Standing knee-deep in the sea, Jizhen Xuanyi threw straight punches into the incoming waves, each blow landing with sharp, powerful force that shattered the water into sprays. The surging ocean could easily overturn a man, yet Jizhen Xuanyi remained like a fixed anchor, his stance as unmoving as a massive stone.

The seaside morning was cool, but Jizhen Xuanyi’s body burned with heat. From this day forward, this place belonged only to him and Du Peng for their training. Everyone else had already taken planes and left Tianbei City.

"Holy Martial Hall..." Jizhen Xuanyi lifted his head, watching a massive commercial airliner pass overhead: (Read Novels Online, Mobile Site --.1<6>&l;x&g;s.c-_m) "Master, must be on that plane, right? I wonder what Master will feel facing the Holy Martial Hall? Excited? Nervous? Or something else?"

Splash...

The otherwise calm sea surface was broken as Du Peng surfaced, looking up at the plane fading into the sky, an indescribable unwillingness flickering in his eyes.

Jizhen Xuanyi looked towards the tiny dark speck of Du Peng on the distant sea and shook his head slightly. In these twelve days, everyone else had completed the Blood Renewal rebirth and ascended to the Ten-Star level. Yet, Du Peng hadn't even reached the peak of Nine-Star strength, let alone Ten-Star or the True Innate status achieved through Blood Renewal.

"Alas... Ultimate Arts... indeed not everyone can cultivate them," Jizhen Xuanyi shook his head again, recalling Qin Fen's words as he left.

"The martial arts Du Peng cultivates are profound and esoteric, far surpassing those of Caesar and the others—they are truly the Ultimate Arts of this era. It’s just a pity that even a prodigious talent like Du Peng must first cultivate them separately before they can be integrated. Compared to those he has surpassed, his difficulty in achieving Blood Renewal Rebirth is far greater than that of others."

Splash...

Du Peng remained silent, sinking back into the deep sea like a great tortoise. Since his innate talent was inferior to others, he would simply have to put forth more effort than them!

Jizhen Xuanyi looked up again at the plane gradually disappearing into the clouds: "Master, he must be quite happy to get free airplane food again, wouldn't you say?"

"Old Qin, look, look..." Xue Tian elbowed Qin Fen repeatedly. "The flight attendants on this flight are quite something!"

...

Qin Fen lowered his gaze to the newspaper in his hands, pretending not to know Xue Tian, whose voice was nearly as loud as if he were holding a megaphone.

Caesar, seated to Xue Tian’s left, quickly turned his head toward the window as well, preferring to look like a nervous first-time flyer than reveal how familiar he was with Xue Tian. Yang Lie glanced at Solomon beside him, then at Brooks and Morad. Damn, perhaps the cohort heading to the Holy Martial Hall this time was the strongest group of youths since the Hall's founding?

In the past, any young martial artist who received an invitation to the Holy Martial Hall would immediately pack their bags and head there happily on the same day.

It was almost unheard of in history for a young person to receive an invitation, patiently continue their cultivation until they completed the Blood Renewal rebirth, (Read Novels Online, Mobile Site --.1<6>&l;x&g;s.c-_m) reach the Ten-Star Martial Artist level, and then depart for the Holy Martial Hall.

Blood Renewal Rebirth True Innate? Yang Lie flexed his hands, renewed fervor surging in his chest. Many young martial artists entered the Holy Martial Hall to practice martial arts and still failed to complete the Blood Renewal Rebirth True Innate state by the time they left. For him, having achieved Blood Renewal Rebirth True Innate and entered the Ten-Star state just before turning nineteen, there were few precedents in the Holy Martial Hall’s history.

Brooks, who had opened the heavens, pulled a large hat over his face and fell fast asleep. Recently, the rapid progress of Qin Fen and the other young martial artists had forced him to cut his sleeping time by more than half. Now that he finally had a chance to sleep, how could he waste it?

Soon, the ascent phase was complete, and an air hostess stood up sweetly, holding a small microphone. "Dear passengers, at this time..." Qin Fen lowered his eyes from his newspaper, a bitter smile etched on his face. Did he have some karmic bad luck with Federal Airlines? Why was it that both times he flew Federal Airlines, just as the hostess began speaking, a hijacking occurred?

In different parts of the cabin, four distinctly uncomfortable auras of killing intent erupted simultaneously with the air hostess’s announcement.

"This aircraft is now under our control!"

The moment the rough voice sounded, it instantly drew the attention of most passengers. The hostess holding the microphone had the temple of her head pressed against a handgun made of specialized material.

A hijacking, another hijacking! Qin Fen leaned his head back powerlessly against the seat. The security in the Federation was actually quite decent; incidents like hijacking probably occurred only two or three times a year at most. What kind of luck was this? Every time he flew, a hijacking happened?

"Old Qin, Old Qin," Xue Tian whispered excitedly, "You can't move, you absolutely cannot move! This time, it's my turn! My moment to save the damsel in distress has arrived! Once I take down that unlucky hijacker, this beautiful air hostess will surely..."

Whoosh!

A flash of yellow light, too fast for the naked eye to follow, streaked through the air. The Four-Star Martial Artist holding the gun to the hostess’s head had a two-inch long toothpick embedded precisely in his glabella.

The toothpick moved with incredible speed and force, instantly piercing the hijacker's brow, half an inch of the wooden stick protruding from the back of his skull.

Morade.Cheek flicked the toothpick from his hand, simultaneously plucking a button from his chest and snapping his fingers in rapid succession! All the passengers heard was a string of sharp chui-chui sounds in the air. The remaining three hijackers didn't even have time to pull their triggers before their heads were pierced by the steel buttons.

Fast, devastatingly fast!

The end of this hijacking was quick enough to potentially break the Guinness World Record for the shortest hijacking in history.

The other passengers on the plane hadn't even fully registered that they were being hijacked before the hijackers were all dead.

Morade.Cheek spun his fingers, shot Qin Fen two cold, challenging sneers, and returned to his seat, acting as if he hadn't just murdered anyone.

"This... this Morade.Cheek..." Xue Tian tapped the armrest repeatedly with his fingers. "I demand a duel with him! He stole my spotlight!"

Qin Fen shook his head. Records are indeed meant to be broken. Nearly half a year ago, he had been involved in a hijacking that set the record for the shortest duration; he hadn't expected Morade.Cheek to break it so soon after.

The air hostesses, having reviewed some of the data regarding the hijacking six months prior, understood that their first priority was to calm the passengers and inform the captain of the situation, arranging contact with the destination police beforehand to ensure they were ready for the cleanup upon landing.

Qin Fen watched the crew busy themselves, then tapped Yang Lie’s shoulder on the seat in front of him, whispering, "Leave the moment we get off the plane."

"Huh?" Yang Lie turned back, confused. "Why?"

Qin Fen sighed. "I’ve experienced a hijacking once. If we don't leave quickly, we’ll probably be swarmed by reporters..."

Yang Lie nodded in sudden realization. This was indeed a troublesome matter; being the center of attention wasn't always a good thing.

After several hours of flight, the plane slowly descended onto the tarmac at Honolulu Airport. The Federation had no direct flights to the Holy Martial Hall; one could only take a boat to reach the island—there was no other way.

As the plane door slowly opened, reporters waiting there completely blocked the exit. Qin Fen’s plan to slip away immediately was utterly foiled.

Morade.Cheek was detained for a full half hour of interviews before he was finally released.

Qin Fen and the others, though luckier, were still questioned briefly because they were traveling companions of Morade.Cheek.

After leaving the airport and getting into a taxi, Qin Fen and his group learned from the driver that there was only one boat departure daily to the Holy Martial Hall, and that day's vessel had already left. They would have to wait an entire day to reach the island.

Chartering a boat? Impossible! The Holy Martial Hall had its own rules: only one boat per day, symbolizing that one's life offers only a single opportunity, ensuring every traveler knew how fortunate they were.

With no other option, they spent a comfortable night in Hawaii. The next morning, they headed straight for the cruise ship dock the driver had mentioned, only to find one person already waiting at the boarding area.

He looked about eighteen or nineteen, dressed in loose, white silk training clothes. With sword-like eyebrows and piercing eyes, he was certainly a handsome youth, though an air of cold arrogance permeated his demeanor. He stood with his hands clasped across his chest, leaning slightly back against the chair, giving off an aura that discouraged approach.

"Oh? There's someone else besides us today," Xue Tian deliberately raised his voice, but the youth showed not the slightest interest, his gaze fixed on the vast blue ocean, yearning shining faintly toward the distant sea.

"Not bad skill," Xue Tian remarked nonchalantly as he sat next to Qin Fen, studying the arrogant youth in white. "Looks like he’s our age. Eight-Star strength at his age is quite rare."

The white-clad youth’s cold expression finally shifted slightly. He didn't look at Xue Tian, but the corner of his lip curled into a smile visible to everyone—a smile full of confidence and pride.

Under nineteen and already at the Eight-Star level! The youth was immensely proud. Besides the rumored crippled Little Hades, Hadis, and the missing Shangguan Chuanqi, he doubted anyone else of his generation possessed Eight-Star strength or higher.

Caesar glanced at Qin Fen, then at the white-clad youth, shaking his head repeatedly. If he hadn't met Qin Fen, perhaps he, too, would be as proud as this young man. He must have come immediately upon receiving the invitation, Caesar surmised.

The cruise ship gradually emerged clearly from the sea mist. The white-clad youth didn't wait for the ship to dock and stabilize; he simply bent slightly at the waist and leaped onto the vessel like a nimble ape.

"Impressive technique," Yang Lie murmured softly, then a hint of a smile touched his face. What was wrong with him? This youth was his peer, yet when he praised him, it felt like a senior observing a junior.

Qin Fen boarded the cruise ship. Yang Lie’s eyes shone brightly. He should truly be grateful to Qin Fen for this mindset. Had it not been for Qin Fen's help in smoothly achieving his Blood Renewal Rebirth, he might not possess this attitude.

The white-clad youth stared out at the sea, his gaze never lingering on Yang Lie and the others for even half a second. Soon, trucks loaded with vegetables, fresh meat, and various supplies were brought aboard. The cruise ship showed no sign of further waiting; it blasted its horn three times and decisively pulled away from the harbor.

Qin Fen stood quietly by the railing, gazing toward the distant sea. Before coming to the Holy Martial Hall, he hadn't felt much curiosity or anticipation. Now that he was actually confirmed to be heading to this place revered as the sacred ground of martial arts by countless Federation warriors, he found it quite exciting.

The Holy Martial Hall, the martial arts sanctuary in the hearts of nearly every warrior in the Federation—what would it truly be like?

The cruise sailed for two hours before a massive island appeared before Qin Fen's eyes. From the outside, it held no trace of modern large buildings, hardly any sign of artificial sculpting; it possessed the rugged atmosphere of a deserted isle.

The cruise suddenly stopped. A bearded middle-aged man wearing a captain’s uniform came to the rail, his dark eyes giving the impression of a tiger of the forest.

As his gaze swept over the young martial artists, they all felt a sense of recognition—this plump, water-jar-like captain was also a martial arts master!

"See the steel cable in the water?" the captain pointed to a cable, thin as a little finger, hidden beneath the waves. "This spot is five thousand meters from the shore. Anyone who falls off that cable need not bother entering the Holy Martial Hall..." Snap... Whoosh...

The white-clad youth suddenly sprang off the deck, a white streak crossing the water. To the onlookers, he looked like a white-furred monkey running madly across the sea surface, showing no intention of falling in.

Suddenly, the water on both sides of the cable churned violently. Qin Fen's eyes lit up. Dozens of fist-sized tropical piranhas were darting toward the youth at high speed. Look up, bend down, chest out, recoil! In an instant, the youth executed more than ten maneuvers mimicking a monkey dodging through the jungle. The attack net formed by the piranhas was riddled with gaps before him. Even on the narrow steel wire, his movements were unrestrained.

Stepping onto the sand, the youth did not immediately move on. He paused on the beach, turned back to look at Xue Tian and the others on the ship, a faint air of cold arrogance in his expression.

The old captain nodded and smiled in satisfaction, then waved his hand in front of his chest toward Xue Tian. "Your turn."

"Oh."

Xue Tian walked on the steel cable at a moderate pace. When the piranhas shot up beside him, he did not dodge like the white-clad youth; instead, he pushed his thumb against the Iai-giri sword strapped to his waist.

A hundred silver snakes danced around Xue Tian’s body as he continued walking leisurely. The piranhas suspended in the air instantly turned into sashimi that Jizhen Xuanyi loved to eat, splashing dead back into the sea.

The old captain showed a slight tremor of emotion. The youths who came to the Holy Martial Hall were usually filled with reverence and trepidation. After passing the steel cable, which was clearly a test of agility, they usually used subtle footwork to showcase their nimbleness. He had truly never seen such an arrogant young martial artist, drawing a blade to chop up piranhas that had clearly been trained for days, right in the middle of an agility test.

After Xue Tian finished, Morade.Cheek, carrying his red spear, leaped onto the cable. The old captain waved his hand gently, and another batch of reserve piranhas was released into the sea.

As the piranhas leaped up, Morade.Cheek shook his spear, and dozens of red dragons instantly appeared in the air.

The white-clad youth, standing on the sand, his cold expression stiffened. How could two of the accompanying young men not even bother with agility, using only destructive methods? Why hadn’t he thought of just killing the piranhas instead of trying to dodge those small fish?

The old captain looked slightly stunned. Interesting! He turned his gaze to Qin Fen. "Kid, this place is a test of agility. Killing the piranhas is not allowed. Now, you can step onto the wire."

Qin Fen looked at the wire and shook his head gently. For someone walking the Path of Martial Way, dodging piranhas—was that still the Path of Martial Way?

Stepping onto the wire, Qin Fen walked quickly. The soft cable swayed continuously with the rising and falling of the sea. A martial artist with poor foundational movement skills among the Seven-Star realm could easily lose balance.

Pfft... pfft... pfft...

The piranhas in the sea burst from the surface again. Qin Fen neither raised his hand to block the attacks nor used any agility technique to evade; he continued to walk leisurely on the wire.

"What is this..."

The old captain froze for a moment. The piranhas that slammed into Qin Fen’s body, jaws open to savor the delicious human flesh, suddenly flew backward the instant they made contact, exploding into a smear of bloody pulp in mid-air.

Caesar smiled. Qin Fen hadn't even used his protective aura; he had merely used the vibration of his Zhenqi to shock those piranhas to death.

The old captain stared blankly for a few seconds. He looked at Qin Fen, then squinted at Caesar and the others.

"Huh?" The old captain rubbed his eyes a couple of times, his tiger-like gaze seeming to spot a bizarre prey. "You... you all... you all completed the Blood Renewal Rebirth True Innate? And you're all Ten-Star Martial Artists? How is that possible?"

Blood Renewal Rebirth Ten-Star Martial Artists! Not even every warrior who entered the Holy Martial Hall to cultivate achieved that stage! Blood Renewal Rebirth? Sometimes, beyond strength, it required a bit of luck.

The captain had been running this ferry for over a decade and had never seen a warrior under the age of nineteen possess Ten-Star strength before even reaching the island! Having Nine-Star strength was already extremely rare.

"This... how is this possible... how is this possible..." The old captain shook his head repeatedly. Achieving Nine-Star strength at such an age was rare in the history of the Holy Martial Hall, but it had happened before.

True Innate through Blood Renewal Rebirth? Ten-Star Martial Artist? Under nineteen? The old captain touched his forehead. There had only ever been one such person in the entire history of the Holy Martial Hall!

Had these almost-extinct prodigies suddenly been mass-produced today? The old captain suspected he was dreaming. When did geniuses start being mass-produced?

Solomon was the last to leave the cruise ship. The old captain watched Qin Fen and the others on the shore, shaking his head repeatedly and muttering to himself, "This time, those young men who entered the Holy Martial Hall a year before them will probably find it difficult to uphold the Holy Martial Hall's tradition of disciplining newcomers."