Chapter Fifteen: Zhang Xuan, the Second Divine General

At Monk’s command, the surrounding soldiers swarmed forward. Chu Han’s face remained calm, betraying not the slightest hint of fear. After all, he was a Celestial Sovereign; these were mere mortals—he had no reason to be afraid. He was only pondering what kind of lesson he should teach them.

“Hmph, still pretending to be calm. I’d like to see how composed you are once your legs are broken,” Monk sneered cruelly, already picturing Chu Han kneeling and begging for mercy.

Among the thirteen Divine Generals of the Lantian Barracks, Monk was the most ruthless. On the battlefield, he relished gutting his enemies, and in daily life, he ruled his subordinates with fists and curses.

But as the fists swung toward him, Chu Han moved. He lowered his head, dodged the attack, seized a man’s fist, and flung him away with force. Then, turning, he struck another soldier square in the chest. The man spat blood and flew back—this, even though Chu Han hadn’t used his full strength.

His power had reached the mortal limit of ninety-nine thousand jin. A full-strength punch from him could shatter stone, let alone human flesh and bone.

In less than a minute, over a dozen soldiers lay sprawled on the ground—some unconscious, others groaning in pain. Not one of them would rise from a bed again.

The sudden turn of events left Monk wide-eyed with disbelief. He hadn’t expected Chu Han to be so formidable—over a dozen soldiers dispatched in under a minute.

“Well, those annoying flies are dealt with. Now it’s your turn.” Chu Han smiled and charged at him.

Monk, as the Seventh Divine General, was not weak either. Though shocked, he reacted swiftly, drawing the longsword at his waist and meeting Chu Han head-on.

Chu Han evaded the sword’s thrust, seized Monk’s wrist, and with a slight force—there was a crisp crack—his wrist snapped instantly. Before Monk could even scream, Chu Han kicked him in the knee, shattering the kneecap and sending him crashing to the ground, his screams echoing throughout the Lantian Barracks.

Chu Han placed his right foot on Monk’s face, looking down at him. To Monk, Chu Han now seemed like a demon risen from hell—capable of ending his life with the slightest pressure.

“Go on, kill me if you dare. Lantian Barracks won’t let you off. You’ll be hunted by us for the rest of your miserable life!” Monk howled through the pain, his cries drawing a crowd.

Yet Chu Han showed no fear at his threats. He smiled cruelly. “Very well. Let’s see just what your Lantian Barracks are capable of.”

Just as he prepared to finish Monk off, a cold glint flashed before his eyes. Chu Han’s expression darkened as he tilted his head to dodge—a flying dart whistled by.

“Boy, let Monk go and I’ll pay you the rest of your fee right away. You’d better think carefully—offend us, and you can run, but the Tang Family Forge will be doomed,” came a hurried voice. A burly man in silver-white armor strode out, his face frosted with anger, another dart held in his hand.

Chu Han sneered wordlessly, his foot still pressing down on Monk. This was no longer a matter of money—Lantian Barracks had trampled on his dignity. If he didn’t respond in kind, then what had he lived for all these years?

“Second Brother, save me! Kill him—I want him torn to pieces!” Monk, pinned beneath Chu Han’s foot, was overjoyed at the sight of the newcomer, shouting with bloodshot eyes as Chu Han’s weight pressed down harder.

The armored man said nothing, simply tossed a bag of gold coins at Chu Han’s feet. Chu Han picked it up, weighed it, and nodded, satisfied with the heft.

“Since you’ve paid, I’ll let him go. I swear by my name—Zhang Xuan, Second Divine General—that you’ll walk out of here alive,” Zhang Xuan said coldly, glancing anxiously at Monk beneath Chu Han’s foot.

So this was the Second Divine General. Chu Han could sense that this man was already at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm—on the verge of breaking through to the Wheel Sea Realm. Yet that last step was one few could ever take.

If the Second Divine General was at the peak, then the First Divine General had likely already surpassed mortal limits.

“So, Second Divine General, is it? My name is Chu Han. I don’t care about your Lantian Barracks and I don’t want to. Just don’t provoke me—you’re not people I can be trifled with,” Chu Han replied icily. Then, with a savage kick to Monk’s dantian, he left him a cripple, Monk’s screams fading as he passed out.

Zhang Xuan rushed forward, and upon checking Monk’s condition, his face changed dramatically. “You crippled Monk! How ruthless.”

“I merely crippled him. He’s still alive—you should thank me,” Chu Han replied with a cruel smile, then turned and walked away without a backward glance.

The surrounding soldiers wanted to rush forward, but Zhang Xuan stopped them. Unlike Monk, he was no hothead. He had seen Chu Han’s skill clearly—this was no man to be taken lightly.

“Send the raid squad after him. I refuse to believe he can reach Jingyuan City alive,” Zhang Xuan ordered, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he watched Chu Han depart, sending chills through those around him.

Unaware of Zhang Xuan’s actions, Chu Han strolled leisurely along the road back toward Jingyuan City, passing through a deserted mountain path rarely traversed by men.

Soon, Chu Han sensed something amiss—the silence around him was absolute, as if the world had shrunk to just himself.

He smiled faintly. Though his strength was gone, his senses remained keen, especially his instinct for danger—a skill that had saved him many times in his previous life.

He stopped moving, standing still and waiting quietly.

After a few minutes, a violent wind arose. From behind the rocks surged hundreds of masked, black-clad men, all brandishing weapons. Their identities were hidden, but Chu Han could easily guess—having just offended the Lantian Barracks and now being ambushed nearby, it could only be their doing, likely at Zhang Xuan’s command.

As the attackers closed in, Chu Han shouted, stomping his right foot fiercely. Unleashing the full force of ninety-nine thousand jin, the ground split open with a thunderous crack, toppling those around him.

The survivors froze in shock—when had they ever seen such terrifying power? To shatter the earth with a single stomp—was this even human?

But as the Lantian Barracks’ raid squad—indeed, their death squad—they valued the mission above their own lives. After a brief pause, they charged again.

Whether Chu Han was man or demon, they would attack without hesitation.

At that moment, new enemies appeared in the sky. A massive net dropped down over Chu Han’s head, as countless swords and blades stabbed toward him from all sides.