Collapse!
Chen Chang'an wasn't someone who got pushed to the brink often, but this Hammer Emperor truly had him on the verge of losing it.
Hammer, hammer, hammer—all you know is hammering.
"You really insist on hammering?"
"Absolutely. I must hammer you, or I'll keep following you."
"Fine. But hammering me won't be so easy."
"That depends on your own skill," Chen Chang'an said coldly.
"What do you mean?"
"You want to fight me?"
The Hammer Emperor was taken aback. Though Chen Chang'an's breakthrough method was peculiar, he was only at the Void Comprehension Realm's first level. Yet here he was, clearly ready to throw down.
"What? Scared?" Chen Chang'an asked with a smirk.
"Not a chance! Of course not!"
"Fighting's good—more chances to hammer!" the Hammer Emperor said excitedly.
More hammering?
Such a simple wish. Unfortunately, Chen Chang'an had no intention of indulging him.
"If you've got the skill, try landing a hit on me!"
"Are you two really going to fight?" Gu Fenghua asked helplessly.
"Shut up!"
"Stay out of it!"
Chen Chang'an and the Hammer Emperor snapped at Gu Fenghua in unison, irritating him.
Fight!
Fight to the death!
Whoever backs down is a damn coward!
"Come on then, fight! Hurry up!"
Gu Fenghua lost his temper too, stepping aside to give them space.
"No way… Did the ancestor just get scolded by Chen Chang'an?"
"Getting scolded isn’t the scary part—it’s that the ancestor didn’t punish him!"
"Am I dreaming? Is this really our ancestor?"
"Shh, stop talking. The ancestor’s looking this way."
A single glare from Gu Fenghua silenced the crowd.
"Can we start now?" the Hammer Emperor asked eagerly.
"Sure, bring it on!"
Whoosh!
The moment Chen Chang'an spoke, the Hammer Emperor’s massive hammer—long held in restraint—swung down with a howling gust of wind.
The force behind the strike was terrifying, making the onlookers wince.
Boom!
A deafening crash—but the hammer didn’t land on Chen Chang'an. Instead, it obliterated the building behind him.
"You bastard! Fight if you must, but don’t wreck the place!" Gu Fenghua roared.
"Where is he?"
"Where’d this brat go?"
Ignoring Gu Fenghua, the Hammer Emperor looked around in confusion. He’d been sure the hammer would connect—so how had Chen Chang'an vanished?
Just as he searched, Chen Chang'an’s figure materialized behind him.
Witnessing this ghostly maneuver, Gu Fenghua’s eyes lit up—such a terrifying ability.
Without hesitation, Chen Chang'an delivered a full-force kick to the Hammer Emperor’s rear.
Thud!
A dull impact, followed by the Hammer Emperor’s involuntary flight through the air.
"Holy shit, he kicked the Hammer Emperor away?"
"Insane!"
"Is this really the power of the Void Comprehension Realm?"
"Wait… what’s happening?"
The next moment left everyone stunned.
Gu Fenghua’s eyes widened in disbelief, questioning his own vision.
The Hammer Emperor, mid-flight, reversed course—returning to his original position as if time had rewound.
And waiting for him was another kick from Chen Chang'an.
Thud!
Sent flying again!
Then back once more!
Thud!
And flying once more…
The crowd’s gazes swung left and right, tracking the Hammer Emperor’s airborne trajectory.
But what baffled them was his lack of reaction. His rear must have been thoroughly tenderized—yet he endured it without resistance.
"No… no way!"
"Is this… time reversal?"
"Chen Chang'an actually…"
Gu Fenghua couldn’t articulate his shock.
Chen Chang'an had clearly mastered time manipulation—kicking the Hammer Emperor away, then reversing time to reset his position, leaving him no chance to counter.
The precision was flawless. The Hammer Emperor, a supreme powerhouse, was reduced to a helpless punching bag.
No one knew what went through his mind, but it couldn’t have been pleasant.
"Hammer this, you bastard!"
"You love hammering, don’t you?"
"Go on, hammer me!"
Each kick was cathartic for Chen Chang'an.
Three hours passed. The spectators’ necks grew stiff from the constant swiveling.
"That’s enough. Seriously."
Gu Fenghua couldn’t bear it any longer. The Hammer Emperor’s humiliation was too brutal—his rear swollen beyond recognition.
"Fine, I’ll spare him for your sake."
Chen Chang'an chuckled, finally stopping. He glanced at the motionless Hammer Emperor and asked, "Had enough?"
"Still want to hammer me?"
The Hammer Emperor was long broken. Simple-minded, but not stupid. Publicly humiliated like this—it was too much.
What now?
His rear felt detached, as if it no longer belonged to him.
"Why’s he not moving?"
"Did he die?"
Gu Fengyao’s worried voice broke the silence.
Die?
Gu Fenghua sighed. This was an Emperor—not so easily killed.
This was social death. The Hammer Emperor couldn’t face anyone now.
"Get up. Lying there just makes it worse."
Though Gu Fenghua tried to suppress it, the faint twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement.
"I take my leave!"
"Urgent matters await!"
Still prone, the Hammer Emperor shot off like an arrow, his speed awe-inspiring.
"Truly an Emperor—such speed!"
"Majestic, even in retreat!"
Chen Chang'an finally vented his frustration. Still want to hammer me?
"Shouldn’t we leave now?" Da Huang asked.
Leave?
Gu Fenghua and the others were startled. They’d barely stayed a few days—why the rush?
"Yeah, it’s time."
Chen Chang'an had come for the fetal bead. Now that he had it, why linger? Wait for New Year’s?
"Bit too soon, isn’t it?"
"You and Fengyao haven’t even held the engagement ceremony!"
Engagement?
Damn, he’d forgotten all about it!
Chen Chang'an glanced at the blushing Gu Fengyao and asked bluntly, "So… you know about the engagement?"
"This... naturally, I know."
"Good, I know it too."
"In that case, we can consider ourselves engaged."
"What do you think?"
"Huh? This... this counts as an engagement?" Gu Fengyao stared at Chen Chang'an in utter bewilderment.
"Otherwise? You know, I know—isn’t that enough?"
"We’re cultivators—why bother with trivial formalities? Don’t you agree?"
"Well... that does make some sense."
"See? It’s logical. Alright then, I’ll take my leave. Contact me if anything comes up."
"Farewell!"