Bai Sheng suddenly realized that this young man named Qin Fen was far, far more than his file suggested. But the problem was that most of that data had been collected during this New Recruit Competition.
Had the freshly gathered intelligence gone obsolete already? Bai Sheng's mouth gaped in astonishment. While it was true that Qin Fen was in the initial explosive growth phase for a Martial Artist, this speed was still a bit excessive, wasn't it? His understanding of the Martial Way truly didn't quite match the Star Rank strength he possessed.
Yet, this mismatch was entirely different from the disproportion seen in most Martial Artists.
Many Martial Artists experienced power growth too rapidly, far outpacing their comprehension of the Martial Way, eventually falling into the legendary Martial Arts Block, where they could no longer advance even a single step.
Bai Sheng’s jaw dropped further; he understood perfectly what the inverse ratio implied for a Martial Artist emerging from the Sacred Martial Hall.
It meant that if his physical aptitude was good, his future development space would be vast! Legend held that nearly every Grandmaster of the Divine Beast tier possessed an understanding of the Martial Way that surpassed their own Star Rank strength.
“Qin Fen, you have limitless prospects. You had best reconsider my earlier proposal.”
Bai Sheng turned serious again. The Sacred Martial Hall lacked for no genius, but a monster like Qin Fen was a rare specimen. Even if he failed to become a master of the Constellation title, discovering even one Martial Artist capable of achieving the Star Constellation title would be a monumental achievement for the Sacred Martial Hall.
Qin Fen chuckled softly and shook his head, offering no further reply. He reached out and opened the first page of the [Martial] tome, instantly captivated by its contents.
It was a set of fist techniques, yet unlike typical manuals, it did not state the technique’s name. It merely recorded the method of circulating inner energy and the crucial points of combat.
This technique, however, was not the primary draw for Qin Fen. What was truly significant was the person who recorded it: every small figure depicting movement, and every character of text, concealed that individual's understanding of the Martial Way.
To others, these figures merely represented a common set of fist techniques, something to be experienced slowly to grasp the flavor of the moves.
But for Qin Fen, the moment the book opened, it came alive!
Yes! Alive!
In Qin Fen’s eyes, the meridians in these small figures that appeared still were actually coursing with high-speed True Qi, torrents of energy like the great Yangtze and Yellow Rivers!
These streams of True Qi vibrated differently from one another—that was the true essence for unleashing the technique’s real power. The characters flanking the text seemed to leap from the pages, transforming into vessels brimming with the essence of vital martial understanding, embedding themselves deeply into Qin Fen’s mind, causing the meridians within his own body to pulse in response.
Bai Sheng’s expression once again turned solemn and astonished. As an examiner who had meticulously read all of Qin Fen’s data, he naturally knew that the surface-level power of the [Martial] fist technique was far less than the striking power Qin Fen had already demonstrated. There was no way it should draw his focus so intensely.
Unless! Bai Sheng’s heart constricted. Unless the young man was seeing something much deeper!
If this were ten minutes prior, even under threat of death, Bai Sheng would never have believed Qin Fen could glimpse the true depth of the technique.
However, as he observed Qin Fen’s absorption in the explanation accompanying the [Martial] fist cover, Bai Sheng truly began to suspect Qin Fen might be able to comprehend the deeper layers of this technique.
Granted, the main body of the [Martial] fist recorded beneath the cover was vastly more impenetrable and difficult to grasp than the introductory explanation. But! If Qin Fen hadn't genuinely perceived the essence, Bai Sheng could not believe he would be so utterly engrossed.
Time ticked by, second by second. Bai Sheng was so stunned that he forgot he was supposed to recall the book after half an hour. He simply stood there, quietly watching Qin Fen intently turning the pages of the [Martial] fist manual.
The more Qin Fen read, the more astonished he became. The records in this book seemed to bear a resemblance to a certain technique he had previously encountered. Yes! It was the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm that Lin Liqiang had taught him in Shengjing!
The technique in this book shared similarities with the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm, though it was far less profound, resembling an introductory or perhaps foundational version of it.
In an instant, Qin Fen felt his mind become incredibly clear. Many aspects of the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm that he couldn't understand suddenly became apparent with the appearance of this book.
For a long time, Qin Fen had viewed the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm with a sense of futility. It was a powerful ancient martial art, but it simply wouldn't integrate into his own fighting style. He could use it independently to unleash tremendous destructive force, perhaps, but...
Using something purely without true comprehension served limited purpose for a Martial Artist. It was merely a deadly weapon, no different from a gun or a cannon. It couldn't help a Martial Artist ascend to the pinnacle of the Martial Way.
Masters and the others should be able to fully comprehend the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm. Given their disposition, they would almost certainly offer no explanations.
In their words, the Martial Way was not simple addition; knowing something was entirely different from grasping it. Much of the Martial Way required personal experience for the Martial Artist to intuit.
Qin Fen understood the responses of the Masters perfectly. If simply telling a junior Martial Artist experience could instantly improve them, then the descendants of Martial Arts Grandmasters should all be exceptionally outstanding, quickly reaching the realm of their predecessors. This would prevent the reality where many descendants of Martial Arts Masters end up as obscure, ordinary Martial Artists on the path of cultivation.
After finishing the last page, it was already five...
...The events that followed.
Qin Fen let out a long breath, reluctantly handing the [Martial] fist manual back to Bai Sheng.
“You understood it all?”
Bai Sheng stared at Qin Fen, a mixture of shock and joy in his eyes. To spend five hours immersed in this [Martial] book upon first contact was an extremely rare occurrence in the entire history of the Sacred Martial Hall.
“No,” Qin Fen sighed, his gaze still locked on the [Martial] fist manual. “This book is truly profound and vast. How could I absorb and digest it all in just five hours?”
Then Qin Fen sighed again. This book was not merely a set of techniques; it contained many keys—it was essentially a small encyclopedia of the Martial Way, offering particularly significant help regarding True Qi oscillation.
Bai Sheng carefully scrutinized Qin Fen. This young man's innate talent, based on the Sacred Martial Hall's history, was certainly not among the most exceptional; perhaps only slightly above average.
But martial arts prowess wasn't achieved solely through superior innate talent! Good talent was merely a relatively sound foundation, granting an early lead on the starting line of training.
Reaching the finish line of the Martial Way required more than just leading at the start. Understanding the [Martial] Way carried far greater weight in the later stages!
Looking at Qin Fen, Bai Sheng sighed internally. The Sacred Martial Hall was a unique place that never changed its rules or systems for anyone. Such an excellent seedling for martial arts training was truly a pity.
Alas! Bai Sheng clenched his right fist slightly, making a decision he himself could hardly believe.
“Oof~ I’m exhausted,” Bai Sheng stretched languidly. “I’ll stay here tonight and leave tomorrow.”
As he finished speaking, Bai Sheng was already standing twenty meters away. The [Martial] fist manual in his pocket had not yet fallen to the ground.
Thump...
The [Martial] fist manual dropped onto the ground. Bai Sheng was already gracefully thirty meters further away.
At that distance, the sound of a book hitting the floor was clearly audible to someone of his strength, yet he acted as if he hadn't heard it. He pushed off the ground repeatedly, took a sharp turn, and vanished from Qin Fen’s sight.
Picking up the [Martial] fist manual from the ground, Qin Fen bowed deeply toward the direction Bai Sheng had disappeared, his face etched with reverence.
In this era of strict martial law, Qin Fen was acutely aware of the immense danger and responsibility Bai Sheng incurred by deliberately faking the loss of a book in this manner.
If this book were left unattended overnight, Bai Sheng would not only have violated federal law but also transgressed the ironclad rules of the Sacred Martial Hall!
If this incident were discovered, the lightest punishment for Bai Sheng would be the destruction of his martial arts; execution was even possible!
As a Martial Artist, Qin Fen knew how hard-won Bai Sheng’s martial power was, and he understood the magnitude of the favor Bai Sheng had bestowed upon him.
Creek...
The door to the conference room opened at that moment.
Zhao Huzi stepped out. Seeing Qin Fen standing stock-still, holding the [Martial] tome dazedly, he quickly twisted his ankle and walked back into the room, muttering continuously, “Ah! I’m getting old, my memory is failing. How did I leave documents in the conference room again? Good thing no one saw, good thing no one saw! This is a serious offense; I must hide it well! I estimate Qin Fen might face assassination attempts again tonight, I should find more people to set up an ambush near his room.”
Documents? The conference room was spotless, with no documents anywhere. Assassination? How could Zhao Huzi possess foresight? A surge of emotion warmed Qin Fen’s heart. The General’s seemingly self-muttering words were filled with considerate warning.
Qin Fen carefully tucked away the [Martial] fist manual and bowed deeply once more toward Zhao Huzi’s direction before sprinting out into the long corridor outside the conference room.
Soon, Qin Fen vanished from the corridor near the conference room.
Bai Sheng, who had disappeared shortly before, slowly emerged from the shadows of a corner. He let out a quiet sigh and asked himself softly, “Was this the right thing to do? Kid, don’t disappoint me!”
Bai Sheng’s body flickered slightly, and he vanished from his spot.
Zhao Huzi leaned against the doorway of the corridor, watching the vanishing Bai Sheng, a smile of appreciation playing on his lips. “It seems I won't need to assign extra guards around Qin Fen's room tonight. With this examiner from the Sacred Martial Hall acting as his protector, it is practically foolproof...”
A phone call interrupted Zhao Huzi’s monologue. He answered it to hear the voice of the African Major General, “General, regarding the Mobile Armor sparring match, we are prepared. Why don’t we spar tonight?”
A challenge now? Wasn't that just causing trouble? Zhao Huzi gave a cold laugh. What Qin Fen needed tonight most was time to read!
“I think tomorrow night would be better. Qin Fen needs a good rest tonight to prepare for tomorrow’s martial arts competition.”
“Tomorrow night? Alright then! Tomorrow night it is.”
Wolla Hu hung up the phone, stood up, and began pacing in his office. East Asia had never avoided a fight. Had they discovered something? No! He had to find a way to figure this out. Zhao Huzi's answer was completely different from East Asia's current style in this competition—a style that annihilated opponents and never shied away from challenges, anytime or anywhere! Something must have happened!