# 508
**Chapter 508: The Unbreakable Ceiling**
Beep... beep... beep...
The sound of the heart rate monitor echoed in the ward. Shen Qingzhu pushed open the door and stepped into the corridor outside.
“How is he?” Lin Qiye stood up and asked.
“Out of immediate danger for now.”
Lin Qiye and the others relaxed slightly. Baili Pangpang couldn’t help but sigh:
“Who would’ve thought that the Ninth Seat who stepped in to help was actually an undercover agent. I thought he was just plain stupid…”
Cao Yuan, standing nearby, rolled his eyes. “You think everyone’s like you?”
“??? Old Cao, are you getting cocky again? Want to find a place to settle this?”
Cao Yuan’s mouth twitched. “Give me two days.”
“Two days? What’s two days gonna—huh?” Baili Pangpang suddenly realized something and looked at Cao Yuan suspiciously. “Don’t tell me… you’re about to break through?”
“Back when we were training in the warehouse, I already touched the threshold. After this fight, the feeling’s only gotten stronger…” Cao Yuan looked down at his hands. “I can sense it—I’m breaking through in the next couple of days.”
“Uh… Old Cao, I was just joking, hehehe…”
Joking aside—fighting someone a realm higher was one thing. But at the same realm? Who in their right mind would go head-to-head with Cao Yuan in his berserk state?
Well, except my Jialan.
“Ahem… ahem…”
A soft cough came from the other side of the seating area. Lin Qiye and the others turned to see Zhou Ping sitting quietly in the corner, head lowered as he coughed.
“Sword Saint, why don’t you get yourself checked in too? Rest up a bit?” Lin Qiye asked with concern.
Zhou Ping shook his head. “Just a minor injury. And… something like divine power isn’t something a hospital can treat.”
His clash with Osiris had left both sides wounded. Osiris had only suffered external injuries from sword qi, but Zhou Ping had been partially eroded by the death god’s divine energy—an internal injury.
Naturally, modern medicine couldn’t heal that.
Lin Qiye and the others exchanged glances, their expressions grave.
Zhou Ping wasn’t just their teacher—he was humanity’s strongest combat force. If something was wrong with his body, it was a major issue.
“No need for those long faces.” Zhou Ping saw their worried expressions and sighed helplessly. “It’s just an injury. Not like I’m dying. You fight gods, you get hurt. That’s how it goes.”
After spending so much time with Lin Qiye and the others, Zhou Ping had loosened up. He was no longer as guarded or reserved as before, and their conversations had become much more natural.
In Zhou Ping’s eyes, Lin Qiye and the others had gone from “troublesome strangers” to “troublesome acquaintances,” and finally to “not-so-troublesome students.”
Of course, that was the result of months of effort on their part…
They were one of the very few exceptions in Zhou Ping’s life.
Lin Qiye and the others let out long sighs.
“Sword Saint, if even someone as strong as you can only fight gods to a draw, has any human ever actually killed a god?” Baili Pangpang asked curiously.
Zhou Ping shook his head. “No. Fighting a god on equal terms and killing one are two completely different things.
Among the Human Apex throughout history, there have always been a few who could fight gods without losing, but that’s as far as it goes. Gods aren’t just another form of life—they’re incarnations of certain laws.
And only laws can erase laws.
Humans are merely beings that live within those laws. No matter how strong you become, if you can’t wield the power of laws, you can’t kill a god.
It’s a fundamental difference in the nature of existence.”
Lin Qiye and the others fell into thought.
“Then… is it possible for humans to master laws?” An Qingyu’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“…Probably not.” Zhou Ping was silent for a moment. “At least, no one in history has ever done it.”
The corridor fell into silence.
“Do you know why we’re called Human Apex?” Zhou Ping continued. “Because this realm is the highest peak humanity can reach. Beyond it… there is no path.
Though many geniuses throughout history have tried to break through this ceiling, all have failed.
Human Apex is both an honor representing humanity’s strongest combat power… and a disgrace.
That’s why most Human Apex don’t like the title.”
In the silence,
Lin Qiye slowly spoke. “So… humanity can never defeat gods?”
Zhou Ping was quiet for a moment. “Theoretically… yes. But…”
“But what?” Everyone’s eyes lit up.
“But Ye Fan believes I can.” Zhou Ping sighed helplessly. “He’s always believed I’m the most likely to break through this ceiling and reach a realm no one has ever touched.”
“Commander Ye?” Lin Qiye asked, puzzled. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” Zhou Ping slowly closed his eyes. “I’m just an ordinary person. I don’t know why he places such hope in me…”
Ordinary person…
Lin Qiye’s mouth twitched slightly.
An Qingyu stared at Zhou Ping, his eyes filled with unprecedented curiosity. He licked his lips, lost in thought.
From the MP3 at his waist, Jiang Er’s voice came:
“What are you thinking?”
Since this was a hospital, Jiang Er didn’t appear in her ghost form. Instead, she turned herself into a magnetic field and hid inside An Qingyu’s MP3.
“The strongest human combat power with the potential to break the ceiling… I really want to dissect him…” An Qingyu muttered.
Jiang Er: …
What a weirdo.
Jiang Er thought to herself.
Just then, a crisp ringtone broke the conversation.
Zhou Ping was startled. He pulled out his phone and answered.
“…Hello?” he said softly.
“…”
“What?!”
Zhou Ping shot up from his seat, shock flashing in his eyes. Then he doubled over in a coughing fit.
“Cough, cough… alright. I understand. I’ll wait for you here.”
His sudden reaction startled Lin Qiye and the others. They had never seen him look so grave since meeting him.
“Sword Saint… what happened?” Baili Pangpang asked cautiously.
Zhou Ping stood there holding his phone for a moment, then turned to Lin Qiye and the others, frowning.
“Everyone, back to the safe house with me. In twelve minutes, Ye Fan will arrive.”
“Commander Ye?” Lin Qiye and the others exchanged glances, confused. “Isn’t everything here already resolved? Why is Commander Ye coming now?”
Zhou Ping shook his head. “Unless something changes… you’ll have to handle the remaining two cities on your own.
Something’s happened… up north.”