaping into the air. His right hand clawed at the void, and an earth-shattering aura erupted.
Whoosh!
A palm strike of unparalleled force shot toward Han Ming.
In Han Ming''s world, a ripple suddenly appeared.
From the initial silence, a subtle, profound ripple emerged.
It slowly pushed toward him.
What is this?
What is this!?
The ripple in Han Ming''s mind startled him.
Its frequency was so clear. Why can''t I feel anything else, yet sense this ripple?
In Han Ming''s world, nothing existed anymore—no sky, no earth, no people, no emptiness. Everything around him had vanished.
Only that single ripple, drifting slowly toward him.
Got it!!
Han Ming''s right leg stepped forward, directly into Gurgel''s palm strike.
"Han!" Marlon shouted in alarm.
But Han Ming couldn''t hear him. He only felt the ripple getting closer.
What is this?
Han Ming tilted his body slightly to observe, and the ripple suddenly turned, rushing straight at him.
Curious, he dodged again, only to see the ripple adjust its course once more.
He grew more and more intrigued, as if playing a game of tag with the ripple, chasing and evading but never colliding.
Meanwhile, Gurgel and Marlon were stunned, their jaws nearly hitting the ground.
Marlon even covered his mouth in shock.
Han Ming''s body moved like a falling leaf, swaying gently with Gurgel''s palm strike. His bizarre footwork was something Marlon had never seen before.
Han Ming''s state was contradictory—he seemed like an enormous boulder, yet he mimicked a withered leaf, swaying in the breeze.
Gurgel''s palm force pulled Han Ming in, but his body spun, his upper body leaning at a 45-degree angle while his lower half defied logic, stepping into the air. His entire body flipped in place.
Gurgel''s expression grew serious. His palm force remained strong, chasing Han Ming''s figure. The powerful strike had already sucked in dirt and plants from the ground, yet it couldn''t catch Han Ming''s shadow.
Ah! There it is!
Han Ming suddenly saw the source of the ripple. He grinned, feeling as if his body and mind were one. He could control himself freely, even fly into the sky if he wished.
Got you!
"Got you!"
Han Ming whispered softly.
He slowly opened his eyes, the sunlight making them water.
"Huh? What are you all doing?" Han Ming, suddenly awake from his near-death state, seemed to have briefly lost his memory.
He saw his body in a strange posture, evading Gurgel''s outstretched hand, while a single finger lightly pressed against Gurgel''s throat.
"This... ah!" Han Ming, coming back to his senses, collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. His consciousness faded rapidly.
After waking from that strange experience, his body could no longer bear even the slightest burden.
Gurgel''s face was bleak. He kicked Han Ming, sending him flying onto the fallen leaves of the Tree of Life.
"Old friend, you''ve lost," Marlon finally said, still shaken by what he had just witnessed.
"Take him and leave. Don''t come back. I''m tired..." Gurgel waved his hand dismissively, walking dejectedly back to the castle, his figure suddenly aged.
"Old friend, take these treasures." Marlon tossed two wooden boxes toward Gurgel, but they fell to the ground with a clatter.
Gurgel didn''t even glance at them, head bowed as he walked back into the castle, ignoring the treasures he had once coveted.
"Take them back," Marlon said, feeling a mix of sadness and pity for Gurgel. The once indomitable Gurgel had been utterly defeated.
"Cough, cough... Elder Marlon, what just happened? Wasn''t there supposed to be a third strike? Why didn''t he finish it?"
Han Ming, recovering slightly thanks to the Tree of Life''s leaves, asked weakly.
"You really don''t remember what happened?" Marlon asked.
Han Ming shook his head in confusion.
"Look behind you."
Han Ming turned and saw a deep crater in the ground, with the distant wall collapsed.
"You won... let''s go." Marlon sighed, helping Han Ming to his feet. The two walked out of Gurgel''s castle.
Neither spoke during the journey.
Han Ming tried to recall what had happened, but it was like grasping at a dream—elusive and fleeting.
Marlon, on the other hand, was replaying Han Ming''s bizarre movements in his mind. It was a state he had never heard of or imagined.
In that moment, it seemed as if Han Ming was the only one in the world.
If Gurgel had used his combat energy, Han Ming would have died without a doubt. But that was precisely why Gurgel was so devastated.
A nobody, on the brink of death, had dodged his strongest strike and even counterattacked, lightly touching Gurgel''s throat. Gurgel could have killed Han Ming then and there.
But it would have been meaningless.
To someone as proud and unyielding as Gurgel, Han Ming hadn''t just defeated him—he had shattered his spirit.
"Han, may I ask who your master is?" Marlon suddenly broke the silence.
Han Ming hesitated, unsure if he should reveal too much. But faced with Marlon''s eager expression, he couldn''t refuse.
"My master is Li Xiaotian."
Marlon''s body stiffened, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"So that''s why... no wonder, no wonder..." Marlon nodded, as if finally understanding. He muttered to himself, unsure if he was speaking to Han Ming or just thinking aloud.
"Queen Vivian, Charles, come out! I''ve got the leaves!"
Han Ming called out from behind a pile of rubble.
"You got them!? That''s wonderful, truly wonderful!" Vivian, pulling Charles by the arm, hurried out from behind the rocks.
"Is this the leaf from the Tree of Life?" Vivian asked, reaching out to touch the large, withered leaf on the ground.
"Don''t touch it!" Both Marlon and Han Ming shouted in unison.
Han Ming quickly explained the properties of the Tree of Life''s leaves to Vivian, who finally understood.