The Blade Mountain, one of the most unique arenas in the Martial Sanctuary, remained unknown to many of the martial artists training there.
Usually, the Blade Mountain saw use so infrequently—perhaps once every few years—that most practitioners remained blissfully ignorant of its very existence.
Standing before the Blade Mountain arena, with a diameter nearly a thousand meters across, Qin Fen realized the platform, constructed entirely of blades, must comprise not just hundreds, but perhaps tens of thousands of swords.
The young martial artists who followed trailed behind him, their gazes sweeping over the quiescent Blade Mountain; a collective, sharp intake of breath sucked the air directly into their lungs.
Ten thousand gleaming battle-knives stood upright in silence, coalescing into an aura of chilling, soul-piercing cold.
One did not need to stand on this peculiar platform; even a distant glance was enough to feel the profound, cutting chill emanating from the steel.
Martial artists of slightly lesser power, observing the Blade Mountain arena, felt the influence so strongly that some experienced auditory hallucinations.
The blades before them seemed alive! They appeared to be cheering excitedly, hungry for the intense combat about to erupt upon them.
Wu Fengzi shed his shoes, and with a light leap, landed perfectly on the sharp edges of the blades.
In that single motion—the jump and the landing—there was not the slightest ripple of presence; despite the serene nature of the movement, it struck Qin Fen’s eyes like a physical stab from a sword.
Caesar and the others simultaneously furrowed their brows. Although the footwork Wu Fengzi used to enter the stage seemed ordinary, they could clearly discern the Tiger Stance within it.
The "Fierce Tiger Leaping from the Gate" movement was always meant to be grand and overbearing, yet Wu Fengzi’s seemingly devoid-of-grandeur presence radiated a different kind of tiger essence.
That essence was one of composed serenity; a fierce tiger, no matter the enemy, always displayed the calm dignity befitting the King of Beasts.
Calm before the strike, explosive and dominant upon execution. It was the very essence of a sovereign of the wild.
Since his debut, Qin Fen had sparred with numerous practitioners of the Tiger Stance, but none could compare to the one before him, Wu Fengzi.
Others who practiced the Tiger Form often managed only to replicate a tiger’s hide; few truly embodied the spirit of the beast.
This Wu Fengzi had not only captured the spirit but even the very bones of the tiger! In that instant of takeoff and landing, Qin Fen distinctly saw the spine of Nash, writhing subtly as it moved up and down, perfectly mimicking the spine of a tiger’s back.
To draw the tiger, one might capture the skin, but capturing the bone is difficult!
The same held true in martial arts! Many practitioners sharpened their tiger claws to be fierce and rigid, yet struggled to internalize the structure of the tiger’s bones in their spine.
Humans are the only bipedal, upright-walking creatures in existence. Consequently, the human spine is arguably the worst among all vertebrates, the only species consistently plagued by cervical ailments.
The Creator granted felines perhaps the finest spinal structures in the world; the impact forces they can withstand are several, even tens, even hundreds of times greater than what the human spine can endure.
At this moment, Wu Fengzi, in Qin Fen’s eyes, was a human manifestation of a great tiger.
Asura Fenghua Dan Yun stood among the crowd, nodding repeatedly; that single leap and stance indeed possessed the imposing might of a crouching tiger.
Mimicking Wu Fengzi, Qin Fen gently slipped off his shoes and sprang onto the razor edges capable of slicing human flesh so easily.
His bare feet standing on the blades did not elicit gasps of admiration from the young martial artists. Such a feat could be managed by the Guillotine Witches of Hanzhou, or even very ancient stunt performers—let alone young warriors capable of entering the Martial Sanctuary.
The true test, the young martial artists knew, would only arrive when the two actually engaged in combat.
Both fighters were martial artists of the fifteen-star rank or higher. When they moved, the sheer force generated would cause the very ground to tremble, kicking up dust incessantly.
To stand upon the blade’s edge meant all points of pressure focused solely on the cutting surface—a concept entirely different from standing normally.
Seeing Qin Fen leap onto the blades, Nash’s red eyes flickered with a faint smile: “The Dragon is merely a construct of human fantasy. Why chase something so ethereal and elusive when you could pursue a true King? Chasing the utterly illusory makes one illusory, and the Martial Way naturally becomes more hollow.”
Hearing Nash’s words, the surrounding youths subconsciously nodded, and for a moment, they all felt as if their own martial cultivation had been subtly elevated by those few sentences.
Qin Fen felt the biting cold from the blade beneath his feet, and a strange excitement bloomed in his chest: “It is precisely by striving to pursue these illusory things that humanity has progressed. If we only pursued what already existed, human society would still be trapped in the primitive age, and we would never have achieved the prosperity we see today. Even if a Dragon does not exist in this world, then I shall become the Dragon, and a true Dragon will exist in this world.”
Comparing himself to a true Dragon? The young martial artists froze. The statement was undeniably arrogant, yet coming from Qin Fen’s mouth, it struck them as inherently logical, not mere bombast.
Nash’s red eyes sharpened, the faint gleam transforming into piercing light. At this moment, he was utterly certain: his junior martial brother possessed the genuine qualifications to contend with him, and truly earned the right to vie for the future title of Divine Beast Martial Artist.
There had never been a precedent for two Divine Beasts appearing simultaneously! At the Gathering of Heroes, any warrior defeated in the competition would never be recognized as a Divine Beast.
A Divine Beast is undefeatable! What right or standing would a defeated warrior have to claim that supreme title?
He must win! Nash’s red-eyed focus sharpened, his long hair stirring without a breeze!
At this instant, whether facing the Wu Fengzi or the watching young martial artists below the platform, everyone could hear the internal changes occurring within Nash.
Thump-thump… Thump-thump…
His colossal heart squeezed blood through his vessels, the surging lifeblood rushing like a mighty river, sloshing audibly into the ears of the crowd.
Heartbeat like a war drum, blood flow like a great river!
The magnificent aura of a battle between true ancient martial arts slowly radiated from Wu Fengzi, an intensity that caused the very metallic sharpness of the blades to climb higher and higher!
Wu Fengzi unleashed his power before the fight commenced, his twin red eyes suddenly blazing with intense light; he had clearly chosen to meet this challenge at full capacity. When sparring reached this level of power, holding anything back would be pointless—they might as well fight on the virtual network, casting aside the fear of death for an all-out confrontation.
The very reason for selecting the Blade Mountain as the venue was to infuse the atmosphere of life-and-death into their very bones and blood, rather than treating it as a mere game.
The two harbored no personal animosity, but both sought to glimpse a higher echelon of martial arts, necessitating this cruel setting.
As for the lofty slogan of "Friendship first, competition second," that had been thoroughly declared dead with the collapse of the former organization known as the Official Sports Committee.
The instant Wu Fengzi unleashed his power, Qin Fen felt the opposing aura sweep over him like the shattering of heaven and earth. The figure before him was no longer a man, but a genuine, ferocious tiger!
That pressure was intangible yet substantial; Qin Fen felt as if a tank were barreling toward him at high speed.
“Nash, thank you for bringing me here, for this duel upon the blades.”
At this moment, Qin Fen’s focus locked entirely onto Wu Fengzi’s visage. The world around his body faded to monochrome, as if he had stepped into a different temporal dimension; only the Wu Fengzi—hailed as the most outstanding young warrior of the Martial Sanctuary—remained.
The battle was about to erupt! Qin Fen’s body suddenly shifted, just as it had that day during the trial of the Martial Venerable! Every joint, every bone, even every muscle in his body traced an arc!
With this shake, as the circles were drawn, all his power was gathered into a single cord!
Instantly, a cacophony of snapping and grinding erupted from Qin Fen’s bones and sinews, a grating sound like the relentless snapping of dozens of taut bowstrings pulled past their limit, echoing violently from the bottom up.
Toes, ankles, knees, coccyx, lumbar spine, ribs, backbone, shoulders… every joint in his body exploded with sound!
One shake, one sway, a chorus of strained joints! The air around Qin Fen’s body whistled sharply, forming a visible vortex!
This pre-battle display of power was in no way inferior to Wu Fengzi’s sudden burst of might! The young martial artists standing even slightly near the platform instinctively recoiled as the two forces collided, driven back as if physically struck by the sheer pressure.
A large contingent of young warriors murmured in astonishment: How had Qin Fen’s strength surged so dramatically during his six months of special training? Even Wu Fengzi’s own results after his special training were not as profound as Qin Fen’s today.
Zeus, a new recruit from the Americas mixed in the crowd, stared dumbfounded at Qin Fen on the Blade Mountain: “So, the battle on the ice lake earlier, he wasn’t even using his real strength? Is this truly the Qin Fen who once surpassed everyone in the New Recruit Tournament? Half a year—only half a year—and he has achieved such a leap?”
Zeus’s throat worked convulsively, and he instinctively looked toward Caesar and the others near the platform—the only group among the young warriors who had not retreated under the impact of the clash between Qin Fen and Wu Fengzi. Their expressions remained placid, as if they felt none of that immense pressure.
“Even them…”
Despair flickered faintly in Zeus’s eyes. Yang Lie, the Little Dragon King, had indeed been strong back then, but his strength was only on par with Zeus’s own. Zeus had entered the Inner Martial Sanctuary early, signing up for the most extreme path to secure the best conditions and environment. His nine-star rank had once been a source of immense pride.
He had hoped that upon meeting Yang Lie and the others again, he could stand before them proudly, declaring he was now stronger. Instead, at their last reunion, he had been left far behind.
Over the past half-year, Zeus had labored in bitter seclusion, hoping to close the gap, only to find upon this reunion that Qin Fen had not only distanced himself but had widened the chasm between himself and Yang Lie’s cohort even further.
A wave of hopelessness washed over Zeus: “Alas! The sheer might Qin Fen displays with just a gesture—it seems reaching beyond him in this lifetime will likely be impossible.”
Not far from Zeus, Alice, the beautiful new recruit from Africa who had also competed in the New Recruit Tournament, stared with confusion and astonishment in her lovely eyes: “With strength like Qin Fen’s, I doubt many mechanized armors could harm him, right? No wonder the Martial Way has become the mainstream of the Federation today. Compared to those hulking mechs, martial artists of this caliber are far more elusive, capable of penetrating anywhere. I wonder how many armored divisions and missiles would be required to bring down the current Qin Fen if we were trying to kill him? Could the 134 Vulcan Cannon even pierce his flesh? For standard firearms, perhaps only aiming for his eyes or a few vital spots would do any damage.”
Qin Fen’s initial posture, the Dragon Ascending to Heaven, instantly displayed the depth of his power, causing Wu Fengzi’s twin crimson eyes to narrow with increased gravity.
At the precise moment the initiation and accumulation of power reached their peak! Qin Fen absorbed the astonishment of the crowd into his own surging aura, forging a solid, unparalleled momentum. The steel blade beneath his feet let out a sharp Zheng! of metallic lament, instantly shattering, sending metal shards flying as he rushed toward Wu Fengzi with world-sweeping force!
Dragon Cannon!
Wu Fengzi had once caught Yang Lie’s Dragon Cannon with one hand! Today, it reappeared through Qin Fen’s strike!
Though both were named Dragon Cannon, their power was on entirely different conceptual planes.
Setting aside the difference in sheer destructive force between the two Dragon Cannons, the very spiritual imprints within the fists were distinct! This was a fist technique created by Qin Fen, bearing the indelible marks of his personality, life experience, and understanding of the Martial Way—only he could unleash the true essence of the Dragon Cannon!
Unleashing one Dragon Cannon strike sounded like a continuous detonation in a minefield.
If Qin Fen’s Dragon Ascending to Heaven was the powerful longbow of an ancient battlefield, then this Dragon Cannon was the modern landmine! The sound waves of air explosions merged into one continuous roar, as if Qin Fen were charging forward across a field sown with explosives.
The fist’s intent arrived before the impact wave! Wu Fengzi’s muscles twitched violently under the stimulus of this intent. The sharp light in his crimson eyes flared again; this Dragon Cannon was not the strike wielded by the ten-star Yang Lie of the past. It was not only peerlessly fierce and explosive, but its aura was even more astonishing.
The moment Qin Fen struck, he had managed to absorb all the various emotions—admiration, envy, awe—from every warrior present into his own aura, combining it with the punch bearing his spiritual imprint to form an unprecedented, unmatched momentum.
It is difficult enough for a martial artist to align their own energy with that of the common crowd, but to harness and borrow the auras of others is exponentially harder! Every warrior dedicated to the Martial Way possesses a uniquely distinct personality; they fundamentally cannot genuinely align their own spirit with anyone else under normal circumstances.
With this single punch, Qin Fen forcibly seized the emotions of the onlookers, fusing them all into the Dragon Cannon, sending its might soaring toward the heavens!
As this Dragon Cannon shot out, Qin Fen even forgot the precise mechanical requirements for executing the martial technique; he acted almost purely on instinct. His mind registered only a single objective: strike down the warrior before him!
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle sounded from Qin Fen’s arm! Visible strands of true energy erupted from his right arm. In the high-speed motion, this true energy twisted and coiled into a massive vortex, intertwining and compressing until it formed an even larger current of air, and the whistle instantly transformed into a deafening dragon’s roar!
This dragon’s roar was not emitted from Qin Fen’s throat, as it had been in the past! It was the sound generated by the Dragon Cannon itself upon its execution!
The battle-knives nearest his feet vibrated under the force of the roar, letting out a string of metallic chimes, as if all ten thousand blades were trembling in subservient worship at Qin Fen’s feet.
“The ultimate strike!”
The sharp light in Wu Fengzi’s crimson eyes shot outward. He needed to evade the sharp edge of this unrivaled momentum-fueled punch first, a thought flashed rapidly through his mind.
Retreat?
The light blazing in Wu Fengzi’s eyes suddenly exploded! It was no longer just a sharp gleam; it was a detonation of concentrated essence!
How could he retreat! Wu Fengzi instantly extinguished the rising notion. Had he not waited through half a year of grueling practice precisely for a challenge like Qin Fen’s fists? To retreat now would nullify half a year of arduous cultivation, half a year of patient waiting!
To retreat now would forever color his entire martial path, preventing him from ever reaching the apex of the Martial Way!
The thought solidified, and a thunderous resonance erupted from the bones and joints of Wu Fengzi’s ten fingers, pushing back against the might of Qin Fen’s dragon roar. As his body shifted infinitesimally, his two tiger claws separated vertically, forming a massive tiger’s maw, which snapped downward to enclose the attack—the ultimate closing move of the Tiger Claw technique!
Tiger’s Maw Devouring the Dragon!
Dong!
The tiger’s roar collided and shredded the dragon’s cry; Wu Fengzi’s tiger claws tore and clashed against the fist energy of Qin Fen’s Dragon Cannon. The sound of the colliding fist and claw was like a dozen hand grenades detonating in succession. True energy, atmospheric pressure, and air combined to create shockwaves that scattered outward. Both fighters’ robes fluttered wildly in the resulting vortex; the martial uniforms on their arms were instantly shredded to dust by the tearing force. Even Caesar and the others felt the rush of wind hitting their faces like fine hailstones, carrying a faint sting.
Wu Fengzi snapped his tiger claws shut, tore, and pulled! It was as if the tiger’s maw could not swallow this massive dragon, being forced back by the sheer sound waves. This was the immense effect generated by Qin Fen’s purely raw physical power.
The tiger’s maw was ripped open, yet Wu Fengzi’s body did not immediately retreat. As the steel blades under his feet shattered, he twisted his waist with all his might, shifted his body to the side, and drove his shoulder and arm forward like a tiger’s tail, aiming directly for Qin Fen’s chest, maintaining a head-on fighting style.
Blocking with both hands, a fierce collision! Following up with a strike like a tiger’s tail, aggressively seizing the central line without backing down, fighting Qin Fen for battlefield initiative.
In an instant, Qin Fen displayed the caliber of the Martial Sanctuary’s strongest newcomer. His claws were like a tiger’s maw, his arm like a tiger’s tail, his fists and feet subtly carrying the sound of thunder. His offense and defense were flawlessly watertight!
With his first punch, Qin Fen had gathered the entire spiritual imprint from his six months of special training, unexpectedly seizing the emotions of the crowd. He unleashed this pioneering strike, an aura surpassing even the one he displayed when defeating the New Taekwondo expert Cai Renying that day. It could be called the most magnificent punch of his career.
And in that very instant, influenced by the clashing fist intent and rising momentum, Qin Fen’s aura exploded continually higher, and a feeling of unparalleled supremacy swelled in his chest.
Any discerning observer could see that if this single punch of unrivaled momentum could push back Wu Fengzi, the fight would effectively be over. It would then repeat the pattern from that day against Cai Renying, where one overwhelming punch followed another, a sequence of martial arts that elevated life itself, until Wu Fengzi was utterly crushed.
However, Wu Fengzi was not a fourteen-star fighter like Cai Renying. He was the most gifted martial artist the Martial Sanctuary had seen in many years, the one most highly tipped to achieve Divine Beast status. The thought of retreating was crushed by his own hand in a flash of lightning speed. He relied on his superior strength to counter-attack and seize the initiative.
Clang! Qin Fen broke through the grip of Wu Fengzi’s tiger maw. The instant the blades under his feet fractured, the Dragon Cannon suddenly retracted; his fist aimed toward the sky, and his upright elbow smashed down toward Wu Fengzi’s extended tiger tail.
Simultaneously, around Qin Fen’s left fist, which remained steady, eighteen dragon-shaped true energy streams coiled and whistled. These streams began to interweave and compress, culminating in a sky-piercing dragon’s roar as they shot straight toward Wu Fengzi’s head.