Moving forward while injured.

Qin Fen braced his hands on the bathroom sink, his face slick with uncleared water droplets, gazing quietly at his reflection in the mirror behind the basin. He recalled the master’s final admonition before vanishing.

Drip. Drip.

The shut-off faucet wept residual drops, striking the cold water pooled in the basin and creating ripples.

Moving forward while injured? Qin Fen managed a wry smile, shaking his head. He reached for a towel to wipe the moisture from his face, then took a glass of clear water and returned to his pitch-dark room.

The sky had yet to break, yet Qin could no longer sink back into slumber. The realm the master had demonstrated held irresistible allure for any aspiring martial artist.

A surge of True Qi vibrating outward. Having experienced the inner vibration of True Qi with the master’s help, Qin Fen now understood that external vibration was different from internal.

‘It doesn't need to wait until the peak of Inner Vibration to be utilized.

The external release of True Qi vibration can be used as soon as the initial vibration is understood. The only difference lies in the resulting power of the oscillation.’

Cultivating external True Qi vibration was also a form of training for control. Qin Fen was well aware that mastering the initial release of external vibration would greatly assist in controlling the internal vibration. Even if he couldn't immediately upgrade his control over Inner Vibration, he would make significant progress and lay an extremely solid foundation.

“External True Qi Vibration.”

Qin Fen murmured softly, his gaze focused and restrained, looking at the clear water in the glass in his hand.

A simple glass of water, held in an ordinary hand, usually caused gentle ripples to appear in the liquid due to instability in the palm holding the cup. Qin Fen stared at the water; a strong, steady arm could keep the water perfectly still.

I need ripples.

But they couldn't be ripples caused by a shaking wrist.

Qin Fen glanced down at the three broken glass cups at his feet, took a deep breath, filling his abdomen, and muttered quietly, “If this keeps up, I might have to start using a stainless steel cup.”

He gently closed his eyes, sinking back into the scene where the master had taught him vibration. The True Qi within him slowly surged toward his palm.

Vibrate. Vibrate.

Hummm.

Both the cup and the water vibrated simultaneously, layers of ripples spreading across the surface. The instant Qin Fen opened his eyes, a hairline crack appeared on the cup.

The cup broke again? Qin Fen released his grip, letting the fragments fall. This vibration was clearly much better than the previous attempts. If he had to release internal vibration or experience the master's level, he wouldn't even manage this initial step.

The sky had not yet brightened. Qin Fen picked up a fresh glass of water and headed back to the washroom.

The Eighteen Divine Dragons Converging Wind and Cloud technique was temporarily less suitable due to his injury. This was the perfect time to use the combat situation to practice external vibration training.

Light began to creep into the sky. Qin Fen temporarily halted his vibration training, stood up, and performed a set of the Twenty-Four Form Simplified Tai Chi in the small room. Foundations are the bedrock of all profound martial arts. Tai Chi, blending hardness and softness, was the necessary path toward true might; no shortcuts were possible.

Softness breeding hardness? Qin Fen concluded the form. Every time he practiced Tai Chi, he felt a sense of gain, as if practicing the soft yielded hard progress.

He left the room and entered the mess hall. The usual bustling scene of loud laughter and spirited chatter was replaced by an unnerving quiet. Nearly all the new recruits were buried over their meals.

Dozens of pairs of eyes struck him simultaneously, sharp as lightning in the night sky. A chill ran down Qin Fen’s spine. He glanced sideways, feeling a slight unease.

It wasn't the Western recruits? Qin Fen frowned. Usually, whenever he encountered them, he was stared at as if he were a personal enemy. He hadn't expected these hateful, battle-ready gazes to come from the new recruits, not the Western ones. The look from one of the Black men was particularly provocative.

Zeus Mark? Qin Fen met the gaze. Their eyes collided in the air like an electric current. Zeus’s large, bell-like eyes glittered intensely. His five thick fingers slowly curled into fists and he flexed them toward Qin Fen with barely restrained force.

Little Dragon King, Yang Lie, lowered the milk in his hand and slowly lifted his head to stare at Qin Fen. His eyes lacked Zeus’s overtly sharp provocation, but they held an invitation that was harder to define.

“Qin Fen, he’s mine…”

The quiet hall was suddenly pierced by a chilling intent to fight. Caesar turned his gaze toward the table of the Western new recruits. Morad Chiek, the junior apprentice of Shangguan Chuanqi, stared coldly at the American contingent.

His low voice carried across the entire mess hall. Caesar frowned slightly, looking at Morad Chiek. Such blatant provocation showed complete disregard for all the martial artists in the lower half of the entire competition zone.

Morad Chiek slowly put down his cutlery and rose, his gaze sweeping over the onlookers. The intensity of his eyes made the new recruits inwardly shudder. This Western group had clearly produced an outstanding newcomer. Perhaps the championship of the lower bracket wouldn't necessarily go to Europe's "Emperor" Caesar.

“You want to fight Old Qin?” Xue shouted shrilly, “You should ask Caesar, who is in the same quarter-bracket as you first. If he agrees, then ask me, who is in your half-bracket.”

“Ask me?”

At the American new recruits' table, Brooks lightly adjusted the baseball cap pulled low over his face. “’Rage Slash,’ you won't get the chance to win the quarter-final spot. If Morad Chiek wants a fight, he should ask me.”

Qin Fen calmly observed Brooks, who only moments ago had exuded an aura of harmlessness, now radiating a sharpness that any skilled fighter in the room could feel.

“Oh?” Xue wiped his hands with a napkin, put on an expression of ignorant curiosity, scratched his head, and asked, “Excuse me? Who might you be?”

Brooks’s body stiffened slightly. His eyes, hidden beneath the cap, assessed Xue Tian. Other new recruits from different continents were already starting to laugh. This kind of dismissive response, a method of deliberate disregard, was far sharper than any boastful declaration.

Brooks slowly took a deep breath. This response was truly like the legendary Iaido blade of ‘Rage Slash’—always striking from an unexpected direction.

Words like knives? Brooks’s hand pressed down harder on his cap. “No need to rush. I believe you will remember me forever very soon.”

“Who is he talking to?” Xue Tian looked blankly at Xing Wuyi beside him. “My memory has been poor lately; I keep forgetting minor characters. Is he looking at me? Did I just speak to him? What did he just say? I forgot.”

In the silent mess hall, the sound of Brooks clenching his fists, snap, snap, snap, echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

After a long moment, the fighting intent on Brooks dissolved entirely. A faint smile touched his lips beneath the cap. “‘Rage Slash’ Xue Tian, I wonder how long you can last. If we meet in a match, I hope you won't disappoint me.”

Qin Fen sat down at the East Asian new recruits' table. His consecutive victories hadn't diminished his popularity at all; in fact, defeating the American Air Force team single-handedly in one fight had caused his fame to skyrocket again. Lin Ling, the beautiful sniper who had won her match with dazzling flair, suddenly seemed less of a focus.

A minor storm had passed. Most people lowered their heads to eat. Only the usually talkative Xue Tian continued his non-stop chatter, showing no sign of the impending major battles, as if he had already received insider information about being the pre-ordained champion.

The new recruits finished eating and left the dining area in small groups.

In the blink of an eye, only a few East Asian recruits, including Qin Fen, Lin Liqiang who was freeloading, Song Jia, and the Unzarrata who hadn't left immediately, remained in the large mess hall.

Whoosh.

Unzarrata silently pushed a metal box toward Qin Fen and pressed the release mechanism.

Several differently colored pills rattled gently inside the box, releasing wisps of a strange, foul odor.

“So stinky,” Xue Tian cried out, pinching his nose. “Old Yin, what kind of stuff did you make? Why does it smell so bad?”

Xing Wuyi remained silent but secretly pinched his nose.

Du Peng’s eyebrows rose slightly, and he gently turned his head to pinch his nose as well.

Lin Liqiang grinned and gave Unzarrata a thumbs-up. “Old Yin, this smell is incredible. Haven't seen you in a few days, and your taste in refinement is becoming more unique.”

At the entire table, only Lin Yi remained expressionless, as if the thick stench filling the air was undetectable to her, as if she had no sense of smell.

Qin Fen looked at the array of pills and could only manage a bitter smile. Old Yin had truly learned everything he could from the chefs, including how to make things taste awful. He wondered if the master chef would loudly praise Old Yin for surpassing him upon seeing these pills.

“This one,” Unzarrata pointed to the crimson pill in the box, saying with an incredibly solemn expression, “is the Pill of Life and Death. It causes a rapid surge in strength over a short period, leading to uncontrollable growth of True Qi. If not contained, the excess Qi will rupture the meridians, resulting in death. Take it with caution. Note: The antidote is ineffective.”

Everyone who had been holding their noses collectively gasped, a sharp hissing sound. These pills were too bizarre. They seemed even more perilous than the rumored, incredibly expensive Super Berserk Pills.

“En, I know.” Qin Fen looked at his old friend. “This Life and Death Pill is even more domineering than the last one. Otherwise, Old Yin, who usually speaks sparingly, wouldn't have explained it in such detail.”

Unzarrata pushed the metal box toward Qin Fen. The remaining pills were concentrated Berserk Pills and Iron Armor Pills. The instructions were clear enough to understand without further explanation; Qin Fen wasn't a fool who would randomly ingest medicine anyway.

“Old Yin, you’re such a reserved guy. Knowing Old Qin used his Life and Death Pill, you made another one,” Lin Liqiang clapped Unzarrata on the shoulder. “I remember this thing costs a massive amount of money to produce, extremely valuable. When are you going to make one for big brother here?”

Unzarrata seriously examined Lin Liqiang. “The Life and Death Pill has no breakthrough effect on functional limits.”

Pffft. Pffft.

In the quiet mess hall, everyone at the East Asian recruits’ table spat out whatever they were drinking.

No one expected the usually reserved and serious Unzarrata to deliver such a deadpan joke.

“Is that so?” Lin Liqiang, the only one who hadn't laughed, looked disappointed at Unzarrata. “Old Yin, you can’t do this to me! I treat you and Old Qin as brothers. If you keep this up, I feel like I’m losing favor.”

“Yes.” Unzarrata nodded lightly. “Try it.”

“Old Yin! Besides beautiful women, you’re the one I love the most!” Lin Liqiang threw his arms around Unzarrata, laughing heartily. “It’s a deal. Hopefully, you can make me one without Old Qin’s side effects. I trust you can do it. My future happiness rests entirely on you.”

“Okay.” Unzarrata held out his palm to Liqiang. “The funding.”

“Huh?” Lin Liqiang glanced at the box Qin Fen had just put away, a natural expression washing over his face. Producing a Life and Death Pill like that required a significant cost, likely consuming a large portion of their budget.

Whether medicine or bio-engineered beasts, these were disciplines that required massive financial backing to advance. Even though they were geniuses in their respective fields, without money, neither could accomplish much.

“For my happiness,” Lin Liqiang pulled out his bank card and handed it to Unzarrata. “There’s still some money in here. Most of it was won by Old Qin.”

Unzarrata took the card. Lin Liqiang looked at Qin Fen. “Old Qin, you have to fight hard! Your brother here is counting on you to earn more.”

“Young Master Lin, actually, we could cooperate,” Xue Tian nudged Lin Liqiang’s shoulder with his own.

The two locked eyes, immediately sparking a flame of understanding that only they could decipher.

“Young Master Xue,” Lin Liqiang gave him a thumbs-up. “Loyal to the end. We definitely won't forget you when it comes to beautiful women.”

“Young Master Lin, not just beautiful women,” Xue Tian leaned on the table with his elbow. “Old Qin and I plan to form a small mercenary group after we retire. You and Young Master Yin will need to provide us with plenty of support then.”

“Mercenaries?”

The people around the table looked at Qin Fen with confused eyes. He had never mentioned this to them.

Qin Fen chuckled softly, sighing. He realized Xue Tian hadn't forgotten that idea. Mercenaries? If he could find any clues about his brother, doing it wouldn't be an issue.

“Old Qin, why are you smiling so weakly?” Xue Tian’s face was bright with a dazzling smile. “We will definitely become the most famous mercenaries in the mercenary world. That’s right; we have skills and brains that others lack. We are going to be the strongest mercenaries.”

The atmosphere before the great battle, due to Xue Tian’s continuous chatter, quickly vanished unnoticed.

Qin Fen noticed that Du Peng’s eyes were fixed tightly on his chest, the location where the Life and Death Pill was stored.

The Life and Death Pill. This was a pill that evoked memories for many people. Qin Fen sighed softly. When Du Peng learned the whole story that day, the Life and Death Pill became part of his memory as well. Hearing the name again now naturally brought the shadow of Du Zhanpeng back.

“Let’s go,” Xing Wuyi said, standing up. “We should head to the arena.”

The arena? Du Peng’s chaotic eyes suddenly lit up, vibrant fighting spirit dancing within them.

Xing Wuyi pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and nodded with satisfaction. This Du Peng was Du Zhanpeng’s brother.

The martial arts competition, one of the main attractions of the New Recruit Tournament, saw the elimination round from the top thirty-two to the top sixteen, attracting far more attention than the previous sixty-four to thirty-two round.

The massive stadium, holding eighty thousand people, was almost completely full, with many fans even wearing banners bearing the names of the martial artists they supported. The atmosphere was even more electric than the most crowded World Cup soccer matches of years past.

Several formations of beautiful young women were a stunning sight in the audience stands. Little Dragon King Yang Lie’s cheering squad finally made its debut in the thirty-two to sixteen matches, their numbers being no fewer than those supporting "Emperor" Caesar.

"Sky Breaker" Brooks's female supporters were equally numerous compared to those of Yang Lie and Caesar.

Besides the female fan formations, there were two other special formations in the audience.

The members of these two formations were composed entirely of men, with absolutely no women present.

The giant colorful banner of one formation fluttered continuously in the air, the image on the huge flag being Lin Ling.

Qin Fen looked sideways at Lin Ling beside him, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected her to have such a massive fan base so quickly.

Looking at the banner in the sky, Lin Ling’s expression remained completely unchanged, as if it all still had nothing to do with her.

Qin Fen looked with curiosity at the second banner in the sky. This one also depicted a beautiful woman. Her skin tone, chestnut brown with a slightly darker shade, suggested she was of African descent. Her slightly dark complexion, combined with exquisite, beautiful features, exuded an alluring, untamed beauty.

“Africa?” Qin Fen looked up, scanning the surroundings. He quickly located the participating female soldier at the edge of the stadium. A tight military tank top covered her proud bust, and long legs paired with shorts barely covering her curvaceous rear maximized her wild, sexy allure. Almost any man seeing her would feel an instinctive urge to conquer her.

“Alice! Alice! Alice!”

The cheers from the African beauty’s supporters rose in waves, momentarily drowning out the other groups of female supporters.

Unlike the indifferent expressions of others being supported, Alice stood quietly at the edge of the arena, frequently waving to her supporters, which immediately drew even louder roars and shouts from the men.

“So, besides Lin Ling,” Qin Fen murmured to himself as he returned to his seat, “there is another female soldier participating in the martial arts competition.”

The match had not yet begun. Qin Fen reached for a bottle of mineral water, took one out, and held it quietly in his hand, allowing his True Qi to begin gathering in his palm.

Sitting idle was pointless; he might as well find something to do. Training external vibration was an excellent use of time.

Smack.

The water inside the mineral water bottle vibrated violently. Qin Fen scratched his head; the external vibration changed into a jet-like impact of True Qi—a failure.

Time passed slowly as Qin Fen, completely absorbed in his True Qi external vibration training, gradually approached the start of the competition.

“Alright, hello to all you dear audience members!”

“Today is the round of thirty-two advancing to the top sixteen. I believe it will be even more exciting than the last round, right?”

“Perhaps it will be exciting? But I’m more concerned about Qin Fen, this injured new recruit. Can he continue to win the matches?”

“That’s true. The skill level in the top thirty-two is much higher than in the top sixty-four. If Qin Fen weren't injured, it might be interesting. But now? Heh heh. He has injuries. Even if he luckily passes today, can an injured person win the championship? Don't forget the saying: ‘An injury to the tendons and bones takes a hundred days to heal.’”

The three commentators exchanged glances, further heating up the pre-match fervor. Only the group of military enthusiasts remained silent; their gazes were fixed intently on Qin Fen in the new recruit section.

Qin Fen could not be judged by normal standards. After days of observation, the military enthusiasts had finally formed their unique judgment of him.

“The first match of the day is about to begin. The contestants are Xue Tian from the East Asian Military Region, and Kalas from Europe.”

“Oh, speaking of Kalas, I heard a bit of news. I hear he comes from a distinguished martial arts family in Europe. Rumor has it his strength has reached the peak of a Five-Star Meteor rank, seemingly capable of breaking through to Six-Star at any moment. Although not as strong as the Seven-Stars from Africa, his strength is certainly not bad.”

“Five-Star, so what? The biggest highlight of the New Recruit Tournament is the possibility of breakthrough mid-battle. After all, they are very young and still in a rapid stage of power ascent, which is when breakthroughs are easiest. Don’t forget, there was a martial arts champion in a previous New Recruit Tournament who only had Five-Star strength when he started, but he managed to break through twice consecutively, unbelievably reaching Seven-Star strength to claim the final victory.”

Most of the audience nodded. The greatest appeal of the New Recruit martial arts competition wasn't just the fighting itself, but also the uncertain eruptions of breakthrough, which greatly increased the unpredictability of the bouts.

If one only wanted to watch magnificent combat, they shouldn't bother with the New Recruit martial arts tournament, but rather watch other combat events hosted by the Federation, such as the Heroes’ Assembly, which was the most anticipated martial arts competition across the Federation, where even elites from the ‘Sacred Martial Hall’ participated for the top prize.

Kalas stood calmly in the center of the ring, lightly moving his body for the final warm-up.

Xue Tian strode into the ring carrying his Iaido blade, gently stretching his limbs.

Most of the audience immediately let out bursts of boos. Although the competition wasn't just about fists and feet, bringing a blade onto the stage drew contempt from many.

Xue Tian casually bowed to the surroundings, as if he wasn't receiving boos but the most enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.

“He actually brought a weapon? I wonder if this Kalas will suffer a disadvantage?”

“That’s hard to say. Having a weapon doesn’t guarantee an advantage.”

“That’s right. Oh! Oh! Kalas is actually a Six-Star martial artist! He actually broke through before the match started. It looks like this East Asian recruit is in trouble.”

A sudden clamor rose in the audience stands. Two days ago, a Seven-Star martial artist appeared from Africa; now, Europe immediately produced a Six-Star martial artist. The competition was still ongoing; who could guarantee that if this Six-Star fighter made it to the end, he wouldn't become a Seven-Star?

Amidst the uproar, the referee's whistle suddenly sounded.

Xue Tian, standing in the center of the arena, clenched his five fingers around the Iaido blade. The True Qi within him soared continuously. The reinforced concrete surface beneath his feet immediately cracked and sent debris flying.

“Heavens! A Seven-Star! Another Seven-Star martial artist! The East Asian recruit Xue Tian is actually a Seven-Star martial artist!” The commentator shrieked at the top of his lungs. The spectators in the stands were also swept up in an excited commotion.

Seven Stars. A thing of the past. It was already quite an achievement to have even one Seven-Star martial artist appear in the rookie competition. Now, in the very first match of the Top 32, someone else had revealed Seven-Star strength.

There were now two publicly known Seven-Star martial artists. The selection for the tournament champion instantly became a question mark in everyone's minds. Would it be this one from East Asia, or the one from Africa? Were there others among the rookies still hiding their true power?

Seven Star versus Six Star.

Kallas's pupils instantly shrank to pinpricks. This East Asian rookie was this strong?

Xue Tian grabbed the hilt of his Iai sword with a decisive motion, drawing the blade cleanly.

The gleaming steel, mixed with a cold fighting intent, radiated an ominous chill under the sun’s glare. The spectators collectively shivered.

“That’s too shameless! A Seven-Star against an unarmed Six-Star, and he still draws a blade?” The commentator’s booming complaint echoed throughout the stands.

People nodded in agreement. The chance of a Six-Star defeating a Seven-Star was virtually zero. And now, the Seven-Star was actually drawing a weapon against an unequipped opponent. Did this person even possess the spirit of a martial artist?

“I ask you,” Xue Tian hoisted the sword onto his shoulder and tilted his chin up, “Is there still any point in fighting?”

A flicker of despair crossed Kallas’s eyes. That blade carried the distinct scent of spilled blood. It was undoubtedly a weapon that had tasted real killing, and not just once.

Facing a Seven-Star opponent wasn’t the terrifying part for a Six-Star. What was truly terrifying was a Seven-Star who had actually killed before. A person like that would never lack combat experience.

“I concede.” Kallas slowly raised both hands, turning to walk off the stage amidst a wave of collective sighs from the crowd.

“What a pity! Why didn’t they fight? Perhaps a breakthrough could have occurred in a life-or-death battle,” the commentator shook his head repeatedly, displaying obvious incomprehension.

Kallas tilted his head back, glancing toward the commentary box, a sneer touching the corner of his mouth. “Fight for what? A breakthrough? That East Asian rookie could end it in a single strike if he moved, and he certainly wouldn’t hold back. There would be no chance for me to break through.”

“Excellent. We struck gold,” Lin Liqiang enthusiastically punched the air. “It’s always a pleasure cooperating with Young Master Xue.”

Song Jia smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly. Having insider information from Xue Tian had certainly paid off handsomely.

Winning without drawing blood.

At the betting stations, these two outcomes carried vastly different odds.

The betting stations were relatively clear about the extent of Xue Tian’s strength. The odds for Xue Tian winning by defeating his opponent were not high. However, the odds for him winning without drawing a weapon were exceptionally high.

In a martial arts tournament, winning without ever engaging was no easy feat. Xue Tian could manage it, but the oddsmakers could never have anticipated that a young man with championship potential would choose not to conceal his strength, but rather self-detonate his power, placing himself directly under the spotlight for everyone to study.

Did he not wish to win the championship? The people at the betting stations stared at the screen showing Xue Tian’s victory with utter incomprehension. This outcome went completely against conventional wisdom.