The Capital City, a metropolis of singular importance in East Asia. A whirlwind of prosperity, relentless activity, and high-speed living formed the very lifeblood of this urban expanse.
The Generals of the East Asia Military Region, however, afforded themselves little time to savor the city's opulence. Consumed by the necessity of determining Qin Fen’s future status, these days left the Generals mired only in fast-paced exertion; as deliberations dragged on, a host of potential solutions were successively laid upon the table.
One proposal suggested simply shelving Qin Fen within a military academy for a few years; by the time Song Wendong’s anger subsided, or if Qin Fen happened to be bested by someone else in the interim, the Earth’s Martial God would naturally cease concerning himself with the matter, allowing for a smooth transition back to normalcy. Another contingent proposed assigning Qin Fen directly to a Special Operations unit—let him carve out his own destiny, be it as a dragon or merely a worm.
There was even a suggestion to place Qin Fen in a remote mountain unit, tasking him with raising pigs and growing vegetables as the logistics chief, where he could complete his entire military career with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Dawn broke, yet the meeting persisted; the Generals suddenly realized that Qin Fen, a mere Lieutenant Colonel, posed a far more complicated arrangement challenge than even a Major General’s placement.
The meeting ground on, a continuous stream of varied proposals being put forth. Having finished the breakfast provided by the hotel, Qin Fen stood on the rooftop of the three-star establishment, softly stretching the joints of his body, his eyes constantly scanning the surrounding streets.
“Clear. Nobody around for now,” Qin Fen declared, leaping from the hotel roof.
He vaulted across to the adjacent building's roof in a single bound, his legs never pausing, sprinting rapidly across the staggered levels of the rooftops. Two days prior, he had anticipated that felling one of Shengjing's "Four Heavenly Kings" of the younger generation would slightly quell the tide of challenges.
Yet, Qin Fen discovered he had drastically underestimated Song Wendong’s stature in the hearts of the younger martial artists. In the pursuit of becoming Song Wendong’s future grandson-in-law, young men in Shengjing continued to emerge, bearing the banner of challenge.
Although their numbers had indeed diminished, new issues surfaced elsewhere. Earth was not solely composed of Shengjing City.
Young martial artists in the neighboring city of Tianjing had also received the same news; some were brazen enough to speed over the Jing-Jin-Tang Expressway by car, while others took the Maglev train to crash the scene. The influence of the Four Heavenly Kings of Shengjing’s younger generation barely extended throughout Shengjing itself, proving pitifully weak in the outlying cities.
Just yesterday evening, Qin Fen had entertained two young martial artists, fair-haired and blue-eyed, who had flown in specifically from Europe to present their challenge. Late at night, an African youth, whose complexion was nearly as dark as the night itself, bypassed the airport and headed straight for the hotel, utterly disregarding the late hour to issue his challenge directly to Qin Fen.
It was the arrival of this African martial artist that caused the subsequent few challengers who appeared to decide against provoking Qin Fen under the cover of darkness. Towards those who sought to exploit an opponent’s fatigue while they were still half-asleep, Qin Fen showed absolutely no mercy, beating the six-star challenger until nearly every bone in his body, save his skull, was shattered.
Under the cloak of night, an enraged Qin Fen resembled a midnight butcher, thoroughly intimidating all others who sought an easy victory. Intimidation?
A faint, bitter smile touched Qin Fen’s lips as he twisted his body, dropping from the rooftop into a deserted side alley. Unless murder was involved, any sense of deterrence would only last for a very brief period before being utterly shattered by the unparalleled influence of the Earth’s Martial God, which would soon erode the nerve of the intimidated.
Hoo... Qin Fen exhaled, his mood calming significantly within the quiet confinement of the alley.
To be trapped in endless challenges, while it offered exposure to myriad fighting styles, lost its meaning if there was no time left to actually cultivate one's own martial techniques. Beep beep...
Qin Fen activated a secondhand GPSS navigation system he’d purchased online and casually tapped the icon for the nearest large fitness center. The three-star hotel did possess a fitness room, albeit a small one, but it contained only a few rudimentary machines.
Advanced equipment like gravity rooms was impossible to find, and auxiliary gear such as weighted lead suits was out of the question in a three-star establishment. Weighted lead suits—Qin Fen had never encountered such gear during his military service, but after reading online descriptions, he had developed a growing fascination with this specialized supplementary equipment.
The voice assistance system of the GPSS navigation unit slowly activated: “Proceed three hundred fifty-six meters, then turn left...” Qin Fen moved as directed, his gaze sweeping the surrounding environment, his heart filled with renewed contemplation. “It was under circumstances similar to this that I obtained that strange liquid metal sphere...” A scene capable of altering his entire life flashed through Qin Fen’s mind, stirring within him an ineffable sense of awe.
“Just what factions did the two sides fighting over that liquid metal sphere belong to?” “Why has no one ever reappeared to investigate the sphere since?” “If people knew I possessed the liquid metal sphere, what kind of situation would I face?” Qin Fen looked up at the brand-new surveillance camera mounted on the alley wall—equipment nearly ubiquitous in every corner of the Federation’s cities. Had that bizarre scene not been captured by these devices?
Even the police had never initiated any investigation. Amidst the bustling, prosperous city, this quiet alley offered a momentary respite to the soul.
“Ahead three hundred forty-one meters, please turn left...” The GPSS voice sounded again, and Qin Fen’s eyebrows shot up sharply as a chorus of roaring motorcycle engines echoed from both ends of the alley. Over fifty heavy bikes of various models flooded the alley entrances, their riders encased in pitch-black helmets.
Some held no weapons, others brandished knives, and from the backs of still others sprang magnetic-drive flying swords. Qin Fen’s pupils contracted violently—in the crowd, someone was even holding a gun!
An ambush! Blocked at both exits!
The sound of a single-occupant magnetic-drive speeder cut through the air overhead, and an almost familiar face peered down, radiating pure hatred. Liang Tao looked down upon Qin Fen from above, a venomous smirk playing on his lips.
Do challengers come so easily to be beaten? Shengjing might lack many things, but it certainly didn't lack influential families and officials!
When the collective discontent of these powers converged, the slight force they could exert was something a mere, powerful yet powerless Lieutenant Colonel could not possibly resist. Lieutenant Colonel!
Liang Tao’s eye twitched again; that rank was supposed to be affixed to his own shoulder. GPS satellite navigation system?
A layer of frost settled over Liang Tao's face. You didn’t even realize you were sold a map with modifications— Swish swish...
Four three-centimeter caliber guns suddenly appeared among the crowds on both sides. Qin Fen’s eyes widened: Tear gas!
Boom boom boom... Four muffled reports sounded as the thumb-thick tear gas projectiles, leaving visible, long trails, shot out rapidly from the barrels.
The fifty-plus riders simultaneously ripped off the helmets covering their heads, revealing faces obscured by gas masks. Wielding various weapons, they charged toward Qin Fen at top speed.
Liang Tao laughed maniacally, his eyes glistening with the tears of impending revenge, his voice rising to a hysterical pitch: “Go! Beat him, and you’ll have a chance to become the Earth’s Martial God’s grandson-in-law!
Qin Fen, you didn’t die last time, but let’s see if you have such luck again this time!” Last time? Kill him?
Could it be that the ninth on the Blood List wasn't hired by the Golden Triangle? But by this kid...
A flicker of understanding crossed Qin Fen’s mind. It seemed he had underestimated the vengeful nature of these people.
Despite being clearly in the wrong, they spoke with such self-righteous conviction, playing the victim. Qin Fen narrowed his eyes, meticulously observing everything around him, his hands making a gesture as if prepared to strike in all directions.
Trained under several insane instructors, he had long developed an immunity to common tear gas; even without a mask, he would not be significantly affected. At both ends of the alley stood a gunman.
Their weapons were not tear gas launchers, but real guns! These were the portable AK47s frequently employed by terrorists; their bullets could easily pierce walls and penetrate standard body armor.
Liang Tao watched gleefully as the young men rushed toward Qin Fen. These were notorious playboys from Shengjing, men who constantly caused trouble, leveraging their family backgrounds.
Yesterday, Qin Fen had taken down nine challengers in one go. These prideful brats would never allow him to continue acting so arrogantly in Shengjing, crushing their dignity!
What a ruthless group! Qin Fen tracked the two blades aimed at him; they were clearly targeting the most vulnerable spots—the shoulders.
A strike there would almost certainly result in a lifelong crippling injury. The accuracy of the aim betrayed seasoned fighters, definitely not inexperienced rookies.
Two magnetic-drive flying swords zipped low, skimming the ground, kicking up clouds of dust that followed them like long, grey tails. Their target was Qin Fen’s lower body!
If the lower body was destroyed... the choice in this life would be a wheelchair or crutches; the goal was to ensure he never walked on his own two feet again.
Strength might be lacking, but their methods were vicious! A cold glint flashed in Qin Fen’s narrowed eyes as he directed more attention toward the men holding firearms at the alley mouths—those were the truly lethal threats.
“Die...” The knife-wielder pressed a switch on the hilt, and arcs of blue electricity leaped along the gleaming blade. The intent was not just to slash Qin Fen, but simultaneously to strip him of all fighting capability.
Without the Dragon’s Shield or the Martial Emperor Dragon Fist, Qin Fen raised his hand and snatched the attacker’s wrist. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Power surged as his fingers clamped down; the sound of crushing bone cut through the cacophony of shouts and fighting nearby.
Qin Fen, now at the nine-star level, unleashed his full strength in that grip. Even a chunk of bluestone could be pulverized, let alone the fragile joints of a young martial artist’s wrist.
“Ahhh...” A scream of agonizing pain erupted in the alley, which was no longer quite so quiet. The dozens of youths were not deterred by the shriek; rather, this sight ignited their ferocity even more.
The two magnetic-drive flying swords arrived at his lower body. Qin Fen stomped his left foot down; the two swords struck the ground with a metallic clang, sparks showering as they fell lifelessly like dead fish, unable to move an inch further.
Almost simultaneously, Qin Fen pivoted his body, slamming into the crowd on his right side with the force of a mountain. In this confined space, numbers did not guarantee an advantage; those who could immediately engage Qin Fen in close combat could not exceed four.
The chest bones of the young man Qin Fen slammed into cracked instantly, and the overwhelming force passed through his body, causing his spine to break multiple times as well. Before anyone else could react, the two men Qin Fen had struck were sent flying backward with a force that defied imagination.
The youths standing behind them were struck by their own companions, who flew back not as human beings, but as out-of-control race cars careening off the track. Striking in fury!
Qin Fen’s impact not only cleared a path through those beside him, but he simultaneously snatched the steel blades from the hands of the two young martial artists. His arms moved like willows in a strong wind, whipping out with sharp cracks of displaced air, sending the two steel blades slicing out left and right with suffocating brilliance!
The two gunmen at the alley mouth held their weapons steadily. Trapping someone in an alley like this and crippling them for life was not an unfamiliar scenario; they had never failed before.
No matter how strong a young fighter might be, how powerful could he be? Even the Four Heavenly Kings of Shengjing combined could not breach this “Dragon-Trapping Formation” they had devised.
The crowd on one side of the alley suddenly scattered and collapsed as if hit by a flood. The two gunmen were so shocked they forgot to disengage their safeties, instinctively squeezing the triggers.
Pfft... pfft...
Before the triggers could fully engage, the spinning blades, still airborne, sliced into the gunmen’s right arms. The immense force didn't embed the blades in the humerus; instead, they cleanly severed both men’s right arms at the joint.
Blood sprayed out in thick columns from the stumps of the two young men’s limbs. In the next instant, fresh screams split the alley’s atmosphere, momentarily stunning the other attackers who witnessed the spectacle of severed limbs and spraying blood.
Qin Fen’s feet didn't stop moving; utilizing the walls on both sides of the alley for leverage, he propelled himself out of the crowd. His left hand caught the AK47 that hadn't yet dropped, while his right hand quickly bent down and retrieved a helmet from the ground.
Before anyone could react, that helmet shot out with a dark streak, slamming directly into the magnetic-drive speeder Liang Tao was riding. With a deafening impact, Liang Tao felt his vehicle shudder violently.
The speeder, which had been suspended perfectly level in the air moments before, began to shake erratically left and right, its data displays flickering wildly. The other young men were dumbfounded.
Liang Tao was floating fifty meters above the ground; even throwing a rock to hit the vehicle would be difficult. Yet, someone had used a helmet to strike the vehicle, causing its underside to deform completely.
The helmet itself seemed to explode like a bomb in mid-air. If...
if the helmet shell was hard enough, the crowd felt cold sweat prickle their backs, perhaps the magnetic-drive speeder’s chassis wouldn't just have a dented depression.