C18 My Life Is in My Own Hands Not in the Heavens

Guan Shikun was seething with anger at Zhou Ming after losing face. Once they reached the Watchtower, he was determined to give Zhou Ming a lesson he wouldn't forget. He had to show this upstart the extent of his capabilities.

As Guan Shikun pondered how to deal with Zhou Ming, Zhou Ming suddenly let out a wail, "I can't take it, my stomach is killing me!"

"Stay seated!" Ming Shuang commanded icily. She didn't have the heart to call out Zhou Ming's terrible acting, which was an affront to anyone's intelligence.

"It's so painful! I need to use the restroom, or I'm going to mess up the car."

Zhou Ming clutched his belly, his face contorted in a grimace, the very picture of someone suffering from constipation.

"Pull over," Guan Shikun said, a smile playing on his lips as he approached Zhou Ming and gave him a couple of reassuring pats on the shoulder. "I'll escort him to relieve himself."

"Guan Shikun, are you aware of what you're doing?" Ming Shuang asked sharply. It was obvious to her that Zhou Ming was putting on an act, and she couldn't believe Guan Shikun didn't see right through it. His offer to take Zhou Ming out was likely just a pretext for revenge after being publicly embarrassed by him.

Zhou Ming's mouth twitched. Guan Shikun was indeed devious. Those two pats on the shoulder had felt like being struck by iron weights, nearly dislocating his shoulder. Fortunately, he had timely activated his defense skill, Immovable as a Mountain, sparing him the agony of a dislocation.

Guan Shikun was taken aback. He was well aware of the force he had applied; any ordinary person would have suffered a dislocated shoulder by now, but Zhou Ming seemed unharmed?

Coming back to his senses, Guan Shikun's annoyance grew. Ming Shuang, that insufferable woman, always carried herself with such arrogance. He vowed to himself that one day he would have her kneeling at his feet. With that thought, his expression chilled, "I'm fully aware of my actions. Ming Shuang, perhaps it's you who needs to recognize your place."

Ming Shuang's expression turned stony, and she held her tongue.

Zhou Ming stepped out of the car, following Guan Shikun into an area overgrown with wild grass, the location unknown to him. He had barely taken a few steps when Guan Shikun, right behind him, delivered a swift kick.

"Puff!"

Zhou Ming spat out a large mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the wild grass. It felt as if every organ in his body had been displaced, and a searing pain scorched his back, sending shocks of agony through every nerve.

"Sorry about that, I didn't hold back. If you need a hand, come on, let me help you up."

Guan Shikun approached Zhou Ming with a chuckle, reaching out to grab him.

But Zhou Ming was not one to resign himself to fate. Primal Essence surged wildly through his veins, powering his limbs and bones. With a swift roll, he narrowly dodged Guan Shikun's grasp.

"Fluctuations of Primal Essence? Are you an Essence Weaver?"

Guan Shikun hadn't anticipated Zhou Ming being an Essence Weaver. Nonetheless, his surprise was fleeting. To him, Zhou Ming's abilities were child's play. As a six-star Essence Weaver in the late period of Aether Forging, Guan Shikun saw Zhou Ming, who was merely in the early period of Source Tempering, as no more significant than an ant.

Zhou Ming remained silent, focusing on the Primal Essence within him that seemed to alleviate the pain in his back, directing it to the site of his injury. He was determined not to become overly dependent on Dream Fulfilled; each use made him a fraction more malevolent, and he feared that eventually, he might transform into a demon driven only by slaughter. He was acutely aware of the vast gap between himself and the seasoned Essence Weavers. Without Dream Fulfilled, he was no match for Guan Shikun.

"Even better that you're an Essence Weaver. I'll break you before taking you back."

A sinister smile played on Guan Shikun's lips as he advanced, his palm outstretched for another grab.

Zhou Ming was not one to hesitate. Aware of Guan Shikun's pettiness and cruelty, he knew he would suffer regardless of whether his life was spared. With that in mind, he couldn't afford to delay. A silver "100" burst forth in his mind, the imagery flashing before him as the dark golden shackles on his wrists shattered. Seizing the moment, he unleashed a powerful punch.

With a thunderous "Bam!" the violent force erupted, turning Guan Shikun's arm into a mist of blood.

Blood splattered across Guan Shikun's face as he stared blankly at his right hand, now nothing but empty space.

"Ah!!! I will have your head for this!"

Overwhelmed by the agony of his severed arm, Guan Shikun was consumed by a single thought: to kill Zhou Ming! With his remaining left hand, he reached out and struck a palm towards Zhou Ming from a distance.

An Essence Weaver, having cultivated to the late period of Aether Forging, is no longer confined to their physical form and can project their Primal Essence outward. The destructive power of this projection is immense, and it is something that those in the Source Tempering Stage simply cannot withstand.

"Boom!"

There was no visible change in Zhou Ming's demeanor. A palm imprint, crafted from Primal Essence, collided with him, causing his hair to flutter and his shirt to tear, yet he remained completely unscathed.

Twentyfold Ironskin: All body attributes are enhanced by a factor of twenty. This was the Dream Fulfilled technique Zhou Ming had employed.

Impossible! How could Zhou Ming withstand a blow from his projected Primal Essence? Guan Shikun was in disbelief.

Killing intent roiled in Zhou Ming's eyes as he shattered the ground beneath his feet and closed the distance to Guan Shikun in the blink of an eye.

With a single hand, he pressed down on Guan Shikun's head, driving him into the earth and leaving a lengthy trail in the dirt. Guan Shikun, a six-star Essence Weaver, couldn't even discern Zhou Ming's movements, let alone muster a response.

"Stop!"

A massive, crescent-shaped weapon sliced through the air, aiming for Zhou Ming's neck.

"Out of my way!"

Zhou Ming deflected the weapon with a palm strike and delivered a kick to Guan Shikun, sending him hurtling through the air.

Ming Shuang caught the weapon, her shock palpable as she witnessed Guan Shikun crumpled nearby. Zhou Ming had not only deflected her strike with ease but had also inflicted serious injuries on Guan Shikun. Had he been hiding his true capabilities?

Suppressing the surge of murderous rage within him, Zhou Ming addressed Ming Shuang firmly, "Let me leave."

Ming Shuang shook her head. "Impossible. You're carrying too many secrets. You have to come back with me."

Several more individuals leapt from the vehicle, ready to join the fray.

"A bunch of fools! Stay back! You're no match for him."

Ming Shuang couldn't help but curse as she watched the eager Origin Guardians. She and Guan Shikun were the most powerful there, yet they had been soundly defeated. A group attack would only hinder her.

With a flick of her crescent blade, Ming Shuang spun and vanished from sight.

Zhou Ming felt a sudden coldness on his back as Ming Shuang's blade left a shallow cut there.

The crescent blade circled back, and Ming Shuang reappeared to Zhou Ming's right, delivering a spinning kick to his waist.

"Crack!"

Zhou Ming raised his hand to block, the brute force of the blow pushing him back two steps.

The blade returned to Ming Shuang's grasp, and with another turn, she disappeared once again.

I can't hold back any longer! Zhou Ming had been suppressing his murderous intent to avoid being overwhelmed by it, which had restricted his combat abilities. Ming Shuang was even stronger than Guan Shikun, and continuing this battle would be to his disadvantage.

Boom! A fearsome killing intent surged from within Zhou Ming, sending shivers down the spines of the watching Origin Guardians. They felt a heavy, oppressive force, their hearts pounding as if they were witnessing an endless expanse of carnage and a hellish abyss.

Such astonishing murderous aura! Ming Shuang, startled by Zhou Ming, materialized, her forehead beaded with sweat. How could such a young man harbor such fearsome killing intent?

"My fate is mine to control, not the heavens'!"

Zhou Ming bellowed skyward and unleashed a punch upward. The tangible killing intent around him coalesced into a massive dragon, soaring towards the heavens.