This conjecture wasn't unprecedented; when he was at Four-Star strength, many had already speculated that the man couldn't be very old.

But the day he cleared out an entire street on Planet Renwei No. 4, no one guessed he was only eighteen anymore.

The moment Qin Fen appeared with Nine-Star strength, absolutely no one would suspect he was eighteen. Some even theorized he might have entered a second phase of power surge.

Eighteen years old? The absolute peak among Nine-Star masters—what kind of anomaly was this? Which divine beast had lost track of its child, letting him run loose on the Battle Net causing such havoc?

To reach the pinnacle of the Star level at eighteen required not just martial talent, but massive logistical backing!

If someone reached Star level strength at eighteen, the immediate assumption was that this person had to be the descendant of a Divine Beast martial artist, possessing the best conditions and opportunities.

Shanhe Sheji stared blankly at Qin Fen. As a descendant of Kang Jin Long, one of the Four Astral Generals of the White Tiger of the Golden Star, he was, excluding Little Pluto Hades, the fastest riser among the descendants of the Four Astral Generals.

Shanhe Sheji had always believed that, besides Little Pluto Hades, no one could surpass his speed! Even Shangguan Legend, the Martian legend revered to the heavens by Martian martial artists, might not have truly improved faster than him.

Who exactly was this? Shanhe Sheji’s mind rapidly cycled through known data profiles. This person clearly wasn't Shangguan Legend; the man rumored to be fierce as a tiger used his self-created Martial Emperor Tiger Fist, and his rumored strength had long since broken through the crucial Ten-Star barrier—it definitely wouldn't be this Nine-Star level.

...Passed. The great White Tiger held high hopes for Du Zhanpeng’s martial path development. When news of Du Zhanpeng’s death arrived, the White Tiger had once uttered mournfully, "What a pity."

Qing Long! Shanhe Sheji’s body violently shivered. He recalled something his father, Kang Jin Long, had mentioned. Rumor had it that mysterious Qing Long had a younger brother!

Could it be that monster from the Sacred Martial Hall? Shanhe Sheji scrutinized Qin Fen closely. The rumored monster was obsessed with martial arts, and appeared to be about eighteen this year as well. Even Little Pluto Hades had once stated that if their ages were exactly the same, that monster would most likely win. Even Shangguan Legend would supposedly lose to that monster. That individual was also a strong contender for the Divine Beast title.

Divine Beast! Divine Beast!

Shanhe Sheji’s body trembled. Since birth, his dream wasn't to become a Divine Beast, but to succeed his father, Kang Jin Long, as an Astral General.

Little Pluto Hades always said, "Your goal is too small. It will only constrain your fists, your soul, and your martial path. Look further ahead. Even if you can’t claim the Divine Beast title then, you can become my new Astral General when I attain it, instead of inheriting the mantle of Kang Jin Long."

The goal was too small, too small!

Shanhe Sheji had understood the literal meaning before, but his heart had never truly grasped the weight of it. After all, the title of Divine Beast represented an extremely high echelon. The closer one got to a Divine Beast martial artist, the more one realized how utterly unreachable a Divine Beast truly was.

"Divine Beast... Divine Beast..."

Shanhe Sheji murmured the words repeatedly. Qin Fen suddenly noticed that this young man, barely in his early twenties, seemed to transform in an instant into a dormant volcano, the power suppressed within him for countless years suddenly ignited at this moment.

"That’s right! Divine Beast! I will become a Divine Beast!"

Shanhe Sheji's furious roar echoed throughout the vast dueling arena. His aura shifted completely from what it was before; a surging, powerful presence burst forth from his body.

The other Nine-Star martial artists turned sideways in astonishment, looking at Shanhe Sheji. Everyone clearly sensed that in this instant, his spirit had matured! This man had taken another step closer to breaking through to Ten Stars; perhaps he was only missing that final, critical push.

The path of martial arts involved not just physical prowess, but also the growth of one’s martial spirit.

Kuang Lang even felt that, at this moment, Shanhe Sheji was worthy of fighting Qin Fen one-on-one.

At this juncture, almost no spectator found Shanhe Sheji’s roaring outburst amusing. Though Divine Beasts were the absolute peak martial artists, who dared guarantee that this young man could never ascend to that level given the sheer fighting spirit radiating from him?

To reach the Nine-Star level at nineteen, while not as astonishing as Thirty-Six Hours achieving it at eighteen, was still worthy of the title 'genius'!

"Thirty-Six Hours." Shanhe Sheji’s momentum surged, his piercing eyes fixed on Qin Fen, "Now, I don't want to fight you alongside them. I want to fight you, face-to-face, one-on-one."

...

Qin Fen remained silent for two seconds, then gently turned his neck left and right. "Although your martial spirit has grown tremendously, your heart is completely open, free from restraint or suppression, and your strength has seen a new elevation. But it's a pity; you are still incapable of fighting me one-on-one right now. If I focus all my attention on just you, three punches!"

Three punches—still three punches!

After the previous agreement concerning the so-called 'three punches,' which resulted in Luan Nanjie having bones visibly protruding from his body after just one strike, people finally understood the conservative estimation behind Thirty-Six Hours’ words.

Three punches? Shanhe Sheji desperately wanted to test it. Facing that ferocious fist, perhaps he could achieve a breakthrough within three punches?

Breakthrough? Shanhe Sheji shook his head again. Before the fight even began, his mind predicted failure. How could such a mentality lead to a breakthrough? Considering defeat before the battle even started—if a breakthrough could be achieved with such a mindset, it would truly be supernatural.

"Fine." Shanhe Sheji finally nodded, "Since that’s the case, I will join them and fight you."

"Thank you," Qin Fen murmured calmly. "Thank you for achieving a further breakthrough in your strength just before fighting me. I hope that in this battle, we can both obtain what we seek."