Dozens of display screens flickered incessantly, reflecting the images transmitted by the probes, plunging the room into intermittent darkness and light.
At the control console, an office chair continued to spin slowly.
By the rules of the Saint Martial Hall, Gao Yuan, who was supposed to be manning the monitoring station, was not in this room.
The Saint Martial Hall’s regulations were exceedingly strict; no one could violate the established rules, which were considered ironclad laws here.
No unauthorized departure from one's post unless for a special reason! A detailed written report must be submitted afterward. If the justification is deemed insufficient, one’s contract tier is automatically lowered. The lowest tier will result in expulsion from the Saint Martial Hall.
Gao Yuan nervously watched Bai Sheng, his companion. Then he glanced toward the exit leading out of the mountain formation, where beams of sunlight poured in from the cave mouth (a polite term for what the system prohibits me from describing).
“Xiao Bai, this is a huge deal, right?”
Gao Yuan looked toward the opening. Once he stepped across that threshold, he would truly be entering the inner sanctum of the Saint Martial Hall, and if his reason wasn't sound, he would be demoted to the ranks holding Equity Contracts.
“Absolutely,” Bai Sheng took a deep breath. “If a batch of young martial artists surpassing all previous geniuses appears, it’s definitely monumental!”
Gao Yuan nodded heavily, continuously spurring himself on: “Exactly! Reporting something like this will only bring rewards, never penalties. I estimate we could at least secure the top-grade Life Creation Elixir, couldn't we?”
“The highest quality Life Creation Elixir?” Gao Yuan’s anxious gaze instantly turned fervent. “With that, perhaps my chances for Marrow Replacement Nirvana will even increase.”
“Indeed,” Bai Sheng’s eyes shimmered with longing. “Marrow Replacement Nirvana…”
Stepping out of the cave, a solemnity settled over Bai Sheng and Gao Yuan. They looked up at the central area of the island, enveloped by mountains: the towering, hundred-zhang-high white monolith—the Saint Martial Pagoda.
This was the true heart of the Saint Martial Hall! The Two Halls and Six Departments of the Saint Martial Hall were all situated within this small basin ringed by mountains.
Bai Sheng and Gao Yuan both belonged to the Outer Affairs Hall, specifically the Invitation Division—one of the Two Halls.
This department, true to its name, was primarily responsible for collecting data on martial artists from across the Federation outside the Saint Martial Hall, assessing them, and ultimately deciding whether to issue an invitation letter. It was also responsible for evaluating and calculating the aptitude of those who came to the Saint Martial Hall.
“Gao Yuan? What are you doing here?”
In the lobby of the Invitation Division, several martial artists stared at Gao Yuan in surprise. Wasn’t he supposed to be in the monitoring room? Abandoning his post? Had he gone mad?
Gao Yuan and Bai Sheng exchanged another look and stated in unison: “We need to see the Minister.”
See the Minister? The martial artists in the lobby froze. Members of the Invitation Division were almost always dispatched outside to execute tasks after receiving invitations from above; it was rare for members to actively request an audience with the Minister.
After a brief silence, everyone instinctively took half a step back, as if to clear an even wider path for the two men.
Watching the pair depart, the martial artists exchanged bewildered glances. What was with Gao Yuan today? Deserting his post in a place as strictly regulated as the Saint Martial Hall was definitely not a minor offense.
Standing outside the door inscribed with the words 'Invitation Division,' Bai Sheng and Gao Yuan met each other's eyes once more, then knocked simultaneously.
“Enter.”
The voice from inside was crisp, resonant, and full of vigor, like a great bell.
The door swung open. Bai Sheng’s heart began to pound as he looked at the middle-aged man seated cross-legged on a cushion. Gao Yuan, entering alongside him, appeared even more tense, his eyes fixed on the man on the cushion with a hint of worry.
The man’s eyes were half-closed. Two golden, sharply defined eyebrows swept toward his temples, and his center-parted golden hair gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. Judging by his fair skin, smooth almost as an infant’s, it was hard to believe he was already fifty-five years old.
“Gao Yuan, you aren’t guarding the monitoring room. Why are you here?”
The middle-aged man slightly opened his eyes. His azure pupils were like the finest sapphires in the world; anyone meeting his gaze would easily become lost within them, unable to extricate themselves.
Gao Yuan involuntarily shivered. This was Ferreiro, known as the foremost master of the Invitation Division from the Mo Hou Luo lineage! Rumored to be a formidable martial artist possessing Great Stellar-level strength! A mere glance from him could send immense spiritual shockwaves through a person!
“Because there is a matter of extreme importance,” Gao Yuan said with utmost deference, completely shedding the (what I perceive as cynical, and perhaps that word is why I cannot post) casualness he displayed in the monitoring room.
“Important?”
Ferreiro’s golden eyebrows arched slightly. His jewel-like eyes flickered with faint curiosity. It was very rare for any martial artist admitted to the Saint Martial Hall to describe something as 'important.'
“Yes, very important,” Gao Yuan quickly pulled a small projector from his pocket. “Today, another batch of invitees reported to the Saint Martial Hall. They passed successfully and chose to challenge the Three Bells of the Stone Gate trial.”
“Oh? What were their results?”
Ferreiro showed no surprise on his face. Which young martial artist entering the Saint Martial Hall didn't arrive with their nostrils pointed skyward, convinced they were the greatest genius ever born? And who wouldn't challenge the Three Bells of the Stone Gate?
“Two of them…” Gao Yuan took a deep breath. “…struck the Paper Bell.”
“Oh?” A hint of astonishment bloomed on Ferreiro’s previously expressionless face. “Someone struck the Paper Bell again? That indeed warrants your trip. Finding such fine young martial artists brings honor to our Invitation Division as well.”
“One of them struck it casually with a finger, producing the sound of the temple’s great bell,” Gao Yuan said cautiously. “The other used a blade against the Paper Bell; without damaging the bell, they produced a ding sound…”
“What?” Several horizontal lines creased Ferreiro’s forehead, and his pupils shot out an even greater degree of shock than before. “The great bell sound? Not the metallic clash? And someone struck it with a blade?”
…………
Ferreiro fell into a brief silence for several seconds, a look of deep thought flickering across his brow. “Interesting. It seems they are genuinely promising young individuals.”
Bai Sheng stealthily observed Ferreiro, noticing that the Invitation Division’s top master had finally absorbed the preceding shock. He inwardly speculated: with the foundation laid, surely continuing the report wouldn't cause him too much further shock? After all, for the esteemed foremost master of the Invitation Division to be overly stunned by trusted youngsters might damage his prestige.
Seeing Bai Sheng nod lightly, Gao Yuan quickly continued, “The one who struck the Paper Bell with a finger also challenged the Mist Bell. And…”
“And what?”
Ferreiro’s pupils rapidly constricted to pinpricks, and he stared intently at Gao Yuan.
The Mist Bell! That was entirely different from the Paper Bell!
Gao Yuan squeezed his eyes, looking quite distressed. Even having witnessed it firsthand, the matter seemed preposterous; he suspected even a Stellar-level master wouldn’t believe it.
“And he struck that one too,” Bai Sheng took over for Gao Yuan, speaking loudly. “This person first expelled his internal blood from his palm, forming a thin mist of blood, concealed his frequency-vibrating vital energy within the blood mist contacting the Paper Bell, rapidly fused with the Mist Bell, and then struck the Mist Bell with one finger, producing the sound of metal colliding!”
“Impossible!?” Ferreiro’s steady, mountain-like chest lurched violently, and his sapphire eyes shot out flashes of light like blue lightning across the sky. “You say a newcomer struck the Mist Bell?”
“Yes,” Bai Sheng maintained a polite smile, though a trace of pride edged his brow. Qin Fen was the genius martial artist he himself had discovered.
“That’s impossible!” Ferreiro’s first reaction was outright denial. No one existed in this world who could strike the Mist Bell on their very first day in the Saint Martial Hall.
In the Hall’s original creation, the Stone Gate Three Bells test was conceived jointly by the Martial Venerable and the Six Stars of Saint Martial. The original intent of the Mist Bell was never for newly admitted young martial artists to strike it!
This Mist Bell was created precisely because it couldn't be struck! Its purpose was to convey to those qualified for the Saint Martial Hall that there are always greater experts out there—'There are people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens!' It was meant to curb the arrogance and sharpness of figures like Xiao Jian, preventing them from becoming complacent just because they qualified for the Hall.
The Mist Bell was known within the Saint Martial Hall as the bell that would never be rung.
Ferreiro could accept the possibility of a transcendent genius, comparable to that monster, striking the Paper Bell, but he absolutely could not accept someone striking the Mist Bell.
Gao Yuan and Bai Sheng shared a helpless smile. This reaction was within expectations, though they hadn’t expected that even after all the buildup, they had failed to keep Ferreiro, the Great Stellar-level master, from being overly shocked.
The projector cast countless rays of light—it was the recording copied from the monitoring room, specifically the scene of Qin Fen striking the Mist Bell.
Ferreiro watched the repeating footage quietly. His otherwise immovable, mountain-like demeanor crumbled; the joints in his hands cracked audibly, one after another.
One minute… two minutes… five minutes…
Ferreiro gradually recovered from his initial shock, while Bai Sheng allowed a slight, triumphant smile to touch his lips. Witnessing the Great Stellar-level master lose his composure like this was no easy feat.
“It’s real?” Ferreiro shook his head repeatedly. “If I hadn't seen it myself, I never would have believed it. Great credit—I will absolutely report this major achievement for you both.”
Gao Yuan’s tense heart finally calmed completely, and a happy smile appeared in his eyes.
Bai Sheng pursed his lips and murmured quietly, “Actually, the purpose of our visit wasn't just to report this one matter.”
Ferreiro looked up at Bai Sheng curiously. What could possibly be more incredible than striking the Mist Bell?
“The situation is this,” Bai Sheng spoke softly. “Except for one person, the rest of this batch of young people all collectively struck the Stone Bell. Based on analysis, they should have all entered the True Innate Realm of Blood Replacement and Rebirth, and currently, all are Ten-Star level martial artists, none older than nineteen…”
“Oh?” Ferreiro’s eyes widened, his pupils betraying unconcealed astonishment. “A batch? Under nineteen, True Innate Realm of Blood Replacement and Rebirth? Ten-Star level?”
“Yes,” Bai Sheng offered a wry smile. “And that’s still not the most important part.”
Ferreiro grew even more bewildered. What in this world could be stranger than this? Martial artists who could almost be called mass-produced, unparalleled geniuses—and now they were arriving in droves.
“They…” Bai Sheng’s expression turned strange as he repeatedly shook his head. “…just now, they all voluntarily modified their contracts…”
“Oh~~” Ferreiro nodded gently. If these people modified their contracts to the Inner Saint Martial Hall tier, it should be approved.
“They collectively changed them to the Basic Type of the Outer Saint Martial Hall…”
“What!?” Ferreiro suspected his ears had failed him. “Say that again.”
Ferreiro paused for a full few seconds, rubbing his temples. The shocks today were one after another: the Paper Bell? Then, mass production of geniuses? And finally, they all went mad and signed the Basic Type Outer Saint Martial Hall contract!
Ferreiro was silent for a few seconds, then rose, extended his hand, and suctioned the projector into his palm. His two golden eyebrows converged toward his forehead as he said, “This is indeed astonishing. It explains why you two came. I surmise you were moved by admiration for their talent?”
Bai Sheng and Gao Yuan both nodded. This wasn't just admiration; if these individuals could enter contracts of the Inner Saint Martial Hall tier, the rewards for Bai Sheng and Gao Yuan would be exceptionally rich—far better than what they would gain if these newcomers pursued the Basic Type under the Outer Saint Martial Hall.
“Let’s go,” Ferreiro pushed the door open. “I cannot make the final decision on this matter. We must report it to the Outer Affairs Hall! Hmm! Even the Outer Affairs Hall probably can't decide this; it will likely require alerting the Inner Affairs Hall.”
Ferreiro stepped a few paces outside the door, then stopped and nodded slightly. “Indeed! Perhaps even the Inner and Outer Affairs Halls won't suffice. This situation might necessitate involving the Six Stars of Saint Martial. I just wonder if it will reach the ears of the Martial Venerable.”
Hearing the string of Saint Martial Hall department names, Bai Sheng’s facial muscles twitched uncontrollably. This matter could alert the Six Stars of Saint Martial? That was virtually equivalent to the Elders’ Council of the Saint Martial Hall! Their status within the Hall was absolutely supreme! Every one of them was a Grandmaster-level martial artist of terrifying power!
The Martial Venerable? Hearing that name, Gao Yuan nearly fainted on the spot. The supreme powerhouse who founded the Saint Martial Hall? The current true sovereign of the Saint Martial Hall! His status was even higher than the Six Stars of Saint Martial!
Nearly every person who joins the Saint Martial Hall knows of the Martial Venerable’s existence. His position in the Hall was like that of Song Wendong of the Qilin Clan in the outside world—the supreme, revered figure of the Saint Martial Hall!
Rumors about the Martial Venerable’s actual strength have never ceased; almost everyone in the Saint Martial Hall knows that the Martial Venerable possesses power not in the least inferior to that of a Divine Beast-level martial artist!
But regrettably, for unknown reasons, the Martial Venerable has never been acknowledged by other Divine Beast-level martial artists, nor has he obtained his own Divine Beast title.
The fighters of the Saint Martial Hall believe that the Martial Venerable simply does not care about the so-called Divine Beast title; even without it, his prestige remains undiminished.
Alerting the Martial Venerable? Gao Yuan looked at Ferreiro’s broad back, secretly wondering, Could it be?
Bai Sheng looked at Gao Yuan. They exchanged glances. Having been in the Saint Martial Hall for so long, neither had ever seen the Martial Venerable. Could it be that today, they would benefit from Qin Fen’s achievement and get a glimpse of the Martial Venerable, rumored to be comparable to a Divine Beast-level powerhouse?