The wound was hardly severe. The real injury lay deep, hidden from sight.

Wu Fengzi forced his body upright, staggering slightly; the truly powerful never needed a hand to help them up. At least, Wu Fengzi was the kind of powerful figure who wouldn't accept such assistance.

"Little Junior Brother, you are qualified to attend the Gathering of Heroes." Wu Fengzi turned, laughing heartily as he stepped out of the crowd, throwing his head back to shout, "If you continue to advance like this, then I won't go to the Gathering of Heroes either; I will guard the Sacred Martial Hall myself." The younger martial artists looked at Wu Fengzi's retreating back, utterly confused. What did the Gathering of Heroes have to do with the Sacred Martial Hall?

This battle wasn't merely a contest between fellow disciples; it seemed to harbor something much deeper beneath the surface. What was this hidden matter?

Only confusion remained in the minds of the young martial artists. The brief bewilderment passed, and Wu Fengzi's bold silhouette had already vanished from sight.

It was only then that the young micro-level martial artists recalled another fact: Wu Fengzi had lost! Yet, after his defeat, he showed no sign of dejection; instead, his words radiated the bearing of an elder statesman.

Qin Fen gazed at the spot where Wu Fengzi had disappeared. In a flash of brilliance, memories replayed from the first time he met him up to the current moment, and suddenly, many things became clear.

Back then, Wu Fengzi, as a fifteen-star martial artist, had aggressively swept through Caesar and the others, utterly unconcerned whether people accused him of bullying the weak or exploiting his seniority. He hadn't truly intended to act that way.

Unleashing five-star power! That was what Wu Fengzi truly needed to do.

The Sacred Martial Hall had never lacked genius martial artists; there had been those who successfully broke through to the True Innate realm through Blood Exchange and Rebirth, raising their star rank all the way to fourteen. They would remain stalled at this juncture for ten or even decades.

Since entering the Sacred Martial Hall, Qin Fen's rate of advancement had been astonishingly swift, his dazzling brilliance sparking Wu Fengzi’s interest, and simultaneously, his concern. If such an exceptionally talented junior were to become complacent or arrogant, he might very well stagnate at the fourteen-star level for the rest of his life.

Stimulation was the best method for a martial artist to advance! Pain, death, humiliation, and so on...

these were all catalysts for a martial artist’s growth. Considering Wu Fengzi's calm magnanimity today, a man like him simply wouldn't care about accusations of bullying the weak; he only needed to accomplish what he believed was right.

What was the right thing? In Wu Fengzi’s eyes, the correct course of action was to ensure that this group of juniors with astonishing talent continued to progress, preventing them from stalling due to pride.

As a fellow martial artist, Wu Fengzi was fanatically devoted to martial arts. In a certain sense, he possessed a heart more obsessed with the Martial Way than Qin Fen’s, and he understood better than anyone the importance of a martial artist's infatuation with the Way.

"Martial Venerable, Qin Fen has won," a happy smile bloomed on Wu Fengzi’s slightly pale face. "He is even more outstanding than I am, truly!

I accept your proposal. I will strive to improve myself over these ten years, and in ten years, I will take charge of the Sacred Martial Hall, becoming the next Martial Venerable, renouncing the opportunity to contend for the Divine Beast Martial Artist title for life." On the Martial Venerable's youthful face, a trace of melancholy appeared.

The arm he raised seemed burdened by a million pounds of weight as he slowly clapped Wu Fengzi on the shoulder. After a long pause, the Martial Venerable sighed softly, "That is hard on you." Wu Fengzi’s smile held a rare serenity; even his terrifying crimson eyes now held a brotherly warmth.

"Someone always has to do these things. As long as one possesses a heart for the Martial Way, the title of Divine Beast Martial Artist is not important to me.

Martial Venerable, this title holds its own supreme glory!" There was little joy in the Martial Venerable's smile. To give up the contest for the Divine Beast title to choose the path of Martial Venerable—only someone who had walked that path could understand how solitary a road Wu Fengzi had chosen this time.

The Martial Venerable looked down at the thin magnetic disk in his hand. "Someone always has to do these things..." Wu Fengzi had already vanished.

Whether aiming for the Divine Beast title or the Martial Venerable position, practicing martial arts was the most crucial thing. The Martial Venerable slowly approached the now-boiling Blade Mountain Arena.

The young onlookers, after a moment of quiet, began to murmur praises, discussing the fierce battle just concluded, sometimes in whispers, sometimes aloud. Qin Fen hung his shoulders listlessly.

Although the duration of the fight with Wu Fengzi had been short, the expenditure of spirit, true qi, and strength surpassed any previous engagement. Wu Fengzi was no ordinary sixteen-star martial artist.

If the opponent had been a standard sixteen-star fighter, Qin Fen believed that with his 'Aura Like Rainbow' fist technique, even if he couldn't secure an immediate victory, he could have completely knocked the opponent into an irreversible passive state. Wu Fengzi's martial sense and combat instinct were monstrous, something Qin Fen had rarely encountered since his debut.

Being called the most talented martial artist in the Sacred Martial Hall wasn't just a casual remark; it was profoundly, undeniably true. As his true qi leaked away, Qin Fen felt a burning pain beneath his feet.

Walking across the ravaged battlefield of the Blade Mountain, Qin Fen jumped to the ground, offered no greetings to the crowd, and headed straight for his room. In that life-or-death battle, he had once again unleashed that 'Aura Like Rainbow,' unparalleled momentum in his boxing.

Qin Fen felt a subtle sense of control, unlike his previous fight with Cai Renying, which had been a complete sublimation into pure instinct. Although Wu Fengzi’s strikes lacked that overwhelming, world-shattering momentum, they always carried the majestic bearing of a king tiger, and every move contained a clear spiritual imprint.

He had thoroughly formed his own complete spiritual imprint in his martial arts. Qin Fen was different.

The Divine Way was a difficult path, one far harder to fully solidify than many other martial ways. Divinity!

Containing the world! Aloof and supreme, rumored to be the highest state of life!

His slightest joy or anger could shake the heavens and earth. Qin Fen was nowhere near achieving that yet.

In fact, because the Divine Way was so vast and arduous, the spiritual imprint in his boxing was merely superficial, unable to penetrate the essence. Today’s fight with Wu Fengzi had given Qin Fen significant insights.

He needed to quiet down immediately to digest everything; there wasn't even time for celebration. Wu Fengzi had departed, and Qin Fen left as well.

With the two primary combatants gone from view, the fervent discussion among the young onlookers was unimpeded. "Yang Lie, interested?" Caesar bent his knees slightly and leaped onto the sharp edge of the Blade Mountain, looking down slightly at the Little Dragon King on the arena floor.

"Let's finish the ranking battle from back then." "Good!" The Little Dragon King, mirroring a dragon's posture, also sprang onto the Blade Mountain platform, releasing his thirteen-star strength without reservation, drawing gasps of astonishment from the crowd once more. Qin Fen was surprising, but the small squad accompanying him was equally astonishing; any two who stepped forward turned out to be thirteen-star powerhouses.

Mixed with the tragic aura of the fiercely fought-over Blade Mountain, Caesar spread his arms, his momentum surging continuously, breaking past his own previously unattained peak in an instant. Zeus stood amidst the crowd, his expression immensely lonely.

Among the martial artists of his generation, not only had Qin Fen moved ahead, but Yang Lie had also left him far behind. None of the onlookers expected that after Qin Fen’s battle, such a spectacular fight would erupt on the Blade Mountain today.

Moreover, once this fight began, it was far more than a simple one-on-one contest. The fierce fighting on the mountain raged throughout the entire day, seemingly blotting out the sun and moon, with combat blades flying everywhere.

The destructive power appeared even more intense than Qin Fen’s battle. After Yang Lie and the others finished, the rest of the Sacred Martial Hall martial artists also mounted the arena, engaging each other in turn.

Several successive fierce battles completely ignited the fighting spirit of the other young martial artists. Qin Fen sat cross-legged in his room for an entire day, only just managing to digest about seventy or eighty percent of the intense battle.

When he opened his eyes, he froze slightly upon seeing the Martial Venerable standing by the window at some unknown time. Even to this day, Qin Fen still did not know the background of this young man before him.

His only understanding was that this person’s strength was unfathomable; Wu Fengzi was utterly insignificant compared to him. Not just Wu Fengzi; Qin Fen could clearly sense that even his own master, Ferrero, would be insufficient against this martial artist.

Six Stars of Sacred Martial? Martial Venerable?

Doubt and speculation flickered in Qin Fen’s eyes. Few in the Sacred Martial Hall could defeat the Chief Disciple.

He found it hard to believe there was a hidden master here, like the Sweeping Monk from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. "Follow me." The Martial Venerable uttered those three simple words and his body had already floated out the window.

Not using the stairs? Qin Fen realized then that martial artists who reached a certain realm seemed to dislike using stairs or elevators.

Even returning to his room today, the Martial Venerable had leaped up in one bound, not taking the stairs. The Martial Venerable traversed the numerous structures of the Sacred Martial Hall in silence, the two arriving together at the boundless seaside before stopping.

The Martial Venerable said nothing, and Qin Fen dared not speak or question, merely standing quietly beside him. The sea breeze gently stirred the Martial Venerable's long hair as he stepped forward casually on the soft sand.

His left hand was raised carelessly, then swept downward with equal ease. The surging ocean surface abruptly split in two, and a trench thirty zhang long, composed entirely of seawater, appeared before Qin Fen!

Qin Fen frowned, then quickly fell into deep thought. The Martial Venerable seemed oblivious to Qin Fen’s expression, slowly walking into the sea as if strolling through his own backyard.

With a few steps, the Martial Venerable vanished from Qin Fen's sight, having walked into the deep ocean. The sea trench appeared and then vanished, the water on both sides colliding to create waves upon waves.

After the giant waves subsided, the sea returned to calm. But this tranquility did not last long.

A massive column of blue water suddenly shot up from the surface! The water intertwined and churned, roaring with a sound akin to the Dragon King’s cry, soaring hundreds of feet into the sky before scattering back into the ocean.

Qin Fen stood by the shore, his clothes dampened by the spray. Darkness.

Abyss. The Martial Venerable slowly walked back from the seabed.

He looked at Qin Fen, whose brow was beginning to smooth out, and asked in a voice so calm it seemed detached from the mortal world, "Understood?" Qin Fen paused briefly in his contemplation and nodded lightly. "Understood." "Very well." There was not a single trace of water on the Martial Venerable's clothes.

His quiet voice sounded again, "Do you wish to leave?" "Yes. A man should be the fortress that shelters his woman from wind and rain." Qin Fen paused slightly, then shook his head repeatedly.

"I did poorly at this before. Now, I must go and do it right." "When will you leave?" "I need a few more days." "The Pavilion of Ultimate Arts." "Yes." Qin Fen gazed at the sea.

"The Pavilion of Ultimate Arts." The Martial Venerable nodded with satisfaction. The actions of Ferrero and Di Shitian over the past few days had not escaped the notice of the current true master of the Sacred Martial Hall.

The two Chief Disciples had relayed what they saw in the Pavilion of Ultimate Arts to Qin Fen, striving to be objective and omitting their own martial insights, precisely so that Qin Fen could chew on the meaning himself. Eating something that someone else has already chewed twice significantly reduces its nourishment.

Furthermore, it is easy to be influenced by the relaying party. Despite their efforts to remain objective, both Chief Disciples were figures of profound cultivation, and traces of their own perspectives would inevitably surface, not intentionally, but instinctively.

Qin Fen’s choice to re-enter the Pavilion of Ultimate Arts was so he could personally observe the myriad martial ways within for a few days. The foundation accumulated in the previous period had been almost entirely developed by Asura, and it was time for massive replenishment.

"By the way." The Martial Venerable reached into his robes and tossed a magnetic disk toward Qin Fen. "I fear the matters you intend to pursue after leaving will need to be postponed slightly.

Snake King asked me to pass on a message to you." "Snake King?" Qin Fen was startled, a wry smile forming on his face. "After cultivating rigorously here in the Sacred Martial Hall, I really almost forgot I was a soldier." A hint of satisfied amusement curved the Martial Venerable's lips again.

Whatever one does, one must be fully invested. Qin Fen's reply indicated the depth of his commitment.

Qin Fen pocketed the disk and noticed the Martial Venerable had already gone. Looking at the tumultuous sea, Qin Fen also swung his arm and casually struck out a palm, turning and leaving without looking back.

He knew exactly what the outcome would be. On the thirty-zhang expanse of water, the exact same effect appeared as the palm strike the Martial Venerable had unleashed.

Identical in both width and depth. A Martial Dao Master!

Qin Fen had thoroughly entered the ranks of the Martial Dao Masters. Returning to his room, Qin Fen froze again.

Someone was sitting on the sofa. Even in the dark room, the curve of the figure clearly indicated it was a woman with excellent contours.

A familiar woman! Even with no light in the room, even if Qin Fen had his eyes closed, he would know who this woman was.

The Chief of the Martial Theory Department of the Sacred Martial Hall, Feng Hua Danyu of the Ashura Nation! In the darkness, Asura's body exuded a faint, captivating fragrance.

The elegant Qipao contrasted beautifully with her skin—smooth as fine jade, powdery and lustrous—radiating a femininity completely different from her usual demeanor. A coffee table, a bottle of red wine, and two wine glasses created an atmosphere distinct from the ordinary.